Part of the Untold Story collection.

“Bahha   ma matha.”  The creature said.

“What?” I asked.

“IV   MAB,   BAHHA   MA MATHA.”  It repeated.

“What again?”

“EEH  GEEVE  RUP!!!”   It cried, throwing its hands up before rushing into the bushes.

“Hey, wait!”  I called, but the red, winged reptile was gone.

I ran into the bushes where it had disappeared. They were bigger than I had expected, and I burst out into the forest beyond. Bright, colorful wildflowers coated the ground, and long, leafy vines hung from the trees. 

I didn’t pay attention to this, though, as I saw a scaly red tail whip around an oak tree far ahead of me. Crying, “Wait up!” I charged after it.

The strange reptile led me on a frantic chase, winding around the trees and crawling through undergrowth. I lost it when it dashed into a foxhole, and I crouched, panting, as its scrabbling sounds faded away.

“Dang it,” I muttered before calling, “Come out, you, you can’t hide in there forever.”

If it heard me, it gave no sign that it had, and I waited by the hole’s entrance till nightfall before giving up and going home.