خون هیولا فصل چهارم

Monster Blood Chapter 04

“I will take care of you, doggie,” Kathryn repeated, frowning at Trigger. The dog whimpered in reply.

“Come, Evan. Follow me,” she said impatiently.

Seeing that he had no choice, Evan obediently carried Trigger down the stairs and followed his aunt to the backyard. “I’m prepared,” she said, turning to make sure he was following.

Despite her age—she was at least eighty—she walked with long, steady strides. “I knew you were bringing a dog, so I made sure I was prepared.”

Trigger licked Evan’s hand as they walked across the yard to the long, fenced-in area at the back. “It’s a special place for your dog,” Kathryn said, reaching up to grab one end of the rope that stretched across the run. “Attach this to the collar, Evan. Your dog will have fun here.” She frowned disapprovingly at Trigger. “And there will be no problems with Sarabeth.”

Evan felt very relieved that this was all Kathryn wanted to do to Trigger. But he didn’t want to leave Trigger tied up in this prison in the back of the yard. Trigger was a house dog. He wouldn’t be happy by himself out here.

But Evan knew he had no way of arguing with his aunt. Kathryn is smart in a way, he thought bitterly as he hooked Trigger’s collar to the rope. Since she won’t learn sign language and won’t lip-read, it means she gets to do whatever she wants, and no one can tell her no.

He bent down and gave Trigger’s warm head a pat and looked up at the old woman. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, her blue eyes glowing brightly in the sunlight, a cold smile of triumph on her face.

“That’s a good boy,” she said, waiting for Evan to get up before starting back to the house. “I knew when I looked at you. Come to the house, Evan. I have cookies and milk. You’ll enjoy them.” Her words were kind, but her voice was hard and cold.

Trigger sent up an unhappy howl as Evan followed Kathryn to the house. Evan turned, intending to go back and comfort the dog. But Kathryn grabbed his hand in an iron grip, and, staring straight ahead, led him to the kitchen door.

The kitchen was small and cluttered and very warm. Kathryn motioned for him to sit at a small table against the wall. The table was covered with a plastic, checkered tablecloth. She frowned, her eyes studying him, as she brought over his snack.

He downed the oatmeal raisin cookies and milk, listening to Trigger howl in the backyard. Oatmeal raisin wasn’t his favorite, but he was surprised to find that he was hungry. As he gobbled them down, Kathryn stood at the doorway, staring intently at him, a stern expression on her face.

“I’m going to take Trigger for a walk,” he announced, wiping the milk mustache off his upper lip with the paper napkin she had given him.

Kathryn shrugged and wrinkled up her face.

Oh. Right. She can’t hear me, Evan thought. Standing at the kitchen window, he pointed to Trigger, then made a walking motion with two fingers. Kathryn nodded.

Whew, he thought. This is going to be hard.

He waved good-bye and hurried to free Trigger from his backyard prison.

A few minutes later, Trigger was tugging at the leash, sniffing the flowers along the curb as Evan made his way up the block. The other houses on the street were about the same size as Kathryn’s, he saw. And they all had small, neatly trimmed, square front yards.

He saw some little kids chasing each other around a birch tree. And he saw a middle-aged man in bright orange bathing trunks washing his car with a garden hose in his driveway. But he didn’t see any kids his age.

Trigger barked at a squirrel and tugged the leash out of Evan’s hand. “Hey—come back!” Evan called. Trigger, disobedient as always, took off after the squirrel.

The squirrel wisely climbed a tree. But Trigger, his eyesight not what it once was, continued the chase.

Running at full speed, calling the dog’s name, Evan followed him around a corner and halfway down the block before Trigger finally realized he had lost the race.

Breathing hard, Evan grabbed the leash handle. “Gotcha,” he said. He gave the leash a tug, trying to lead the panting dog back to Kathryn’s street.

Trigger, sniffing around a dark tree trunk, pulled the other way. Evan was about to pick up the stubborn dog when he was startled by a hand grabbing his shoulder.

“Hey—who are you ?” a voice demanded.