The Brass Bull

The little statue was the ugliest thing she'd ever seen. But, her Mother insisted that she keep it. For 'luck' her Mother said. Odette highly doubted the brass bull was lucky. There had to be zero luck in an ugly thing like this.

At least, in her mind there had to be. Still, she kept the little ugly thing. Only to make her Mother happy. And kept it in the storage closet of her hallway. Intending on taking it out when her Mother came to visit. Which would be around five months. Maybe at least six if her Mother couldn't get purchase the plane tickets.

Odette shut the door of the closet. Heading to her bedroom to continue to watch Netflix and snuggle her orange kitten, Lou. Who was currently seated on her spot on the bed. Picking him up, she said,"Silly boy, that's Mommy's spot. I can't sit on you, I'd squish you."

"You don't want Mommy to squish you, do you?",she questioned. A small smile on her face as the kitten just purred in response. Curling up on her lap again as Odette pressed play on the PS4 controller. It was a horror movie featuring Michael Sheen. One that she was barely paying attention to as she played with her kitten. Tossing a little toy that the kitten would bring back. Purring even louder than he had a few minutes ago. As they played their little game of fetch, the lights went out. The house fell into complete silence as she felt around for her phone. Noticing that Lou had gotten onto the floor and was puffing up. Letting out little growls as he stood on the floor. At least as far as she could make out in the total darkness. Odette found her phone under one of her quilts on the bed.

Unlocking the screen, she turned on the flashlight. Pointing it down to the hissing and growling kitten. Who was glaring at the doorway as he stood in front of her. Following his gaze with her phone, she froze in place. There was a teenage boy standing in the doorway. Wearing baggy jeans, a blue t-shirt, cookie monster hoodie, and matching hat. At least from what she could tell from the light of her phone. And for the longest moment, neither said anything. The only one making noise in the room was the young kitten. Who was still hissing at the teenage boy in her doorway.

The boy looked down at the kitten and softened his expression. But, he didn't make any moves towards him.

Instead the young man turned his attention to her. A look of worry on his face as he stared into her eyes. Then he turned his head briefly to look towards her stairs. Eyes widening a little before turning to look at her. Mouthing the words,'They're coming. Hide.'

Who was them? She didn't know. And she didn't care. Odette could hear the thundering footsteps and quickly scooped up Lou. Turned her phone flashlight off and hid under her bed. Ignoring how the kitten squirmed in her grasp as she held him close. Keeping his little body against her chest as she fixed the sheets. A minute later, she heard the footsteps getting louder and louder. Holding her breath as she heard them enter her bedroom. Putting her kitten's cheek against her chest as she bit her lip. Heart pounding in her ears as she heard the footsteps stop near her bed. Then a man's voice asking,"The Hell? I thought you said she'd be here?"

"She's supposed to be. Maybe she's hiding somewhere?",the other voice suggested. Sounding utterly confused as to why they couldn't find Odette. The voice was familiar as well. And when she realized who it was, her blood ran cold. This was her co-worker, Fred. Someone that she thought she could trust with seeing her place. Knowing that she only lived with her cat. Why in the Hell was he here? Her stomach twisted as she heard the other man ask,"The fuck would she be hiding for? All that's happened is the lights going off. The fuck would she be hiding for?"

"Maybe she heard us coming?",Fred offered. A second later, Odette heard a smack. Followed by a grunt of pain. One that made Lou stay still and quiet as he trembled against her. The person that Fred brought with him snapped,"And she hid in the twenty seconds it took us to get the fuck up here?"

"It could've happened!",Fred argued. Earning another smack from the guy. Followed by him gruffly telling Fred to search for her. Odette heard them opening her closet. Looking into her bathroom. Along with Fred grumbling about this being a huge mistake. And that he shouldn't have told him about Odette. Something that Odette completely agreed with as she laid under the bed. She heard them continue to search as she unlocked her phone. Quietly dialing nine-one-one as she heard the men yell at each other. Over what, she wasn't paying attention to. All she knew is that she had to get help. But her hand was shaking so much that she dropped the phone. Not on Lou's head but close enough. Earning a loud frightened meow from the kitten.

Both the kitten and herself froze as footsteps approached. Thundering over to the bed. One of the men yanking up the sheets and grabbing her shoulder. Immediately, Odette let go of Lou. Who promptly bolted out from under the bed and down the hall. Odette continued to scream and thrash in the person's hold as she was dragged out from under her bed. Unable to grab her phone as she was dragged out. Continuing to scream until something hit her in the back of the head. From that second, her whole world slowly turned to black. She was vaguely aware of Fred shouting at the other man. Who might've shouted back. Odette wasn't entirely sure. All she knew is that she thought she saw a flash of light blue. Along with the sound of stomping hooves before she passed out.

Sometime later, she found herself laying on her bed on her back. Lou laying next to her head and grooming her face. Her phone, completely dead, was laying next to the other side of her head. Which was throbbing with pain as she laid there. Trying to figure out what was going on. Then she remembered her home had been broken into. Fred and the other man with him. Carefully, she got herself to a seated position. Noticing that it was early in the morning, maybe. And that the men weren't there anymore. But, everything else was back in place. Her Netflix was playing another movie that was on her list. One that Odette had played a million times before, 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space'. Something that she ignored as she held her head and got off the bed. With the kitten following her as she walked around to check her home. No signs of the two men that had broken into her home. Or any signs that anyone had ever broken into her home.

Instead, she found the ugly brass bull statue. Not in the storage closet where she stashed it. But in the middle of the hallway, seated in a cookie monster hoodie.