“Ba-cawk!”
My eyes widen even further as the chicken sound comes out of his mouth. He grits his teeth, closing his eyes.
Wade shakes his head. “Unbelievable.”
“I’m sorry,” Gus whisper-shouts. “I can’t help it. And don’t act like I’m the only one. Weallhave trigger words.”
With a huff, Wade turns to the chicken on the ground. “Well, you may as well just do it.”
The brown chicken cocks its head, looking at Wade. And then the craziest thing happens.
The chicken turns into a man.
Chapter Five
Daisy
Iblinkmyeyesopen to find myself in the living room, lying on the couch with Grannie’s itchy crochet blanket covering me.
Voices come from the kitchen, hushed but not quite whispers.
“You’re awake,” someone says.
A man comes into my view, looking down at me. It takes two seconds for me to recall who he is—Gus. Andwhathe is.
“You’re a—”
“Please, don’t say it.” He flinches, holding his hands up. “Ihatewhen that sound comes out of me.”
“This is unreal,” I say, bringing my hand to my forehead. “This can’t be real. I’m dreaming.”
“Unfortunately… you’re not.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Let me get you some water.”
He walks to the kitchen as if he’s been here a million times before. It takes him longer than it should to get water, and I assume whoever else is in there is talking to him. So, I throw the blanket off me and go in there after him.
The three chicken-men surprise me… but what really surprises me is Charlie in here with them, sitting at the table like they’re old friends catching up.
“Charlie?”
“How are you feeling, Miss Daisy?” he asks.
Gus hands me a glass of water that I don’t take immediately.
“Very, very confused.”
“I can see why that’d be. Drink some water. Sit down. Let’s talk.”
He pats the table across from him.
I take the glass and sit at the table. Gus moves to stand by the other two men that are leaning against the counter by the sink, neither of them looking happy.
They’re all roughly the same size, but the one with the reddish brown hair is the tallest by at least an inch—and he looks the meanest.
Gus is the most familiar to me at this point, and the shortest out of the three of them—again, only by about an inch or two. His blond hair is long enough to tuck behind his ears, and his eyes are as blue as the ocean. The other man, the one who is newest to me, has brown hair so dark it almost looks black, except for the parts shining in the light. His eyes are green and cautious. The three of them are very much in shape. They’re all dressed in light jeans and T-shirts.
