Chosen By Night by C.C. Bolick

Author:C.C. Bolick [Bolick, C.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dirt Road Books
Published: 2022-04-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

As I learned, a student shifting into an animal shut school down faster than a snow day. Students rushed to buses, and the ones who drove to school wasted no time in heading for the parking lot. There was some excitement over getting out of school, but mostly fear in the faces of those who left. A kid had shifted and now rumors were flying around the school. ‘It had to be the curse,’ everyone was saying. Cathy had turned into a snake like how I turned into a bird.

I found Lorraine waiting by Hugh’s truck. “Where is Hugh?”

“He went to the office to call his dad. Did you hear what happened?”

“About Cathy shifting?”

Her eyes widened. “Shifting?”

“Shape shifting. That’s what it’s called when a person changes into an animal.”

Lorraine’s voiced filled with doubt. “How do you know that? Did you see her shift?”

“I didn’t see her shift, but I saw the snake.”

“And you magically knew the snake was her?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “Speaking of magic, I saw you arguing with Jeremy in the hall. You went into the bathroom and you never left, at least not through the door.”

She opened her mouth, but closed it as she stared.

I moved closer until we stood face-to-face. Which wasn’t exactly the case since Lorraine was six inches shorter than me. “Who’s closest to the truth now?”

Her lips stretched into a smile. “Should we make a bet?”

“On who figures out the other’s secret first?”

“Loser cleans the henhouse at Hugh’s place. My dad offered for me to help. You know, earn my keep? But I can’t take the smell.”

“You’re assuming you’ll win?”

“I’ve got good odds.”

I held out a hand. “It’s a bet.”

As she shook my hand, her smile widened. “Now maybe you’ll tell me what’s going on with you and Jeremy.”

“Don’t mention that name,” said a voice from behind.

I swung around as Hugh walked up.

“Just got off the phone with Dad,” he said. “We all go to my house and stay there.” He glanced at me. “Your parents will be over later. A curfew has been issued for the town. Apparently, Cathy wasn’t the only student who supposedly changed into an animal.”

My blood turned cold. “Who else?”

“I’m not sure, it’s all rumors at this point. No one I’ve talked to saw someone change.”

“It’s called shifting,” Lorraine said. “Cathy shape shifted into a snake.”

He gave her a funny look. “Who said that?”

“Marilyn. She knows all about shape shifting.”

“You saw what happened?” he asked me.

“I saw the snake and someone else said they saw her shift.”

“Can we talk about this in the truck?” Lorraine asked. “The parking lot is clearing out.”

Hugh didn’t take his eyes off me. “You believe a person shape shifted?”

I nodded.

He looked at me as if I was a stranger and opened the driver’s door. “Get in.”

We climbed in as the truck next to us squealed tires out of the parking lot, me in the front seat and Lorraine in the back.

“Everyone’s in such a hurry,” she said. “Do they think they can outrun this?”

Hugh cranked the engine.

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