Crack. Snap. Squelch.
Bones break. Intestines writhe into place as I take on the small dog’s shape.
“Buddy?” Lydia’s call echoes.
I’ve studied them for weeks. Buddy wouldn’t bark, wouldn’t linger. No, he’d run straight into her arms.
So, I run.
Lydia waits with the door open as I emerge from the woods. “Let’s go to bed.” She welcomes me home, leaving poor Buddy behind.
In bed I take Buddy’s place beside Lydia. Feel her warmth. Smell her sweetness. Hear her heartbeat. Thump…thump…thump.
“I love you, Buddy.”
Buddy loves you. You’ll join him too.
My jaws widen.
Crack. Snap. Squelch.
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