Ian heard the familiar click and an unfamiliar meow. He looked at his feet to spot the Rodent sitting her on her quickly becoming half kitten half cat haunches. “How did you get out here? Is Ralphie teaching you his walk through walls trick?”
He considered leaving the demon outside, hoping something would drag it off for a midnight snack, but visions of having to explain to Ronnie that his precious cat disappeared made him change his mind. Ian shoved open the door and looked down at the cat.
“You may as well come in.” The cat didn’t bother to thank him for being a gentlemen and just walked inside the living room. Ian shut and locked the door in the dark.
It was quiet and black, only enough light to allow Ian and the spawn from hell to make their way to the kitchen. Ian heard crunching or scratching or something from the cat, while he poured bottled water in a cup and dunked in a tea bag. He pressed all the right buttons for the microwave and waited patiently for the little bell to go off.
As he opened the door and took out his now steaming tea, he saw the cat return to him from the corner of his eye. “Don’t be looking at me Rodent. You want entertainment? Go turn on the TV. I’m sure there must be something on Animal Planet or Fox News you’re sure to enjoy.”
Wrapped the tea bag string around a teaspoon and pulled until every last drop was squeezed from the bag. He added sugar, lots of sugar. “Okay, don’t go thinking this is any kind of bonding thing, but should I have kissed her? You know really kissed her?”
Rodie cocked her head and wrapped her tail around her body. Ian frowned. “What would you know?” He picked up his mug and walked through the still dark house. Rodie making every move he did.
Ian stopped at Ronnie’s room, door open, dark and empty. He leaned against the frame. “Well you might as well turn in varmint. I am.” He waited for the cat to jump on the bed and curl up as she usually did. “What are you waiting for?”
The cat looked up at Ian. Her little head turned to peer in the room, then back to Ian and blinked.
“Ronnie is spending the night with his friends. You remember them, the two little boys who kept yanking your tail and kept making you run for your life.” Ian thought about it. “I liked them. They should come back more often.” He looked down at the cat, unmoving.
Ian sipped his tea. “Fine. Sleep or not.” He took a step toward away, but turned back to the cat to issue a warning. “Just remember, if you use your little claws to slash my throat in the middle of the night, Ronnie will be back tomorrow and he won’t be happy about that.”
Rodie looked up at Ian and meowed.
“I miss him, too.” Ian leaned back against the doorframe and back down at the cat. “Fine.” He straightened back up. “You can sleep in my room…on the floor. Come anywhere near the bed and I’ll put on a pair of gloves and throw you off the balcony. Deal?”
The cat seemed to lead the way. Ian sipped his tea and walked down the wall of bedroom doors. As they sauntered in the dark past the last door, it drifted open.
Soft light from the bathroom gently illuminated the bedroom. Ian and the cat stopped and turned, attention drawn to forms in the room. Billy and Reece lay there, naked, entwined, covered in sweat.
Ian reached for the doorknob. “I’ll just shut this.” He said.
“Thanks, man. Must not have gotten it shut all the way.” Billy smiled, not moving a muscle.
“Uh huh.” Ian hoped it was dark enough for the lovers not to see the shock on his face or the fact that he could feel it turning beat red.
“Night, Ian.” Reese sighed.
“Yeah. ‘night.” Ian made sure the door shut all the way then quickly made his way to the stairwell. When they got to the landing he looked at the cat, still taking every step he did. “Let’s run upstairs and gouge our eyes out.”
He flipped the lights on to his bedroom. “Claim your space Rodent.” Ian grabbed the remote from the nightstand and pointed it toward the glass wall. With a simple touch the curtains performed their magic and disappeared. He sipped his tea and looked out in to space.
Tea cup in one hand, remote in the other he stepped to the glass and sighed. “Life is good.” A gentle tinkle captured his attention. He smiled at looked toward the wind chimes hanging outside in the corner talking to the slight breeze that touched them.
He saw light from the balcony across the way. Ian moved closer to focus on Kellen and Ralphie, safe in their own home. He noticed Kellen look up and over at his lights. He waved in case he could see him.
Ian saw Ralphie jump against the French doors from the inside. He looked like he was barking but couldn’t hear him. Ian smiled, then noticed Kellen rush the doors himself. He could swear he could almost hear Kellen shout his name.
The cat hissed and spit. Ian turned to see Rodie’s back arched on the bed.
“I said anywhere but the bed.” Ian tossed the remote on the nightstand and bent to smack at the cat in one motion.
As he bent he heard a strange sound and something just missed him. Glass shattered and began to rain all over the room.
At the door of his closet Ian saw a figure dressed in black from head to toe. Before he could react he saw a flash and more shattered glass rained down around him. The figure came at him.
Ian lobbed his steaming tea mug in the figure’s direction and darted toward the now open balcony. The man dived toward him, head butting Ian in the gut. Ian grabbed the man’s head, despite the breath being kicked from his lungs, and brought his knee into the man’s face as hard as he could. He heard cracking and pain shot through his leg.
The man fell backward but struggled up to stay up. Ian saw a movement at the door. They both turned and saw a very naked Billy in defense mode.
“Son of a bitch!” And Billy ran toward the figure. The figure managed to get up and Ian saw a gun pointed in his direction. Billy tackled him from behind and grabbed his hand. There was sound of another shot, this time bringing a rain of plaster on a stunned and frozen Ian. Billy’s force hurled both men toward Ian. The two struggled knocking Ian off balance.
Ian was trying to remain standing and help Billy fight the man in black. He took a step toward them but pain shot up through his knee and it buckled. He reached for the railing of the balcony to pull himself up.
As Ian pulled himself to a standing position, he saw the black figure stand up and face him, gun pointed at ready to fire. From the ground Billy grabbed his feet sending the man forward again. Ian felt the bullet just miss his head, and the full weight of his attacker hit him in the chest.
He heard the railing give way, and felt himself give with it. Ian heard yelling as he fell through the air. He heard the thud as he landed on the ground below, and lost his breath. He struggled for air as he heard another crack and felt the full force of two bodies landing on top of him, one and then the other.
Ian tried to get up, but he couldn’t move. Pain racked his body as he lay there in the grass, crumpled in a pile. He kept hearing the wind pellet by and the sounds of feet running and shouting. Why couldn’t it just be silent enough for someone to hear him scream?
He saw Billy stand up and grab the figure below him and drag him to his feet. The man was like rag doll but struggled with Billy. Billy landed a good punch that whirled the man around. The man tried to return the blow but Billy was too fast for him. He punched him in the gut and then grabbed the ski mask and pulled it off.
“You?” Billy said, and that was all the time the man needed. Ian saw the gun raise and he tried to shout out but he couldn’t breathe. He saw Ralphie sail over top of him and heard his teeth sink into the man’s arm. The gun went off and he saw Billy jolt and fall backward into the pool.
The man shook Ralphie off and he heard the dog splash in the pool. Ian lost focus and heard another splash as he felt the man stagger over to him. He tried to focus on the man’s face but could only see his finger starting to squeeze the trigger.
Ian heard a louder shot from over his head and he saw the man’s body jolt then fall forward. He felt the thud of the body landing on top of him for the second time, maybe the third. He’d lost count. Bodies kept falling on him. Ian struggled to breathe.
He heard Kellen’s voice. “Get him out of the pool!” Ian swore he could hear Tippy screaming.
Ian felt someone pushing or pulling the man off him. He kept hearing Kellen.
“Ian…Ian…talk to me.” But he couldn’t. It was all he could do to breathe.
Ian’s eyes focused on a set of eyes staring into his blankly. They weren’t Kellen’s. The face came together, blurred but enough to see the eyes of Blue Richards roll back in his head. Blood was pouring out his mouth.
The last thing Ian saw before he lost consciousness was Blue’s lips tremble. The last thing he heard before the world went black were those bloody bubbles bursting clearly into to two words….
“Darla…Hutton…”
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