Outside Looks {NOT FINISHED}

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It was so unexpected. 10 minutes before midnight, the water came rushing in, destroying everything that dared get in its way. 1, 2, soon over 3 acres of farmland was utterly gone. Over half the animals swept away.Never before had the Missouri River been so destructive, yet Roy, Mary and Billy Dennis were experiencing it now. 2

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The parents, Roy and Mary, planned to climb onto the roof to escape the rising water. But for how long? When would the treacherous river finally yield? Anybody could guess. It was the also the main thing that was going on in Roy's mind as he hauled himself up to the roof's edge. He turned on his heel and reached down to help his wife to safety. But Mary was 10 feet below him, trying to get into the house, screaming.4

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"The baby!" Mary yelled.6

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"What?!" Mr.Dennis hollered in reply.8

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"Billy! We just forgot about him! He was sleeping- he's still in the house!!"10

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Roy hesitated. Little Billy had a whole life ahead of him. He was born just over 3 months ago. But Mary had known Roy for decades now. If he had to choose between Billy and Mary, it was definitely going to be her. "No!" he screamed. "I forbid-"12

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But Mary was determined- she climbed into the house through a window and ran into Billy's bedroom. Roy stared after her from his spot on the roof. Little did he know, but that was the last that he would ever see of his beloved Mary.14

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Endless minutes ticked by, with roy frantically scanning the surface of the ever-rising water for any sign of Billy or Mary, He wanted to do something- help out somehow. But he feared that he would drown or be swept away by the current if he risked diving into the water. So as much as he hated it, Roy knew that the only thing he could do was wait. 16

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Then, finally, he saw it. A dark object rapidly surging upward. AS soon as it surfaced, Roy gasped. It was Billy, somehow tied to a- what? When it came close enough, Roy reached down and hauled it up. It turned out to be the door to Billy's room, and it seemed as someone hastily tied a long curtain around Billy and the door. 18

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Roy didn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. But as the waters of the Missouri River receded, he knew- Mary was dead.20

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Bang. Roy Dennis purposefully slammed the front door shut as hard as he could, at precisely 4:00 A.M. He knew that the sound would wake up his son right away. Roy strode away, getting his car that would soon take him to town. He had some important business to do, and every step that he took was sharp and quick. Mr. Dennis avoided his son at all costs, even if it meant that he had to be so rude. Not that he had much to worry about, though. His son was a farm worker, but he was so weak that 10 laps around the field would leave him gasping on the ground, fighting his asthma. Mr. Dennis had always despised his son, ever since his wife died, long ago...24

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Roy forced himself not to think about it. He gathered up his things and set out in his car into town.26

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Bily nearly fell down the stairs. The 14 year old boy had no choice but to get up at 4 A.M. and work on the farm. Morning at the Dennis farm were always the same for him. His father would slam the door, causing him to jolt awake and tumble out of bed. Then Billy would have to do his morning chores, feed the animals, water the lettuce patch, sweep the barn... the list goes on and on. Not that he wasn't alone. 35 year old Louis Jackson had been hired to help out. Louis knew all about Mr. Dennis's rude ways. But Louis was also Billy's only friend, and he was fixing breakfast when Billy stumbled into the kitchen. 30

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"Hey," Louis nodded in greeting. "This mornin' I'll take care of the rats in the wheat field.You're gonna have to feed the animals, though."32

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Billy perked up. He loved the animals, especially the pigs. He had taken special care of his favorite- a male hog Billy had nicknamed Joey, Whenever Louis asked him why he had chosen Joey as his favorite, Billy could only shrug and claim he didn't know. But secretly, he knew- they both had something in comon. Joey's mother had died when he was little. He had seen his mother get killed, that day when the horses trampled her to death. It was brutal, but Billy knew that dozens of other pigs had died - purposefully - on the farm. He always ran away when Mr. Dennis killed a pig for food and money. But no matter how faraway he went, he could always picture the lifeless eyes, the pink color beginning to fade. The poor pig's last squeals had been full of terror...34

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"Bill - come on," Louis shook him, interrupting his thoughts. "Let's get to work. There's not a moment to lose." He washed the dishes, and Billy wandered out to feed the animals. 36

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When he got around to feeding the pigs, Billy secretly didn't give them all the food that his father had instructed him to. He knew that his father only wanted to fatten them up. By giving the pigs  a little less food, their lives would be a little longer. 38

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The morning wore on, and the hot summer sun's rays beat down fiercely on the Dennis's farm. Bill tried not to think about much, as that seemed to make time go faster. But since he wasn't that strong, he was forced to concentrate. Some of the farmwork wasn't easy, and Billy never pretended it was. He had to call in Louis to help him calm down a fiesty horse, and to grab a runaway piglet. By the end of the day, Billy was all worn out and glad to just sit down.40

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Louis heard a shuffling sound outside the door, which soon opened and Mr. Dennis came in. He said a gruff hello, tossed a newspaper on the table, and went into his room. Louis picked up the newspaper snd skimmed through it. Seeing nothing important. he was about to put it down when something caught his eye.42

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"Billy... come look at this." He beckoned for Billy to come over, and he did. 44

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"Listen: '7th Annual Pet Show at Sweetwood Park. Sunday, July 15, 10:00-3:00. Prizes, Ribbons, and More!' Billy, what'd you say we go? You can take any animal you want. Sunday's our day off, anyway.46

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"Sure... Can I take Joey?"48

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Louis frowned. "You sure? I'd take Betsy the horse if I were you, She's a beauty. But suit yourself."50

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Billy had a plan forming rapidly in his mind. His voice dropped low. "I know that Joey'  not the best animal to take, but I like him best. That's not the reason why I want to take him, though. Listen, for I have a plan that might save his life."52

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That got Louis's attention. He leaned forward.54

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"The only problem with Joey is that he's a little dirty. But all that dirt could wash off in a bath. Then he could come in 1st place. It's a pretty big show, or at least it was last year. You could earn quite a lot of money if your animal comes in first place, or even second place. Then Father might not kill Joey because Joey's alreay made some money for him."56

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Louis thought it over. "But Mr. Dennis could make even more money if he did sell Joey's meat,  couldn't he?"58

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"Look, Father's mean to me, but he's not that cruel to animals. I don't think he'll kill an animal that he has already made money off of. My plan requires a lot of luck if Joey is to come in 1st or 2nd, but if it does work, Joey could live out his life without it being cut short."60

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Louis finally nodded. "Does it cost anything to enter?"62

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"Nope."64

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"Then I don't see why we can't give it a shot. Look, here comes Mr. Dennis."66

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They told him that they wanted to enter in the contest, but didn't mention that Joey would be entering. Thankfully, Mr. Dennis didn't ask. Since it was free to go, he agreed. It would get Billy away from the house, anyway. Louis and Billy high-fived.68

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"But you know Sunday is tomorrow, right?"70

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"Oh... right."72

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The next morning, Louis woke Billy at 3:30 A.M. They had to prepare themselves and Joey for the show at 10:00. The pig wasn't really that happy to be woken up so early, but when Billy placed hm in a bucket for a bath, Joey knew that something special was happening. He almost never took baths.76

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Billy had to scrub extra hard to get the dirt off. Joey was a brown pig, not pink, so some of the dirt wasn't really noticeable. But Billy scrubbed him down, twice, with the best quality soap he could find. Louis knew a special drying technique that made Joey's rough coat now fairly smooth. 78

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Louis taught Billy how the show worked. The animals and their handlers would walk around a rink. Then they would be called in, one by one, to the center. The animal would be inspected by the officials. They'd check how clean Joey was, his age, and a couple of other things. Next Billy would tell him to do a trick, then return to the edge of the rink.80

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"Easy enough. Joey already knows a trick." Billy said.82

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"Weill, then, what is it?"84

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Billy ran into the house, then quickly came back with 3 identical porcelain cups and a small, stuffed animal pink bunny. He placed the bunny in one of the cups, flipped them all over, and switched them all around really fast. Joey watched.86

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"Find your friend, Joey," Billy told him.88

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Joey knocked over the cup on the left, and, sure enough, the bunny was staring back at them. 90

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Louis was completely stunned. "He's going to come in first place, for sure!"92

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Billy grinned. "I taught it to him a few months ago. He's good, isn't he?" Billy patted the pig, but suddenly his grin faded. "I only hope he remembers it at the show."94

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Louis put a comforting hand on Billy's shoulder. "Come on. He's a smart pig. He'll remember."96

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Billy smiled weakly. He wished he could believe him.98

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Bong Bong Bong... The clock in the hallway chimed 9:45 A.M. Time to leave for the show. Billy struggled to keep Joey in a basket the way there. He had just been washed, and now the pig wanted to get dirty all over again. Joey still didn't understand what was going on, but he now knew that it was more important than ever.102

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Finally, Louis pulled up in front of an open-roofed building where various shows took place. Billy strapped Joey's leash on and carefully led him in.104

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A lot of people were sitting eagerly in the bleachers. Louis pointed to a line of people standing around the arena, waiting for the judges to tell them to start. Billy joined them, and Louis took a 3rd row seat in the bleachers. 106

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No sooner had they settled down, a loud blast from a trumpet signaled the start of the show. The animals and their masters walked around the arena for about a minute before the judges called one pair in. A man and a well-groomed horse stepped forward. The judges took a long time inspecting the horse. Then the master whistled, and the horse stood on his hind legs for 3 seconds. All things considered, it was pretty good.108

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Billy turned his attention to Joey. The pig was looking all around him, fascinated by everything he saw. But he never stopped walking next to Billy. As for the judges, they were taking their time. 110

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Lunch break was called at noon, and still Billy and Joey were not called. And for some odd reason, the spectators weren't allowed to sit with the performers. Billy tied Joey's leash to a post next to a picnic table, then sat down and started eating.114

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He had just finished his lunch when a girl slid onto the bench across from him. "Have you been called up yet?" She asked cheerfully.116

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Billy shook his head. "Have you?"118

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"Yep. The judges thought Mr. Ticklish was so cute!" She pointed to her orange kitten. "My name's May, by the way. What's your pet?"120

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Billy waved his arm. "I'm Bill, and that's Joey, my awesome pet pig."122

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May wrinkled her nose. "Why awesome?"124

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Billy was waiting for this. He took out the 3 cups and the pink bunny. He switched the cups around, and then Joey knocked over the middle cup, where the bunny was.126

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May was astonished, but tried not to show it. "Big deal. A bunch of other pets had better tricks. And if my watch is right, which it is, it's time to head back."128

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It was actually a little early, but Billy stuck the bunny in his back pocket and the cups in a bag. Joey trotted happily beside him. 130

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Billy didn't notice May sneaking up behind him, and didn't feel a thing when she gently but quickly plucked the rabbit out of Billy's back pocket and tossed it into a tree.132

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When the show resumed, Billy and Joey were called up first. The judges carefully inspected Joey- he was the only pig in the whole show. Then came the trick. Louis leaned forward excitedly in his seat on the bleachers. Billy happily pulled out his 3 cups and reached into his back pocket for the pink stuffed bunny. Not feeling it there, he checked his other pocket. Frowning, Billy hastily checked his bag. He came up with nothing. The judges stared at him intently. What could he say?136

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"I- I don't know," Billy stammered stupidly. "I had a stuffed animal that I always use for this trick. I'm positive I put it in my back pocket but- but it's not there."138

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After an awkward moment of silence, one of the judges spoke up. "Can you use something else?"140

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"I'm not sure- probably not," Billy said worriedly.142

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"I don't think you have a choice. Here, try my house key." The judge rummaged in her purse and tossed Billy a small, metal key. 144

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"I doubt this is going to work, but I'll try..." Billy put the key in one of the cups, switched them up, then turned to Joey. "Joey, find your, um, find the key."146

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But Joey wouldn't budge. The pig stubbornly shook his head from side to side. He didn't like keys- when he was a small piglet, he had accidentally stepped on the sharp edge of a dropped key and his hoof was scratched ever since. Joey much preferred the familiar pink bunny.148

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"Aw, Joey come on, you can do it..." Billy tried persuading Joey to knock a cup over. But the pig simply stayed put.150

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"I guess he isn't going to do it," the judge said, trying to sound sad. "It's okay. He could still get a good score from his behavior and cleanliness." Although she did not say it, the judge knew that Joey would not recieve a good score at all. 152

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Billy gathered his stuff and led Joey back to the edge of the rink. Talk about embarrassing. Neary everyone was staring at him- some with looks of sympathy, others happy because they had a better chance of winning. Louis just looked sad. May was smiling victoriouly, but when she saw Billy looking at her, she turned away.154

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After the rest of the pets had gone up, everyone filed out of the building. The awards ceremony was to take place in 15 minutes behind the arena. Louis and Billy didn't bother stay for it. They sadly walked to their pickup truck to head home.156

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Louis only dared talk when they where halfway home. "What happened?" he asked softly.158

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"I don't know. I could swear I put the bunny in my back pocket right after lunch..." his voice trailed off. He turned away so Louis wouldn't see him wipe a tear from his cheek.160

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They rode the rest of the ride in silence.162

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