Billy always regretted that he did not force himself to “stick to his guns” and keep the rest of the gang from going to the old Sugarman house. If he had, maybe everyone would have lived. He just remembered sitting on his bike, stopped in the middle of the road, wearing his backpack and being too afraid to go any further…. Until Janet threatened to tell Martha Brooks….the prettiest raccoon in 6th grade. Billy wasn’t “seeing Martha” but they were “friendly” and Billy made it a habit to talk to her every morning before class started…and if he was lucky….maybe she might like-like him too! ***** “Come on, Billy, don’t be a big wuss!”, said Janet, her whiskers twitching in irritation. The tomboyish kitten was getting tired of dealing with the raccoon-cat crossbreed stopped in the road and looking like he was about to piss his pants. Dale piped up “Come on, mammal! We will be right with you. All we have to do is go in, check the basement out, and bring back proof that we were there.” “But if my Mom and Dad find out I’ll be grounded for a month!” Billy lied. He wasn’t afraid of his Mom and Dad. Old Man Sugarman was different though. Billy absentmindedly raised his paw and scratched the back of his head where the scar was. Billy had sneaked into the house at the end of the road once before, when he was only 9. There was rumored to be a stash of money and the head of their missing daughter, Mary stuck in the basement. Billy had wanted to see for himself, and sneaked in a broken basement window, only to knock over a lamp and be discovered. The raving old rat sniffed him out, and chased him into a blind corner. Billy remembered Mrs Sugarman yelling at her husband to stop, and Old Man Sugarman screaming he was going to “kill those Guberment Agents for spying on him” while he gave the kit a good lick on the head with a hammer. Billy had woken in the hospital, getting stitched up after being beaned with the claw side of a hammer. Gene Sugarman was hauled off to jail, where he spent a week, then was sent off to Darington Heights Hospital. No one ever saw him again around town, but rumor said Mrs Sugarman secretly took him home and he was still there, hiding, protecting the house. ***** Afraid to not go in, Billy rode on wards with is friends, his heart beating furiously. Getting to the home at 69 Rockingbird Lane, they all stopped and stashed their bikes in the untrimmed hedges so no one would see them. The streetlights were on, so they had some cover from prying eyes. Mrs Sugarman had recently moved away to St Pawrence, and the house was sold. Recently some new folks came to town and were buying the old place. The power was turned on, but they had not moved in just yet. Janet snuck up to the front door and tested it, the door was locked. Dale checked windows on the side of the house and they were also locked. Seeing Billy just sitting there, hanging back, Janet whispered “Come on, you pussy! Help us find a way in! Or I’ll tell the Martha Brooks you chickened out and she needs to find a new special friend.” “Screw you, Janet!”, thought Billy. Janet had been ‘One of the guys’ since she moved into the neighborhood at 5 years old. Billy went to the basement windows, and half checked one. “Locked!” he said. “No way in, lets go!” Dale looked over “Hey, this one over here is open!” pointing to another basement window. “Oh shit! They found a fucking way in!” thought Billy. The cubs made quick work stashing their bicycles deep inside the overgrown hedges, and before getting the basement the window open. Janet went in first. Dale next. Billy could hear them go in, and loudly whisper for each other to “shut up” which made more noise than before. Ninjas they were not. “Billy, get the fuck down here!”, whispered Dale. A feeling of dread came over the raccoon hybrid as he slid into the window, paws first and dropped down to the concrete floor. Trying to look around was pointless. There might be power in the house, but for some odd reason no one left the basement lights turned on when no one was supposed to be in the house. Even with great night vision from both his raccoon mother and cat father, he still needed some light to be able to see. Trying to sniff and hear, Billy could tell his friends were close. He could scent both Janet’s kitten scent, and Dale’s skunk-scent. “What took you so long, trash-eater?”, asked Janet. “I was waiting in line to rut your mother, sandbox dumper.” said Billy. “Hey, I was fucking 5, you asshole!” said Janet, starting to get upset. She hated it when anyfur brought up that little incident when she confused the playground sandbox for the “travel potty” her family had recently used when camping. “Hey, shut up, you assholes. We aren’t supposed to be here!”, furiously whispered Dale. “Everyone feel around for a light or something.” The three subs started searching around, fumbling in the dark, then saw flashing red and blue lights appear through the windows and reflect around the basement. The windows were 5 feet above the surface, every few feet, then there was a space without windows further down. The broken window was halfway closed, but could be pulled “Fuck! Cops!” said Janet, dropping to the floor and starting to crawl away into the darkness as fast as she dared. “Hurry up, we have to get away from the windows!”, said Dale, who was directly behind her and could go no faster. “Shut up, they will fucking hear you!”, whispered Billy. The 3 cubs moved slowly across the floor, until Janet stopped, with a hiss of pain, then furiously whispered “stop moving! I cut my paw on something sharp! There is broken glass on the floor! I can’t go forward!” Dale thought quickly. “Everyone lay down flat and don’t move!” They all lay down, and fearfully watched the windows. A powerful flashlight beam pierced the darkness and played around the room from the outside, and a face pushed up against the dirty glass, trying to see if there was anyone inside the home. Billy forced himself to stay still, but he could swear that everyone outside could hear his thumping heartbeat. Looking in front, he could see the others were terrified as well. Dale desperately reached behind himself and pushed on his rear end. Oh No! The only thing that could mean would be either Dale needed to take a mean dump (bad enough) or….he was worried he would panic and spray. Billy was right behind him in the line of fire. The only thing that was going to save Billy would be a ruined pair of jeans. ***** The light played around, then they could hear through the window a voice. “Dispatch, this is Z-114.” “Go ahead, 114.” was the radio reply. “Dispatch, I checked the basement windows, cannot see anyone inside. There is one unsecured window I will secure. I checked the location and cannot see anyone on site. A check through all first floor windows shows no occupants. No bicycles visible in yard. Probably a prank caller.” “Acknowledged Z-114. Secure window and continue patrol.” replied the voice over the radio. The window was jammed shut, and something jammed against it. They were now trapped inside the basement. The flashlight went away, then after a few minutes the blue lights shut off then disappeared. “My fucking is bleeding, and I have to pee!” said Janet. The three cubs got off the floor, and stood, stooped over, to keep out of way of the windows. Billy took off his shirt and passed it to Janet, who wrapped her paw in it. Dale piped up. “Lets find a way out of here! We have to find our way upstairs so we can get out. Fuck this place.” Feeling their way, they found what seemed to be a sink. Dale bumped the level and water ran out, and down the drain and Janet squirmed. “You asshole! I told you I have to pee! I’m going to piss my pants!” Trying to lighten the mood, Billy suggested “I can find you a sandbox!” “Shut UP you asshole!” said Janet. She seemed almost in tears. “Just use the sink, Janet.” said Dale. “I’m a girl you idiot! I can’t just whip it out and aim!”, said Janet, starting to dance. After a couple moments of discussion, the two males had Janet stand over the sink, while the held one paw and one arm and she peed, while they turned away. This of course was the only thing that went to plan that night. “Thanks, guys. Now if you tell anyone I will kick your tails!” Janet said. Billy turned on the water, and the concrete sink was rinsed out, removing the strong urine smell. Onward through the darkness they went, until found a door. Thinking this was a way out, Dale opened the door, and a huge hooded thing with red eyes was there. A large clawed paw was extended to rake and tear. “Who DARES TO ENTER THE HOUSE OF DOOM!” boomed out an UN-natural voice, shattering the silence. The thing laughed a booming laugh, and reached forward for Dale. All three cubs screamed, and turned, running in the opposite direction into the unseen darkness. Janet was first to get ahead, her speed faster, racing into the black unknown. A moment later there was a heart-wrenching screech, and nothing more other than a smell of blood and a dripping sound. The two males stopped, and didn't know which way to turn. Up against the wall, Dale bumped into a light switch. The basement light came on, and they found Janet has gotten too close to a workbench and been impaled on a sharpened fence post. It had gone through her neck, killing her. Billy grabbed a hammer, and smashed the window, while Dale checked Janet. “She is dead! Janet is FUCKING DEAD!” said Dale. “We have to get help! Maybe someone can save her!” said Billy Billy grabbed the smaller fur and pushed Dale up to the window, and he climbed out quickly and ran outside. Billy could hear Dale yelling, and went to check Janet. Her eyes were fixed and unseeing. A moment later, Billy heard Dale yelling for someone to “Please stop! Please help!” and heard screeching tires and a thump sound. ****** It turned out that the thing behind the door was a fancy Halloween decoration. It had been plugged in and turned on to work with a motion detector sensor on its chest. When the door was opened it sealed the fate of 3 cubs. Martha Brooks was actually not impressed by the adventure and was already seeing someone. --sumdumguy