Captain Chipper to the Rescue (short story)

Captain Chipper to the Rescue was written spring 2022 for a contest. I spent a lot of time polishing it and editing it to fit within the word count limit that I was given. While meant for young children, I think it can be enjoyed by others too. Happy reading!

---

I, Chipper the squirrel, am frantically hoarding nuts before the storm arrives full force. Here on Diamond Island, sudden tropical storms happen all the time, but I'm afraid that this one will be much worse than usual.

Silvia, the boa constrictor, is nervously slipping up and down the trees around my home. "Chipper, are you ssure that it'ss ssafe to sstay?"

I shrug, "We've always been safe before, Silvia. I don't know. Just remember, we have the boat."

The coming storm has been building for days. The seagulls have been keeping tabs on it for a month. They relay news from far away. That's how we knew the storm was coming. We have built a boat just in case we have to evacuate. We'll stay on the island as long as possible, because I believe that it's safer than aboard a boat.

All of my nuts are stored aboard the boat, and the other animals have finished loading their food as well.

The wind is whipping around the mouth of the cave where we've all gathered to weather out the storm. We post guards and try to sleep. I will help with the second watch.

***

"Chipper!" Patty, one of the monkeys, is screaming in my ear. I awake quickly. "Chipper! The water's rising fast, and it doesn't show signs of stopping." Everyone else is awake too. Patty is loud. Never mind, we have an emergency on our hands.

"How high is it?" I ask.

"It's up to the tree line down by the shore, sir." says a bedraggled seagull who just arrived. He collapses, Silvia curls her tail gently around him and carries him to the fireside.

"I'll take a look." Poking my head out of the cave, I instantly can't breath. The wind is so powerful.

When I get back, I start issuing orders. "Listen up! We've got to evacuate. Birds, insects, and mice, find a mammal able to carry you, or the wind will sweep you away!"

Frightened animals follow me out of the cave. The insects hitch rides in someone's fur. Animals scoop up their small friends and hold them tight. The savage wind tears through our group, trying to sweep us away. We battle through it to the ship.

***

The ship rolls precariously over the waves. Since there's not much we can do, most head below to sleep.

***

I hear shouting. As captain, I immediately head over to find the cause. "Land ho!" comes the cry. I see sunshine peeking through the clouds, and the waves are lessening. We're lost, so we aim for the land we see.

The island seems good, and it has plentiful food sources, so we stay and begin to build a new life, together.