Jacob parked the family SUV in front of the small house in the woods and shuddered. It was a quaint little place in the middle of nowhere, there wasn’t much around, but it was in his family’s price range, so he did his best to appear enthusiastic when he said, “Welcome to our new home, guys. Isn’t it great?”
Zachary looked out the window and frowned, noticing some of the shingles hanging askew on the roof, the lightbulb by the front door busted. “Yeah, dad,” he said. “It’s sure something.”
“Sure is,” Jacob replied, perhaps selling his point a little too hard. He knew how Zach and Monica felt about the move, even though Monica had done her best to hide it, there was no denying her disappointment.
She opened her door and beamed up at the house in a weak attempt to make her husband feel better. “You know, I really think a simple paint job would go a lot farther than you’d think.”
Zachary exited the car, clutching his Atlanta Braves bat in his left hand. A habit he had picked up lately, it was his dream to one day play for the Braves, and best his parents could figure, he thought carrying around his signed Chipper Jones rookie bat he’d just received for his thirteenth birthday was somehow going to increase his odds. Of course, he practiced often. “At least there’s plenty of room to hit balls,” he offered, marveling over the massive yard and dense forest surrounding it.
“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Jacob embellished with a grin. He watched as Zachary climbed the porch steps two at a time and reached for the front door.
“It’s locked!”
“It should be!” Monica smiled at her husband. “I think it’s cute, hon, really.”
“Thanks,” Jacob said, sighing internally. Monica wasn’t one to complain, even if it was just to keep his feelings intact. He loved her for that.
After producing a key, Jacob unlocked the front door, and the three of them began to unload their belongings into the house. It was on his second trip to the car that he heard the sound of broken glass followed by his wife’s shrill screams.
Jacob burst through the front door and found his wife standing in the living room, their fish tank lying on the floor in millions of glass shards among painted gravel and fake plants. “There’s someone in the house,” she said.
“What? Where’s Zach?”
“Upstairs.” Monica’s wide eyes stared straight ahead down the narrow hallway leading to the master bedroom. “I heard it.” She pointed forward. “It went in there.”
“Uh, okay.” Jacob reached for Zach’s bat which had been left propped against the stairs. “Let me go check.”
Monica nodded, her eyes still unblinking.
Jacob gripped the bat in his hands, feeling silly. This wouldn’t have been the first time Monica’s paranoia had caused her to overreact to something. It was probably a bird that had gotten trapped inside the house or something equally trivial. Just to be sure, he called, “Hello? Is anyone here?”
Silence.
He made his way to the end of the hall, glancing over his shoulder at Monica who had begun to follow him at a distance. She nodded toward the master bedroom, mouthed the words: in there.
The doorway hung open, but Jacob used the bat to push it open as wide as it would go, until it nearly banged the wall opposite it. Holding the bat at the ready he entered the room.
And shouted.
“What is it?” Monica demanded. “Jacob!” She jumped at the sound of Zach running down the stairs. “Stay there,” she told him.
“It’s a monster!” Jacob called. “A feral beast!” And he emerged from the room holding a small black kitten. “Boo!”
“You’re not funny!” Monica said as she and Zach walked over to meet their little intruder. “How do you think it got in here?” she asked, petting its tiny head.
“No idea. I’ll take a look around after we get all of our things inside, see if there’s any place he could’ve squeezed in.”
“Can we keep him?” Zach asked, a huge smile plastered on his face.
“Actually,” Jacob said, holding the kitten up for inspection, “she’s a girl.” He glanced at his wife whose face had already begun to form into a scowl. “I don’t know, what do you say, honey? Seems to me she was here before us, wouldn’t really be fair to barge in here and kick her out, isn’t that right, girl?”
The cat mewed quietly.
“Mom? Please?” he dragged out that last word longer than needed for effect.
“We don’t even know if she’s healthy or anything,” Monica said, and then, “Jesus, she’s trembling.” She frowned.
Zach reached to take the kitten from his father and cradled her in his arms. “I’ll take good care of her, I promise!”
“I’ll think about it, Zach,” his mother said. “But we’ve got to find a vet around here to check her out as soon as possible. In fact, I’d really rather you not play with her until then.”
“Okay,” Zach smiled. “I’ll make her a bed in my room.” He turned to walk upstairs and added, “Uh, which one is my room?”
Jacob laughed. “Pick one,” he said. “Ours is right here. Whichever one you don’t pick we’ll turn into our study. Your mom will finally have a decent place to write.”
“Awesome! Thanks, dad!” Zach pounded up the stairs two at a time, clutching his new friend.
“You put the cat down and help us get the rest of our things inside, you hear?”
“Yes sir!” came Zach’s voice from upstairs.
Jacob and Monica walked back outside and as Jacob unlatched the small trailer behind the SUV, Monica thought she saw movement off in the trees, a hulking mass, a pair of eyes. She closed her eyes and shook her head and looked again.
There was nothing there. Probably just her paranoia again.