by Jasmine Walt
I rolled my eyes. “You did know. Mom group messages us.” I shook my head and held the dagger close to my chest, hurrying up the stairs and into my room before Harrison could question the weapon.
I kicked off my riding boots, tossing them in my closet. I closed my bedroom door and let Romeo out of his cage. I watched the dark sable ferret bounce around the room, thinking that the white mask on his face made him look like a bandit. It was fitting, since the little guy was a notorious troublemaker.
I sat cross-legged on my unmade bed. I wanted to hold the dagger. I didn’t know why, but it seemed to call to me. I disentangled it from the scarf and pulled it from the sheath. The edges were razor sharp. I held it close to my face, examining it. The weapon was in perfect condition, yet at the same time, it looked like an antique. I turned it over and over before wrapping my fingers around the hilt and slashing it through the air.
Energy surged inside of me, and I felt powerful. My lips curved into a smile, and I turned, looking at myself in the mirror. Then I blinked. What was I doing? This was a dagger that I didn’t know how to wield properly. I should probably put it away before I hurt myself.
I set the dagger down on my cluttered desk. I sighed, not wanting to take my eyes off the thing. I shook myself. It was a dagger, just metal and a pretty stone. It couldn’t be anything special, right?
2
“We’re meeting around eight, correct?” my best friend, Laney asked as she brushed her horse, Abra.
I looked through the stall bars and nodded. “Yeah. And then we’re going to Marie’s house for the night.”
Laney gave me a toothy smile. “Our first college party. This should be fun!”
I scrunched up my nose and wished I had her optimism. I’ve always admired it. “I hope so. I get so nervous around that many people.”
Laney tossed her long dark hair over her shoulder. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be there, and you’ll have Mike to hang around with.” Laney stepped out of Abra’s stall. “I gotta go,” she sighed. “I have to babysit Annabelle.”
“Have fun and good luck,” I said with half smile. Laney’s younger sister was a handful.
“Oh yeah, loads.” She shook her head. “See ya later, Annie!”
“Bye!” I called and turned back to Mystery. Saturday mornings were busy at the barn. People milled about, grooming their horses and getting ready to ride. “What do you say, boy? Want to take it easy today and hit the trails?”
Mystery continued to munch on his hay. I reached through the bars and grabbed his halter and lead rope. I slipped the blue halter on and tied the lead rope to the sides as makeshift reins. With a click of my tongue, I got Mystery’s attention and led him down the aisle. I hopped on once we were out of the barn.
Bob the ghost was standing by the arena again. I watched as Henry, Leslie’s horse, spooked as he passed him. Biting my lip, I turned away. No one could make sense of the horses’ fear of that particular spot. Other than Laney, I hadn’t told anyone about Bob. They would think I was crazy.
I squeezed my legs, pushing Mystery into a trot. I took a tangle of mane in my fingers and tipped my head up to the sun, enjoying the bumpy ride. I was hot by the time we reached the woods located behind the barn.
The sun filtered through the leaves, shining down on the dirt path. The air was cooler, fresher in the forest. I rested my hands against Mystery’s withers and let out a deep breath. I didn’t want to think about anything—not the party tonight or the guilt I’d feel if someone got seriously hurt from their horse spooking at Bob.
I closed my eyes, trusting Mystery to plod along the trails as usual, loosely holding onto the lead rope. My feet swung in step with him, and my body relaxed. I loved being out here, alone with my horse. I could let everything bad slip away for a little while.
Suddenly, Mystery’s head shot up, and his body jolted. I opened my eyes and leaned forward to keep my balance. Something moved through the underbrush beside us. I turned, taking a tighter hold on the lead rope. When I didn’t see anything, I urged Mystery forward.
“Come on, boy,” I said in a calm voice. “It’s probably just a bunny. And not the evil killer bunny you got scared of last week,” I added, bringing up the wild rabbit we’d passed in the woods. I rolled my eyes and patted his neck. “Though really, you could totally take that bunny,” I whispered.
Mystery took a few steps forward before he came to a halt. His ears twitched, listening to something that I couldn’t hear. I nudged him forward again, but he didn’t budge. Instead, he sidestepped off the path. Branches crashed into my face. I ducked my head down.
“Mystery, whoa,” I said. He didn’t listen. I yanked back on the lead rope, struggling to direct him onto the path. “Hey,” I tried and pulled on the rope. “Mystery, calm down.”
Branches snapped behind us. I turned my head, my breath catching in my chest when I saw a dog slink through the trees.
“Easy, baby,” I soothed, letting go of the rope with one hand to pet Mystery’s neck. “It’s a dog. We’ve come across them before. Remember, you’re bigger than he is.” I watched the dog slink through the weeds. Nerves shot through me. I hoped the dog wouldn’t go into attack mode. I was fairly confident Mystery could outrun it, but I didn’t want a scuffle. I had seen dogs get kicked by horses before, and it never ended well for the canines.
I felt Mystery tense beneath me. He pawed at the ground and raised his head up, prepared to rear.
“Easy,” I said and pitched forward, momentarily taking my eyes off the dog. “Walk forward, then run,” I panted as I fought against my pulling horse. I flicked my eyes back in time to see the dog slowly step back onto the trail.
The familiar shape of a canine registered in my brain, but something was…off. Its muzzle was twisted and flattened against its face. Gray human-like eyes narrowed as it growled at me, revealing razor-sharp teeth. Its legs were thick and hairless, ending in paws that looked more like talons.
My heart skipped a beat, my eyes widened in terror, and I couldn’t look away. Mystery reared, striking out at the creature. Too scared to move, I felt myself sliding backwards, falling off my horse. The lead rope burned as it yanked free from my hands. At the last minute, I tried to regain my balance but failed, and I twisted as I landed. My hip hit the hard ground first, and my head landed second, right against a large rock.
Pain immediately struck, and then the dizziness set in. Nausea went through me as my vision blackened. I pushed up, blinking away the black spots. Mystery’s white tail swished in my face. The creature inched across the trail, saliva dripping from its yellowed fangs. Its eyes seared into me, and it sniffed the air before hunching down.
I closed my eyes, preparing for the attack. How would I fight it off? Was it going to kill me, drag my body away, and eat my flesh? I raised my arms over my head and turned to the side. With a snort, Mystery reared again, hooves crashing to the ground inches from the creature. He struck out again, clipping the thing on the face. Several inches of fur and skin tore off, hanging off of its cheek.
It snapped at Mystery before turning away, running so fast it was as if it vanished. I stared unblinking at the spot where it had stood. My hands started shaking, and suddenly, I couldn’t catch my breath.
Mystery nudged me, and I jumped, thinking the thing had come back. My hand flew to my chest, and I pushed myself up, holding onto Mystery for support. Standing on trembling legs, I scanned the surrounding trees. My heart was hammering at a million miles an hour.
Leaves rustled a few feet away. Adrenaline surged through me, and I clambered back onto Mystery. Not needing any direction from me, Mystery pushed into a gallop, not stopping until we were in front of the barn.
I awkwardly slid off Mystery, hands still shaking. I pulled the lead rope over his head and led him inside, wanting to close and lock every single door. I hurried down the barn aisle, hoping to make it to his stall unnoticed, as I knew that my eyes were still wide with terror.
“Anora, what happened?”
someone asked.
Shoot. I’d been seen. I swallowed hard and looked over Mystery. Amanda, a shy girl who rarely spoke to anyone, was standing in the grooming area with her horse, Ally.
“Nothing,” I said automatically.
Her brow furrowed. She pushed her brown hair back and shook her head. “You’re bleeding.”
“Oh.” I blinked and felt the pain my fear had pushed away. I gently touched my forehead and winced. I brought my hand back to see that my fingers were covered in shiny blood. “I…uh…I fell,” I mumbled.
“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.
I nodded, blinking back the blood that dripped onto my eyelashes. “I think so.”
“Do you want me to call your mom?” She stepped closer, taking Mystery’s lead rope from my trembling hands.
“No, I’m fine,” I said and shook my head. The movement hurt, and dizziness crashed down on me. I held out a hand to steady myself.
“You don’t look fine. You probably shouldn’t drive yourself home.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “I’ll call my brother.”
She nodded. “Where is your phone?”
I had to think. “In my car.”
“I’ll get it for you. I think you should sit down.”
I nodded and took Mystery into his stall. I leaned against the side of the stall and slid down onto a pile of uneaten hay. I blinked, and the image of that…that thing flashed before me. Nervous sweat rolled down between my breasts. I wiped it away, smearing blood all over the place in the process.
Amanda came back with my phone and a first aid kit tucked under her arm. She knelt down and extended her hand. I took the phone and unlocked the screen.
“Here,” she said, popping open the kit. She pulled out a packet of gauze, ripped it open, and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said and winced when I pressed it to my head. She stood and took a step back, pressing her lips together. She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly stopped and backed away.
I called Harrison and got his voicemail. I tried two more times before someone answered.
“Hello?” an unfamiliar female voice came over the phone.
“Is Harry there?” I asked, unsure who I was talking to.
“Yeah, he’s sleeping. Who is this?”
“Annie,” I said.
“Annie? Oh, Anora, his sister, right?”
“Yeah,” I said, not bothering to ask who I was talking to. It’d be a different girl in a few weeks anyway. “Wake him up. Tell him it’s an emergency.”
“Will do.”
I heard the girl shuffling around, repeating Harrison’s name many times before my brother took the phone.
“What do you want?” he grumbled.
“I need you to come get me,” I told him, annoyance rising already.
“What the hell, Annie?” he dramatically sighed. “It’s so freaking early.”
“It’s after ten,” I countered. “I’m not arguing with you, Harry. Please come get me. I’m at the barn.” I closed my eyes and leaned against the stall. My hip ached from where I had landed on it.
“Why the hell do I need to get you from the barn?” he yawned.
“I fell off Mystery and hit my head.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m not dying or anything, but I’m bleeding and dizzy.”
Harry took in a sharp breath. “You should call Mom. She’s a neurologist. If you hit your head, she’s the one—”
“No way. She’ll freak out and not let me ride again. Just come get me please?”
“Fine. I’ll be there soon.”
I hung up the phone with a heavy sigh. I flipped the gauze over and thought about what had happened. That was a dog, right? Just a really ugly dog?
“No,” I whispered out loud. It wasn’t a dog. It was something….something else. Were we safe? Was it going to come back?
My stomach flip-flopped. It wasn’t interested in Mystery. It wanted me. And there was something about the way it looked into my eyes as if it was searching for something. No, that wasn’t possible. I must have hit my head harder than I thought. I set the phone down and nervously pulled at the triple moon pendant that was around my neck until Harrison came into the barn twenty minutes later.
“Jesus, Annie!” he said when he saw me.
I pushed myself up. Did I look that bad?
“I think you should go see Mom,” he said seriously and helped me to my feet.
“No. Take me home.”
He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and nodded. “Don’t get blood all over my seat,” was all he said.
I made a face and followed him out, turning back to look at my horses. I swallowed hard. Usually, I’d let them out in the pasture. Not today. I didn’t want to take any chances…though I didn’t know what I was taking chances with. It was nothing because, well, what else could it be? It was an unfortunately ugly dog. I should feel bad for it, not fear it.
“Thanks, Harry,” I said as I sank down in the passenger seat. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was wearing pajama pants. His t-shirt was inside out, and he had several purple marks on his neck. I rolled my eyes. I didn’t want to know.
I was able to sneak inside the house and into the shower without being seen by my parents. I wrapped my hair in a towel and carefully blotted the wound with a rag. I groaned at my reflection. The cut was above my left eye, near my hairline. It would be scabbed over by the time I had to leave for the party, but no amount of makeup could cover it up. I didn’t want to go to the party in the first place, and now I really didn’t want to go. Part of me wanted to go back into the woods, even though I was terrified.
I waved my hand at my reflection. I’d figure out how to hide the wound later. I grabbed my laptop and sat on my bed.
“You’re not going to believe what happened,” I said to Hunter. He jumped up next to me, gently nuzzling my hand with his nose. I fell back against the pillows, patting the spot next to me. Hunter crawled closer, resting his head against my lap.
I bit my lip and opened a browser, cursor blinking in the bar of a search engine.
“I don’t even know what to type.” I shook my head and began a search for dog-human creatures. Ten minutes later, I was nowhere closer to figuring out what was in the woods. I closed my computer, feeling a little creeped out by all the photoshopped pictures of human hybrids.
I got ready for the party and stayed out of sight in my room until the doorbell rang around six that evening. I hurried down the curved staircase to answer the door.
“Wow,” Mike said when I opened the door. “You look hot.” He eyed me up and down, a hungry smile pulling up his lips.
I was dressed in an uncharacteristic tight, pink dress. The neckline was low and the pushup bra was uncomfortable, but I was happy with how it looked. I’d put on more makeup than I usually wore and had covered up the gash by pulling a section of hair across my forehead.
“Thanks,” I said. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”
Mike wrapped his arms around me.
“You know, we have time to go upstairs before we leave,” he said and kissed me.
I pulled away. “My parents are home, and we’re having dinner soon.”
He shrugged and eyed the stairs behind us. I knew Mike didn’t want to have dinner with my family. But it was the only way my parents would let me go out with him. “That doesn’t matter.” He pressed his lips to my neck. “Come on, baby. You can’t wear a dress like that and not expect me to want you.” He flashed a devilish smile and raised his eyebrows.
It was flattering to be ogled over, but the vision of the dog-creature loomed in the back of my mind. Regardless, I took Mike’s hand and led him upstairs, carefully opening my door so I wouldn’t hit Romeo. As soon as the door was closed, Mike grabbed me and kissed me. Caught off guard, I froze, letting Mike kiss me but not kissing him back.
“Dinner’s ready!” Dad yelled from downstairs, his voice muffled by the closed door.
I turned my head to the side. Mike moved his lips to my neck.
“Mike,” I said, pushing against him. He didn’t move. I pushed again, and this time Mike backed off. I ran my hands through my hair and lead the way downstairs. Dad looked up from the food he was preparing and crossed his arms.
“You seriously think you’re going to be allowed out of the house in that?” he asked.
“I hoped,” I said back.
Dad shook his head. “Go change.”
“Fine,” I grumbled and jogged back up the stairs. Mike followed me; I guess two minutes of conversation with my father was too much for him.
Harrison was sluggishly coming out of his room, rubbing his eyes and still looking tired. He looked at me.
“What the hell are you wearing, Annie?” he said, holding his hand up to shield me from sight. “Are you trying to look like a cheap whore tonight?”
“It’s not that bad,” I said, looking down at myself.
“Yeah, it is. That amount of my sister’s cleavage…cannot be unseen. I want to bleach my eyeballs.” He shook his head. “What are you doing?” he asked quietly.
“Going to a party.”
“No, I mean with him,” he said and tipped his head towards Mike, who was still making his way up the stairs. “I don’t trust that guy, not one bit,” he whispered so only I could hear.
I sighed. “I feel normal hanging out with him.”
“You are normal,” Harrison immediately told me, raising an eyebrow.
I pursed my lips and shook my head. “You know I’m not.”
Mike’s heavy footfalls came up behind me. He wrapped his arm around me. “Hey,” he said to Harrison. My brother straightened up and glared at Mike before saying hello. I hurried back into my room and pulled on a sweater to keep Dad from further commenting on my dress.
“Where is your car, Anora?” Mom asked me as soon as I stepped foot downstairs.
Crap. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Uh,” I started. “At the barn. Laney and I are going there together in the morning, so I thought it would be easier to leave it there.”