The Secret Life of Pets Lost

Midnight

Max woke up, frightened by his nightmare. He could still feel Tiberius's talons shredding him in anger while Norman watched from a distance, a disapproving scowl on his face. Shuddering, he stretched his legs and was prepared to go back to sleep when he saw everyone else awake and huddled in a circle. Curious, Max crept through towards the center.

Chloe was sitting in the middle, Pops looking over her shoulder. Mel and Buddy were whispering in hushed tones. Leonard shook his head in sadness while Snowball comforted him. But it was what was in Chloe's paws that caught Max's eyes.

Laying in her paws was Norman. Frost glittered on his fur, giving him the appearance of a white guinea pig. However, his paws were not glistening white. If anything, they were blood red. For a moment, Max thought he was dead, until he saw Norman's sides moving up and down.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Max glanced around, expecting to see Tiberius among the crowd. But there wasn't any sign of the hawk. Confused, he looked at Gidget. Her eyes were brimming with tears that were threatening to fall at any moment. "Can someone please explain to me what is going on around here?!" Max asked, desperate for an answer.

"I heard a noise outside the cave. When I went to investigate, I found Norman all by himself," Duke answered his brother's question. "As soon as he saw me, he collapsed into the snow. He hasn't woken up since." Glancing at the small rodent, Max asked his next question, "Where's Tiberius?" Biting his lip, Snowball piped up, "We have no idea. As far as we know, Norman might be the only one out of the pair who survived. He might've found Tiberius's dead body, since he is covered in blood that's not his." Max shook his head in despair as he thought quietly, I should have never sent them to scout ahead.

Just then, Norman's eyes snapped open. "Right path! Gunshots! Help, Tiberius..." he shouted before he conked out again. Everyone else was bewildered by his words, giving each other glances. Not a single one of them spoke a word until Pops came forward, "I believe what Guinea Pig Joe is dealing with right now is shock. He'll be fine by morning." Most of the group took his words seriously and went back to sleep. But a few remained awake, wondering what the guinea pig meant. However, as time went on, they too fell asleep until only two remained.

Duke watched as his companions slept soundly, wondering what each were thinking. I can't believe that Tiberius kept my secret for this long. Now I doubt anyone will ever know the truth about Sky and me, he thought quietly. Images of the young Siberian husky filled his heart with delight. Of course, Duke knew that the two of them would ever see each other again. Yawning, he rested his muzzle between his large paws and fell asleep, dreaming of her. Little did he know that another had been watching him from the corner.

Twitching his long tail, Ozone kept his eye on everyone. He noticed that as the night dragged on, Norman fidgeted in his sleep, probably having terrible nightmares. I know what I have to do but am I really up to the task? he questioned himself as he silently stood up. Flinching when Snowball rolled over, he crept around the group and out of the cave. Once outside, the hairless cat rushed through the freezing cold and piling snow. Teeth chattering, he tried to find a scent or footprints. But the snow made it hard to pick out anything, that is, until Ozone caught a trace of Norman's scent. It was faint but it was a telltale sign that the guinea pig was here. Following it, Ozone plunged deeper into the forest.