Ally Kennen's Free Range

“Hurry.”

Frankie trailed behind her mother, dragging her feet over the grubby supermarket floor.

“Nearly beaten my record,” sang Mum, lobbing three boxes of cornflakes into the trolley. “A weekly shop in under ten minutes.”

Frankie heard a rustling, and she saw a mouse peeping out of a box of muesli. Startled, they eyeballed each other.

“Mum!”

But she was already running into the next aisle.

“Mum, I saw a mouse!” panted Frankie as she caught up.

“Come on.”

Frankie was wondering what to do when she heard crunching. The shelf next to her was packed with nuts: peanuts, pistachios, cashews, all sorts. She shrieked as a grey, furry creature scurried down the aisle, tail bobbing.

“I just saw a squirrel…”

But her mother was already out of earshot.

Frankie shook herself a little, then ran after her.

“Forgot the tomatoes.” Mum flew past.

In the salad aisle, Mum hurled mixed leaves and courgettes into the trolley. Frankie heard a wet, munching noise, and there, right by her ear, a beady eye watched her.

“Jeepers.” Frankie leapt back. It was a rabbit nibbling the cabbages. It had ears and everything.

“Mum, you have to see this…”

Frankie ducked as something brushed the top of her head. A hawk landed on top of the aisle and eyed up the rabbit menacingly.

“No!” screamed Frankie. She flapped at the bird and it swooped off.

“Only five minutes left,” gasped Mum, sprinting for the checkout. “I’m going to make it, by heck.”

But now Frankie had noticed a small boy enraptured by a hedgehog, which was covered in cream and rooting in the cake counter.

Frankie thought they were supposed to be nocturnal.

At the checkout, Frankie spoke to the cashier. “Your shop is full of animals.”

“Tell me about it,” said the cashier wearily.

“Frankie, focus, we’ve only got three minutes.” Mum threw the shopping into bags. “The clock stops ticking when I touch the car,” she said.

“Mum, please…”

“One minute…” Mum paid the cashier and charged out of the shop, passing a fox slinking in.

Mum slapped the car. “I BEAT MY BEST TIME BY THREE SECONDS.” She smiled at Frankie. “Now let’s have an adventure.”

By Ally Kennen

 

© Ally Kennen 2008. Story taken from WOW! 366 published by Scholastic Children’s Books. All rights reserved.

If you enjoyed this story, why not try some of Ally’s books: Beast and Berserk