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wingsofkpop · 5 years

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Finding SKZ - 9: JY01

pairing(s): Hybrid!Bang Chan x Reader, Hybrid!SKZ x Reader

genre: Hybrid!AU, Dystopian!AU, barely any Fluff, heavy Angst, eventual Smut

warning(s): Mature language, mentions of trauma, mentions of abuse, mention of death

word count: 4,5k

synopsis: After rescuing an abandoned hybrid from his fate of death, he has one other favor to ask of you. Not only do you have to find his eight other hybrid brothers, but you have to keep them safe from the deadly dangers of your city: Miroh

chapter directory

You watch the shadows of the night dance across the car window, occasionally disturbed by the flurries of snowflakes dancing through the air. The comforting buzz of the radio carrying from the front of the van brings heaviness to your eyelids, but you refuse to surrender to your drowsiness. As tired as you were, you didn’t feel like sleeping.

How could you with everything that happened?

A soft whimper steals your attention from the outside view. You peer over your seat into the row behind you, discovering a sleeping Jisung. His spotted ears were compressed back against his brown locks. His long tail wrapped tightly around his waist. You could also see his visible claws, jutting out from beneath his fingernails, scratching at the leather seats. His expression was one of fear, his lips parted and releasing gentle gasps.

You recognize the signs of a nightmare and swiftly scale over the seats, careful not to kick a snoring Felix in the head. Settling yourself on the floor, you attempt to shake the feline awake, “Sung… Sung, wake up…”

Jisung’s body convulses against your touch as his eyes snap open. A high pitched scream emerges from his throat. The sound bloody murder within your ears. He wrenches himself away from you, huddling in the corner with violent sobs spilling from his lips. You sigh and cautiously scoot toward the hybrid, “Jisung, it’s just me… It’s (Y/N)...”

“N-noona..?” Jisung raises his head from between his knees, gazing at you with teary eyes. You barely get the chance to nod before he’s throwing himself into your arms, hands clawing desperately at your back. His tail ties around your own waist this time, almost as if he was afraid you would pull away. You do none of the sort, wrap your own limbs around the trembling hybrid and attempt to soothe his hysterics.

“It was just a bad dream, Sung. You’re safe.”

Jisung shakes his head, “I-It felt so real… The collar…”

“Shhh…” You gather the hybrid into a more convenient position. One where Jisung’s knee wasn’t digging into your hip. You allow the boy to ride out the aftershocks of his traumatic nightmare against your body. Having dealt with your own bad dreams a number of times, you know how these things go. Fear. Panic. Helplessness. You’ve gone through it all.

The bengal’s cries slow after some time and his body gradually stills. While he was still quivering, it wasn’t as severe as before. You deem it safe to lean backward and peer at Jisung’s flushed and tear-swollen face, wiping away any remnants of liquid sadness. The smile you send him is weak, but genuine. That’s the best you can give him,

“It was so real…” Jisung trails off, thumbing at his throat. “It was like I was back in that club again… God, the shocks-”

“-Don’t think about it.” You caress the hybrid’s sweaty forehead, ridding a couple stray hairs from his skin. “You’re safe with me, Jisung. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Promise?”

His whimpered phrase reminds you of Seungmin. An ugly pang strikes right against your heart. You swallow your doubts, replacing them with the fierce determination stirring inside your stomach. You ruffle his hair and murmur, “I promise, sweetheart. We’re gonna get your brothers and then get you the hell out of here.”

“You’ll come with us, right? To Yellow Wood?”

You hold back a grimace. This time, an image of Chan manifests within your mind. His pleading eyes. His hopeful expression. His dreamy voice. And you think back to the answer you gave then. Back in that bedroom where for the first time in a long time, you felt truly safe and loved. Then again, with the boys, you always felt like that. Loved.

This time, you really didn’t want to say no.

“We’ll see.” You choose this answer before gesturing Jisung to lay back on the seats. “Try to sleep, Sung. Just remember I’m here, okay?”

Jisung smiles sleepily, “Okay, noona.”

You hold back a laugh as he falls asleep almost instantly. His face settled into an adorable pout. You climb your way back into your seat, ready to retire yourself for the night, before a curious gaze catches your eye.

Throwing Minho a pointed glance through the rear view mirror, you maneuver your way into the front seat. It’s a little more difficult this time, since there’s not much space to squeeze through. Luckily, you do so without injury or fault and get comfortable in the passenger’s seat. The two of you sit in silence for a short while. You can feel Minho’s gaze burning into the side of your face, but you keep your eyes on the moving starless sky outside the windshield.

A sigh sounds, followed by his whisper, “You ever gonna tell me about that gun?”

Surprise shoots through your veins. Your head snaps to stare wide-eyed, like a deer in headlights, at the coyote hybrid. He chuckles at your panic and shakes his head, “You’re not as sneaky as you think. I smelled it on you the second you came out of your room.”

“It’s-It’s not what you think-”

“-Relax, (Y/N)-ah.” Minho sighs, reaching over to pat your hand on the center counsel. “You have it for self-defense. Just in case.”

You furrow your brow, “How did you know?”

He shrugs, “Figured as much. Your mother’s boyfriend is in jail and can get out anytime. It’s clever actually.”

You’re not exactly sure how to reply, but push the issue aside. Instead, your thoughts wander to the aftermath of what happened those couple days ago when you came home to an empty and overturned apartment. The worry over Chan, Woojin, Hyunjin and Seungmin had been slowly killing you from the inside out. Along with the guilt. Maybe if you had called when the chance came up-

“-You’re overthinking again. I can hear your mind fucking itself from over here.”

“Hardee har.” You cross your arms with a frustrated huff. “This is all my fault-”

Minho groans, “-Please don’t start with this bullshit again. There was absolutely no way you could have known, (Y/N)-ah.”

“But I should have.” Your hand raises to your face where you pinch the bridge of your nose with your forefinger and thumb. “If only I hadn’t been selfish and went to see my aunt-”

“-Then we wouldn’t have found Changbin. Seriously, (Y/N)-ah?” Your companion shakes his head with a snort, “You have to stop blaming yourself for absolutely everything. Your compassion is making me sick.”

You chuckle, “You’re still an asshole.”

“Only the biggest.”

Another comfortable silence stretches between the two of you. You direct your attention back onto the violet sky. The moon peeking through the falling snow. Your mind wanders again to a certain wolf hybrid. Wherever he was, maybe he was looking up at the same moon thinking of you too.

You hope he’s okay.

“(Y/N)-ah, can I tell you something?”

“Of course.”

A shaky breath invades your ears, and the sound makes you a little uneasy. You keep your eyes on the windshield. Too afraid to turn and find what kind of expression was pulled across Minho’s face.

“I... I haven’t been... entirely honest with you…”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s… You know what, nevermind.” You turn back to see Minho feverishly rocking his head back and forth. His bottom lip was pulled tightly between his teeth. Tight enough to draw the beginnings of blood. “Just forget about it-”

You lean forward, “Hold on a second. Minho, if you need to tell me something, then just tell me.”

Minho visibly debates with himself for a moment. You can see the cogs running inside his mind, bouncing thought after thought back and forth. A strange chill eases down your spine. One that fills you with apprehension and suspicion. You’ve never seen Minho like this before. Almost as if he was… hiding something.

Finally, after what seems like eons, Minho releases a heavy sigh before answering, “I… I know Paula Friel. And she knows me.”

“What?” Your eyes embiggen to moons, recalling that moment back in your apartment building. “How in the hell do you know each other?”

“It’s complicated,” He cards his fingers through his hair, his other hand tightening on the steering wheel. Anxiety written all across his face as he speaks, “She was… the mother of my owner. The one who abandoned me.”

You don’t respond, again not knowing what to say. Your heart drops at the sadness that crosses over Minho’s features. His long ears tilting just slightly to the side. The temptation to reach over the counsel and pull him into a hug was strong, but you knew you couldn’t. You had to let him finish first.

“Her daughter and I were… close… Closer than we should have ever been…”

Your lips purse, “You were in love. Weren’t you?”

“Yeah… I loved that woman with every piece of my fucked up heart.” Minho smiles. And you can almost see the happy memories through its sparkle. His expression doesn’t remain and it quickly clouds with anger, “But Paula didn’t like that, so she made her choose. Me or her inheritance?”

“Minho-”

“-She didn’t even hesitate.” He hisses, “She left me on the side of the road without so much as a goodbye. I tried to stop her but she just… didn’t care.

“That’s why I’ve never trusted another human since then. Because they just don’t care.” When Minho angles his head to meet your gaze, you swear you’ve never seen so much pain in your life. It makes your heart ache. But also flutter at his next confession, “And then I met you. The first human who was willing to lie and sacrifice everything, even her own life, just so I could see my brothers again.”

You sigh, “You give me too much credit.”

“No. You don’t give yourself enough.” The coyote sighs, “I thought… I thought you were just like the others. All talk and no game… But the look in your eyes when you told me about your mom…

“I’m sorry it took me this long, (Y/N)-ah.” Minho sends a weak smile your direction. A smile that is neither a smirk nor cynical. A genuine, heartfelt smile that brings tears to your eyes and a tightness in your chest. Right over your heavy heart. “I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did…”

“You didn’t know any better.” A single droplet cascades down your cheek, staining your skin with relief and prowess. “I’m sorry too. For everything.”

While you didn’t exactly say it, you knew Minho knew that you were apologizing for just as you said: Everything.

The pain. The loneliness. The loss.

All your kind has done to hurt him.

“I’m glad you’re here, (Y/N)-ah. Truly.”

“Me too, Minho. Me too.”

***

When you arrive at the laboratory, everyone in the car grows silent. Even when Minho drove around the entire facility a few times just to scope everything out, no one uttered a single word. You can’t blame them. They were afraid, and frankly, so were you.

You soon learned that District 9 Laboratories were located on the literal outskirts of Miroh. You’ve never been this close to the border. It’s crazy to think there’s more beyond the wall that separates you from the outside world. Although, all that’s out there is wasteland from the war. Historians weren’t lying when they said everything was destroyed.

Minho was able to hide the van in a patch of thick, overgrown brush. It’s not easy to find, but when you need a quick getaway, your escape will be clean and effortless. Hopefully.

Minho didn’t know exactly where they would be holding the four hybrids, but he had a pretty good idea. The plan was to get into the building and make your way into the confinement sector. Since you were basically going in blind, you trusted Minho and Changbin to lead you there safely which sounds like a good idea… but you were a little apprehensive.

One wrong move and it’s your ass on the line.

“Sung, Lix, stay together.” Minho murmurs to the two feline hybrids, “We don’t know how shits going to go down. So just be wary.”

“Got it.” Jisung nods, placing his hand on Felix’s knee. “We’ll go scope out the front. You, Changbinnie-hyung and noona head around back and see if you can still get into that courtyard vent.”

The coyote smirks, “Nice thinking, Sungie. Be safe.”

“Always.” You watch as the two youngsters retreat off into the dark woods, likely using their night vision to weave through the pitch black. Unfortunately, you don’t get the chance to watch them completely dash out of sight because Minho tugs at your arm and starts walking. He didn’t want to waste any time.

You maneuver your way through the darkness by utilizing the side of the building as a crutch. The cool, jagged bricks scratch harshly against your palms. You wouldn’t be surprised if you received a few nasty cuts in the process. You pay it no mind, too focused on the ghost of paranoia breathing down your neck.

“Are you sure no one’s watching? This seems too easy…”

“They station their guards at certain spots. The closest one is miles away. Don’t worry, (Y/N)-ah.”

You roll your eyes at Minho’s reply, “You telling me not to worry makes me worry more. There’s a lot that can go wrong right now.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not very wise to think about that, now is it?” You nearly bump into Changbin after nearly tripping over a rock. Minho steadies you before you can fall. You can’t see his face, but you know he had an amused expression judging from his voice. “Careful, (Y/N)-ah.”

“Don’t you fucking tell me to be careful! I can’t see shit!” You hiss, wrenching your arm from the coyote’s hold. Instead you reach down to lace your fingers through his before doing the same to Changbin. The panther doesn’t seem too happy to be holding your hand, based on his feather-like grip, but you could care less. The last thing you need is losing both of them in the dark.

“Okay. Lead the way.” Slow and steady, Minho takes the lead and guides both you and Changbin forward through the snow. You nearly stumble again, but with your grip on both of the boys’ hands, you’re able to regain your balance fairly quickly. Each step is taken lightly. Your eyes seem to grow blinder with every one. It drives you crazy. But you persevere. You have to.

For your boys.

Minho stops suddenly, nearly sending you spiraling into the snowy ground. You scowl, “Minho, seriously? What the hell was that for?”

“There’s someone following us.” His inquiry shoots goosebumps across your flesh. Your chest tightens and it’s not from the cool winter air. The hybrid shoves you backwards, “Changbin-ssi, protect (Y/N)-ah.”

Changbin obeys his brother and shields you behind his broad body. Through the darkness and snow flurries, you can just barely make out Minho’s silhouette leering toward the woods. An animalistic growl emerges from his form, “You have three seconds to show yourself before I drive you into the fucking ground! Three! Two-!”

“-Minho, relax! It’s me!”

Your eyes widen. You push past the panther to where Minho is stood, your eyes squinting against the blindness. Once the stranger steps into a more visible line of sight, your assumption proves to be correct. Without hesitation, you rush forward and throw yourself into the larger figure.

Chan chuckles and wraps his own limbs around you, “Miss me?”

“More than you could know.” You reply, leaning away to peer at his face. All you could really see were his glittery irises, but just by looking into them, you feel most of your anxiety bleed away. He smiles at you, stretches his neck and places a gentle peck against your temple. Your heart flutters, and as much as you wanted to relish in his touch, you had bigger fish to fry:

You shake your head, “What the hell happened to you guys? We came home and the apartment was wrecked. The boys said you were taken here.”

“It’s a long story,” Chan murmurs, his eyes bouncing between you, Minho and Changbin. He raises an eyebrow, “Looks like you’ve got one to tell too.”

“Channie-hyung...” You barely have the chance to duck out of the way as Changbin rushes toward the older hybrid. The two partake in a tearful and heartfelt embrace, one that reminded you of the reunion between him and Minho all those weeks ago. You remember Chan saying one time that between all his brothers, him and Changbin were by far the closest.

You can definitely see why.

“I can’t believe you’re here…” Chan sighs, squeezing the shorter hybrid tight against his body. “God, Binnie, I’m so sorry…”

“It wasn’t your fault, Channie-hyung.” The panther sighs, “You couldn’t stop them from taking me.”

The pair grow silent, merely taking in one another’s presence. Their moment doesn’t last long as Minho pipes up, “You guys can catch up later. Hyung, where are the others?”

“Inside.” Chan answers. “The laboratory guards stormed the apartment that night. Woojin and I tried to fight them off, but they knocked me out. When I woke up, Woojin, Hyunjin and Seungmin were all gone.”

“Why didn’t they take you?”

He shrugs, “I have no clue.”

A frown stretches across your lips. Too many unanswered questions were floating through your mind, creating a hurricane of confusion and frustration. You exhale harshly, “None of this makes any sense. I still don’t understand how they found us in the first place.

“And what do they want with you boys again? They’re the ones who released you, didn’t they?” None of the boys say anything. They were probably just as clueless as you were.

“We’ll figure all of this out later. We need to focus on getting the boys out first.” Chan is the first to break the tense atmosphere. His hand appears on your elbow, leading you in the direction you were heading before. “We need to find a way to get inside and make our way into the confinement sector. There should be a vent right up ahead we can squeeze through.”

“Hang on.” Another hand grabs your hand and keeps you in place. Confused, you turn back to peer at Minho who’s staring at the oldest hybrid. It was too dark to see what kind of expression was strewn across his face, but whatever it was, you could tell by the intensity of his grip that it wasn’t positive. “(Y/N)-ah and Changbin-ssi should go find Sung and Lix first. It’ll be better with more hands-”

“-There’s no time, Minho. Don’t you remember what they used to do to us?”

“I’m just saying, hyung. This will be dangerous, we don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“And I won’t let that happen.” Chan hisses. His fingers tighten around your arm and something stirs in the pit of your stomach. You don’t know exactly what it is, but something felt off.

Still, you allow Chan to lead you along the side of the building. Minho refuses to release your hand throughout the journey, keeping his fingers woven through yours. The four of you make it to the back of the large laboratory, carefully avoiding a search light sweeping the area. You keep your back pressed against the wall as your feet carry you through the packed snow. They come to a halt when Chan signals, lets go of your arm and whispers, “Bin, help me with this grate.”

Changbin passes you to join his brother. You couldn’t see past Chan, but you could tell they were doing their best to haul the cover off of the ventilation shaft. A painful creak emerges followed by a brief clank of metal. Minho curses under his breath before yanking you to the ground, just in time for the beam of light to swing over your head. A shaky breath blows past your lips, “Th-Thanks…”

“No problem. Did you guys get it yet?”

“Yeah, Changbin and I can’t fit our shoulders. It’ll have to be you and (Y/N).”

You nod, “Okay, I’ll go first-”

“-(Y/N), wait.” Just as you were about to slide into the vent, Chan takes you into his arms. From the searchlights, you were able to see the absolute fear present across his handsome features. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him look so afraid before, not even for his brothers. It strengthens the strange feeling in your gut.

“What is it?” You murmur, cupping his left cheek. Beneath your frozen palm, his skin is hot to the touch. You want nothing more then to cuddle in his body and forget all the horrors of your reality. Maybe you would be able to one day.

“I… I wanted to tell you something, in case anything happens…” He smiles sadly, laying his own hand along the one pressed to his face. “In case we get separated again…”

You return his smile, “Tell me on the way to Yellow Wood.”

His eyes widen, “You… You’re coming with us?”

“You guys are my family. I’d follow you until the ends of the earth.” You chuckle, “I love you, Chan. I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you.”

A single teardrop emerges from the wolf’s eye and cascades down his cheek. You catch it with your thumb, his relief and sadness bleeding through your fingertip. You lean forward to catch his lips in one last kiss as if to say goodbye. A brief goodbye, that is.

When you pull away, more droplets were making their way down Chan’s cheeks. The smile he gives you sends a flutter through your chest. He whispers softly, “I love you too, (Y/N). I’m sorry for everything.”

“(Y/N)-ah…” You peer over your shoulder to see Minho stood in front of the vent with a sad expression on his face. He tilts his head. You understand immediately.

Turning back to Chan. you murmur, “I’ll see you soon.”

You don’t have the heart to hear his answer, so you sprint away from him and climb inside the vent. Your body just barely fit inside the metal tube. It reminded you of that stupid garbage chute from when you met Minho for the first time. What a stupid coincidence.

You hear the coyote shuffle in behind you before saying, “Follow the path forward. When you come to an intersection, go right.”

“Got it.” You begin to crawl along the metal floor, ignoring the heavy warmth bleeding through your winter clothing. Even so, after a couple minutes, sweat manifests on your skin. You were almost tempted to shed some of your layers, but you doubt you’d be able to with how little space there was. Plus, the faster you move, the faster you can get out.

At the intersection, you turn right just as Minho instructed. It may have just been you, but the air flow seems to grow even hotter in this particular vent. Your breathing deepens, lung pulling air through the humidity. Minho must have heard your panting, “(Y/N)-ah, you okay?”

“Fine.” You gasp, quickening your pace. “How much longer?”

“Down this shaft and take another right. There will be an opening at the end that we’ll be able to get out. Can you make it?”

You nod, “Yeah. I’ll be fine.”

You scale the rest of the distance with no issues other than the perspiration pooling in your clothes. When you reach the opening, you have to carefully maneuver yourself stomach first from the vent onto something tall and composed of metal. Minho is right behind you, scrambling to his feet and flicking the sweat from his silver ears. He releases a relief-filled sigh, “Okay. They should be around here somewhere.”

Your eyes flitter around the area. Similar to outside, it’s completely dark all except for a couple spotlights. The lights weren’t related to security though, instead they lit up the glass cells likely meant for their hybrid creations. Most of them were empty.

Except one.

“Minho… Is that Jeongin?”

Minho’s head snaps to where you point. His eyes widen to saucers, mouth dropping to the floor. In the nearest cage was a young hybrid, maybe a fennec fox based on the large, beige ears jutting out from his blonde head. You never found the chance to read Jeongin’s file, but none of the other boys had any idea where the lab would have sent him.

What if they didn’t send him anywhere at all?

“He’s been here all along.” Minho hisses. His claws digging into the sides of his trousers. “Fucking bastards.”

“C’mon, I think we can get over there.” You take a step forward into the center of the square structure, pointing toward a ladder in a nearby corner. “If we get over there, we can head down and-”

Your plan is cut off by a low rumble. You and Minho exchange a confused glance before peering warily around the dark room. A shudder crawls down your spine, the waver present in your voice, “What was..?”

Suddenly, the ground disappears beneath your feet. Your body drops along with your stomach. Your fall is brief, because when you look up, you see a panicked Minho holding onto your arm and preventing you from dropping into what looks like one of those cages Jeongin was inside. You try not to panic, but the horror across the coyote’s features makes it so much worse not to do so.

“M-Minho…”

“You’re fine, (Y/N)-ah! Just hang on-!”

Another rumble sounds through the laboratory, obviously catching your companion off guard. Minho’s arm buckles beneath your weight, so he lurches forward to grab you with his other limb. He inhales a deep breath before saying, “...This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! God, (Y/N)-ah, I-I’ll pull you up! Just- No!”

Minho is wrenched away from you, leaving nothing else to keep you afloat. Your body slices through the air and cascades the rest of the distance into the cage. You land against the linoleum floor with a loud thud. Pain shoots through your hip and shoulders. You pay it no mind and launch back to your feet. Looking up just in time, you see the hole you fell into close up again.

No sign of Minho.

“What the hell!?” You screech, hands flying to tug at your hair. Furious and terrified, you glance around the glass barriers, finding a figure standing just opposite where you’re stood. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust to the bright, fluorescent lighting, but when they do, you swear your brain is still playing tricks on you.

Your hands fall to your sides as your eyes nearly bug out of their sockets. Once again, the storm of thoughts hits you like a civil war in your mind. The conscious and disillusioned parts of your brains fight for control as the figure moves closer. Even with their face entirely visible, you didn’t know what to believe.

That, or you didn’t want to believe it.

With tears welling in your eyes and betrayal forming in your heart, you whimper, not at all liking the name that fell from your lips.

The name that you’ve uttered so many times before.

“Ch-Chan…?”

#stray kids x reader #stray kids fanfic #stray kids au #bang chan x reader #bang chan au #stray kids #bang chan #woojin #lee know #changbin #hyunjin #han #felix #seungmin #i.n.#kpop fanfic

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blackcat-horror · 6 years

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Darkness, Pt. 4

This part is longer than the last few, since I really wanted to get it all out before I lost it. Enjoy!

WARNING: Contains horror, gore, violence, body horror, blood, profanity, and anyone who suffers from Nyctophobia, or has a weak stomach should not read this. You’ve been warned.

The house didn't have a single light on when Catherine got home from work, save for the porch light. She paid it no heed as she closed the garage door and went through the laundry room into the kitchen. Everyone was probably asleep, and that worked in her favor. Her feet were dragging, and she couldn't lift her arms after an eight hour shift of scanning cans of pumpkin puree, turkeys, and bags of potatoes. She hated the holidays, and couldn't wait till her next days off. Too bad that was in another three days.

She flicked the switch for the dining room lights, and hesitated when they didn't turn on. She tried again, then gave up and went to check the box in the garage. She didn't find anything wrong with it, except when she tried to turn the power back on, there was no change in the darkness in the house. She swallowed hard, remembering how when she was a child, her brother used to torture her with ghost stories that left her nearly catatonic for months.

She shook it off, then used the flashlight of her cell phone to find the spare flashlight up on the shelves above her dad's workbench. It was where it was left as always. Luckily the batteries had just been replaced. Clicking it on, she went back into the house to find some candles.

As she moved past the dining table, a dark shape darted under it, hiding in a corner, followed by a low growl. Catherine kneeled down, sweeping the beam under the table. It was her cat, Othello. He watched her with flattened ears and his body backed as tightly into the corner as possible. His eyes were huge, glowing yellow from the reflected light. He mewled as he watched her, realizing it was her, and he inched forward, but only slightly.

Catherine frowned as she watched her cat. She'd only ever seen him like this once, and that was when he was a kitten, and he had just become acquainted with the vacuum cleaner. Catherine still had the scars on her leg from where he climbed up her and launched himself onto the fridge and stayed there for several hours. But even then, he came to her when she held her hand out to him, but not now. Now, he flinched away from, and even hissed when she tried to pet him.

“What is wrong with you, baby?” she cooed, then froze when she heard an odd sound come from upstairs. It was the sound of claws catching on carpet, like when she used to have a polydactyl cat, and you could hear him wherever he was, even when he nails were clipped.

Only, this sounded bigger. Much bigger.

Catherine's hair stood up on the back of her neck as she stood and pressed her back against the wall, hiding the flashlight's beam with her hand, which was beginning to shake. It sounded like the noise was moving towards the rooms at the far end of the house, which was away from her. She took the opportunity to try to sneak towards the front door, which was maybe ten steps away from where she stood. Her stomach clenched, and she found her hand going to the crucifix at her throat, a tiny thing she'd been given at her baptism, and kept since, although she'd long since stopped believing that her prayers would ever be answered. Now she was wishing she'd been just slightly more devout, but the cool metal still comforted her.

The dining room floor was risen a few inches above the living room floor, as a way to deter people from stepping on the carpet with dirty shoes, but Catherine had other things to worry about than a little dirt. As she stepped off the landing, there was a soft, wet squelch, which nearly made her whimper. She pointed the flashlight down first, and then she looked down. Oh, how she wished she hadn't.

Her mother's prized plush eggshell cream carpet was soaked in blood. It was dark- arterial blood, her mother would say, from watching too many damn crime scene investigation shows. The blood only filled a small spot, but even that was too much for Catherine to accept.

Smaller spots, but not too much smaller, led away from it, and she followed the trail, across the coffee table, onto the floor again, and then up, across the socks and sweatpants of Catherine's mother, and landing on the bloody mess that used to be her chest. It had been ripped open like a steak and lobster dinner, and most of her organs were partially devoured, or missing altogether. The light flickered as the hand holding it began to shake violently, and Catherine's throat and chest tightened as her body struggled to take in air, and her knees turned to water, folding under her and making her collapse and drop the flashlight.

It bounced slightly, rolling, and her eyes followed it as it came to stop on the strange, hairy form of something she could only think was a grotesque Halloween decoration, except for a couple things. It was breathing, and it was moving towards her.

It lunged, screeching at her, and she screamed in response, snatching up the heavy duty flashlight as it grabbed her, sinking its claws into her shoulders. She struggled and screamed her heart out, bashing it in the head with the flashlight. That seemed to stun it somewhat, and it let go. She kicked at the creature, pushing it off and making a run for the front door.

Yanking it open, she made a start to run, but then she heard Othello screech and hiss. The creature had decided Catherine was too difficult to kill, and was going to go for him instead. It was having some trouble reaching him as he backed into the corner.

“Oh no you fucking don't!” she snarled, then grabbed a lamp, ripping the cord from the outlet, and bringing it down on the creature’s head. “Get the fuck away from my cat, you motherfucker!”

She continuously brought the lamp down on the creature, which yowled in pain the entire time, even managing to slash at her calf, making her stumble, but she made sure the creature was no longer moving before she grabbed her cat, her bag, and her keys, getting in the car and speeding towards the nearest hospital. Unseen by her as she drove away, a limping silhouette climbed up onto the top of her roof, and somehow managed to take off into the night.

“So what are you trying to tell me you saw?” the police officer asked as he took notes in his little book. He looked ready to drop, and definitely looked like he didn't want to be here, taking notes from someone he clearly thought was crazy. The nurse was taking her vitals, and Othello was curled in a tight ball in her lap, unmoving due to shock. It had taken some coaxing, but they allowed it when she flat out refused help if they removed him. If it wasn't for the pain medication going through Catherine's system now, she would've told him to shove that notebook right up his ass. It wasn't like she wanted this to happen in the first fucking place.

“Look, I told you. It was like something out of a 90's vampire movie, okay? It was uglier than balls, hairier than them too, and had big, red eyes and nasty little teeth, and it had bat wings, with opposable claws.” She gestured, gingerly, towards her wounds, which were now stitched up and bandaged. The doctor had said it was a miracle the artery hadn't been hit.

“Are you sure you didn't just see a Halloween decoration, miss? Maybe you imagined seeing this... animal attack you, and the image was impressed on your mind when the real attacker injured you?”

Catherine did her best not to roll her eyes. “Officer, with all due respect, I don't think a normal human being could rip open a woman's chest and devour most of her fucking organs! So no, I don't think it was a fucking Halloween decoration!”

The nurse glanced at the officer, who looked like a deer in the headlights now, and was having trouble finding words. He muttered something sheepishly about protocol, and she scoffed.

“Protocol would be asking me if I was on drugs or some bullshit, but I can prove that I'm not, because my work requires random tests thanks to some of the fuckwits I work with!” He bowed his head in shame, scribbling some things down as he started to tuck tail and leave the room. “You want the paperwork?” she yelled after him, ready to fight despite her sluggish state. “I got it all! It's in my house, but be careful not to trip over the fucking corpse!”

“Please, relax, Catherine,” the nurse, Daniela said, sighing softly, petting her back. “You're going to rip your stitches and hurt yourself more.” She helped Catherine lay back and adjusted her pillow. “There, take deep breaths. We won't let any more police question you until you feel better. All right?” She smiled warmly, putting a blanket over Catherine's legs.

Catherine suddenly burst into tears, clutching Othello as he huddled on her chest. “My.... She... She didn't even stand a chance!” she sobbed, taking in shaky breaths. “I couldn't do anything to help her!” She hiccuped, pressing the heel of her hand to her eye.

Daniela hushed her, rubbing her upper arm. “I'm so sorry, Catherine, I really am... But you saved your cat, didn't you? He's here with you, and that counts for something.” Catherine nodded, sniffling, taking tissues when she was offered some.

“Hey,” a gravelly voice said from the doorway, making them both jump. It was a big, older black guy, dressed in a trucker getup. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked down at Catherine. “You said somethin' about a big bat lookin' thing, right?”

“Please, sir,” Daniela began, “She doesn't need this right now-”

“I'm not gonna harass her, Nurse, don't worry.” He turned his attention back to Catherine. “So, that's what you saw, right?” “Yeah, I saw it, but no one believes me.” “I believe you,” he stated with a straight face. Catherine and Daniela felt their jaws drop. Catherine couldn't believe what she was hearing. “You... You actually believe me?” Her head was beginning to spin from the drugs kicking in more, and her eyes grew heavier. “You're shitting me, dude...” “No, I ain't shittin' you. I believe what you said you saw, because I've seen it too.”

That sobered her up real quick. “Wait, what?”

“Yup. I saw it, and I hit it with my truck, and I picked someone up who looked like they went through what you did, but a bit worse. She's in the room down the hall, if you wanna meet her when you're ready.” Catherine nodded, but her head was beginning to loll, and eventually sank back into the pillow.

Daniela tucked her in slightly, then nudged him out of the doorway. “You can talk to her again in the morning, when it's visiting hours,” she added sternly, closing the door.

The man nodded, chewing the inside of his cheek slightly as he glanced through the small window in the door, watching as Catherine slipped into a peaceful, albeit drug-induced sleep, her chest rising and falling slowly, but he noticed that her left hand was clutching the blanket with a white-knuckled fist.

#le chat writes #darkness #vampires #horror #classic horror #body horror #gore #death #blood #violence #suspense #Nyctophobia

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driftwork · 4 years

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a non-existant story - (three paragraphs)...

I have a no longer existing story I would like to tell in truncated version. It had a title which I have completely forgotten, and a replacement title which may be incorrectly remembered The Afterwork of an Engineer. I wrote it twenty years ago or perhaps more, over a three month period between a village in Umbria and a small town to the north-west of London. I am unsure what interested me any longer; memories, meetings and the uncertainty that my career made any sense as I flew between the USA and Europe. The memories are mixed up with fantasy and my imaginary and (as a consequence) are completely unreliable; the work itself was partly to document the work and the solitude of the engineer, which is always part of an engineers existence. It began as a story and ended up as a novel in three parts, a novella really. At the time I sent it to a couple of publishers who found it difficult and strange, it was probably a little indecipherable. At the time I didn't understand why they thought like that, only now as an ex-engineer do I understand what was meant. I accept that it has little or no value at all.

I left a copy of the story in the plan chest drawer, and a couple of un-annotated electronic copies on computers, I wondered at the time if leaving it untouched might help the story. I ignored it and let it age. Years later I found an electronic copy, which emerged from the depths of an old documents folder, like a forgotten systems specification which you look at after a few years and think that this is not dissimilar to the work you are about to embark on and wonder how much of the document is reusable. Printing it, holding it in your hands seemed like a justification, the guilt fades away (why do writers feel guilt over their texts?). I rewrite a few sentences, perhaps as many as twenty. And added a few ending paragraphs. After some discussions I took it with me over the summer on various work trips to Texas and promised to deliver the changed version in the autumn to a friend. So that summer I am working in Texas (meetings, more specifications, project management, code, financial negotiations, presentations, meetings and meetings, my Lamy pen writing and drawing on notebooks...) I felt that the story would be more cheerful if i was on a nice holiday by the sea, perhaps on the edges of an African desert, rather than in the ever-growing city of Dallas, after all it had been alone for a long time. Finally I read it again in early September, sitting outside with a baking hot wind blowing in from the west bringing in a storm, the place I was staying in was dry, windy and had weird neo-classical architectural fountains that did not in any sense belong there, I wasn't sure what was happening in the story as i read and reread it. The hotel had the soft groans of the lift which was just the other side of the wall, late at night drunken Americans would pass noisily by the door. Occasionally people would come to visit me and we'd eat in the restaurant downstairs, banal food, but the Vodka Martinis were lovely. Over the parkways was a field in which the local farmer kept some pet long horn cattle, which during the day would stand in the shade of the trees and flick their tails with contempt. I was alone most of the time when I wasn't in the office, i know that for certain and in my solitude the machines and the occasional person would speak to me. But they always failed to communicate because its impossible across such a content/expressional divide. The semiotics of presence always failed, our collective semiotics were too different, our tactics always failing. The headlights of cars passing down the all too straight roads, occasional motorbikes roaring as their light burned away the night. Often during this time I suffered from insomnia, unable to sleep I would read or flick through terrible late night TV. Reading books that I bought from large bookshops in the strip malls. Sometimes I would get up and go outside to walk around the edges of the hotels property, across the field in the pitch black, along the roads to the office buildings and mass housing estates. There was an electronic advertising board across the fields which I walked to at 3am one morning to try and decipher the advertisements. But some acts of reading are simply impossible. I received many messages during the night but few of them made any real sense. I listened and listened. Perhaps it was because of the number of messages I received that the story faded away. The new messages, some I admit were from work, but mostly they were communicated by cars driving romantically in the middle of the night to some assignation or other. Trying to decipher them, standing like a parasite listening to A and B attempting to communicate, I was the noise interfering with their communication. They were miserable messages for the most part, that was obviously certain. Hence autumn approached and it was time to leave for the final time and return home. That day there arrived with the western wind a violent storm. In the early evening there were Tornadoes a few miles to the north. Enormous clouds travelling eastwards across the plateaux, the hotel shook with the noise of the violent wind and the sounds of machinery and humans was gone. I took the novel outside and threw the pages into the wind which took them high into the sky. I have no idea why.

More than a decade has passed since then, I don't go (any longer) to engineering meetings, talking to the men and women of the liquid modern is no longer part of my everyday life. Sometimes I think of the story, it had elements of multicolored ink, like a dreamwork. It stands behind a veil that I cannot see through because its too faded and misty. There is a screen on which the text can be seem in black and white. Associated with it are the people I worked with in Plano, Texas, not that any of them exist their any longer or if they do they are not the people I knew. Either way to everyone who was there at the time I offer this no longer existing novel as a gift...

#everyday practices #fiction #everyday places

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fortuneandfame · 5 years

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I could be way off base here but I remember a day when Toyota was a brand for everyone; from exciting, practical, and fun. They had a family car, big body sedan, sports car, mid-size, small-size and of course they were mostly affordable for everyone. Somehow the rear wheel drive powertrains were axed for boring mundane economy cars. Long gone are the days of the Celicas, AE86s, Supras, and VIP Previas. Until now, with the likes of the FR-S and coming Supra replacement it seems that Toyota is ready to get back to its roots; and they did not just stop it seems they have revamped their full line-up to great styling, great features and accoutrements. Even technology now seems presetine; Toyota truly has a car for everyone. Let’s take a look at the latest offering that Toyota was kind enough to loan us for the week. The all new 2019 Toyota Avalon – Now let’s be honest when I was told they were handing me the keys to an Avalon, I cringed on the inside. However, I quickly ate crow. When they dropped the car off in it’s beautiful Ruby Flare Pearl exterior paint I at first had no idea what I was looking at. I pulled over and thought it was a new Lexus GS then I realized it was the car that was supposed to be mine for the next seven days. We took a walk around checked out the interior and the whole time my jaw was dragging along behind me. I could not believe my eyes. The first thing that threw me off was the large and massive grill. It seems to be very polarizing you either like it or you do not. Shout out to my purist family who the majority disliked the grill but the whole aggressive design grew on me and I love it. I feel as if Toyota is back with a vengeance. If you want to know if the car is good, read no further as the bottom line is simple. This car is amazing, the only negative is that it does not come in rear or all wheel drive.

I have for the most of my automotive “career” almost always had European cars with the exception of two of my first cars. Which happened to be under the Toyota umbrella and I loved those cars no real reason why I left the brand; other than I was always a fan of the euro. However, the price point at a fully ticked $43k there is not much that can touch what this car offers for this price. Let me break it down this way so I can make sure we do not miss anything.

Mechanical

The heartbeat of the Avalon is a 3.5-Liter V6 that has a respectable 301 HP and 267 lb-ft of torque and while its not lightning quick off the line; in a roll on the freeway and around 3500rpm this car catches speed quick. All bolted up to an 8 Speed automatic trans. Allowing you to have some naughty fun and/or get you out of trouble when needed. While the motor and transmission work extremely well together I am curious to know how good this motor gets with a tune, exhaust, and better breathing but we will see if we can test that theory at a later time. But if you want to know how good the motor gets you can ask the few Maserati Ghiblis, Levantes, Chargers, Challengers and few BMWs that lay slain in the wake of this surprising little beast. Rolling on 19″ alloy wheels painted with black windows it ties the whole car in a very sporty, aggressive and classy way. The suspension is firm enough so you know whats going on but properly soft for a big body sedan. It soaks up LA’s horrible roads with ease. I hit a pothole by accident and in my other car alignment probably would have been left a mile behind and popped a tire. The Avalon literally took it with NO problem and we barely felt it. What I like most which reminds me of the good old days when my parents gifted me their Lexus ES300, you can go 90mph and not notice it because the car is smooth, planted, quiet and comfortable. I can give you the full specs of the independent MacPherson struts and sport tuned shocks but in my opinion who cares the suspension is great. Seeing as this is a Toyota and their claimed summer anthem of wanting my MPGs they have this car at an estimated 25 mpg Combined (22 city/31 highway). With that said I averaged 27-30 with a lead foot and 2 tanks to prove it.

Exterior

Once again I think this car is quite the looker. The enthusiast in me wants to see it lowered on 20s with blacked out windows light smoke on rear tail lights and bigger exhaust tips to really showcase the beautiful lines of this car. But if you leave it stock in the right color looks just delectable. Granted some people may not enjoy the looks of this car, but this is one of the many places this car gives it’s euro counterparts a run for the money. The car I currently have came with LED headlights which was an option. Most other manufacturers that charge close double for a similar vehicle are still using boring old Xenons – which starts easily building the case why this car is a steal for the money. LED headlights not only look great but function well and I will never purchase a car again that does not have them. The eyes of this car are aggressive, beautiful and bold. Full LED headlights with Automatic High beams and sequential running blinkers (Dynamic Auxiliary Turn signal) for both front and rear. Huge aggressive front grill with front camera to help with 360 Parking, and curb assist so you do not plow your bumper into the parking block ahead. Nice aggressive front vents that are functional which I presume for aerodynamics and brake cooling. We finish off the front half of the car with acoustic noise-reducing front windshield keeping the occupants happy inside. Bringing around back we have quad tipped exhaust a nice lip spoiler which looks like an aftermarket piece and I like it quite a bit. Also, including a nice aggressive rear diffuser to button up the whole package.

Interior

The seats are very nice. Orange stitching keeps together a semi-perforated ultra suede and leather seat that is both heated and ventilated (cooling and amazing on these hot days) giving the car that posh sporty look that you typically see in more expensive cars. Hop into the front you are greeted with a plethora of enjoyments. Starting off with an 8-way adjustable seat with 4 way lumbar for both passenger and driver. Heated tile and telescoping steering wheel all with memory function. Also included on the steering is bluetooth hands free and voice command buttons along with cruise control volume and other niceties. Behind the steering wheel you have your speedo with a nice 7″ screen with pertinent information and they one upped themselves with a 10″ color HUD right in the windshield where you can see the speed limit of the street your on, mph, radar info and a few other things that help keep your eyes on the road and not where they should not be. In the dash you have a 9″ touch screen which is very responsive and has all the fun stuff. Satellite radio, 360 rear and front cameras all come on at the right time to help you park and stay out of the insurance companies pockets. The only negative about this system is the navigation is a little annoying and not as good as the old Toyota and Lexus’ I remember. However, if it gets on your nerves there’s always Apple CarPlay. One thing I really liked about the navigation though is Dynamic Navigation. Here’s how it works, I need to get to a destination and I am driving and/or in my case too lazy to look it up or type it in. Hit the prompt for navigation assist and on the line comes an operator asking where I would like to go. I tell them to map me to said location. If they do not have an address they will look it up. Hit GO on my screen and off we are to the next adventure.

Just below that we have wireless charging which is an amazing feature. The only problem I had with wireless charging is that my phone kept sliding around and flying off the charger which left my phone upset. However, I am sure when the car comes to production that will be fixed with some type of rubber footing or holder. Additionally, under the armrest which is insanely deep holds three pots to charge your devices. Finishing off the interior with the rear seat there is plenty of space back there for passengers big and small. The biggest problem I have as a dad with any car these days is my kid and her carseat. She says at 42 inches tall she does not have enough legroom. With the Avalon that is a problem of the past. Also, to keep your rear seat guests comfortable and happy, two large vents that offer them copious amounts of air and an additional two plugs for their phones or tablets so you are always charged and ready for life’s adventures. Oh and the trunk is big as “F” so strollers, bass guitars, keyboards, a ton of of stuff will fit with ease and if you need more you can fold down the rear 60/40 split seats.

My only real qualm about the interior is the center stack. In my opinion the clean interior design does not match the stack and the stack lessens the slightly more premium feeling you get in the Avalon.

Safety

They have all the top safety stuff that you want, need and systems you never knew you wanted or needed. The list is pretty long I will more or less talk about my favorites here. A few of my favorite safety features that I put to use was the brake alert; coming too close to the radar system in the nose of the car will alert you that it is time to brake if it feels you are moving at a rate of speed where it will be difficult to brake safely without a collision. Which could be helpful if you get distracted or the traffic suddenly changes before you have time to react. Blind spot detection which is always an added bonus, along with pedestrian detection. One cool thing to note is when we tested the feature, the car came to a complete halt if someone walks behind your car while you are backing up. My favorite though is what I am calling semi Auto-pilot. It is a far cry from Tesla’s autopilot, which in actuality you cannot really call or compare it to Auto-pilot because it’s not. It is a very smart cruise control system having some very similar features which was quite welcomed during traffic. So the car has a radar in the nose which helps with a lot of the driving and safety features. Most noticed when cruise control is activated. You can in fact activate cruise control at pretty much any speed and it will hold at whatever speed you set unless you come up on a car. Once you come up to a certain distance about 3 car lengths the car will adjust it’s speed to keep a safe distance from the car ahead. It will slow down up unto the point where it needs to come to a complete stop if necessary. It will not go again until you tap the gas to re-activate the cruise. With lane keeping assist that will push you back into the middle of the lane. It is a good and intuitive way to keep you safe even when you’re not as alert because you have been sitting in LA traffic for 2 hours. The only drawback of this system is the brakes let you know that they work as they for the most part apply full force; they do not ease into the brake to reach programmed limits. No matter what speed whether theres traffic or not if it senses it needs to slow down to keep with the parameters set it will slam on the brakes making your stomach hit the front windshield. After playing with it every day I finally figured out a happy medium for the most part and the system worked quite well.

Farewell

In my ripe young age I have become quit the car snob. After spending time with the Avalon for a full week I shed a small tear to see it go as I have been turned into a believer that Toyota still can produce a functional, fun enjoyable daily driver that can handle a multitude of requirements and daily tasks. For the enthusiasts this is a great tuning platform for the stance and VIP crowd. A solid platform to use as a show car, cruiser, family hauler, business car, and overall huge bang for the buck. It’s actually mind blowing what Toyota has provided in their new Avalon for $40k. For all other car makers, in particular the European counterparts. You have been put on notice: Koreans and Japanese are coming and they are here to stay and they are here to wow customers with strong, solid, designs, technology, reliability and overall great cars. If you want something your age get the Camry as it’s geared toward the younger demo. If you want a nice big body cruiser that has some potential and comes with pretty much everything you need standard. The Avalon is the way to go.

Thank you to Toyota for forcing me to buy another car because I like this car that much.

Check out the IGs of the photogs that collaborated with me on this shoot.

@Russ.Photography

MY Ode to Ava[lon] I could be way off base here but I remember a day when Toyota was a brand for everyone; from exciting, practical, and fun.

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