MENTOR: Stephanie Funk
ALTERNATE: G.K. Byrne
TITLE: MANTICORE
CATEGORY/GENRE: MG Horror
WORD COUNT: 49,000
PITCH: Aggie has been warned not to explore the Great Dismal Swamp near her new home, but a kitten’s sickly cries lure her in one afternoon. Only it’s not a kitten. It’s a monster. Now Aggie must hatch a plan to destroy it before it destroys her.
EXCERPT:
The sky was dark when Aggie arrived at the little yellow house on Old Possum Hill road, but not because it was night. A storm was rolling in. Aggie felt electricity building in the air, the kind socks make when rubbing on carpet. As she climbed out of the huge police car, a lightning bolt cracked in the gray clouds and struck the open field behind the house, making her jump.
“Come on, kid. Let’s get you inside.” The cop put one hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the house.
Then it hit her. This was for real. She was going to meet her grandmother, and not just meet her, live with her.
Aggie realized she was holding her breath and let it out with a whoosh. There was nothing to be nervous about. The old lady wasn’t going to bite—most likely. Why Social Services thought she needed a police escort was a mystery. True, Aggie was only twelve, but she’d been getting by alone in the big city for weeks.
I’m pretty sure I can handle my own Grandma’s doorstep in the middle of east bumble, North Carolina, thank you very much.
Not that her heart listened to that simple logic. Her pulse thumped so fast if anyone bothered to look, they would see her veins throbbing. She lifted one hand to cover her neck.
So what if I’ve never met the lady? How hard can it be?
Another roll of thunder ripped above her head, and the sky darkened.
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