“I’ve had enough of this!” Clementine said. “I’m tired and hungry and I don’t wanna know what else is out here, I just wanna get home right now!” He took off down the road as fast as he could, Benjamin and Roscoe right behind him as adrenaline rushed through their scared legs.

• • • • •

THEY RAN A LONG WAY, stopping here and there only to catch their breath, then going on. The thought of his soft, cozy bed motivated Benjamin when his exhausted legs had had just about enough. Clementine, however, was starving and getting on their nerves. “I want tomatoes, no, carrots. I want lettuce, I want–”

“You’ll get nothing and like it!” Roscoe snapped. Eventually they noticed they had passed the forest and were now in the tall grass pastures where they had started their journey.

“Hey, I think we’re already at the pastures!” Benjamin said, slowing his pace. The moonlit grass made the evergreen trees in the fields look even darker than usual.

“Ahhh,” Clementine panted. “It’s nice to see we’re getting closer.”

Benjamin noticed the moon had traveled over halfway through the sky. He pulled out his phone to see the time. The battery was dead. I wonder if my parents tried to call?

“Sire, I see a light ahead!” Roscoe said with excitement. Benjamin saw the tiny, blinking red light. “It’s the water tower!”

“Do you know where that is, Sire?” Clementine asked.

“It’s about three miles down the road from my house! Can you run a little longer?”

“Lead the way, Your Majesty!” Roscoe said, and he sprinted on ahead down the old road. Without warning he was stopped by an unseen object. “Whoa! What’s this?” The road ended at a tall, giant heap of mangled dead trees and garbage.

“Why is this out here?” Benjamin asked as they made their way around the obstacle that ended the road. Small evergreen trees cluttered the pastures beyond. They raced cautiously across the land. The moon was retiring but behind them the dark purple eastern horizon hinted at the beginning of a new day. “At least the light from the water tower is getting bigger.” Benjamin took a moment to catch his breath.

“Do you mind if we walk for a while, Sire?” Clementine asked, wheezing heavily.

“No, I need to rest, too.” They walked on, too tired to pay any attention to their surroundings. Benjamin stared at the millions of stars in the sky. “Orion is out tonight.”

“Who? Is someone out there, Sire?” Clementine rallied.

“No. Orion, the constellation.” The pig and goat looked confused. “Do you see those three stars close together in a line up there?”

“Um…well, maybe. Are they white?” Roscoe asked.

“Those three stars are the belt on Orion, and there’re his legs, arms, and sword.”

“Oh, yeah…I think I see it. Don’t you see it, Clementine?”