In fact, it was coming from herownroom.
None of the counselors’ rooms had locks. The threat of instant expulsion was enough to keep even the most curious of campers from snooping around. Paige couldn’t imagine meek, nervous Hetta daring to break a camp rule.
Now even more perplexed, Paige opened her door, peering inside. “Hetta?”
No Hetta. Everything was just as she’d left it this morning—bed rumpled, closet door ajar, dirty laundry piled in the corner (campers had daily cabin inspections, but counselors didn’t). Her phone was still charging on the nightstand. Nothing seemed out of place.
Scratch. Skritch.
The noise came from under her bed. It didn’t sound like Hetta. Or even human. More like…claws?
Paige got to her hands and knees. Lifting up the edge of the sheet, she peered under her bed.
Eyes glittered back at her. Black, bright, beady eyes…with a thick stripe of white between them.
With a yelp, Paige jerked back. The skunk recoiled too, stamping its front feet in warning. Its striped tail rose ominously.
Paige held very still, not daring to even drop the sheet. She and the skunk stared at each other in mutual consternation, neither of them moving.
After a few frozen moments, the skunk lowered its tail, the bristling fur smoothing back down. Claws scrabbling on the wooden floor, it retreated further away from her, hunching up in the corner.
Archie’s earnest words drifted up from her memory:
Just assume any animal you see is probably a kid.
“Hetta?” she whispered.
The skunk curled up tighter, as though trying to hide.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Paige crouched down further, keeping her voice soft and soothing. “Is this why you pretended you couldn’t shift? Were you scared the other kids might make fun of you?”
The skunk trembled, not meeting her eyes.
“It’s all right, honey. I’m sure the other kids would understand, but I promise I won’t tell anyone else, if that’s what you want. Not even Conleth.” Very slowly, making sure the skunk could see what she was doing, she reached under the bed. “I understand why you might not have wanted anyone to know, but you don’t have to be embarrassed. Your animal form is beautiful. I’ve never had the chance to see a real live skunk in person before. I didn’t realize they were so fluffy.”
The skunk had been slowly relaxing throughout this speech, its bristling fur smoothing down. It peered cautiously at her with one beady eye, then sniffed at her outstretched hand.
“That’s it.” Paige stifled a laugh as the skunk’s whiskers tickled her fingers. “Your stripes are so pretty. I’d love to take a closer look. Please come out?”
The skunk squeaked uncertainly, but let her coax it out from under the bed. Since it still looked a bit nervous, Paige picked it up, sitting cross-legged on the floor so she could cradle it in her arms.
“There you go.” Paige gently stroked the skunk’s back, feeling the small body relax. “It must have been hard, keeping your animal side locked up for so long. You don’t have to shift back yet, if you don’t want to. We can stay here as long as you like.”
“Paige?” Conleth called from outside, making her jump. Rapid footsteps headed her way. “Is everything all right? The girls said you might need—what is that?”
“Shhh!” The skunk had stiffened in her arms, tail starting to puff out again. She kept her voice low, stroking its fur back down again. “You’ll scare her.”
Conleth had frozen in the doorway. When he spoke, his voice was just as carefully level as her own. “Put the skunk down and back away. Slowly.”
“I can handle this,” she insisted. “You go back to the rest of the pack. Tell them Hetta’s not feeling well, and I need to take care of her. And get a message to the other counselors, too. They’ll need to keep the other girls away from the cabin until Hetta’s shifted back.”
“Paige,” Conleth said, very calmly. “That’s not Hetta.”
Paige froze mid-stroke.
“Uh,” she said, after a second. “Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes. I am.” Conleth’s mouth barely moved. “Because Hetta is hiding in your closet.”
