by Joe Augustyn
“This way,” Ruby beckoned to Wiley as her dogs led her forward. He hurried to follow. The race for the kill was on.
Felicia saw the sky starting to brighten as the first rays of the sun peeked over the edge of the world.
Time is running out. I’m not going to make it!
There was thrashing in the woods all around her.
Felicia paused to think. Her mind was clouded. Animal instinct once again clashed with rational thought.
The barking of a dog just yards away forced her to make a move. Leaping past the canine she tore as fast as she could through the foliage, making one last evasive maneuver to mislead the trackers. She had to buy enough time to get through the transformation without being seen.
She plunged blindly through a massive shrub and skidded to a halt.
Bohannon was waiting, his rifle pointed right at her.
Her eyes went wide. Her brain locked up with a disturbing realization. I’m dead.
But a roar like thunder startled the hunter and a huge dark shape sprang out of nowhere. The bear swatted at the hunter’s gun, knocking it from his arms as he fired.
Then the bear fled, with the hunting dogs no longer sure who or what they should be chasing.
Elmo!
Heart racing with renewed hope, Felicia turned and sprinted towards the mirror.
A minute later she laid crouched low, eyes gazing, wet with terror, at their own reflection. She tried to shut out the sounds of the approaching dogs and the voices of the hunters closing in from all sides and to focus only on transforming.
Please God… don’t let it end like this.
The sun slipped suddenly skyward. The woods grew bright… then brighter still as flashlights swept the area, flashing through the dense brush as the hunters moved in toward Felicia from all sides.
But to her relief the familiar spasms finally started. And before anyone stepped into the tiny clearing and discovered her, she saw her human face appear in the mirror.
Thank God.
“What the—?”
Felicia looked up to see Bohannon staring down at her. Then Ruby appeared beside him. Then a local hunter. And another.
In seconds she was surrounded, with two dozen eyes staring down at her prone naked body.
Oh… shit.
Felicia reached for her bag to grab some clothing. But realized it was too late.
359
The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller
66
“I don’t know what to say, I’m flabbergasted.” Laurie Miller shrugged and threw up her hands. “How can you possibly explain being out in the woods without a stitch of clothing on? In the middle of a big hunt? In a place where people have been attacked by wild animals and others are roaming around looking to shoot the first thing that moves?”
“It’s not what you think,” Felicia said meekly, realizing there was zero chance of talking her way out of this one.
“What I think?” her mother responded, sputtering like her head might explode. “I’ll tell you what I think, young lady. I think our beautiful precious daughter is on drugs. That’s what I think. Either that or she’s totally lost her mind.”
“Honey, calm down.” Dear old dad was trying to be the voice of reason. But Felicia knew he could turn on a dime if she couldn’t concoct a reasonably sympathetic excuse for her behavior.
“I smoked some jimsonweed,” Felicia blurted, head bowed in faux regret. “I know it was a dumb thing to do…”
“Jimsonweed?” her father asked, “What is that, some new kind of drug craze? Is that the crap they sell in gas stations I saw on the evening news that turns people into zombies?”
“Oh my God, our little girl is a drug addict,” her mother sobbed. “I knew it.”
“No, it’s not a drug,” Felicia protested. “Just an old herb that’s been around forever. It was a stupid thing to do, okay? I admit it. It won’t happen again.”
“I should have known.” Her mother was more agitated than Felicia had ever seen her. “Did Crystal put you up to this? I knew we shouldn’t trust that girl. It’s always the quiet ones that turn out to be the worst.”
“Crystal had nothing to do with it! She didn’t know anything about it. I just used her as an excuse to sneak away. Don’t blame anyone but me. I saw the weed growing in the woods one day and knew it would get me high. I just got more than I bargained for.”
“More than you bargained for? You’re lucky you didn’t get killed. There was a bear in the woods that day, in case you didn’t hear the news. And some kind of big wildcat was spotted out there as well. Now they’re thinking the bobcat they killed on the first hunt wasn’t the thing that attacked those poor boys. Those woods are infested with big wild animals.”
“How could you take such a chance?” her father chimed in. “Don’t you realize how dangerous it is to fool around with illegal drugs?”
“I told you it’s not a drug. It’s perfectly legal.”
“So is swallowing broken glass but you wouldn’t do that would you?”
“Don’t give her any ideas,” her mother said curtly. “Who knows what stupid thing she might try next.”
Bitch! Felicia thought, riled. An involuntary sound rolled from her voicebox. A soft growl that started growing in volume. She saw the puzzled reaction on her father’s face and took a sudden breath to cut off the sound. Then she faked a cough to cover it.
They stared at her peculiarly. Not sure what they just heard. “Maybe we should get professional help,” her father said nervously.
“I don’t need a psychiatrist. It was just a stupid incident. It won’t happen again.”
“We might have no choice here, young lady,” her mother snapped, “It isn’t just our opinion you have to worry about. The whole town is talking. And the Sheriff will be coming over later to discuss this.”
Oh shit. Felicia remained silent. There was no point in trying to plead her case. With the town gossips yacking, she’d be lucky if her folks didn’t decide to just pack up and move out of town. Can’t have that. My work’s not finished here.
“Now go to your room and count your blessings. This could have ended in tragedy. You could have been shot or eaten by a bear. Or God knows what else.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Felicia lowered her head and headed up to her room. I’m a total idiot. I didn’t help Granny. All I did was delay the inevitable. And bring unwanted attention on myself.
359
The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller
67
“Well, you’ll be happy with this news,” Laurie greeted Felicia as she came down for Sunday breakfast. “Your old pal Mrs. Dola turned up alive and well.”
“What?” Felicia felt a burst of sunlight in her soul.
“And just in time, too. They were planning to tear down her house for some new development. She came back just in time.”
Ohmigod. It worked! Felicia’s plan to delay the demolition and give Granny one last chance had paid off just as she’d planned. Before heading into the woods to transform into a tiger, she had visited Granny’s house to return Granny’s mirror to its place on the wall, glued back together like a jigsaw puzzle.
Granny came back and found it. She was able to transform back—thanks to me.
But what about Elmo?
“Was there a boy with her?”
“Boy? I didn’t hear anything about any boy. Is that why you’ve been hanging out there?”
“I haven’t been hanging out there. And no, he’s not my type. He’s too young to be interested in girls anyway.”
“I don’t know. These days…”
Felicia was relieved when her father joined them.
“Well, it’s nice to see my two favorite girls having a pleasant conversation for a change.”
Laurie handed him a plateful of scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee.
“She’s not off the hook yet,” she said, “But I did talk to Sheriff Sutter and he was very understanding. Especially when I reminded him that he was a father, and
should understand how difficult it is to be a parent these days.”
“Good move, honey. If anybody knows about that, it should be Owen Sutter. What with his incorrigible brat.”
“He still wants to have a word with Felicia. So, my dear, I’ll pick you up from school tomorrow and we’ll go straight to his office.”
“Do we have to?”
“Yes, we have to. Maybe next time you’ll think twice before doing something as stupid and dangerous again.”
Maybe, Felicia thought.
Or maybe next time I just won’t get caught.
359
The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller
68
Felicia strode down the school hallway with her head held high. A soothing tune played in her earpods, but it barely put a dent in the bestial fury blazing in her heart.
She stared boldly at the students who dared to look her way. Eyes glistening at her with amusement quickly darkened, cowed by some intangible power emanating from her.
The gossip-fueled gawkers melted against their lockers, bowing their heads like peasants in awe of a passing queen. Their eyes now matched the beady orbs of the tiny creatures she saw in the woods. Instinctively frightened, with no sure reason why.
Nelson took a step from behind Wally and gazed at Felicia with a mixture of lust and confusion. Rumors of her naked antics in the woods had fueled fresh fantasies in his hormonally overloaded mind, and her sensuous glide through the crowded hallway did nothing to ease his desire.
Wally felt an intangible fear, and with it anger. He wasn’t used to living without mindless self-confidence. He’d spent most of his life feeling invincible. A delinquent demigod. A partying juggernaut, free to exploit anyone in his orbit for his own personal pleasure.
Now this interloping female, who by all reasonable assumption should have been crushed by the abuse he’d orchestrated on her, was defiantly parading around like she owned the school. Worse still, he couldn’t shake the crazy feeling that she was somehow tied in with the animal attacks on him and his pals.
“Felicia! Yo, Felicia!” Felicia didn’t look back as Nelson darted after her, drawn like a moth to a flame. “Hold up,” he intoned, trying to sound casual.
Felicia ignored him. He noticed her earpods and realized she probably couldn’t hear him. “Hey! Felicia!” he spoke louder and grabbed her gently by the shoulder.
Felicia spun on her heels and struck at his face with her fingernails. Nelson cried out and dropped his schoolbooks. Kids around him gasped as they saw ruddy clawmarks puff up on his forehead, trailing down past his eye to his cheek. The pink scratches quickly turned crimson as thin beads of blood oozed from the wounds. Luckily for Nelson, Felicia had spared his eyeball. “You bitch!” he yelped.
Felicia smiled cruelly, then turned and headed for the exit at the end of the hall. But she wasn’t fleeing in fear or regret. She pranced almost merrily. She paused outside on the steps and drew in a deep refreshing breath, then turned and looked back through a window.
Nelson was standing where she’d left him, talking to a school security officer. He pointed toward the exit. The guard nodded and headed down the hallway in her direction.
Felicia took off running, leaping gaily across the school lawn. Heading for the woods. By the time the security guard stepped outside she was gone.
359
The Nine Lives of Felicia Miller
69
Felicia’s heart lit up as she emerged from the woods and saw a thin plume of smoke rising from Granny’s chimney. Filled with excitement she raced across the yard and knocked briskly on the door.
When it opened her heart skipped a beat. Sheriff Sutter stared down at her, a look of concern and confusion on his face.
“Hello, Felicia.”
“Sheriff. I came to check on Granny. Is she…?”
“Granny’s right here. Safe and sound.” He stepped aside to let her enter.
Felicia found Granny sitting in her rocker, calmly knitting. As if nothing out of the ordinary had interrupted her life.
Felicia ran over and hugged her. “Oh, Granny. Thank God you’re alright. I was so worried about you. Where have you been?”
“There, there, girl,” the old woman chuckled. “I don’t know what all this fuss is about.”
“It’s like I told you,” the Sheriff said. “Granny was just visiting relatives.”
“And Elmo?” Felicia whispered to Granny.
“I expect he’ll be back soon,” Granny smiled calmly. “No need to worry about him.”
“You’re supposed to be in school, Felicia.” The Sheriff’s tone was vaguely threatening. “But I’m glad you’re here. It’ll save your folks a trip to my office. We can talk on the way back to town.”
Felicia glanced at Granny for a cue.
“Go on, dear,” the old woman said blithely. “Mustn’t keep the Sheriff waiting.”
***
Felicia gazed out the passenger window of the Sheriff’s SUV, thinking how beautiful the woods looked in the afternoon sun, with the jade green tones of the new season’s growth contrasted against the deep emerald foliage of the evergreens. She wished she could jump from the vehicle and run off into the woods. But it was time to do a little damage control.
“So what’s this I hear about you fooling around with jimsonweed?” the Sheriff probed softly. “Is that something the old woman put you up to? It’s some kind of witch’s herb, isn’t it?”
The Sheriff had done some research over the weekend. Visions of Medieval woodcuts stuck in his head. Images of naked old crones, their wrinkles exaggerated in crudely carved lines of black ink. Riding broomsticks. Dancing with cloven-hoofed demons around a boiling cauldron. A cauldron like the one in Granny’s cabin.
“Nobody put me up to anything. It was just a stupid mistake. All my own idea.”
The Sheriff glanced over at her. There was something about Felicia that was different. Something that struck a chord in his steely heart.
When he put on his badge each morning it was like donning a suit of armor. Nothing got through that armor to sway his emotions. He was immune to sympathy. He’d ticketed senior citizens on fixed incomes and pregnant single mothers struggling to make ends meet. Never had an ounce of hesitation or regret. Facts were facts. The law was cold. And he was the law.
But for some reason he felt simpatico with this teenage girl. Strangely, it was the same kind of esteem he’d felt for his father and granddad. An admission of—and concession to—their personal power. A recognition that they were innately superior. That they deserved more respect than the average citizen. That they were elevated by destiny to a higher standing in life.
Part of this high regard stemmed from the obvious talents Felicia had exhibited in the school shows, and the taboo attraction inspired by her natural beauty and youth.
But it went beyond that. Far beyond that. Something about this graceful willow of a girl inspired a modicum of fear in the Sheriff. Fear was an emotion he rarely felt, beyond the heat of an occasional precarious moment on the job. But it was one he understood well. One he felt compelled to respect.
“I don’t understand what a healthy… attractive… young lady… I hope you don’t mind me being honest… like you is doing spending her time out here in the woods with an old woman who by all accounts is something of an oddball... to say the least.”
Felicia shrugged blankly. Knowing there was no answer that could possibly satisfy him.
“Can you at least try to enlighten me?” he prodded. “I may wear a badge, but I’m not a thoughtless brute. I’m concerned about you. A girl with your bright prospects.”
“It’s no big mystery. I just feel sorry for Granny. Everyone in town seems to hate her. And I hate all the gossip in this town. It’s the worst thing about living here. Just about.”
Just about? the Sheriff thought. But he didn’t dare ask her to elaborate. He was afraid to. Afraid that her answer might include his son’s name. In fact, he was certain it would.
<
br /> “Felicia, I spoke to your teachers and the school principal. I know you’re a good student. You’re talented. You can sing. You can dance. I’ve seen you in those shows. You have a very bright future ahead of you.”
Felicia glanced at him sideways. Surprised that he wasn’t lambasting her or pulling some kind of power trip. Amazed that the same person who donated sperm to the creation of the town monster Wally could seem so sensitive and rational and… gentle.
“I had dreams of my own when I was your age,” he said softly.
“What kind of dreams?” Felicia asked.
“It’s not important. Nothing ever came of my dreams. I let myself be sidetracked. It’s easy when you’re young. You put your faith in folks who seem older and wiser. But sometimes those people don’t have your best interests at heart. Sometimes they’re blinded by their own weaknesses. They’ll take you down the same dark paths they followed. Fill you with their prejudices. Brainwash you into following their ways, whether they’re right for you or not.”
Felicia was silent. She understood what the Sheriff was implying about her relationship with Granny, but didn’t want to believe it. Still, his words gave her something to think about.
“Some people have a way of presenting themselves in a way that makes you feel safe. But they have two faces. One that invites you in and softens you up, until they’re ready to reveal their true nature. By then you’re usually in too deep to get out without a lot of pain and assistance from people who really care. You get what I’m saying?”
“Yes, sir. I think I do.” But Granny’s not like that. She rescued me. From the real creeps in this town.
“All I’m saying is be careful. At your age you should be hanging with kids your own age.”
Like your boy Wally?
“And listening to adults who have your best interest at heart,” he continued. “Your parents. Your teachers.”
Felicia nodded. She didn’t necessarily agree with his advice, but knew she’d be smart to pretend she was getting with the program. Gravel crunched under the SUV’s tires as it swung into the driveway of her house. “Home. Safe and sound.”
