Disclaimer: I do not own The Penguins of Madagascar or any of its characters, but I do own Alex the penguin and a lot more characters who appear in this story.
Hopeful that she'd get to New York soon, Alex looked around for a car, but she realized it was going to be more difficult than she thought. The first car she found, she overheard the driver saying he was heading to Florida, the way she had come from. The second car she discovered was going in a completely different direction entirely. The third was heading where she was needing to go, but it had a couple of dogs and she didn't think they would welcome a stranger riding with them.
She was starting to lose hope that she'd find a car to ride in when she heard someone mentioning heading to North Carolina to visit family and she was encouraged to see that the humans drove a truck; she could hop in the back and hitch a ride to North Carolina, and then she could get out when they stopped and go find another vehicle to take her the rest of the way. Hopefully nobody will even know she was there.
Glad to have a plan in mind, she followed the humans, approaching their truck cautiously, terrified she'd be spotted and sent all the way back to Florida where she started. She frowned as she pictured facing her mother and telling her that she failed.
Then she shook herself, determined to get rid of those thoughts.
I can do this, she told herself. Soon I'll make it to New York and find my father. And then…
Pausing, she wondered what she'd do then. Would she be brave enough to tell him how much it hurt growing up without him? Would she admit how much Daisy suffered because he left? Alex really wanted to know why… Why had he just left one day without even telling his mate, who he apparently loved enough to have a child with, but not enough to stay and help raise her?
She wanted to hear his side of the story and try to understand why he did what he did. She just wanted…
She was knocked out of her thoughts by voices and looked up to see the two men climbing into the truck.
Quickly, she climbed into the back and ducked behind some boxes, heart pounding, afraid she been spotted, but she didn't hear anyone call out. Sighing with relief, she relaxed and sat down.
Soon, the truck started and jerked forward. She stumbled backwards, unsteady as the truck gained speed and pulled onto the highway. Crawling over to the side of the truck, she leaned against it, thankful that she'd be able to rest and still continue her journey.
She didn't know how long it'd take to get there, but there was only a couple of daylight left. Surely the humans would stop for the night soon.
She fell asleep and jerked awake when the truck hit a bump.
Startled, she jumped to her feet and gazed around. It was pitch black and the truck jerked from side to side. She stumbled every time it lurched.
At last the truck stopped and she turned to see a house looming over her, a bright light shining above the door. The men climbed out of the truck and Alex crouched down, afraid they'd come to the back and spot her. But she relaxed when one of the guys said," Let's get the boxes in the morning."
She waited in the darkness until she was sure they were gone; then she climbed out of the truck and strained to make out her surroundings. Other than the porch light, it was completely dark and she couldn't see a thing close to her. But she had a feeling that she was far from the road or any store or car that could take her to New York.
Struggling not to panic, she decided to just find a dry spot to wait out the rest of the night. She took a few steps forward, only to trip over something and fall on her face.
Frustrated, she retraced her steps to the truck. She knew if she stayed in the back the humans would see her when they came to get their boxes in the morning, so she decided to settle underneath the truck. It was her only option and she just hoped she wouldn't get run over.
She curled up, not sure if she'd be able to go back to sleep after apparently sleeping for hours, but she must have fallen asleep eventually because she dreamed of finally arriving at the Central Park Zoo and confronting her father. But his image was blurry and no sound came out of his mouth when he spoke and she woke up before she could figure out what was happening.
At first she thought it was still dark out because a shadow fell over her. Then she heard a low, threatening growl and panic shot through her as a brown snout appeared, then a huge head.
Stiff with terror, her eyes met the dog's, which glintled with anger. Alex sat up, hitting her head on the truck above her.
As she stared at the dog, one thought crossed her mind: How am I going to get out of this?
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