Chapter 19: The Halstead House, Part 1

As we walked back to his truck, I couldn't help but notice how he timed his steps to mine, as if he was attuned to my every move. I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or weirded out. But I was too winded to speak, so I kept quiet, praying my lungs wouldn't explode from all the exertion.

There was a faint rustling sound to my right, and I inched closer to him. A moment later, something fat and furry ambled across the path in front of us. I yelped with surprise and grabbed hold of Trent's arm.

The animal - a raccoon - stopped and turned toward us as if just noticing we were there. Its beady eyes glowed eerily, making it look possessed. I froze. Were raccoons dangerous? They didn't attack humans, did they?

Tail thrashing violently, the animal raised its fur and let out a guttural growl, teeth bared. I half expected to see it start foaming at the mouth. That'd be wonderful - get bitten by a rabid animal when I was supposed to be in school. Aunt Beth would ground me for life.