Unleashed by Sara Humphreys Read Free Book Online

of bravery, she looked up to see what held her so effortlessly.
    Her mouth went dry at the sight above her. The most enormous bird she had ever seen held her as though she weighed nothing at all. Massive brown and bronze feathered wings pumped loudly in her ears and matched the pounding of her heart. Brilliant yellow eyes peered down at her over a sharply hooked beak. The scream, which had been brewing inside of her, bubbled up and boiled over, shattering the night.
    ***
    Sam woke up to the shriek of her alarm. The sun streamed into the room, and she squinted against the blinding light. With her breath coming in ragged gasps, she ripped the covers off and launched herself out of bed. “What the hell kind of dream was that?” she blurted a bit too loud. She slapped her hand over her mouth to keep any more outbursts from attracting Nonie’s attention. She walked over to the open window and slowly peered outside. The world looked normal. No giant, weird, yellow-eyed birds. Sam took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
    â€œOkay, Sam. Calm down. It was just a dream, a really weird dream.” She closed the window and went over to quickly make the bed. Sam rationalized that the dream was merely a result of being overtired from moving in yesterday. That would make perfect sense, she thought, not really convincing herself.
    After a hearty breakfast of Nonie’s famous blueberry pancakes, they set out for town. It was a late summer day, deliciously warm with a breeze that had cleared every cloud from the sky. She had almost completely forgotten about her bizarre dream. They drove with the windows down because it was a gorgeous day and because the old Bug didn’t have any working air-conditioning. They pulled into the diner parking lot, and Sam smiled at the memories, which flooded her mind. The Dugout was a classic, old-fashioned diner, which Nonie and Pop took her to every Sunday after church. It was a popular spot in town with both locals and summer people. Millie Sparks ran it like a kitchen on a Navy ship. There was a lot of colorful language and not much patience for stupidity.
    When they walked into the diner, the old bell above the door announced their entrance. They were immediately greeted by Millie who practically knocked over the busboy on her way to the door. Millie was a short, robust woman with a mischievous grin, and Nonie’s best friend for over forty years. Her salt and pepper hair was cut short and stuck out in a thousand directions around a round face with mischievous eyes.
    â€œWell slap me silly, and call me Millie!”
    She always did have a way with words, Sam thought with a smile. “Hey, Millie, it’s so great to see you,” Sam said. Millie grabbed her in a big bear hug, then pulled back and eyed her suspiciously.
    â€œSammy girl, how are you? You are gettin’ too damn skinny! Sit down at my counter, and I’m gonna make you the biggest stack of French toast you’ve ever seen!”
    â€œThanks, Millie, but Nonie already filled me with blueberry pancakes.” She rubbed her stomach. “If this keeps up, I’ll get even fatter.”
    â€œWhy do you young girls always want to be skinny? Men like a girl with meat on their bones. Ain’t that right, Billy?” she said to the loyal busboy who also happened to be her son. It was the same sweet guy she’d almost plowed to the ground a moment ago.
    â€œYes, ma’am,” he said. “Hey, Sam, welcome home.”
    Billy was a sweetheart. Nonie called him a gentle soul . He was pretty much raised in this diner, bussed tables for his mother, cooked, whatever she needed. Sam had known him all her life. “Hi, Billy.” She hugged him. “It’s great to see you. How’s Mary? I heard you had a baby?”
    â€œYup, little Willie. He’s six months old already.” Beaming with pride, he instantly pulled a family picture from his back pocket.
    Sam looked at the