Page 134 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

Something takes over. Something that doesn't ask permission. Something that doesn't care how much you weigh. Or how much they do. Sliding my arms beneath his chest and hindquarters. He was far too heavy. Ninety pounds of muscle. Bone. Warmth. My knees trembled before I even lifted.

Lift.

Pain exploded across my back. The edges of my vision turned black as I hauled him against my chest, every muscle screaming beneath the strain. My teeth ground together so hard I thought they might crack. His weight crushed the air from my lungs. Still...

I stood.

One shaking step.

Then another.

Mud soaked into my dress, staining the pale fabric dark brown as I staggered toward the sedan. The rear door flew open beneath my foot. Using every ounce of leverage I had left, I managed to slide his body across the back seat. His head rolled sideways onto the upholstery. A tiny, bubbling breath escaped him. Still breathing.

Barely.

I ran back inside. Paper. Pen. Anything. My hands shook so violently the words barely resembled letters. I taped the first note to my front door.

Phone died.

Max is hurt.

Taking him to Blackridge Veterinary Clinic.

Please.

Then I ran. The gravel tore into the bottoms of my feet as I sprinted the quarter mile to Elias's cottage. I slapped the second note onto his screen door.

Phone died.

Max.

Vet.

No explanations. No apologies. Just enough. He'd understand. I prayed he would. The sedan coughed violently before the engine finally caught. I slammed it into gear. The tyres spun through the mud before finding the road. Branches whipped past the windows as I flew down the mountain, the steering wheel vibrating beneath my white-knuckled grip.

Fog rolled across the highway in long ribbons, swallowing the pines until they became little more than blurred shadows. I could barely see through the tears.

"Stay with me..."

My voice broke. I looked into the rearview mirror. Max lay exactly where I'd left him. Still.

Too still.

I reached back with one hand, blindly searching until my fingertips disappeared into the thick fur around his neck. Warm. Still warm.

"Come on, buddy..."

Another sob escaped me.

"You can do this."

The words dissolved into tears. I swallowed hard. I never said I needed him. I didn't tell him I couldn't imagine walking back into that cottage alone. I only knew one thing. Elias needed him. Elias already carried ten names in his ribs. If Max disappeared too...

Something inside that stubborn, guarded man would break in a way that could never be repaired.

"Please..."

My voice was barely audible now. The tires screamed as I hit the highway, the valley rushing past in streaks of green and grey. I reached back one last time, burying my fingers deeper into his fur.