Chapter Text
There was nothing quite as soothing to Renee as the sound of a violin as it made beautiful music. She preferred it slow and somber, even a bit depressing at times. It filled her with a sense of peace and tranquility that she could not find elsewhere. The doctor told her it was good for her, which was an added benefit. She needed it now, she needed to keep her nerves calm and soothed as she played on.
She had played terribly when she first came here, but months with little better to do had brought marked improvement to her playing, at least enough for her to truly enjoy herself. Her eyes were closed as she concentrated on making the melody that she desired. Most of the time she played music made by others, but every so often she would play something of her own making. This was one of those times.
It was working. She was becoming calm, relaxed. It helped her find peace and solace from the chaotic storm that so often surged within. For now, the storm was kept at bay.
She had played for some time now, perhaps a couple of hours. Even she grew tired eventually, lowering the violin before leaning back against the wall. Her eyes closed and she just took in the sounds echoing around her. There was one sound in particular that she found comforting.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The ticking of the clock was her constant friend, an ever present companion in this place. It was steady and dependable, never once having gone even a minute fast or slow over the last few months. Sometimes she found herself counting the seconds, staring blankly into space as each ‘tick’ echoed through the chamber of her mind. It was not maddening. Far from it. She found it soothing, relaxing, much like the music she could play. When she was too tired or drained to play the violin, she would just sit and listen to the clock tick. It took her mind off of what so often bubbled and simmered beneath the surface.
She heard another familiar noise, the sound of metal being pushed open. The door had a slot in it that could only be pulled open from the other side. A familiar snout poked its way through the slot, though little more than the tip of the nose could go through. “Room service!”
Renee did not move. She didn’t need to, she was already at the far side of the little room that was her home. It was nothing elaborate. There was a bed, a desk, a drawer for her clothes, and little else. It was adequate. The door opened and a canine entered, a husky that was bigger than her. He looked around the room, ensuring that everything was as it should be before smiling at her. “Good evening, Miss Geks. Feeling okay today?”
She studied him for a while before nodding her head meekly. “Yes.”
Satisfied that there was nothing unusual or wrong about the room, he returned his attention fully to her. “It’s the big day tomorrow, isn’t it? We’ll sure miss when you’re gone. I’ll miss you.”
“Yes.” She said again. She took a deep breath before offering him a soft smile. “You’ll...you’ll understand if I don’t miss this place quite so much, won’t you?”
“Ha!” He let out a boisterous chuckle, which echoed through the small room. His ears pinned back, and he lowered his voice immediately afterward. “Of course, Miss Geks. I’d think it odd if you felt otherwise.” He exited the room, then pushed in a little cart with a variety of covered trays on it. “I understand you didn’t eat tonight. That won’t do! Yours is on the bottom and far left. Hope you like it! I guess it’s a last meal of sorts, eh?”
Renee rose to her feet and approached the cart, reaching for the indicated tray. He had each and every tray marked and labeled. Most of them had gone to the cafeteria, but he had a few left for those who had chosen to remain in their rooms. He had a special place for each and every dish, sorted by name and even the precise route that he took each evening. He was a very efficient individual.
After taking the tray in her paws, she lifted up the lid to find a variety of berries and nuts, marinated with a cream sauce and stuffed into mashed potatoes. It looked delicious, mouth watering even!
“My favorite…” She murmured.
“Mhm. You may not think of this place fondly, but we want to at least make your last night here special before you go home. That’s a very special day, you know. Going home.”
“I know.” She offered him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Mr. Boheltir.”
“Ryan.” He gently corrected her. “As I’ve said before, please call me Ryan. Mr. Boheltir is just so….formal.”
“Of course, Mr. Boheltir.” She stated, keeping her expression deadpan.
He stared at her for a while, then chuckled again while keeping the sound much softer than the last time. “You know what? You are a troublemaker sometimes.” He shook his head and made a clucking sound with his tongue before wheeling the tray away from her. He paused at the door. “You know…” He turned his head to regard her for a bit. “I really will miss you. You’re nicer than some of the staff here. You play beautifully, too. I could listen to you play the violin all day.” She blushed at this, turning her head away from him as her cheeks turned red. Encouraged, he pressed on. “And I never once thought you were crazy. I’m just an orderly, but I can tell. I think it’s awful what happened to your hus-” He shut his mouth even as the words started to leave, his ears drooping as he looked at her. He no doubt noticed the way her bushy red tail curled about her belly, and the way she hugged it against herself the moment he had started to say those words. He shook his head, wincing as his tail went limp behind him. “Sorry about that. You have a good life, Miss. Geks. And if you need anything, you give us a call, okay? We’ll be here. I’ll be here.” He gave her a little wave, then pushed the meal cart out of the door, letting the door fall shut behind him.
She stared at him blankly as he left. She knew what he was implying, or rather what he was offering. She knew for a long time that he had a crush on her. If circumstances were different, maybe she would have been more agreeable to the idea. She wasn’t sure if he was even allowed to date a patient, but once she was out it wouldn’t have mattered.
Not that it mattered anyway. He was sweet and genuine, she liked him. She just wasn’t interested in him in that way. For that matter, she wasn’t interested in anyone. There was only one who had captured her heart, and no matter what happened, it would always belong to him.
She was not a fast eater, and it took her a long time to finish, even if it was one of her favorite meals. Once she was done, she placed the tray on the little table in the room. Ryan would pick it up later, as he most always did. She was finished for now.
More time passed, then there was a knock on the door. It opened to reveal an otter that Renee was familiar with, one of the nurses on staff here. “Doctor wants to see you. Looks like it’s the last time you’ll be seeing him officially, unless you go crazy overnight.” The nurse snickered to herself, then turned away. “Come on, let’s go hon.”
Renee meekly followed, moving quickly in order to catch up before setting a pace just behind the nurse. She kept her head bent forward and her eyes to the ground. Most of the other patients were in the recreation room, enjoying the time they had before lights out. It had been Renee’s idea to stay in her room during this time. She didn’t really want to be around any others right now, except for when it was necessary. Seeing the doctor was necessary.
She was led past the recreation room, then the library, then the cafeteria. They then arrived at the doctor’s private office. It was a fairly simple room, with a fine oak desk in the center and a few certifications and degrees hanging on the walls behind the desk. There were a couple of book cases filled with medical journals and encyclopedias. There was also a family painting on the wall to the side. A fancy painting, one that had likely been commissioned and created by paw for a high price . She wondered how much it had cost. There was another clock in this room, a fancy grandfather clock in the back. It too was kept in perfect order. The doctor seemed to like his clocks.
Sitting at his desk was the doctor himself. He was a middle aged dog with sand-colored fur, a golden retriever. He always wore glasses when she saw him, this time was no different. He was typing something on his computer, finishing up some project or another he was working on. The dog glanced up at her as she entered. “Ah, Miss Geks.” He gestured to the chair in front of her. “Please, sit down.” He glanced at the otter behind her. “Thank you nurse, that will be all.”
“Yes doctor.” The nurse turned from Renee and left the room, shutting the door behind her. It was just Renee and the doctor now.
“So. Miss Geks. How are we feeling tonight?”
She was quiet for a while before answering softly. “I...am feeling fine, doctor. I’m….I’m just happy to be going home.”
“Indeed. You’ve passed all the tests, you’ve spoken with the evaluators. I see no reason for you to remain here, as it is my professional opinion that you are quite sane and fit to return to society at large.” He pulled out a file from his desk drawer, rifling through it before withdrawing the document with her name on it. There was a picture of her on the inside. She looked terrible when that picture had been taken. Her red fur was matted and unkempt, her ears and tail drooping, her eyes were sunken in as she stared into nothingness. She was told that she hadn’t had a bite to eat in several days beforehand. She didn’t remember that picture being taken; she didn’t remember anything about those first few weeks. It was all just a blur, a blind spot in her head. Like a faded dream that had also been blocked for good measure.
“You’re certainly much better than when you came here.” It was as though he read her mind. Perhaps he had seen her look at the picture. “And I have personally vouched for your mental state. My colleagues and I all agree that you are ready.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back, studying her. “The only question that remains is do -you- think you are ready?” He leaned forward after asking this, resting his elbows on the table and keeping his paws just below his chin. “You’ve been here for ten years. I think it’s time you rejoin the world beyond these walls, but if you do not believe you are ready, we can extend treatment for a little while longer. I would not wish to drop you back into Zootopia unprepared.”
She was quiet for a while, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. There was a whirlwind of emotion tearing through her mind, emotions that she did not wish to share with him. After a while, she calmed down enough to speak. “I believe I am ready. I am grateful for all your help, Dr. Pawson.”
“Certainly.” He offered her a faint smile, then looked down at her file. After studying it for a bit, he started to tap one particular part of it with a single digit, four times in succession. “There is one matter I must address, a question I must ask. Know that I do not wish to hurt you with this question, but I cannot in good conscience allow you to leave without being assured of the truth.” He looked up, staring at her long and hard before asking the next question, one that she anticipated and braced herself for. It still felt like a blow to her gut. “You have...made peace with the situation regarding your husband?”
Again, Renee had to focus in order to keep calm. It was a sensitive subject for her and they both knew it. He didn’t care that she thought it was sensitive; he cared whether she might lose control of herself; of slipping back into the raw pain, despair, and…
And rage.
Still, she had practiced for this. She had practiced often, as often as she could. It had paid off too. She managed to offer him a quiet smile, one that spoke of the true sorrow that dwelt within her without betraying anything deeper or more disturbing. A little sorrow on her part would not alarm him. In fact, it would probably make her seem more ‘normal’, at least based on what he knew of her and learned about her since they had met. “I…” She hesitated, taking another breath before proceeding. “I am. It’s….it’s difficult. I won’t pretend it’s not. But I...I think I’m ready to move on. I’m going to try. I’m going to do the best I can.”
“That’s exactly what I hoped you would say. And I believe you mean it.” He nodded at her, then scribbled something in her file. After scrawling something illegible in there, he continued. “Of course, you realize that your old home has been repossessed and most of your possessions sold. Your family attorney will get in touch with you tomorrow after you’re released. You’ll likely need to find an apartment until things are sorted. I fear I have heard nothing from your family, they’ve all left Zootopia and I haven’t been able to get in contact with any of them. I have tried.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair again, watching her after pushing up his spectacles. “You’re going to be on your own, and that’s not going to be easy for you. I have to ask again, are you sure you are ready?”
“It is fine.” She stated simply, keeping her tone neutral. Her tail twitched once or twice behind her, but otherwise remained still. “I will be alright. I can handle myself.”
“Well, based on what I’ve seen of you here, I’m sure you can.” He offered her another smile, his arms folded across his chest. “I see no reason to detain you here any further. Your lawyer will pick you up tomorrow. He is the closest thing to family I was able to contact. And if your only family is a lawyer, well…I fear you might just be better off staying here.” He seemed to be making a joke, though Renee couldn’t tell if there were any truth to it or not. He might well mean the words, masking it with humor. It made no difference. She had plans now, plans that she had no wish to alter. It was time to go back to the city, whether family was waiting for her or not. “Again, I apologize for not being able to reach any of your immediate family for this.”
“It is not your fault.” She meant those words. After everything that had happened, everyone she and her husband knew and loved had abandoned them. In a sick, tragic way, it was almost funny. They had many friends, many close relatives. That’s what they had thought, anyway. How easily Renee was cast aside, how easily she and her husband were abandoned and forgotten. That was the true measure of friendship, she supposed. What someone was willing to do for you after you had fallen, after you reached desperate times.
It was amazing how few ‘friends’ she had when things got tough. Precious few had remained. That was part of the harsh lesson she had to learn and come to terms with over time.
“Anyway, I see no reason to detain you further, Miss Geks. I hope you rehabilitate well and…” He cleared his throat before continuing. “….I hope you find happiness again. I wish all my patients were as gentle as you. Of course, if I did, I doubt I would have a job for very long.” He smiled at her before waving her off. “You’ve got a couple of hours until lights out. Enjoy your last night here, Miss Geks. Remember, we are here for you.”
She bowed her head respectfully before rising to her feet. He reached towards her, and she carefully shook his paw. “Good luck.” He offered. That signaled the end of their meeting. After he released her paw, she turned away and walked to the door, opening and then shutting it behind her.
The nurse was back at her desk, and she glanced at Renee as she walked past. “Let me know if you need anything, hon. You should try to relax. I can bring you some medication if you need help sleeping.”
“No thank you. I should be fine.” Renee’s tail twitched a couple of times behind her before she asked, “Do you have gum? That helps me relax sometimes.”
“Sure thing hon. Just….don’t choke on it, okay? That’ll look bad on both of us.” The nurse reached for a pack of gum, pulling out a single stick before handing it to the vixen. Renee gave a quiet “Thank you.” before unwrapping it, popping it into her mouth, then setting off, intent on going to the recreation room.
There were a few other patients there. None of them were dangerous. The poor animals that were truly out of their minds were kept in padded rooms in a facility that could better deal with such cases. Everyone here was mostly normal, or at least close enough that they didn’t need to be guarded at all times. All of them suffered from some manner of mental or emotional instability. Some saw things or heard things that weren’t there. Some suffered from terrible depression or sharp, erratic mood swings, even displaying evidence of multiple personalities. Some of them had always been damaged, others had gone through some sort of breakdown before being admitted. When they talked in therapy, Renee found that most of them seemed to display some traces of whatever they suffered from at a young age, they just didn’t know it at the time. They didn’t recognize the signs or symptoms.
Renee had been that way. She’d always struggled to handle stressful situations, and she couldn’t manage without someone to depend on, someone she could open up to. A darkness had lingered deep within her, a quiet shadow of melancholy and despair. Those feelings and inadequacies faded when she was with someone she trusted and loved. She needed someone to bring her stability, she needed someone to keep the darkness away. Her husband had been that one for her.
Until he wasn’t.
She wasn’t going into the rec room to relax. She didn’t have any sort of recreation on her mind. She had come here with a purpose, with a plan. She had spent so long thinking of this moment, analyzing every possible angle she could think of. She was probably missing something, but the time was upon her. Ready or not, she would come.
She traced a single digit down a line of books toward the back of the room. They had a little library there. It wasn’t huge, but it still had a good number of books and shelves to hold them. She had been frequenting them for some time, but she had something other than reading on her mind.
She went to a section in the back corner, pulling out a book entitled “The Fascinating History of Paints and Dyes.” It was the single most boring book she had ever encountered, which suited her purposes just fine. She glanced behind her at the others. None of them were paying attention to her. Some were watching TV, some were playing board games. A few were allowed to use their electronic devices, like their phones or tablets, during rec hours. Few of them ever read any books. The few that did only liked fiction. They wanted to escape from their reality, and she couldn’t blame them. She wished she could too.
Opening the book, she flipped the pages until she found what she was looking for. She had hollowed out part of the book, tearing some of the pages away with her claws, ripping out some pages and simply burrowing a hole into others to make an indentation. Anyone who opened the book would discover her secret, but that was so unlikely to occur. It wouldn’t matter even if they did.
To anyone else, it would be like a tangled mess of tape, paper, and a couple of small clips; junk and nothing more. In addition to this, there were some ordinary disposable gloves which could stretch to the shape and size of a paw, within reason. She had gathered these things for quite some time. It hadn’t been easy. Things would become obvious if they went missing all at once. One piece at a time, though? Over the course of weeks and months? No one even noticed, and when they did they thought nothing of it.
She looked at her prize. It really wasn’t all that much, but if it worked, it was all she needed. The strange object of tape and paper and clips was for the door. Behind it, wedged in the back of the indentation she had carved into the book, was a key. She took that as well, though it would serve another purpose this night.
Once they were certain that she was mentally stable, they had allowed her to wear normal clothes again, at her request. After all, she was about to go home as early as tomorrow. There was no reason to be so restrictive. She was wearing a dark gray hoodie, one of fairly cheap but sturdy material with a drawstring that she could use to tighten the neck a bit. It was one tough drawstring, practically impossible to break. She had ‘lost’ a few of them until they had replaced it with one that satisfied her.
Her pants had proper pockets now, which was important for disguising what came next. She put all of the gathered objects in her pocket, careful to keep everything concealed. She closed the book and returned it to the shelf. She supposed someday someone might discover the book and how ruined it was. She hoped that when that day came, whoever found it would simply throw out the ruined tome without giving it any further thought or investigation. She didn’t think it would be found for a very long time to come. No one ever checked this part of the library, and it would be covered in dust if the janitor didn’t occasionally brush it with his duster. He did that once a month or so. Even he knew nobody cared about the library, certainly not that part of it.
It would have been preferable to hide things in her room, but that simply wasn’t an option. The rooms were inspected on a regular basis for anything out of place. Some of those staying here struggled with various addictions, and sometimes they would find a way to get something smuggled in. There was also the danger of self-harm, so rooms were checked to ensure nothing dangerous was in them. If she hid anything in there, sooner or later it would be found, no matter how clever the hiding place.
No one would ever suspect a book in the library.
Her heart was starting to race, as it was finally coming down to the moment she’d been bracing herself for. She had planned so much, yet there was still so much risk. There were a hundred things that could go wrong, but if she did everything right, well...it was a risk worth taking.
She lingered in the rec room for a while, less because she wanted to and more because she needed to avoid raising suspicion. She even stood with some of the others for a while, smiling and nodding politely as they spoke to her. They were thrilled for her, happy that she was leaving and hoping that they wouldn’t be far behind. She hoped so too. Everyone here was good at heart, no matter what troubles they faced in the world or in their own minds. They were not bad animals, not a one. They just had their own problems that they struggled with. Every animal had their demons. Some just had to struggle more than most against them.
As rec hours came to a close, she returned to her room, shuffling in before anyone came to check on her. As soon as she entered the room, she withdrew the mishmash of objects that she had stitched together. She carefully wove them together, twisting them and forming a single shape. She plucked her gum from her mouth, putting it right where it needed to be, in the center of the peculiar wrappings. Once it was done, she delicately placed it inside the latch where the door would shut. She had tested this more than once. Her first experiments had not gone well, and she only had one attempt per night if it failed. About two weeks ago, she finally managed to succeed in one of her attempts. She had to hope she could repeat her success tonight.
She backed away from the door, then sat down on her bed and waited. She hoped this worked. Even if it did, it was the first step of many. She knew this night would run long.
She heard footsteps approaching, familiar ones. She waited for Ryan to appear in the doorway. She had not shut the door, she did not want to risk it. He might notice that it hadn’t been latched and he might find the little makeshift doorstop she had made. “Hey, Miss Giks. I see you enjoyed your meal! And I heard you were socializing too! That’s great!” He stepped inside, grabbing the empty tray of food before giving her a smile. “It was good, right?”
“It was delicious. Thank you.” She leaned her head back, closing her eyes as she rested her upper body against the wall. “It was an excellent last meal.”
“I probably shouldn’t have put it like that earlier. As I think about it, it makes the situation sound just a little bit ominous.”
“Mm, I suppose you’re right about that.” She studied him for a while before tilting her head. “You will stay late tonight? Will I see you in the morning?”
“Oh, it’ll be the usual for me. I’ll be asleep by the time you’re up. I’ll be keeping an eye on things here ‘til morning. Nothing too exciting.” After a moment’s silence, he added, “I’ll check on you in a couple of hours when I make my rounds.”
“I’ll be here.” She smiled at the husky. “I promise.”
“Now that’s a promise I don’t you could break even if you tried.” He chuckled before turning away from her. He didn’t leave the room though. He stood there with his back to her, rubbing his neck before turning around with a somewhat sheepish smile on his face. “I, uh...sure am going to miss you, Miss Geks.”
“Yes. I will miss you too. In case I don’t get to tell you later, I hope you have a safe trip home. I have heard it will be raining tonight.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m always careful on the road. I am the opposite of a reckless driver.” He should have left by now, he was always brief as he had other duties to attend to. For some reason, he was lingering tonight. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Um, just so you know, Miss Geks? The, uh….the violin.”
“Yes?” She tilted her head. “What about it? Is it disturbing anyone? I can always-”
“Oh no no no no!” He waved both paws in front of him in a frantic gesture to indicate how he felt. “Not at all! Your playing is lovely. Too lovely! We’re going to miss hearing it. But I think others should hear it too, so….” He cleared his throat, shifting back and forth a bit before bringing himself to continue. “I’ve already cleared it with the boss. The violin’s yours now. You can...you can do what you want with it.”
The vixen stared at him, her mouth dropping open. This had come as a complete shock to her! “Ryan, you don’t have to do that! I know it’s’ expensive, it’s a fine instrument! I wouldn’t want you to-”
“Too late, it’s done.” He lifted his head, looking quite pleased and proud of himself. “You’ll have to take it home, as there is a VERY strict policy here about not leaving any personal effects behind. I’m afraid you’ve got no choice. We’ll buy another one sooner or later.”
“But you’ve said that money is tight around here.” She argued. “You’ve said yourself that you don’t have enough staff, that you have to do a lot more than your job details because the institute can’t afford to hire more animals.”
“That’s true, but...I think it’s worth it.” His expression was intense and sincere as he gazed upon her, clearly meaning every single word he said. “And the doctor does too. You can take it in the morning. No one else plays it anyway. It ought to do some good, and I think it’ll be good for you.” He turned, gave her one last smile, then waved to her. “Have a pleasant sleep, Miss Geks. You’ve got a big day ahead of you.” With that, he shut the door behind him.
She was so shocked at the gift they had given her that she was almost too distracted to listen for the noise that was to come. She shook her head, refocusing just in time. This was it, the moment of the truth. The door went into place as it always did, and it tried to latch. It wasn’t enough for the door to simply not latch. It was important that the husky -thought- that it had latched into place. There was a loud click emanating from the pins that she had placed inside the latch. It didn’t sound exactly like the door latching, but it sounded just close enough that it might fool him. She waited in anticipation, hardly daring to breathe. Any moment now he might open the door and check the latch, wondering why it had sounded off or the door hadn’t felt secured when he closed it. Her heart hammered in her chest, so loud that she could barely hear over the thunderous thumps.
The door stayed shut. She heard his footsteps as he moved away. She let out a breath, not even realizing that she’d been holding it for as long as she had. That was stage one. It may not have been the hardest part of her plan, but it was the start of something momentous, something that she had been scheming and dreaming of for many months now.
She felt bad about Ryan. Here he was being so thoughtful to her, and now he had gifted her that beautiful instrument she valued so much. Her questions this night had been a deception. She simply needed to know if he was working through the night as he usually did, which he had just confirmed. This meant that his vehicle would remain here. Now she knew this for a certainty.
It pained her to take advantage of him like this. It wasn’t just the deception that made her feel bad; It was the fact that she had stolen his car key weeks ago, managing to slip it out of his pocket without him noticing. He had searched frantically for it over the course of several days before finally having a replacement made. She felt terrible about it, as it was a few hundred dollars to make a duplicate key. She would have to find a way to make it up to him later! She swore it! He was too nice and didn’t deserve to be taken advantage of. She’d pay him back.
Assuming tonight went to plan, of course. Ryan had been right, she had a big day ahead of her. What he didn’t realize was that she had a big night planned too.
It didn’t take long for the lights to go out. She had to wait about five minutes or so before the halls went dark. She had no doubt that plenty of the other patients were still awake. The nurse had likely gone home, and the orderly had just finished his inspection. Just another few minutes and the place would be mostly clear. She would still need to be careful, but she knew she could do this.
She’d gone over this plan hundreds of times. She had investigated every single inch of the facility whenever she had the chance to slip in somewhere without being caught. She was good at that. Her husband had taught her a few things about going to places you weren’t supposed to be and not attracting attention to yourself. She certainly appreciated those lessons now.
She cracked open the door, peering out into the darkness. Some of the patients in the other rooms near her were snoring already, others were talking quietly to themselves or just remaining entirely silent. Her ears flitted up, on full alert as she listened for every single sound that might come from around her. Ryan was talking with somebody, another member of the staff. Discussing some final details before parting, she supposed. The conversation ended and both of them departed, going somewhere else in the facility.
The mental hospital was grossly understaffed and underpaid, and they didn’t have enough people to do all the jobs that they needed to do. Therefore, Ryan had to tend to some other duties during the night, including janitorial work for some of the offices and other areas of the facility, not to mention acting as a night watchdog. This left Renee with some time before he would check on her and the other rooms. Two hours on the dot. As she looked up at the big clock on far wall of the hallway, its numbers illuminated and glowing in the dark, she knew she had already used up ten minutes just waiting for things to quiet down. She couldn’t waste more time.
Once she knew that it was safe, she slunk out of her ‘cell’, then crept up the corridors, hunkering down on all fours and darting forward to avoid the ‘danger zones.’ She had spent the last few weeks memorizing the locations of the cameras and what their precise field of view was. She knew exactly where she could go and how to get there without them detecting her. It wasn’t a high security facility. None of the patients here were considered an active threat. Therefore, only a few essential areas had cameras, and she knew where those were.
As she skulked to the desk where Ryan had just been, she remained fully alert. Her heart was still pounding, though not quite as wild as it had been while she had waited for Ryan to shut her door. Upon reaching the desk, she ducked behind it, keeping her head low. She had to be fast, silent, and unseen.
She had managed to get her paws on a few bobby pins over the last while. She had started to practice with some simple locks when she found opportunity. Again, she had months to plans this, and she had practiced for just as long. Her husband had shown her the very basics long ago, and now she was putting that knowledge to use. The lock on the bottom cabinet of the desk was simple and relatively easy for an experienced lockpick. As such, she knew it would not take her long to unlock the drawer.
She was right. It only took a pawful of attempts before she heard that satisfying clicking sound, that of the lock being undone. She reached into her pocket, pulling out the gloves and tugging them over her paws. They weren’t a perfect fit, but they’d be adequate. Now she could proceed without leaving obvious or discernible paw prints. Giving it a pull, she winced as the metal of the drawer groaned against where it was placed as it was tugged forward. She went very still, her ears raised up as she listened for any indication that someone else had overheard. The room was silent. No one had noticed.
Careful not to make any more noise, Renee slipped her paw inside the drawer. She felt around for a bit, her paw eventually seizing hold of a cold metal ring with a number of familiar shapes attached to it. She could not help but smile, her excitement growing. It was a spare key ring. It was unlikely anyone would notice it being missing for one night, let alone a couple of hours. Still, there was no need to be reckless.
Now that the keys were in her possession, she slid the drawer shut. Though she doubted anyone would check on it for the next few hours, she used the key to lock the drawer, just in case. She had what she needed. She sneaked away from the desk, creeping through the building. She followed the path that she had memorized, the one that would lead her to a back door, one that wasn’t guarded by either personnel or cameras.
There were no obstacles or unforeseen problems as she made her way there. She had multiple exit routes planned in case something was blocking her, and she had the keys to open any number of rooms in the facility. She knew exactly what each key was for and where it went. She knew how to avoid the cameras, which doors she should avoid and which ones she should slip through. She never ran into Ryan or anyone else on patrol, and she was able to evade all of the cameras. Her little stunt here would never work if this was a higher risk facility. That was one reason why she was doing this, because she knew that she could do it.
Now she needed to use the back door to get out of the facility. The door was locked, but she had the key. She held up the key ring close to her face. There were a dozen keys on the ring, and she had to find the right one. Her night vision was excellent, and while she could not see them as clearly as she might in the day, it didn’t take long for her to find the appropriate key and put it in the slot, turning the lock and pulling the door open. Stepping outside, she quickly shut the door behind her lest anyone indoors see or hear anything.
Next she made her way to the parking lot on the staff side. She walked quickly, keeping an eye out for his car. She knew what it looked like, he had described it to her in the past in a perfectly innocent conversation. She didn’t even have to ask him, she simply had to talk about the car she used to have, and he happily supplied the details of his own vehicle. It was green. It was also a fairly common brand of car, with models made for creatures as small as rodents to as large as wolves. They didn’t go bigger than that, though. It was not a fancy or expensive car, but a reliable one. He didn’t have the salary for anything expensive.
There was only one car that fit the bill, and she found it quickly enough. She approached it, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the car key she had stolen from Ryan. Putting it into the door lock, it turned without protest, allowing her to open the door and slip inside. She had to adjust the seat a bit, as the seat was farther back than was comfortable for her. Once she finished shifting the mirror, she started the car.
The rest was easy. There were no cameras on the outside of the building. There was a gate, but there was no guard. It was just an automatic gate that opened for anyone that might approach in a vehicle. It did so for her as she approached. It was time to drive.
One thing they did have that was useful in the mental institute’s library were the maps. They had a lot of maps, detailed maps of Zootopia. She now had to put her knowledge to the test. There was a specific place she was trying to get to. It was about a twenty minute drive or so, but might take longer considering how long it had been since she had been there and she was relying on maps to navigate. She hadn’t driven a car in at least nine months, and now here she was driving in a part of Zootopia that felt unfamiliar to her. What was more, it was a dark night. The city lights helped a little with that as she drew closer to the city’s heart.
She knew the address she had to go to, so long as the occupant hadn’t moved in the last few months. She’d checked the phone books, though had not dared to make a call. This needed to be done in person. She believed that the occupant was still the same as it was when Renee was first brought to the hospital. She didn’t know for sure. It was possible that she had moved out at some point, and she’d have no way of knowing that if it were recent enough of a move. Still, she had to take that chance.
What she was doing tonight involved so much chance. There were so many things that could go wrong, each of them spelling catastrophe for her and her plans. It didn’t matter. If she got caught beforehand, she could explain her way out of it without anyone realizing her true intentions. If she was caught afterward, well...at least it would be done. That was all that mattered. She would try, no matter the risk. She knew from the beginning that she was taking a terrible chance. She had accepted and come to terms with that.
She drove for a while, never quite getting lost but managing to lose her way a few times, taking a wrong turn before having to correct herself. The pouring rain made matters even worse. The night was dark, the rain was pouring, and visibility was limited. She could now be considered an inexperienced driver, considering how long it had been. She had to obey the laws, though. She could not draw any attention to herself whatsoever. If she were pulled over for any reason, that would be the end of it.
Fortunately for her, that never happened. The closer she got to her destination, the more that her memory of the place returned to her. With that growing sense of familiarity came confidence. She didn’t even need the map after a while. It had been nearly a year, but she still knew the neighborhood. She knew what the house looked like and now she knew where it was. After locating it, she had to find a vacant space that wouldn’t attract attention and wouldn’t get her a ticket of some kind. Any police involvement would ruin everything.
She found a spot eventually, a quiet corner that seemed abandoned. No one was parked there. It was out of the light and was unlikely to draw any attention. Keeping her lights off, she drove into place. She was grateful that the car was quiet. It shouldn’t wake anyone.
She took a deep breath, then turned off the car, removing the key. She sat there in her seat for a bit, the rain pattering against the windshield and roof of the car as she stared blankly into space. Was she really going to do this? She had told herself there was no going back, but she hadn’t actually done anything yet. Well, technically she had broken out of her room, stolen several keys, left the facility without telling anyone, and stolen a car, yet that was nothing compared to what was yet to come. She could still back out. She could stop right now and just turn around, drive back into the night. Get back to the institute and just pretend this never happened.
Even as those thoughts entered her mind, she dismissed them. She was only pretending that it was an option at this point. There was no choice here. She had been planning this for too long. It needed to be done. It had to be done! She was the only one that could do it! She could not afford to doubt herself now!
W
Her breathing was coming rapidly, and her heart continued to thump frantically in her chest. Her mouth was dry, and she struggled to control her breath. She was facing the beginning of a panic attack, and it was threatening to overwhelm her! Even if she believed she was absolutely justified in what was to come, she now was facing such an intense wave of panic! She couldn’t do this! She couldn’t do it! She….
Her handsome husband’s face appeared in her mind’s eye. She felt his touch around her, felt his muzzle against her neck as he told her he loved her. In that moment, the anxiety stopped. The fear disappeared. She felt….happy.
Then he was gone. He was no longer holding or hugging her. He had faded once more into a ghost of the past, a specter all but forgotten by the world. The happiness was gone. The anxiety was gone. She felt hollow inside. There was a deeper hurt inside of her now, a raw and gnawing pain that motivated her better than anything else had. Steeling herself, she opened the door of the car, stood up, then shut the door behind her.
She raised her hood to cover most of her head, with only her snout and whiskers sticking out. She tugged on the drawstring of her hoodie absently a few times. It moved easily, more so than it was designed to, half of it coming loose and tugging through one loophole of the hoodie. She’d done this several times since she got the hoodie in the mental institute. Now she was tugging it out of place again.
She was at the door now. This was not a rich neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination, but they weren’t apartment buildings either. Each of the houses here were small and modest, but owned by the occupants. None of them really stood out from each other. They had old faded paint, flat roofs, a few windows, and looked quite common and ordinary.
Renee needed a way in. The first thing she tried was to, obviously, simply open the door. It was locked of course, but she’d be a fool not to at least check. She went for the windows next, but they were all unsurprisingly latched and locked. She could try to lock pick the door, but she didn’t know the lock and it might be more complicated than the one at the institute. Besides, time was of the essence. There had to be another way.
She looked up and down the house, furrowing her eyebrows as she caught sight of the windows on the second floor. The ground floor windows were all locked, but what about the second floor? She would give it a try.
Using her claws, she climbed her way up the side of the house, using whatever leverage she could get to hoist herself further up. She was quiet about it, as quiet as she could manage. She had to make slow movements in order to stay silent, clinging tightly to the wall as she did so. She wasn’t an acrobat. It may not have been high up, but it was still quite an effort getting there. She hoped it was worth the struggle.
When she had at last climbed her way up to the second floor, her efforts were rewarded. The first window she tried was unlatched, allowing her to slip inside without any further fuss. That was a lucky break, but she would have found another way if it hadn’t worked out.
At last she was at her destination and inside. Now all that remained was to find the animal she was looking for.
It had been ages since she had last been in this house. It was both familiar and alien to her in the same moment. She had entered the guest bedroom upstairs, a small but well furnished room complete with a dresser, mirror, single bed, and everything to make someone feel at home. The houses didn’t look like much on the outside, but the interiors were quite cozy. They may not have been wealthy homes, but the inhabitants could hardly be considered ‘poor’. To own a house in Zootopia generally meant one was on the affluent side.
Creeping along as quietly as she could, she made her way through the guest room. The window she had entered was opposite the door, so she had to traverse the length of the room to reach the exit. Her paw fell upon the handle, and she gently twisted it until the door opened.
She opened the door with great caution, each movement slow and deliberate, remaining completely silent. When it was cracked just far enough, she squeezed herself through and closed the door behind her. She lowered her hood, uncovering her face and allowing her ears to spring free. They twitched and swiveled, trying to detect any other noise nearby. The house seemed to be silent.
She approached the door to the master bedroom, which was to her immediate right. The hallway was mostly empty, decorated only with an elaborate long red rug and a rubber plant standing against the far end of the hallway. Upon reaching the bedroom door, she paused and took a silent breath to calm her nerves, then slowly opened the door. It was time to finish this.
Just like the last door, she creaked it open just far enough for her to squeeze through, then shut it behind her. She was careful to make sure she didn’t fully close the door, leaving it open just a crack. The light was off, the room bathed in darkness. She crept toward the bed, already knowing what she would do. She’d use the pillow. Yes, that would do. It was crude and likely ineffective, but it would also be clean. Assuming it went well, of course.
She had reached the large double bed now. Her fingers curled as she began to clench her fists. Reaching for the sheets, she drew back the covers and found….nothing. There was no one in the bed. Renee just stared in shock, wondering what had gone wrong. The house appeared to still be lived in, there was still furniture and items that she remembered when she had visited last. Where was the occupant? Was she not home? Was she out somewhere? It had never even occurred to Renee that they might not be home at night. What a stupid mistake for her to make! She had simply assumed that the occupant would have the same life style as before. She closed her eyes, letting out a frustrated breath. That was it, then. She might as well just leave. She didn’t have the time to wait for someone to come home. It had all been for naught.
There was a clinking sound downstairs, accompanied by the pouring of liquid into a glass. The sound was distinctive, one that Renee recognized. She then remembered that her old friend had always been a bit of a drinker. Perhaps she kept to old habits even more than Renee had thought.
This complicated things. Renee had hoped to catch them dozing in bed, but now it seemed that the occupant was downstairs and pouring themselves a drink. They evidently were unaware of Renee’s presence, so that was something that still remained in the vixen’s favor. Still, how was she to proceed?
An idea came to her. It was an old idea, one that she had thought upon for so long. She had dreamed of doing it more than once, but always had deemed it too risky. It would be satisfying if it went to plan, yes, but it would also be incredibly daring and reckless. With the situation being what it was, however, perhaps she would have to do what she had secretly dreamed of doing in the first place. Confrontation.
Steeling herself, she exited the bedroom and made her way to the stairway. She descended with the same grace and care that she had put into everything else this night, arriving at the middle of the stairwell before turning.
Now she could see the downstairs area. Immediately ahead and to the right was the kitchen and dining room areas. The living room was straight ahead, complete with a television, couch, and a few books that were probably used for decoration rather than any reading. It was all quite modest, a home furnished with all the necessities and perhaps a little bit more.
None of that commanded her attention. What she noticed was a familiar figure sitting at the kitchen table, a vixen about the same age as Renee. She was a darker furred timber fox rather than red like her. She still looked as beautiful as Renee remembered. Her fur was luscious and well maintained, her body fit and healthy. She looked better than Renee did. A lot better.
The timber fox was holding a glass filled to the brim with red liquid, what Renee could only assume was wine. She couldn’t read the label of the bottle that had been placed on the table, but it looked to be a somewhat expensive kind, sporting a fancy label. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. Cheap wine could be dressed up as though it were an ancient and venerable vintage.
The dark vixen swirled the glass around a few times before raising it to her muzzle, downing the contents in one long swig. When she was finished with it (Which didn’t take long), she reached for the bottle to pour herself another glass.
Renee wondered just how long the other vixen had been drinking. She watched as she poured herself a drink, raised it to her muzzle, then tilted her head back before taking deep gulps, chugging it down in seconds. She’d pause afterward, closing her eyes and sighing before helping herself to another glass. It was depressing. It almost made Renee feel sorry for her. Almost.
“Hello Abby.”
Renee’s words were an abrupt disturbance of the silence that Abby was drinking in. Despite the situation, Abby handled it rather well. Then again, considering what Renee was planning, maybe it was more accurate to say that Abby was handling it very poorly, at least relative to her continued well being. She didn’t act alarmed or even surprised. She paused for a bit, slowly turning her head to regard Renee. Instead of gasping or yelling or giving any indication of alarm, the vixen simply stared before raising her glass and taking yet another drink. When she lowered it, the wine consumed, she spoke in a sluggish and somewhat slurred manner. “Well well well...wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again, darling. That makes...how long has it been?”
“Nine months.” Renee answered, keeping her expression neutral, staying in the shadows. It was a wonder that Abby even recognized her, considering how much she was drinking and how dark it was where Renee was sitting. Then again, both of them were foxes. Both of them could see rather well in the dark. Renee shouldn’t have been surprised at this.
“That long? Hmm. Feels like longer. A lifetime ago, dearie.”
In many ways, it was a lifetime ago. That one fateful night had changed Renee’s life forever. The old one had been utterly shattered and broken, the pieces so scattered and jagged that she could never hope to ever put it together again, certainly not as it once was. That moment was when her former life had ended.
She didn’t express any of that. She wanted to stay calm and in control. She didn’t want this moment to be tainted by rage or hate. She already had plenty of that. She wanted this to be done correctly, or at least as close as she could. “I’ve thought about you many times over the past few months, Abby. In fact, you’ve never been far from my mind.”
“Mmm. Not surprised, dear. You always did need me for everything, until he came along.” She didn’t need to elaborate. Renee knew exactly who she was talking about. “Speaking of needing me...how about a drink?” She rose to her feet, putting the bottle down on the table before walking into the kitchen. Her back was to Renee, and while it was a great opportunity to proceed with her plan, she didn’t want to just yet. She wanted to talk more first. In truth, it surprised her how little Abby seemed to care about Renee’s presence. Maybe Abby just didn’t consider her a threat. It was like Renee was so far beneath her that she just didn’t matter.
“Here we are.” Abby pulled a wine glass from the cabinet, then returned to the table, placing the glass upon the surface before pouring a healthy amount of wine into it. “Go ahead, have a drink. It’s...on the house.” She chuckled before pouring another drink, this one for herself. She downed it in a matter of seconds.
“I’m not thirsty, but thank you.” Renee said quietly. She stood up, then took a couple of steps forward into the light. “I came here to see you.”
“Oh, did you now? I never would have figured that out on my own. I thought you were just here to see the house. Or maybe looking for a bed to sleep in.” Abby rolled her eyes by way of response to Renee’s intentions. “You really should think before you speak, darling. Always did have that problem. You open your mouth, and you reveal what sort of fox you really are; your intelligence, your wit, all of it on display. Or lack thereof in your case. To think that we were once partners! Partners in crime.” She smirked as she poured herself another glass. “Quite literally, too. We were good together, even if I had to do all the heavy lifting. We were a team, you and I.” Her expression shifted, souring. “Until you abandoned me.”
“I did not abandon you, Abby. I...I wanted out.” The vixen explained, even though she knew that the other vixen would never understand or accept her reasoning. “I didn’t want to hurt people anymore. I didn’t want to take advantage of anyone. I never liked doing it in the first place!”
“Phah.” The vixen snorted and rolled her eyes. “You were fine until you met that...fox. I don’t know what he ever saw in you. There were plenty of other options available.”
“Like yourself.” Renee stated flatly. She knew that’s what the vixen really meant. She knew of Abby’s jealousy for what happened with Lucas, though it had never seemed so real as it did tonight. “Is that why you did it? Is that why you ruined everything for us?”
The other vixen shook her head chuckling. “Oh my sweet naive little Renee. You just don’t understand the ways of the world. Your husband had some bad habits. Pity that they come to light. It could have been avoided if he had just been more reasonable. He was bound to get hurt eventually.” She offered Renee a cold smile. “I didn’t make him take his own life. He did that all on his own. That sounds like a guilty fox to me.”
“He didn’t DO anything! What you said wasn’t true!” The vixen snapped, momentarily losing her composure as she slammed her fist against the nearby wall. She had nearly lost control of herself! After taking a deep breath, she managed to calm down.
Abby was watching her, smirking. “The truth is irrelevant, my dear. All that matters is what people believe to be true. People will believe almost anything if it looks or sounds convincing enough. You should have learned that by now.” She looked so smug, so sure of herself. She didn’t care what had happened to Renee or her husband.
“He never did anything to hurt anyone. It was your word against his, and no one listened to him or his side of the story!” Her expression softened, and she lowered her head as a dark wave of sorrow washed over her. “He couldn’t take it, you know. Everyone turned on us so fast, just based on what you said. There was no evidence, but it didn’t matter. We lost friends, even family. He lost his job! He felt as though he had lost everything. He felt so alone. I couldn’t….I couldn’t save him.”
Abby had no sympathy for her. Renee wondered if she had sympathy for anyone. She didn’t even seem to have a heart at all. “Well, I guess you know that the friends you lost weren’t really your friends then.” Abby chuckled again, taking yet another drink. “It doesn’t really matter if you ask me. He made his choice. He chose to marry you, he chose to make a living snooping around where he wasn’t wanted, and he chose the coward’s way out rather than fighting for...justice, I suppose. Or the truth, if you wish to believe that.”
It took everything she had not to lash out in fury at the other vixen, but she couldn’t do so, not yet. “You’ve always been a blackmailer. You’ve always had a way of extorting animals of their money or getting ‘evidence’ of what they may or may not have done. But why Lucas?” She felt a fresh sense of heartbreak inside of her as she remembered how dejected and miserable he had been. “Why did you have to hurt him? We were friends once! Were you…” She paused before asking a question that she already knew the answer to, regardless of how Abby might respond. “Were you just jealous of us? Was that it?”
“Hmph. Don’t flatter yourself. Why should I be jealous of what you had?” The vixen snorted before continuing, finally putting down her glass. “You were always so reliant on me when we were younger. I taught you everything you know, at least what you were smart enough to learn. I took you places, I taught you things. I was your friend. And how did you repay me?” She bared her teeth, glaring at Renee with narrowed eyes. “You stole the one that I wanted! You betrayed me and took him for yourself. After everything I had ever done for you!”
“I didn’t steal him!” Renee protested. “I never TRIED to take him away from you! He...he liked me. He asked me out, he wanted to get to know me better. I even tried to brush him off at first because I….” She closed her eyes, biting her lower lip. “….because I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You didn’t want to hurt me?” The vixen chuckled again and shook her head. “Well, wonderfully done dear. Truly you are an expert at managing relationships. You betrayed me, and then your husband killed himself. You really do seem to excel at ruining people’s lives, don’t you?”
Renee grimaced, hissing through clenched teeth. All the pain was coming back to her, all the hurt. Despite how much she hated Abby, the truth was she had asked herself that very question many, many times. Was it her fault? If she had been a better lover, if she had been a better fox, if...if she had done things right, maybe her husband would still be with her. She never would have ended up in the institute. She never would have found herself here, facing someone who was once her friend.
None of that mattered now. Everything from her former life was long gone. It would never return. It had all boiled down to a single choice, one that Renee had made long before this night. When she saw Abby drunk, there was a twinge of hesitation, a brief and fleeting moment where she thought that maybe she wouldn’t be able to bring herself to do what she planned to.
That hesitation was gone. There was only one possible outcome for this visit. The conversation served only to fan the flames of her hatred. She refused to lose control though. She would not give Abby the satisfaction. Instead, she steeled herself and looked Abby square in the eyes. “I’m going to kill you, Abby.”
For a brief, brief moment, Abby’s face registered surprise. It didn’t last though, no more than a few seconds. “You?! Phaw!” The vixen threw her head back and laughed. “You? Sweet little Renee that could never bring herself to harm anyone in her life, who could never stand up for herself and always needed another shoulder to rely upon. The innocent and naive Renee that simply didn’t understand the way the world worked.” She shook her head, snickering again. “Poor little Renee and her ignorance.” Her gaze hardened, and the two vixens now glared at each other before she continued. “Oh no, you’re not here to kill me. You’re here to try and justify your miserable existence. You were hoping for some sort of revelation, an ease to your conscience. You won’t find it here, darling.”
Renee grit her teeth. How could she say that?! How could Abby possibly think that Renee came here for anything other than revenge? What solace would she have taken in this visit? The sheer arrogance, the condescension! Even though her anger and hatred had bubbled and simmered within her ever since that day, somehow Abby managed to outdo herself, making the hatred seem even more justified than ever! She had practically admitted what she had done. She had been responsible for what happened. Lucas was dead, and Abby didn’t even care. He was just another tool to her, or would have been, just like so many others. She cared nothing for all the pain and misery she caused. She cared only for herself, as she always had.
Something snapped within Renee for the final time. She felt something inside her, something cold that rose through her belly and chest, beginning to take over. It was like she was watching someone else, barely able to direct her own words. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do, Abby. And I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other.”
“Now that I can agree with. Perhaps I’ll drink to the words later.” She got to her feet, shaking her head as she tried to clear her mind of the alcohol induced fog that was enveloping it. “Now get out of here, Renee. You’ve said your piece. Go back to your asylum, go lock yourself up with the other loonies and freaks. No one misses you out here. Go to the only home you have left. Go back to where you belong.” With that, she rose from her chair before turning her back on the vixen again.
Renee didn’t know what exactly Abby intended to do. Maybe she was getting up to get another drink, though the wine bottle was still half full. Maybe she was going to go to the living room, maybe she was going to stagger outside for a walk in the middle of the night.
It didn’t matter. Renee didn’t care any more. This was her opportunity. There would be no pity, no remorse, no guilt. It was time to act.
While the other vixen’s back was turned, Renee charged, leaping upon her as she withdrew the drawstring of her hoodie. Latching against the back of Abby, Renee brought the drawstring over the vixen’s head, then tugged violently, the material biting into Abby’s neck.
Abby fought back, bucking furiously against Renee as she was being strangled. Renee felt nothing, heard nothing. All she could think about was how much she wanted this, how much she wanted Abby to suffer and die for what she had done. She never loosened her grip on the makeshift garrote, which was just sturdy enough to do the job without breaking. She had seen to that.
The assaulted vixen gurgled and made strained choking sounds as she struggled to throw Renee off, but Renee wasn’t letting go, not even for a moment. She was slammed against the wall and the counter as Abby desperately tried to dislodge her. It did her no good. Renee’s adrenaline was pumping, and she could hear nothing but the strained grunts and choked gasps of her old ‘friend’. Abby’s strength waned as she crumpled to her knees, clawing at Renee’s paws and trying to free her throat. Her eyes rolled up, and she finally collapsed on to the floor, going limp.
Renee didn’t let go even after Abby went still. She continued to keep her grip on the drawstring, tugging it back against the other fox’s throat. A full minute after Abby had stopped moving, Renee finally relinquished her grasp, her grip loosening before pulling the drawstring away. She finally let go of Abby, breathing heavily as a result of the exertion.
It was done. After all those nights plotting and dreaming of her revenge, she had finally done it. Abby was dead. Her husband was avenged. And if she did everything right, no one would ever be able to connect Renee to any of this.
That thought reminded her of the time. She had spent more time here than she had anticipated. She hadn’t attacked Abby as quickly as perhaps she should have. She had indulged herself in conversation, wanting to be absolutely certain of what had happened. Abby had confirmed it to her with those last words. Granted, Renee knew before Abby had said anything. She knew that Abby was responsible, that she had knowingly made that horrible accusation just out of spite. To hear it come from her lips, for her to admit her jealousy and hate, was what Renee need to hear to see the task to its completion. She felt no regret and no guilt. Abby had gotten exactly what she deserved.
Now to cover her tracks.
Looking around, Renee realized the kitchen was in more than a bit of a mess. They must have struck the table during the course of the struggle. The wine had spilled all over, the body crumpled up not far away. One of the wine glasses had been knocked over and shattered upon the floor. Renee quickly checked herself, searching for any incriminating evidence that might be attached to her body. Everything seemed to be in order. Her clothes remained intact. She tugged the drawstring into her hoodie, setting it back into place.
When she looked down, she noticed that there were paw prints on the floor. The two of them had stepped in some of the spilled wine! She didn’t know which paw prints were hers and which were Abby’s, but she couldn’t take any chances. Going to the sink, she quickly found a towel and soaked it with water and cleaning fluid, careful to make sure that her gloves remained on at all times. She started to scrub at the floor, cleaning up any traces of the wine paw-prints. She then used another towel to wipe it dry. Good, no evidence there. She put the dirty towel in her hoodie pocket. She’d throw it out later in a place no one would find it. There wasn’t enough time for her to clean up the rest of the mess. She had avoided the broken glass and left the bottle lying in spilled wine. All she cleaned was the paw prints and wiping her feet to make sure she didn’t leave any more.
As she put the towel in her pocket, she realized that something was missing. There was no jingle of keys when she put her paw inside. The keys were missing! The entire key ring was gone! It must have fallen out during the struggle!
She looked around frantically, searching for any trace of the keys. She couldn’t leave them here, they’d learn where the keys came from sooner or later! It would be a dead giveaway, and Renee would be caught! Where were those keys?!
At last she spotted them. They had been thrown clear during the struggle, sliding across the floor and landing right next to a little air conditioning vent that went underneath the house. She dashed over to them, picking them up and stuffing them in her pocket after giving them a quick look over. She was running out of time! She believed everything was there, and she didn’t see anything else out of place. She had to get out of here!
She raced for the door, unlocking it before opening and shutting it behind her after turning off the lights. She didn’t care if the police knew someone had been here or whether the house was broken into or not. It didn’t matter what they thought. It would be all but impossible to trace it back to her. Even if they somehow found out that the killer had come from the institute, which she doubted, they would never be able to prove that she had ever left her room, certainly not with her door locked! As long as she didn’t screw anything up, she’d be fine. She believed that. She really did. Though there were little nagging doubts still in her mind….
This was not the time to let such doubts take over. She had done everything she could. As long as she stuck to the plan and remained calm, she’d be okay. She had to believe that!
She left the house behind her, returning to Ryan’s car and hopping in. Her paws were shaking now, and she could barely turn the key in the ignition. She tried to calm herself, but she had never been more anxious in her life. She felt a mixture of fear, exhilaration, and shock. She had never even considered herself capable of murder before tonight. She didn’t know what to think or feel about this. Perhaps it was best to try not to.
When she had enough control, she drove away from the house. There were no lights on in any of the neighbor’s homes. With luck, none of them had seen or heard anything. She had taken so many chances tonight. She just hoped that her luck held out. She just had to make it back home.
She soon reached the highway and found herself driving ‘home’ to the institute. Glancing at the time, she noted that she was cutting it close. Ryan would be at her room in minutes to check on her. She couldn’t risk speeding, though. She’d made enough reckless actions tonight. She needed to minimize any further complications.
Upon reaching the gate of the institute, she waited for it to open before driving inside. She kept her headlights off, as she didn’t need them to navigate here. She drove to the very spot she had found the car, turning and backing up into the space and leaving it exactly as she found it, removing the key from the ignition and exiting the vehicle.
Just before she shut the door behind her, she remembered the adjustments she had made to the seat and mirror. That had almost slipped her mind entirely! She hastily made the necessary adjustments, bringing the seat and mirror back to their original position, or at least as close as she could recall. When she was satisfied that it was done, she closed the door and pressed on. She had just a few more things to do!
Now she could move as quickly as she liked, and she sprinted forward. There was a large dumpster that was positioned near the back door of the building. Upon reaching it, she pulled out the towel she had used at the crime scene, tossing it inside. She then removed her gloves and did the same with them, as well as the old car key! She didn’t need that anymore, as she never intended to drive Ryan’s car again. He didn’t even know the key existed.
Well, everything was disposed of now, all the evidence, anything that could trace them back to her. They would be taking the garbage out tomorrow. It seemed almost funny to her that the most safe place she could put incriminating evidence was within fifty feet of her room. It was true, though! There was no safer place for her to put it.
Once that was done, she had to get inside as fast as possible. She unlocked a door, peeking in to make sure no one was waiting. She shut it behind her, then slinked her way down the corridor, avoiding the camera spots as she remembered them.
She was home free! All she had left to do was put the keys back in the desk and get back into her room. This long, dreadful night would finally have come to its conclusion, and she would be able to rest easy after so many sleepless nights.
She was about halfway to the desk when she heard someone whistling. Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening. It was Ryan! He was entering this wing of the institute! She was out of time!
She froze for only a moment, torn on what she should do. He was too close! If she tried to put the keys away, he’d see her before she got in her room! If she just tossed them over, then he’d find them in a place they’re not supposed to be, which would be very suspicious! If the police ever asked around, that would certainly be a piece of potentially damning evidence.
She could not put it back where she had found it. She couldn’t put it atop the desk or drop it to the floor or throw it somewhere. If she did any of those things, she’d either get caught right here and now or raise suspicion later.
There was only one recourse available to her. She sprinted for her room, putting the keys in her pockets as she moved as fast as she dared, still managing to remain silent despite her speed. She glanced behind her and saw Ryan entering the lobby. He wasn’t looking in her direction. He was looking at his phone, perhaps sending someone a text message as he approached the desk.
The vixen slipped her door open, slid inside, then pulled it shut, moving as slowly and quietly as she could so that the door did not make too much noise as it locked into place. She stopped just an inch before closing it entirely, as there was last piece of evidence to dispose of. Reaching for the latch, she removed her little ‘contraption’ that she had used to stop the door from locking into place earlier. She stuffed it into her pocket, now alongside the ring of keys. Her heart beat like a thundering drum, and her paws were so shaky now. She hadn’t even been this nervous when she was about to kill Abby. Maybe it wasn’t just the fear of getting caught. Maybe it was the adrenaline and tension of the entire night finally catching up with her.
It was done now. She could dispose of the makeshift doorstop later, that would not be an issue. She let out a relieved breath and stumbled backwards, falling into her bed. Crawling under the sheets, she lay on the soft mattress and just stared at the ceiling silently. She needed to calm herself, needed to relax.
How could she? She had just committed a murder. She’d never done that before. She’d never committed a crime before! She’d never lashed out at anyone for anything. Until tonight, that is.
There was more weighing on her now. She still had those keys. She didn’t know how often they checked that drawer, but sooner or later someone would open it and discover that the facility’s spare keys were missing. They might check tonight, or they might check in a couple of days or more. She had no idea when they would open the drawer! How would she get them back in? How would she do it in time and without anyone noticing? What was she going to do?!
Her eyes closed as she heard footsteps approaching. She was breathing heavier and harder than normal, unable to think clearly. A strong sense of panic was rising in her, threatening to consume her utterly. She was going to get caught! Maybe he already noticed the missing keys, maybe he checked that first! It was all over!
The little slot at the top of the door opened, and she could tell Ryan was peering inside. She could feel his eyes upon her, staring at and judging her. She should just confess. He knew. She didn’t know how, but he knew!
Before her paranoia was able to destroy her, a moment of clarity slipped through. She shifted on her bed, then grunted just loud enough for him to hear, as though she were moving in her sleep, perhaps having a dream. Ryan was silent for a bit, and that ever present paranoia whispered to her, telling her that he did indeed suspect. He was about to confront her any moment now!
The door slot shut and she heard footsteps as he walked away. No accusations, no threats, no confrontation. She could even hear the faint sound of him whistling out there.
This was the moment when she finally felt a sense of calm wash over her. Her heartbeat steadied, not thumping as wildly or as loud as it had just moments ago. It was over. It was over and she had done it. She had made it!
As far as everyone knew, she had never left the institute tonight. She had been locked in her room, as was standard for any patient here, and had the perfect alibi for the entire night. The anxiety was fading, though perhaps this was due to the immense weight of drowsiness that was now overtaking her.
Her adrenaline was fading and exhaustion was setting in. She’d been through a lot tonight. Her mind continued to dwell on all the things that could have gone wrong, all the things that might still go wrong. She cursed herself for the mishap with the keys. If she’d just gotten there a few seconds earlier, she would be fine! She would need to deal with that somehow. Had she missed anything else? Had she left behind some further evidence somewhere? Where would she go after this? What would she do? What kind of life would she have outside of this institute, her home of the last nine months?
She had no answers. The only response came from the steady ticking of the large wall clock overlooking the hallway outside her room.
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
The questions just surged back and forth in her mind like waves washing over a sandy beach, relentless and unending. Eventually her exhaustion overcame her, and her eyes closed. The steady ticking sound made her wonder if it was a countdown for her. Maybe her time was ticking. Maybe it was only just a matter of time before she was caught.
Before sleep took her, she murmured softly, talking to someone that no one else could see or hear. “It’s done, Lucas. It’s finally done….”
Would he be proud of her? Or would he be horrified? She did not know. She didn’t even know what she felt anymore. She’d spent all these months dreaming of her revenge, obsessing over it. Whatever joy she might have taken in knowing that justice was at last done was drowned out by her fear of getting caught, by the paranoia growing within her regarding any number of clues she may have inadvertently left behind. She had already made one mistake that she knew of. She easily could have made more.
She had thought she would feel immense satisfaction once the deed was done. She thought she’d feel happy. Failing all that, she thought she’d feel guilty.
She felt nothing. Nothing at all save for an overwhelming need to sleep. The questions and fears and misgivings kept tumbling around in her mind. Then, seemingly without reason, a sense of peace washed over her. Whatever might come of this, she did not feel regret. She was worried, anxious, but she had done what needed to be done. She believed that much at least.
Her thoughts grew more peaceful as she drifted to sleep.