“Yes, Peter,” the blonde intoned. “This afternoon, at approximately five p.m., Tracy Goodwin, aged four, was playing in this sandbox. Her mother, Sandy Goodwin, was sitting nearby on a park bench, watching and chatting with some of the other mothers. Mrs. Goodwin says everything was normal until, out of nowhere, a red squirrel leapt from a low-hanging branch, landing on the back of little Tracy’s head. The squirrel did not scurry off, but, instead, dug its claws into Tracy’s skull and, at the same time, bit her viciously on the neck. Mrs. Goodwin, who was in shock when I spoke with her, said she didn’t know what to do. The squirrel was attached to Tracy and she was afraid pulling it off might cause greater harm. Luckily, one of the park’s maintenance workers was in the vicinity and heard the child screaming. He had on him a pair of thick leather gloves and was able to extricate the squirrel from the little girl. Both the maintenance worker, Ted Hascomb, and Tracy’s mom said the squirrel had abnormally long nails and teeth. Tracy is now in serious condition at Methodist Hospital. Her wounds are deep and it is expected that she will need several surgical procedures before she leaves.”
At this point, the anchor interrupted. “And what about the squirrel, Molly?”
“Mr. Hascomb killed it. The body was taken by county officials for autopsy to determine what, if anything, caused the rodent to act so aggressively.”
At that point, the anchor thanked the reporter and turned to another story.
“Mom?” asked my daughter. “Are you all right? You look white as a ghost.”
Hearing Tessa’s voice brought me back to reality.
“Yeah, yeah,” I replied shakily. “I’m fine. Why don’t you finish your homework in your room where there are less distractions. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
Tessa picked up her laptop and left the room. I sat heavily on the couch and began searching through the local stations for more on the squirrel attack.
The phone rang.
“Brooke, it’s me, Ben.”
“Did you hear?” I asked, my voice strained. “In the park … right here in Chicago…”
“Yeah, I heard. That’s why I called. You and Tessa okay?”
“Yes, we’re fine. We’ve been to that park. Oh, God, I can’t believe it. What’s happening, Ben? Is it going to be North Laketon all over again?”
Ben hesitated for a moment. “Hate to say it, but I think so and Chicago’s not the only place. Last week a woman was attacked in Ohio. You probably didn’t hear about it because it didn’t make the national news. A squirrel just jumped from a tree onto her face. She didn’t make it.”
“Oh, God,” I moaned. “It’s spreading.”
“Yup. And I’m afraid it’s not only squirrels.”
“What do you mean?”
“Other animals – cats, rabbits – lots of them. Listen, Brooke, the past few months have been busy ones. My Montana friend and I have been running a program that searches for evidence of unusual animal aggression. It’s scary what we’ve found. Over the past three years, there have been lots of isolated reports about animals senselessly attacking humans. A deer killed a man in Missouri in September. A cow in Minnesota trampled a dairy worker to death. A cow, Brooke!”
“But how do you know these things are related? Have you found a common denominator?”
“No, not yet. We’re looking for a pattern. We’re close, but nothing’s solid yet.”
I hesitated for a moment, thinking.
“Is it global?” I asked.
Ben sighed. “No, just the good old US of A. Think, Brooke. That A-hole we had for a president a few years back – he took us out of the Paris Accord and then rolled back all those environmental regulations so he and his fat cat buddies could line their pockets. The result, well, it will take years, maybe decades, to undo the damage done to our environment. And, maybe all this is coming home to roost in the animals. We’ve been slowly killing them off for decades, perhaps they’ve decided to fight back. To kill us before we can kill ourselves. Maybe it’s Armageddon come at last.”
“Armageddon? Come on, Ben, don’t start getting all hysterical Christian on me. If man made it, then man can fix it.”
Ben laughed. “You’re right. But we’ve got to get people on board. We need true believers – physicists, environmentalists, chemists – people who can back up our anecdotal evidence with hard, scientific facts. But, so far, it’s just me and you and few others. Not enough for a movement.”
“What do you mean by ‘me’?” I asked, feeling suddenly afraid.
“I need you in this, Brooke. You’re the only survivor I know of who is willing to talk about what happened in North Laketon. Your evidence is critical.”
I didn’t know what to say. What was I getting myself roped in for? I had a daughter who would soon be entering her teenage years. She would need me with her, not gallivanting about the countryside, proselytizing about the environment.
I was about to speak – to tell Ben to count me out – but, then I thought again about Tessa. What kind of world would she have? What kind of world were we leaving for her, her children, and her children’s children? How could I walk away from that?
“Brooke, are you still there?”
I sighed. “Yeah, I’m still here. And, you can count on me.”
We spoke for a few minutes longer, then he had to go. Something about meeting a friend. He promised to he’d stay in touch and, possibly, show up on my doorstep in a week or two.
After I hung up, I sat quietly mulling over what he had said. Armageddon? I didn’t think so. But something was in the air. Were the animals finally fighting back? We’d taken their habitat, killed them for sport, and poisoned them with our pollution and chemical sprays. Was this payback time? Was mankind doomed? Or, was this just an aberration that would run its course in a week or two?
I didn’t have any answers. All I knew was that it was up to me to keep my family safe.
Petey hopped up on the couch beside me and licked my face. I smiled down at him, running my fingers through his fur.
“Mom, what’s up with dinner? I’m starved.”
Surprised, I turned. My daughter was standing just behind the couch.
“You finished your homework?” I asked, my voice shaking a little.
“Yeah, who were you talking to?”
I smiled. “Ben.”
My daughter’s eyes widened. She had the ultimate pre-teen crush on young Ben Mathers.
“Is he coming to visit?” she asked, trying as hard as she could to contain her excitement.
“Maybe. In a couple of weeks. Would that be okay with you?”
She bit her top lip and nodded.
“Good. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you. Now, why don’t you set the table and pour a glass of milk for yourself.”
She made a face. “Can’t I have a Coke?”
I shook my head. “No. We don’t have soft drinks at dinner. You know the rule. Milk, iced tea, or sparkling water. I’ll have iced tea.”
She took a deep breath and, with some reluctance, nodded.
I watched as she stomped off to kitchen to get the silverware. Petey jumped off the couch and followed her, tail wagging.
I looked at them, my heart swelling with love. They were the two beings I cared for most in the world. But what would happen if somehow dogs became affected by pollution in a manner similar to what happened to the squirrels? Would the next generation of kids be denied ever knowing the rare beauty of unconditional love?
I couldn’t imagine a world like that – a world where animals – including dogs and cats – became the enemy.
I held my breath for a moment, thinking.
Then I smiled.
Ben and I wouldn’t be alone. There were too many other people like us out there. People who loved and cherished this land and its inhabitants, both human and animal.
We’d find those people and they, in turn, would find others. The fight would be joined and, no matter what the powers that be did, I knew we would w
in. After all, we were on the side of the righteous – the side of the angels – weren’t we?
THE END
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author, Linda Watkins is the author of the multi-award-winning MATEGUAS ISLAND SERIES. She currently resides in Sedona, Arizona and, in another life, was a Senior Clinical Financial Analyst at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2006, she packed her belongings and, along with her four rescue dogs, took the plunge and moved to a remote island off the coast of Maine. It was there that she wrote MATEGUAS ISLAND, which has garnered the following awards:
* 2014 Gold Medal, Supernatural Fiction, Readers Favorite International Book Award Competition
* 2014 First Place Award, Contemporary Gothic, Chanticleer Book Review, Paranormal Awards
* 2015 Outstanding Novel in Horror/Suspense, IAN Book of the Year Awards
The second novel in the series, RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND, was also awarded a First Place in Contemporary Gothic Fiction in the 2015 Chanticleer Book Review's Paranormal Awards and was named 2015 Finalist in Horror by Readers Favorite International Book Award Competition, and 2016 Finalist in Horror by the IAN Book of the Year Awards.
GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS, the third novel in the series, was published in early 2016 and, in 2017, was named Finalist in Thrillers in the Book Excellence Awards and Finalist in Horror/Suspense in the IAN Book of the Year Awards.
In addition to the MATEGUAS books, in 2017, Linda published a new stand-alone novel, SUMMER GIRL, and a novella, SARAH & ZOEY, A STORY ABOUT THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, both of which are award-winners.
In November, 2018, she published the first of the THE KATE POMEROY MYSTERIES, STORM ISLAND. She also published the first book in the Storm Island prequel series, THE WITCHES OF STORM ISLAND, Book I: The Turning.
Serious about dog welfare and rescue, all net proceeds from sales of THE MATEGUAS ISLAND SERIES are donated to Linda's charitable trust, The Raison d'Etre Fund for Dogs, Dedicated to Rescue and Research.
Linda is a member of the Horror Writers Association, The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, The International Association of Crime Writers (N.A.), and the Authors Guild.
To take a look at her other works or communicate with her, please visit her website (www.lindawatkins-author.com), her blog where she posts book reviews and other features (www.lindawatkins.biz)and/or her novel website, dedicated to the Mateguas Island Series (http://mateguasisland.com).
Other Novels/Novellas by Linda Watkins
Tales of Terror & Suspense:
The Mateguas Island Series:
Book I: Mateguas Island
Book II: Return To Mateguas Island
Book III: Ghosts of Mateguas
Secrets: A Story of Love & Betrayal
Storm Island, A Kate Pomeroy Mystery
The Witches of Storm Island: The Turning
Literary/Contemporary Fiction:
Summer Girl, A Novel
Sarah & Zoey: A Story About the Power of Unconditional Love
The Night of the Sciurus Page 9