Free The Hunt by Amy Meredith Page B

together.
    Jenna gave an exaggerated shiver. ‘I know. I keep wondering when it’s going to happen again.’
    ‘Not when,’ Eve said. ‘If.’ Although when actually seemed more likely. Why would the creature – whatever it was – stop at two attacks?
    ‘Right, if,’ Jenna agreed. ‘Although supposedly there’s already been a third one.’
    ‘Here?’ Rose’s voice came out as a high squeak.
    Jenna nodded. ‘You know Creepy?’
    They said yes. Everyone in town knew Creepy. Or at least knew about her. She was this old woman who lived in a ramshackle mansion over on Elm. She never came out of the house, just got things delivered. All the little kids were scared of her. Some of the big kids too.
    ‘Well, my older sister knows the guy who usually has to deliver her groceries. She makes him leave them on the porch. Anyway, the guy said a couple of days ago he went to her house with her usual order. She has it set up so she gets exactly the same order every week,’ Jenna continued. ‘As he was going up to the house, he supposedly smelled something terrible. Like rotting flesh.’
    ‘Creepy?’ Jess exclaimed.
    Jenna looked annoyed at the interruption. ‘No. But her groceries from the week before were still on the porch and all the meat had spoiled. The police are supposedly looking for her body right now. I’m sure the animal got her.’
    Supposedly , Eve thought. To Eve, supposedly kind of meant: here’s a big, fat rumour that’s probably a big, fat lie.
    ‘At my cousin’s school – it’s up in Syracuse – they’ve had an attack too. It was kind of like Kyle. She was heading home after her last class and never got there.’ Vic lowered her voice. ‘Her body had bite marks all over it too. The police in Syracuse think it might be a case of cannibalism.’
    ‘Oh, eww!’ Jess exclaimed.
    ‘There are cannibals out there,’ Vic said. ‘Seriously.I heard there was an ad on Craigslist from this man looking for a woman to cut out some meat from his calf and then serve it for dinner. He wanted to cannibalize himself!’
    Rose screwed up her face. ‘That is beyond disgusting.’
    ‘I’m thinking it’s also beyond true,’ Eve commented. At least she really, really hoped so. That was just foul.
    ‘Maybe. Maybe not,’ Vic answered.
    ‘Go back to Creepy,’ Rose said to Jenna. ‘What—’
    Jenna cut her off. ‘Where’s the coach? She can’t still be cursing at customer service. It’s giving me the creeps that she’s not here yet.’ She rubbed her arms with her hands.
    ‘What if something got her between the school and the field?’ Rose said. ‘You know, something …’ She curled her fingers into claws and scratched them through the air.
    ‘I’ll go check,’ Eve volunteered. In another minute the cheerleaders might get a case of mass hysteria going. Besides, if the creature was roaming around school, Eve was the only one who might have a chance of coming face to face with it and surviving.
    She cut across the football field, heading for theschool building. It wasn’t too far way. As she circled around the bleachers opposite where she’d been sitting, she heard a shriek. She whipped back towards the field – and saw all the cheerleaders running towards her. Not jogging or trotting. Running full out. Squealing, shouting, crying, howling.
    ‘Is it still back there?’ one of the girls yelled.
    ‘I don’t know, I don’t know, just get inside!’ Jenna shouted back.
    Jess grabbed Eve’s arm as the crowd surged past. She kept racing for the school, pulling Eve with her. ‘What happened?’ Eve cried.
    ‘It had a face!’ Jess exclaimed, running faster. Eve stumbled, trying to keep up.
    ‘Wait. That’s the guys’ locker room!’ Eve yelled.
    Too late. Victoria had already shoved the door open and the cheerleaders rampaged through, Jess still clinging tightly to Eve’s arm.
    ‘I knew this day would come,’ Eli Belfer called. He had on his sweatshirt and a pair of boxers with red