Page 27 of Beautiful Prey

There were no live rabbits this time though. Just corpses. Bones with matted fur, skulls with the jaws opened like they were screaming. I put a hand over my mouth, mostly to compose myself and not gag. The cages were set back against the wall. Through another doorway, I saw a small lab and I went through, gazing around at the empty tables and counters. Beyond was another room, an exam room of some sort, along with a medical-grade chair and several lights fixed above. I walked by this into another passageway that led to a door at the end. I pulled it open and stepped through before halting and peering around in horror.

No. No this couldn’t be.

I scrambled for the switch at the door and threw it on, then whirled around, drawing in everything around me. A soft whimper tickled the back of my throat as I took another step into what had been a classroom.

There was a white board and several small desks. No posters on the walls, no windows. Most of the desks had been pushed back to the walls, leaving only two in the center facing a teacher’s desk and the white board.

My throat tightened as I stared at the desks. As if being pulled by some invisible hand, I swiftly rushed past them to the door at the back. I threw it open and found a small kitchen. Beyond that was a long room with twelve narrow doors, six on each side.

Feeling numb enough already, I went to one on my left and opened it.

There was a twin bed and a little sink to one corner. Nothing more. White walls were bare, no windows to see, only a small light at the top. I opened each door and they were all the same. It wasn’t until my second passing that I noticed the little vents above the doors.

I didn’t dare step foot in the rooms. Subconsciously I drew up my phone as if by instinct to call the police. Only to realize I had no service down here.

I needed to get out. I felt the walls closing in on me. I peered one last time inside one room and saw marker drawings on the walls. Little stick animals.

I took several steps back then I turned and ran.

My breaths came in long gasps as I rushed by the kitchen, then the classroom. I flew past the exam room and the lab and didn’t even glance at the cages as I nearly hit one wall to sprint down the hall to the elevator. I flung the gate closed and pressed the up button several times until the fucking thing finally went up.

When I got to the top, I stumbled out of the elevator, bent forward, and dry-heaved.

The odor mixed with the awful realization hit my gut like a sledgehammer.

There was no denying what I saw now. What I desperately didn’t want to believe.

I slowly straightened, taking a deep breath. I trembled a little as I turned back and took the key out of the elevator before closing it up, even shoving the gurney back in front of it. I went to the office and back to the safe. I picked up the hammer and gripped it tight, ready to swing.

Then I let it fall. No use letting my emotions get the better of me.

I needed to find the combination. But that would have to be for another night. I felt drained, like I’d aged thirty years. I also wanted to cry, scream, tear the place apart, maybe even burn it down. But I needed whatever was in that safe and I wasn’t in the right mind to sit there and try to unlock it the rest of the night. I needed to process everything else first.

Calmly, I slipped the elevator key in my pocket, then shut off the lights. I didn’t want to ever come back here, but knew I would have to. I thought again about calling the police, then decided not to at my own risk. If they came, they would take everything as evidence, and I wanted in that safe first.

If there were records of Emery inside, then I would have my truth. I’d have my answers.

Swiftly, I made my way out of the warehouse, shutting off the light by the door. The outside was pitch dark, and I fumbled to lock the door. Making sure it was shut tight, I placed the warehouse key with the elevator key in my pocket, not wanting anyone to set foot inside except me.

Gravel crunched behind me. Nerves already frayed, I jumped, whirling around. I saw no one in the dark but, more than ever, I felt like I was being watched.

Skin crawling, I quickly moved to my car and got in, locking the doors. I put in my key and tried to start it…only it didn’t.

It took me a solid few seconds to not jump to conclusions that someone had messed with my car and to realize I had stupidly left the lights on which caused the battery to die.

Fuck.

I got out and went to the trunk, rifling around for the jumper cables.

“Hey there,” a voice said behind me.

I hit my head on the truck top, cursing as a beam of light hit my face. I stared at the shadow in the dark until they aimed their light away.

“Sorry, you okay?”

It was the security guard from the front. I tried not to let my sigh of relief be too loud.

“I’m okay,” I said after a moment. “I just—my car battery died. My fault, I left it on and…”

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