Chapter 3
677 Words
"Why should I?"
Panic rose in my chest, but I glared at him anyway.
Griffin was arrogant and didn't take me seriously at all. He hefted the club in his hand.
"Because this apartment is mine. I can do whatever I want with it."
The people he had brought pinned me to the floor. I couldn't move at all.
I could only watch as my supplies were carried away. Then I watched them assemble a custom glass tank inside my room.
I had no idea what connections Griffin had used, but he had somehow gotten several crocodiles.
Their jaws were wired shut, and the teeth showing through the wire gleamed with a chilling light.
Griffin looked proudly at his pets, then grabbed Snowball off the floor while she was still sleeping.
He grabbed her roughly by the tail and laughed the entire time.
"You can't seriously expect this tiny thing to protect you, can you? She's barely a mouthful. She wouldn't even get stuck between my crocodiles' teeth."
Snowball was usually fierce, but now she seemed to be sleeping like the dead. She didn't move at all in Griffin's hand.
Even Max and Molly, who were usually the most protective of her, showed no sign of alertness. Their heads drooped as they slept soundly.
As Griffin spoke, he moved toward the tank with Snowball in his hand.
"No!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. "I'll take them and leave right now. Please don't hurt them."
Only then did Griffin shove Snowball back into my arms.
"At least you know your place. Get as far away as you can. If you dare come back, I'll feed you to the crocodiles too."
There was only 1 hour left until the apocalypse. My three cats and I were driven out of the home I had spent all day preparing and onto the street.
This time, I really was finished.
I held one cat in my arms, carried two on my back, and slunk around with them, hiding wherever I could.
When I turned a corner, I ran into two people. I looked up and realized they were Vanessa Moore and Ryan Brooks.
The two of them were walking arm in arm, strolling with three mastiffs on leashes.
"Well, if it isn't Sophie Hayes. Even now, you still can't let go of your precious little cats."
Her mockery barely registered. My eyes stayed fixed on their joined hands.
"We only broke up a few hours ago. Why are you with her?"
Ryan stopped pretending and showed his true colors.
"Sophie, did you really think I liked a broke little fool like you? Fine, I'll tell you the truth. Vanessa and I have been together for a long time. I planned to trick you into raising a few powerful pets with us. When the time came, we would shove you out to feed the zombies. Then Vanessa and I would have nine guardians. I just didn't expect you to be stupid enough to cling to those useless cats and refuse to let go."
Vanessa smiled sweetly and shook Ryan's arm.
"Honey, why waste time talking to her? We have mastiffs now, and we have a lion too. She is dead no matter what, so we might as well finish her now and give our little darlings an extra meal."
When I realized what Vanessa meant, I trembled and backed away.
Were the zombies not even going to arrive before I was eaten by mastiffs? Their teeth were so long. It would hurt so much if they bit me, wouldn't it?
The mastiffs seemed to understand their owner's order. They barked wildly and charged straight at me.
Vanessa clapped and laughed. "That's right, babies. Just like that. Bite that b***h to death!"
The mastiffs opened their gaping jaws. A foul gust of blood and rot rushed at me. My legs felt nailed to the ground, and I had nowhere left to retreat. I could only close my eyes and accept my fate.
At that moment, one of my cats woke up.
- Writer
