Then the dream changed and she was an owl, swooping down in a dizzying rush from a hollow Douglas fir. She seized a squirrel in her talons andfelt a surge of simple joy. Killing felt so natural. All she had to do was be the best owl she could be, and grab food with her feet.
But then a shadow fell over her from somewhereabove. And in the dream she felt a terrible sick real ization-that even hunters could be hunted. And that something was after her....
She woke up disoriented-not as towhere shewas, but as to who she was. Mary-Lynnette or a hunter being chased by something with white teeth in themoonlight? And even when she went downstairs, she couldn't shake off the sick feeling from her dream.
"Hi," Mark said. "Is that breakfast or lunch?"
"Both," Mary-Lynnette said, sitting down on the family room couch with her two granola bars.
Mark was watching her. "So," he said, "have you been thinking about it, too?"
Mary-Lynnette tore the wrapper off a granola bar with her teeth. "About what?"
" Youknow."
Mary-Lynnette did know. She glanced around to make sure Claudine wasn't in earshot." Don't think about it."
"Why not?" When she didn't answer, he said,"Don't tell me you haven't been wondering what it would be like. To see better, hear better, be telepathic...and live forever. I mean, we could see the year three thousand. You know, the robot wars, colonizing other planets.... Come on, don't tell me you'renot even a little curious."
All Mary-Lynnette could think of was a line from a Robert Service Poem: Andthe skies of nightw re alive with light, with a throbbing, thrilling flame... .
"I'm curious," she said. 'But there's no point in wondering. They do things we couldn't do-they kill"
She put down her glass of milk as if she'd lost herappetite. She hadn't, though-and wasn't that the problem? She ought to be sick to her stomach at just the thought of killing, of drinking blood from a warm body.
Instead, she was scared. Of what was out there inthe world-and of herself.
"It'sdangerous,"she said aloud to Mark. "Don'tyousee? We've gotten mixed up in this Night World-and it's a place where bad things can happen. Not just bad like flunking a class. Bad like ..."
... white teeth in the moonlight ...
"Like getting lolleddead," Mary-Lynnette said. "And that's serious, Mark. It's not like the movies."
Mark was staring at her. "Yeah, but we knew that already." His tone said "What's the big deal?"
And Mary-Lynnette couldn't explain. She stood up abruptly. "If we're going over there, we'd better get moving," she said. "It's almost one o'clock."
The sisters and Ash were waiting at Burdock Farm.
"You and Mark can sit in the front with me," MaryLynnette told Jade, not looking at Ash. "But I don't think you'd better bring the cat."
"The cat goes," Jade said firmly, getting in. "OrI don't."
Mary-Lynnette put the car in gear and pulled out.
As they came in sight of the small duster of buildings on Main Street, Mark said, "And there it is, downtown Briar Creek in all its glory. A typical Friday afternoon, with absolutely nobody on the streets."
He didn't say it with his usual bitterness. MaryLynnette glanced at him and saw that it was Jade he was talking to. And Jade was looking around with genuine interest, despite the cat's claws embedded in her neck.
"Somebody'son the streets," she said cheerfully. "It's that. boy Vic. And that other one, Todd.
And grown-ups."
Mary-Lynnette slowed as she passed the sheriff'soffice but didn't stop until she reached the gas station at the opposite corner. Then she got out and looked casually across the street.
Todd Akers was there with his father, the sheriff and Vic Kimble was there with his father. Mr. Kimble had a farm east of town. They were all getting into the sheriff's car, and they all seemed very excited.
Bunny Marten was standing on the sidewalk watching as they left.
Mary-Lynnette felt a twinge of fear. This is what it's like when you have a terrible secret, she thought.
You worry about everything that happens, and wonder if it's got something to do with you, if it's going to get you caught.
"Hey, Bunnyl" she called. "What's going on?"
Bunny looked back. "Oh, hi, Mare." She walkedunhurriedly-Bunny never hurried-,acrossthe street.
"How're you doing? They're just going to check out that horse thing."
"What horse thing?"
"Oh. . .didn't you hear?" Bunny was looking behind Mary-Lynnette now, at Mark and the four strangers who were getting out of the station wagon. Suddenly her blue eyes got rounder and she reached up to fluff her soft blond hair.
Now, I wonder who she's just seen, Mary-Lynnettethought ironically. Who could it be?
"Hi" Ash said.
"We didn't hear about the horse thing," MaryLynnette said, gently prompting.
"Oh... um, one of Mr. Kimble's horses cut his throat on barbed wire last night. That's what everybody was sayingthis morning. But just now Mr.Kimble came into town and said that he didn't think it was barbed wire after all. He thinks ... somebody did it on purpose. Slashed its throat and left it todie."
She hunched her shoulders in a tiny shiver.. Theatrically, Mary-Lynnette thought.
"You see?" Jade said. "That's why I'm keeping my eye on Tiggy."
Mary-Lynnette noticed Bunny eyeing Jade. "Thanks,Bun."
"I've got to get back to the store," Bunny said,but she didn't move. Now she was looking at Kestreland Rowan.
"I'll walk you there," Ash said gallantly. Withwhat, Mary-Lynnette thought, must be his usual putting-the-moves-on manner. "After all, we don't know what could be lurking around here."
"It's broad daylight," Kestrel said disgustedly, but Ash was already walking Bunny away.
MaryLynnette decided she was glad to get rid of him.
"Who was that girl?" Rowan asked, and something in her voice was odd.
Mary-Lynnette glanced at her in surprise. "Bunny Marten. I know her from school.What's wrong?"
"She was staring at us," Rowan said softly.
"She was staring at Ash. Oh, and probably youthree, too. You're new and you're pretty, so she's probably wondering which boys you'll take fromher."