April, Nelly and Bugpuppy huddled together in the holly bush with Mockingbird. The others fell asleep, but April had no trouble staying awake. Her mind was busy, trying to think of some way to make Snapper leave them alone. She noticed the paint brush she had used to jab his tongue and got an idea. She gathered up her paints and brushes and went to work. Outside, she could hear the pops and cracks of breaking limbs and Snapper's terrible laughter. Very late during the night, the furious noises stopped. April wondered if Snapper was gone. Then she heard his raspy breathing very nearby. © 2010, Jerry Jindrich. All rights reserved.