No Survivors Read Online Free PDF Page B

farm owned by a man named Robert Hoskins. He was a big, broad man, nearly bursting out of his clothing.
    â€œIs there a place where I could spend the night?” Deborah asked. “I’m traveling and don’t have money for an inn.”
    â€œIf you would like to stay and help my wife with the milking, I can let you stay in the barn,” Mr. Hoskins offered.
    â€œThank you kindly, sir,” Deborah replied. “I would be most grateful.”
    He led Deborah to his barn. She could hear cows mooing softly and a horse whinnying.
    â€œI’ll bring you some blankets,” Hoskins said.
    He pointed to a stall against the barn wall. “You might not get much sleep. That one is due to drop a calf tonight.”
    â€œI am grateful for any shelter,” Deborah replied.
    She had dinner with Robert and his wife, Mary. They were friendly, warm people who liked to laugh.
    I might grow to like it here, Deborah thought. They could be the family I never had.
    Later, she settled on a pile of hay in the barn. By the light of a lantern, she examined the two spell books she’d found beneath the floorboards. Deborah’s eyes widened in surprise. The spells inthese books were more powerful than those she’d already learned.
    The books made her wonder about her mother. Just how much power did Katherine have? Could she change a person’s dreams? Could she put a curse on someone miles away?
    Deborah memorized the chants for several new spells. Then she fell asleep easily under the warm blankets.
    The next morning, she was awakened by Hoskins’s furious screams.
    Still half asleep, Deborah stood unsteadily. She blinked in the bright sunlight pouring through the open barn door. “What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked.
    â€œSee for yourself,” Hoskins bellowed, red in the face. “What have I done to deserve such bad luck?”
    â€œI—I do not understand,” Deborah stammered.
    He dragged her to the birthing pen across the barn. “Look!” he shouted angrily. “Look at the calf just born!”
    He jerked open the pen door.
    Deborah gazed inside at the newborn calf—and let out a cry of horror.

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    As Deborah screamed, the calf raised its eyes to her—all four eyes.
    â€œTwo heads!” Hoskins screams. “My cow has birthed a two-headed calf!”
    Deborah turned away, unable to look at the poor, cursed creature.
    A two-headed calf. A sign of true evil.
    A familiar fear began to sweep through her. It’s happening again, she thought.
    â€œAnd this is not the worst of it!” Hoskins went on. “I have worked my whole life for this farm. And now it is all ruined!”
    She looked up at him, startled. “Because of one calf?”
    â€œIt is not only one calf!” he told her. He led her outside the barn.
    As her eyes adjusted to the bright morning sunlight, Deborah uttered another horrified cry.
    â€œAll dead!” Hoskins tore at his woolly black hairwith both hands. “All of them!”
    Everywhere she looked, Deborah saw dead cows. They lay on their backs, legs stiff, straight up in the air. As if someone had killed them and then turned them over.
    A wave of horror washed over Deborah. Her body shuddered again and again. She couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering.
    Did I do this?
    No. She couldn’t have. But it was exactly the sort of thing that had happened in Ravenswoode. The sort of thing that had gotten her tried and convicted of witchcraft. That had all been Katherine’s dark magic.
    Fat black flies swarmed over the dead cows. A black cloud of flies, buzzing loudly. Darkening the ground beneath them.
    I know I didn’t bring this evil to Hoskins’s farm, Deborah thought. But how long will it be before he blames me? Or before someone tells him of the witch of Ravenswoode? I have to leave here now.
    As Hoskins stood raging over his dead cows, Deborah slipped away. But the images of the dead