Veronica's Pack

Veronica leaned against a tree, feeling more shy every second. Her face was hot. She could hear someone calling her name, but she stayed hidden.

She wished that she hadn’t said yes when Gabby invited her to play kickball. Well, she hadn’t said yes, exactly. It’s just that she had felt too shy to say no. When Gabby asked, Veronica had—without a word—followed the group over to Gabby’s backyard.

“You never get to be captain, Veronica,” Gabby said. “Why don’t you pick a team this time?”

Be captain? Speak in front of a group? Veronica froze. She just froze. Like a deer in headlights. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t speak. Her face turned bright red, and then she ran into the woods next to the neighborhood.

Why couldn’t she feel more comfortable in front of a group? Why did she have to be so bashful?

Now she was alone with the forest. At least the forest understood her. The woods were just as quiet as she was. That is, until she heard a loud “Vrrrrrrooooom!” Veronica followed the noise. 

At the edge of the woods, a few men were sawing down trees and placing them into trucks. They were loggers. A sign read: Coming Soon: Forest View Mall! 

They’re clearing the forest, Veronica realized. She felt distressed. I should say something, she thought. “Please sto—”

“Vrrrrrrooooom!” 

The chain saws drowned out her voice. She tried waving her arms, but none of the men saw her. With tears in her eyes, Veronica turned away. What should she do? What could she do? She was only one person. How could she, alone, stop them?

Veronica leaned against a tree, feeling more embarrassed every second. Her face was hot, and she could hear someone— probably Gabby—call her name. But Veronica stayed hidden in the shadows. 

She wished that she hadn’t said yes when Gabby invited her to play kickball after school. Well, she didn’t say yes, exactly. She just didn’t say no. When Gabby asked, Veronica had—without a word— sheepishly followed the group to Gabby’s backyard. 

“You never get to be captain, Veronica,” Gabby said. “Why don’t you pick a team this time?” 

And Veronica froze. 

She just froze. Like a deer in headlights. She couldn’t move—she couldn’t speak. Her face went beet red, and then she ran. 

Why did she have to be so bashful? Why couldn’t she be the type of person who was outgoing, who easily joined the group? She didn’t want to run. But she did, and now she was alone. Just her and the forest. 

The forest understood her. The woods were just as quiet as she was. 

The air smelled fresh and crisp. The trees were so tall that the leaves could paint the sky. Veronica knew she was truly lucky to live so close to her town’s woodlands and to be able to experience uninterrupted nature . . . 

“Vrrrrrrrooooom!” 

The noise echoed through the forest, breaking the tranquility of the woods. Heart pounding, Veronica weaved between trees to the source of the sound. There, at last, she saw it. At the edge of the woods, a few men were sawing down trees and 

placing them into trucks. A new sign read: Coming Soon: Forest View Mall! 

They’re clearing the forest, Veronica realized, feeling crushed, as though one of the trees the men were felling dropped right on top of her. They seemed to be at the beginning of their project—but how long before they chopped down the whole woods? 

I should say something, she thought. Her throat was dry. “Hey! Don’t! Please stop cutting down the for—” 

“Vrrrrrrrrroooooom!” 

The chain saw drowned out her voice. Tears in her eyes, Veronica turned away.

As Veronica walked home, she tripped on a large root and fell to the ground. That’s when she saw it—a glowing stone. She reached to pick it up. The moment she touched it, a strange buzzing feeling ran through her body.

“I wouldn’t touch random rocks on the ground if I were you,” said a voice.

She turned around, but there was no one there. “Hello?” she whispered. “Who—who’s there?”

Veronica heard the words “Dear me!” as a baby deer walked out from behind a bush. 

“You’re a . . . deer?”

 “That’s what I just said,” the deer replied. “Deer? ME!”

“But . . . I must be dreaming,” Veronica said, pinching herself. “Deer can’t talk!”

“Of course we can. You just couldn’t hear us before.”

The baby deer whistled, and the forest began to rumble with movement. Animals came running and flying from all over the woods. Skunks, snakes, chipmunks, foxes, owls, a pack of wolves, a flock of birds, and even a bear showed up. 

“She can hear us!” the baby deer explained excitedly.

“Whooooooooo?” said an owl.

“The human!”

“This can’t be real,” Veronica told herself. 

“Of course it is,” said a fox. “And now that you have the power to understand us, we need to ask for your help!”

What should she do? What could she do? She was only one person. How could she, alone, stop them? 

She angrily stomped toward her home. Only, the tip of her sneaker caught on a large root and she tripped. She stayed on the ground for a moment—dirt on her leggings, palms scraped, chin on the earth. In a few months, this might all be a parking lot. And there was nothing she could do. 

She squinted. There was another big root up ahead, and it looked like there was something underneath it. A stone that was glowing. She reached forward to pull it out, but it was stuck tight. But the moment her fingers touched the stone, a shock jolted through her. 

“Ouch! What was that?” she said, sitting up. She wanted to examine the stone some more, but she did not want to be electrocuted. 

“I wouldn’t touch random piles on the ground. That is a dangerous game,” said a deep voice behind her. 

She turned around, but there was no one there. 

“Hello?” she whispered into the wind. The forest seemed suddenly colder, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. “Who—who’s there?” 

“Can you hear me?” the voice said. 

“Who’s there?” Veronica repeated. She turned around quickly, trying to look in all directions at once. 

“Dear me!” said the voice. A bush rustled, and a big, majestic buck jumped out from behind it. He was followed by a doe and a trembling baby fawn. It was a family of deer. 

“You’re . . . deer?” 

“That’s what I said,” the buck said. “Deer? ME!” 

“But . . . I must be dreaming,” Veronica said, pinching herself. “Deer can’t talk!” 

“Of course we can. You just couldn’t hear.” 

Veronica shook her head. She pinched herself again, but she definitely wasn’t dreaming. This was unbelievable—astounding. 

The doe whistled, and the forest began to rumble. From all around the woods, animals were stampeding and flying their way: skunks, chipmunks, foxes, owls, wolves, a whole flock of birds, and even a bear. “She can hear us!” the doe said excitedly. 

The fox continued, “You saw what’s happening at the edge of the forest, right? Our home is being destroyed.”

“It stinks,” said a skunk. 

“It’s pawsitively unbearable,” growled the bear.

“If you let them continue, our home will be hisssssssstory,” said a snake.

Veronica shook her head. “There’s nothing I can do. They can’t even hear me over the chain saws!”

“Well, don’t you have a flock, like us?” chirped the birds. 

“Or a pack?” asked the wolves. 

Veronica thought of all the other kids in her neighborhood—the friendly, loud, laughing kids. And how she had so much trouble speaking in front of them. Finally, she whispered, “I don’t know if I have one of those.”

“Well, find one. When the whole pack howls together, it’s hard to ignore,” said the wolves. 

Veronica had been quiet and shy all her life. But this was important. It wasn’t just about her and the woods she loved.

She had to save the animals’ home too. She had to at least try. “Meet me at the edge of the forest tomorrow afternoon.”

“Whooooooooo?” said the owl. 

“The human!” 

They were surrounding her on all sides. They encircled her and blocked her path. “This can’t be real,” Veronica whispered. The animals blinked at her with big, glassy eyes. 

“We have no time for pleasantries,” said the fox. “Now that you can understand us, we need your help.” 

“My help?” 

“You saw the edge of the forest, didn’t you? They’re destroying our home.” 

“It stinks,” said the skunk. 

“It’s pawsitively unbearable,” growled the bear. 

A snake uncurled itself from a tree branch and swung from its tail. “If you let them continue, our home will be hisssssssstory!” 

Veronica shook her head. “I’m sorry . . . I wish I could do something, but there’s nothing I can do.” 

There was a collective, disapproving murmur. “I can’t bear to listen to this,” growled the bear, baring every one of its pointy teeth. 

“You don’t understand,” Veronica said. “I’m just one person. All alone, I can’t make a difference. They can’t even hear me over the chain saws.” 

“Well, don’t you have a flock, like us?” chirped the birds. “Or a herd? Or a pride? Or a colony? Or a gaggle? Or a pack?” 

Veronica shuffled her feet. She thought of all the other kids in her neighborhood—the friendly, loud, laughing kids. And how she couldn’t say a single word in front of them. Finally, she whispered, “I don’t know if I have one of those.” 

“Well, find one. When the whole pack howls together,” said the wolf, “it’s hard to ignore.” The wolves began to howl at the sun, since it was still daytime. 

Veronica thought deeply. Being quiet and shy all her life, she had never charged into battle before. But this was important. It wasn’t just about her and the woods she loved. She had to save the animals’ home too. 

She had to try. “I think I know what to do. Meet me here tomorrow afternoon.” 

Veronica walked out of the forest back into Gabby’s yard. 

“I’m so glad you came back,” Gabby said with a friendly wave.

Veronica took a deep breath. You can do it, she told herself. “I need your help.”

She told everyone about the loggers in the forest. They didn’t laugh. In fact, they became as angry as she was. Gabby stood up. “We can’t let this happen!”

“But we need more people,” said a boy named John. He linked elbows with Gabby and Veronica. “Let’s find them!”

The group went around the neighborhood telling people what was happening. They called friends, family— every person they knew. They gave everyone a time and a place to meet.

When Veronica walked back to the woods the next day, she had 40 people with her. She led them to the edge of the woods where the loggers were busy cutting down more trees. The group looked at the fallen trees sadly. 

“There used to be a tire swing in here,” Veronica’s dad said. “I spent hours on that swing when I was your age.”

John pointed to another area that had been cleared of trees. “And that’s where we played capture the flag last summer,” he said.

The community stood in a line in front of the trees, linking arms. Their voices rose together, telling the loggers to stop. The loggers dropped their saws, unsure of what to do next. 

John handed Veronica a megaphone. Veronica looked at it. She was freezing up again, like a block of ice. There was no way she could speak in front of a crowd.

Then Veronica saw the animals. She remembered what the wolves had said. When the whole pack howls together, it’s hard to ignore.

These people were her pack. She had led them here. “Let’s save this forest!”  she said into the megaphone. 

She wandered out of the forest. The sound of laughing and shouting echoed from Gabby’s backyard still. Veronica wiped her sweaty palms on her leggings and marched over to her neighbor’s house again. 

Everyone stopped playing at once and stared at her. She could feel her face getting flush again.

“Veronica!” Gabby said with a wave. “I’m so glad you came back. Want to play?” 

Veronica shook her head. “I . . . we . . .” You can do it, she told herself. She closed her eyes. “I, um, need your help.” 

She told them about the loggers in the forest, and they listened intently. They didn’t laugh; in fact, they became as angry as she felt. 

When she’d finished, Gabby stood up. “We can’t let this happen!” 

“No!” said a boy named John. “But we need more people.” 

Gabby linked elbows with Veronica. “Then let’s find them.” 

The 10 of them went together, door to door, around the neighborhood. Then, from Veronica’s house, they took turns calling friends from school, extended family, every number they knew. They gave as much information as they could, and a time and place to meet. 

When Veronica walked back into the woods the next day, she had 40 people with her—family and new friends alike. She led them through the trees, to the area that was being deforested. 

Her parents looked at the fallen trees in horror. “There used to be a tire swing in here,” Veronica’s dad said. “I spent every day on that swing when I was your age.” 

“This is where we played capture the flag last summer,” John said to Gabby, pointing to the area that was cleared of trees. 

Their cries rose together; it turned into a collective sound of determination and strength. The people in her town stood in a line, linking arms. 

The men dropped their saws, unsure of what to do next. 

Gabby’s mom handed Veronica a megaphone. Veronica looked at it, and her throat went dry. She was freezing up again, like a block of ice. There was no way she could speak in front of a crowd. She started to shrink into her sweatshirt. 

But from the other side of the clearing, the animals nodded. When the whole pack howls together, it’s hard to ignore. 

This was her pack. They were here. And she had to start the howl. Veronica took a deep breath. “Thank you for coming,” she said into the megaphone. “Now let’s save this forest!” 

Everyone cheered.