Panthera and the Ghostly Sister ✓

Chapter Six

After a few hours, Katy starts crying. Panthera stops and shifts and grabs an apple off the tree above her. She crushes it up and puts the juice in a bottle and feeds it to her. Once Katy stops crying, Panthera looks around for someplace to sleep since it's almost night time. She finds a small cave under the ground and climbs into it. She notices it's cold and puts down Katy and climbs back out. She grabs wood and makes a little fire in the cave. She changes into a dragon and lights a stick outside of the cage and changes back into a human and goes inside the cave. She lights the fire and changes into a panther and cuddles against the baby to keep her warm. “No ones going to take you from me.” she thinks as she watches the baby fall asleep. “What is wrong with you?!” Connor yells. “We can't keep that baby.” his mom says calmly. “So you would rather Panthera leave than keep that baby!” he yells again. “I didn't know she would leave!” his mom says, losing her patience. “So! You should have let me follow her!” he yells. “I'm not losing you! I couldn't care less about her!” his mom yells. “What?” Connor says quietly. “I- I didn't mean it like that...” his mom says. Connor runs out the front door. He runs into the woods and doesnt stop until he's lost. He yells out Pantheras name but she doesn't hear him, she's too far away. He keeps walking around and yelling her name for hours before she finally hears him. Her head shoots up but she thinks it's just a dream so she ignores it when she hears it again. She slowly moves away from the baby to make sure not to wake her. She finally gets out and runs towards the sound. She keeps running when she finds him. She shifts into a human and watches him from the trees. “Panthera!” he yells again. She stifles a laugh and just keeps watching him. He calls her name once more before she steps out. He runs over to her and hugs her close. She pulls out of the hug. “What are you doing out here?” she asks him. “I came to find you.” “Me and Katy are fine, why aren't you with your mom and dad?” “Because it's not right that they would rather lose you than keep the baby.” he says. She shifts and crouches down next to him. He climbs on her back and she runs back to the cave. He gets off her and she goes into the cave and he follows warily. She lays down next to the baby and he sits down and watches him. She shifts into a human and adds a few more sticks. “So, what are we going to do?” “I'm going to take you back home. Me and Katy are going to head farther towards the mountains and try to find a house to stay at.” she says blankley, looking at Katy. “What? No! You're coming home with me!” Connor says. “You already said they dont want me so it's not really home.” she says, letting a tear fall and praying that Connor doesn't notice. “I'm not leaving you.” “Why not?” “Because I love you, you're family!” Connor yells. Panthera doesn't say anything. She just watches the fire. “Please talk to me.” Connor says after a minute. “What do you want me to say? I'll come with you? I'll come home to parents that don’t want me?” Connor doesn't say anything, he just looks down. “Exactly.” “I just won't go home then.” he says, looking up at her. “No! You have to go home!” Panthera yells, standing up. She flinches and looks down at the baby. She's still asleep. “You will go home!” Panthera yells/whispers. “Why? Why can't I stay with you?” “Because you have a family that loves you and wants you to be there with them.” she says. “No.” he says. “Fine.” she says, sitting back down. “That was easy,” he says, sounding suspicious. “I'm not going to stop you.” she says, turning to the baby. Katy wakes up like she knows someone's looking at her. She smiles and reaches out her hands. Panthera picks her up and gives her a bottle of apple juice. She drinks it and tries to get out of her arms. Panthera puts her down and she crawls towards Connor. “What is she doing?” he asks. “She wants you to hold her.” “Um ok...” he says, picking her up. Katy giggles and starts messing with Connors hair and he laughs at her. Panthera smiles as she watches them. She was planning to take Connor home that night but she started thinking that maybe he could stay with her.