A Hairy Tail 4

By Jamie Campbell

Please note: this is a novelette. Short fiction is a fun and quick read, not a full length novel.

In the fourth and final installment of the Hairy Tails series, the Mapleton Animal Shelter is inundated with creatures of the scaly and slithery type.

Fresh from her break up, Hannah finds herself treading on new ground as she tries to handle the exotic creatures, her new weird friendship with Jessie, and mending her broken heart.

Drowning in snakes and lizards, Hannah and the team set out to discover exactly who could be missing such strange and terrifying pets. What she uncovers could never have been imagined, but it will be enough to reunite her with Harry?

An ending to a tale that will have you performing tricks for more treats right to the last word.

Also available:
A Hairy Tail
A Hairy Tail 2
A Hairy Tail 3
A Hairy Tail Collection
Another Hairy Tail

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jamie Campbell
• Release date: Sep 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301033270

Jamie Campbell

Jamie was born into a big, crazy family of 6 children. Being the youngest, she always got away with anything and would never shut up. Constantly letting her imagination run wild, her teachers were often frustrated when her 'What I did on the weekend' stories contained bunyips and princesses.Growing up, Jamie did the sensible things and obtained a Bachelor of Business degree from Southern Cross University and worked hard to gain her membership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.Yet nothing compared to writing. Quiting the rat race to spend quality time with her laptop named Lily, Jamie has written several novels and screenplays. Spanning a number of genres and mediums, Jamie writes whatever inspires her from ghost stories to teenage love stories to tantalising murder mysteries. Nothing is off limits.A self-confessed television addict, dog lover, Taylor Swift fan, and ghost hunter, Jamie loves nothing more than the thrill of sharing her stories.

Book preview

A HAIRY TAIL 4

Also by the Author:

Ashes to Ashes

Gifted

Trouble

Dark Eyes: Cursed

A World Without Angels

Angel’s Uprising

Before The Fall

Cinderella is Evil

Saving Rapunzel

Killing Snow White

A Hairy Tail 4

JAMIE CAMPBELL

Copyright © 2013 Jamie Campbell

Smashwords Edition

Jamie Campbell asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication 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 permission of the author.

DEDICATION

For All Creatures Great and Small.

CHAPTER 1

Hannah plastered a smile on her face, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt. She laughed, hoping to convince Veronica and Lucas that she was enjoying herself.

And the look on the girl’s face? It was hilarious, Lucas laughed, recanting the highlights from the movie they had just seen.

I know, right? Veronica snorted back, trying to catch her breath.

Hannah subtly checked her watch, seeing if she had stayed long enough to be polite. It wasn’t so much that she disliked hanging out with Veronica and Lucas, but normally Harry would be there with them. With the four of them, she had never been the third wheel. Now, she was definitely well ensconced in third wheel territory.

It had been almost an hour since the movie, if she left now, that wouldn’t be rude, right? Hannah thought that was a sufficient amount of time. I have to go, guys, she said as she stood. I’ve got a shift at the shelter.

Veronica tore her eyes away from Lucas. Do they need you anymore? All the animals have been adopted.

New animals keep coming in, I have to go.

Okay, have fun. They waved her away and she hurried through the bodies in the mall. It seemed like the entire town was there.

Hannah found her bicycle and unlocked the chain. Jumping on, she headed for home. She didn’t have a shift at the shelter, she had barely been there at all in the last week. There was a certain someone she was avoiding and she hadn’t seen him since they broke up.

It wasn’t like she had abandoned her duties altogether though. After the fundraising concert a week ago, all the animals had been adopted out. The only creatures they now had to look after were any new ones that came in. Hannah had checked in with the manager, Cory, several times to make sure she wasn’t needed.

Breaking up with Harry had been the hardest thing Hannah had ever had to do. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she didn’t like the way she couldn’t rely on him to have her back either. Everything she had learned about relationships said that couples were supposed to be a united front, not two separate units.

As a result of the breakup, Hannah had been at a loss with what to do with the rest of the summer. Her mother, Coco, didn’t let her mope around the house so that only left hanging out with Veronica. Unfortunately, she was still stuck to Lucas like a rash. At least her summer romance was still simmering away.

A text message sounded in Hannah’s pocket. She pulled her bicycle over to a stop to check her phone. The message was from Cory, asking her to drop by the shelter.

With a groan, Hannah texted back that she was on her way. At least she wasn’t lying to Veronica now. With great trepidation, she cycled toward the shelter. She just prayed Harry and Jessie weren’t on the roster to work today.

She didn’t get her wish. Two other bikes were chained to the front gate when she arrived. She added her bicycle to the stack and went inside.

The Mapleton Animal Shelter was much quieter than it usually was. Instead of the constant yapping of dogs and meowing of cats, the only noises filling the air were decidedly human.

Hannah went directly to Cory’s office. You asked to see me?

Oh, you made it, that was quick, Cory said happily. I wanted to check in with you and make sure you’re okay. You haven’t been around much lately. We’re starting to get busy again so I need to know if you’re still going to be volunteering here.

I’m fine. I’m definitely still volunteering. I love the animals here.

Good. Like she always did, Cory avoided getting involved in her volunteer’s teenage problems and changed the subject. Would you have some time now to help us out?

Of course. If she was being completely honest, Hannah would have to admit she was about to die of boredom if she had to go home. Doing some manual labor at the shelter was welcome, even if all the cute little kittens had been adopted.

She left Cory and ventured into the animals’ room. Most of the cages were completely empty, it made a nice change from the crowded conditions they normally had there.

Seeing Harry half-in a cage made Hannah stop in her tracks. What was she supposed to say to him? How was she supposed to act? She had never had an ex-boyfriend before. It was impossible to know what she should do in the situation.

He pulled himself out too quickly,