Housepets! Always Save the Day
Chapter 3: Connected Feelings
A "Housepets! Comics" Fan Fiction
Based on the characters by Rick Griffin
By: Fenrir Black
A Message from Tarot
I foresaw this moment. You have come again to continue the story. Let me tell you what has occurred before now. The battle with the fallen god Drasil left many scars as Lisa sacrificed herself to ensure his defeat. The pets felt a heavy blow as she vanished, but no one suffered as much as Rowan. Devastated by the loss, he succumbed to dark powers and is currently drawing mana energy to unleash against those he blames for Lisa's death. The pets got together for the premiere of the documentary series that Lisa and Rowan worked on during their stay at Babylon Gardens. Seeing them again caused mixed feelings. King was the hardest hit. A new stranger has appeared in the neighborhood. His name is Nick Powell. A human turned into a wolf by a mystic spring. He is also the author of the popular book "White Fox" which Peanut has talked non-stop about for several weeks. Nick has been having visions of Lisa, who is not dead but is trapped in an empty void. Unsure of what to do, Nick has come to Babylon Gardens with his fiancé Becky Strauss. Now he is standing in Keene's home with a message for those of us Kitsune gathered to plan a strategy to find Lisa. He says he can save her but the question remains of how?
When Lisa turned nine years old, her mother refused to throw her a birthday party. Instead, Lisa was given a dozen cupcakes along with the few presents her mother bought her. Lisa sat alone at the dining room table and watched her mother walk away without so much as a care about her daughter's special day. With no other choice, she fished out a used birthday candle and placed it in one of the cupcakes. Along with the candle was a book of matches which was used to light the candle. Lisa stared at the small flame and closed her eyes. Before blowing out the candles, she made a wish. The same wish she made the next year and the year after that. Finally, when she turned eighteen, she stopped wishing altogether. But before that she wished, for one thing, to see her father again.
"Daddy."
Lisa's father looked exactly the same as he did the day he left her. His brown jacket and khaki pants with the ragged pair of tennis shoes that her mother begged him to throw out. His black hair combed to the side along with the few streaks of gray that he liked to blame her for. He stood there in front of her. This was his office, Lisa realized. How many times had she found him at that desk, working on whatever project took up his time at the moment?
Her father walked around the desk not taking his eyes off of her. Lisa threw herself at him. Wrapping her arms around him as if he would disappear again if she let go. Tears soaked into his jacket as she cried into his chest. She felt warm arms wrap themselves around her back as he hugged her back.
"Oh, Lisa. I've missed you so much."
Lisa mumbled something back, but her voice was lost in his clothes. She pulled herself away and wiped her face. Taking a step back she tried to understand why he was there. She had dreamt about him a lot since coming to Babylon Gardens. He was there to guide her when she worked to stop Drasil. This did not feel like a dream.
"Are you real?" she asked despite her fear of what the answer might be.
"Yes and no," he said. His face dropped slightly. He was holding something back, she could tell.
"What do you mean? Where have you been all these years? Mother was never the same after you left. She was horrible. I needed you. She needed you." The tears began flowing again as her voice was cut off by sobs of grief.
He was expressionless. He let her yell, cry, and accuse him without a word. The more she yelled, the angrier she became. He would not respond to her. Her voice finally gave out, and she was overcome with exhaustion.
The room spun around as her legs gave out from under her. Before she hit the ground, two arms reached out and caught her. Her father dragged her limb body over to the desk and placed her in the chair. Lisa leaned back and let herself become lost in the soft cushion that cradled her back.
"I know you're angry and you have every right to be. But you have to understand what is happening," he told her.
Lisa straightened up and stared at him. She waited for an explanation.
"This place we are in is neither reality or fantasy. It does not have a name. To be honest, I am not sure where it is other than somewhere between space and time. Maybe even somewhere beyond." He took a breath. "I have been here for a long time. Ever since I left you that morning. This place," he gestured around the office. "It is my prison."
"Prison?" Lisa asked. Her mind flashed back to Tartarus and the golden chains that entrapped Drasil. "Who would want to capture you?"
"I am not sure. But I can sense a powerful presence out there in the void. It is keeping me here."
"What about my dreams of you?"
"I have only been able to communicate with you in your dreams because you too were beyond time and space, but I couldn't until you were in a world of magic. That magic allowed me to connect with you."
Every answer he gave her raised a hundred more questions until Lisa's head was buzzing with them. One thing she knew for sure, was that her father was alive, and he was connecting to her without her fully realizing it. Scrunching up her eyebrows, she looked at in his eyes. The same eyes that looked at her with so much love. She knew another thing for sure, she was going to get him out of here.
Standing up she said, "Let's get out of here." She moved past him and grabbed his arm. She pulled him to the door, but he would not budge from the spot. "Daddy, come on. We have to go. I don't how, but we'll get back home. I'll take you there myself."
He smiled at her. It was the same look a parent gives a child when they gush over something mundane but think it is the most exciting thing in the world. He knew something that she didn't.
"I can't go, Lisa. I told you that this is my prison. The only reason you found me is because it wanted you too."
Lisa shook her head refusing to believe that. This was fate. She was supposed to find him so she could bring him home. All she wanted for so long was for him to return to her. Now he was telling her that after all this time, it was for nothing.
"I can't leave you. I won't," she said sternly.
"I am so proud of you," he said and walked towards her. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. The same way he did the day he left.
"Daddy, please." Her heart felt like it was being ripped in two. She wanted to say more but was interrupted by violent shaking. Everything in the office shook. Books fell off the shelves and landed on the floor. The pictures danced on the wall but thankfully stayed. The window sounded like it could break at any moment.
"What's going on?" Lisa asked.
Lisa's father looked at the door like he was seeing it for the first time. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her towards it. As they neared, it opened on its own. "Listen to me. There will be a time when you will be able to find me again. But now is not the time. It is coming. I want you to run and don't look back."
"Daddy," Lisa cried and planted her feet, but it was like she weighed nothing. She could not stop herself from being shoved out of the room.
Her legs were out the door when he bent down and whispered, "I love you, Lisa. Be safe." With one final push, Lisa was ejected from the office. Her shoulder hit the ground with a heavy thud. She propped herself up just in time to see the door close. Jumping up, she rushed to the door and banged on it as hard as she could. She screamed and yelled, but there was no response. The doorknob would no longer turn.
"Daddy!" she cried as she banged on the wood. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she slumped down. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes. A second later she felt herself fall backward. Thankfully, she caught herself before hitting the ground, but the door was gone. It was like it was never there. Looking around, Lisa saw the endless nothingness around her. Once again, she was alone.
Nick stood there awkwardly feeling the eyes of the animals watching his every movement. Even though he was the primary predator among them, he felt a lot like prey. Maybe this was a mistake, he thought. He just barged into a stranger's house because he had a dream about a girl. They were talking about her sure, but he probably should have knocked at least.
His mind was whirling with thoughts of how he was going to get out of this. The door was still open and less than three steps behind him. He could quickly turn around and walk away. This could be chalked up to an embarrassing incident that would be forgotten about by the end of the weekend. Why was he such an idiot?
Nick shifted his leg slightly, and one of the weasels stood up in the recliner. He was a thin thing with brown fur from the neck down and white fur covering his head except for a single brown stripe across his eyes. A red collar was around his neck. The look he was giving gave Nick the sense that this weasel was in charge. He the radiated confidence of someone who was usually the boss and liked ordering people around. Nick had worked enough part-time jobs to recognize the type.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my house?" he asked. He jumped down from the chair ignoring the worried look the other weasel was giving him.
His house? Nick looked around the room. It looked like any other living room one would see in a middle-income house. How could a weasel own his own home?
Then it clicked. Nick remembered what he read about the Milton's or more specifically the Milton ferrets. This was one of them. The ferret strolled over until he was only a few feet from Nick. He looked up at the wolf without a single ounce of fear on his face. Nick was impressed. Usually, when small animals saw him, they ran for their lives. Money really did change people.
"Well, I'm waiting," he said tapping one foot.
"Um…" Nick started to say.
"Wait." One of the dogs spoke. The brownish one stood up on the couch. "You said your name was Nick Powell. Like the author of "White Fox." That Nick Powell?"
"Yeah, that's me," Nick said. "I wrote the book."
The dog howled excitedly. He jumped over the couch and ran over to Nick nearly knocking the ferret over. He stopped only when he was so close that Nick could smell what the dog had for dinner the night before. Usually, that would not be a big deal for Nick's nose, but it was very strong.
"This is so great." The dog bounced up and down excitedly. His tail was wagging so hard that Nick was afraid it would fly off. "I have so many questions like who is the mysterious Malcolm Farefold? What was the significance of Mark of the Seven Suns? What is Todd's home life like because we never see him on Earth really?"
The dog probably could have kept going, but he was stopped by the purple cat that Nick followed in. She moved over to the dog and pulled him away. She shot Nick a skeptical look. The rest of the animals moved closer to get a better look. All except the fox and the other weasel who was watching from a distance, their faces unreadable.
The purple cat spoke first, "There is no way you're really the author of "White Fox." Nick Powell is human."
"That doesn't mean anything," the black cat with the bell said. "Res wrote Pridelands even though he let his owner take the credit."
"Wait, what?"
"That's different," the purple cat said. "Different for reasons I will come up with later."
"I don't care who wrote what," the ferret shouted. "I want you out of my house. I did not move out of my mansion for strange wolves to barge in whenever they want. If I wanted that I would have stayed with the others."
Nick's head began to hurt. None of these animals were making any sense. "Will you all shut up!" he shouted. A vicious growl erupted from his throat as his lips bent back revealing his teeth. They all took several steps back.
"Sorry, but I can't deal with all of you at once. Yes, I am the author of "White Fox," but that's not why I'm here."
"You said you can help us," the fox spoke this time. Nick recognized the voice from the one he heard through the door. "Do you know where Lisa is?"
Nick could hear the skepticism in the fox's voice, but there was something else. Desperation. This fox was desperate to find her. His eyes flashed a brilliant red. The fox moved closer and studied Nick. He could feel the fox's eyes take in every part of him. It was like he was looking into Nick's soul. He felt very naked even with the jacket and collar.
"You are not a real wolf," the fox said, but it was not a question rather a statement of fact. How did he know, Nick wondered? "I can sense the power of nature magic around you. Pan's if I'm not mistaken."
"Wait." The Pomeranian moved next to the fox. "This wolf was once human like King."
"I believe so." The fox did not take his eyes off Nick. "His fate has been distorted by the magic. Pan is a tricky one as usual."
"Back up a minute," Nick said raising his paws. "Who is Pan?"
"Pan is a nature god. Lord of the wild. A satyr. Part goat and part man."
Nick remembered the spring. The strange creature was sitting on the rocks. He had hooves and horns. Could that have been Pan? "There was someone like that at the spring."
"Did he have a set of pipes around his neck."
Nick remember something hanging from the satyr's neck. They could be considered pipes although how anyone would play them was beyond him. "Yes, he did."
The fox smiled showing off all his teeth. Nick felt uncomfortable seeing that. "That was Pan alright." He laughed. "You said spring right. I know what happened. You must have stumbled on one of his sacred springs. No humans allowed. Let me guess, you drank the water despite the warnings not too?"
Nick felt very warm. His was sure he was blushing. "Yes," he muttered and looked away. The thought of turning tail and leaving was looking better. Maybe if he hurried, he could get back to the hotel before Becky woke up.
"Excuse me, but I think we got off topic here," the other black cat spoke. "Kitsune, you were telling us that you had a plan to find Lisa."
"Actually, I was saying I did not have a plan and that we would come up with one. But I believe that will no longer be necessary. Our new friend here is just what we need to find her."
"I find that hard to believe," the Pomeranian said.
"Why is that, Tarot?" the brown dog asked.
"Because Peanut, how is this wolf supposed to help us," Tarot said. "Even if he was human once that does not give him special powers. Nothing I found on the astral web said anything about where Lisa could be or even if she is still alive."
"We know she's alive. Kitsune told us that Cerberus spoke with the others and no one saw Lisa cross over into the afterlife. She has to be out there somewhere," the female black cat said.
"I believe that she is still alive," the purple cat said. "Someone like her doesn't just die that easily.
"That's the spirit, Grape," Peanut exclaimed.
"This is all touching, but can we move this along?" the ferret said again looking more irritated by the second. "Breel and I have plans for this morning. I allowed this meeting because I want to find Lisa as much as the rest of you. But unless we have a solid plan or lead, I don't know what we're doing here."
"Keene does have a point," the female black cat said. She looked up at Nick. "How do you know where Lisa is?"
Nick was suddenly exhausted. After so many years with only Becky and Cody to talk to, he was not used to being around so many different conflicting ideas. "Let's sit down."
"Good idea," Kitsune said and rubbed his paws together. With a snap of his fingers, several folding chairs appeared in the room. The front door closed behind Nick cutting off his escape. The animals set back down where they were before while Nick and Kitsune sat in the folding chairs. Nick wanted to ask how he did that but considering everything else that was happening, he figured it was not important.
"Here is what I know," Nick began. He told them about the dreams of Lisa and the white void she found herself in. He said to them that he had been having them for a few weeks now. They were getting more vivid, and she was beginning to talk to him. When he finished, they all looked at him with intense interest.
Kitsune shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was scowling at the floor lost in thought.
Tarot was the first to speak after Nick finished, "Kitsune, you know something, don't you? Are you going to tell the rest of us?"
Kitsune grimaced. He eyed Nick for a moment before turning his attention to the rest of them. "She's in the Void."
Everyone one in the room gasped at once except Nick. "What's that?"
"I don't know, but it sounds dangerous," Peanut said.
"It is very dangerous. The Void is an infinite space of nothing. The Gods will occasionally go there and have special pockets within the space that we created to be alone."
"I know about this," the black cat with the bell said suddenly.
"How do you know that Max?" the purple cat said.
"Remember when we went to Gallifrax and Dragon got upset. I found myself in this white space, and there was a door that led me into her bedroom."
"Was that before or after you started crying and yelling about your feelings?" the purple cat said with a small grin on her face.
Max was not amused. "Oh haha, Grape. I know what it sounds like, but it's true."
"Max is right about Dragon, but that is not important," Kitsune said. "As I said the Void is infinite. We can navigate it up to a point by leaving anchors in space/time. That is how we know where we are and where anything we leave behind is. Getting in and out is not the problem but finding something or someone will be.
"It's a lead at least. We know more now than we did five minutes ago," Tarot said. "We have to go there and get her out."
"How do we do that?" Peanut said. "Do you or Sabrina have any ideas?
Nick assumed the other black cat was Sabrina. He was finally able to put names to faces. Everyone exchanged glances with each other until they were all staring back at him. He shifted in his chair. He did not like being the center of attention. Here he was being watched like an animal in the zoo.
"The answer lies with him," Kitsune said. "You are connected to Lisa. I don't know how but if we are going to find her then we have to go to the Void ourselves."
He stood up and snapped his fingers. The front door opened up, but instead of revealing the neighborhood all that was outside was an infinite expanse of nothingness. Everyone looked on in stunned silence. Nick felt instantly uncomfortable like he stepped foot in a foot of sharks wearing nothing but a necklace of bloody sausages around his neck. He cast his eyes over the others and wondered how he got himself into this. He wanted to help Lisa, but this was far beyond what he was expecting. He stared at Kitsune who was eyeing the doorway with such intensity that Nick was not sure whether or not Kitsune would wait before charging head first into the void. At least no one was expecting him to go save her himself. He told them where she was so that must be good enough.
Kitsune clapped his paws together and gave Nick a toothy grin. "Ready to go?"
Nick's jaw dropped. He looked at the doorway then over at Kitsune then back again. He could not be serious. From the look Kitsune was giving him, Nick was not sure if the fox was serious about anything. There was a playful glint in his eyes of someone who found amusement in the most unlikely places.
"You want me to go in there," Nick said pointing into the void.
"You are the only one who has had contact with Lisa in over two months. Plus, you've been there before."
"Yeah, in my dreams," Nick said. He wanted to say "and in yours if you think I'm stepping one foot in there," but thought better of it.
Kitsune ignored him. He turned to the others and started barking out orders. "This is a rescue mission, everyone. I need a group of capable animals coming with us. Peanut, Sabrina, and Max."
"Wait, why me?" Max asked. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "I am the last one you want to go with you."
"That is an odd selection Kitsune," Tarot told him. "You already said that there is nothing in the void so why do you need our help?"
"The white space is an infinite void, and I cannot locate Lisa even with my powers. I will need several pairs of eyes. I need you to stay here and keep watch over the doorway. Make sure it does not close."
"Why what happens if it closes?" Max asked.
"I'll have to open a new one," Kitsune said.
Everyone in the room collectively rolled their eyes at once including Nick. Kitsune continued, "But in case something happens to me, and I cannot open another then we will need this one."
Nick did not like the sound of that. He studied Kitsune for a heartbeat. He knew the fox was hiding something. He could just tell. Turning to face the doorway, Nick could almost sense that this mission would not be as easy as he hoped. The infinite whiteness was so surreal like looking into two mirrors reflecting each other. It was disorienting, but you could not look away.
A paw grasped his shoulder. Kitsune stepped beside him. Nick could feel an unnatural warmth radiating from Kitsune's body. It was not unpleasant more like Nick was laying in the sun on the beach. "Are you ready to do this?"
"I guess I have no choice," Nick said. Kitsune walked ahead of him with Nick right behind.
"Wait a minute," Tarot shouted. "Are you just going in there with no plan or preparation?"
"The longer we wait, the more the void could irritably harm Lisa. Mortals aren't meant to spend a prolonged time in the void. She's been there for two months. Mortals have been driven mad by the void and staring at nothing but nothing for prolonged periods of time."
Nick remembered reading a story by Stephen King once about a situation just like this. A machine had the power to teleport people, but you had to be asleep for it to work. If you weren't then you would spend an eternity staring at endless nothingness. One boy did just that, and when he came out the other side, he was driven so mad that he clawed out his eyes. Nick shook his head trying to dislodge the feeling of dread bubbling in his stomach. That was the last thing he needed to think about right now.
Kitsune stepped through the doorway. Nick was right behind him. When he first stepped on the other side, he was amazed to find that it was solid even though it did not look like there was a floor or "ground." Sabrina and Peanut were right behind them. Max hesitated at the doorway. He stuck his head out and looked around. He waved his paw in the air before slowly inching across the threshold. When they were all successfully in the void, they began walking.
It was an hour before someone asked the obvious question. "How are we supposed to find her? You haven't told us that part, Kitsune," Sabrina said.
"That is a good question," Kitsune said with a shrug. He turned to Nick. "Well, how do we find her?"
Nick clutched his paws together fighting the urge to strangle the fox. How was he supposed to know that? He was following him thinking that the all-knowing Kitsune had the answers. Mainly since he was the one who recklessly charged in without stopping to come up with a strategy.
"You expect me to know," Nick said. "I have no idea where she is. In my dreams, I always popped up near her. She could be anywhere."
"You mean we have no idea where we're going," Max said. He slumped to the ground and wrapped his tail around his legs. He placed his head in his paws and tried to control his breathing.
Sabrina looked like she wanted to say something comforting but held herself back. Peanut turned around in a circle with his hand over his eyes. His tail wagged excitedly like he was having a blast exploring nothing.
"You must have some kind of idea. What about these dreams? Dreams have been known to be powerful messages of foreshadowing. There may be a clue somewhere that you haven't noticed."
Nick did not want to think about the dreams. Whenever he did, he could see Becky locked in that room with the monster guarding her. The idea that might be foreshadowing some horrible future made his knees weak. Then something in his head clicked.
"There was one thing. Before I saw Lisa, I had a different dream." Nick told the others about the dream but left out most of the details. "Then she started speaking in this deep throaty voice. She said…she said…hang on I wrote it down."
Nick pulled out his phone and opened the notes app. Luckily, he put the verse in the note's app on his computer, so it synced to his phone. "Here it is. It was strange. It's all in rhyme like a poem."
"What!?" The others shouted at once. Nick took a step back pressing the phone to his chest.
"Yeah, it rhymes. So what?"
"It could be a prophecy," Sabrina said. "Tarot gave a prophecy a few months ago. Not long before Lisa vanished. This could be exactly what we need to find her."
"What does it say?" Kitsune asked.
Nick read the prophecy out loud. "Light the way to lover's arms. From the shadows of forgiveness, there will be no harm. Feelings born from across the reaches of time and space will guide the way through the empty place. Scorn comes from the words left unsaid. The dreams and truths emerge from the queen's head. The heir will speak to the father's pride. The Atlas of the stars will then be your guide. Four havens of stone, fire, ice, and wind. The magic lost will be the final end. Heart in hand she will illuminate a past hidden. Only to discover the secret of darkness kept forbidden. One becomes two, two becomes one. Only the knight can finish what has begun. The wolf will howl with his last breath. A hero's sacrifice will spare the heavens' death."
He waited for a response but got none. The others mouthed the words of the prophecy except for Max who was busy examining his claws. He acted like he did not hear it at all. Or at least did not care in the least.
"Heavens' death," Kitsune whispered. Nodding, he looked up at Nick and spoke, "Light the way to lover's arms. I think that is what is important for right now. The rest can wait."
"How is that supposed to help us?" Sabrina asked. "I know you two were a "couple," she said it in a way that made Nick think there was more to the story than he knew, "but lovers is a stretch."
"It does not have to be perfect. Prophecies rarely are. I have faith that this is what we are supposed to do."
"That's great and all but again how is any of this supposed to help us?" Max asked. "Look around. Everything is white. Light is everywhere."
"Not really," Peanut said. "There does not seem to be light as much as we just see everything without really seeing it."
"How does that make sense?" Max shouted.
Nick was about to ask that too. He was growing increasingly frustrated with every passing second. He could be home in his cozy cabin watching TV or back in the hotel with Becky. Instead, he was in a realm of nothingness with a bunch of annoying loudmouth pets. His wolf instinct wanted to crush their bones in his jaws. He forced down the urge and tried to relax. Control was what he needed, but it was something that was hard to obtain. His biggest fear was that one day he would get upset and attack someone. If that happened, then everything he worked so hard to keep hold of would vanish instantly.
Kitsune's eyes flashed a brilliant red. "This is not a riddle." He turned to Nick. "You received the prophecy, so this is up to you. You have to be the light that guides us to her."
Nick relaxed his features, trying to keep his growing urges down and chained up inside him. He crossed his arms and gave the fox a skeptical look. "How do you suggest I do that?"
Sabrina was the one to answer. "I guess all you have to is cast it."
Nick threw his arms in the air. "Is that all?" He held out his paw and said with the most sarcasm he could muster, "That sounds so easy. Okay, so all I have to do is go like this and cast light."
If he was going to continue his rant, he never got the chance. As soon as he said the words his paw glowed with a brilliant burst of light. It started low but grew brighter and brighter until a beam shot from his paw and sailed off into the distance. He moved his arm, but the ray of light kept pointing in the same direction. His mind was a storm of questions and flashes of consciousness. Kitsune nodded with a look of pure amusement on his face most likely trying to hide his laughter that was threatening to burst out from seeing the stunned look on Nick's face. The others were so sincere. Sabrina chuckled with her paws over her face while Peanut had a goofy grin on his face. Max was the only one who was not impressed by Nick's magic trick.
Kitsune pointed into the distance where the light was aiming. "Let's go everyone."
They wasted no time racing to the end of the light beam. It was surprising far, Nick realized as his arm grew tired from holding it out in front of him. He had no idea how long they had been running. Kitsune seemed to have limitless energy. The others not so much. Max had fallen far behind them, and Sabrina was not too far from collapsing. Peanut looked to be keeping up, but Nick could hear the dog breathing heavily.
Luckily for them, something appeared in the distance. In the infinite nothingness, it was hard to tell just how far away it was, but it was easily spotted. The light faded as they neared whatever it was. Soon it had vanished, and Nick let his arm drop. It hung limply from his shoulder.
"Lisa!" Kitsune shouted. The figure came into view. It was definitely the girl from Nick's dream. Everything was still the same as when he last saw her a few nights before. The blonde hair tied in a ponytail, the pink tank top, and shorts. But there was something off about her. She stood slowly and squinted at them like she was not sure what she was seeing. As Kitsune rushed towards her, she tensed like he was a threat. Kitsune slowed down apparently sensing her uncertainty.
"Lisa, it's me. It's us. We're here to take you home," he said. He smiled at her showing off all his teeth. It still creeped Nick out, but it had the opposite effect on Lisa. Her eyes widened, and after a moment of hesitation, she rushed towards him.
Lisa threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kitsune embraced her tightly as she dug her face into his fur. Nick could not help but smile at the heartfelt reunion. Seeing them together suddenly made the entire ordeal worthwhile. He turned as the others walked over to them. Peanut's tail was wagging enthusiastically. He was obviously holding himself back from charging in and joining the hug. Sabrina and Max had smiles plastered on their faces as well but were containing their happiness better than Peanut.
Nick sniffed the air. There was a strange odor all of a sudden. He faced Kitsune and Lisa. There was something wrong. It smelled like decay and ash. They were the same scents from his dream. Lisa lifted her face from Kitsune's fur and turned to the others. She yelped and moved to them. Nick stepped aside as she brushed by him. She embraced Peanut first followed by Sabrina and Max. They exchanged greetings of "Oh my god, it is so good to see you again," and "I missed you so much."
When they were done, she turned to Nick. She gave him a questionable look before recognition appeared on her face. "It's you. I thought you were just a figment of my imagination. You actually brought them here."
Nick nodded. "My name's Nick Powell."
"Thank you," she said. Her eyes dimmed. There was a flicker of movement on her face like she was struck by something from behind. She fell forward but before she hit the ground Kitsune ran over and caught her.
"Lisa!" They all said at once. "What's wrong? Look at me." Kitsune examined her but could not find any source of why she suddenly collapsed.
Nick leaned over and tried to help. From all appearances, she was completely healthy despite two months of no food or water. There was something off though. Something you wouldn't notice unless you looked at her carefully. Her skin had a latex appearance and was very pale. Her hair was brittle and dry. Nick touched her arm but instantly drew back. She was so cold like a corpse.
"What's wrong with her?" Sabrina asked.
Nick knew the answer. "She's dying." The others looked at him, startled. "Can't you smell it?" Their expressions gave told him that they couldn't. Made sense. He had a better sense of smell than all of them including Peanut.
"We need to get her out of here," Kitsune said. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms. She did not move or even twitch as she was lifted up. "She's been in here too long. Seeing us must have drained what little energy she had left."
"Well, just snap your fingers and open another door," Max told him.
Kitsune raised his paw and snapped his fingers. Everyone waited for something to happen, but nothing appeared. No door or portal or anything kind of exit. Nick glanced around expecting something to appear, but there was nothing.
"Should something be happening?" Nick asked.
"That's not good," Kitsune said.
"You can say that again," Sabrina said. She pointed at something in the distance and screamed. "What's that?"
Nick turned and saw what she was pointing at. He instantly wished he hadn't. Coming towards them was a black cloud of smoke or dust. Nick had seen sandstorms on National Geographic. This was similar but more malevolent. It almost seemed alive like it knew they were there and was going after them.
"Run. Now!" Kitsune screamed. He ran off without waiting for the others. They did not waste any time before sprinting back the way they came.
Nick did the worst thing possible and looked behind them. The black cloud was getting closer. They could not outrun it. It was going to swallow them, and Nick did not want to think what would happen if it did.
"You're a god!" Max shouted between breaths. "You're all-powerful can't you do something."
Nick drew his brows together. Was Kitsune a god? He stored that bit of information away for a time when they were not about to die.
"The void is interfering with my powers. It does not want to let Lisa or the rest of us leave."
The way he talked about the void made it sound like it was alive. Nick looked behind him again. The black cloud looked more like a tsunami speeding towards them Any second it would crash on top of them, and they would drown in the darkness. Thinking about it made Nick think it really was alive. Kitsune left out that bit of information.
"I think I have an idea." Kitsune snapped his fingers. They disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Nick opened his eyes and looked around. They were away from the smoke cloud but still in the void. He pricked his ears and listened for anything that could be a threat. All he could hear was the sound of heavy breathing coming from the animals. Lisa's breath was fading. She did not have much time. The excitement was killing her faster now. Kitsune could sense it too. He held her tighter against his chest.
"Are we safe," Peanut asked.
The fur on the back of Nick's neck stood up. He turned and could see the cloud of smoke moving towards them. It was coming from a different direction than before. Worse was it was coming from multiple directions at once like it was trying to trap them.
"Run. Run!" Nick screamed and took off. Kitsune and the others were not far behind him. He had never run so fast or so much in his life. If he were still human, he would have collapsed from exhaustion long before now. This was one of the few moments he was thankful to be a wolf. His endurance was much greater than humans.
"Look for the doorway," Kitsune shouted.
Nick did as he was told. He looked around for the glowing portal, but there was nothing around except whiteness and the ever-encroaching black cloud. He tried to listen for the voices of the animals back in the house hoping that they were loud enough to hear from here. But that too was useless. Never in his life had he been so scared.
"There it is! I see it!" Max shouted. He pointed at a small speck of light in the distance. Nick could have hugged the cat. They all turned and moved towards the speck.
As they grew closer, the speck grew into a spark and then into a doorway small enough for a mouse. The black cloud could apparently see it too because it was moving towards it as well. With a jolt, Nick realized that cloud was going to try to cut them off from the doorway. If that happened, they were dead. They put on a burst of speed feet stomping on the ground as they flew. Nick pushed ahead of the rest of them. His long legs made it easier for them. He was so close. His pulse started to beat harder inside his neck. With a quick look, he checked on the others progress. They were not going to make it. The cloud was gaining on Max and Sabrina. They were smaller than the others, and Max especially was not in the best shape.
Cursing himself, Nick slowed down just enough so he was running beside Max and Sabrina. With two swoops of his arms, he grabbed them both and tucked them under his arms before sprinting back towards the gateway. Kitsune was the first to cross the threshold. Peanut was not far behind him. The dog dived bombed into the living room. The cloud was so close that Nick could feel its presence nipping his tail. Max screamed that they were not going to make it. Nick was not about to die like this. His mind flashed to Becky probably waking up at that moment wondering where he was. She needed him, and he needed her. He loved her too much to die like this.
Nick twisted his body and threw the cats through the doorway. Sabrina landed elegantly on four feet while Max face planted into the carpet. When Nick was only a few feet away, he slid towards the door like a baseball player sliding towards home plate. He crossed back into reality and with one swift kick slammed the door shut seconds before the smoke reached them.
He collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. The adrenaline was wearing off, and he felt like he could sleep for a month. He tilted his head backward and watched as Kitsune laid Lisa on the couch. He barked orders at the rest of the pets to get her some food and water. They did not waste time before moving to the kitchen. The rest stood around Lisa gaping like she was some rare treasure.
Kitsune looked away from Lisa and smiled at Nick. "Thank you."
Nick raised his shaking arm and gave a thumbs up before passing out.
When Nick woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he was laying in something very soft. He felt around his body and could feel a leather cushion supporting his entire body. His eyes opened slowly and as they adjusted to the glaring overhead light. The rest of the animals were huddled around Lisa who was sitting up and talking. She had a blanket wrapped around her and a bottle of water in her hand. No one paid any attention to him which was just fine. He did what he set out to do. His body ached all over, but he was happy. Nick closed his eyes and listened to the conversation between Lisa and the others.
"I can tell that you all are hiding something from me," Lisa said. "Where's Rowan?"
Even without seeing it, Nick could feel the tension in the room spike. He could imagine the faces and awkward glances they were exchanging with one another. Rowan was the guy she kept calling for, Nick thought. What is going on?
"Lisa, when you disappeared," Tarot said. "Something happened. It affected us all, but Rowan was hit the hardest."
"What do you mean? Did he go back home?" Lisa asked. Nick could hear the sadness creep into her voice.
"We don't know. After we came back from Tartarus Rowan was changed. We don't know how or what it means. He just vanished."
"What do you mean changed?"
They told her what he said and what he looked like. Lisa gasped and whimpered. Nick opened his eyes again and saw her heartbroken expression. Tears rolled down her cheeks as everything she once knew was gone.
Nick stood outside the house while everyone continued to watch over Lisa. He figured it would be better if she were allowed to rest in private, but the rest did not think the same. It did not matter to him. His mind was on something else. There was something he had not stopped thinking about since he got out of the void. A buzzing sound came from his pocket. He reached down and pulled out his phone. "Becky" flashed on the screen as her ringtone rang out disrupting the tranquility of the neighborhood.
Nick knew this was coming. He pressed the answer button and raised the phone to his ear. "Hello there."
"Where are you?" Becky shouted. "I woke up, and your bed was empty. You know you're not supposed to wander off without me. What if animal control caught you?" Nick listened and waited until she was finished scolding him.
"Some things have happened. It's hard to explain. I need a favor. I'm going to stay here in Babylon Gardens for a while."
"What?"
Nick thought of a way to explain the situation without getting her hopes up. "Yeah, I talked it over with Keene Milton. He agreed to let me stay in his mansion as long I work on the novel. Apparently, they really are desperate to have it completed. I told them I would have the entire thing finished and ready for publishing by the end of the year."
"Nick that's only three and a half months. It took you longer than that to write the last few chapters," she reminded him.
"I know I can do this." He looked back at the door behind him. On the other side as the one person who could help him. At this point, he would do or promise anything if it meant getting what he wanted. "Do you trust me?"
Nick heard her draw a deep breath. "I do trust you. I just hope you know what you are doing."
He paused before saying, "I love you, Becky. You know I would do anything for you. For us."
"I know Nick." She lowered her voice, "I love you too." With that, she hung up on him. Nick slid his phone back in the pocket. The way she said it made Nick think she was lying. It didn't matter. If his plan worked, then she would definitely love him again.