Hannah-Beast (Dark Corners Collection, #1)

by Jennifer McMahon

But the stories were just that: stories. Myths with pieces of truth hidden inside.

And Hannah bared her teeth and growled. The lady pulled her dog inside, slammed the door in their faces. The girls all laughed loud and shrieking laughs. “You’re the real thing, Hannah-beast,” Katie said, twirling around her like Hannah was the sun and she was just a little planet trying to get warm.

If you spend enough time blocking something out, built sturdy enough walls around it, then it’s almost like it didn’t happen.

Hannah. It was Hannah’s face. Hello, Manda Panda. Long time no see.

“Benjamin and Brian were sleeping in the hayloft. They do it every Halloween.”

They’d had no idea the Caldwell boys were sleeping up in the hayloft. The plan was to make people think Hannah had burned down the barn. Get her in a little trouble. Not have the whole town think she was a murderer. Not to be murderers themselves.

Girls like that, they’re going straight to hell. You stay away from them unless you want to get burned.

Hannah looped the rope around her neck over the rainbow wig, over the pink boa. She heard the girls’ voices in her head as she jumped off the wall—Hannah-beast takes flight!—swinging, flying, legs dangling over the floor. Say boo!

“No!” Amanda cried, the word a wailing sob. “No, no, nooo!” Erin looked so surprised, so puzzled, as she reached down and touched the knife, like she couldn’t believe it was real. Amanda could see traces of cat whiskers beneath the blue face paint. “Mom?”