Welfare and Warfare

Chapter 21

The dog was gone. The street was empty with nowhere the dog had gone. Kai part climbed and flew up to the rooftops, unsure where the dog could have escaped. He was only seconds behind him.

Sighing in defeat, Kai headed back down to the ground, however his stunt had awoken the residents of the roof he climbed on; Betty and Bruno's. Fortunately, he was familiar with them for them so they were not angry with him for the commotion and climbing on their property.

"Everything alright, hun?" Betty asked, finishing wrapping her dressing gown around, the two having an early night after their long blood moon shifts.

"Sorry, I was just chasing after a monster without ID," explained Kai.

"Not dangerous was it?" asked Bruno, looking around in panic, bringing Betty closer to him.

"It was just a small dog, don't think so." Kai motioned to the snuffed out street lamps. "Though it could magically turn off candles which could be a threat to all of mankind as we know it," he joked. "I'll get those all lit again, don't you worry."

Betty and Bruno frowned at him, confused, both of them glancing at the street lamps.

"Which ones are out?" asked Bruno.

"Huh?" Kai blinked, having to do a double take as in that instant as all of the street lamps were now lit again. "They were out just a moment ago."

Bruno's nose wrinkled in doubt. "No, they're weren't. Think we would have noticed."

"But they were..." Kai stared at the candles in disbelief. How could they not have noticed that they were in almost pitch darkness? And now they're magically lit again? What was that dog?

"Have you had any rest since the blood moon, sweetie?" asked Betty, giving Kai a sympathetic look. "Sleep deprivation can sometimes cause hallucinations."

"Right..." Kai didn't think he had been hallucinating, though that would explain how the black dog managed to disappear into thin air. "Well, if you do catch a sight of a small black dog, please report it. We could potentially have an intruder or at least someone without a registered mask."

Betty and Bruno nodded, and wished Kai a goodnight, Betty firmly telling Kai to get some rest, an order from his doctor, before they headed back inside.

Kai remained searching the street for a moment for any traces of the dog but the creature had left no prints. After reporting the incident and issuing a search for any masks with a matching description, both citizens of the Warren and those waiting outside, Kai finally went back to his house, his dinner cold. He managed a few mouthfuls before giving up and going to bed for an early night.

*

Henry couldn't rest, he continued to pace, fidget, and move things around in the apartment all the while Nia attempted to calm his anxiety.

"She wants to meet you," said Nia. "That's a good thing. She wants to know you."

"Yep, yep." Henry's fingers brushed through his hair, fluffing it up. He sat down on the bed next to Nia then immediately stood up again to pace around the room. "I just- I don't know what to say to her and everything."

Nia smirked. "Yes, you do. I've heard you rehearse many times."

"But I don't want to come across as rehearsed or fake. And in the moment I know my mind will go blank and forget everything anyway."

Well then not to say the obvious but just be yourself." Nia shrugged.

"Hi, I'm Henry, your second cousin who you have no memory of. I've been convicted of murder and sent down here and all these years I have been tracking you down just to meet you... your second cousin." Henry flopped back onto the bed. "I sound like a mad man. It's-" He paused, then shot back upright again. "What if she isn't here for murder too! She could be in for something not as severe, less serious like... arson or robbery, kidnapping. Her sentence could finish soon, maybe any day now and-"