“I have a definite feeling about this city,” Josh said, as he took a right turn at the next corner. “I think if we can just take the correct path, then that thing — whatever it is — can’t get to us.”
“I sure hope you’re right,” Jenny said. She noticed that the turns were coming faster now, as they zigzagged their way along one dark and narrow street after another. Over the tops of the deserted houses, she could see that the tower was definitely nearer.
“The kid’s got a good track record so far,” Sid said. “If we wanna stay alive, we all better stick close to him.”
The angry growling now seemed to be consistently off to one side, as though the beast was tracking them, trying to find a way to get to them through the winding maze of streets.
“Can you think of anything that could shed light on the nature of the beast?” Mr. Symarian asked Jenny. “This city, in its current state, appears to reflect your grandmother’s memories in some peculiar way. Is there, perhaps, something you might remember about her that could provide some insight?”
Jenny thought hard, reaching back into her memories from childhood. “Well, grandma Amelia had a dog.”
“Aha, I knew it!” Sid said. “A great big slobbering beast, right? Some kinda guard dog or something. I’ll bet it was a real man-eater.”
“No, actually,” Jenny said, trying to think back. “It was quite a little thing. Very gentle and sweet. And completely devoted to my grandmother. They were inseparable.”
“Well, that blows my theory,” Sid said with a shrug. “Just out of curiosity, did this itty bitty dog have a name?”
“Yes,” Jenny said, suddenly remembering, “His name was Bruno.”