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I don’t kno I made it home, but somehoith the sun just above the horizon, I foundai for an ani inside the barn I was still a cheetah andbit of sanity I possessed right out of reach I yearned to be e back It took a lot of energy, I guess, and ashes ona cheetah forever, I never would have been able to use that last, tiny bit of adrenaline surging through e possible--even so, it just barely , I skulked into the barn, to the joy of Shash, and stumbled toward the stairs And then I realized … I had left antheir sleepy way down my cheeks Then I remembered: I’d replaced the spare key under the bottoh cobwebs and dirt till I felt cold et the key into the narrow lock, but I did

In six stu at my body in the , blood-framed welts shone on my pale back, like I had been whipped But ht Mrs Carpenter had found s I had healed before her eyes This , it was the same As I watched, the welts on my back faded and then disappeared My broken ribs were the sa, as if they had never been cracked And the tooth punctures on my shoulder? Gone

I fell onto the bed, buried myself in blankets, and slept

When next I opened my eyes, it was dark I sat up in bed, frantic, and stuht blindedit impossible to see for a moment When I could finally keep my eyes open, I looked at aze asped I was covered with brittle brown blood and dried mud I ran to the bathroo for the water to heat up, I stepped into the icy onslaught

I scrubbed every inch of my skin with an entire bottle of body wash, then the entire bottle of shampoo, and still I didn’t feel clean My skin seemed permanently tainted I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move as panic set in I sank down to the shower floor and huddled there with led with the water dripping down my face as I realized it was the end of the world, the end of my world The world I had known I had killed so would ever be the sas used to be

When I finally regained control of myself, the hot water had run out Cold water pelted ot out of the shorapped myself up in a towel, and stus clenched at ht die And I smelled food On the dresser, beside the bowl of ash, sat a plate with scras and two pieces of toast on top of a handwritten note Ignoring the note, I grabbed the plate The eggs were cold and rubbery, the toast hard, but nothing in my life had ever tasted better

With ie Mae,I worried sick about you all night because you forgot to tell o up to the mine and look for you I tried to wake you, but you hardly stirred, so I thought I’d leave soive you Just never forget to wakeup and down the stairs to my room made my heart hurt She had done so much for me, and yet I was the reason she was injured--because I was being hunted And based on the graduation night attack, the creatures knehere I lived Mrs Carpenter had already been attacked once What if they caain instead?

I cli the curtain aside, I peered into the dark night Moon shadows shivered over the yard Past Mrs Carpenter’s house, soleamed, like the flash of ani but shadows

I putto feel the juniper bracelet--for the yo-ih, Naalyehe’s gift of protection, was a gift worth one, left at thewith my clothes I clenched my teeth How could I have been so stupid? Protection hat I desperately wanted But it was Mrs Carpenter who desperately needed it Because I, at least, could fight back

I got dressed and scribbled a quick note Mrs Carpenter would be safe as long as she stayed away from me I just needed to ensure she kept her distance

Mrs C,I think I’ve caught so, maybe the flu, and I don’t want you to catch it, so I’ll be staying away from you for the next couple of days Don’t worry about the chickens I’ll take care of theot a few things up here to eat, so don’t worry about feeding me! I don’t have much appetite anyway--MM I left the bedrooh the barn, out the door, and to the front porch Folding the note, I taped it to the edge of the front door so when Mrs Carpenter let Duke out, she’d see it