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    Awakening
    Awakening
    Awakening
    Ebook180 pages2 hours

    Awakening

    By Kathryn Knutson

    ()

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    About this ebook

    In the darkness I could barely make out the silhouette of a figure. Cassie. In the next instant, lightning lit up the room, and a pair of blue eyes looked at me. "Cassie?" I asked. "Is that you?" "Help me," she whispered. Ever since Cassie came out of the woods she's been different. And only Ashleigh and her friends know why. Ashleigh's running out of time to save Cassie. she finds a diary describing a tale of love and revenge, and it may hold the key to Cassie's . . . AWAKENING. The sequel to The Possession of Cassie Quinn.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNorth Star Press of St. Cloud
    Release dateMay 31, 2013
    ISBN9780878399093
    Awakening
    Author

    Kathryn Knutson

    Kathryn Knutson has been writing stories since she was five years old. She enjoys writing for children and young adults, and especially loves to write ghost stories. She lives in Central Minnesota with her two boys.

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      Book preview

      Awakening - Kathryn Knutson

      Awakening

      Kathryn Knutson

      Also by Kathryn Knutson

      Buy Here!

      Copyright © 2013 Kathryn Knutson

      ISBN 978-0-87839-909-3

      All rights reserved.

      Cover image: http://www.istock.com

      This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      First Edition, May 2013

      Printed in the United States of America

      Published by

      North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc.

      P.O. Box 451

      St. Cloud, Minnesota 56302

      www.northstarpress.com

      Like us on Facebook!

      Follow us on Twitter!

      Dedication

      To Mallory Knutson

      Thanks for being a fan

      Part One

      Ashleigh

      Chapter 1

      Life was good. Mostly.

      Things were settling down for me, anyway. I was fitting in at school. I was getting used to my stepfamily—Carol, my stepmom, and Cassie and Andie, my two stepsisters. I was in LOVE, with the greatest guy I ever met, Josh. And right this moment, Cassie and Ben were taking care of the spirit possessing our woods.

      Yes, the woods surrounding our house was possessed. Haunted. Whatever you want to call it. We—meaning Cassie and I—found out about it soon after we moved in here a couple months ago. A ghost in the house . . . an evil spirit in the woods . . . it was my best friend Amber’s dream home. Not necessarily for me, nor for Cassie. So that’s why she and Ben were out there now, hanging some amulets that were supposed to . . . well . . . do something.

      I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom, the one I shared with Cassie, and held up two different shirts, deciding which one to wear tonight. After Ben and Cassie finished their business, we were all heading to Liz’s house for a party. Our own private homecoming dance, because Dad and Carol banned us from going to the real one. A long story, but it involved having friends over when they were out. So the punishment had been no homecoming—though I feel like it was more a punishment for me than for Cassie. She wasn’t into that kind of stuff. I was bummed because I had had an awesome dress picked out, too, but Dad made me return it. So, instead of wearing my beautiful gown to a dance, I planned to wear pants and a shirt to a house party instead. The important thing though—Josh would be there. That was all that really matters. Of course, I wasn’t positive he liked me back. But I’d heard rumors. And he’d given me looks.

      I settled on the navy-blue shirt, and tossed the other one back into the closet. I flopped onto my bed to take a quick nap before the party. I had a feeling we’d be up late. With any luck I’d be able to find out Josh’s real feelings for me. Hopefully he’d make a move or something. Otherwise I’d have to take matters into my own hands.

      I buried my head into the pillow and pulled the blankets over my head. But I’d barely closed my eyes before I heard the familiar crunch of tires on gravel.

      A car was outside the house.

      I sat up and checked out the window. And practically fell off the bed when I saw who it was.

      Ben.

      What?

      But Ben was supposed to be in the woods right now. With Cassie. Oh, crap, I said.

      This spirit-thing in the woods could take the form of anyone we knew. Which was really creepy. I’d seen it show up as my mom even, and she passed away a couple years ago. Supposedly, the spirit was trying to lure us away from others, trying to get us alone so it could get what it really wanted: one of us. So, if Ben was just pulling into the yard, that could only mean one thing—Cassie was in the woods with the spirit. And she was in danger.

      I rushed down the two flights of stairs and flew out the door, colliding with Ben on the front steps.

      Hey, watch it, he said, jumping backwards. What’s going on?

      Cassie—we need to—she’s in the— I was so flustered, all I could do was point toward the woods.

      Cassie went into the woods? Ben asked. Alone?

      I shook my head and took a deep breath. "She went in the woods with you," I said.

      He narrowed his eyes and gave me a puzzled look. But I’m right here.

      Exactly.

      Oh. And then he got it. "Oh. He looked towards the trees. We need to find her. Right now."

      He didn’t even wait for me. He sprinted to the trees, calling out Cassie’s name as he went.

      Cassie! I shouted, following behind.

      Ben plunged into the woods, and I plunged in right after him. I tried to keep up, but he was too fast. A few seconds later and I couldn’t even see him. He’d outrun me, and now I was alone. In the woods.

      Our woods was especially creepy at night, but daytime wasn’t much better. By now, the trees had lost most of their leaves, and the dead brown branches rattled against each other like bones. At least the undergrowth had died out, and I could see between the trees—not like in summer, when the woods were thick and green.

      A twig snapped a few feet away, and I jumped.

      Ben? I called. I hugged my arms around myself and wished I wasn’t alone. Cassie? Anyone?

      Nothing answered except the leaves, rustling and crunching from invisible footsteps. Don’t be scared, I said. Think about Amber. She wouldn’t be afraid. Another twig snapped, and the wind gusted, rattling the branches again. A crow cawed somewhere above. It’s like being in a darn horror movie, I said.

      Ben! I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth. Ben!

      I just wanted to hear his voice, know that he was somewhere ahead of me. Still no answer. I walked faster.

      But something followed me.

      The crunching and rustling of dead leaves kept pace with me. I stopped. The noise stopped. Who’s there? I called.

      A squirrel darted across the path. Stupid squirrel, I muttered. Why did animals always jump out at just the right moment and terrify people? It was like they had a sixth sense for that kind of thing.

      I started to jog. The sooner I found Ben, the better. I prayed he was ahead, at the pond. Cassie too. And that Cassie would be . . . well . . . Cassie. I prayed that Ben found her in time. And that nothing would happen to me. Could the spirit sense I was in the woods? Would it abandon Cassie and decide it would want me instead? I shivered and jogged faster.

      Cassie! Ben’s voice called out from farther down the trail. Cassie!

      And then—a scream. Cassie’s scream.

      I ran the rest of the trail and burst into the clearing around the pond. Cassie sat on the log, staring out at the pond.

      Are you okay?’ Ben asked her. I heard you scream."

      I’m fine, Cassie replied.

      Ben stared at her. Are you sure? he asked. You shouldn’t have come out here alone. He leaned closer, inspecting her face. Your eyes—they look different.

      My stomach dropped to my toes. Her eyes. Different. It could only mean one thing—we were too late.

      I’m fine, Cassie said again, her expression flat.

      I didn’t wait to hear more. I turned and ran back to the house. Okay, maybe I was a bit of a coward. I figured Ben could handle it, and I had to let Amber know what happened. Plus, I didn’t really want to see Cassie’s eyes.

      Chapter 2

      I am not—I repeat, NOT—sleeping in that room with her," I said. I crossed my arms in front of me and glared at my dad.

      Ashleigh, please, he said. He gave me a pleading look, one I knew too well. Pleading with me to let him win the argument—let him show everyone that he was boss. He’d used that look ever since he got married to Carol.

      No, Dad, I said. I held my hand up, too, just for good measure. He wouldn’t win this time. Even if Carol was watching from the kitchen table. I’ll sleep on the couch down here. I don’t care. I’ll sleep in Andie’s room. I’ll even sleep outside. But I’m not sleeping in the same room as . . . as . . . I paused, wanting to say that thing but instead I finished, . . . as her.

      Dad heaved in a deep breath of air, his chest expanding like a balloon until I thought it would pop, but he let the air out again with a loud sigh. Don’t be ridiculous. Whatever is going on between you two, I’m sure we can work it out.

      I snorted and shook my head, wishing it was something we could just work out. I’m sleeping on the couch, I said, marching into the family room. I plopped myself down on the cushions and stretched my feet out. It’s perfectly comfortable, I called. But the couch was too hard and I knew my neck would get a kink in it if I slept here. Still, it was better than the alternative. Better than sleeping in my bedroom with that thing in the other bed.

      Carol and my dad whispered to each other in the kitchen. I stared at the cracks in the ceiling, thinking about how my evening had been ruined. I should have spent it at Liz’s house, right now dancing with Josh, feeling his arms around me and resting my head on his shoulder. But Cassie had ruined everything. Ben dragged her back from the woods. She had walked as if in a dream, all the way up to the bedroom, and lain on her bed. She hadn’t moved since. She hadn’t talked either. Not one peep since the woods. Ben had sat by her for a full hour while I watched from my own bed, neither of us knowing what to do. She had just stared at the ceiling, and I swear I didn’t see her blink once. Not human, that’s what it was.

      Of course I couldn’t tell Dad and Carol the truth about anything. They wouldn’t believe it anyway. I suppose they just assumed something had happened between Cassie and Ben and me, and now Cassie was in a funk.

      Fine, Dad said from the entryway, interrupting my thoughts. You can sleep down here tonight. But that’s it. One night. Tomorrow you two work out whatever is going on and you sleep in the bedroom again.

      I folded my arms across my chest but didn’t say anything. I had won the battle tonight. I would worry about tomorrow night when it came. But long term I might just have to move out. Amber would take me in. I knew she would. Her mom was a second mom to me, and for the longest time Amber and I had plotted how to get our parents to date. We had planned on having them marry and move in together. Then Amber and I would be sisters. That was all before Carol came along.

      Dad came over to the couch, and I shifted my feet so he could sit down. Listen, Ash, he started, I know things haven’t been easy. I admit that. It’s been hard moving out here and having to make new friends, start a new school, plus get used to a new family. I understand that. He paused to scratch his beard—his little nervous tic. Whatever he was about to say was making him uncomfortable. I took a deep breath and prepared myself. I was a teenager once, he continued, resting his hand awkwardly on my foot, and I know trying to navigate the world of dating and boys—

      Hold it right there, I said, bolting upright and jerking my foot away. "This is so not about boys, Dad." The last thing I needed right now was a father-daughter moment about boys and dating and, God forbid, a talk about the birds and the bees.

      I just wish you would tell me what’s going on, he said, hurt in his voice. You used to tell me everything, remember?

      That’s when I was twelve, Dad. Things are different now. Besides, this isn’t something you’d understand.

      You might be surprised.

      No, you’re the one who would be surprised, I thought. There was no way I could tell him what was going on. What was I supposed to say— something evil has been haunting the woods, and now it has possession of Cassie and is in our house right now? He would spaz—only because he would think I had gone crazy. No, there was no way I could tell him anything. Just forget it, please? I begged. We’ll work this out. I didn’t know how, but we had to. Amber and Doctor Barry and my friends at school—somehow we would fix this.

      Just be sure that you do, he said, reaching over and patting my leg. He gave

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