Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

shivered and glanced around the room. No one was there, of course.
    Since that conversation with my dad, I’d tried to block the creepy old man from my thoughts, and I had been doing pretty well. Until tonight. Oh, well. Maybe it’s just because I’m nervous about seeing Adam .
    I set off, wrapping my arms around myself. It was definitely colder tonight. And my raincoat was only that, a raincoat. It held no heat, but I didn’t have time to go back for a warmer jacket. I continued on, wrapping my arms tighter.
    A snapping sound made me look up. I knew it was my crow even before I saw him. I smiled up at him, welcoming his presence. Whatever his reasons for becoming my shadow, I felt no menace from him. In fact, I had kind of gotten used to having him around. And on a cold night like tonight, he felt like a real comfort.
    I walked past the school and turned up the lane that led to where the party was being held. I could hear the whoops of laughter in the distance. The smell of bonfire hung heavy in the air.
    With each step, I could feel my courage fade. I had no idea what I was going to say to Adam, or even how I’d approach him. I had just reached the turnoff when I noticed my crow was gone. A new noise replaced his familiar caw. Laughter.
    I looked behind me and saw two boys approaching quickly. They seemed a little unsteady and they were talking loudly. I ignored them and kept walking, but they came nearer, laughing uproariously. Something cracked at my foot and I glanced down, startled. It was an egg.
    “Idiots,” I muttered under my breath, but quickened my pace.
    Another egg sailed through the air, landing on my jacket. Now they were cheering.
    “Hey, Miss U.S.A., where are you going in such a hurry?”
    The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t see their faces in the dark.
    “Hey, I’m talking to you; don’t ignore me!” One of them grabbed the back of my jacket.
    His speech was slurred, and his eyes looked like they weren’t focusing. I struggled to get out of his grasp as his friend pulled on his arm.
    “Tom, give it a rest,” his friend warned.
    “No.” He smiled menacingly. “It’s Halloween. Let’s have fun.”
    I felt my legs tremble and willed myself not to look as scared as I felt. His friend lowered his voice and bent in toward Tom.
    “That’s Caleb Rosenberg’s daughter. If my mom finds out I messed with her, I’ll be killed. Let’s get out of here.” He pulled on Tom’s jacket. “Come on, Blánnaid is waiting for you.”
    “Just a little fun,” Tom said, shaking off his friend. “Blán can wait.”
    The smell of alcohol on his breath made me feel queasy. He dug into his pockets and staggered forward. I saw an opportunity to escape and I slammed my foot down on his boot.
    He yelped in pain, and glared at me.
    I didn’t know what to do. He looked like he was thinking about hitting me, and his friend didn’t seem like he was going to be able to stop him. I began to panic. Should I run? Should I scream? Suddenly, a freezing-cold gust of wind flew past us. It whooshed by my legs and swirled up around me, taking my hair with it. A chill ran through my body, from my toes right up to my head.
    I screamed and tried to grab at the hair that was obscuring my vision. Finally, I pushed it out of my face in time to see the guys being picked up by the wind and tossed into the briars behind them.
    “Jesus Christ! What the hell?” Tom yelled. I could hear the other guy moaning from the undergrowth, calling for help.
    “Tom. Help me, I can’t move,” his friend called from the bushes. “Someone help me!”
    Suddenly a voice spoke directly into my ear. “Megan, are you all right?” Startled, I spun around to see Adam standing right behind me. Instantly the wind stopped.
    “Did you see that?” I gasped. “It was like a tornado or something.”
    “Hey, are you two okay?” Adam called to Tom and his friend as their pale faces emerged from the briars.
    “What the hell?” Tom