saliva dripping from its fangs. I swung the stick and knocked the cadejo away. I kept the stick twirling, smacking the dog on its sensitive snout and ears as I advanced on it. It backed away, trying to get enough distance to launch another attack at my throat. I kept crowding it so it wouldn’t have the space.
Finally, I had it backed into the corner. Luckily, not the one where we kept the television. I rammed the stick down into its mouth again and lunged forward.
Behind me, the door to the apartment opened. “Melina!” Sophie screamed.
I couldn’t turn, but my focus flickered. The cadejo pushed forward and then . . . disappeared.
I sprang backward. Where had it gone?
I whirled. Sophie stood in the doorway, Ben behind her. Both of them stared at me, their eyes wide and their jaws a bit slack.
“Where did it go?” I demanded. “Did you see where it went?” Just because I couldn’t see the threat didn’t mean it wasn’t still there. That was a lesson I’d had to learn a few times before it sunk all the way in. I whirled again. The living room wasn’t that big. There weren’t that many places to hide. It had to be here somewhere.
“Where what went?” Sophie took a step into the apartment. “What are you talking about?”
“The cadejo,” I said, then realized she might not know what that was. “The big dog-like thing I was fighting. Did you see where it went?”
Ben took a few steps into the apartment now, too. “There wasn’t a big dog-like thing, Melina. There wasn’t anything.”
“Very funny, wise guy.” I continued to turn, trying to use all my senses to relocate the cadejo. I’d never heard of one vanishing like that, but it wasn’t like I was a total cadejo expert or anything.
“He’s not making a joke,” Sophie said. “There wasn’t anything here. There was just you with the kendo stick in the corner.”
“No big dog with goat hooves?” I turned now to look at Sophie, right in her big hazel eyes.
“No big dog. No goat hooves.” She looked me right back in the eyes and answered with no hesitation.
“Just me in the corner with the kendo stick looking like a lunatic in my underwear?” I was beginning to understand the total looks of horror on both their faces.
“Pretty much.” Ben bobbed his head.
“And you’re not in school right now because . . . ?” I’d heard asking leading questions was a good technique with teens.
“Of a teacher in-service day,” they said in unison.
Whatever the hell that meant.
“And you guys showed up because . . . ?”
Ben sat down on the edge of the couch. “We heard yelling and crashing and thought you might need help.”
Well, wasn’t that just the understatement of the day.
I COULDN’T GO BACK TO SLEEP. THE ADRENALINE SURGE I’D woken up with wouldn’t leave my body. Even after my heart stopped pounding, I was beyond hyper. I was still tired though. The few hours sleep I’d gotten were not enough. It was the worst combination of hyped up and exhausted that I could come up with. I took a shower and got dressed while Sophie and Ben picked up the things my imaginary devil dog and I had knocked around. Then I made a pot of coffee and loaded it up with sugar and milk. Protein, sugar and caffeine. If I’d had a piece of chocolate to eat with it, I would have hit every food group I really found necessary.
“Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” Sophie asked as she sat next to me, sipping a cup of Norah’s herbal tea.
“If it was a dream, it was the most realistic dream I’ve ever had.” I took another gulp of coffee, hoping that the caffeine would start coursing through my system soon.
“Did you eat something spicy?” Ben asked. “I always have weird dreams after we eat Thai food.”
I didn’t even bother answering that one. I wished it would be something that simple. It had seemed so real. I had heard the cadejo, smelled it and seen it.
I hadn’t sensed it, though. Something about that was off. I rubbed the
Finally, I had it backed into the corner. Luckily, not the one where we kept the television. I rammed the stick down into its mouth again and lunged forward.
Behind me, the door to the apartment opened. “Melina!” Sophie screamed.
I couldn’t turn, but my focus flickered. The cadejo pushed forward and then . . . disappeared.
I sprang backward. Where had it gone?
I whirled. Sophie stood in the doorway, Ben behind her. Both of them stared at me, their eyes wide and their jaws a bit slack.
“Where did it go?” I demanded. “Did you see where it went?” Just because I couldn’t see the threat didn’t mean it wasn’t still there. That was a lesson I’d had to learn a few times before it sunk all the way in. I whirled again. The living room wasn’t that big. There weren’t that many places to hide. It had to be here somewhere.
“Where what went?” Sophie took a step into the apartment. “What are you talking about?”
“The cadejo,” I said, then realized she might not know what that was. “The big dog-like thing I was fighting. Did you see where it went?”
Ben took a few steps into the apartment now, too. “There wasn’t a big dog-like thing, Melina. There wasn’t anything.”
“Very funny, wise guy.” I continued to turn, trying to use all my senses to relocate the cadejo. I’d never heard of one vanishing like that, but it wasn’t like I was a total cadejo expert or anything.
“He’s not making a joke,” Sophie said. “There wasn’t anything here. There was just you with the kendo stick in the corner.”
“No big dog with goat hooves?” I turned now to look at Sophie, right in her big hazel eyes.
“No big dog. No goat hooves.” She looked me right back in the eyes and answered with no hesitation.
“Just me in the corner with the kendo stick looking like a lunatic in my underwear?” I was beginning to understand the total looks of horror on both their faces.
“Pretty much.” Ben bobbed his head.
“And you’re not in school right now because . . . ?” I’d heard asking leading questions was a good technique with teens.
“Of a teacher in-service day,” they said in unison.
Whatever the hell that meant.
“And you guys showed up because . . . ?”
Ben sat down on the edge of the couch. “We heard yelling and crashing and thought you might need help.”
Well, wasn’t that just the understatement of the day.
I COULDN’T GO BACK TO SLEEP. THE ADRENALINE SURGE I’D woken up with wouldn’t leave my body. Even after my heart stopped pounding, I was beyond hyper. I was still tired though. The few hours sleep I’d gotten were not enough. It was the worst combination of hyped up and exhausted that I could come up with. I took a shower and got dressed while Sophie and Ben picked up the things my imaginary devil dog and I had knocked around. Then I made a pot of coffee and loaded it up with sugar and milk. Protein, sugar and caffeine. If I’d had a piece of chocolate to eat with it, I would have hit every food group I really found necessary.
“Are you sure you weren’t dreaming?” Sophie asked as she sat next to me, sipping a cup of Norah’s herbal tea.
“If it was a dream, it was the most realistic dream I’ve ever had.” I took another gulp of coffee, hoping that the caffeine would start coursing through my system soon.
“Did you eat something spicy?” Ben asked. “I always have weird dreams after we eat Thai food.”
I didn’t even bother answering that one. I wished it would be something that simple. It had seemed so real. I had heard the cadejo, smelled it and seen it.
I hadn’t sensed it, though. Something about that was off. I rubbed the
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