The Smoking Mirror Read Online Free PDF Page B

learn to master this whole shape-shifting thing, huh?”
    For such a smart chick, she can be really dense . “Not just that, Carol. There’s something else. Why was Mom scared to return to those caves? I think…I don’t know how, but I think we can find out what happened to her there.”
    “Johnny, those old grottoes are four hours away from Donna. That’s not how she disappeared.”
    Johnny kicked off his Converse high-tops. “Dude, I know that. But maybe there are clues. Or maybe these mysterious ‘folk’ that Grandma mentioned to Mom know something. Does she ever say who they are in the diary?”
    Carol let the pages flip through her fingers. “Nah, the entries stop right before they take their trip.”
    “Well, we’ll have to find out for ourselves. When we head back to Monterrey, let’s get Andrea to stop. We’ll tell her we want to sightsee.”
    Carol slid the diary into her knapsack and pulled out her smart phone. “So, jaguars. Yikes. I guess that explains the spots I saw on you.”
    Johnny reached for the phone, started scrolling through the photos. “Yeah, I can see it now.” He paused on a close-up of his transforming face: a broad bridge of the nose, rounded feline ears, golden downy fur ringing his face. “I’m like a jaguar-man or something. You know, like the difference between a werewolf and a wolf-man?”
    “Ah, yeah, more like jaguar -boy . You don’t turn thirteen until September. Even then, man is going to be a bit of a stretch.”
    Johnny threw a pillow at her. “Ha, ha. Tonight’s your turn, mensa . I’ll stay up and use my tablet to record you. It’s got better resolution than your cheap phone, anyhow. Then we can make fun of how you look, okay?”
    ~~~
     
    They made preparations and then hit the sack. It took forever for Carol to fall asleep. She’s such a freaking night-owl . Johnny had gone down to the nearest depósito and picked up a two-liter soda and a bunch of Gansitos . He set to munching on the chocolate pastries and swigging the caffeine and sugar-laden drink while sketching a building whose curved ceilings were reminiscent of enormous caves.
    Eventually the sugar rush wore off. He struggled to stay alert, but his eyes kept shutting. He would jolt awake with a start, only to find Carol still asleep and still fully human. Just when he was about to give up on his surveillance, however, she growled, and all grogginess left him as he lifted his tablet and pressed record.
    Carol was crouching on her bed, sniffing at the air. Pointed ears sat high on her skull, and her jaw had stretched into a snout. Her arms were covered in gray fur with tan and black highlights or markings, ending in claws that dug into the blanket. She tilted her head and stared at him.
    “Uh, Carol, you don’t look like a jaguar to me,” he muttered, his voice trembling. She snapped her jaws, then leapt from the bed, landing in a crouch on the floor near the open window. Ignoring the ladder they’d propped against the house, Carol dove into the night. Johnny rushed to the windowsill. His sister was loping toward the peach grove. When she reached the first trees, she tilted back her head and howled.
    “Dude!” Johnny muttered, flipping the tablet around to record his annoyance. “How come she gets to be a wolf?” 
    He glanced down again and gasped. A jaguar sat in the sandy dirt, staring up at him. It gestured with its head as if inviting him down. Then it turned and ran after his sister.
    Could that be…? His heart racing, Johnny lay down, trying to fall asleep. Adrenaline was coursing through his veins. This is insane! I need to transform! I’ve got to blank my mind. He plugged his earbuds in and dialed up some soothing electronica. It did nothing. His frustration was overwhelming.
    And then, finally, he dropped into the dark.

Chapter Five
     
    Racing alongside her brother, their grandmother as a jaguar before them, guiding them . The smell of open spaces, the feel of the moon on her