Strays

by Jason Strange

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1: DOWNHILL

  CHAPTER 2: GHOST TOWN

  CHAPTER 3: THE BLACK CAT

  CHAPTER 4: CAT WALK

  CHAPTER 5: NIGHTFALL

  CHAPTER 6: CEMETERY GATES

  CHAPTER 7: SAFE HOUSE

  CHAPTER 8: MEOW

  The Case

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  Chapter 1

  Downhill

  Quentin Sparks leaned over the handlebars of his road bike. His feet stopped spinning the pedals as he let himself coast down a steep, winding hill.

  His friend Reese hadn’t been far behind him when they’d started the climb. Now, though, Reese was still climbing, while Quentin was enjoying the high speed of a wicked descent.

  The wind rushed over Quentin’s face and through his hair, cooling him after a long day of riding. He and Reese had been on their bikes since early that morning. They’d left their hometown by the route they always took, but for the ride home, Reese had suggested something new.

  “I’ve heard about a great ride back,” Reese had said at a rest stop. “The hills are supposed to be huge.”

  Quentin loved a hilly ride, so he was happy to agree. As he flew down the hill now, he saw a small town spread out before him at the bottom. Quentin stopped and turned just before the hill flattened out and became the town’s Main Street.

  Quentin watched Reese cruise down from the top of the hill toward him.

  Quentin waved to let Reese know he should stop.

  “What’s up?” Reese said as he skidded to a halt next to his friend. “Some ride, huh?”

  Quentin smiled and nodded. “Excellent,” he agreed. Then he looked over his shoulder at the little town behind him. “Have you ever heard of this place?”

  A small sign stood next to the road. It read, “Welcome to Ravens Pass.” Although it was spring and the grass all around was healthy and green, the wild flowers growing at the base of the sign were black and wilting.

  Reese shook his head. “Nope,” he said. “When Jake told me about this route, he didn’t mention any town.”

  “Maybe we went the wrong way,” Quentin said.

  Reese frowned. “No way am I going back up that hill,” he said. “I’m sure we’re heading in the right direction. Let’s just cut through town. It’ll take like forty-five seconds, tops.”

  Quentin nodded. “Okay, let’s go,” he said.

  The boys started through town. There were a few cars parked on Main Street, and one little pizza place was open, but they didn’t see any other people.

  “Sure is quiet here,” Reese called out to Quentin as they rode through town. “Let’s get some pizza. I’m starving.”

  Quentin nodded. “Okay,” he said. He reached down for his water bottle.

  As Quentin tilted back his head and brought the bottle to his mouth, Reese shouted, “Quentin, look out!”

  A lean black cat darted in front of his bike. Quentin nearly dropped his water as he struggled to swerve. The cat seemed to stare right at him.

  Its eyes shone gold and yellow as it opened its mouth and hissed. Quentin skidded and screeched along the pavement, trying to keep his bike steady.

  Quentin’s rear wheel spun out on some loose gravel. He flew from the bike and landed hard on the pavement.

  Chapter 2

  Ghost Town

  Quentin groaned as he struggled to his feet.

  “Are you okay?” Reese said. He stopped his bike, then ran to his friend’s side. “You’re bleeding.”

  Quentin looked at his left elbow and knee. Both were scraped up and dirty. “It’s not too bad,” he said. “I have a first-aid kit in my bike bag.”

  Reese ran to Quentin’s bike to get the kit.

  “Uh-oh,” Reese said. “Look at your bike, Q.”

  Quentin looked up. His bike hadn’t escaped the fall with just a few dings, like he had. It had slid into a lamppost, front wheel first. The rim was bent badly.

  “I bet there isn’t even a bike shop in this tiny town,” Quentin said. He got up to get a closer look at the wheel. “I can’t ride home on this.”

  Reese sighed. “What was with that cat, anyway?” he asked.

  Quentin shook his head. “I have no idea,” he said. “It came right at me.”

  “Let’s look around,” Reese said. “Maybe there’s a bike shop.”

  Quentin looked at his bike and sighed. “I guess I don’t have a choice,” he said.

  Reese smiled. “Cheer up,” he said. “If we can find a bike shop, we can get that pizza while your bike’s getting fixed.”

  The boys started walking their bikes along Main Street. Before long, Reese spotted the logo of a bicycle in a storefront window. “Over there,” he said, pointing at it.

  Quentin squinted. “It looks kinda dark inside,” he said.

  Reese shrugged. “We don’t have any other options,” he said. “Let’s go check it out.”

  The boys walked toward the shop. It was closed, and all the lights were off. Quentin put his face to the window, hoping someone might be inside. He could see the repairs section at the back. A huge selection of bicycle rims was hanging on the walls.

  Quentin sighed. “So close, yet so far,” he said.

  Reese saw that a thick layer of dust covered nearly everything in the shop. “Weird,” Reese said. “It looks like they don’t get a lot of business.”

  “You’re right,” Quentin said. He glanced around the empty town. It was only in the late afternoon, but all of the stores and shops he could see had CLOSED signs hanging on their doors.

  Where is everybody? Quentin wondered.

  Chapter 3

  The Black Cat

  “It looks like I’m going to have to call my parents,” Quentin said. He dropped to the sidewalk and sat down on the curb.

  “Great,” Reese said. “Your mom will never let you go on a full-day ride again.”

  Reese noticed something on the ground beneath his feet. “What’s that?” he asked, lifting his foot.

  Quentin bent over and picked up a small sheet of paper.

  “In emergencies,” he read aloud, “see Carol in the Pizza Shop.”

  “Who’s Carol?” Reese said.

  “I guess she must own that pizza place you wanted to go to,” Quentin said. “Let’s head over there. We might not have to call my parents after all!”

  With a new sense of hope, the boys walked their bikes back up Main Street. As the pizza shop came into view, Quentin could see through the big front window. A woman was standing behind the counter, reading a magazine. Her hair was dark and long, and she had a friendly smile on her face.

  “That must be Carol,” Quentin said. He glanced at the horizon. The sun was getting low. “Let’s hurry. It’s getting late.”

  The woman looked up at them through the double glass doors as they got close. But when Quentin reached for the handle, a skinny black cat bounded in front of them. It stood between them and the front of the shop.

  “It’s the same cat,” Quentin said, taking a step back.

  It was obviously a stray. Its fur was matted and tangled. The cat looked like it had been in its fair share of cat-fights. The cat stared right at Quentin. “What’s wrong with that thing?” he said.

  Reese rolled his eyes. “Come on,” he said. “It’s just a cat.”

  “Just a cat?” Quentin snapped. “The thing is evil! It tried to kill me, and it wrecked my front wheel!”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Reese said. “It’s just a little lonely, that’s all.”

  Reese stepped slowly toward the cat and leaned down. He put out his open hand and said, “Nice kitty. That’s a good kitty.�
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  The cat drew back against the pizzeria door. It arched its back, ruffled its fur, and let out a sharp hiss.

  The cat swiped its claws at Reese, but he quickly jerked his hand away. “Yikes,” he said. “Maybe it is a little evil.”

  Inside, the woman at the counter was watching the two boys. She was still smiling, and now she was waving at them, as if to say, “Come on in.”

  “Okay,” Quentin said. “I can do this. It’s just a stupid cat.”

  Quentin took a deep breath.

  Then he took a slow step toward the shop. His foot came down on the pavement with a loud thud as he tried to scare the cat away. Instead, the cat lunged at him, hissing in midair.

  Quentin threw his arms up to cover his face. The cat scratched his cheek as it flew past, drawing blood.

  The cat landed next to him and hissed. “Get it away from me!” Quentin shouted. He covered the cuts on his face with his hand as the cat stalked toward him for another attack.

  Reese ran over and knocked the cat away. It spun and snarled, baring its pointy little teeth at Reese.

  Quentin pointed behind Reese. “Look out!” he shouted.

  Reese turned. Two more street cats were slinking toward him. One was orange and mangy, and the other was gray. Both were dirty, and their coats were tangled. The cats pounced, scratching at the boys’ arms and tearing at their clothes.

  The cats gathered together in front of the double doors to the pizza place. All three looked ready to attack. The boys tensed, preparing themselves to fight — or run.

  “They’re trying to stop us from going in,” Quentin said.

  “They’re definitely weird, but they’re just stray cats,” Reese insisted. “We have to get inside to get your bike fixed, right? Besides, the pizza smells great, and I’m starving.”

  Just then, two more cats prowled toward the boys from the left.

  Quentin spotted them and shook his head. “We have to get out of here,” he said. “Let’s leave for a few minutes, then come back when they’re gone.”

  Suddenly, the two prowling cats dashed at the boys.

  “Run!” Reese said. They dropped their bikes and bolted.

  Chapter 4

  Cat Walk

  “Are they gone?” Quentin asked.

  The boys were leaning against a brick wall, just around the corner from the pizza place. Reese slowly peeked around to see if it was safe.

  “Nope,” he said. “Still there. Oh, wait a minute . . .”

  “What?” Quentin asked. He got up and peeked around the corner too.

  When Carol came out of the shop, the cats slowly moved away from the door and hissed.

  “They’re not attacking her,” Reese said. “She’s locking up!”

  “Oh no!” Quentin said. “We have to stop her. I need her to fix my bike, or we’ll be stuck here.”

  Reese nodded. “Let’s go, quick,” he said.

  But the moment they turned the corner, the cats were blocking them. They formed a line of fur and claws that the boys couldn’t get past.

  Quentin watched Carol unlock the door of a small green car. She climbed inside. “Great,” he said. “She’s in her car. We’ll never catch up to her now.”

  When the little green car had driven off, the cats seemed to relax. They began to meander around the sidewalk and empty streets like normal cats do. Most of them disappeared into the alleys or around corners.

  “Let’s just call my parents,” Quentin said. “I don’t really care if I get in trouble. I just want to go home. My cell phone is in my saddlebag. Come on.”

  Reese nodded. The boys cautiously headed for their bikes, which were on the ground in front of the pizza shop doors.

  The sun was quite low now. Quentin dug through his saddlebag and found his phone. “Wow, it’s after six,” he said, checking the display screen. “No wonder you’re so hungry.”

  “Yup, it’s time for dinner,” Reese said. “Just call your parents so we can get out of here. I hope they know where this weird town is.”

  Reese nodded, tapped some buttons on his cell, and put the phone to his ear. It beeped loudly twice. “No signal,” Reese said, looking at the phone’s display. “Let’s walk till I can get a few bars.”

  The boys walked their bikes right down the middle of Main Street. The only car they had seen moving was Carol’s, so they weren’t concerned about traffic. They were more worried about the dark alleys near the sidewalks and buildings than they were about cars.

  After a few minutes, a handful of cats began to appear on the sidewalks. They lined up around the two boys on both sides. Then a few more crept into sight, walking along the tops of the nearby wood fences. They seemed to follow the boys as they walked.

  Soon, there were dozens of cats of every color. All of the them were ragged and feral. They were staring at Quentin and Reese.

  “I’ve never seen so many stray cats,” Quentin said.

  Reese shivered. “This is the creepiest town ever,” he said.

  Chapter 5

  Nightfall

  The boys finally reached the end of the business area of town and crossed onto a quiet residential street.

  Quentin looked down the row of small two-story homes. He spotted a little green car parked in a driveway at the end of the block. “Look,” he said. He pointed down the side street. “That’s the pizza woman’s car.”

  Reese nodded. “Maybe she’ll let us into the bike shop,” he said. “Come on.”

  Reese and Quentin started down the block. The trees on the side street were tall and thick. With the sun nearly set, the air had a fresh chill. A soft orange light filtered through the leaves, casting trembling shadows across the cars and sidewalks.

  As the boys started down the quiet, darkening lane, the cats seemed to vanish. Not a single cat prowled along the sidewalk or walked on top of the fences.

  Sometimes Quentin thought he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. But when he turned to look, there was nothing but a skittering leaf in the breeze, or the garbage can lid next to someone’s garage.

  “Hey, Reese,” Quentin said quietly, keeping his eye out for strays. “Remind me to thank you for suggesting this route.”

  “Very funny,” Reese said. “It’s not my fault. My brother Jake didn’t mention anything about a horde of evil cats!”

  Quentin wasn’t listening. His eyes scanned the neighborhood nervously. “Do you notice anything weird about these homes?” Quentin asked as they walked.

  Reese looked around. “You mean how they all seem . . . empty?” he said.

  “More like deserted,” Quentin said. All the small houses on the block looked like they had once been nice little homes. But now they were falling apart.

  They passed a little gray house. All of its windows were broken and boarded up. The paint was peeling, and the shrubs were either overgrown or simply dead and brown. The other houses on the block were the same.

  Finally, Quentin and Reese reached the green car. It was parked in the driveway of a small house. The home looked just like the other houses on the street, except that this one was still in good shape. It was brightly painted in red and yellow, and the shrubs and trees on the property were groomed and green. Daisies bloomed in two boxes under the front windows.

  “This must be Carol’s house,” Quentin said. “Finally. She must be the only thing in this town that isn’t creepy.”

  The boys walked up the gravel path toward the front door. But just as Quentin’s foot crunched on the pebbles, the black cat slithered out from behind a shrub. It climbed the front steps and stared at Quentin.

  “What the heck!” Quentin said. “It’s that same cat again.”

  “That’s not all,” Reese said. He tugged Quentin’s shirt. “Look behind us.”

  Quentin had never seen so many cats in his entire life. There were waves of them moving toward their location. Dozens and dozens of them had already gathered at the foot of the driveway, and more were joining the pack.
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  They began to slowly surround the boys. Their hisses and mews were deafening.

  There was no escape.

  Chapter 6

  Cemetery Gates

  “We need to run,” Quentin said.

  “Definitely,” Reese said. “Which way?”

  Hundreds of cats, all of them dirty and ragged, were encircling the boys. Only a small gap in the wall of fur and claws remained visible.

  “Through there,” Quentin said. “Now!”

  The boys raced through the narrow space. The cats hissed and leapt at the boys as they ran, scratching at their legs.

  When the boys reached the next corner, the cats were in front of them, blocking their path once again.

  “We’re trapped!” Reese blurted out.

  “No!” Quentin said. “This way!”

  Quentin and Reese rushed through the thinnest part of the pack of cats. As they dashed through, the cats closed behind them like a great door of fur and teeth and claws. The cats hissed and snarled loudly as they chased after the boys. Quentin and Reese were fast, but the cats were getting closer by the second.

  As they ran, they entered a dark and desolate street. Any sign of the sun was gone, and a big silver moon loomed low in the sky. There were no houses here — only a deep woods on one side.

  On the other side was a great black iron fence. Dark green ivy grew up behind it, hiding whatever lay beyond.

  “Quentin,” Reese said as he ran, gasping for air. “I have to stop!”

  “We have to keep running,” Quentin said. “There are too many of them. They’re going to kill us!”

  Quentin pumped his legs as hard as he could. But no matter how fast he tried to run, he felt like his legs were wrapped in concrete. As his feet pounded the pavement, the cuts in his legs pulsed with pain. When he looked down at his shins, his eyes went wide. His legs were covered with gashes. Blood was turning the top of his white socks red.