Sally Singletary's Curiosity (The Sally Singletary Book 1)

by J. M. Cataffo

  Unfortunately, what took place was nothing like he imagined.

  The arrow penetrated her arm just below the shoulder, her body forced backward by the impact. He gasped as she was thrown into the wall. Blood seeped from the wound and began soaking into her blouse.

  “How dare you!” she hollered.

  The door opened again and in rushed two security guards. That was way too fast. It was as if they’d been waiting outside for this to happen.

  “He shot me!” Mrs. Conley had a pained expression on her face.

  “What? No! I…” But what could Yasif say. He was standing there with weapon in hand while the bolt he’d just released was still lodged in his teacher’s shoulder.

  “Put him in hand cuffs or whatever it is you do in situations like this.” Once the guard turned from her, she smiled.

  One of the security guards grabbed the bow from Yasif while the other twisted his arms behind him. “No! This is a mistake! That woman is not Mrs. Conley!”

  “Save it!” The guard cuffed him, then marched him toward the door.

  As he passed, Mrs. Conley brushed her hands together, wearing an evil grin. Just before entering the hall, he swore he’d seen her yank the arrow out.

  They crossed the commons, clumps of surprised students watching in awe. When they’d reached the office, Yasif was even more convinced the whole thing was a set-up.

  “In there.” Mrs. Padilla was standing at the doors as though expecting him. How would she even have known unless this had been planned?

  Mrs. Padilla dismissed the guards, and before Yasif realized what happened, Mrs. Conley was closing the door.

  Flashbacks erupted in Yasif’s brain, memories of what the Division 51 agents had done to him. His hands began to shake, his throat went dry, and he already felt sweat trailing down his temples.

  Mrs. Conley didn’t seem to be in much pain. The wound was gone.

  “Did you really think you’d get away with this?” Mrs. Padilla crossed her arms. “I don’t know who you think you’re dealing with, but I assure you, you cannot win.”

  Yasif stared at her defiantly.

  “I should have gotten rid of you when we had the chance, but the boss seems to think you’re somehow useful.” Mrs. Padilla smiled.

  Mrs. Conley broke in. “We could claim it was an accident.”

  Mrs. Padilla laughed. As she did, her body changed into the bear creature that had chased the van. It faced Yasif and let out an ear-splitting growl.

  Yasif knew they were toying with him, but couldn’t stop his insides from becoming a mass of jelly. Even as his body violently shook, his nerves on high-alert, a realization had settled in based on something Padilla had said.

  Her boss wanted them alive. Van der Haak hadn’t been trying to kill them at Mt. Holly. That confirmed their suspicions. It had been a set-up from the start. They’d been used to start the fire.

  It didn’t make sense. Throwing the stick was an accident. How could they have known he’d react that way? Or that the convergences would misalign? Those were all random events. They somehow knew. He didn’t know how, but it was the only thing that made sense.

  If that were true, they were really in trouble.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

  THE FIRE ALARM FLASHED and the siren echoed through the halls, hurting Jake’s ears. He glanced at his watch—Idric was right on time.

  The students instinctively scrambled to their feet and began filing out of classrooms. Jake jumped in behind them with Lani and Stephanie nearby. As they all filed out, he, Lani, and Stephanie slipped down the hallway toward the gym. They needed to make sure all the students were safe before they could pull off the rest of their plan.

  “It’s about time,” Jake said when Idric arrived.

  Idric raised an eyebrow.

  They arrived at the gym where they found Sally waiting inside.

  “Cameras are set up. Where’s Yasif?”

  Jake shrugged. “He’s not here?”

  Sally shook her head. “Is everything else ready?”

  Jake nodded as the doors burst behind them.

  They spun to find the two female shape-shifters striding confidently into the gym.

  Sally gasped.

  Jake realized then, Mrs. Conley had a hold of Yasif’s shirt.

  “I’m really getting tired of these meddling creatures,” Mrs. Conley commented.

  Sally saw the yellow stone hanging from a leather strand around the woman’s neck.

  “I’m inclined to agree.” Mrs. Padilla’s voice was no longer that of their former headmistress. It was deep and treacherous. “I think we need to rid ourselves of this nuisance.”

  Sally squared her shoulders. Jake had to admire her bravery. “It’s time for you to leave our school.”

  “Is that so?” Mrs. Conley barked. “And do you actually think you can stop us?”

  “We will stop you,” Jake said, trying to match Sally’s gall.

  Mrs. Padilla smiled. “You are not capable of understanding the forces at work here. Your insignificance is matched only by your ignorance.”

  Sally huffed. “Ignorant? We’ll see about that.” With that, she gave Jake a nod.

  Jake pulled out the makeshift flamethrower he’d pieced together from the parts Sally had given him. He hadn’t had time to properly test it and hoped it would work. When a plume of fire burst forth from the nozzle, he could barely contain his excitement. It had only been meant for show, but seemed to have the desired effect.

  The two women were caught by surprise, their attention focused on the ball of flame. Idric flanked them as Sally raised her crossbow. She shot Mrs. Conley, the arrow lodging itself in the woman’s hip, and she went down.

  Idric was there waiting. “I’ll take that, thank you very much.” He plucked the Aashr key from her neck, then darted away.

  Anger flashed on Mrs. Conley’s face as wings sprouted from her back. Her body shifted and changed, her skin becoming thick and dark. Standing before them was the creature that had attacked at Mt. Holly.

  Jake’s stomach fell.

  “It was you!” Sally stumbled back.

  Mrs. Conley screeched in response.

  Mrs. Padilla had also changed, her body now nearly twice its size. They’d faced this creature as well, the bear that chased them from the school.

  With the two shape-shifters focused on Sally, Lani had managed to get to Yasif. She’d pulled him away, and set to work freeing him from the handcuffs.

  The bear moved toward them, its massive paws slamming against the polished wood floor.

  Stephanie grabbed a pole used to retract the bleachers and twirled it back and forth around her body.

  Jake stared in awe.

  “What? First place baton twirler since I was nine.” Stephanie smiled.

  The bear attacked, paws raised, jaws ready to bite. Stephanie whacked it a time or two, causing it to stumble backward.

  “Thanks!” Sally said. “Now, go with Idric and find that book, okay?”

  Stephanie nodded.

  “I think you’ll find your plans here are a bit wasted, my dear.” Mrs. Padilla called out in her deep bearish voice. “You cannot defeat us. Dumaat is quite temperamental.”

  Dumaat? That must have been Mrs. Conley’s real name. It didn’t matter. If Sally’s plan worked, they wouldn’t need to defeat these creatures. Jake readied his flamethrower for another burst. As Dumaat swooped down toward him, he pulled the trigger, but nothing happened.

  “What’s wrong?” Sally screamed.

  “I don’t know!” Jake shook the nozzle, but quickly realized he was out of time.

  Dumaat dropped, and he barely had time to react. He hit the ground, sharp pain erupting across his back. The wetness of blood came next and he knew Dumaat’s talons had scraped his skin.

  “Go!” Jake heard Sally scream, then caught sight of a frightened Idric and Stephanie as they exited the gym.

  Sally appeared at Jake’s side, helping him to his feet. “We’
ve got to buy Idric and Stephanie some time!”

  He knew she was right. He choked back the pain and went to work fixing the flamethrower.

  “Get that boy!” Mrs. Padilla exclaimed, a bear claw pointing at Yasif.

  Dumaat swooped again, this time at Yasif. Without a weapon, Yasif’s only defense was to run.

  Sally turned, releasing an arrow, but missed the creature’s wing.

  Yasif darted toward the gym doors, Dumaat trailing behind him. Jake almost cheered when the creature realized it wouldn’t make it and made a desperate attempt to avoid colliding with the wall.

  “Sucks to be a bird inside a box, huh?” he taunted.

  The bat-like creature turned on him and readied itself for an attack. Jake struggled with the flamethrower, barely aware of Sally and Lani battling the bear. Lani flung a dagger, hitting it square in the chest. The bear screamed in pain, but quickly pulled the blade from its thick fur and continued toward them unabated.

  Jake wasn’t sure how long they could keep this up.

  Dumaat had perched itself on one of the rafters as though deciding its next move. It eyed Jake, watching him, shifting from one foot to the other, readying for an attack. It must have realized he’d managed to fix the flamethrower; it remained just outside maximum range.

  He glanced at Sally and Lani to make sure they were all right. The momentary distraction was enough for Dumaat. In a surprising move, the creature fell backward off the rafters and swooped toward him. Jake caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned the nozzle toward it, squeezing the trigger. This time, he was relieved when a plume of fire erupted.

  But Dumaat had been toying with him. It effortlessly swerved, and before Jake could readjust his strategy, it descended. Jake tripped over the tank and toppled backward onto the floor, his wounds now pressed against his shirt, causing him to wince in pain.

  As the creature bore down on him again, claws readied for another assault, Sally fired another bolt and caught Dumaat in its wing. It screeched and retreated back to the rafters.

  Jake let out a sigh of relief.

  In the corner, Lani had the bear pinned, having apparently used a bolo to tie it up. She came trotting over, her brow glistening with sweat.

  For the moment, they could breathe.

  “Are you okay?” Sally stood above him, extending a hand.

  “I think so.” Jake took it and stood.

  “You think Idric and Steph have made it yet?” Jake asked.

  Sally shrugged. “I don’t know. I told him to text me when the book was safe. One thing’s for sure…we can’t keep this up much longer.”

  A deep growl rumbled from behind. Jake turned just in time to see the bear rip through the thick ropes.

  Lani frowned. “I think we need a new plan!”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

  IDRIC AND STEPHANIE made their way out of the back of the school. The students usually evacuated to the front parking lot during a drill so as not to be under trees in the event of a real fire. This left the team unobserved at the lake, which Idric had insisted was necessary.

  “Where is this book thing?” Stephanie fiddled with her prosthetic, grimacing as she adjusted the fit.

  “You’ll see.”

  They reached the edge of the water, and he pulled the yellow stone from around his neck. “This might get a little crazy.”

  Stephanie huffed. “At this point, I don’t think it could get any crazier.”

  Uttering a few words, Idric held up the stone. As it began to glow, wind swirled around them, tossing Stephanie’s hair. The stone flared intensely, and a beam of light shot upward. Gray clouds formed around the point of light, darkening the sky. A moment later, the clouds began to swirl and another beam shot downward into the center of the lake.

  Stephanie glanced around. “Won’t someone see?”

  Idric didn’t acknowledge her. He was too busy trying to maintain control on the key’s energy while wind whipped violently through his curly hair.

  As he completed his incantation, a line of light traced from the center of the lake toward them until it touched the shore. It split, a wedge of dry land forming between. The line continued to spread apart until a thin walkway was revealed, stretching toward the center of the lake.

  “Come on.” Idric grabbed her arm, pulling her toward a now visible door. Dark clouds billowed above, their surroundings made eerie by flashes of lightning. Ignoring the rumble of thunder, he wrenched open the entrance to reveal a set of stairs leading into the darkness.

  Stale air washed over them as Idric whispered something to the yellow crystal in his palm. A pale golden light bathed the path before them as the door closed behind and they descended the stairs. Idric remained focused, expecting the path to be wet from lying at the bottom of the lake for so long. Instead, they were completely dry and dusty.

  At the bottom, they found a small room at the center of which stood a wooden pedestal, supporting a large leather-bound book.

  “Is that it?” Stephanie pointed at the tome, her voice echoing in the small round chamber.

  Idric stared in wonder. The last time he’d seen that book was when his father had placed it on that very pedestal two years earlier.

  He nodded.

  As he approached, a bright white light filled the room. Idric stepped back, and Stephanie instinctively shielded her eyes.

  “What’s going on?” Stephanie hollered.

  The light faded and two figures materialized just beyond the pedestal. Idric’s heart seemed to freeze. “Mom? Dad?”

  “Hello, son.” His father’s voice was deep, his vaguely Dutch-European accent still the same as the day he’d left.

  “We’re so sorry it’s come to this.” His mother wasn’t smiling, though her voice was sweet, gentle, and kind.

  “What’s going on? Why are you here?” Idric ran up to his father, throwing his arms around the man. Instead of feeling the warmth of his father’s body, he passed right through as though he weren’t actually there.

  “Wha–?”

  “I’m sorry, son.” The man turned to look at him. “For reasons you’ll understand soon, we can’t be here with you now.”

  “Where are you? What do you mean?” Idric had begun to panic, his heart pumping faster.

  “We don’t have much time,” his mother explained. “If you’ve come here, then things have gotten worse than we anticipated.”

  “I don’t understand.” Idric couldn’t hold back the tears.

  “I know this is difficult for you, but you must listen. The Anunaaki have returned.” His father glanced upward as though he could see something Idric couldn’t. “Two years ago, they began hunting down the Aashrs for reasons we don’t understand. It was why we had to leave our home and try to protect everything we hold dear.” He motioned toward the book. “This book represents all Aashr knowledge and must be protected at all cost.”

  Idric shook his head. “Anunaaki? What? What do you mean hunted?”

  “Remember the tales I taught you.” His mother moved toward him, kneeling. “They will help you in troubled times.”

  “We can’t stay, son. Our essence can only remain a short time.”

  “Essence? Where are you? Mom? Dad? Please, I’m scared!”

  His mother’s frowned. “I’m sorry, Idric. We’ve been gone for some time. You are all that remains of the Aashrs.”

  Idric’s mind reeled. The room seemed to spin. Gone? How could they be gone? He’d just talked to them a couple months ago on the phone.

  He turned to his father, panic rising in his voice. “Dad?”

  But their images had already begun to fade.

  “No! Come back!”

  In moments, they were gone.

  Despair rose in the pit of his stomach. He couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. He felt as though he’d pass out right there on the floor.

  A hand steadied him. It took him a moment to remember Stephanie was there. She rubbed his back, but he couldn’t seem to t
ake his gaze off the spot where his parents had been.

  He wasn’t sure how long had passed before Stephanie spoke, her words soft and gentle. “We’ve got to get this out of here.”

  He nodded, wiping his wet cheeks with his sleeve. More tears took their place, but he tried his best to regain control.

  Were they really gone?

  He stared at the book. It now represented everything he’d ever known, a world he’d never see again. He was hesitant to move it as though doing so would further damage what he’d lost. He was alone now, and it was up to him to protect his people’s legacy.

  As he slowly lifted the heavy volume, more tears streamed down his cheeks. He slipped the book into his backpack without a word and then zipped it closed.

  He took one last glance before turning toward the stairs.

  Sally and the others were waiting, counting on him to get the book while they fought the shape-shifters. He couldn’t let them down.

  The two ascended the steps toward the door at the bottom of the lake. The storm was still brewing outside when they emerged, lighting flashing through the gaps in the trees. They walked the path to the edge of the lake. As soon as their feet touched the dry earth, the light vanished and the water crashed together behind them.

  As soon as the commotion of the water ended, Idric noticed a new sound that sounded like growling.

  “Um… Where did they come from?” Stephanie asked.

  He turned to find four rather large dogs with their teeth bared, growling at them. “I knew this was a bad idea.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  SALLY REALLY WISHED Idric would hurry. The two creatures were gaining the advantage and she was running out of ideas.

  Lani and Jake threw themselves out of the path of one of the flying creature’s fireballs. It blasted against the polished wood of the gym floor, leaving a scorch mark in its wake. The three were scattered, cut off from each other, and Mrs. Padilla’s bear-form was staggering toward Lani, who had lost her knife under the bleachers during an attack. She now had only a pistol to defend herself—she might as well have been throwing pebbles at it for all the good it did.