Warped (Maurissa Guibord)

and the power of the strange little lump of yellow stone. She remade the living thread into flesh. She crafted bone and blood. Wove hoof and horn and hair. And last, even breath.
    Until finally the creature stood before her, its muscled haunches shivering like a newborn foal's. And so it was. So pure, so white. But the creature still had those large, lively brown eyes; those were the same, though they were now filled with pain and confusion.
    "A unicorn," she whispered with satisfaction. "My unicorn. At last. The symbol of immortality made flesh. And when I weave you into my tapestry, I will have your youth, your strength."
    The unicorn stamped and backed away from the old woman but couldn't go far in the confines of the small hut.
    "Not so proud now, are you?" the old woman exulted. "But you should be. You're a creature of magic. And I am your master. When I pull your thread once more, it shall retain this form and all the power it possesses, and then you will live in my tapestry. A unicorn forevermore. Come here." She clapped her hands.
    It might have been a cannon shot. At the noise Will let out a scream, but it emerged as a whinnying cry. He reared up on strongly muscled hind legs, and the sharp spiral horn that protruded from his forehead ripped through the roof, tearing boughs and leaves. He crashed down again on his front hooves. A torn, flowered vine fell and hung across his neck in a mockery of adornment.
    Gray Lily reached out and grabbed for his thick, flowing mane, but Will yanked his head back and hurtled past her. He crashed through the woven greenery, snapping boughs and tearing branches. The old woman let out a snarl as she watched him gallop away. The horse Hannibal laid back his ears and trotted nervously after the unicorn, his reins trailing on the ground.
    "Run!" Gray Lily called after Will. "Run fast, young master!" Her voice dissolved into mad laughter. She drew in a deep breath and straightened. The boy's youth was delicious. She could only imagine how good it would feel to have all of it.
    Her tongue darted from her mouth with a nervous energy. She glanced at the tapestry, at the empty space in the center. She had thought the unicorn would be more docile, easier to control.
    "No matter. We shall have a hunt," she murmured. She would find a girl, a young maid from the village. Better yet, she would find the one with blue eyes and long, dark hair.

Chapter 9

"You look tired, honey." Tessa's father folded up the Portland Herald and laid it aside. Tessa sat next to him at the kitchen table, idly brushing the sesame seeds off her bagel.
    She yawned. "I didn't sleep too well last night."
    She would never in a million years admit it, but Opal might have been right about the unicorn tapestry. It had been almost a week since she'd hung it on her bedroom wall. Each morning since then she'd woken feeling groggy and disoriented, and almost surprised to find herself in her own room. Which was silly. Where else would she be?
    Thank goodness today was the last day of school before spring break. She could sleep in for a whole week. Maybe that would take care of the strange dreams she'd been having. Tessa broke away from her thoughts as she realized her father was still looking at her with concern.
    "Tessa," he said, and stopped. He rubbed the edge of the table as if smoothing an invisible mar in the wood. "I know the fact that I'm seeing someone must be really difficult for you."
    "What?" It took Tessa a moment to focus on his words. "Oh. Alicia. Right." She shrugged. "It's fine, Dad, really."
    Her father shifted in his chair and looked at the ceiling, as if there might be a cue card up there for what to say next.
    "I just wish you would give her more of a chance."
    "What do you mean?" Tessa picked the last of the sesame seeds off one by one and took a bite of her bagel.
    He sighed. "You know what I mean, Tessa. You've made no effort to get to know Alicia."
    " I'm not dating her, Dad. It's not exactly a requirement."
    "It might be," her father said.
    Tessa shot him an inquiring glance. "As in?"
    "As in Alicia and I enjoy each other's company," he replied. "And I plan to see a lot more of her."
    "Yuck."
    "You know what I mean," her father said wearily.
    "Okay, cheap shot," admitted Tessa. "Sorry. But do we have to make a big deal out of this? I just don't see what the big attraction is. She's older than you, isn't she?" Tessa kept her other questions to herself. Like why he needed to be so demonstrative