Chapter 26: Staying Calm
I delicately dragged the paintbrush along the blank canvas before me. I honestly don't really plan on painting anything important or realistic I'm just putting a bunch of random colors on the canvas. This is actually a great stress reliever for me.
"I'm glad you allowed me to come down here and paint with you Da Vinci.", I told Da Vinci while she worked on her own work of art beside me. "It's relaxing to finally be able to get everything else off my mind for a moment."
Da Vinci's face heated up, "No problem, You're always welcomed here." I dipped my paintbrush in a green yellowish color. While I began working on my canvas again.
In my peripheral vision I could see Da Vinci was staring at me. Her eyes were half lidded a grin plastered her face while the fur on her cheeks were cherry red. It's almost as if she was trapped in a daydream of some kind.
"You ok there Da Vinci?", I asked the frozen pup. Her expression didn't change even after I asked my question. I waved my hand in her face. "Yo, Da Vinci."
"Huh?", She snapped out of her daydream. This usually happens when I talk to her. She'll just stop and stare at me. It can get really awkward for me when she gets like that. "Sorry I was daydreaming again."
"Oh, Alright just making sure you ok.", I cleared my throat and continued painting the canvas.
"Um...Aaron?", The artist pup asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can I...Can I get a hug?", she nervously asked.
"Aww, Sure you can. Come here you.", I wrapped my arms around her pulling the pup closer. She didn't resist, but instead clutched my sides tightly nuzzling her head underneath my chin.
"I wonder...", I used my free hand and brought it to Da Vinci's right ear and began scratching it. The pup in my arms froze by this new sensation while her tail wagged profusely in excitement.
Her body twitched and spasmed. "W-what are you d-doing?", She stuttered her legs kicking in and out. This is so adorable.
I stopped for a second which gave her some time to catch her breath. Da Vinci looked at the ground embarrassed.
"You must secretly enjoy that huh?", I chuckled. She shamefully broke eye contact from me her cheeks reddening. "Don't worry it's nothing to be ashamed about Vince. You're actually very adorable when you do that."
"T-Thank you."
I scratched the fur on her head while happily smiled up at me. "Well, I'm gonna go check on everybody to make sure they ok.
"Where are you two? Once I get my hands on you two I'm gonna tickle, hug, and cuddle you!", I threatened. "After all I gotta repay you two after you ratted me out to Dolly and tickled me to death. So I suppose I could return the favor."
Some childish giggles came from the closet to my left. I smirked trying to prevent myself from letting out laughter. I tip toed to the closet door and swung it open. Dizzy and Dee Dee noticed me in the doorway looking down on them.
The two tried to bolt away, but I swooped them up into my arms and held them close for a bear hug. The two female pups affectionately hugged me back. "You two are so huggable.", I murmered.
I tickled their bellies forcing them to hysterically laugh. "Hah! Payback is a punk.", I grinned at their current tickle torture. "You two learn your lesson?"
"Yes!", The two pleaded over their senseless laughter.
I giggled and ended my barrage of tickling. I was tackled to the ground while Dizzy and Dee Dee hugged my stomach tightly.
"I love you Aaron.", Dizzy said.
"Me too.", Dee Dee agreed.
"Love you two girls just as much.", I muttered hugging them back. "Um, Where's Dolly and Dylan? I've been looking for the both of em for awhile now."
"They're in the attic.", Dizzy answered.
"Alright to the attic it is then.", I announced. Dizzy and Dee Dee released their painfully tight grips on me. Next thing I know Dizzy plants a kiss on my right cheek while Dee Dee smooches my left. They both took off running down the hallway probably to go play somewhere else.
"Hey you two.", I greeted excitedly finishing my trip up the ladder. Dolly was seated on a lone bean bag in the corner reading one of the comics I lended to her. Dylan on the other hand was using a telescope to survey the outer borders of the house. "You ok Dylan?"
"O-of course not! Not with that d-dog killer on the loose.", He replied trembling.
"What about you Dolly?", I asked plopping down on the beanbag next to her.
"To be honest it may not look like it, but I'm terrified. As long as we stick together everything should be smooth sailing. I've tried explaining that to Dylan, but he's become more paranoid that Dante.", She retorted glaring at her brother across the room.
I mean even if everything is shot to hell right now we still gotta look on the bright side even through the darkness. I understand Dylan's current pessimism, but come on we outnumber this crazy chick.
"Well I'm trying to be calm, but I keep seeing things out there.", He complained.
At this point Dylan's just stressing himself out too much about this. "Alright buddy I'll keep lookout while you rest your eyes.", I offered taking over the telescope.
"But-"
"No buts.", I interrupted.
-To Anna-
Anna wanted to leave this place so badly. It was so ominous and unsettling here. She's been here for hours, but to her it felt like forever ago since she was with Aaron and Dad.
"How's my guest doing?"
It was that voice again. The same one that's been torturing her subconscious for the longest time. "What do you want?", Anna aggressively barked at the voice in the speakers.
"I know you've been wondering what's to come soon. Since I'm feeling so generous I've come to terms with myself that I'll show you."
A metal sliding door infront of the chair she was tied to opened revealing a clean room before her.
"If you're interested I suggest you go down that hallway. I'll wanna show you something that could change you."
The speakers in the room deactivated leaving in the young lady in a silent room. She couldn't understand why whoever was pulling the strings here was so willing to explain their intentions to her?
Anna pulled on the rope binding her arms which snapped out of place. She could already feel the curiosity begin to build inside her. Letting curiosity take over she did what the voice asked.
This room she entered had a sweet euphoric smell. A single red couch was seated in the middle of the room. In front of the couch a window revealing an aquarium. Inside were aquatic fish of all species. Blue Tangs, Clownfish, Betta fish, Pufferfish, and many other exotic breeds.
"Beautiful, Aren't They?"
Anna noticed rusty metal pipes that were sticking out of the floor of the aquarium. "What did you want to show me?", Anna asked trying to skip the side talk.
"Answer the question! The fish are beautiful aren't they?"
"Yes. They're very pretty."
"Not for long."
The pipes inside the aquarium released a red coloring into the water. As time went by the water fogged up until none of the fish were no longer visible to Anna.
The filter of the aquarium started to drain some of the color from the water. What Anna saw next she would never forget.
The fish no longer looked the way they did before. They had spines, sharp teeth, bloodshot eyes, and their size had increased immensely. "What did you do to those fish?!", Anna cried.
"Well Anna since you wanna know so badly. What I just released into the water was a virus that the government has been keeping undercover for years since World War 2. When these fish inhaled the water the virus piggybacked every single cell, DNA strand, and Genome altering these fishes internal and external appearances greatly. This virus can also change an organism's behavior as well no matter how docile it originally was. Still confused, Allow me to demonstrate..."
Just as the voice said that a baby porpoise was dropped into the aquarium.
Without seconds to spare the fish the poor baby animal like piranhas. The ganged up on the poor animal ripping and tearing it's flesh as it squirmed. Anna was frozen in fear and hyperventilated as she witnessed the graphic display.
She wanted to do something, but didn't at the same time. She shook her head backing away as the tank was flooded with baby porpoise blood. "This is terrible and sick.", Anna wailed.
"Indeed. I'm quite curious myself to see how it affects humans."
"Why are you telling me your plans anyway?", Anna asked in confusion.
"Why not? Besides it's not like someone as fragile and soft as yourself could do anything about it. Anyways, Your brother and his little girlfriend should be here soon. All I have to do is wait until Cruella and Hunter work their magic, Ciao."
Anna was beyond terrified now. Someone needed to save her and Dad now! What she had just witnessed was more than enough proof of that.