A Frog's Way Home (The Calamity Girls Book 3)

Fight or Flight

For a while now, something has been stealing food from us. We were determined to figure out who was behind it. "Okay, guys. We need to catch whatever's been breaking into our food bins at night." Anne said. "Yeah, if this keeps up, we'll be out of food soon." Sprig added. "Dibs on eating Loggle." "You'll have to catch me first." Loggle laughed, running away. "It's got to be a critter." Soggy Joe commented. "With all the natural destruction of natural resources, the wildlife has been forced to find food from outside the forests." "Say that last bit 5 times fast." Sprig said. "Shh! Do you guys hear that?" I whispered as the creature came by for some more food. "Look! There it is!" Soggy Joe gasped. "What is it?" Sprig asked. "Does it matter? Whatever it is, we're taking it down!" Anne exclaimed as the creature flew off to its habitat.

We followed the creature to its dark habitat. "This must be its lair." I said. "On three. One, two..." The creature turned around to reveal herself as Domino 2. "Well, bless me Bowie knife. It's a coastal killer moth!" Soggy Joe gasped. "Domino 2!" Anne squealed. "I haven't seen her since she flew off months ago. What should I do? Should I approach her? Should I say hello? Is that too forward?" "Say hello?!" I asked. "Anne, that monster tried to eat us!" "Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she remembers my flavor." Sprig added. "Don't hold a grudge, guys." Anne said as some robots suddenly appeared and captured Domino 2. "Domino 2! No!" "Would you look at that. Problem solved." Sprig sighed with relief. "Welp, let's get a move on." "I have to save her." Anne said. "What?!" Sprig, Joe, and I gasped. "Domino 2 and I still have a connection. I could feel it." Anne explains. "Anne, she's a vicious animal, not your buddy." Sprig replied. "She's been living in the wild for months now and..." "Shh. You hear that?" I asked. "What the heck are?" Anne gasped. "Domino 2 has kittens?!" "Aww! Wittle babies!" I cried. "Well, that settles it. We're taking these little babies back to Wartwood." "Absolutely not!" Sprig snapped. "Well, we can't just leave these defenseless little kittens out in the wilderness on their own." Anne explains. "It's just until we save their mother." "No way. No how. Not in a million years." Sprig refused as Anne and I showed him the kittens. "No, not this time. Must resist!" "I don't think I've ever seen eyes this big before." Soggy Joe said. Anne and I basically begged until Sprig finally cracked. "Ugh, fine!" Sprig shouted. "But I have a feeling the rest of the camp isn't gonna like this." "Don't be so dramatic." Anne said. "They're gonna love it."

As soon as we returned to base with the kittens, everyone wasn't very happy with us, mostly Anne. "They hate it." I commented. "What even are those things?" Sasha asked. "They're monsters." Hop Pop replied. "They're cute as can be, and once they've transformed into adults, they'll eat us all for breakfast!" "I lost my uncle, Magnus to one of those things." Grime explains. "Found his bones in a giant pellet." "Read the real, man." Polly added. "This is a hard no." "Guys, I get your concern. But their mother is Domino 2." Anne explains. "She was my baby precious, and she's been captured by Andrias' robots." "All you gotta do is watch these kittens for a couple of hours." I added. The rebels refused. "Come on, guys." Sprig said sternly. "Anne and Rowena have done so much for all of you. Can't you just do this one thing for them?" "Fine! We'll do it." Mrs Croaker groaned. "But you better hurry back, lovebirds." "Yeah, we don't want to take care of these little savages any longer than we have to." Hop Pop added. "I'm more of a dog person." Sasha explains as the kittens scratched up her face. "So, make it quick!" "I lived with your parents and your spoiled rotten cat for 5 months, Anne!" Rosalina commented, showing off some of Domino's claw marks on her legs. "I'm down." "Thanks, everyone." I thanked. "Anne and I just need to bust her out of a mountaintop fortress. So, we shouldn't be gone long." "I still think this is a terrible idea." Sprig warned. "What if we save her and she tears you to shreds?! Have you seen Rosalina's legs?" "Rosa's a champ when it comes to animals." I explained. "When we first got Thor, he almost took her eye out. He just scratched her cheek." "Domino 2 would never hurt me. I just know it." Anne replied. "I feel it in my heart." "Alright." Sprig sighed. "Welp, count me in." "Thanks, dude." Anne said. "Appreciate the help." I added. "I mean, someone's gotta watch your back when this goes horribly wrong." Sprig said. "We really need to work with your pep talks." Anne explains.

At the top of the mountain, we found a cage where the robots were keeping Domino 2 and others. "Take a look. Another one of King Andrias' robot bases." I said, handing Sprig his telescope he got for his birthday. "They're using the moths to generate power." Sprig explains. "And look! Mind control collars." Anne pointed out as the moths fell asleep. "Okay, here's the plan. We'll wait for the moths to fall asleep, and then we sneak in and free my baby precious." "Anne, there are dozens of moths." Sprig recalled. "How are you gonna..." "She's right there." I replied, pointing at Domino 2, who also had a spore collar. "Oh, huh, nice." Sprig commented. "Now c'mon, let's motor." Anne said.

While the moths were sleeping, Anne, Sprig, and I snuck into the cage to rescue Domino 2. "Shh. Wait there." Anne shushed. "Babe, I'm getting pretty worried again." I whispered. "What if she wakes up?" "Come on, stupid thing." Anne said, ignoring me and trying to destroy the collar. But she woke up Domino 2. "Uh oh." "Stop right..." Sprig exclaimed before Domino 2 shoved him aside. "Sprig!" I shouted. "Anne, look out! Run!" "No! I can't leave her!" Anne cried, finally getting the collar off of Domino 2. "Anne! Get away!" Sprig warned. "No! She'll remember me. I know it." Anne refused. "Come on, girl." Domino 2 began charging at her. "Or maybe I'm wrong!" She screamed as the moth unexpectedly licked her face. "I don't believe this. She does remember you!" Sprig gasped. "Huh. Big win for white faith." I added. Domino 2 gave the mouse toy back to Anne. "Domino 2, you didn't forget me!" She cried. "Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl?" "Wow! This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my..." Sprig said. I gasped as more moths crowded behind him. "I'm about to get eaten, aren't I?" "Sprig! Hang on, buddy!" I shouted. "Rowena, hop on!" Anne exclaimed, grabbing my arm to help me get on Domino 2. As we took off, Anne got distracted by me. "Anne! Sprig first! Relationship later!" I shouted, blushing. "Right, sorry." Anne apologized. Domino 2 got Sprig out of a moth's mouth. "Gotcha!" I exclaimed. "Now, let's get outta here." As Anne opened the cage door, Domino 2 stopped. "What's wrong, girl?" Anne asked. Domino 2 looked back at her friends. "You're right, we can't just leave them here." "I mean, we could." Sprig suggested. "Sprig." I said. "Okay, okay." Sprig sighed, getting rid of the collars with his tongue. "Looks like we did it!" Anne cheered as the moths still grabbed Sprig, arguing over him like he was a free T-shirt at a hockey game. "There is definitely not enough me to go around!" Sprig screamed. "Sprig, no!" Anne and I cried. Domino 2 made a loud screech and the moths gave Sprig back to us." "Thanks." Sprig replied. "Why did they listen to her?" "No way!" I gasped. "Guys, Marcy told me about animals like this. Domino 2 must be the Alpha Moth." "So, that means if we tamed Domino..." Sprig said. "Yup! We've tamed them all!" Anne interrupted, leading us back to base. "Follow me, everyone!"

At the base, the rebels seemed to bond with the kittens while we were gone. When we returned, though, weapons were drawn. "You stay away from them!" Mrs Croaker snapped. "You want them? You gotta get through us!" Felicia added. "Hey, everyone." Anne greeted as Domino 2 landed. "You can put your weapons down. They're with us now." "With us?" Sasha asked. "Well, guys, looks like we just got air cavalry!" Suddenly, as everyone cheered, one of the moths attempted to eat Sprig's head. "Okay, but can we train them not to do that?!" Sprig begged.