Someday ignoring a problem was going to work.
Then those little scratches were accompanied by the teeniest cry. At first, I was sure that I imagined it. Yet, whatever it was, they were persistent, and those tiny cries became more of a desperate yawl.
We better not have mice.
Muting the TV, I tiptoed through the house trying to locate the source. It didn’t help that every other floorboard groaned under my weight. As I approached the backdoor, it became apparent that the cries were actually more of meows. Cracking the door with caution, I wasn’t too sure that the only thing behind this door was an innocent cat.
For once it was nice to be wrong. There pacing on the threshold was a tabby colored kitten. Cocoa colored stripes covered his fluffy coat. Where had this surprise come from? My guess, he was a wittle-bitty lost farm kitten. Poor fellow.
It was at least a mile to our nearest neighbor. I didn’t even consider them neighbors, it was that far. I couldn’t believe he traveled the distance by his lonesome. His sad green-yellow eyes looked up at me, and he gave another pitiful meow. I bent down to pick him up, and the scamp darted down the steps. What a little pooper.
Biting my lip, I debated going after him. In the end, I knew I couldn’t leave him out in the cold. Evening was approaching right around the corner, and he would probably freeze to death if I didn’t offer him shelter for the night. It was going to be one of those cold ass nights where you could see your own breath. Tomorrow I would take him into town and see if anyone was looking for him.
Now, I just had to catch the stinker.
I took a quick peek next door just to make sure I wasn’t under lockdown. There was a driveway of cars parked next door. They were apparently having some kind of Divisa powwow, which I hadn’t been invited too. Not that I wanted to be involved in their half-demon politics. Though I half expected someone to pop behind me and scold me for sneaking out past curfew.
Cutting across the slightly damp grass to the edge of the woods, I kept my eyes glued on the kitty. He turned his head up at my approach, eyes glinting off the half-moon that shone through the branches.
“Hey little guy.” I slowly crouched closer to his level. He watched me intently, looking ready to run. “Come here, kitty, kitty,” I coaxed in baby talk and held out my hand.
We never had pets growing up, so I wasn’t even sure if this kind of thing was effective. I inched forward and he dashed just inside the one place I wasn’t very keen about entering.
“Seriously,” I muttered in aggravation and regretted not grabbing a hoodie. The last thing I wanted tonight was to be chasing a stray kitten through the woods.
I knew that I shouldn’t follow the little rascal into the woods, but I couldn’t help myself. He was lost and alone. He needed my help. A little farther into the forest wouldn’t hurt. It was not like I was miles away. I could still see my house in the distance. Straightening my shoulders, I took a deep breath and crossed into the place of my nightmares.
A chilly gust of wind lifted my dark hair and sent a shower of brownish dead leaves shimmering around me. An eerie shiver shuddered through me, skirting down my spine. Just like my spooky old house, there was something dark and forbidden living in these woods. Not just the hounds from hell that roamed at twilight, not just the lower demons sent to cleanup. Or maybe it was all of that and more. Blood had dripped on the forest floor of needles and crumbled leaves. Creatures and humans hunted in here. Maybe it was that these woods had seen more than I could wrap my mind around.
Letting out a nervous laugh, I realized how incredibly silly I was being, working myself into a tizzy. Moving forward, I spotted the nuisance not too far in front of me. It was time for a new approach. Cautious be damned. I marched right up to the rascal, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and–
The snapping of a twig sent my heart in a downward spiral. My heels dug into the partial frozen dirt as I stood and spun in wild circles, searching. The furball forgotten and my own instinct for survival kicked in. Though I could see no one, I knew I was no longer alone in the trees. A ghostly silence hit the air, and the only sound was the quickened rise and fall of my chest.
I never saw it coming. Never new was lurking about, because at that moment a wet rag was pressed against my mouth and nose from behind me. I opened my mouth to scream, Chase’s name on the tip of my tongue – a fatal mistake. No sound came out, and it was followed by the smell and taste of a pungent odor. Frantic, I fought but in seconds my limbs refused to obey my brain. Heavily, I felt myself sink into oblivion.
My eyes lost focus, blurring the forest into a muddle of colors. There were voices behind me, smothered from recognition.
Then everything went black.
Chapter 21