Read Online The Bad Wolf by Michelle Clay - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michelle Clay
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last sheet from the oven then said, “So, I told you my secret. I think it’s only fair that we all share one, right Ryan?”
His sense of ease crashed down around him. He wanted to stay near Chloe, but he also wanted to run. “I’m not part of this conversation.”
Chloe twisted a lock of hair tight around her finger and smiled. “I’m perfectly normal. No secrets here.”
“No one is normal.” Jenna transferred the cooled cookies into a container then snapped the lid shut. “You’re lying if you say you are. Everyo ne has their odd little quirks. C’mon, Chloe, whatever you say won’t leave this room. I promise.”
Ryan crammed a cookie into his mouth then allowed the chocolate and vanilla to explode on his tongue to avoid talking.
Chloe’s blonde hair had formed a tight coil around her finger. She lowered her gaze, seemingly unable to look at either of them. “I can sort of understand animals.”
“No way! Like the boy in the Jungle Book?” Jenna screeched in delight. Her bright blue eyes fell upon Ryan and he scowled back.
“Not exactly,” Chloe admitted. “I don’t hear words. It’s more like I get an impression of what they’re thin king or feeling at that moment. I know that probably sounds stupid and you don’t believe me, but it’s true.”
Ryan’s emotions were torn between anger and something close to blind panic. “What a load of crap.”
The coil of hair unraveled and she started on a new one. “It’s true! The zoo is a nightmare. I can’t even have pets.” Suddenly she looked worried. “You don’t have any pets, do you?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, we had to get rid of our dog. She was scared of Ryan.”
“My dad brought a puppy home when I was five.” Chloe stared out the kitchen window. Her gaze was far away, like she wasn’t actually seeing what was out there. “That’s when I found out.”
“But that seems like it would be so cool.” Jenna said in confusion.
“It was a nightmare. They didn’t believe me. My parents thought something was wrong with me.” Chloe touched her temple with the fingers that had previously been in her hair. “They took me to a therapist. Finally, I just pretended that I was cured and couldn’t hear them anymore, like it was my version of an imaginary friend. I don’t know what was worse, their looks of pity or that they thought I was making it all up.”
Jenna clutched the dishtowel against her chest and practically bounced with anticipation. “So how does it work?”
Ryan shifted in the chair. He wanted to escape from the room, but was worried the behavior might seem odd. No matter how disturbing it was, he genuinely wanted to hear what Chloe had to say.
“Most the time it’s like I’m experiencing the same feelings the animals are. It’s kind of scary sometimes and I feel like I’m losing my mind.” Chloe shifted from foot to foot and shrugged.
Ryan wondered why she would choose to share something of this magnitude. Most people would have feigned embarrassment and said they liked Justin Beiber or something stupid like that.
Chloe’s cheeks were a deep scarlet and her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. “That’s kind of why I’m worried about living here… around so much wildlife. I’m afraid of going outside.”
Jenna gaped at her as though she was the world’s seventh wonder. “That’s…” She gripped Chloe’s arm. “So freakin’ cool!”
Chloe didn’t comment on Jenna’s outburst and instead continued her train of thought. “Sometimes I even pick up an image or whatever. It’s really hard to explain.”
Ryan hastily gathered his things. He’d heard enough. There was no way he was going to hang around and listen to this nonsense. She was probably just making it up, trying to look cool and more enigmatic than Jenna, but on the off chance that she really could sense those things… He grabbed two more cookies then tried to push past Jenna who now blocked the exit.
She refused to move
His sense of ease crashed down around him. He wanted to stay near Chloe, but he also wanted to run. “I’m not part of this conversation.”
Chloe twisted a lock of hair tight around her finger and smiled. “I’m perfectly normal. No secrets here.”
“No one is normal.” Jenna transferred the cooled cookies into a container then snapped the lid shut. “You’re lying if you say you are. Everyo ne has their odd little quirks. C’mon, Chloe, whatever you say won’t leave this room. I promise.”
Ryan crammed a cookie into his mouth then allowed the chocolate and vanilla to explode on his tongue to avoid talking.
Chloe’s blonde hair had formed a tight coil around her finger. She lowered her gaze, seemingly unable to look at either of them. “I can sort of understand animals.”
“No way! Like the boy in the Jungle Book?” Jenna screeched in delight. Her bright blue eyes fell upon Ryan and he scowled back.
“Not exactly,” Chloe admitted. “I don’t hear words. It’s more like I get an impression of what they’re thin king or feeling at that moment. I know that probably sounds stupid and you don’t believe me, but it’s true.”
Ryan’s emotions were torn between anger and something close to blind panic. “What a load of crap.”
The coil of hair unraveled and she started on a new one. “It’s true! The zoo is a nightmare. I can’t even have pets.” Suddenly she looked worried. “You don’t have any pets, do you?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, we had to get rid of our dog. She was scared of Ryan.”
“My dad brought a puppy home when I was five.” Chloe stared out the kitchen window. Her gaze was far away, like she wasn’t actually seeing what was out there. “That’s when I found out.”
“But that seems like it would be so cool.” Jenna said in confusion.
“It was a nightmare. They didn’t believe me. My parents thought something was wrong with me.” Chloe touched her temple with the fingers that had previously been in her hair. “They took me to a therapist. Finally, I just pretended that I was cured and couldn’t hear them anymore, like it was my version of an imaginary friend. I don’t know what was worse, their looks of pity or that they thought I was making it all up.”
Jenna clutched the dishtowel against her chest and practically bounced with anticipation. “So how does it work?”
Ryan shifted in the chair. He wanted to escape from the room, but was worried the behavior might seem odd. No matter how disturbing it was, he genuinely wanted to hear what Chloe had to say.
“Most the time it’s like I’m experiencing the same feelings the animals are. It’s kind of scary sometimes and I feel like I’m losing my mind.” Chloe shifted from foot to foot and shrugged.
Ryan wondered why she would choose to share something of this magnitude. Most people would have feigned embarrassment and said they liked Justin Beiber or something stupid like that.
Chloe’s cheeks were a deep scarlet and her bottom lip quivered ever so slightly. “That’s kind of why I’m worried about living here… around so much wildlife. I’m afraid of going outside.”
Jenna gaped at her as though she was the world’s seventh wonder. “That’s…” She gripped Chloe’s arm. “So freakin’ cool!”
Chloe didn’t comment on Jenna’s outburst and instead continued her train of thought. “Sometimes I even pick up an image or whatever. It’s really hard to explain.”
Ryan hastily gathered his things. He’d heard enough. There was no way he was going to hang around and listen to this nonsense. She was probably just making it up, trying to look cool and more enigmatic than Jenna, but on the off chance that she really could sense those things… He grabbed two more cookies then tried to push past Jenna who now blocked the exit.
She refused to move
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