Page 2 of Wild Bred

Shaw and I walk back into the house, the smell of dust filling our nostrils as we step over debris. The air feels heavy inside, charged with the energy of our unfinished task.

I'm picking up my sledgehammer when I catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. My muscles tense as I turn to investigate, expecting to see a scurrying rat or a nosy squirrel.

But what I see makes me freeze in my tracks. A thick, furry tail is sticking out from beneath a pile of rubble.

“What the fuck?” I mutter, my eyes fixed on the spot.

Shaw turns, frowning at me. “What’s up?”

I nod toward the tail. Shaw’s eyes slide over to the same spot. Then, suddenly, a small black-and-tan animal peeks out from beneath the debris.

“Jesus,” Shaw says. “Is that a monkey?”

I stare at the creature, trying to make sense of the surreal sight. “Sure looks like it.”

“Where the hell did it come from?”

“No idea. Maybe someone’s pet got loose?”

The monkey scurries out from under the debris, clutching a crowbar in one hand, chattering as it eyes us mischievously.

Shaw laughs nervously. “Right. A pet monkey. We should probably try to catch it, huh?”

I take a cautious step forward, extending my hand in a gesture of peace. “Easy there, little guy.”

The monkey tilts its head, studying me for a moment before dashing away with the crowbar still clutched in his hand.

Shaw laughs as the monkey makes off with my tool, but I’m not letting it get away.

“Hey!” I yell, lunging forward after the thief. “Come here!”

Irritation courses through me as the rascal easily evades me. The chase that follows is full of a lot of cursing on my part as I weave through the wreckage of the house trying to capture the wild animal.

At last, I manage to corner the monkey in the bathroom, its eyes shining with mirth as it holds the crowbar to its furry chest.

“Give it back,” I demand.

The monkey screeches, leaping away from me and bouncing around the tiny bathroom with surprising agility. I make a grab for the crowbar, but the monkey dodges out of reach, taunting me with its stolen treasure.

Shaw watches from the doorway, not even bothering to suppress his laughter. As the monkey continues to outmaneuver me, my irritation boils over.

“Damn it, Shaw, do something!” I shout.

“I’m not getting near that thing,” he says, barely able to speak through his laughter. “This is all you, bro.”

I glare at him before refocusing on the monkey, who is now perched on the edge of the bathtub. With a determined grunt, I lunge forward, narrowly missing it as it leaps to the sink.

The monkey lets out a noise that sounds an awful lot like gleeful laughter.

“Enough of this shit,” I mutter under my breath. I spot a threadbare towel hanging from the bathroom door and grab it, planning to use it as a makeshift net.

Suddenly, a woman’s shout filters through the small screened window above the bathtub. “Daisy! Daisy, honey, where are you?”

Shaw and I exchange a glance. “Someone’s looking for this little menace,” he says.

“Daisy!” the voice calls again, closer this time.

“Your monkey’s in here!” I yell through the window.

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