Scream on a Beam

Her scream threatened to bring the ceiling down on her head. Her face was a horrified rictus, unable to tear her eyes off the wretched shape dangling from the beam. Poor Malcolm. His tabby fur looked scraggly, his eyes glassy, and his tongue protruded. A tiny voice in the back of her mind said, the kids will hear you. They'll be scared. They'll come down to see what's wrong... Rooted to the spot, staring at poor, dead Malcolm, Sandy's brain worked overtime. Where had the creepy little bastard gone? How could she protect the children? She was ready to move, any moment now... When arms reached out of the shadows to grab her, and a hand clamped across her mouth.

"Stop it!" the voice hissed. "You'll scare the kids!"

Sandy sagged, overwhelmed to the point of fainting with shock, confusion and relief.

"Karl?!" She turned in his arms, clinging to his neck. "Where've you been, I've been freaking out-"

"Shhhh." Karl guided her up the steps. "Let's get you out of here."

Sandy allowed herself to be steered to the warm light of the kitchen and sat down at the table. Like a doll in a dollhouse.

Karl brought the children in from the car. She took deep, cleansing breaths, like in yoga class. I must be calm for them.

They peered around, as if looking for whatever had caused all the fuss. Matty climbed into her lap and burrowed into her, his thumb stuck in his mouth.

Karl set down a plate of cookies, and made hot drinks. Tea for Sandy, warm milk for the kids. It felt good to be cared for. Soothing to sit back, sip tea, let someone else take charge. She felt a hundred times calmer already. Exhausted, too, after a day of panic and no food. She could lay her head on the table right now...

"Babe...?" Karl was the picture of husbandly concern.

"I'm okay," she smiled, weak now. "Just tired."

"You need rest," Karl said.

"Can't," she said, tongue thick and fuzzy. "Gotta getrid of..."

"I know. I know" His voice, low in her ear, was warm and rich. Like the tea. "I'll find it. Take it far away. And burn it. Ok?"

Yes.

+

Thank you for reading!

Pssst! I just zipped past 600 stories!

Content warning: If you read this one and said "Not the cat, please not the cat!" then I advise you not to read this one! Suffice to say, Karl has returned and promised to take the bloody elf as far away as possible and burn it. Thank fluck for that, eh!