Brave New Mouse: Ellis Island Approved Immigrant Book #5
The girl's eyes were swollen from crying A few stray tears still ran down her face She removed a handkerchief from her side pocket and dabbed under her eyes Maximilian thought the girl was eleven or twelve Although he was sure she had been through more than most children her age Maximilian knew nothing about this girl He wondered why she would be this emotional At the same time he felt for her On more than one occasion on his trip he had been in her situation The girl dried her eyes some more She sat on a crate labeled Oslo Maximilian wondered if that was the name of a place or a family Maximilian navigated his way around a number of boxes to get closer to the girl From only a few yards away he saw that she had the most beautiful green eyes he had ever seen Looking over her shoulder she glanced back at the other passengers crowded into the vessel Maximilian followed her gaze to a middle aged couple with a boy no older than
five Like the rest of the families huddled in the ship they looked tired and scared The man looked as though he had not slept But he had a reassuring arm wrapped around his wife Maximilian looked back at the girl She now played with her handkerchief nervously He could see her pain Who are all these people Maximilian wondered aloud He was not quite sure how he should feel One thing was for sure he was stuck here for at least twenty four hours Hopefully no longer than that considering the crack in the time machine The girl gathered herself and prepared to return to her family Just then something made Maximilian freeze Fear pulsed through his veins Just when the girl straightened her legs and got to her feet Maximilian's watch chimed its familiar chord His watch's hymn sang softly from inside his pocket The timing could not have been worse
The girl stopped and looked directly at Maximilian He tried to move but his muscles stood rigid His hiding spot had been revealed Those striking green eyes now lay squarely on him
Chapter 3 SAFE AND SOUND maximilian wanted to run His heart pounded and his body shook He willed his legs to carry him back to the time machine or into a nearby crate But he stood rooted to the ground like a tree The young girl's expression changed Her eyes brightened and her face relaxed She peered at him as though she had never seen a mouse before in her life She touched her finger to her lips and blinked twice What a dapper little mouse she said leaning closer to him What a handsome fellow indeed Maximilian's eyes were scanning from one side of the boat to the other He could take no chances with a human He had heard stories about animals who got caught and then spent a life trapped in a cage They were forced to
