Confronting Chaos

Unfortunately, that was just satisfactory because my door was slightly open. Well, it remained a door, but an ajar one, and glancing inside I could perceive someone had reorganized. Every piece of furniture was inverted and the fillings torn out of it. Tables lay on their sides and every piece of porcelain was shattered. I stumbled inside and stared at the chaos. "What the heck-?" I whispered.

I tripped over the remains of my belongings and my existence. Nothing was untouched by the ruinous hands.When I got close to the television, my foot stepped on some glass. I glanced down and noticed I had stepped on a wooden frame. Its glass covering was shattered, and when I picked it up I saw the picture was torn. It was a photograph of Ben and me grinning. We had convinced Victor to capture it a few years ago because he did not wish to be in it. I imagined a lack of reflection had something to do with that.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I stumbled back to sit on the upturned front edge of the sofa. I wasn't sure who had perpetrated this, but I had a sense it was those two police officers. My free hand clenched into a fist, and I struck it against the underside of the sofa. I regretted it when the hard wooden frame prevailed over my soft, mushy hand, and to worsen matters, I was still angry. I removed the picture from the frame and safely tucked it inside my jeans pocket.

Regarding the remaining area, I chose to postpone any action until I was certain of my intentions. Contacting the authorities would likely summon Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and they would make a similar mess of me as they had of my apartment. I did correct the living room chair and an end table to create a slightly more welcoming crime scene. I had just settled down for an exceedingly long nap when my stomach grumbled. It had been several terrifying, adrenaline-draining hours since I had eaten anything.

Responding to my stomach's demand, I walked over to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. I glanced inside, and my stomach turned at the various stages of decomposing vegetables and spoiled milk. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I didn't have an appetite for any of that and closed the door. A thorough search of the cupboards only made me hungrier, but I still couldn't find something I desired to munch on.

I growled and turned away from the cupboards just in time to catch a glimpse of a shadow darting past the fire escape outside one of the living room windows. My eyes widened, and I waited for something grand and terrifying to unfold. A minute passed, and I decided that waiting for something extraordinary was tedious, so I cautiously approached the side of the window. I cautiously peered around the edge of the frame.

A sizable shadow loomed on the metal grate, and our gazes locked. My vibrant blue eyes widened, while its yellow-orange eyes narrowed. The creature lunged at the window, and I instinctively ducked as shards of glass showered down upon me. I heard a growl and swiftly lifted my head. Standing in my living room was another one of those wolf creatures, and this time I was near enough to catch a whiff of its breath. It emitted an odor as if it had just consumed someone for dinner, and now I was its dessert. The creature's orange eyes stared at me, and I scrambled backward on my hands and rear. The entity swiftly pursued and extended one of its clawed hands to seize me.

My rescuer silhouette swooped in through the shattered window and collided with the creature. The werewolf crashed to the floor, and Victor dismounted its back and skillfully landed beside me. He seized my shirt collar and pulled me to my feet. "It's admirable that you're quite skilled at staying alive", he said.

I scowled at him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "Don't you dare tell me I'm incapable-ah!" I yelped as Victor seized my head and forcefully pushed it down, evading a wide swipe of the creature's claws.

"Your ability to survive is remarkable," he remarked. I attempted to respond, but he shoved me aside as the werewolf lunged at us, swiftly diving to the left himself. The beast missed its target, clawing into the carpet instead. I never cared for that color, anyway.

I rolled across the floor and collided with the side of my chair. Recovering quickly, I glared at Victor, who stood across the room. "Fine, so maybe I can't defend myself! Are you expecting a reward for being right?" The werewolf snapped its head around and snarled at me. I raised my hands in front of me and nervously smiled. "No, doggy. I don't have any actual bones."

The creature leaped towards me, and I screamed, swiftly rolling out of harm's way. Its claws tore into the side of my chair, ripping out most of its stuffing from the armrest. I attempted to stand, but the beast grabbed my foot and forcefully pulled me towards it. Although the werewolf tugged me back, my hands continued to scratch at the carpet. Victor rushed past me, colliding with the werewolf. He forcefully slammed the beast into the wall, eliciting screams from my frightened neighbors on the other side. I could envision them dialing 911, which meant we had only a few hours until the police arrived, likely understaffed and too late to assist.

Evidently, Victor shared the same concern, as he leaped away from the wolf-like creature and picked up a sizable shard of glass from the window. The beast extricated itself from the wall's dent and roared. Consumed by anger, it lunged at Victor without realizing his weapon. Unfortunately, I witnessed everything, including Victor calmly slicing through the air with the shard of glass. The sharp, improvised blade cleanly cut through the beast's head, splattering its blood throughout the entire room. I was not spared from the crimson shower, and my already soiled clothes became further stained by the repugnant red hue of life's fluid.

Discarding the glass, Victor approached me with purpose. He knelt before me and assessed my condition. "Are you unharmed?" he inquired.

In response, I fainted, as any sensible girl would do.