The Conduit The Gryphon Series - By Stacey Rourke Page 0,20

blue would get there before I did. Good. They have guns and stuff to actually handle situations like this.

Alec’s lime green Volkswagen Thing screeched to a halt in front of me. He chattered away like an excited little howler monkey while I wedged myself into his shoebox sized car. “Wow, I guess you were right! Maybe it’s the panther. Ugh — I don’t have the video camera. But if it’s still there I could probably get some footage on my phone.”

“Fingers crossed.” My tone didn’t reflect his enthusiasm.

Alec floored it as much as his car’s lawn mower engine would allow and steered us in the direction the cops went. They turned, but neither of us saw where. He veered to the right at the first crossroad we came to.

“Wait!” I slapped my hand against the dashboard.

Alec slammed on the brakes. Thankfully, there wasn’t a car behind us. “What?”

I closed my eyes and tuned into the feeling. “The next street up, turn left.”

“Can you hear the sirens or something?”

“Just go!”

I didn’t have to ask twice. The tiny car whirred off as Alec followed my directions. As soon as we turned, the red and blue flashing lights came into view.

“Geez, you must have like supersonic hearing!” He practically bounced in his seat as he threw his Thing in park.

“It was just a lucky guess.”

“Let me know if you have any lucky guesses about lottery numbers, okay?”

“Sure thing.” We climbed out of the car onto a street very similar to Grams’. Modest homes lined both sides of the road. The spectacle centered around a beige two story with a wraparound porch.

Two officers rounded the side of the house toward the backyard with their guns drawn. In the driveway a man I guessed to be in his thirties screamed until he was red in the face at another pair of officers.

“That thing was in my yard! How do you explain that? What if my daughter had been out there? She’s only eight! She could’ve been killed! Now I wanna know what you’re…”he jabbed a finger at one of the officers “gonna do about it.”

The officer’s answer came in a hushed tone that I couldn’t hear.

“It is another panther sighting! Great job, Celeste!” Alec slapped me on the back. “You ever thought about a career as a reporter?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well, you should! I’m going to move in a little closer and see if I can get an interview with the witness. Stay here, okay?” And he was off. For someone who was forced into the reporter role, he took to it with vigor.

The two officers came back from behind the house holstering their weapons. The younger of the two shouted for all to hear, “There’s nothing back there now.”

Many of the on-lookers groaned their disappointment then disappeared back inside their homes. The crowd thinned out quick now that the show was over.

I stayed for two reasons, the first being that my ride home just ran off. The second was the force I didn’t understand that drew me here. Since the first reason might be a while, I decided to explore the second. I centered myself and opened the channel. My feet instinctively moved, following the navigation of my heart. A tightening vise grip of cold, hard fear led me across the yard, up the stairs, and onto the porch.

At first glance the porch seemed empty. Until something shifted behind the white-washed porch swing. I crept forward all the while chanting, “please don’t be a panther, please don’t be a panther” to myself. I held my breath, bent down, and peeked with one eye open and the other squeezed shut. My other eye snapped open and I expelled my breath. Huddled in the corner sat a little girl. She hugged her knees to her chest with trembling arms. Her forehead rested on her knees. A curtain of long chestnut hair shielded her face.

The last thing I wanted to do was frighten her further. “Hi there.” I whispered.

Her head came up gradually, as if she was scared of what she would see. Her big brown eyes were red-rimmed with tears. “Is it gone?”

“The panther?”

She nodded her confirmation.

“Yeah, it’s gone.” I gave her my best reassuring smile. “I’m Celeste. What’s your name?”

“Ella.” She hiccupped.

“Well, Ella, the coast is clear now. So, how about if I take you over to your Dad?”

“Is the mean man gone, too?” Icy fear danced down my spine. The thought of someone hurting this sweet little girl, or any child for that matter, revolted