“This is your house?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s big.”
“I guess. So?”
“Nothing.” Levi realized he had never been to Kat’s house before.
“Wait out here,” said Kat. “My parents don’t know you. I’ll tell them you’re coming over to work on a project.” She saw the worried look on his face. “Just stay by the street and try not to draw attention.”
She ran up the walkway, fished a key from under a flowerpot, and disappeared into the big house. A minute of quiet passed, and then a storm of screams and shouts erupted from within. The front door burst open and Kat sprinted across the lawn like a squirrel with its tail ablaze. A woman and a very angry man appeared in the doorway.
Kat reached the sidewalk and gave the dumbfounded Levi a shove. “RUN!” she screamed.
The houses blurred past them, and the man’s furious threats grew distant. They rounded a corner and ducked behind Archer’s Mini-Mart. For a minute, the only sound was their breath.
“Who was that guy?” gasped Levi.
Kat’s eyes were huge in her pale face. “My dad,” she said in a faint voice. “It happened to me, too.”
“What?”
“My parents don’t know me. They thought I was a home invader. And my room was empty. All my stuff is gone.”
Kat sank to the ground. She suddenly looked very small and very afraid. Levi sat next to her. He thought about putting his arm around her shoulder, comforting her, but that didn’t feel right.
“They seemed really . . . mad,” said Levi.
Kat gave him a sideways look. “Of course they were mad. They thought they were being robbed.”
“Oh,” said Levi. He wiped sweat from his brow. “Your dad looked like he was going to murder us.”
“He’s not normally like that!”
“Okay.”
“This is worse than I thought,” said Kat. “That thing knew I was helping you. That’s why it stole my life too. We need to figure this out. Fast.”
Levi nodded.
They sat for a long time and watched the morning shadows ooze across the mini-mart’s back parking lot.
“I feel sick,” said Kat at last.
“Me too,” said Levi.
“No, seriously, if I don’t eat something, I’m going to pass out. And I can’t think on an empty stomach.” She stood and started for the mini-mart’s entrance. “I’m getting some brain food. Want anything?”
Levi shook his head. His appetite had disappeared with Twila.
He leaned against the brick wall and watched as the day warmed and the neighborhood filled with the sounds of cars and lawnmowers and playing children. A familiar tinkling approached, and children and adults alike poured from their homes as the ice cream truck rounded a corner.
He stared longingly at the people lining the streets as they chatted and laughed and savored their frozen treats. Last weekend his life had been just as sweet and simple, though he hadn’t been aware of it at the time. The thought made his stomach clench.
Kat reemerged from the mini-mart with a granola bar, a Slynderfell-brand ice cream-sicle, some beef jerky strips, and a newspaper. Levi accepted the granola bar. He wondered briefly how Kat had acquired the food—she didn’t seem to be carrying any money—but decided that was one mystery he didn’t care to have answered.
“Aaaand I got more than just munchies,” said Kat as she flourished the newspaper and pointed to an article. “Ta-da! A clue!”
![A newspaper article from The Cowslip Grove Examiner titled Garman Farm Sheep Killed by Unidentified Predator. The articles reads: Three sheep have been found dead over the course of a week at Garman Farm. The bodies were examined by livestock specialist Andrew McElfresh, who reported distinct bite marks on the jugular veins. Further examination by Brockleport University's biology department confirmed that the sheep had been drained of at least 50 percent of their blood. McElfresh compared the killings to similar reports in southern states, attacks attributed to the 'Chupacabra,' an animal commonly considered a modern legend. Ralph Garman had this to say: 'If I catch any person or beast snooping around my property, I'll shoot them in the badonga [sic].''](images/NoPlaceforMonsters_187.jpg)
“First kids disappear; then sheep die mysteriously at night. Don’t you think that’s a strange coincidence? Especially in Cowslip Grove?”
“But people remember the sheep. No memories were changed. It was probably just coyotes.”
“Coyotes? Levi, their blood was drained!” Kat’s voice had recovered its usual zest. “Look, it’s our only lead. Garman Farm is less than a mile from here. I say we investigate. We’ll go after sunset, when the farmer won’t see us. We’ll just have to keep a low profile in town until then.”
Levi nodded and forced a smile. The wait until sunset was going to be an eternity. He couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
