#Chapter 86: Encounter with the Three-Pawed Beast

Olivia My heart skipped a beat. The sound seemed to come from behind me, off to the side in the bushes lining the street. A rustling in the underbrush, a low growl. At least, that was what it sounded like. My cheerful whistling ceased, fading away into a somber, out-of-key tune, and then into oblivion. I stopped dead in my tracks and strained my ears to listen, hoping and praying that it really was nothing, that it was just the wind or my ears playing tricks on me. Nothing. The night was silent again. Taking a deep breath, I chided myself for being so paranoid. “C’mon, Olivia,” I whispered to myself. “Grow up. You’re almost home.” I started walking again, picking up the pace a little. I was almost home; I could see our street sign standing up ahead at the corner, cast aglow in the amber tinge of the streetlights, a beacon of safety. Just a few more minutes and I would be walking in through the front door. Nathan might be upset with me, but he couldn’t be too u