Chapter Six
Daisy
My eyes pop open, this time while I’m being carried.
“Oh, that was quick,” Gus says, looking down at me with a sweet smile. “You really should stop doing that, though.”
“I’ll try,” I mutter.
He places me on the couch and helps me sit up.
“Can I sit beside you?”
“Yeah, sure.”
I run my hand through my hair, trying to make sense of this.
It’s hard not to believe it when I saw a man change into a chicken right in front of my eyes.
But Grannie cursing people? Honestly, it’s not that hard to believe either—if it’s possible.
Grannie didn’t like it when people told her what to do, and this land has been in her family for generations.
I can’t imagine people trying to take it going over well. But a curse?
“I’m… sorry Grannie did this to you,” I say.
Gus shrugs. “We’ve had plenty of time to think about it and though we didn’t do anything, our grandfathers did, and they definitely deserved this. Probably more. They weren’t nice guys.”
I shake my head. “So… all these years, all of the, uh… you know, have been men?”
“That’s right. She’s had our family here for a long time.”
“Why stay, though? I mean, if you’re able to decide when you change, couldn’t you just go live a normal life somewhere else?”
“That’s the thing… we can’t leave the property. There are a few rules that go along with the curse, and being stuck here is part of it.”
That’s right. That conversation is coming back to me now. They said this already… in the kitchen, when they were trying to explain. I pinch the bridge of my nose. It’s foggy, but I vaguely remember what they were saying.
“What happens if you try to leave?” I ask.
“Everything goes black and we end up right back in the pen. Same as if we fall asleep in human form. We wake up as birds in the morning.”
I blow out a sharp breath. “This is not what I was expecting to experience when I came here. I just wanted to collect the things I wanted to keep, enjoy some peace and quiet, and then leave.”
“Wade didn’t want you to find out.”
“Yeah, I got the vibe. He’s… grumpy.”
Gus laughs. “You could say that, yeah. You get used to it, though.”
“What about Rhett?”
“He’s just quiet. His father always blamed him for this. Which made no sense since he wasn’t even born when it happened, but his dad was a real jerk.”
“Sounds like it.” I chew on my lip, looking into the kitchen but unable to see any of them from this angle. “So, what now?”
“We go on as normal. But… you can’t tell anyone.”
“Trust me, this is not the sort of thing I will be telling people.” I laugh.
“Thank you,” he says softly.
I nod, then turn to look at him. “Is there some way to break the curse?”
He looks as if he wants to say something but then shakes his head. “Not that we know of.” He sits for a moment, then adds, “But… we’re the end of the line.”
“What does that mean?”
“Our fathers were around when the curse was cast. Wade and I were born, but we were little. Toddlers. Rhett was born after and yet he’s still cursed. The change started at thirteen for all of us. None of us have kids, so… we, uh… think that was the point.”
“The point?”
“I don’t want to talk bad about your Grannie, because we know what our families did wasn't right, but we think she wanted our bloodlines to end.”
“Oh, right… I love Grannie, but she could be a vindictive thing. I’m sorry this happened.” I glance up at him. “Truly, I am so sorry.”
“You don’t have to keep saying that.” He gives me a smile.
“Guess I don’t know what else to say.” I shrug.
It falls silent again. Until there are heavy footsteps. Charlie comes into the living room.
“You feeling okay, Miss Daisy?” he asks with a small frown.
“As okay as I can be.”
“I wish she woulda told you,” he says under his breath, shifting on his feet.
“It’s fine,” I say. “Really. I’m sure she wanted to and then… you know.”
“Yeah, of course. I know.” He scratches the back of his neck. “I’m going to head on home, as long as you’re okay here?”
“Fine, Charlie.” I smile. “Thank you for coming by to help with this.”
“Any time, Miss Daisy. You let me know anything you need.”
He leaves through the back door. Rhett and Wade come into the living room. Someone has to be the bigger person here, so I get up and walk to them. I feel very small standing in front of them. They’re at least a whole foot taller than me.
“Look, I want you to know that I had nothing to do with this, and I am very sorry about what Grannie did, but holding a grudge against me isn’t going to help anything.
” I offer out my hand. “I promise I won’t tell anyone, and I’ll dig through Grannie’s stuff to see if there is a way to break this curse. ”
Wade frowns, looking down at my hand. Rhett seems curious but doesn’t move.
“There is no way to break it,” Rhett says, and I finally hear his voice. Rough and husky, like he doesn’t talk much.
I drop my hand, since neither of them take it.
“There’s always a way. I’m not sure I’ll find it, but I’ll try. It’s the least I can do to make up for this. It’s not our fault that our family argued over land. We shouldn’t have to suffer.”
“You aren’t suffering,” Wade snaps.
“Well, yeah, but—”
“We’re the ones who have been stuck as ch—“ He stops before he says it then lets out a frustrated growl as he goes to the back door.
I glance at Gus. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. That’s just Wade.” He goes after him, calling his name.
I look back at Rhett.
“I really just want to help. I don’t know what else I can do.”
He nods, then he leaves too. I don’t see them for the rest of the day. But they’re there in the morning, in chicken form, with their eggs waiting for me.
And then it hits me… how strange this actually is.
They aren’t roosters. They’re chickens. Hens.
Chickens are female. I can’t help but laugh to myself. Grannie sure was a menace.