Omega Morales and the Legend of La Lechuza by Laekan Zea Kemp

Author:Laekan Zea Kemp [Zea Kemp, Laekan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2022-09-27T00:00:00+00:00

THE ADULTS SEND ME, ABBY, CARLITOS, AND Clau inside with the threat that if we sneak out again, it’s pelas for us all, and with the correa, not the chancleta. I haven’t gotten a spanking since I was seven and I certainly don’t plan to start now. Not to mention, almost getting eaten by La Lechuza tonight has definitely forced me to learn my lesson about sneaking out.

Inside, Abuelo is standing in the middle of the living room, a maze of cups and bowls and buckets around him. They’re spread out across the floor, some sitting on shelves, the windowsill, and the radiator.

We sidestep glassware as he places another bowl on top of his old record player. “What are these for?” Carlitos asks.

“Storm’s coming,” Abuelo says.

“Don’t open the doors or windows, ¿entiendes?” Papi kisses me on the forehead. “We’ll be right back.”

Abby stomps her foot, almost knocking over one of the cups. “I want to go home!”

“And get eaten by a giant bird witch?” Carlitos motions toward the door. “Be my guest.”

“What are you talking about?” Abby wraps her arms around herself, shaking.

“Do you want me to push her outside?” Clau circles Abby, wrapping her in an icy chill. “We could use her as bait.”

“We’re not using her as bait,” I shoot back. “We’re going to stay inside like we were told.”

“Bait?” Abby takes a step back, knocking into one of the metal buckets. “Who are you talking to? What are you trying to do to me?” She’s hysterical now, scanning the windows and doors, shrinking back, though I can tell she wants to make a run for it.

She takes a step, but Carlitos blocks her path. She tries to head for the back door, but Clau pushes a chair in the way. The sight of it moving on its own stuns her, her chest heaving like she’s having trouble breathing.

“Abby…” I take a careful step in her direction. “Just stay calm, okay?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t trust you.”

“Well, you’re going to have to. If you go outside, you might get hurt. That thing that was following us, it’s dangerous.”

As soon as the word slips from my lips, it feels wrong somehow. Because beneath the fear I felt when La Lechuza’s voice was inside my head, there was also familiarity—a strange longing deep in my gut.

“And what about in here?” Abby says. “You had me possessed and now you’re talking about using me as some kind of bait.” She pinches her eyes shut, still trying to process. “And that’s not even the worst of it….” Her lip quivers and she’s quiet for a long time before she says, “You know, I used to wish that we were sisters.” She looks away. “I used to think maybe we were supposed to be. Like it was just an accident where we ended up. I wanted it so much I told you everything—about my mom being sick and my dad disappearing and how scared I was all the time. Because you were my best friend.

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