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“Who’s there?” Zoe’s voice quivered with fear as a snuffling sound drifted from the gloom. “Show yourself!”
Three pairs of doleful eyes peered at Zoe from the darkness, followed by the excited skittering of paws on the wooden floor. She sighed in relief as Cerberus bounded from the darkness, his tail wagging in greeting.
“Did your master send you to spy on me too?” Zoe scratched Cerberus’ foreheads, until an idea crossed her mind. “Well, you might not be much of a guard dog, but you have a knack for digging up objects around this place. So why don’t we play a little game?”
Cerberus barked in excitement, before he spun in circles. Zoe laughed at the dog’s delight, before she lowered her voice to a whisper.
“Okay, I need your help to find a key. Specifically, one that unlocks the gate outside.” Zoe looked at the giant dog hopefully. “And in return, I’ll give you all the treats you could possibly want from Misty’s kitchen.”
Cerberus’ eyes gleamed, while he drooled at the mere thought. With a merry bark, he scampered through the motel, before he led Zoe to a coffin-shaped dog bed. He snuffled with excitement as he rooted around its contents, sending objects flying as he dug deeper into his treasure trove of stolen goods. Zoe ducked out of the way as old bones, urns and even a skull flew past her, until the giant dog proudly presented her with the object of his attention.
“Good boy!” But Zoe’s smile faded as she peered at the object held within the dog’s jaws. “Wait, is that a…”
A high-pitched squeaking sound filled the air, as Cerberus chewed excitedly on a rubber duck. Zoe sighed as the dog dropped his toy at her feet, while his tail wagged through the air like an overly-excited wiper blade.
“That’s not quite what I had in mind, Cerberus. Can you find the key?” Zoe elongated her vowels as she tried to communicate with the playful pup. “The k-e-y. Do you understand?”
Cerberus barked, before he took off once more. Zoe chased after him, following the creature into the motel grounds. She watched as he dug through the earth, sending a shower of dirt behind him to retrieve whatever lay buried within.
“What have you got there?” Zoe looked curiously as Cerberus placed a slobbery object in her hands, until her eyes widened in horror. “Is that… ugh, gross, I said a key, not a knee!”
Zoe grimaced as the dog merrily chewed the leg bone of whatever poor creature it had once belonged to. But as he sniffed the air and took off once more, Zoe sighed in resignation. The guard dog of the Underworld might not give Lassie much competition, but he was the best lead she had.
Zoe chased after Cerberus, weaving around the gardens in an endless loop. She watched as the dog suspiciously sniffed behind withered plants and gravestones, and followed him as he sped back into the motel. Whatever trail the dog was following had him running faster than an over-excited squirrel at a nut convention. And maybe, just maybe, it would be the ticket to unlocking the treasure of the Underworld.
Zoe chased after Cerberus, speeding through the motel rooms, leaving nothing but a plume of dust in their wake. She rounded a corner and burst through the doors of Misty’s saloon, until she bent double to catch her breath.
“This must be one heck of a trail for you to run like that. Now what do we have here?” But Zoe groaned in despair as she spotted the subject of Cerberus’ hunt. “Oh, for crying out loud…”
A tantalizing scent of freshly cooked bacon wafted from the counter of the saloon, filling the chamber with a mouth-watering aroma. With a joyful bark, Cerberus leaped onto a nearby bar stool and devoured the platter in one smooth bite, before shooting Zoe a merry grin. Zoe sighed as the giant dog licked his lips clean, and took her place at the counter. So much for discovering the treasure of the Underworld. All she’d discovered was Cerberus’ ability to devour an entire platter of bacon in less than a second.
As Cerberus contentedly stretched to snooze off his morning feast, Zoe thought back to her night with Shadow. She retrieved her camera and studied the photos she had taken, reminiscing on the dreams she had once had. Dreams of traveling the globe, and sharing photos of nature’s wonders with the world. Dreams breathing new life into long-lost places. Dreams she had forgotten since taking her job with Mr. Gravesend.
“Why, with a face like that, you’ll give the gargoyles a run for their money.” Misty appeared in a puff of emerald smoke, before she poured Zoe a fresh mug of coffee. “Whatever’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Zoe sighed, and tried to free her mind of her worries. “Just some work troubles.”
“Listen, darlin’, I’ve worked in this saloon my entire afterlife, and I’ve seen all types of ghosts float through these doors. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from listening to their regrets, it’s this.” Misty slid the coffee cup across the bar, and into Zoe’s hands. “Never forget to appreciate the magic in life. Because one day, it’ll be too late.”
Zoe glanced from her camera, and back to her work files.
“Try telling that to my boss. If I don’t hit my deadline, I’m as good as dead.”
“A problem shared is a problem halved. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can find a solution.” Misty smiled kindly, sending a wave of guilt flooding through Zoe. “Why, I could bring everyone together. Spooks, the Phantom Fiestadores, Shadow…”
“No, that’s not necessary…” Zoe spluttered awkwardly, before she gathered her work files. “I… I should head back to work.”
But Zoe drew a startled breath as Misty appeared beside her in a puff of heavily perfumed smoke.
“Oh, I see what’s going on here.”
Zoe gulped as Misty inched closer. “You do?”
“Of course. All the signs are there.” Misty’s eyebrow arced knowingly. “The blushing of your cheeks at the mention of the master’s name. That faraway look in your eyes as you think about him. Your romantic night-time stargazing at the Throne of the Underworld…”
“I nearly plummeted to my death. I’d hardly call that romantic…”
“There’s only one possible conclusion.” Misty drew herself to her full height, thrusting her impressive cleavage forwards. “You have a crush on the master!”
