Web of Magic #4:
Secrets of the Unicorn
"His name is Scooter —" Emily's words were cut off as the marching band launched into a loud, rousing fight song. Kara and the other cheerleaders raced onto the field, dancing along with the music, their blue-and-gold pompoms tracing out patterns in the air.
Emily winced. Was it just her, or was the band's music painfully loud? A hard, sharp hgih note blared at her, seeming to travel directly from the trombone section to her eardrums. She shook her head as the flutes broke in shrilly, their unrelenting tones piercing through her consciousness until she couldn't think straight.
Glancing at the others, Emily saw that they seemed totally unaware of what was happening. Why couldn't they hear it? She cringed as a cymbal crash reverberated through her bones and made her teeth chatter. Only the dogs seemed to notice that anything was wrong. All three of them were sitting up, pressing themselves against the metal bench and whining nervously.
Emily was vaguely aware of a creeping feeling, pulling at the edges of her mind. Suddenly a saxophone punched out a series of harsh, off-key notes, sounding as if it was wailing directly in her ear, and she gasped.
"Em? Hey, you okay? You look kind of weird." Marcus stared at her.
Emily squeezed her eyes shut. The sounds were too painful for her to answer.
Everyone except Emily suddenly leaped to their feet. The kids were yelling as the Stonehill team pushed forward to the twenty-yard line.
The cheers echoed as if in a huge cavern. Emily shook her head again, trying to clear it. "I — I'm okay." But she knew she wasn't. Fear trickled up and down her back.
The others weren't even listening to her anymore. There was a sudden flurry of movement on the field, and another roar went up from the crowd.
A wave of pain lanced through her, but her scream was covered by the raucous cheers around her.
"Score!" Joey crowed, pumping his fist in the air. "Now all we need is a field goal, and we could actually win this thing!"
"Check it out!" Heather's voice was shrill with excitement. "Someone's starting the wave over there."
