I skated to school as fast as I could afraid I am gonna be Late again. Ms. Thompson had already given me a warning, and any more tardiness would mean cleaning the room after class. I couldn't afford to miss my thirty-minute window to get home and watch my favorite anime, Detective Conan.
The traffic light taunted me, stuck on red. I stared it down, willing it to turn green. When it finally did, I pushed off hard on my skateboard, narrowly beating the red light at the next intersection. Out of nowhere, an old lady appeared in front of me. I swerved sharply, lost my balance, and tumbled into a nearby bush.
"Are you alright, dear?" The old lady rushed over, looking mortified.
I groaned, pulling myself out of the bush. "I'm fine, just a little dazed that's all, how about you granny, are you hurt?"
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention. I'm looking for my lost cat, Raiko. He's old and... well, since my husband passed away, he's all I have. I am worried to death he might be lost, or if somebody took him. He's an old cat you know, he wouldn't survive out here cold for long. Oh, my poor Raiko!" She cried.
She handed me a picture of Raiko, a black, tired-looking cat, along with her contact details. Reluctantly, I took the photo, trying not to be rude.
"I'll keep an eye out for him," I said, hopping back on my skateboard. "Gotta go!"
I sped to school, waving behind me, I can feel the old woman staring as I rushed away but I had no time to waste looking behind my back. I felt pity for her though. Must have been so hard losing Raiko after her husband had just died. As I reached the classroom, Ms. Thompson was just entering. I slipped into my seat next to Rowie, who gave me a knowing look.
"Congrats, you beat your record of lates today," he teased.
"Yeah, yeah," I replied, still catching my breath.
Ms. Thompson droned on about arithmetic and English, writing on the board simple mathematical expressions and basic grammar structures. Suddenly, the principal burst into the room, holding a picture of her Chihuahua, Nesi.
"Everyone, earlier today, I lost Nesi. She was just under my bed in her usual pet cushion but when I woke up, she's no longer there. Please keep an eye out for Nesi," she pleaded, distributing photos. "There's a cash reward for whoever finds her." She left the room with murmurs from my classmates talking about their neighbors and they themselves as well have lost their pets. Ms. Thompson had to intervene to calm everyone. "Alright, alright, that's enough about lost pets kids, I'm sure the principal will find Nesi in no time. I am starting to feel like you're just avoiding the oral recitations,' she added. Everyone sighed at the sound of the word 'recitations.'
At lunch, Rowie and I headed to the cafeteria, where Mr. Johnson, the school cook, was posting a missing photo of Tyco, the beloved cafeteria hamster. The place felt gloomy without Tyco munching on his sunflower seeds at the counter, his usual spot where he can receive a shower of love from pupils petting his chubby cheeks.
"What's with all the missing pets?" Rowie wondered aloud as we sat down with our trays.
"Beats me," I said, a sinking feeling in my gut.
After school, I hurried home to catch Detective Conan. Just as the episode was getting good, a scream from Kanao's room sent Dad and me rushing upstairs. We found her crying in front of an empty parrot cage.
"Walloughby's gone!" she sobbed inconsolably.
Dad comforted her, assuring her that the parrot must be nearby and that there's nothing to worry about since her parrot is smart and before she knew it, Walloughby will find her way home." Pororo, my stuffed animal-turned-familiar, sniffed the air, leading us to an open window.
"Smell that?" Pororo said, his nose twitching. "A mythical beast was here," he continued.
"Right, as if I know how a mythical beast smells like," I rolled my eyes.
Kanao's tear-streaked face was heartbreaking. Despite our usual bickering, she was a good sister to me. She took care of me when I am sick and treats me differently. Seeing her so upset was unbearable.
"We'll find Walloughby," Dad promised assured her though his eyes betray his words for he too looked increasingly worried.
Deep into the night, when the house was quiet, Pororo and I decided to hunt the beast.
"What could it be?" I asked.
"There are too many possibilities. We'll start outside and see if I can detect it," Pororo replied.
We searched from the slumbering neighborhood down to the busy New York streets bustling with restless people and speeding cars as if it were not evening, still Pororo couldn't sense anything. Exhausted, we slumped on a bench in a deserted part of the park.
"Maybe we should ask the book," I suggested, summoning the Eldest Bestiary. "Hey..book, Uhmm…do you have any tools for finding a beast?"
"Running diagnostics... checking inventory tools. None, you need to level up to unlock the Beast compass, a beast sensing tool." the book replied in a soft feminine voice.
"Wow, that's really helpful," I muttered.
Pororo looked stunned.
"It never does that before…" he commented.
"Told you…"
Pororo: "How about you narrow down the search? The book itself might have vital information we need to find the beast."
Me: "Okay, let's try this. Book, run a search for beasts that steal pets."
"Running search..." The book's pages flickered like a search engine. "Search complete. The beast you're looking for is a Duende, a goblin-type beast."
The book described Duendes as small, elf-like creatures, typically inhabiting anthills, termite mounds, or large rocks. They could render themselves invisible and control household pets.
"Great," I said, deactivating the book. "Invisible goblins. Just what we need."
Pororo nodded. "Let's check the dense trees in the park. It might be hiding there."
We ventured into the wooded area, searching for anthills or large rocks like lunatics. Suddenly, we heard a distant howl of dogs somewhere, followed by aggressive barks, and then whimpering sound of scared agitated dogs that abruptly stopped, and then there's nothing but silence that followed.
Pororo and I stared at each other with a knowing look. "Duende," we blurted in unison. We sprinted toward the sound immediately desperate to catch the beast.
As we reached the source of the noise, the streetlights flickered ominously, casting eerie shadows. Pororo's ears twitched, and his eyes narrowed.
"There's nothing in here," he whispered, his voice barely audible.
"Any idea if it's nearby?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I can feel it, it's pretty close. Be ready for anything," Pororo replied, his forehead blinking red.
We crept through the bushes, every rustle making my heart skip a beat. The trees around us seemed to close in, the shadows deepening with every step. Suddenly, a glowing pair of eyes appeared in the darkness.