>>Pen (11 Years Old)
The chill of the early morning air hit me as Val tugged me out of bed, "Pen, wake up!" He practically dragged me out of my bed before I was even awake, made me put my feet on the floor while my world was still spinning, then dragged me outside the house.
I was still half-asleep, my eyes heavy, and my hair sticking up in all directions. The sky was a soft, dusky blue—somewhere between night and morning—still holding onto the last remnants of darkness. The sun hadn't come up yet, but there was enough light to see Val's excited face as he led me down the creaky wooden steps of our porch.
"Val, what is it?" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I could barely think straight, let alone see what had him so worked up at this hour.
"Shh, keep your voice down," He whispered, crouching low near the bottom step. His golden eyes were wide, filled with a mix of wonder and worry. He pointed under the stairs. "Look, there."
