0 March Secret Agent #36

TITLE: BLACK FEATHER BOY
GENRE: MG Fantasy

Cornelius thought his luck couldn’t get any worse, the aching in his back made him think he might not be able to participate in the year’s final swim competition. Winning the championship would be the one thing that would bring him that much closer to being accepted by his classmates. He’d missed the last few days of practice. That tomorrow was his twelfth birthday was the last thing on his mind.

Laying on his bed, he tried to read but couldn’t find a comfortable position. So much for reading. He let the whirring fan on the ceiling hypnotize him and within minutes Cornelius was fast asleep.

By the time he finally woke the sun was setting. A long streak of orange light reached across the room to where he lay on the bed. The television was on downstairs, its sound muffled through the bedroom floor. Was that fresh baked lemon cake he smelled? The clock read 7:45pm. He rubbed his eyes and forced himself out of bed, dragging across the room to the door. The inside of his mouth felt like a wooly sweater. He could do with a glass of water.

As he passed his mirror, he stopped. What was that on his back? With one cautious step backward, Cornelius eased himself toward the mirror again. He took a deep breath and slowly turned to the side, then stumbled backward. It was all he could do not to scream. There, poking through his shirt, was a long black feather.