large, healthy cat, with long grey
hair, and green eyes.
“Whiskers?” Cody asked.
“Not possible,” Scott replied, with
uncertainty.
The cat sat perfectly still on the landing at
the top of the stairs, glaring at them with glowing green eyes.
Cody jumped and screamed, dropping the
flashlight, only this time, the light didn’t reflect off of the
walls, allowing them to see where it landed. Either the switch had
been bumped to the off position, or the light had broken. They
prayed it was only the switch.
In total blackness, they dropped to their
knees, frantically searching with shaky, unsteady hands.
“Why did you drop the light?”
“Something bumped the back of my leg!” Cody
replied.
“That’s not possible; the cat was still at
the top of the stairs”
“It was something else. I need to get out of
here!”
Cody was losing it, and Scott was terrified
at the thought of what shared the dark basement with them.
Running his hand along the floor, Scott felt
his pinky bump something hard, and then it rolled away. The
flashlight! Moving in the same direction, he was able to grip
the handle of the light. His thumb found the switch. Thank
God! The light still worked.
They both jumped to their feet. Scott quickly
scanned the area around for whatever it was that bumped into
Cody.
There was nothing in the area that he could
see, so they shot the light up to the top of the stairs. The grey
cat was no longer perched on the landing.
Scott quickly walked into the living room and
shined the light on the fireplace. The black lifeless feline corpse
was gone.
Loud footsteps quickly faded up the stairs.
Scott turned the light to where Cody was standing, but he was
gone.
“Cody! Come back!”
The door leading to the kitchen slammed, then
pounding footsteps raced across the ceiling above his head. Scott
followed up the stairs, and before he could reach the kitchen door,
he could hear the old screen door slam shut. Scott bolted through
the house, headed for the exit.
Upset that Cody had abandoned him, Scott
could feel rage overwhelm his feeling of fear.
He exploded out the front door, tearing the
screen door off of its hinges. Nearly unloading a violent
explicative onslaught of words that rarely escaped his mouth, Scott
was stopped by the site of a grown man sobbing, with his head
buried between his knees.
Now composed, he asked Cody if he was all
right.
“No, I’m not all right.” Cody labored to say.
“My heart is pounding out of my chest. I can’t breathe.”
“You’ll be okay. Let’s go back to the car and
rethink this whole thing.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sitting in the car, and contemplating what
their next move should be, Scott and Cody stared at the house with
mixed emotions.
They had gotten a late start on their road
trip, which placed them at the house at dusk—too late to start an
effective search.
The condition of the neighborhood was a shock
to both of them, especially Scott, who believed there would be
occupants still in the house. The vacant rotted lot where he once
lived did however make it easier for them to access; they didn’t
need permission to enter.
Another problem looked them in the eye—they
found themselves in the midst of unwelcome guests—guests that
although would normally seem harmless—startled them to the point
where reentering the house at night was not a viable option.
Concerns sprouted in Scott’s mind: temperatures are likely too cold to stay in the car. We don’t
have enough gas to leave it running all night, so the car heater is
out of the question. If we opt to set up camp in the home, we take
the chance of running into more unwelcome surprises, and renting a
motel would chew up the funds set aside for fuel and food.
“What now?” Cody asked.
“Well . . . we either layer up with blankets
and clothing and sleep in the car—or we set up camp in my room like
originally planned. I have a propane heater,
hair, and green eyes.
“Whiskers?” Cody asked.
“Not possible,” Scott replied, with
uncertainty.
The cat sat perfectly still on the landing at
the top of the stairs, glaring at them with glowing green eyes.
Cody jumped and screamed, dropping the
flashlight, only this time, the light didn’t reflect off of the
walls, allowing them to see where it landed. Either the switch had
been bumped to the off position, or the light had broken. They
prayed it was only the switch.
In total blackness, they dropped to their
knees, frantically searching with shaky, unsteady hands.
“Why did you drop the light?”
“Something bumped the back of my leg!” Cody
replied.
“That’s not possible; the cat was still at
the top of the stairs”
“It was something else. I need to get out of
here!”
Cody was losing it, and Scott was terrified
at the thought of what shared the dark basement with them.
Running his hand along the floor, Scott felt
his pinky bump something hard, and then it rolled away. The
flashlight! Moving in the same direction, he was able to grip
the handle of the light. His thumb found the switch. Thank
God! The light still worked.
They both jumped to their feet. Scott quickly
scanned the area around for whatever it was that bumped into
Cody.
There was nothing in the area that he could
see, so they shot the light up to the top of the stairs. The grey
cat was no longer perched on the landing.
Scott quickly walked into the living room and
shined the light on the fireplace. The black lifeless feline corpse
was gone.
Loud footsteps quickly faded up the stairs.
Scott turned the light to where Cody was standing, but he was
gone.
“Cody! Come back!”
The door leading to the kitchen slammed, then
pounding footsteps raced across the ceiling above his head. Scott
followed up the stairs, and before he could reach the kitchen door,
he could hear the old screen door slam shut. Scott bolted through
the house, headed for the exit.
Upset that Cody had abandoned him, Scott
could feel rage overwhelm his feeling of fear.
He exploded out the front door, tearing the
screen door off of its hinges. Nearly unloading a violent
explicative onslaught of words that rarely escaped his mouth, Scott
was stopped by the site of a grown man sobbing, with his head
buried between his knees.
Now composed, he asked Cody if he was all
right.
“No, I’m not all right.” Cody labored to say.
“My heart is pounding out of my chest. I can’t breathe.”
“You’ll be okay. Let’s go back to the car and
rethink this whole thing.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sitting in the car, and contemplating what
their next move should be, Scott and Cody stared at the house with
mixed emotions.
They had gotten a late start on their road
trip, which placed them at the house at dusk—too late to start an
effective search.
The condition of the neighborhood was a shock
to both of them, especially Scott, who believed there would be
occupants still in the house. The vacant rotted lot where he once
lived did however make it easier for them to access; they didn’t
need permission to enter.
Another problem looked them in the eye—they
found themselves in the midst of unwelcome guests—guests that
although would normally seem harmless—startled them to the point
where reentering the house at night was not a viable option.
Concerns sprouted in Scott’s mind: temperatures are likely too cold to stay in the car. We don’t
have enough gas to leave it running all night, so the car heater is
out of the question. If we opt to set up camp in the home, we take
the chance of running into more unwelcome surprises, and renting a
motel would chew up the funds set aside for fuel and food.
“What now?” Cody asked.
“Well . . . we either layer up with blankets
and clothing and sleep in the car—or we set up camp in my room like
originally planned. I have a propane heater,
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