A Curse So Dark

by Heather Davis

  Fawn grabbed her jacket from the mudroom. “I can’t even,” she called out over her shoulder. “You’re going to trust the word of a dude who works at a cemetery? A guy who hardly knew Dad?”

  “It’s true. I experienced it myself. And it hits on your sixteenth birthday,” I said, my voice wavering.

  “Aha! There we go.” Fawn shook her head at me. “And there’s the reason to shut down the sweet sixteen party you never had. I should have seen this one coming.”

  Rose stepped to Fawn’s side. “Is she right? Are you making this up to stop the party?”

  “No, this is real. I swear.” I glanced desperately between my sisters. “I’m not lying to you. This is real. And it’s going to affect all of us.”

  Rose stuffed her textbooks into her backpack. “It’s strange Dad never mentioned this to us.”

  “He was trying to keep you from ever having to know, but his plan failed. C’mon, guys, I need you to believe me. This is an emergency.”

  The twins got their coats on. They had no idea the danger they were in. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them the full truth. Their reaction to this part of it was about as bad as I’d expected. They weren’t going to love hearing the supernatural part.

  “Don’t cry, Lily,” Rose said, noticing me leaning against the dryer, tears welling.

  Fawn shook her head. “The only thing sad is that you’d lie to us like this.”

  Rose followed Fawn out the door, slamming it behind them.

  I wiped at my eyes with my hands, then rushed to get my stuff together. I could feel sorry for myself, but I couldn’t let my sisters out of my sight. Not with everything bad circling. Down the block, I found them walking in the direction of school. Fawn’s glare at me when I honked was hot. Rose’s was a look of disappointment. They refused to get in the truck. I followed them at a safe distance the rest of the way to school. I didn’t know what else to do.

  ***

  The morning passed by in a blur, like swimming through a river of faces, sounds, voices. I watched the clock, willing it to go by faster. I left English a few minutes early to catch the end of the first lunch period, passing through the cafeteria to check on Fawn and Rose. They both looked up as I approached, but didn’t say anything. Still, at least I knew they were okay. Though I didn’t feel like eating, I got into the lunch line, but by the time I was through it, they’d left the tables.

  I sat down with Alicia and some other friends from journalism class and tried to make conversation. Alex entered the lunchroom, found an empty table, and pulled a paperback and a sack lunch from his bag.

  Excusing myself from my table, I picked up my tray and wandered over to him. “So your dad was pretty intense.”

  “It’s not safe to talk. He’s got people watching me,” Alex said, his gaze on his book.

  “Seriously?”

  “He laid it all out for me. I can’t tell you everything, not here.”

  “But—”

  “Listen.” Alex glanced over his shoulder toward the lunch line. “I’ll try to sneak out Saturday if I can.”

  “He never gave a crap until now,” I said, my hands almost trembling.

  His voice chilled me to the bone. “He knows things. It’s not safe. You gotta go now.”

  “Right.” I took my half-finished lunch to the kitchen window. As I was about to dump it, a hand whipped out and swiped the untouched apple from my tray.

  “Hey,” I said, turning.

  Kyle polished the apple on his shirt and held it out to me. “You might want this for later.”

  I stuck it in my bag. “Thanks.”

  “You look like you’re having a rough day,” he said. “Everything okay?”

  I was grateful for his sympathetic smile. “I thought Dad would be found by now. But he’s not and things keep getting worse.”

  “Come here,” he said and wrapped me in a hug. It reminded me of all the times he’d comforted me. How he’d been there for other tough days over the last year. His flannel shirt was soft against my face. He smelled the same, fresh laundry mixed with the scent of his skin.

  “Hey,” he said, patting me on the back. “I know it’s been tough.”

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do.” My eyes began to tear up. “I’m really scared.”

  “C’mon, Lily. You always figure things out. You never needed anyone to help you do that. You’ll find a way to make it through.”

  I sniffled, nodded. “Something really bad is going down tomorrow night.”

  “The party, right?”

  “Yeah. Are you going to be there?”

  He dropped his gaze and shrugged. “Didn’t know if I was still invited after the other day.”

  “Of course you are. Practically the whole town’s coming,” I said.

  Kyle started walking slowly toward the cafeteria doors. “I’ll try.”

  “You have something else to do?” I said, keeping pace with him.

  He gave me a sheepish look. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but I, uh, have plans with Beth Ramirez.”

  I stopped walking. I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

  “Don’t be mad,” Kyle said, noticing my frown. “You dumped me, remember.”

  “It’s fine. Bring her if you want,” I said in a small voice.

  Kyle gave me a thin, appreciative smile. “Okay, maybe.”

  “Thanks rescuing my apple. And for the hug.”

  He smiled wider and nodded. “Always good for that.”

  As he walked away, I felt a mixture of regret and envy. Kyle hadn’t been a good boyfriend, that was true. But I felt so alone. Especially burdened with this awful secret. I wish I’d been able to turn to him. To someone.

  I’d never felt so alone, or more unsure of who I could trust.

  ***

  That evening we skipped the football game. Fawn was up in her room while Rose was plugged into headphones doing homework in the living room. They weren’t speaking to me, and a twin cold shoulder was doubly icy. But they’d thank me when this was all over and they came out alive on the other side.

  The plan taking shape in my mind was simple. I needed to confront Morgan about the pendant he was wearing and find out if he knew where the other ones were. Recovering the lupine stones would prevent a total disaster in public for the twins and I needed to buy time to find my father. I didn’t believe he was dead.

  Though I’d given him my number, Morgan had never actually texted or called me. I’d have to go look for him. I dressed warmly and then slid a casserole into the oven for the girls, setting a timer to alert them when it was ready. I left a brief note, just to let them know not to worry, that I’d be back in an hour.

  A few minutes later, I cruised by the Pioneer Inn. No sign of the Subaru Morgan had been driving around town. Not sure of my next move, I swung into the parking lot of the bar, angling the headlights so they lit up the alley.

  Just when I was about to drive away, there was a flash of black in front of the truck’s headlights. It took me a moment to realize it had to be a wolf, bolting into the woods that led to the cemetery. My skin rippled with goose bumps. I debated a moment, then decided I had to follow and see if the wolf could be Morgan. It was crunch time and I didn’t have much choice.

  I parked the truck and slipped through the gates toward the cemetery. Pale moonlight shone on the stone path. Brighter now, almost full. I shivered, remembering how awful the beginning of my shift had been. And that near-transformation had been voluntary. What would it be like to change involuntarily when the full moon demanded it? The pain would probably be way worse. I pulled my raincoat’s hood up and took out my flashlight.

  Headstones and crosses punctuated the green grass on either side of the path. Ahead, the long chain link fence where Alex had found the animal hair snaked around the expanse. Scanning the length of it, I saw the dark wolf I’d followed on the other side of the fence, quietly moving along the tree line. But it wasn’t alone, as I’d thought. Another wolf trotted beh
ind it. I clicked off the flashlight, hoping they hadn’t seen me. And then, a chilling thought hit me—maybe I was walking into an ambush.

  I’d thought it might be Morgan, but what if I was wrong? Maybe this dark wolf had led me to the cemetery on purpose. The ice deepened in my bones.

  I tried hard not to breathe loudly, or attract any kind of attention. I hoped I was downwind, too. I mean, couldn’t they smell me? Finally, after they’d moved out of my sightline, I backed away slowly toward the main path. “What was I thinking?” I muttered, bumbling along with the flashlight off. Taking a wrong turn somewhere along the way, I ended up in the section of the old pioneer graves. My boots slipped on the slick grass as I hurried through the uneven rows of plots and sunken headstones, and I had to slow down a little to keep my balance. The gate couldn’t be too far from here. I clicked on the flashlight and swept the beam from side to side, looking for an exit sign.

  I did see the caretaker’s building, lights off. I pulled out my phone and texted Cooper, to let him know the wolves were in his cemetery again. I didn’t wait for a response, though. I felt too exposed, hanging out in the graveyard under the filtered moonlight.

  It wasn’t like the time before, when I’d just wanted to retrieve Fawn from her escapade with Lewis. I had the creepy, sick feeling that if those wolves wanted me, they only had to loop back and they’d find me there. I was vulnerable. I had no pack to protect me. I had no knowledge or intention of using my wolfy powers.

  I was just a girl with a secret standing alone in the dark.

  Chapter Twelve

  At home a few minutes later, a squad car pulled in behind me as I parked. Fear pooled in my stomach. Bad news seemed to be chasing me everywhere.

  “There you are,” Sheriff Polson said, following me up the steps.

  “News about Dad?”

  “Would it be all right if I come in for a minute?”

  “Sure.” My hands shook as I unlocked the door. While the sheriff wiped her feet on the mat, I hung up my coat. “Hope you saved me a plate,” I called out, the smell of the casserole making my stomach growl. Turning the corner, I found the TV blaring an infomercial to a vacant room. Textbooks lay abandoned on the table. “Guys?” I wandered into the kitchen, where the light was on, and the casserole, covered with foil, rested on the stove. It was still warm to the touch.

  The sheriff leaned on the doorjamb. “Hey, Lily? I tried your cell. You didn’t answer.”

  “Sorry, I was distracted,” I said, digging it out of my bag. I saw missed calls from my sisters and from the sheriff while I’d been out running around the cemetery. “What happened? Did you find him? Where are the girls?” Panic hit me in a rush. I ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs, flinging open their bedroom doors. No Rose. No Fawn.

  “Lily!” the sheriff called from the first floor. “Will you come back here? The girls are safe. I need to talk to you.”

  I descended the stairs and joined Sheriff Polson in the living room. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone was casing the house. The girls reported seeing a woman and a man, possibly others, in the yard and peering in windows.”

  “And they were home alone.” I felt dizzy, the room swaying in front of me. I took a seat on the couch. “Tell me everything that happened.”

  “That’s pretty much it. They called me after they couldn’t get hold of you. The car I sent over apparently scared off whoever it was. The girls grabbed some stuff and I took them over to the Carters’ house.”

  “They were here for a reason,” I said, feeling things come into sharper focus. “The others wanted Dad out of the way so they could get to us.”

  “You think this is related to your dad? Who’s they?” Sheriff Polson’s voice took on a stern quality. “Tell me who you think these people are.”

  “Oh, man.” I drew my legs up to my chest, hugging them. My stomach churned.

  “It’s okay. Just calm down.”

  I proceeded carefully, editing out the fact that the people weren’t people. “The car the other day. That lady pretending to be from Social Services.”

  “We followed up on that. There is a Ms. Jenkins in their office, but she insists she didn’t come by. The plate number you gave the deputy belongs to a car reported stolen a few days ago in the city. We haven’t seen it around town since you clocked it.”

  “So it could still have been them on foot,” I said. “They saw me go to the cemetery, and then doubled back to the house.”

  The sheriff’s mouth pulled into a firm line. “Hold it. What’s this about the cemetery? Meeting a boy at the willow tree?”

  “No, I mean, I was trying to, maybe. But he wasn’t there. And then I saw—”

  “Your father’d be angry with me if I didn’t say that your first duty is to family, especially now. These girls need you.”

  “I know! I’ve been doing all of this for them,” I said, my chest tightening. But I knew the sheriff was right. I hadn’t done the one thing my dad would have wanted me to. I hadn’t protected Rose and Fawn.

  The sheriff closed her eyes for a second and let out a deep sigh. “I didn’t want to tell you this next part, but you need to know. We sent bloodhounds on the trails behind the Pioneer Pub earlier today, sent them out up the hillside in the direction of Alpine Lake Road. They found some pieces of shredded cloth, a few miles outside of town. Tan fabric matching this.” She patted the sleeve of her shirt. “Blood stained.”

  “No. No.” My heart sank. “It can’t be.”

  The sheriff’s eyes were red-rimmed, I realized. “It’s time to consider that he’s gone.”

  “He can’t be dead. I can’t. I can’t do this alone,” I said, hugging myself into a smaller ball on the couch.

  “It doesn’t look good. I’m sorry.”

  I forced my head up. “The girls... Do they know?”

  “I haven’t told them that part yet. I figured I’d let you know first and we could tell them after the party. We’ll send more searchers up that way to try to recover a body. Got a load of volunteers coming up to help on Sunday.”

  “Can I go get the girls now?”

  “They’re going to stay with the Carters.”

  “They’re not going to be safe there.”

  The sheriff shook her head. “They’ll be a lot safer there if these folks come back around your house.”

  “They need me.”

  “Mrs. Carter told me you’re welcome to stay there, too.”

  I shook my head. I didn’t want to be over at the Carters. I wanted to be here in my house with my sisters. I wanted them to know they’d be safe with me.

  “It’s your choice, but you don’t have to go through this alone,” Sheriff Polson said. “You have my number if you see those people again, or just get spooked. Dial 9-1-1 if it’s urgent.”

  I walked the sheriff to the door. “Thank you,” I said. “Dad always said you were someone we could trust.”

  She nodded. “I’m glad he thought of me that way. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  ***

  After the sheriff left, I locked up and went back to the kitchen to rinse the twins’ dirty plates and place the leftover casserole in the refrigerator. I didn’t feel like eating anything now. I shivered at the thought of those creeps hanging around the house. Wolves were smart. They’d known I’d left the girls unprotected and doubled back to our place. That made me angry at Morgan. Almost like he’d been bait, luring me out. And the saddest thing was, it’d worked. I’d fallen for it and left my sisters unprotected.

  Going from room to room, I double-checked locks and closed curtains and blinds. I had to do something to quell the fear storming inside of me.

  In Rose’s room, the bed was tidy, the clothes neatly put away. Posters of Einstein and a framed Degas print decorated the wall above her desk. A bulletin board held a calendar marked in neat, precise cursive, all her activities and big tests noted. I made sure the windows were secure and moved on to Fawn’s room, which was in chaos as u
sual.

  I made her bed, pulling a Stephen King novel out from under the covers and setting it on the nightstand. I organized abandoned boots and sneakers into the shoe rack in the closet. Pausing at the dressing table, I studied the photographs tucked into the mirror. One was of our mother.

  Of the three of us, Fawn looked most like Mom. Long dark hair, clear green eyes. I had more memories of our mother than the twins did, and at times that must have felt unfair to them. It hadn’t been easy for any of us, having her missing from our lives. Before this werewolf drama happened, I’d been so excited to get away, to establish my own life independent of them. But now, I didn’t know how I’d leave Pioneer Falls. Not just because of everything happening, but what would that be like, not to see them every day? I hadn’t considered that.

  Downstairs, one of Dad’s plaid shirts was draped across his favorite chair in the den, probably abandoned as he left for work last Monday. I slipped it on over my T-shirt. The faint smell of his cologne lingered on the fabric, soothing me. I looked around at the wall of books, the framed photographs of him on tour with various bands, all the things that we would put in a box and probably forget about.

  All the feelings hit me at once: anger at Dad for not telling me the truth. Grief at losing him. Worry at what was to come. If he was gone, so were our chances at normal. He’d wanted us to feel normal and that was never going to happen without him, especially if we’d be left to deal with this curse in our blood.

  Sunday this would all be over. The sheriff thought the search party would recover his body. But would it be the body of a man, or the body of a wolf? Maybe that ending would just be the continuation of the nightmare.

  I buried my head into the crook of the chair. I couldn’t stop the waves of tears hitting me. The twins had each other, they always had, but I felt entirely alone, in a way I never had before. There was no one left to count on but myself. Alex was the son of a guy who wanted to kill wolves. Kyle had moved on and out of my life. Cooper seemed to be an ally, but with his dad missing, he was probably worried about being a target himself. And Morgan, the one person who seemed to get me, had run off with his bad pack, taking his possibly stolen lupine stone with him—a necklace that should have been ours.