Bringing Up Bonjo
By Linda Seton
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"A what?" Pete stops in mid-keystroke at his desk at The Torch.
"A nature preserve. Lionel Luthor has built a nature preserve on the grounds of the family manse." Chloe shuffles through photocopies of the latest building permits culled from the courthouse.
"Preserving anything just isn't in character for that man."
"He's filed for special permits to have big game. Lions and tigers and leopards and other things that could potentially Roy you." Chloe tosses aside the pages.
"In other words we shouldn't be surprised to hear a lot of gunfire coming from the Luthor estate. I mean, more than usual. Y'know safari-style."
"So, you automatically assume that Lionel and his rich friends are going to go big game hunting? Suspicious, much?" Chloe smiles.
"I learned from the best." Pete shoves his chair back and grabs his backpack. "And before you ask I'm allergic to wild animals. And I'm going to Brandi's house to study after school."
Pete backs out of the office, turns and tears off down the hallway before Chloe can start wheedling at him.
Chloe shakes her head. "Me, predictable." Checking the batteries of her camera, Chloe tosses it in her bag and heads for the door. "Predictable."
Chloe hustles down the deserted school hallway and steps out into the parking lot just as Pete heads off in his dad's truck. He sounds the horn and waves at her as she slides behind the wheel of her red convertible Bug.
Chloe turns the engine over and motors out onto the street. She wonders if Pete might be right about Lionel's motives for keeping the animals. Probably not. The only thing Lionel seems to be interested in hunting to the death is Clark. Then why a host of wild animals?
Chloe slows the car as she reaches the first stone and granite wall that surrounds the northern edge of the Luthor estate. On the forms the animals were only listed as being on this one section of the grounds so they probably aren't being used as uber-expensive watchdogs for the castle. But maybe it isn't the castle Lionel is trying to protect. As she parks the car she knows there is only one way to find out.
Grabbing her camera and hanging it around her neck, Chloe climbs out of the VW and starts to slam the door. She decides closing it softly is a better option.
Surveying the ten-foot wall, Chloe picks a spot and begins to climb. If she can just get to the top and have a look see without toppling into the estate it will prove to be a good day. Reaching the top after a fair amount of swearing, she swings a leg over and her foot comes down on an uneven section of wall.
The wall grunts.
Chloe looks over her shoulder at a full grown leopard furiously licking the paw she had just mashed.
"Nice, kitty?" Chloe whispers hopefully as she starts to slip back down the wall. She fights the urge to just let go and drop the ten feet.
Drop, fall, be eaten.
Chloe inches down toward terra firma.
The leopard crawls over and tilts its head so it is staring directly down at Chloe. It licks its chops.
Chloe whimpers and shuts her eyes but for only a heartbeat. She cannot remember if she should hold eye contact with the big cat or not. Regardless, Chloe knows she would rather see what's coming.
She reaches the ground and, keeping her eyes on the cat, backs toward her car. The leopard pads after her along the top of the wall. Chloe reaches the car and fumbles open the door. She throws herself inside and slams the door.
Hands shaking, Chloe tugs the key from her pocket. She gets it between her fingers and after a few desperate jabs forces it into the ignition.
As she turns the key, the world collapses in around her.
The leopard – all two hundred pounds of it – drops through the roof of the car and lands with an oomph in the passenger seat.
Chloe moves aside the flap of roof that covers her face just as the cat eats the flower in the vase on the dashboard. It begins to gnaw on the vase and after a few nips snaps it free.
"Nice, Kitty. Please, please choke to death, Kitty. Please?" She offers in the sweetest of voices.
The cat swings its head around and examines Chloe. Drool drains down onto the seat as it crunches the plastic. It shakes its head sending pieces of vase and saliva flying.
Unsure of what to do, Chloe puts the car in gear. She hopes the cat will want to vacate the newly moving premises. Untroubled by Chloe's driving, the cat flops down onto the car seat and begins to groom itself.
tbc
By Linda Seton
-----
"A what?" Pete stops in mid-keystroke at his desk at The Torch.
"A nature preserve. Lionel Luthor has built a nature preserve on the grounds of the family manse." Chloe shuffles through photocopies of the latest building permits culled from the courthouse.
"Preserving anything just isn't in character for that man."
"He's filed for special permits to have big game. Lions and tigers and leopards and other things that could potentially Roy you." Chloe tosses aside the pages.
"In other words we shouldn't be surprised to hear a lot of gunfire coming from the Luthor estate. I mean, more than usual. Y'know safari-style."
"So, you automatically assume that Lionel and his rich friends are going to go big game hunting? Suspicious, much?" Chloe smiles.
"I learned from the best." Pete shoves his chair back and grabs his backpack. "And before you ask I'm allergic to wild animals. And I'm going to Brandi's house to study after school."
Pete backs out of the office, turns and tears off down the hallway before Chloe can start wheedling at him.
Chloe shakes her head. "Me, predictable." Checking the batteries of her camera, Chloe tosses it in her bag and heads for the door. "Predictable."
Chloe hustles down the deserted school hallway and steps out into the parking lot just as Pete heads off in his dad's truck. He sounds the horn and waves at her as she slides behind the wheel of her red convertible Bug.
Chloe turns the engine over and motors out onto the street. She wonders if Pete might be right about Lionel's motives for keeping the animals. Probably not. The only thing Lionel seems to be interested in hunting to the death is Clark. Then why a host of wild animals?
Chloe slows the car as she reaches the first stone and granite wall that surrounds the northern edge of the Luthor estate. On the forms the animals were only listed as being on this one section of the grounds so they probably aren't being used as uber-expensive watchdogs for the castle. But maybe it isn't the castle Lionel is trying to protect. As she parks the car she knows there is only one way to find out.
Grabbing her camera and hanging it around her neck, Chloe climbs out of the VW and starts to slam the door. She decides closing it softly is a better option.
Surveying the ten-foot wall, Chloe picks a spot and begins to climb. If she can just get to the top and have a look see without toppling into the estate it will prove to be a good day. Reaching the top after a fair amount of swearing, she swings a leg over and her foot comes down on an uneven section of wall.
The wall grunts.
Chloe looks over her shoulder at a full grown leopard furiously licking the paw she had just mashed.
"Nice, kitty?" Chloe whispers hopefully as she starts to slip back down the wall. She fights the urge to just let go and drop the ten feet.
Drop, fall, be eaten.
Chloe inches down toward terra firma.
The leopard crawls over and tilts its head so it is staring directly down at Chloe. It licks its chops.
Chloe whimpers and shuts her eyes but for only a heartbeat. She cannot remember if she should hold eye contact with the big cat or not. Regardless, Chloe knows she would rather see what's coming.
She reaches the ground and, keeping her eyes on the cat, backs toward her car. The leopard pads after her along the top of the wall. Chloe reaches the car and fumbles open the door. She throws herself inside and slams the door.
Hands shaking, Chloe tugs the key from her pocket. She gets it between her fingers and after a few desperate jabs forces it into the ignition.
As she turns the key, the world collapses in around her.
The leopard – all two hundred pounds of it – drops through the roof of the car and lands with an oomph in the passenger seat.
Chloe moves aside the flap of roof that covers her face just as the cat eats the flower in the vase on the dashboard. It begins to gnaw on the vase and after a few nips snaps it free.
"Nice, Kitty. Please, please choke to death, Kitty. Please?" She offers in the sweetest of voices.
The cat swings its head around and examines Chloe. Drool drains down onto the seat as it crunches the plastic. It shakes its head sending pieces of vase and saliva flying.
Unsure of what to do, Chloe puts the car in gear. She hopes the cat will want to vacate the newly moving premises. Untroubled by Chloe's driving, the cat flops down onto the car seat and begins to groom itself.
tbc