Just a few paces from the door, Jackie tries to make a run in an attempt to close it, but can’t seem to get herself to move. She is frozen with fear, and not able to move her legs. It smells the fear inside her, and the heavy pounding of feet is heard on the wooden stairs as it rushes down towards Jackie. It’s half way down, racing towards her. She screams out with tremendous fear, but pulls out of it. She races for the door, slamming it shut just in time to hear a loud thud against the wood. Trembling, Jackie falls to her knees. Her heart is racing, pounding in her chest as she sits with her back against the door. She can hear the animal scratching from the other side as if trying to find a way in.
Jackie screams out in frustration.
“Leave me alone! Go away!”
The growling only gets deeper and louder. She begins to pound with her fists on the door, screaming and shouting at the same time hoping to scare the thing away.
After five minutes of her efforts, she stops to listen. Then there is complete silence, no growling, no scratching at the door. Has she managed to scare the thing away, or is it waiting for her to open, ready to attack at the slightest chance.
Not risking opening the door, she looks for another way out. Without making a sound, Jackie backs away very slowly. She stops to think. She’s in a basement, and every room must have a window.
Orientating herself, she moves to the opposite wall of the room, quite certain it being an outside wall. Jackie feels the wooden paneling hoping to feel a draft between the cracks. Midway from the wall, she moves her hand upwards. She then takes a chair and stands on it, reaching up as high as she can. In the upper right-hand corner she finds what she is looking for, a ventilation hole.
“There has to be a window here behind the paneling!”
She looks around for something heavy and spots a paper weight on the table. She takes it and begins to pound with it against the wall above her head, trying to find a weak point. Just to the left of the wall the paper weight manages to split open a panel large enough for her hand to pass through. About a foot inside Jackie can feel the smoothness of glass.
“Found it!” She says with relief.
Jackie stops to listen. She can hear that deep animal sound again. Slowly she turns around and to her amazement the door handle begins to turn.
“Shit! What is that thing? It’s opening the damn door now!”
Jackie has to move fast, any moment it will be inside the room. She quickly pulled out her hand from the crack in the wall, tearing out a piece of her flesh, causing a deep gash in her arm. Jackie continues to pound the wall with the paper weight as blood drips from her wound. After making a large enough opening for her to pass through, she pulls away pieces of wood until the window is revealed. The door starts to creak open, but she races to it slamming it shut again.
Jackie is out of breath panting heavily. She takes a look through the keyhole seeing only darkness on the other side. She was about to turn away when suddenly the animals large eyes are looking straight at her. Screaming with fright she gets up and rushes to the window. She grabs and twists the handle and pushes it open. Jackie steps up onto the window sill, when suddenly the door bursts open as she is about half way out. The sound of the animal can be heard racing across the room towards her. Looking back, she sees the massive head of the huge Rottweiler. She manages to scramble out of the window just in time, but her left foot gets caught between the window frame and the wooden panel. The pain Jackie felt was horrendous as the animal sank its large teeth into her flesh. Lashing out with her other foot, she delivers a hard blow to the devil dog’s sensitive nose. It yelps out in pain, releasing her ankle. Jackie is on her feet limping as fast as the pain will allow her. Finally, she reaches the safety of the gate. The taste of fresh blood drives the animal insane, its howling is terrifying.
Luckily, Jackie has managed to escape certain death.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Jason arrives at the FBI forensic lab to find Kate buried in her laptop.
“What have you found?” Asked Jason.
She turns her laptop screen so he can take a look.
“It says here that when the moon is at its fullest, it increases the medium’s ability to interact with spirits and the world of the dead. Take a look outside. The moon hasn’t been this bright in years.”
Jason didn’t care much about the moon and all this medium crap.
His cell phones rings.
“It’s Jackie!” said Jason,
“Jackie, has she called you?”
Crying and trying to talk at the same time is making it difficult for Jason to understand a word she is saying.
“Jackie Calm down, it’s okay, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”
She takes a deep breath and starts over.
“Mr. Mallock, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know.”
Jason looks at Kate.
“What didn’t you know?”
“Tony Barrette and Travis are working together. They have taken Sally!”
“Where are you Jackie? Has she contacted you?”
“I tried to call her on her phone, and after I don’t know how many times, someone finally answered, but it wasn’t Sally. He has her Mr. Mallock. Tony has Sally and is taking her somewhere.”
“Jackie where are you? I’m coming to pick you up,” said Jason.
“On my way to the hospital emergency,” responded Jackie.
“Why? What happened Jackie?”
She tries to hold back the tears.
“I went over to Tony’s house, and his guard dog attacked me while I was searching the place.”
Jason raises his voice, but Kate squeezes his arm trying to calm him down.
“Jackie are you crazy? Going alone to that mad man’s house is insane. Kate and I are coming to meet you at the hospital,” said Jason.”
“Okay, Mr. Mallock. I just arrived at the emergency ward. Bye for now.”
Jackie hung up and went to seek medical help.
Inside the van, Sally regains consciousness and is now fully awake. She tries to break her bonded hands, but the nylon zip-ties are too thick. It’s dark inside, and she can hardly make out the persons opposite her, but recognizes Travis sitting next to her.
“Travis help me! What’s going on? Where are we?” She asks.
Travis grips her arm, squeezing it tight.
“Shut up, will you. If Tony sees you struggling, he will only sedate you again.”
“What do you mean? Why aren’t you helping me?” She asked.
One of the persons in the van spoke. “Travis! Shut her up will you, before I do.”
Sally has heard that familiar voice before.
“Who is that? I know that voice!”
The person stands up switching on the interior light. Sally starts to lash out, striking a blow to Rosie’s stomach, who bends over in pain.
“You bitch! You were both playing me all along,” yelled out Sally.
She recognizes the two other girls, also from Miami university, but has never spoken to them before. Rosie stands up slapping Sally hard across the cheek. Travis intervenes and stands between them.
“That’s enough the both of you, now sit down before a make you.”
Rosie sits down, holding her stomach from the pain. She was always jealous of Sally and had a huge crush on Travis. She felt Sally had gotten between them, hoping one day Travis will be hers.