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“It’s not hard to remember, okay? Twice a day, both with food.” Laura almost reluctantly hands over the comically large bottle to the woman, who grips its cylindrical shape like a microphone. She lets out a shaky breath. She tries to sound kind and understanding, but she just comes across as tired.
“Thank you doctor, I really do appreciate it.” The woman doesn’t seem to notice Laura’s weariness. The pills inside rattle quietly as she lowers the bottle. Laura grabs the multicolored rope and pulls down the roller door of the box truck before turning back to face the woman.
“Don’t mention it.” Laura nods. “Not many people will treat big cats around here.”
“No one will,” The lady huffs. “That’s why I called you.” The woman quietly handed over a thick, white envelope, and Laura pocketed it just as quietly.
“Next time just keep up to date on their tick treatment. Then I wouldn’t have to treat them for Lyme.” Laura turned to step away, and a cold hand gripped her arm.
Not…done…yet, a raspy voice whispered in her ear, and she pulled back hard, almost tripping backwards. When she focused again, the woman was staring at her oddly.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, and Laura hid the shake in her breath. Nothing.
“Nothing, sorry, I better watch where I’m going,” she forced a laugh, turning and trying not to look panicked as she opened the door to the truck. She sat, breathing heavily.
“How’d it go?” A voice piped up from the back, and Laura felt herself jump out of her skin.
“Max!”
“What? That bad?”
“Really?” Laura gritted, rolling her eyes. She pushed the key into the ignition, turning it over. The engine groaned to life, and the box truck lurched forward. “No, the lady was…was fine. Cats are cats, people just don’t want to deal with the big ones.”
“So?” Max leaned forward, crawling his way to the front seat. His lanky elbows pushing into Laura as she drove.
“Hey, Max!” Laura leaned, the truck swerving with her. Max fell into his seat.
“Sorry honey,” Max righted himself, buckling his seatbelt. “So what?” He asked again.
“So, as I was getting ready to leave, I heard…something.”
“Something…what?” Max urged, and Laura blew out a breath.
“I don’t know,” Laura admitted, but there wasn't any frustration in her voice. It was vindication. “But it just confirms it right?”
“Yeah honey, I know,” Max on the other hand sounded worried. His eyes darted to the sky, darkening with clouds.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be out of here before it happens.” Laura’s eyes were on the road, otherwise she would’ve seen Max’s anxious fidgeting with the length of rope around his wrist. He wrapped the slack around his finger, tightening the yellow material.
“That’s what you said last time Laura.” Max’s voice was low, and Laura released one of her hand’s from the wheel. She reached over, palm up. Max took it. She squeezed once, and he squeezed back.
“We will this time Max. I promise.” Max’s hand was cold, and Laura didn’t let go.
“We are cutting it really close, Laura, I just don’t feel safe with-” Max felt himself spiraling, and Laura interrupted him.
“Max, we’ll be in and out, and you’ll be in your comfy cage in no time,” Laura spoke with confidence, and Max knew to believe her. “Sorry to change the subject, but where were we supposed to be going again?”
The tiger lady Laura had helped was in the middle of nowhere, but Laura knew that there was something weird going on around here. She had only been in the area tracking down reports of apparently threatening apparitions appearing to hikers in the woods. Max had helped with a little research, and they had tracked down some original land owners.
Unfortunately, there was little to no information about them online.
Fortunately, Laura could be pretty convincing when she needed to be, and the local sheriff was more than happy to point them in their direction when Laura mentioned her vet appointment.
“I didn’t think it was that much further from the-” Max trailed off as he pulled away from Laura’s hand, reaching down into the glove box, and pulling out the most decrepit map Laura had ever seen.
“What even is that?” She laughed, and Max feigned insult.
“Excuse me? This is the finest map that Whereverweare can offer! Fresh off the rack at the gas station!” He held it higher, and the late day light shone through the worn seams.
“How old is that?” Laura joked, her words interjected with her own laughter.
“Probably old enough to vote,” Max sighed, squinting as he tried to find any recognizable landmark. Laura’s laugh filled the truck cab with a warmth like sunshine, and Max was struck with the thought that he couldn’t remember the last time she laughed like that.
“I really hope you didn’t pay any money for that,” She mumbled, her eyebrows raising in concern. Max scanned the map, trying to find the X he had marked there earlier.
“What are we looking for again?” Max had the map held high, desperately trying to find their intended location.
“That.” Max could hear the excitement in Laura’s voice, and lowered the map. Laura slowed the truck to a stop as they both admired the impressive wrought-iron gate blocking their path. Vines, some old and rotting, others new in their growth wrapped around the thick bars, partially blocking their view into the estate. “I think we’re here.” Laura put the truck in park, quickly turning it off and exiting.
“Honey, wait!” Max threw down the map, tumbling out of the truck, slamming the door behind him. He rushed to meet Laura, who was inspecting an ancient looking lock and chain. The cloud cover was more intense now, and Max could smell the coming rain. “Laura, sweety, please.” He glanced between the bars, anxiously stepping from one foot to the other. “Let’s come back tomorrow.”
“Just one peek Max, they won’t even know we were here.” Laura grabbed tight to the bars, pulling herself up, and climbing over.
“Who won’t know?” Max hollered as Laura landed softly on the other side of the fence. She grinned, raising her eyebrows in an all too familiar question: You coming? Max gazed up at the sky, muttered a few choice words under his breath, and followed Laura over.
--
“Walk faster!” Laura called back, stepping through the tall grass and ground cover that seemed to blanket the entire estate.
“Walk slower!” Max pleaded, trying his hardest to keep up. The grounds seemed to stretch on forever, and Max couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that they were being watched. The clouds had darkened even more overhead, and Max finally matched stride with Laura. “What are we looking for anyway?” Laura opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted as they both fell through the ground, tumbling into a dirt hole. She tasted earth as she tried to right herself, but the hole was deep and narrow, and Max was pushed up against her.
“Oww,” Max groaned. “Laura, are you okay?” He wiped at his eyes, squinting and blinking as he tried to rid them of dirt. “I need to stop asking that.”
“Yeah, yeah I’m okay.” She took a deep breath, pushing down the panic rising in her chest.
“Who digs a giant hole in their front lawn?” Max shook the dirt from his hair, sighing as more fell from the sides onto him again.
“Booby trap?” Laura examined the walls, trying to figure out how they were going to get out of there.
“Maybe they were looking for something?” Max closed his eyes, letting his head rest against the dark earth. Laura was quiet. There was a silence that filled the air, stillness that had replaced the wet earth. “What do we do now?”
“We need to get out,” Laura inhaled any sort of uncertainty she had. “Grab my wrists.” Max nodded solemnly and wrapped his hands around her wrists. “Pull when I do,” She instructed. Max listened, pulling, gritting his teeth and their heads brought down dirt. But they were now standing, an improvement from sitting in the damp, wet ground.
“Good,” He breathed, his mouth now inches from Lauras’. He suddenly felt aware of how very, very close they were. “Good job.”
“We’re not out yet,” She took a deep breath. “Do you think you can push me up?” She made a weird motion with her hands, and Max tilted his head in confusion. “Like, lift up my legs?” Laura tried to explain more, and Max nodded yes. “Yeah?” He wrigged down as best he could, grabbing around Laura’s legs and lifting her up. Dirt began to cascade down and he closed his eyes, holding his breath as he felt Laura wriggle in his grasp.
“Got it!” Her voice was far away and she got herself out, her legs disappearing as she crawled away.
“Nice honey!” Max called up, squinting at the light from above. There wasn’t an answer, and Max reached his hands up the walls, his fingers rubbing against the dirt. “Laura?” He called out cautiously, not sure how loud he should yell. “Laura?” He repeated, a little louder this time, and his heart jumped as her head appeared above him, laughing.
“Gottcha!” She laughed, her ponytail hanging down, the sun backlighting her like a halo. She was kneeled at the edge of the hole, and extended her hand down.
“Honey, please don’t scare me like that,” Max exhaled, reaching his own hand out.
“Like wha-” Laura let out, but was cut off as something grabbed her and pulled her back.
“Laura!” Max screamed, and he could hear Laura’s high pitched yell. Before he could call to her again, someone else was reaching into the hole, grabbing at him. He tried to push back, but there wasn’t anywhere to go. He felt his clothes rip and yelped in pain as he was dragged out of the hole. “Laura!” he yelled out one more time, and tried to look around before a bag was shoved over his head.
Whoever they were, they pulled Max along, his feet stumbling as the ground rose and fell underneath him. Somewhere along the way, the grass changed to dirt and the wind began to pick up. Small raindrops began to sprinkle across Max’s skin, and he could hear the distant sound of thunder. A door opened, and someone pushed Max’s head down, and he stumbled as the ground gave way beneath him. He could feel the stone steps as he fell, and by the time he landed at the bottom he tasted blood.
“Ouch,” He whined, his head spinning.
“Max? What happened? Are you okay?” Laura called out, her voice now above Max.
“Honey watch the stairs,” Max warned, and someone smacked the side of his head. This time he caught himself, small rocks digging into his palms. “Hey,” Max grumbled, and someone grabbed his arms, pulling him back. He felt cold metal dig into his wrists, and finally the bag was pulled off of his head.
Laura blinked quickly at the sudden vision, and tried to take in her surroundings. Stone walls and a stone ceiling, with a small, square opening in the middle. A little bit of light, and now rain, filtered in and dripped down on the dirt floor. One door, metal, and no windows. They must be underground, she thought, and finally was able to size up the three men that had caught them.
One was finishing attaching Max to the wall, his long frame seeming to almost hit the ceiling. The second was at the door, his eyes flicking between Max and the third man. The third, Laura could tell, was the leader. They all seemed to be dressed in farm clothes, but he had an air to him that felt as though he was in charge.
Laura watched as they pulled the bag off Max’s head, before punching him in the cheek. He went flying, and Laura tried to rush forward, the chains catching her at their ends. The sudden movement caught the man at the door’s attention, and he walked slowly over to her. Laura felt herself switch into survival mode. If they stayed in here, no one was going to survive.
“You assholes don’t know what you’re doing!” Laura screamed in his face, her wrists numb as she pulled on the restraints.
“Shut up,” the man slapped her hard, and her new dizziness meant she went flying, her head bouncing off the hard stone floor. Bright light and spots filled her vision, and her ears were ringing. Hot copper filled her mouth, and she could feel it dripping down her chin.
“Laura!” She could hear Max’s muffled screaming from across the room. The ringing in her ears made it hard to make out his voice. “Laura!” Max hollered again, the pain seeping from his voice. His chains rattled as he struggled against them. She could hear the men talking, and her vision went dark, water dripping onto her face.
--
Laura gasped as she pushed herself up off the dirt. Her head was spinning, and she began to panic. In the time since she had passed out, mid afternoon had shifted into dusk, and in the low light she could make out the shape of Max across from her. Rain poured in from the ceiling, and she was completely soaked. She stood, steadying herself against the wall.
“Max?” She called out quietly, her voice croaking as the dried blood on her lips cracked. She felt herself shivering from the cold.
“I’m so sorry Laura,” Max choked out, his knees hugged tight up to his chest. The water pooled away from him, flowing in streams on the floor.
“Max, it’s going to be okay, I promise,” Laura stepped forward, and her chain rattled, pulling her back. “We’re getting out of here.” She didn’t sound convinced, and Max didn’t respond. She could hear his ragged breathing, the shaking in his body. Thunder boomed overhead.
Laura,” Max’s voice creaked. “I’m hungry.” He stared over at Laura, and even in the near dark, she could see the familiar yellow glow, and his eyes reflected the lightning as he glanced towards the hole in the roof. “They’re coming back.” Laura could hear the footsteps now, and her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Their steps echoed as they descended the stairs, and it felt like an eternity before they reached the bottom. The heavy bolt on the door slid up and unlatched, and the first man pushed the door open, his companions following him in.
“Let us go, and maybe you’ll live through the night,” Laura wasn’t going to wait for them to start the conversation. The light was failing, and she knew that the moon wasn’t far behind. Even behind the rain, she could tell it was almost here. The thin, gangly man burst out laughing, taking two steps forward and throwing his hand around her neck, slamming her against the wall.
“Hey!” Max barked, distortion warping his voice. “Don’t touch her,” his words curled into a growl, one that grew and almost reverberated in his chest.
“Don’t fucking threaten us,” the man ignored Max, his mouth inches from Laura. Stars filled her vision, and the man released. Laura slid to the floor, coughing.
“We’re tired of waiting,” The first man shouted. “What are you doing here?” Laura didn’t speak, so they turned to Max. His breathing was labored, sweat dripping from his face. He bared his teeth, pulling hard against his restraints. “Tell us.” The third man pulled out a crowbar, swinging it in a way that Laura knew he was capable of using it. “I don’t want to ask again.”
“Go to hell,” Max warned, and Laura could hear the control in his voice. Lightning flashed, and the entire room was illuminated again.
“Fine,” The first man nodded, and Laura wasn’t even able to react as the crowbar swung at her leg. Instant, searing pain shot up her body at the same instant a sickening crunch echoed across the stones. Laura could hear herself scream as she fell to the ground. The rain slowed, small drips now splashing down from the ceiling.
“Laura!” Max wailed, and Laura lifted her head, her eyes meeting Max’s. Max’s gleaming yellow eyes. The sharp teeth that seemed to extend past his mouth, open as he screamed her name. Through the agony, panic rose in her throat. All three men were now focused on Laura as the man brought the crowbar up again. The cloud cover broke, and as moonlight filtered in through the roof of their cage, Laura closed her eyes. By instinct, she screamed one last warning.
“Run!”
It happened fast enough that the men couldn’t even turn around. There was a sound of rocks breaking and wet thwacking, like soft matter quickly hitting the walls. Something attacked the man with the crowbar, easily grabbing a hold of his arm and ripping from its socket, pulling muscle and bone along with it . Blood poured from the open wound, but before he could even register the pain, the creature wrapped its jaws around his throat and bit, severing his head from the body.
Hysterical screaming began and quickly was extinguished as the remaining two men became the next targets, hot blood splashing around the room, the sweet smell of carnage filling Laura’s mouth. The sounds of flesh tearing, of bones breaking, of ripping as the creature fed. Its soft, guttural growl filled the room, and Laura slowly opened her eyes.
There wasn’t anything recognizable in the small room anymore. Too small, Laura noted, with the new addition of a creature this size. His head almost scraped the now blood stained ceiling, but hunched over it was still almost as tall as Laura was standing. The pain was debilitating, her leg throbbing, and she knew without looking down that the bone was sticking out. She could feel her pulse with each pump of blood, and she pulled at her shirt, ripping a chunk out to create a makeshift tourniquet. The chains, still attached at her wrists and at the wall, clinked softly as she mended the wound, and the creature twisted around, distracted from its feeding.
Laura was suddenly aware of how loud her own breathing was, but she could only hold her breath as the creature dropped to all fours, its head tilting as it approached. Large, long claws, longer than Laura’s fingers, tapped loudly against the hard packed floor. Something in her told her not to cower back, and she tried to push herself taller, pushing against the pain as the snarling grew louder. The creature slowly opened and shut its bloody maw, teeth clenched and clicking, and Laura met its eyes. Its gleaming yellow eyes.
The low rumble escaping the back of the creatures’ throat rose, and Laura swore it sounded like words. No, a word.
Lllllaurrrrrraaaa…
Hot breath was at Laura’s throat, and she swallowed. The creature suddenly let out a roar, its claws raking the wall behind Laura, missing her head by inches before retreating to the other side of the cage.
“Max,” Laura whimpered, and the creature snapped its muzzle at the name, shaking its head as if the words hurt. As quick as she could, she tied off the strip of fabric, pushing herself to a standing position. The blood on her leg still dripped, though not as dangerously, from the fresh opening, and its uncomfortable warmth gave her goosebumps. Water still dripped from the ceiling, and each drop that hit the creature sent it into another spin, roaring and snapping at the almost invisible attacker.
The beast clawed at his head, covering its own eyes, rubbing at its coat. A yellow rope was taut around the creature’s leg, and shone bright against the red fur. Laura breathed, letting herself lean back against the wall. It began to pace, growling as Laura watched its movement. Step, step, step, turn. Step, step, step turn.
Laura didn’t know how much time went by. It could’ve been hours, it might have been minutes. The drops of water that fell from the ceiling slowed even more, and eventually it stopped altogether.
The creature decided to investigate Laura again, this time quickly closing the space between them, bringing its open mouth inches from her face. She stood her ground and it instead bit the slack of her shirt, tossing her to the side. She landed in a heap and the creature was over her, pinning down her arms. Bright yellow eyes, jagged teeth. Bloody spit dripped from the creature’s mouth.
“Max,” Laura breathed, and the creature snarled, nipping at the air between them. The creature left again, and returned to pacing between the ravaged bodies strewn on the floor. The creature tilted its head back and howled, the lonesome sound echoing through the room. Laura’s dizziness returned, and she felt her vision go dark.
--
“Laura, Laura! Please wake up!” Laura felt herself being shook, and opened her eyes in a panic. She scooted back, pain and feeling coming back, and she hissed. “Hey it’s okay, it’s okay.” She let her eyes focus and Max was pushing her up against the wall.
“Max,” She murmured.
“Did I get you? Are you okay?” Max began feeling her arms, touching her legs.
“I-I think so,” Laura groaned. “Are you okay?” She asked, and Max rocked back on his heels, satisfied that she wasn’t bitten. Daylight was permeating the ceiling.
“Well, you know, the same.” He shrugged his shoulders. “A little cold,” he added, and Laura was now very aware of Max’s almost lack of clothes. What he was wearing was shredded, and Laura was unsure if she could say any of it would count as clothes. “Let me try and get you out of those,” He stood, walking slowly over to the other side of the cage. He was blood soaked, his red hair even redder, splotches like freckles and stains up and down his arms.
“Do you remember anything?” Laura called, her throat sore.
“No. I never do.” Max didn’t look over, his eyes focused on the floor. “I remember them coming back down here and that’s it.” He pushed a toe into a chunk of something on the ground. He looked over at Laura, his eyes worried. She nodded. “Geez.” Max stepped away, and something clinked under his foot. “Ah,” he reached down, picking up the key and holding it high. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You don’t have to ask me again,” Laura leaned forward, letting Max unlock the chains on her wrists. “Why do you let me do this?” Laura complained, and Max huffed.
“I wanted to wait this out!” He squeaked, and Laura breathed out a laugh. “Here honey,” He lowered his shoulder, and Laura reached over his neck, leaning her weight into him. She let her head rest against his chest for a moment, listening to his heart. He reached over and touched her cheek, rubbing his thumb gently across her fresh bruise. She leaned into his hand and closed her eyes.
“What would I do without you,” Laura hushed, and Max smiled.
“Probably not get into any trouble.” Max began slowly walking to the door, and Laura limped along with him. They reached the door, and Max pulled on the latch. “So are we still going to try and find that ghost?” Laura smirked, and Max had his answer.