The Kelpie's Curse (book #1 in the Kelpie's Entrapment trilogy)

Day 7 pt. 2

Athens, Michigan, U.S.A.

"Psst"

Shanairra Hallock's right eye twitched as she tried to ignore the boy behind her. It wasn't the first time someone tried to get her to give them the answers to their current worksheet and she was sure that it wouldn't be the last.

"Psst."

Her eye twitched again as she tried to ignore her classmate. She was tempted to let him copy what she had if he'd just leave her alone but then she remembered and told herself that he wouldn't be learning anything if she did that.

"Psst."

"What do you want?" She whispered as she turned around in her seat and her patience snapped. She couldn't focus on her work with him making that sound, let alone listen to the news that her teacher had playing on the TV at the moment.

"What did you get for question five?"

"I'm not telling you, Nathan. That would be cheating."

"Come on everyone does it, Shani."

Shanairra barely contained the sudden urge to roll her eyes at her fellow Freshman. Unfortunately she'd been going to school with Nathan Turner since she was five and in all that time the he hadn't gotten any less lazy. He was always looking for someone to do his work for him.

"Well I'm not everyone, do your own work."

"Carrin would have given me the answer."

That's because Carrin is a show off. She ground her teeth in anger and glared at Nathan. That was one of the many things she couldn't stand about her twin brother always showing that he was superior intellectually. For some reason everyone seemed to think that just because her brother gave out answers then that some how meant she was supposed to as well.

"Well that's too bad because Shanairra isn't going to-"

"And in world news after five people are brutally murdered in Fearchar, Scotland-"

Shanairra felt her blood turn cold in her veins as the voice of the news reporter filtered in to her mind. She jumped to her feet without thinking because she clearly remembered glancing at Renestrae's ticket before her big sister had boarded the plan and thinking that with all the horror novels she read it just figured that Renestrae would be going some place named Fearchar.

"Turn that up!" She shouted at her first hour teacher, Nathan and her worksheet suddenly forgotten as a feeling of dread worked it's way up her spine.

"Miss Hallock, I suggest you-"

"That's where my sister and her friends are!"

Shanairra wasn't sure if it was what she said or the uncharacteristic way she was talking back to a teacher but never the less her teacher turned the volume up for her. For a moment it almost seemed like the class was holding their breaths with her.

"Unfortunately authorities have yet to name any suspects in this case. Our thoughts of course go to the families of the victims."

She watched with wide grey eyes as the reporter moved on to the next story without saying anything more about Scotland. That couldn't be all could it? Who where the victims? What where the family names? Was her sister alright? The reporter hadn't answered any of these questions for her. For the first time in her life Shani completely ignored school rules and ran from the class room, down the hall, through the cafeteria and finally turned into the gymnasium. She spotted Carrin easily as her twin brother was lazily shooting hoops with one of the other guys on the basketball team.

"Carrin!" She shouted as she ran over to him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in class, Shani?" Carrin asked as he shot another basket and watched as it circled the rim before dropping in.

"On the news it's-"

"No one cares about the news." Jamie Spencer cut in as he knelt down to Shanairra's level.

Shanairra glared at her brother's friend for the rude way he was making fun of her height. It wasn't her fault that she took after her short mother and Carrin took after their tall father.

"Jamie, if you're not wearing shin-guards then I don't suggest doing that." Carrin warned. "What was so important about the news that you couldn't wait until next period to tell me?"

"Five people have been brutally murdered in Fearchar, Scotland." Shani blurted out quickly.

Carrin's brow furrowed in confusion. "That's tragic but I don't see what you're so worked up about it's not like we know any..." his voiced trailed off as the basket ball slipped from his fingers and he turned around to face Shanairra, giving her the feeling that something had clicked in that genius brain of his.

"Isn't Renestrae in Fearchar?"

Shanairra nodded.

"Well was it her? What did the broadcast say?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

" Just what I said. The reporter said that there had been five victims but she didn't list any names and-"

Shanairra turned around quickly as she felt herself choking up. Unlike her sister, who was well known for not crying in front of people, Shani herself had never felt that need to be strong the way her sister did. She couldn't explain her sudden need to not cry in front of Carrin and Jamie but for the first time she could have used some of Renestrae's strength.

Suddenly she felt her twin put his arm around her shoulders and gently guide her out of the gymnasium. As much as Carrin annoyed her this was one of the things she loved about having a twin. Renestrae and Adrius were about two and a half years apart and for reasons she had never fully understood they were always at odds with each other. As unlikely as the idea was, if Renestrae had ever been on the verge of a breakdown not only would it not cross Adrius' mind to get Renestrae away from a crowd but her older brother probably would have laughed and attempted to draw more attention to her.

"Shani, calm down." Carrin whispered as they exited the gym. "I'm sure that if anything had happened to Ren someone would have notified us."

Shanairra nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes. What her twin said made sense and for Renestrae's sake she hoped that this didn't turn out to be the one time he was wrong.