Elliot whipped his head to the front door, dropping the knife in surprise as someone began to knock heavily. He was afraid.
Judy used this against him. "They're coming to take you away, you monster. They're going to torture you to death. And I'm going to watch them do it." Whether or not he could understand all of her words didn't matter; she felt better for saying them.
"Hello?" Said the large cheetah. "I've brought the pictures. Can I come in?"
"Clawhauster!" Judy breathed. He can help Nick and protect them from Elliot! The rabbit took a step forward, then stopped.
Elliot stood in the hallway, blocking her.
Judy frowned, then took a few quick steps and jumped clean over the boy, reaching the front door easily. "Hah!" She said, turning back to face Elliot.
But he was gone.
Judy, biting on her lip, turned and opened the door, letting Clawhauster in. "Hurry," she whispered, pulling him inside by his pant's buckle. The large animal came in and closed the door.
"Why are we whispering?" Asked Clawhauster softly, ducking in order to be heard. "Is this part of a surprise?"
"Shhh!" Judy said. She tread softly across the floor, looking around with huge purple eyes. "Where are you, you devil..." She muttered.
She entered the living room and cried out in alarm. Nick was missing! "Oh no, oh no, oh no...!" She shook her head wildly. "He's not here!"
"Whose not here?" The cheetah asked.
"Nick...!" Judy felt her strength draining. Nick was gone... What if he was dead in a closet somewhere, his organs spilled all over Elliot- who thinks it's all a sick game?
A game... Of course! That's all it was! Just one big family fun time!
Judy threw back her head and laughed. "Hahahah!"
Clawhauster laughed with her, finding the situation comical.
"You stupid, slow cheetah," Judy wiped tears of laughter from her face, patting the fat predator on the arm. "You have no idea what's going on here."
"Hey, I'm not fat..." The cheetah mumbled, suddenly not liking Judy as much anymore.
"Help me find Nick and Elliot," said Judy as she stepped around the couch, sniffing.
Clawhauster sniffed too, loudly. "Why does it smell like blood in your house? Was there an accident?"
Judy nodded, looking under the couch. "Something like that."
Clawhauster looked around the room. He wandered into the kitchen, then stood in the hallway, shuffling his big paws across the floor. "Umm. Judy? What exactly am I looking for?" He asked.
"Nick. And. Elliot!" Judy snapped, slamming the pantry door shut.
"But why can't you find them..?" Asked the cheetah.
Judy sighed and faced Clawhauster. "Because we're playing hide and seek."
The cheetah's eyes lit up like stars. "Ooooh!" He said, nodding understandably. "Then... I'll go search upstairs!"
"We don't have an upstairs." Judy pushed past the cheetah and went into the master bedroom. Blood was on the floor where Elliot had first attacked Nick. There would be a stain there.
Judy peeked under the bed, then went into the bathroom. Her own reflection startled her; she looked so frightened. Judy closed her eyes and breathed deeply over the sink. "He's just a baby... I can do this..."
She opened one of the drawers and took out a curling iron; anything could become a weapon if used properly.
"Oh my gosh!" Cried the cheetah from the hallway.
Judy ran over, wielding the iron like a mighty sword. "Where?!" She shouted, ready to strike.
Clawhauster pointed to the wall, where streaks of blood spread out like jelly over toast.
Judy wondered, privately, if predators are drawn to the scent of blood, and if it tastes good; that would explain Elliot's ravenous behavior... Wouldn't it?
But then the cheetah screwed up his face and pinched his nose with a paw. "It's so strong...!" He complained.
Judy ducked under Clawhauster and ran into the second bedroom.
It was there that she found the body of her husband, and the beast known as her son.
Nicholas laid out on the floor, wheezing, Elliot standing on his chest, his one arm clenching a shard of glass.
Where he obtained this glass, Judy had no idea. But the child held onto it tightly and used it to drill into the side of the fox's head, bloodied fur clumping as this procedure exposed the skull.
"NO!" Judy screamed, running over to the scene. She swung the curling iron hard into her son's face; the boy flew across the room and hit the wall hard.
Clawhauster entered the room and gasped, covering his face with his paws. He didn't know what to say.
But Judy did. She fell beside Nick and pulled him into her arms. "Oh Nick... Tell me you're all right..."
"Eh...rm..." He whispered.
"What?" Judy bent closer.
"Eh...lee...it..."
Judy turned quickly; Elliot stood on top of the window sill, grinning ear to ear. Something was in his paw; it was a toe. A big fat cheetah toe.
Clawhauster jumped up onto the twin-sized bed, howling in pain. "It hurts so much...!" He cried.
A terrible laughter filled the room, coming from precious little Elly, covered in the blood of his victims.
"Deer god..." Whispered Judy, holding Nicholas close.