Seventh Mark (Part 1 +2) by W.J. May Read Free Book Online Page B

ponytail.
“He seems to think there’s a…a grollic after me.”
    He tutted.
“Possibly, but not confirmed. That’s the first sighting of one in a
very long time. We assumed they’d become extinct in this area. It
seems they may have just burrowed underground.” He twirled a large
ring on his right hand. “Do you have the slightest inclination why
one would fancy you, of all people?”
    I shrugged,
suddenly conscious of the book lying in Michael’s car. I shook my
head. It made no sense the two were related. “I just moved into
town. I haven’t done anything since I got here. Met Michael and
Grace, got a job…normal stuff. Last night, I stepped into the trees
on an off-chance. It wasn’t something planned.”
    “Maybe you
caught it off guard. Maybe it was curious about the noise from the
kids,” Sarah said.
    Good
point. Maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
    “Perhaps…”
Caleb rubbed his chin, his eyebrows drawn close together. He stood.
He was a lot taller than I originally thought, at least half a foot
taller than Michael. “We must remain aware of our surroundings and
be cognisant of any possible threats. Grace and Michael will keep
an eye on you, and we shall see if this grollic has any other
intentions. Perhaps it was hungry.”
    The way Caleb
looked at me—or through me—I felt like some carnivore’s dinner,
nothing more. I gasped and took a step back. He strode by me,
without a second glance, to his office, the antique door closing
with a cold click from the brass doorknob made me jerk.
    “It’s just some
freak of nature, some kind of wild animal. Caleb talks as if the
thing can think and plan an attack. Animals can’t do that.” I spoke
to no one in particular. Who’re you trying to convince? Them or
yourself?
    Michael slipped
an arm around my shoulders. “Nothing happened last night and
nothing’s going to happen to you. I promise.”
    “It was
definitely a one-off.” I loved it that I believed him. He made me
feel…safe.
    Thank goodness
school started without a hitch. No monsters came knocking at my
door. I did joke with Grace, with me practically sleeping at her
place all the time; a grollic could’ve come but bolted when it got
to my neighborhood.
    It sucked but I
barely saw Michael. Caleb apparently had him travelling for
work.
    Simon made it
his priority to introduce me to everyone at school. While the
weather stayed warm, a group of us sat in the courtyard every lunch
break.
    One Friday,
near the end of October, the guys, being their usual rowdy selves,
started a game.
    “Rouge,” Simon
said. “Are you going to come with me to the Halloween
Masquerade?”
    Before I could
think of an excuse not to go, Damon dragged Simon to a desk chair
he’d set in the middle of the courtyard.
    “Help me set
this up. Then let’s jump over it.” Damon pointed at us gals sitting
together. “You ladies keep score.” All the guys scrambled over to
join them, each one easily clearing the chair. Soon two, then three
chairs were lined up. When a few guys knocked out, Damon dragged a
picnic table to replace the chairs. He scraped his foot in the
grass to make a line ten feet away. He declared they had to stand
behind the muddy line. The remaining three cleared the table
sideways. They turned the table long. After Damon and Simon barely
cleared it, they pulled two together.
    I leaned toward
Grace. “Maybe they should fill their pants with rolls of toilet
paper.”
    “What’s that
Red?” Damon paused in his work and grinned at his nickname for me.
“Chumming up to your little pal?” He glared at Grace. “It’s obvious
Red’s you’re new little Barbie doll. Poor new-gal didn’t stand a
chance once you sunk your claws in her.”
    How old was
this guy, nine? “I have a brain, thank-you. I’m a Barbie. Maybe
you’re just jealous she wouldn’t let you be her Ken?”
    He stepped
forward and leaned down, his face inches from mine, hot breath
hitting my cheeks. “What’d you