the ambulance. And Tommy…” She squeezed her eyes shut, as if unable to continue.
Scarlet stared at her, a feeling of cold, black dread washing over her. “Tommy?” she prodded, trying to speak past her fear. “You mean your cousin Tommy?” Tommy was eight and Rebekah’s pride and joy.
“They took him away in an ambulance,” her friend said flatly. “The dragon…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, Scarlet, I think I killed my own cousin.”
Scarlet shrank back, her knees buckling, the guilt and panic threatening to swallow her whole. She wanted to tell Rebekah it wasn’t her fault. That it was she who had been the complete idiot, thinking it was a good idea to set a real-life dragon loose on the town.
But at the same time, her brain couldn’t reconcile the cause and effect. Emmy wasn’t a monster. She was sure of it. Only a few nights ago, she’d saved Scarlet’s life for no reason. Why would she go and attack a stadium full of people a few days later? It didn’t make any sense. There had to be more to the story. Some logical explanation why such a mild-mannered creature would suddenly go on a killing spree.
Not that this would matter to Tommy…
“Rebekah, what are you still doing here? I thought I told you to go home!”
The two girls turned as a man’s voice broke through the night air. Scarlet recognized Rebekah’s father on approach, his steps slow and his face grave. Her friend ran to him, throwing herself into his arms, clinging to him desperately as sobs shook her body.
“Dad!” she cried. “Oh, Dad, I was so scared!”
Don’t tell him about the barn, Scarlet thought as she watched them worriedly. Now is not the time for confessions. Suddenly she was glad she’d destroyed the video evidence. When she got home, she’d delete the YouTube upload as well.
Rebekah’s father stroked his daughter’s hair, soothing her with low whispers. Scarlet stood to the side, shuffling from foot to foot, suddenly feeling awkward and out of place. Not to mention consumed by guilt. She wanted to run, to hide, to find a quiet place to try to sort out all that had happened. But at the same time, she felt glued to the spot. She wondered if she should call her mother. Had she seen the whole thing on the news by now? If so, she’d probably be freaking out.
Suddenly she spotted none other than the monster himself, ambling toward them, his bar buddies in tow. She bit her lower lip. The last thing she wanted was to deal with him, but at this point she was desperate to get home.
Making up her mind, she waved him over. “Can I get a ride with you?” she asked. “I don’t want Mom to have to come out here now.”
He gave her a suspicious glare. She wondered if he even remembered what had happened between them earlier in the week or if his drunken state of mind had made him block the whole thing out. When she’d woken the next morning, she’d found the broken sliding glass door taped up with cardboard, but no one had said a word about how it had gotten that way. She’d decided it was best not to bring it up.
“Sorry, I’m not going home right now,” he told her. Even from where she stood, she could smell the stench of whiskey on his breath. He gestured to his friends. “Me and the boys have got some business to take care of.” He patted the revolver strapped to his side and laughed harshly. “We’re gonna go bag us a beast.”
Rebekah’s father looked over at them, his mouth dipping to a frown. “I think you might want to leave that to the professionals, boys,” he said carefully, gently prying his still-clinging daughter off of him. “Sheriff Thomas said the government’s sending out some Homeland Security agents to figure things out. They should be here within the hour. And word is, whatever it is, they want it alive.”
The men exchanged amused looks. Scarlet’s mom’s boyfriend slowly shook his head. “The thing is…Bud…I’ve never really been the type of man who’s content
Scarlet stared at her, a feeling of cold, black dread washing over her. “Tommy?” she prodded, trying to speak past her fear. “You mean your cousin Tommy?” Tommy was eight and Rebekah’s pride and joy.
“They took him away in an ambulance,” her friend said flatly. “The dragon…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, Scarlet, I think I killed my own cousin.”
Scarlet shrank back, her knees buckling, the guilt and panic threatening to swallow her whole. She wanted to tell Rebekah it wasn’t her fault. That it was she who had been the complete idiot, thinking it was a good idea to set a real-life dragon loose on the town.
But at the same time, her brain couldn’t reconcile the cause and effect. Emmy wasn’t a monster. She was sure of it. Only a few nights ago, she’d saved Scarlet’s life for no reason. Why would she go and attack a stadium full of people a few days later? It didn’t make any sense. There had to be more to the story. Some logical explanation why such a mild-mannered creature would suddenly go on a killing spree.
Not that this would matter to Tommy…
“Rebekah, what are you still doing here? I thought I told you to go home!”
The two girls turned as a man’s voice broke through the night air. Scarlet recognized Rebekah’s father on approach, his steps slow and his face grave. Her friend ran to him, throwing herself into his arms, clinging to him desperately as sobs shook her body.
“Dad!” she cried. “Oh, Dad, I was so scared!”
Don’t tell him about the barn, Scarlet thought as she watched them worriedly. Now is not the time for confessions. Suddenly she was glad she’d destroyed the video evidence. When she got home, she’d delete the YouTube upload as well.
Rebekah’s father stroked his daughter’s hair, soothing her with low whispers. Scarlet stood to the side, shuffling from foot to foot, suddenly feeling awkward and out of place. Not to mention consumed by guilt. She wanted to run, to hide, to find a quiet place to try to sort out all that had happened. But at the same time, she felt glued to the spot. She wondered if she should call her mother. Had she seen the whole thing on the news by now? If so, she’d probably be freaking out.
Suddenly she spotted none other than the monster himself, ambling toward them, his bar buddies in tow. She bit her lower lip. The last thing she wanted was to deal with him, but at this point she was desperate to get home.
Making up her mind, she waved him over. “Can I get a ride with you?” she asked. “I don’t want Mom to have to come out here now.”
He gave her a suspicious glare. She wondered if he even remembered what had happened between them earlier in the week or if his drunken state of mind had made him block the whole thing out. When she’d woken the next morning, she’d found the broken sliding glass door taped up with cardboard, but no one had said a word about how it had gotten that way. She’d decided it was best not to bring it up.
“Sorry, I’m not going home right now,” he told her. Even from where she stood, she could smell the stench of whiskey on his breath. He gestured to his friends. “Me and the boys have got some business to take care of.” He patted the revolver strapped to his side and laughed harshly. “We’re gonna go bag us a beast.”
Rebekah’s father looked over at them, his mouth dipping to a frown. “I think you might want to leave that to the professionals, boys,” he said carefully, gently prying his still-clinging daughter off of him. “Sheriff Thomas said the government’s sending out some Homeland Security agents to figure things out. They should be here within the hour. And word is, whatever it is, they want it alive.”
The men exchanged amused looks. Scarlet’s mom’s boyfriend slowly shook his head. “The thing is…Bud…I’ve never really been the type of man who’s content
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