Cursed


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 
 
 All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. 
 
 Darby Creek 
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 241 First Avenue North 
 Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA 
 
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 Cover and interior images: Public Domain (watch); Copyright © 2020 KADIVAR07/Shutterstock (background); Milano M (chapter number background) 
 
 Main body text set in Janson Text LT Std. 
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 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 
 
 Names: Koehler, Susan, 1963– author. 
 Title: Cursed / Susan Koehler. 
 Description: Minneapolis : Darby Creek, [2023] | Series: Sinkhole | Audience: Ages 11–18. | Audience: Grades 7–9. | Summary: Eli Hancock’s luck seems to improve after he finds a gold coin on undeveloped property, and when he later finds a pocket watch in the same place, strange things start to happen, making Eli wonder if he is instead cursed. 
 Identifiers: LCCN 2022024053 (print) | LCCN 2022024054 (ebook) | ISBN 9781728475509 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781728477978 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781728479521 (eb pdf) 
 Subjects: CYAC: Luck—Fiction. | Popularity—Fiction. | High schools—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | LCGFT: High interest-low vocabulary books. | Novels. 
 Classification: LCC PZ7.1.K6732 Cu 2023 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.K6732 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23 
 
 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022024053 
 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022024054 
 
 Manufactured in the United States of America 
 1 – TR – 12/15/22 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 Dude, it’s not supernatural. It’s science.” Eli Hancock balances a stack of books in the cradle of his left arm and uses his right hand to secure the combination lock. 
 “I’m just saying, one day the ground is solid, and the next thing you know, whoosh!” Freddy Santana slams his locker closed for dramatic effect. “The desert opens up and swallows bushes and rocks and probably some little lizards and stuff like that.” 
 Eli laughs as he waits for Freddy to replace his lock. “But you’re forgetting the fact that for years that desert was punctured by oil wells. Those sinkholes in Wink County can be explained.” 
 “Yeah,” Freddy interrupts. “My mom can explain it. She says it’s the wrath of angry spirits.” 
 “As I was about to say,” Eli continues, “the rock beneath the soil is really unstable because of all the drilling for oil and gas that’s been done around here. I mean, this whole area is like a giant pincushion. Have you watched the local news? Some geologists say that in about ten years—” 
 He’s interrupted again. This time by Nolan Bridwell, who knocks the books from Eli’s hands, the same way he’s done a hundred times before. “Sorry, dweeb!” Nolan and his posse erupt in laughter. “I wasn’t watching where I was going!” 
 They swagger off down the hallway, and as Eli kneels on the floor, retrieving his books, he hears Nolan’s mocking tone, high-pitched and nasal. “Texas is like a giant pincushion.” More laughter follows. 
 Adjusting his glasses and trying to regain his composure, Eli says, “I hate that guy.” 
 “Hate is a strong word, my friend.” Freddy extends a hand to pull Eli up from the dirty tile floor. “Just ignore him. Consider it a compliment. There are worse things he could call you.” 
 “Yeah,” Eli concedes, “but he’s got a really small vocabulary.” 
 The two friends laugh and walk side by side. Freddy says, “You know, if you actually carried your books in your backpack, this might not happen.” 
 “My backpack is reserved for notebooks, supplies, lunch, and snacks. I have a system,” Eli reminds him. “And look at me. Even if the books fit, they’d probably pull me over. I’d land on my back and flail around like a turtle on its shell. Imagine what Nolan could do with that.” 
 “True,” Freddy says, and he laughs at the image. “Maybe you should just scale back on the super-intense classes, man. Do your back a favor.” 
 Eli and Freddy exit Foggy Creek High School, blinded momentarily by a blast of bright sunlight. Once their eyes adjust, they both focus on Nolan Bridwell’s squad ambling down the middle of the road. No doubt looking for trouble. 
 “How about we implement Plan B and take the long way home?” Eli asks. “I don’t want to run into him again.” 
 “Sure thing,” Freddy says. They turn from the main road and walk toward the scrubby terrain, heading for what was once a thriving cattle ranch called the Broken Brand. Now it’s just a series of abandoned fields. Sporadic fence posts line the property, but there’s no fence anymore. A faded “No Trespassing” sign stands just off the road, but it’s leaning slightly to the right and easy to ignore. 
 As they reach the edge of the desolate property, they stop. A new sign towers above the old, familiar one. “Future Home of Foggy Creek Estates,” Freddy reads. They stand in its shadow, perplexed. “What the heck is this?” 
 Eli adjusts his books and his glasses. “According to the sign, it’ll be a mixed-use development. Single-family homes, a movie theater, a retail center . . .” 
 “Yeah, I can read that,” Freddy says. “But how can they do this?” 
 “Again, according to the sign,” Eli says, “it’s the work of developer Kit Landau. I guess he bought the property.” 
 “Man, nobody even told me it was for sale,” Freddy quips. “It still looks like a