Chapter 2: The Hunter and the Scared Cat

After a long, heavy nap, the boys were jolted awake by the sharp clatter of pots and pans. They found Melissa in the kitchen, appearing small amidst a rising skyline of cardboard boxes and packing tape.

"Sorry about the noise," she said, glancing over as they stumbled into the room, rubbing sleep from their eyes. "But these boxes aren't going to unpack themselves. Tyler, your room is the priority, then the hallway."

"Mom, can Dylan and I see the house first? Inside and out?"

Melissa exhaled a long breath, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Fine. I suppose I can't keep you from exploring. Go on, take a look, but I expect you back here in twenty minutes. I’ve already finished my room, so don't leave me hanging."

"Don’t worry about it, Aunt Melissa," Dylan added with a quick smile. "I’ll make sure he stays on task. We can even order pizza for lunch once we're done."

The boys stepped outside, the air still crisp. They wandered the perimeter of the garden, talking about soccer and the games they’d play once the house didn't look like a warehouse. They eventually drifted back through the living room, where the furniture sat like ghosts under white dust sheets. They sat at the dining table and began mindlessly unpacking a box of kitchenware, their conversation drifting until a static-heavy voice from the radio caught their attention.

"...another body discovered on the fringe of the forest," the broadcaster announced. The tone was grave, cutting through the domestic quiet.

"The injuries match the previous victim. Authorities have identified the man as Mr. Thompson Becker, a retired hunter from Becker Street, just off Aliso Canyon Road. Residents are urged to remain indoors after 11 p.m."

Tyler stopped mid-motion, a ceramic plate clutched in his hand. "Dylan... has your dad said anything about this?"

"Nah, Dad keeps the 'blue line' at the front door,"

Dylan answered, though his movements slowed.

"So you don't know anything?"

Dylan leaned in, lowering his voice until it was barely a whisper. "I know a few things. Sometimes I catch a look at his files or hear the chatter on his radio when he leaves it on. Don't tell him, okay? The girl they found... she was near the tree line too. The police are spooked because there are no fingerprints. Nothing. It’s like whoever is doing this knows exactly how to vanish."

"Seriously? Is it even safe here?" Tyler asked, his eyes darting toward the window.

"My dad is on high alert," Dylan reassured him, though he sounded like he was trying to convince himself too. "If anyone tries anything now, they’re walking straight into a trap."

"Hmm, okay. Just... don’t tell my mom," Tyler whispered, glancing toward the kitchen. "She’ll lose it. She’s like a scared cat when it comes to this stuff. Terrified of her own shadow."

Unseen by Tyler, Melissa had drifted into the room behind him, her expression shifting from tired to mischievous. Dylan saw her immediately and began frantically signaling with his eyes.

"You shouldn't talk about your mother like that, Ty," Dylan said, his voice suddenly stiff.

"Oh, you don't know her," Tyler continued, oblivious. "One time back home, Dad got a tiny graze from a training exercise—just a scratch—and she cried so loud you'd think the world was ending."

Before he could finish the sentence, a hand reached out and gave Tyler’s ear a sharp, expert twist. Tyler yelped, and Dylan finally lost his composure, bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Is that so?" Melissa asked, her voice dangerously sweet. "Well, since I'm such a 'scared cat,' I think I need two brave young men to clear the perimeter of the garden. Tyler, you’re going to trim the grass edges using these."

She slapped a pair of heavy manual hand-scissors into his palm.

"And Dylan, since you find this so funny, you’re his partner. If the edges aren't perfect, nobody eats lunch."

"Mom, come on, my ear!" Tyler groaned, rubbing the side of his head.

"Sorry, Aunt Melissa," Dylan added, still grinning as he followed Tyler out the door.

The boys spent the next hour on their hands and knees, the "menace" of the forest momentarily replaced by the tedious snip-snip of the shears. Eventually, Melissa took pity on them and let them use the electric trimmer to finish the job. By the time the last of Tyler’s clothes were put away and his shoes were lined up in the closet, they were starving.

They tore through a stack of pizzas and, drained from the early morning move and the yard work, fell back into a deep sleep until the sun began to dip below the hills at 6 p.m.

...****************...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***