"Definitely not. I need to go home now and make a casserole for the Petersons."
"Why?"
"Not necessarily a casserole. Maybe a pie. But I think a lot of people are going to take pies, and it's good to have something hearty to eat."
I still must have looked confused because she smiled and patted my arm. "It's the thing you do for families when there's a death. It's a way to help them, so they don't have to worry about preparing food when they're grieving, and it also helps us express how much we care about them and our sympathy in a practical way. Flowers are great, but feeding people is important too."
With that, she headed out the door. I glanced around to make sure that nothing was out of place, dropped the ugly note from Darryl on the coffee table, and started after Tess.
Then she screamed.
I started running.
20
Tess
I was so happy when I rushed out of the house that I didn't even notice my evil nemesis lying in wait: an almost fatal error.
Because there were geese.
Geese in theyard. Geese on theporch.
Before I could move, the biggest, scariest-looking goose I'd ever seen spread his wings and came after me, honking and screeching what were probably very bad words in goose language.
And after the big guy headed for me, the rest of the flock joined in on the attack.
I ran for the nearest thing—a small tractor in front of the barn—and climbed up on it and into the seat, breathing hard but determined to keep my cool.
They were onlybirds.Dangerous, smelly, scary birds, just FYI for city folk, but still. Birds. I'd tangled with an eagle shifter the month before and come out on top.
"So, take that," I shouted at the geese. "You have no chance against me!"
I was wrong, though. So, so wrong. Because here's a thing about geese:
Geese can fly.
The mutant bird—surely a goose crossed with a pterodactyl—bellowed out a horrible noise, raised his wings, and flewright at my face.
I leaned back so far I rolled off the tractor backwards and barely managed to land on my feet. When I instinctively crouched and looked up, the goose stood perched on the tractor seat, looming over me.
Smirking.
Then hehissedat me and opened his wings again.
I couldn't help it. I yelled for Jack.
He slammed the screen door open and ran out like the house was on fire, and I belatedly realized that, under the circumstances, it made sense that he might have overreacted a little when he heard me scream. I wasn't in danger of being murdered, after all.
Probably.
But still.Geese.
"Help!"
I ducked, covered my head with my arms, and circled the tractor, avoiding the rest of the flock, and hightailed it back to the porch. The monsters stormed after me, hot on my heels all the way. The head bird flew low and fast in attack mode until it hit the ground running right behind me.
"Help! Keep these nasty beasts away from me!"
