Law enforcement officers
Law enforcement officers have imposed a curfew on all Bedford residents under the age of eighteen. At a press conference held at Bedford City Hall today, Sheriff J. Farrar explained, “The majority of the disappearances have occurred after dark. We are advising that everyone only travel in groups. Do not go into wooded areas alone. Do not accept rides from strangers.”
– NEWS CHANNEL 8
I spend the day planning out strategy with Devyn, who comes over after lunch. He insists I catch up with AP Lit and AP Bio first, and a couple other of my harder classes. It all gives me a headache. Schoolwork is not at the top of my list right now, even though it has to be, because if I survive all this, I do want to go to college someday. I can’t imagine going into the interview and explaining that I failed out of high school because of a pixie invasion. Right . We set up camp in the living room. Devyn moves stiffly because of his old pixie injury, but it makes me so happy to see him walking without help in front of the woodstove and pacing past the couch and coffee table as he pontificates and goes into professor mode. Betty is still at some craft fair with Mrs. Nix, her best friend and our school secretary.
We spend some time trying to figure out the anagram my dad once wrote in the margin of his Lovecraft book until Astley texts me his mom’s name and we start to type it obsessively into various search engines. We come up with some mentions of her at antique shows and clock symposiums throughout the world, but nothing that pins her down, let alone an address.
While Dev surfs the Web, we talk and I keep walking toward the windows, looking out, searching the woods for signs of pixies. It’s like I can’t keep still. I wonder if this is some sort of pixie-change side effect.
“They aren’t attacking in the daylight anymore,” Devyn says. “Not after the Sumner bus incident and a couple after that.”
“What are people saying?”
“That there’s a serial killer.” He groans. “There was a news crew from Boston up here when you were off changing. Some federal agents have been sniffing around too. People think Nick’s parents sent for him to get out of danger. Some people think there’s an alien apocalypse coming. You missed a lot, Zara.”
I am silent. I can tell by how he says the word “changing” that he’s still having a hard time dealing with it. I can’t blame him. I’m having a hard time dealing with it too. I touch my fingertips to the cold pane of the glass. “The world is so white. It hurts my eyes, you know?”
He doesn’t answer, just stands up again, moaning a little bit as he does.
“You feeling okay?” I leave the window and scoot over to him. “Does it hurt much to stand?”
“It hurts. It’s worth it, though, to be able to do it.” He sneezes. “Sorry. Allergies.”
“Allergic to pixies?” I joke.
“Ha-ha,” he says sarcastically. “I have to go soon. My parents are geeking out with the experiments now. They want me to help. They said thank you for offering to give more blood for them to use. It’s good of you.”
That makes me turn away from the window. “Good of me? I’m hardly good, Devyn. We trapped people in a house. That’s illegal. It’s technically kidnapping. We fight them. That’s assault. I beat one guy up after the dance. Plus those two girls…”
“Pixies, not people. Pixies, not girls,” he corrects.
Pixies, not people.
“I still feel like a person, and I don’t feel good. Fighting makes me feel evil,” I mumble.
Devyn gathers his stuff up to leave.
“Seriously, though,” I continue, more forcefully. “Do I have fewer rights, less importance because I’m not a human? Do the laws suddenly not apply to me?”
“Animals don’t have rights,” Devyn snaps. “And that’s what I am half the time. I can’t even begin to imagine what would happen if regular people suddenly knew that people like me were out there.”
“How would you like it if people called you a shifter or a were instead of a guy?”
He cracks his knuckles and slugs on his backpack. He grimaces as he straightens his back. “I would hate that.”
“So you understand why I hate it?”
“I do.” Rubbing a hand across his face, he steps toward the door. “I’m sorry, Zara. It’s just so much to get used to, and with Nick gone… I know I haven’t been fair.”
“Yeah, well, it’s complicated, I know. And I can’t blame you. I just miss you. I mean, you are right here, but when you don’t totally trust me, it feels like we’re…” I struggle for the words. “Disconnected?”
He pats my shoulder and steps into the cold. I follow him out because I don’t want to be alone just yet. He says, “You know, Nick is out here somewhere.”
The thought of it makes me squee. I jump up and hit my head on the porch roof. Snow tumbles down around me and suddenly the tension is broken. I can’t believe I can jump so high. I roll on the snow giggling, and Devyn just cracks up watching me. I chuck a snowball at him. I swear if Nick could see me now, he would crack up too, and fall down next to me and probably smoosh snow in my face. Or maybe not.
Dev wipes the snow off his face and reaches a hand down to help me up. “You are such a goofball, Zara.”
“I know.”
He studies my face, squinting at me. “What happened? Your expression just changed.”
Swallowing hard, I decide to just say it. Maybe if I can say what worries me, Devyn will really see that I’m still Zara. Maybe I’ll see it too. “Nick hated pixies. I’m not sure he’d ever believe they could be good, not after seeing the evil some have done. I’m not sure if he could ever love me now.”
“Zara…” Dev’s hand tightens around mine, but there’s no comfort he can offer here.
Charging on, I say, “I changed so I could save him, but that change could ruin us. I know he’ll think it’s ruined me.”
My lungs seem to crumple into tiny tight balls just thinking about it, about how maybe I made a mistake.
“He’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Figure what out?”
“That you’re still you.” Dev squeezes my hand and lets go. “I mean, if I can catch on…”
“It’s taken you forever,” I kid, because I don’t want this to be some greeting-card kind of moment.
“Less than seventy-two hours since the initial transformation, give or take twelve hours either way.”
“Wow. That’s longer than I thought.” I nudge him with my elbow. “And seriously, Dev, I’m not even sure who I am anymore. How can I expect other people to just be okay with everything?”
We say good-bye. He drives away in his parents’ big ol’ Buick. Once he’s gone, I step outside and sniff the air. It’s cold. I can’t smell any pixies, but I know there are some out there, hiding, waiting, just outside the realm of my senses. I wonder if they are Astley’s pixies keeping watch or bad ones waiting to attack. Not that I’ve really met any of Astley’s pixies except Amelie.
Eventually, I stand up and go in the house and do a little more research and planning. Betty comes home before her shift. She turns tiger and patrols the area, then scratches at the door to come inside. I let her in and step back as she enters. I know she still loves me when she’s human, but I’m not so sure about her tiger self.