chapter 1 THE GATHERING Barry Bannon called for his dog Come on Lucy Walk time They ran out the door and into Marshfield Grove the cemetery behind their house They didn’t usually walk Lucy loved to run up and down the hills 6
of the graveyard Barry didn’t mind chasing after her especially on a crisp autumn day like today The air was cool and fresh He felt as if he could run forever and not get tired Sometimes Lucy ran after a chipmunk or a rabbit but she never caught anything Following the scents was all the fun she needed She always came back when Barry called so he let her off the leash Lucy stopped short The golden streak of hair on her back stood up and she woofed 7
What is it girl Barry asked Do you smell a bear Lucy turned and whined at Barry She pointed her snout up the path Barry followed her gaze Two tough-looking gray cats were at the top of the hill They stared at Lucy and snarled Lucy stepped behind Barry She peeked out from behind his legs Shoo Barry called The cats froze Then they slunk away Lucy continued along the path sniffing the ground as she went 8
A sharp hisssss stopped her Another cat was looking out from behind a gravestone Two more cats came into view Lucy took a wide route around the area as the cats glared at her Something must’ve attracted all these cats Barry said Must be a lot of mice here Two black cats came out of the shadows Barry heard more of them meowing in the distance I guess it’s a cat meeting Barry said with a laugh No dogs welcome 9
