Year of study: second
Assignment type: group (with mentor)
“First question,” says Milton-The-New-Mentor. “What’s the zapper’s real name?”
“Zoochimera.”
“Zofolofel?”
“Zany-monkey?”
Milton raises an eyebrow. “No, no, and definitely no.”
We’re standing in a supermarket aisle between bags of flour and packets of dried fruit. In the next few minutes a woman is supposedly going to come down this aisle and find herself accosted by a zapper. The four of us, guided by the newest mentor at the Guild, are supposed to save her.
“What’s wrong with zoochimera?” I demand. Offering up an incorrect answer is not something I’m used to. “The zapper’s composed of parts of different creatures, so that makes it like a chimera, right?”
“Zoochimera is a stupid name,” says Rush.
“Oh, like Zany-monkey isn’t?”
“Zany-monkey is awesome—”
“Stop being an idiot, Rush,” says Honey.
“Okay,” Milton says above all of us. “You’re all going to be looking that up for homework. Including Dale, who decided not to answer at all.”
“Hey,” I say, pointing behind Milton to where a woman has just turned her trolley into our aisle. “Do you think that’s her?” Packets of raisins suddenly explode into the air, and a zapper jumps off a shelf and onto the woman’s trolley.
It has wings like a sprite, a body like a goblin, and the hideous head of an urisk. Its tail ends in a sharp barb, which is how it earned itself the nickname ‘zapper’. It also appears to be concealing itself with a glamour, because the only thing the woman seems to find weird about this whole situation is the flying raisin phenomenon.
The zapper straightens, its tail curling up and over its shoulder, getting ready to . . . well, zap.
“Okay, guys,” whispers Milton. “Just like we discussed.”
YOU ARE READING
An A to Z of Creepy Hollow Fae
Teen Fiction**CREEPY HOLLOW Prequel Short Stories** Before Violet met Nate, the human boy who followed her into the fae realm and turned her life upside down, she was the perfect guardian trainee. She followed all the rules and did her best to protect her human...
