would help you read the book title.”
The book title!
“Cole—I think I found the right book!” I cried. “The very first book I
picked up.”
I bent down and excitedly lifted the old book from the floor.
Yes!
“Cole—look!” I exclaimed, holding up the front cover. “It’s called Chicken Chicken Chicken. This has to be it! If I can find the spell that
Vanessa used inside this book—”
“Then maybe we can reverse it!” Cole cried.
A loud bang from the front of the house made us both jump. The black
cat screeched and jumped off the chair back. It scurried silently from the room.
“Was that the gate—or was it Vanessa?” I cried.
Cole clicked off the light. We listened, frozen in place. I gripped the old
book closely to my chest.
Silence now. Then another bang. Just the fence gate in the wind.
“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered, raising my eyes to the front door.
“Bluuuuck,” Cole replied. He turned and began walking stiff-legged to the
door. Even in the dim light, I could see that a thick tuft of feathers had grown
on the back of his neck.
Vanessa’s cat stood on the hallway floor, arching its back as if ready to
attack. We edged past it carefully.
“Nice kitty. Nice kitty,” I murmured.
Its angry expression didn’t change.
I pushed open the door. The gusting wind caught it and nearly blew the door
handle out of my hand. Cole and I stepped outside. I tugged the door shut.
I carried the heavy book against my chest as we made our way home. We leaned
into the wind. My hair fluttered up behind me like a pennant.
Goshen Falls stood in darkness. All of the stores close early. The only
bright lights were at the self-serve gas station on the first corner.
Cole and I half-walked, half-trotted down the center of the street. I
couldn’t wait to get home and find the spell that Vanessa had used on us.
Finally, our house rose into view. The driveway was still empty. Mom and Dad
hadn’t returned yet from their meeting at school.
Good! I thought. Maybe I can find the spell and change Cole and me back to
normal before they get home.
I led the way up the stairs to my room, still clutching the book to my chest.
Cole closed the door behind us.
I dropped onto the edge of my bed and spread the big book on my lap. Cole
stood beside me, clucking softly. Staring down at me as I rapidly flipped
through the old pages, squinting hard at the tiny type.
“Well?” Cole demanded impatiently. “Is it in there? Is the spell in there?”
I didn’t reply. I turned the pages furiously, my eyes running down each
column. Faster. Faster. I turned page after page, my heart pounding.
“Well?” my brother demanded. “Well?”
I slammed the book shut in disgust.
“Noooooo!” I wailed. I tossed the book onto the bed.
“Cole,” I cried, shaking my head sadly, “we’ve made a horrible mistake.”
23
Cole uttered a squawk of horror. The white and brown feathers on the back of
his neck stood up on end.
“Crystal—what’s wrong?” he choked out.
“It’s the wrong book!” I cried, jumping up from the bed. I left a pile of
feathers where I’d been sitting. “It’s a cookbook! It’s a whole book of
chicken recipes!”
“Yuck!” Cole cried.
The idea sent a wave of nausea up from my stomach. My arms suddenly itched. I
gazed down and saw white feathers curling up from the skin.
“We have to go back there,” I told my brother. My beak clicked loudly. It
stretched out in front of my chin now. My teeth were sinking into my gums, about
to disappear completely. I really had to struggle to form words.
Cole swallowed hard. “Go back?”
“Before it’s too late,” I whispered. “Before we’re completely chicken—not
human at all.”
He gulped and didn’t reply.
I hoisted up the book and started waddling to the bedroom door. I stopped in
shock when I glimpsed my reflection in the dresser mirror.
My eyes! My head!
My eyes had changed into small, round
The book title!
“Cole—I think I found the right book!” I cried. “The very first book I
picked up.”
I bent down and excitedly lifted the old book from the floor.
Yes!
“Cole—look!” I exclaimed, holding up the front cover. “It’s called Chicken Chicken Chicken. This has to be it! If I can find the spell that
Vanessa used inside this book—”
“Then maybe we can reverse it!” Cole cried.
A loud bang from the front of the house made us both jump. The black
cat screeched and jumped off the chair back. It scurried silently from the room.
“Was that the gate—or was it Vanessa?” I cried.
Cole clicked off the light. We listened, frozen in place. I gripped the old
book closely to my chest.
Silence now. Then another bang. Just the fence gate in the wind.
“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered, raising my eyes to the front door.
“Bluuuuck,” Cole replied. He turned and began walking stiff-legged to the
door. Even in the dim light, I could see that a thick tuft of feathers had grown
on the back of his neck.
Vanessa’s cat stood on the hallway floor, arching its back as if ready to
attack. We edged past it carefully.
“Nice kitty. Nice kitty,” I murmured.
Its angry expression didn’t change.
I pushed open the door. The gusting wind caught it and nearly blew the door
handle out of my hand. Cole and I stepped outside. I tugged the door shut.
I carried the heavy book against my chest as we made our way home. We leaned
into the wind. My hair fluttered up behind me like a pennant.
Goshen Falls stood in darkness. All of the stores close early. The only
bright lights were at the self-serve gas station on the first corner.
Cole and I half-walked, half-trotted down the center of the street. I
couldn’t wait to get home and find the spell that Vanessa had used on us.
Finally, our house rose into view. The driveway was still empty. Mom and Dad
hadn’t returned yet from their meeting at school.
Good! I thought. Maybe I can find the spell and change Cole and me back to
normal before they get home.
I led the way up the stairs to my room, still clutching the book to my chest.
Cole closed the door behind us.
I dropped onto the edge of my bed and spread the big book on my lap. Cole
stood beside me, clucking softly. Staring down at me as I rapidly flipped
through the old pages, squinting hard at the tiny type.
“Well?” Cole demanded impatiently. “Is it in there? Is the spell in there?”
I didn’t reply. I turned the pages furiously, my eyes running down each
column. Faster. Faster. I turned page after page, my heart pounding.
“Well?” my brother demanded. “Well?”
I slammed the book shut in disgust.
“Noooooo!” I wailed. I tossed the book onto the bed.
“Cole,” I cried, shaking my head sadly, “we’ve made a horrible mistake.”
23
Cole uttered a squawk of horror. The white and brown feathers on the back of
his neck stood up on end.
“Crystal—what’s wrong?” he choked out.
“It’s the wrong book!” I cried, jumping up from the bed. I left a pile of
feathers where I’d been sitting. “It’s a cookbook! It’s a whole book of
chicken recipes!”
“Yuck!” Cole cried.
The idea sent a wave of nausea up from my stomach. My arms suddenly itched. I
gazed down and saw white feathers curling up from the skin.
“We have to go back there,” I told my brother. My beak clicked loudly. It
stretched out in front of my chin now. My teeth were sinking into my gums, about
to disappear completely. I really had to struggle to form words.
Cole swallowed hard. “Go back?”
“Before it’s too late,” I whispered. “Before we’re completely chicken—not
human at all.”
He gulped and didn’t reply.
I hoisted up the book and started waddling to the bedroom door. I stopped in
shock when I glimpsed my reflection in the dresser mirror.
My eyes! My head!
My eyes had changed into small, round
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