My nose scrunched, but I followed Dad and Matt inside. We walked into the furnished living room. But our red and tan couch didn’t seem to go with the yellow walls, and blue trim. I wandered around the house taking in the small windows, blue carpeting, and differing shades of yellow. It was as if the sun vomited all over the house. Grinding my teeth, I made a mental note to pick up more paint. If I had to live here then I wanted to modernize the interior. I trudged down the hall growing more subdued by the moment.
“This is it, Keetah,” I said.
Turning the handle to my room, I shoved the door open. To my surprise, my walls were blue. Familiar posters of hot guys and beach scenes hung above my bed. A computer sat on my desk and boxes of my clothes sat piled next to my closet.
“Do you like your room?” Matt said from behind me. “I nearly went blind staring at all those manly abs.” He gestured toward the posters.
“Yes!” I squealed, moving to give him a hug. “Thank you!”
Dad poked his head in and smiled. “Nobody painted my room.”
“What? You don’t like the creamy buttercup décor?”
He shook his head then he and Matt left me alone to unpack. Keetah hopped on my bed and watched me fold clothes. Once I got them taken care of, I worked on finding a place for my guitar and soccer trophies. After that was finished, I filled my bookshelves with months of reading material. Keetah cocked his head as I sang along with a blues CD.
“All unpacked?” Dad said when I went back into the living room.
I dropped onto the couch and tossed a throw pillow at Matt.
“Yeah, you need any help?”
“No—we’ve got the spare room set up with our equipment and a fold out bed for guests,” Dad said. “So if you want to have a look around town, feel free.”
Might as well head down to one of the beaches and kick around my soccer ball. My yard or what constituted as a yard was big enough for my soccer goal and that was about it.
“I think I’ll go down to the beach,” I said, heading back toward my room.
After I changed into pair of black and white warm up pants and a heavy gray sweatshirt, I pulled my blonde hair into a ponytail then grabbed my sweatband.
“You want some company?” Matt poked his head in my room. He eyed the soccer ball and cleats, a smile forming on his lips.
“Sure, you can kick some balls around with me.”
“Why don’t you two take the ATV,” Dad said when he came into the room.
“ATV?”
“Yeah, I had Matt pick one up for us. I don’t think the truck is going hack it all winter.”
“Wouldn’t a snowmobile work better?” I said. “Or maybe we can hook Keetah up to a sled and make him pull us around.”
Keetah raised his head then clamped down on my hand with his mouth. Slobber made my fingers slick and sticky. And the glower he gave me suggested he didn’t like the idea as much as I did.
“We’ve got a snowmobile too. It’s locked up in the shed with the ATV.” Dad tossed Matt a set of keys.
“I guess I won’t run out of modes of transportation.” I laughed.
Matt and I raced out the door to the forest green colored shed. Once inside, Matt started the quad then backed it out. He waved for me to hop on.
“Hang on tight,” he said. He shifted it into gear, and we drove off.
We sped past many of the same houses and businesses we saw on our way in. I buried my head against Matt’s back and closed my eyes. The wind stung my cheeks, and my ponytail whipped around like a cornered snake ready to strike. I shivered beneath the afternoon chill and scooted closer to Matt for body heat. Before long, we pulled onto a deserted beach. Gravel covered the shoreline making the surroundings even more somber.
Matt shut off the engine and followed me to a level spot on the beach. I double tied my cleats then began to warm up. I shot the soccer ball in Matt’s direction and he rushed to block it with his foot. We kicked the ball back and forth for a while then got down to business and played a real game. We dragged driftwood over to make goals and off we went. I exploded past Matt and dribbled down the beach. He soon caught up and attempted to steal the ball, but I stopped and he flew past.
With a triumphant grin, I shot the ball into the goal.
“One point for Team Ima,” I said.
“Lucky shot.” He quirked an eyebrow.
This time he got the ball first and sprinted toward his goal. I managed to catch up and steal the ball back. We played like this for about an hour then collapsed onto the cold ground for a break.
“You kicked my butt,” Matt said. He laid back propping his head up on his hands.
“Awe, don’t take it personal.” I laughed. “Girls are just better than boys.”
He chuckled. “Don’t get cocky, or I’ll make you walk home.”
I sighed and lay back next to him. My eyes closed and I listened to the waves lapping against the shore. Uneasiness settled over me and the hair on the back of my neck began to prickle. I bolted upright and saw Matt sit up too. We peered around the empty beach.
The waves sloshed a different rhythm now. They sounded like my heart beat. Bum-dum-dum-dum. I swallowed, listening to faint drum beats echoing in the air. My body quaked as I jumped up and rushed down the beach to look around.
I wanted to find a rational explanation, like someone playing a trick on us. But there was no way anyone could pull off something this elaborate. I mean, it wasn’t Hollywood.
“Okay, either I’m going crazy or I’m hearing drums,” I said.
Matt stood further away searching for whatever was responsible for the noises too. He held his hands up.
“I don’t see anything—this is fricken crazy.”
“Listen to the waves.” I moved to his side, in need of his security.
“Creepy, they’re moving in time with the drum.”
We stood still, neither one of us dared to move. Crunch. Footsteps sounded on the gravel, heading toward us. As the footfalls got closer, I saw the distinct impressions on the ground, one by one, as if someone marched right at us. The drumming vibrated the ground, growing louder with every second. Matt gripped my hand and pulled me away from it. We ran to the ATV and hopped on.
“Go!” I yelled.
My heart cracked against my rib cage. My hands trembled. It was hard to hold onto Matt. He kicked the four-wheeler into gear, sending up a spray of rocks and sand.
I glanced back and watched the thick mist move in off the ocean, racing for the shore like troops storming a castle. As soon as we got back into town, Matt stopped alongside the dirt road then turned his head to look at me.
“Okay, what just happened?” We held one another’s gaze in an effort to regain our composure.
“I—I don’t know. I heard a battle drum, then the footsteps.” I shivered then wrapped my arms around myself in an effort to get warm.
“I thought I imagined it, well, until you jumped up. It felt like whatever was out there didn’t like us being there.”
“I didn’t feel threatened as much as uncomfortable—you know kind of like someone was sizing me up.” I chewed my bottom lip.
It was hard not to admit my fear. I knew enough from our paranormal investigations that strange things existed, but this one seemed to take a special interest in Matt and me. Most things we tracked ran from us, but this, whatever it was, didn’t seem scared. In fact, it was almost predatory in the way it advanced.
“I’m not sure I like the idea of your dad leaving you alone while he’s out making his runs,” Matt said. He ran an absent hand through his hair. “What if he gets snowed in some place and can’t get back for a few days?”
“If you’re trying to scare me, it’s working,” I said. “We can bless the house before Dad leaves, and set up some wards.” My voice cracked.
Would that keep things from getting in?
“I can stay if you need me too at least until your comfortable being alone,” Matt said.
He screamed protector, with th
e way he stood tall and stared down at me, his arms crossed at his chest.
“We can see what Dad thinks,” I said.
A part of me pleaded he’d let Matt stay with me, so I wouldn’t be alone in this small, remote village.
Matt drove us back to the house and the unease slipped away as we walked into the living room. Dad sat on the couch, a plate heaped with food propped in his lap. In the warm interior, what just happened didn’t seem quite so scary.
“Hey, you guys missed our welcome party. Some of the neighbors and townspeople stopped by to say hi, and brought enough food to feed an army,” he said.
“What is that?” I said.
“Caribou casserole—it’s pretty good.”
Our lack of response must’ve tipped him off that something was wrong, because he set his plate down and stood. He peered at the two of us over the top of his glasses.
“What’s going on?”
Matt and I hurried through an explanation and his mouth dropped wide open.
“It was strange Dad, and trust me both Matt and I looked around for a logical explanation.”
“I wonder…”
He muttered something about residual haunts before he sat back down on the couch.
“Lou?” Matt said.
“You guys go get a plate of food. We can talk about this once we’re done eating.”
I almost choked with shock. Dad never gave up a chance to talk about hauntings—so the casserole must be good. I found Keetah sitting next to the couch chewing on a bone; he glanced at me then went back to chomping his treat.
Matt and I piled our plates high then joined Dad in the living room.
“So were the people who stopped in nice?” I asked.
Dad gave a nod, chewing his food. “Yeah, there was one old lady who made her two grandkids and their friend come with her. She said they saw us driving through town earlier today.”
I didn’t hear the rest of what he said because I remembered the kids and the weirdness of the distant contact. Somehow, I didn’t think this was the end of the strange happenings. In fact, I was certain things were about to get much worse. It was as if the air around me vibrated with danger. I only got these feelings on big investigations, right before all hell broke loose.
“Ima.” Matt’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Um—yeah,” I said.
“Your Dad asked if you wanted me to stay on with you.”
I glanced up at Dad his brow furrowed with worry lines. “I think it’d be nice if he stayed—at least until I’m comfortable.”
“All right, Matt can have the guest room then. Are you sure you’re okay, honey?” Dad came over and knelt beside me.
My gaze shifted to the window and the darkening sky. It depended on what he meant by okay. Things were about to change and maybe not for the better. My gut knotted, my mind screaming for me to get out of here. I might be the daughter of a renowned paranormal investigator, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t get freaked out. Even I had my limits.
“Ima.” Dad reached out and pulled me into his arms. “Nothing will ever happen to you, I promise.”
I took a small comfort in his words but knew there were some things even he couldn’t protect me from, like my first day of school, which happened to be tomorrow. The thought freaked me out more than Bigfoot and ghostly drums combined.
Chapter Three
School
Sniff-sniff.
I raised a hand to push Keetah away from me, and tucked my pillow back under my head.
“Go away,” I mumbled.
Keetah pranced around on my bed then put his cold nose on my cheek before licking my ear, my dog’s version of a wet-willy.
“Go on, my alarm hasn’t even gone off yet.” I wanted to prolong getting up for school for as long as possible. First days were always the worst. Trust me, I know, I’ve had too many to count.
Keetah rubbed his face on my quilts, then grabbed the corner of my blanket and jumped off the bed.
“No! Bad dog.”
Now I had no choice. Either I laid there and froze to death, or I could turn my dog into a nice pair of furry slippers. As if able to read my mind, Keetah dropped the blanket and sat down next to my school clothes.
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned.
Keetah glanced at me then back at my clothes. As I inched closer to him, he took off like a shot, my lacy yellow bra in his teeth.
“Keetah, you drop that now!” I managed a quick good morning to my dad and Matt as we dashed by the kitchen. Let me just say dodging walls and furniture first thing in the morning was not as easy as it sounded.
“What’s going on?” Dad poked his head out of the doorway.
The smell of bacon filled the house, and I thought about giving up the pursuit of my bra for breakfast instead.
“Keetah’s being naughty.”
The dog ran behind the couch, and I jumped on top of the cushions in hopes of cornering him. When he didn’t move I leapt over the back of the furniture just as Keetah scampered into the dining room.
“You better drop it,” I said.
I lunged at him and got a hold of one of the bra straps. In an attempt to pull it out of his mouth, I tugged on it, but Keetah took it the wrong way and started to tug back.
“We’re not playing tug-of-war, let go!” With my other hand, I reached out to get his collar but he jerked back, taking my bra with him.
“Keetah! You’re so gonna get it when I catch you.”
“Keetah, drop it,” Dad said when I chased him into the kitchen.
The German Shepherd shook his head back and forth playfully, then released my bra.
With a groan, I stared in horror as it flew through the air and landed in Matt’s plate of pancakes and syrup. He peered down at the bra, his lips quivering with laughter. He used his fork to pick it up off his plate, syrup dripping off the lace.
“I ordered griddle cakes, not Victoria’s Secret Recipe,” he said.
“Maybe Aunt Jemima’s got a new profession.” Dad roared until tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Ugh! Can you hand me a paper towel,” I asked Matt.
“Are you sure you don’t want a plate?” Matt said.
“You two are terrible—just wait, paybacks are a…” I didn’t finish as my dad gave me a warning look.
“I wasn’t going to swear, Dad.”
Rolling my eyes, I took the sticky garment down to the utility room, where I dumped it into the washer.
“Since you’re awake, why don’t you sit down and have some of my infamous chocolate chip pancakes,” Dad said.
He slid a plate to me as I sat at the table. I plopped a blob of butter on top of the piled pancakes, then grabbed a handful of bacon while Matt poured me some orange juice.
Keetah sat staring at me with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, eyes glued to my bacon.
“Nope, you’re not having any.”
He whimpered then skulked into the living room.
“Matt and I will drop you off at school today then I’m going to come back here and get stuff packed for tomorrow night,” Dad said.
“How long are you going to be gone?” I licked syrup from my fingers and crunched away on a slice of bacon. Matt grabbed a couple more pancakes, inhaling them as if it was his last meal.
“A few days, one of the pilots is going to show me my routes, but I should be back, Saturday.”
“Do you want us to go set up any wildlife cameras?” Matt asked.
“No, we can go when I get back. If you want, start checking into some haunted places for us to investigate,” Dad said.
I finished my breakfast, and went to get ready for school. I picked out a yellow t-shirt that said “Crypto—Go Big or Go Home” with a picture of Bigfoot on the front of it and put it on over a yellow thermal shirt with brown polka dots. Then I wriggled into my favorite pare of skinny jeans and finally my brown suede boots. I left my hair down and grabbed a brown headband made of beads. A quick coa
ting of mascara to make my blue eyes pop, and I was ready to go.
“Come on, Ima, get a move on,” Dad hollered down the hall just as I emerged from my room. He handed me my lunch in a brown bag then gave me my school schedule.
“I’m ready.” I took a deep breath. I so wasn’t ready. My stomach churned like a whirlpool, and my hands grew slimy with sweat. I wiped them on my jeans, which didn’t help in the least.
“You aren’t going to puke are you?” Matt eyed me. “You’re pale as hell.”
“I’m fine.” Forcing a smile, I clutched my brown corduroy bag like a shield and followed them out the door. Keetah whimpered from the entryway.
“You’re lucky I’ve got school today, boy. Maybe I won’t be angry when I get home.”
I patted his head, wishing I could stay with him. This part of moving around sucked. The whole “new kid” routine every few months made me ill. I don’t know why I spazzed out about this, I was on TV where millions of viewers watched me every week, so this should be a breeze right?
I slid into the truck between Dad and Matt and we headed across town. Trust me, I wished Dad had chosen a bigger city because the drive went by too quick. I sucked in another ragged breath, not moving one way or the other when we came to a stop in front of the Tikigaq School, which, according to the sign, was the home of the Harpooners.
“Are you sure you don’t want to home school me?” I said. “What if no one likes me?”
Dad laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic, Ima, you’re a pretty girl.”
“And you’ve got your funny moments too,” Matt added.
He opened the door and slid from the truck so I could get out. I watched other students hurrying into the school and noticed several turned back to stare. Yep, consider today sideshow day, the stares, the whispers, the giggles. At least no one here should recognize me, or at least that’s what Dad said. Point Hope didn’t get the TV station that aired Berry S.I. So unless, anyone spent a lot of time in Anchorage or Juneau, I should go unnoticed. Or at least, as unnoticed as one could in a small town.
Dad came around the side of the vehicle and gave me a hug. “You’ll be fine, honey.”
People stopped to watch and a couple pointed me out to their friends.
Seeking Shapeshifters Page 3