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Birdie wiped her salty and greasy fingers on her jeans, peering around the bush.  “Ok, here’s the plan,” she whispered, her eyes locked on the dim lights glowing in the window of the Pemberly Pet Shop.   “Any minute now, Percy should be leaving.  When he leaves, we shove throw that stick in the door frame so it doesn’t close.  Got it?”

The was answered with a loud slurp.  “Frankie!” Birdie hissed, whirling around.

Her friend’s shoulders lifted in the shadows.  “It’s good.  There’s only a few slurps left.”

Birdie scowled.  “Well, slurp them up quick.  You don’t want to be carrying that thing around when we go inside–if it drips, we would leave evidence.”  She eyed the door, wrapping her arms around the King Charles Caviler Spaniel that lay between her knees.  “Isn’t this exciting, Sassy?  We’re going to learn the truth about Mr. Pemberely once and for all.”

Sassy yawned, revealing a pink tongue.  She had been much more interested in Frankie’s leftover French Fries.

Frankie continued to slurp, her cheeks sucked in so hard she looked like an anteater as she collected every drop of peanut butter and chocolate milkshake.  Birdie gasped, slapping at her knee mid-slurp and causing Frankie to snort ice cream up her nose, which lead to a coughing fit.

“He’s coming out!” she whispered, her eyes wide as the heavy back metal door opened.  “Check it out!”

Frankie wheezed, sliding her arm across her chocolate-syrup spewing nose.

Percy’s large head peered out of the door, glancing left and right.  Satisfied he was alone, he started down the sidewalk, his curled back a foreboding hump as he headed home.  Drawing her arm back, Birdie grunted and heaved the thick stick towards the doorway.  It landed a few feet away, sliding between the metal frame and parking lot just as the door swung shut.  Holding her breath, Birdie pumped her fists in the air in triumph.

“It worked!” she whooped, covering her mouth as soon as the yell had flown out.  “It worked!” she repeated in a whisper.  “It worked.”

Frankie gave her a thumbs up.  She was more concerned that the ice cream in her sinuses would sour.

“Come on, Sassy!” Birdie whispered, pulling her friend up and wrapping Sassy’s leash around her hand.  “Let’s go find out what all these secrets are about.”

With Frankie sniffling behind her, Birdie scurried across the street, ducking through the parking lot and edging along the side of the building.  Pausing by the metal door, she scanned the area with her eyes.  She didn’t see anything.  Holding her head to the door, she pressed her lips together and waited.  The shop was silent.  Motioning for Frankie to follow her, she crept inside.

The shop was dark save for a single light spilling out of a doorway.  Blinking in the blackness, Birdie ran her hand along the edge of the stone walls until her thumb caught something plastic.  Pulling it up, she winced as a buzzing florescant light exploded over head.  Forcing her eyes to open in the bright light, she gasped as Frankie’s elbow dug into her side.

The entire back room was a menagerie of creatures.  Boa constrictors no thicker than a ruler dangled from shelves as elephants the size of step stools lumbered about a marble counter.  Several giraffes the size of a house cat galloped over to a tiny tree, pulling leaves off limbs in one smooth stroke.  In a large tub, hippos no bigger than rubber ducks splashed about with real ducks.  In a large aquarium on the wall, dolphins  the size of Birdie’s palm leaped over whales and stingrays the size of sand dollars.  There were snow leopards peering down from a small cave near the ceiling, mountain goats scuttling along the walls and even a moose moseying across the hallway.  It was as though all the world’s animals had been shrunk and shoved into a closet with none of them eating each other.

Her eyes locked on a tiny monkey the size of her pinkie, Frankie reached for it.  The monkey shrieked and Frankie snatched her hand back.  Footsteps pounded from the lighted doorway, and the metal knob began to turn.  Grabbing Frankie’s hand, Birdie scooped up Sassy and pulled them both in the main part of the shop.  As the other dogs and animals greeted Sassy with delighted barks and squeals, Birdie hunched behind a rack of cages and peered into the back room.

The door swung open, revealing a pair of thin legs in pressed grey pants.  “Now, Ferdidnand, what is the cause for all this ruckus?” a melodious voice inquired.  The monkey shrieked and leaped up and down, pounding his tiny fists into the metal shelf.  “If this is about going to the main part of the shop again, you know you can’t do that,” the voice reminded him, soothing the tiny creature word by word.  “Only dogs, rodents, fish and cats, a few of the goats and reptiles can go in there.  You know that.  People think we’re strange enough not to have cages–those who can see the creatures, after all.”  A warm laugh spread through the small room.  “Percy has luckily informed me only a few people have seen the animals–which is a relief.  Most of them have taken home animals, so it was well and good.”

Biting her lip, Birdie inched closer to the door frame.  She had to get a look at Mr. Pemberely.

“It’s funny, Ferdinand, isn’t it?” the voice continued.  One of the long legs began to tap the floor, a peaceful rhythm to his monologue.  “There are so many things before peoples’ eyes they miss every day, because they’re so wrapped up in their own thoughts.  Take the shop for example–those who walk in just see the empty cages, the dog beds for sale.  But if they truly had their eyes open–if they truly took the time to look–they would see all the wonderful creatures waiting to choose them.”  He sighed.  Birdie inched closer.  “But they don’t.  Their minds are closed and so are their hearts.  And when one’s heart is closed, they can’t see anything.  Nor can they love one or our animals–or any animal really.”  He clucked his tongue.  “Such a shame, such a shame.”

Leaning over as far as she could manage, Birdie stretched her neck out and inched closer towards the room.  Swiveling her head, her vision finally cleared one of the shelves, giving her a clear view of Mr. Pemberely’s face.

If she had any breath, she would have screamed.

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  Tomorrow we have a tasty treat and Friday, a new Dallas Jean!  Then we have a continuation of the Land in the Flowered Bed adventure!  Stay tuned!

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