Julia laid down on the couch of the apartment, head aimed up to the popcorn ceiling with a paw tightly pressed to the damaged eye. Kevin brought as many toilet rolls as she could want for the injury, keeping a small plastic bag by her for any disposals required. He was by no means a medical expert, but he knew a thing or two about wounds like these. Barnaby had a small medkit hidden behind the toilet, most of it was useless for what the calico cat needed, but Kevin made do, and for now, it worked.
There were faint things that the two heard from Abel and Barnaby in the room, mainly the sound of Abel screaming a loud no to an unknown cause. No noise was heard for quite some time, and Kevin wanted to try and stir something for the situation.
“That rocket was a few shrapnel short of blowing your eye off.” Kevin spoke up, after having stared off to the kitchen in silence. Julia couldn't answer, simply shrugging her shoulders while keeping eye contact with the roof. “I'm… glad Abel brought you here.”
Julia smiled a genuine smile.
Just hope we don't see him again. Kevin thought, as he began walking back and forth in front of the couch. Julia didn't move her head, but she did make a faint blowing noise from her nose, signaling Kevin to stop that.
“Sorry.” He said, looking to her. “I'm sorry.” He said again, amplifying the meaning, as if he were the one that nearly killed her.
The faint sound of footsteps came from Barnaby's bedroom. Kevin didn't want to guesstimate what was going on in there, but his curiosity kept him standing by the door. There was the sound of sniffling, patting, and a loud groan, then the sound of the doorknob being pulled, and the door opening.
“Kevin?” Abel said, surprised by the feline standing in front of him. He looked to the couch, seeing Julia's head elevated to the ceiling. “Looks like you've got it sorted.”
“What happened to Barnaby?” Kevin asked.
“Talking a lot at this time, aren't you?” Abel remarked with a hefty cough to drown out the quip, as Kevin grimaced at the tiger. “They need a second. Can you get a toilet roll?”
Kevin looked to Julia, uncertain of how many rolls remained. “I… uh… think Julia took them all.”
Abel raised a brow. “The WHOLE pyramid? Damn.” He said, then made a worried frown. “We should take her to a hospital.”
Kevin gave Abel a worried look. “I found a small medkit, it should work till we get there in the morning.” He wasn't quite saying it, but Abel could tell it was a better precaution to weed out Derevan. He can't do whatever he does in broad daylight to a group of people, after all. Still, Abel was impressed by his friend's use of medical equipment, a topic to touch on later, surely.
Abel leaned his head back from outside the bedroom, glaring to Barnaby, still sitting down in the closet. They weren't moving, their head locked between their legs in a craned fetal position. “Do you have any tissues at all?” He asked, leaning his head back to Kevin.
Kevin shook his head no.
“Mmmm…” Abel sounded, having one option left. “We'll be with you in a bit.” He said, shutting the door again, and walking back to Barnaby. He shut the closet door lightly, still audible to the golden retriever, and glanced at Abel as he began taking off his gray sweater.
“What the hell are you doing?” They asked in a tone that ranged between a judging parent, and a concerned police officer.
“Nothing to wipe with, so I gotta sacrifice my sweater.” He answered as his head pushed over its hole, the sweater now taken off. He had a white tank top underneath, a bit skimpy and thin, but it worked as an easy home attire after being out in such an outfit.
He tossed the sweater to Barnaby. “Might be a little wet from the rain, but it beats rubbing snot and tears through your fur.”
Barnaby took Abel's sacrifice with no remorse, frantically rubbing their nose and eyes across the sleeves and chest of the shirt. It was like watching a rabid wolf eat through a sheep's wool and flesh as it tried to escape from its predator. Only instead, just rubbing off some bacteria.
“Better?” Abel asked, holding a stoic face over his sheer surprise at the rapid motions his friend performed. “Better.” They affirmed.
Abel opened the closet door again, leaving Barnaby to their own vice. They gave the sweater a skeptical look, and left it by the closet doorway. Barnaby came up by Able’s side, the two staring at the shut bedroom door. “Julia needs the couch.” He said.
“What time is it?” Barnaby asked.
Abel fished the phone out of his leather jeans, observing the time. “Three in the mornin’.” He said, shoving it back into its pocket.
Barnaby glanced to their bed, then back to the tiger. “You're not tired at all?”
“Kinda. But I'm not really comfortable sleeping with all this going on.” He answered. Abel then glanced to Barnaby, skeptical of their intention. “What are you thinking about?”
“What?” Barnaby asked in response, taken back by the sudden question.
“With the whole Julia thing, I mean. We already talked about your stuff, but we gotta think about the girl bleeding out, yeah?”
Barnaby had no response, but Abel could still tell they agreed to his statement. Abel raised his paw to the doorknob, glancing to Barnaby, who gave an approving nod.
He opened the door, and the two entered the living room. Kevin was idly watching Julia, and observing whatever other fascination there was in an otherwise dim and quiet apartment. He tried his best not to listen into the conversation Abel and Barnaby had in front of the door, and that led him to standing by the kitchen window.
“Kev, where are you?” Abel called out, shooting looks around the couch and doorways. His question answered itself as he looked to the kitchen, the white cat standing in view of the window sill. “Oh. There.”
Kevin waved his left paw in an awkward motion, like a student being caught out on cheating a test and quickly adjusting themselves into a thinking position. Only instead, it was directly acknowledging it by giving the teacher a challenge in confrontation.
Abel and Barnaby walked to where he stood, the trio now in the kitchen, Kevin still watching Julia, while the other two stare at him. “Anything good?” Abel asked.
“A girl bleeding, and a maniac knows where you live aside?” Barnaby said, assuming the question to be directed to them.
“...I was talking to Kevin.” Abel answered after a short confused pause. Kevin realized he was the center of attention, and turned around to give them his full focus.
“Well… uh… she's sleeping.” Kevin said.
“Should she?” Abel asked.
“It's not like she has anything better to do than stare at the ceiling with an iron grip on her eye.” Barnaby interjected with that all too familiar snark.
Abel shrugged the shade off, and asked another question. “Shouldn't someone apply pressure for her then?”
“Medkit.” Kevin said.
“Medkit?” Barnaby asked with a furrowed brow. “If I had one, I sure would've used it for all that falling yesterday.”
Kevin laughed a bit at those memories, then quickly stopped as Barnaby gave him a scornful look. “It… was behind your toilet.”
“Oh…” Barnaby said, leaning uncomfortably close to Kevin. “...don't tell Abe how dirty that shit is back there.” They whispered to his ear.
“Anyway.” Abel said with rolled eyes, not deaf enough to hear the plea the golden retriever gave. “We need to stay here till the morning. Saves us time from Derevan, and get Julia to the hospital.”
“What even happened?” Kevin asked, putting on a skeptical look to the tiger. Abel and Barnaby both turned their focus to him, shattering his composure to such an easy question. “I mean- You know… the whole situation?”
Abel put a paw to his forehead, nearly digging into his skin. “Shit… yeah, I didn't tell you a thing, did I?” He said, as Barnaby snorted a small laugh. “Well, basically…”
Abel began giving the white cat a retelling of the event that unfolded hours ago, explaining everything he could to the best of his ability, all the while as Kevin's facial expressions morphed between grimaces, unfazed, and contempt. Barnaby idly watched out the window, having heard all that knowledge in the closet, but still glancing back to see some of Kevin's funny reactions. It was like watching a cartoon character go from a jolly fellow to smelling a terrible aroma.
It was when Abel began talking about how he confronted Julia's odd attempt at escape in Misty Meadows that Barnaby saw a silhouetted figure in the distance. Their window wasn't angled in the best way with most apartments, having a good side-view of the street the apartment building came out of. Barnaby peered their head out of the window, like a dog excitedly eating the air in a road trip, and observed the dark figure walking down in the empty street.
A single lamp post was active, the city barely having the time or care to replace the bulbs in Barnaby's part of the area. It did a good enough job illuminating alone, but it didn't help in revealing who the mysterious person was. They simply stood by the street light, like a beacon of hope, and seemed to be looking to the sky.
That's when Barnaby realized something.
The figure was looking directly at them.
It wasn't a detective's hunch to see the exact direction the figure was standing in, their head unturned in any opposing section, their eyes seemingly locked to Barnaby's beneath their hooded appearance. It took a few seconds, but it looked like the figure acknowledged the canine's awareness, and raised their arm, paw pointing up to their own neck.
One finger hidden beneath a dark glove, it raised to the figure's neck, and they drew a vacant line across. Barnaby knew what that threat meant, and they weren't having it. Curious to see what they would do next, the figure pointed their figure seemingly to Barnaby, then the finger began going up and up.
They were counting the floors.
“Oh shit.” Barnaby said in a tone unheard of by either felines behind them. Abel and Kevin glared at the golden retriever, unsure of what their remark was for. Barnaby turned around with eyes only compared to in size with mugs. “Someone's coming.”
“...What?” Abel and Kevin asked in unison, as if the quiet pause was there for their synced input. Barnaby groaned, leaning back to keep an eye on the stranger at the lightpost.
They were gone.
“Someone. Is. Coming.” Barnaby repeated with more urgency, about as calm as Dumbledore. Kevin and Abel were put off by their energy, but knew this meant there was a higher sense of urgency.
“What did they look like?” Abel asked in an actual calm way. Barnaby glared at him with a squinted eye, as if such a question tested their very tolerance of existence.
“It's three in the fucking morning.” They said with a snarl, anger clearly overtaking their situational awareness. “Couldn't see shit. Guy has a cloak on by the looks of it.”
“And you're sure they're coming for us?” Abel asked, holding a paw to his cheek while folding his right arm. A pose best seen by a retired YouTuber, not a theory, just a fact.
“I watched the fucker count floors.” Barnaby said in a stern tone, like a mother trying to clarify exactly how much her kids fucked up when burning down the house.
“Oh… shit.” Abel said slowly, akin to Barnaby's own, while Kevin kept a panicked expression plastered to his face. He looked to the couch, Julia surprisingly still asleep. Just as he remembered her, a sound sleeper.
“We all agree it's Derevan though, right? Like, zero surprise here, totally not ominous, yeah?” Abel spoke up. Barnaby shot him a bewildered look, the tone the tiger attempted to shift to completely breaking the moment.
“I… mean… I don't know Barnaby that well. Could be anyone else.” Kevin defended, a surprising one at that.
“Thank you.” Barnaby grumbled.
Kevin's concern quickly grew, developing a realization. “Hold on, now I'm even more worried if you think it isn't Derevan!”
“I don't fucking know!” Barnaby spoke back, poking their head back out the window. There was no life outside, the streetlight stood alone, faintly glowing and humming.
Then its bulb popped. A large explosion like a crystal ball spewing out its insides, shards flew all over the floor as its faint amber light quickly turned to pitch dark. Joining the rest of the night's canvas, that safe illumination was gone.
Shot.
It was a piercing noise. Faint from Barnaby's distance, but in collision with a lightbulb, it was the practical opposite of a silencer. It was like someone purposefully designed their muzzle brake to widen the sound of the bullet, an odd choice, seeing that bullets are already enough of a warning.
Barnaby ducked their head back into the kitchen at that horrifying sight, fur all standing on end like they were hit by lightning and locked eye contact with Abel.
“He. Has. A. Gun.”
Abel didn't comment. He was holding back on the obvious remark, not wanting to worsen the situation as he unknowingly did just a moment before. Their priorities were to survive the night, but they never expected such a statement to enter such linear meaning.
Kevin was the worst in keeping composure to the situation, seeming one minute away from completely shutting down. But this time, he seemed content. Not as concerned as his friend and acquaintance, at least.
“We need to hide.” Abel finally said, a word of encouragement to the otherwise worries atmosphere. Barnaby squinted their eyes as thin as a pizza slice at a classroom party, giving Abel the silent version of their sparky commentary. He knew it was about how the apartment had little spots, but they had to do something. Staying to die was a job for people tied to train tracks, not them.
Kevin focused on the still sleeping Julia, having to wake her out of that slumber would be a whole other ordeal. Abel took notice of the white cat's attention, and realized another problem. Getting an injured person out.
“Bee. Listen to me.”
Barnaby didn't speak, Abel didn't leave it up to consideration whether it was because they didn't want to, or couldn't.
“Do you think we could climb out the window?” He asked with a straight face.
“What.” Barnaby finally let out, not as a question, more a genuine form of shock that stumbled out in a word unusual for such emotion. There was strong emphasis to the “T”, sounding out from the gaps in all their canine teeth, as their ears angled down like shut scissors.
“We're only on the second floor, that's not too hard to get down from.” Abel explained, sounding as if climbing out of windows was an everyday job for him. “You just hold onto the ledge, keep your legs angled down, and land somewhere soft.”
There was no fire escape for them to take advantage of, a safety hazard that would need to be taken notice of, but Abel wasn't going to get that in the current plan. The stairs weren't a good option either, with who they can only assume to be Derevan coming their way. It was only a matter of time for him to come out of the elevator, or corner, and do whatever he planned to.
“Where would we even go?” Kevin asked. He didn't sound like he was considering the whole plan, but it was their only option, and they had to think it all the way through.
Abel didn't think that part fully. Somewhere secluded, unknown, and quiet. The hospital wasn't an option, they wouldn't allow entries so sudden at 3 AM, and Liqwee wasn't a good option for their distance.
That left Abel with one last thought.
“Your apartment.” He said, looking to Kevin. “He knows where I live… somehow. Bar’s out of the question, the hospital won't let us in right now, and you know how cops are.”
Why can't we ask the police for help?!
The bar isn't even that far from here!
This is an emergency, the hospital has to take Julia in, right? WHY DIDN'T WE TRY THAT SOONER?!
Kevin was silent. His eyes were unmoving, not shaking, just completely still. It left Abel to know he wasn't completely panicking, at the very least. But what he was doing in his mind was a whole other debate. Abel gave him a pat on the back of his head, a light shake to wake him from the labyrinth he made in his mindscape.
“Is that our only option?” He finally said.
Abel looked to Julia, observing her stillness and calm breathing. “Has to be.” He said, calmly walking to the couch. “How do I-”
“-Hold her shoulders and pull her up.” Kevin interrupted, speaking like that action was a common ritual for him to wake up the calico cat. Abel did exactly that, and her right eye opened wide open to the burly tiger in her sight. She gave a weak smile, uncertain of what was going on.
“Uh… Julia.” Abel said, letting her sit up straight in the couch, while Kevin came to his side. “We need to go. Right now.”
Julia didn't need a single clue to know what brought everyone on edge, but she could've used any detail to fill in the panic of the room.
Barnaby was busy in the kitchen, observing through a few paper slips in a drawer regarding fire escape plans. They had a window, but jumping three stories was out of the question, they had one injured person, a whole group was unnecessary.
“Guys.” Barnaby called out. The trio in the living room turned their eyes to the golden retriever, holding out a large paper filled to the brim with small text. Whoever printed it wanted to spend printing money on only one slip, and crammed everything in.
“Down the hallway, left, there's an elevator for the cleaners.” They read aloud, the tone changing from skeptical to shock as they got to ‘cleaners’, clearly surprising that the building would even have any in such a state.
“Where does it go?” Abel asked.
“The basement.” Barnaby answered.
“...That sounds ominous.” Kevin said with a pause. Julia gave him a sly smile to that remark, a familiar one at that. “Can… we get out from there?”
“There's a staircase from there to the ground floor… so… we gotta run out from the entrance after getting down there.” Barnaby answered, shoving their face to the paper, snout protruding the paper in a half slot. Each word nearly impossible from their blur and size, yet readable to the canine.
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“Let's go then.” Abel said, helping Julia up from the couch. “Do you need me to carry you?”
Julia declined the gesture. More so for Abel's sake, but also because she wanted to pull her own weight to the same degree as the rest of the group. She slumped up, standing as straight as a pole, a practiced gesture of some kind, seeming ready to model at a runway in her red dress, and Abel's leather jacket.
Kevin still had his confusing pajamas for an outfit, and Barnabyhad the same odd skater look, both ready to leave with little regard for vanity. Abel took his jacket off of Julia, some attempt of insulation after reducing himself to his bare top.
Barnaby stashed away the papers in their respective drawers, and turned to the front door in the living room for the unlocking ritual. Rapid movements turned down in seconds, reducing all the locks to a safe opening. Abel and Kevin watched with bored expressions, both knowing how little the locks worked. Julia had some sense of fascination, but skepticism as well.
They left the apartment slowly, trying their best not to create sound as the canine shut the door for any listening ears. If no one heard Abel and Barnaby's chatter, or Kevin and Barnaby before their sleep, either no one was around, or the only ears listening were the cloaked figure coming for them. Down the hallway they went, turning a shaky left just as Barnaby instructed, and they instantly met with a large crude elevator door.
Made in the same plastic-like metal as the first, maybe it looked brand new a good thousand years ago in exaggeration, but the rust and degradation had it as clean as a medieval armor set in a museum exhibit. There was one single button, a small circle, and Barnaby pressed it on and on like a needy toddler desperately grabbing as many fries as it could get.
A faint ding echoed from the button, echoing and multiplying with each press, overlapping over each other like a chorus of screams. The creaking sound of an elevator rising up came like a singing angel welcoming a new soul to Heaven, and the elevator doors slowly opened, shuttering like a decade old car window. They quickly filled the small space to capacity, Abel having to hold in a breath for everyone to fit inside.
The ride was excruciatingly slow, there was a point where they all believed the elevator had gotten stuck, but the faint sound of metal colliding let them know that wasn't the case. The doors eventually opened the same way as before, and they poured out, Kevin and Abel stretching instantly to ease the pain.
Barnaby scanned their surroundings, some kind of underground car park. Which was odd, because there was no way for a car to enter, other than destroying a wall. Maybe it was some kind of storage area for the landlord, but who would own so many vehicles?
Regardless, that wasn't their focus. The staircase was their way out, and in a room as dark as this, the only way they were getting any sight was with a flashlight. Barnaby brushed around their hips, feeling for their phone.
“Fuck… I left my phone in the apartment.” They said, sounding as distraught as Abel's reaction to their statement. “Abe, can you get your phone out?”
He agreed without a word, pulling out his phone and turning on its flashlight. It was a special kind, having multiple levels of brightness and intensity. He set it to the highest option, to which the phone warned him with a bubble regarding the light's effect on skin for a long period. He aimed the light around the room, panning it about like he was performing a scan, directly blasting everyone's eyes into a dark hue.
“FUCK, MAN!” Barnaby shouted first, voice echoing around the basement floor. Abel held a worried smile as he put the brightness to its lowest option, and continued panning the light until he finally saw a steep set of stairs. They were made of simple stone blocks, some chipped, others green, but most of all, they led out of their insanity.
“There!” Kevin exclaimed. No one looked at the uncommon speaker, eyes all focused on the one sense of light keeping them from total darkness. Abel stood still, shining the stairs for everyone else to approach. Once they all reached the steps, he followed at the bottom, keeping the light for them as they all walked up on their toes.
Finally, they reached the ground floor of the apartment building. Julia and Kevin got out of the stairwell first, still standing before a corner for fear of shadows or being seen. Barnaby came next, standing between them, and Abel shut off his light as he climbed the last few steps. They all gave each other silent stares, seeming to signal someone to start walking out. No one moved.
It had to be a few minutes till Kevin cracked under the pressure, and he took one solid step forward, foot sticking out from the corner, entering the hallway. They all gave him half-approving expressions, Abel reading as genuine, Barnaby worried, and Julia having a look of pure concern.
Kevin took another step, now standing out. He slowly craned his head left, looking to the elevator door he used with Barnaby much earlier, and saw no one. The coast was clear.
For now.
The white cat looked back to the trio, nodding his head with a pulling gesture of his head to the exit at the end of the hallway. They followed, and left the building. From there, their silent walking turned to fast-paced running. The rain had stopped, and the ground was slippery. Kevin and Abel led the way to their apartment complex, as Julia trailed beside Barnaby.
They passed Misty Meadows, a few neighboring homes, and ventured back to the scenic trail of nature they first took to get to Liqwee. Kevin slowed his run, fascinated by the beauty of daylight keeping such a route from looking straight out of a nightmare. The friendly branches took the form of barbed wire, the grass sticking out from cracks looked wilted, flowers measuring in their disappointment, and the atmosphere felt cold.
Arriving to their destination, Abel pushed the front door of the apartment building open, holding it open for the other three to get inside. Once Julia entered last, he shut the door, and they all finally took a breather.
“God.” Abel said, clutching his chest. Most of his breath went to worry for such an action. “Okay… Kev… your apartment.” He wheezed out between more haggard breaths.
Kevin led the way up the stairs, quickly scampering up on his two feet. He approached his apartment door, and fished for his keys in his outfit.
Where did I put them?!
A clawed finger met with the silver texture of cold metal, the key in his left pocket. He fished it out, and jammed it into its slot. A vicious action, no concern for if that would ruin his only way into his home, but all logic was out the window for their safety.
The door was unlocked, and he pushed it open. The apartment hadn't changed at all from how he left it when Abel first got him out, but at least the living room and kitchen were presentable. Abel stepped in, followed by Julia. Barnaby looked into the apartment with an interested sparkle in their eyes.
“Your place looks similar to mine.” They spoke up, looking to the white cat as they walked in. Kevin nodded to that statement, having formed it a long time ago. He entered last, and shut the door softly, twisting the lock twice to double their safety.
Kevin looked to the new visitors in his home, Abel and Barnaby seeming bundled together in the kitchen. Talking about something, surely. He looked to Julia, sitting down on his couch, straight posture, and paws on her knees. A proper position compared to Kevin's slouching.
“I'll… uhm… see if I have anything for your black eye.” Kevin said, looking to his bathroom. Any sensible person would keep a first aid kit in there, and Kevin had the real deal, top of the line for high emergencies.
“Black eye?” Abel's voice called out from the kitchen. He didn't want to intrude, but that phrase clearly dug something he wanted to pull up in a future conversation. Right on cue, he came up to the couch, wanting to know more. “No one has a black eye.” He said with a hint of suspicion to his tone. He must've known. No one would word such a statement like that.
Do I do it? Kevin thought, looking to Julia. She must've noticed his attempt at spiritual communication, and locked eyes with him. She gave one firm nod, allowing him to explain. “Julia… has- uh… one.”
Abel looked at her, eyes scanning the bandaged one, and the black marked one. “The first kit wasn't enough?” He asked.
“Uh… no. Her other eye.” Kevin explained.
“That's a black eye?” Abel said in an immodest tone. Like a person giving an “I told you so” after proving their point.
Kevin frowned, observing the dark fur around her left eye. It was a large circle, a standard pattern that wouldn't raise any suspicion. “Blends well with black fur… yeah.”
Barnaby peered their head from out of the kitchen, calling out for Abel’s name like a child waiting for their parents to be done talking to their friend. Abel gave a solemn nod to the two, like a pilot sending their best regards, and went back to the kitchen.
“What's up?” He asked, as Barnaby shut the curtains of the kitchen window. “See something?” Abel asked again.
“Not yet.” Barnaby answered. “But… I swear we were followed by someone.” They continued, keeping their eyes to the window. “I'm not crazy. I heard footsteps out here.”
“You're sure it wasn't someone goin’ out?” Abel asked, testing the golden retriever's sanity by the look of things.
“Tell me with a straight face that someone is out at three in the morning on this side of town with no bars around for them to get drunk off of.” Barnaby snapped back.
Abel put on a sly smile. “That's the Bee I know.” He said with joy slathered along his voice. Then he turned uneasy, glancing at the veiled window. “How many footsteps?” He whispered.
“At least two. That's either two people, or one guy walking twice.” They whispered back with their arms folded tightly.
“We should let Kev and his sister know.”
“Julia’s his sister?” Barnaby said in shock.
“I thought I explained that in the closet?” Abel said, then realizing another point, he continued. “And I think I even said that before then.”
Barnaby unfolded their arms, seeming ready to point fingers for accusations, but held off. “I… wasn’t really paying attention. But whatever, go tell them.” They said defeatedly, head held low to the window, still watching for any shadows, or hearing anything more.
“Ay, Julia, Kev.” Abel called out, as he left the kitchen. Barnaby blocked off that irrelevant chatter, poking an eye through the enclosed curtains. The two feline's apartment complex was better illuminated, the street as clear as a glass of water. No illicit presence, save for an owl sitting atop a tree, shooting the canine a piercing stare. Like an archer shooting an arrow, maneuvering perfectly in altitude and wind to land swiftly between the slit of a knight's helmet, they knew it was watching.
And if it was watching them, it must've seen something else.
Barnaby glanced down at the street, the first floor providing the perfect view of the back area of the apartment building. There was nothing. No person, no marks, just the night.
Then footsteps echoed again.
They were soft. Not loud enough to warrant attention, like a new kid entering class with the confidence of befriending everyone inside. Maybe insecure, or looking to surprise what they wanted to reach.
Barnaby got away from the window, and turned back to the living room. Abel had just finished explaining their concern, and Barnaby had a new warning to add.
“I KNOW I heard something now.” Barnaby spoke up in their well-known confidence. Abel and Julia shared a mutually worried expression, while Kevin held a dead frown.
“What can we even do?” Abel asked, looking to Barnaby. They scoffed, arms folded. “It's either we fight, or deal whatever they got.” They answered, pulling up their right jacket sleeve, whatever attempt of display it was meant for, didn't accentuate their goal.
The footsteps echoed again. They were coming from beyond the front door. Everyone heard them, all eyes turned to the one line of safety keeping them from their mysterious onlookers, both in appearance and intention. They came in sets of two, Barnaby's earlier statement regarding what they'd heard being correct. No one in the living room moved or made a single sound, all staring at the door like a deer at headlights.
Each step came and went, eventually stopping all together, seemingly in front of the door. There was a long moment of silence, tension so thick that anyone could have pulled the air right through it, and then, an axe swung into the door.
It dug into the oak wood in one vicious swing, the steel end protruding out into the opposite end of its singer's location, aimed down rather than sideways, as if practicing for the axe to dig into a skull.
Kevin and Julia quickly got off the couch, the two lightly walking and sitting down behind it. A barricade would do wonders against their potential demise, but they couldn't run away from their problems forever.
“Kevin!” Barnaby whispered loudly, nearly a shout if it weren't for the intensity of their vocal range. “Do you have any weapons?”
“W-what? Why would I-”
“-He has a baseball bat in his bedroom.” Abel interrupted. The only time he'd ever do something so disrespectful, and in the face of death no less. Barnaby took those words to heart, and locked eyes with a shut door beside the kitchen. They didn't ask if it was the room, nor did they care. With the door swung open, it was a lucky guess.
Barnaby thought for a moment. Where would I keep a baseball bat? And knelt down, looking beneath the bed. A lot of dirt and miscellaneous items, but between them all, two baseball bats. They snagged the two wooden rods, and ran back to the living room.
“Batter up, buddy.” Barnaby said while handing Abel the other baseball bat. They held theirs tightly, standing in a stance as if ready to hit a baseball. Abel watched Barnaby's flare for excitement in violence, and tried to balance out their glee with his demeanor. Simply wielding it like a two-handed sword, ready for strike.
The axe returned, digging deeper into the wood, and creating a slit opening for everyone to see the opposite side. The axe wielder was none other than Jake.
“JAKE?!” Kevin shouted in pure disgust. On one hand, he was surprised by such an unmotivated enemy, but also for running into someone who's hurt him mentally, and seeming ready to turn that physical.
“HEY!” He answered, taking another bloodthirsty bash into the door. The opening widened, allowing a second figure beside the gray labrador to be seen. It was Stacy. They both wore dark hoods with matching pants, blending to their environment.
“What the fuck?” Abel said aloud, distraught by the two canines present at the doorway. “YOU TWO are the ones up our ass?”
“I did say he takes it up the ass.” Stacy quipped to Jake, cackling madly like a hyena as he swung again through the wood. “We ran into some rat, bastard missed his shot.”
“Knew it.” Abel yelled out, passion unmatched to everyone else. “And WHAT the FUCK are YOU two here for?” Barnaby contested with their own volume, outclassing Abel's own hunch in tone.
“What's it look like, dumbass? A tea party?” Stacy answered with a bored eye roll. She elbowed Jake in the ribs. “Gap's big enough.” She said, pushing herself through the slit and entering the apartment.
“FUCK NO!” Barnaby yelled out, turning the latter part of their sentence into a warcry as they ran and smashed Stacy's face in with the bat. “FUUUCK YOU.”
“AUGH!” Stacy groaned out, the force in which Barnaby swung nearly giving her a concussion. She fell back through the hole Jake made, and she coughed, blood spewing out of her maw.
“Ohohoh… you actual bitch.” She said with a maniacal laugh, pulling out a silver pistol. “I just wanted you crippled, now I want you DEAD.” She fired a shot without a second warning, the bullet landing squarely into the slit of the doorway, flying off and crunching into the kitchen window.
“HOOOLY SHIT!” Abel yelled, pulling his bat at the ready for anymore fighting. “BEE, YOU GOTTA EXPLAIN THESE SOCIOPATHS LATER!” He shouted, tone not quite judging, but still bordering on it. Abel scurried to the side of the doorway, holding his bat at the ready for a game of whack-a-mole.
Barnaby knelt down after that bullet, ready to pounce through the doorway and smash the two canine's skulls into an after-shooting of a watermelon video. The moment was silent, save for Stacy's incomprehensible whining at her blunt force trauma. Another bullet fired without warning, denting into the oakwood and barely escaping out, flying off again to the kitchen.
“MISS HARDER, BITCH.” Barnaby yelled.
“CALL ME THAT ONE MORE TIME.” She yelled back, a callous attempt to frighten her opponent. But Barnaby wasn't scared, only aggravated.
“B-I-T-C-H” Barnaby spelled out, shaking their head left and right with each letter, and moving to the opposite end of the door like Abel. Another bullet fired where Barnaby spoke before the movement, seeming as if she'd wanted to hear their exact location for it.
A quiet set of footsteps came along that action, and a quick yelp. Maybe it was Stacy's head trauma catching up to her, or something with Jake, but nothing came of it.
“MISSED ME LIKE YOUR THIRD EX!” Barnaby said with a sneer, ducking down for any more attempts at tracked shooting. A hazy bullet fired, but it didn't enter the apartment at all.
It was aimed for something on the other side of the doorway.
Another shot fired. Another panicked yelp, it was confusing. Were they not aiming for Barnaby?
“Uh…?” Abel sounded, still in his exact position. He ducked down a bit, uncertain of what was happening. Barnaby didn't know either, but the moment was quiet. Not calm, but eerily silent.
“Death.” Came a familiar voice. The hairless rat who had been missing since the firework incident, Derevan, spoke. “Comes.”
Stacy's body was pushed into the slit of the doorway, a bullet hole just edges away from her forehead. Blood pouring out like a damn being taken down, her death served one purpose, glorifying the entrance of the rat.
As if to rub it in, Jake's body was pushed into the doorway next. Head over Stacy's, a deep bullet wound dug into his throat. A terrifying sight with two presumed lovers to be gushing their insides over one another in such a situation.
“Cats.” Derevan spoke up. “Come. Out.”
It wasn't clear who he was referring to. It could've been Abel, the one who had been given so many ominous warnings of death, maybe his abused “lover” Julia, or perhaps he had intentions with Kevin, souring their past even further.
“All.” Derevan said.
Kevin and Julia still sat behind the couch. They never dared to look once at what the scene had been. Julia tried to peer her head over in curiosity, but Kevin held her back, not wishing to see the travesty that was unfolding.
“Derevan count three. You come. Or Derevan come.”
Abel gestured his head to the lock in the door, Barnaby recognizing his implication. They ducked low, not visible through the slit and bodies, and unlocked the door. They returned to their position, both ready to clobber the hairless rat into a pancake.
“Tree.” Derevan said. His accent hard to tell between the number, or another word entirely.
They adjusted their postures, putting their backs into the first swing they get.
“Too.” Derevan counted. Yet again, impossible to tell between the number, or a different word.
“One.” He said, more clear and unbroken. It was like he knew the door was unlocked, and kicked it open. The two bodies held back most of the force, only allowing the door to squeeze a light jar opening. He slid in like an oiled up object incapable of being held, and twisted around to swing the axe Jake had at Abel.
“JESUS CHRIST!” Abel shrieked, ducking down in time before his beheading. The axe dug deep into the wall, requiring the strongest person for its call to be freed from its new placement. Abel swung blindly, the bat colliding into Derevan's side, but hardly flinching him.
He had a long cloak on, like a leather biker jacket, but only slick in its oily color. The smack to his side did nothing, seeming as if he wore protective body armor beneath the exterior. He raised his gloved paw, shaking his finger dismissively at Abel, allowing Barnaby the optimal chance to hit a homerun.
It was fast, calculated, and unexpected. Derevan went soaring to the ground after a hard upper-cut swing, jaw nearly shattered.
Derevan had one last trick up his sleeve, or rather, bullet. He laid down, left leg stuck up like a pyramid, and revealed the same pistol Stacy had. With a quick shot, he landed one straight into Barnaby's left eye.
It was like pushing a piece of molten lava into a small jell-o cup, but instead of something tasty for a person, it was a meal best for cannibals. The bullet dug deep into the eyeball, quickly popping into a stream of blood, Barnaby was out of breath to form any form of scream, save for a shrieking cry that went so high, only other dogs would've heard it.
Abel didn't speak, he held the bat as tightly as he possibly could, his muscular build and timely fist-fights would have more power than Barnaby's peak fighting years in school.
Weakened from the first swing, Abel finished Derevan off, the bat shattering in two as it smashed into the rat's face, re-shaping his jaw, and blood pouring out along the holes from his head.
The rest of the event was a blur. From three dead bodies, and two injured people, Kevin frantically called for the hospital, the last thing Barnaby could tell before passing out.
An unknown amount of time passed. It could've been days, maybe even weeks. A whole year at most, it could've been a coma from the blood loss, or all the years of drinking finally catching up to them.
Barnaby finally woke up.
Kevin and Abel were in the hospital room with them, the white cat sitting to their right on a stool, staring intently, while Abel was having an argument with the doctor about possibly pulling the plug on them.
“Abel! I… I-I think they're waking up!” Kevin shouted. Abel abandoned the pointless back and forth he had with the medical professional, the buck scoffing at his insolence. “Barnaby?” Kevin called out, holding a paw over their muzzle.
“Don't do that.” The buck doctor said.
Barnaby twisted and turned around in the hospital bed, twirling the IV bag attached to their arm, and moving the tight amount of bandaging wrapped and taped to their left eye. It was like watching someone trying to sleep after being woken up from a good dream. Another twist and turn, and a heavy groan, Barnaby woke up.
“Barnaby?” Abel asked, a rare sight for him to call them by their full name. Their right eye shot open, then shut half-way, blinded by the brightness of the hospital room.
“Lower… the lights…” They pleaded. The doctor did as ordered, sliding the light to a dim hum. Barnaby grumbled a few times, poking themselves with their opposite paw, feeling the numbness of their face.
The lights were calmer, allowing Barnaby's eye to open more calmly. Their view was blocked by the leaning cat duo, both staring into Barnaby's eye with a wobbly smile.
“Hey…” Barnaby said drunkenly. The buck tapped Abel and Kevin's shoulders, requiring their attention.
“Your friend's been in a coma for three weeks. Quite some time to wake out of after that worrying call.” He said in a timid British accent.
“Thank you for telling us what we already know.” Abel said with narrowed eyes, turning back to focus on the awakened canine.
“I'll leave you for a few minutes, but please leave after I come back. Visiting hours are almost up.” He said, shuffling out of the room.
Abel scoffed, folding his arms. “Guy almost killed you if I wasn't holding him back from it. Not even a sorry.”
“Fuck.” Barnaby said, coughing loudly. “Him.” They finished, coughing again. “What… happened?”
“Derevan tried to go down with another kill, I guess.” Abel said, eyes focused into Barnaby's own. “We almost got arrested until I explained the apartment buildin’ had a security camera for each floor. So, we're off on self-defense.”
“Yeah… uhm… it was not nice cleaning all that blood and smell.” Kevin added. “But I tried to visit and watch over you when I needed a break.”
“Never seen you out of the house more till then.” Abel said with a sly grin. Kevin was flustered by the remark, he just wanted to care for his friend, after all.
“What… happened to… what's her name?”
Abel took a deep breath, condensing the information as best as he could, while Kevin grimaced. “Julia? She got out a week ago. She had some other things to cover aside from the eye. Derevan really fucked her up.”
“She… isn't here?” Barnaby said meekly.
“She's… in my apartment.” Kevin answered. “We've… had time to catch up. It's… nice.”
“And are the others… uh-”
“-Dead.” Abel finished off.
“I wanted to be the reason… Jake and Stacy died…” Barnaby said disapprovingly, the hunger and lust for finishing them off gone unfinished. Abel sucked air through his teeth, glancing to the doorway of the hospital room.
“Bud. We are on thin ice with the cops, let's not say that.”
Barnaby laughed weakly, a playful one at best, keeping a decent amount of oxygen still in them. “I… uh… thank you.”
“Not an issue.” Abel said.
“I was- uh… worried. It's the least I could do.” Kevin joined.
Abel stretched his back, a tight cracking noise came as he did so. “I'm going to the bathroom. Times almost up today, so we'll see you tomorrow.”
Kevin looked back to Barnaby. “I'll… be with you. I'm staying till the doctor comes back.”
“I'll see you back at the apartment then?”
“Yeah.”
Abel left the room, giving Barnaby one last wave before vanishing into the pristine hallway. Kevin and Barnaby stared at each other in silence, the other waiting for a move to be made.
“Kevin…” Barnaby said.
“Is- Is… something wrong?”
“Come closer.”
Kevin edged his face closer to Barnaby. Maybe a whisper was incoming, or a scream in the ear. The canine was unpredictable. His nose and mouth hovering over Barnaby’s nose. Barnaby raised their neck, mouth pushing into Kevin's.
A light kiss.
“Thank you.”