was now November. There was snow on the ground. On the way to Beth's cabin, he could feel the crunch of the snow as he walked. He had a black sweatshirt under the flannel.
As he got to the cabin, he could sense that Beth wasn't there. He opened the front door. No Beth. No signs of her either. No dead squirrels. When he opened the door, he heard something. It was like metal. Like keys. He turned around. He didn't see anything past the pond that was frozen over near her house. He went inside and checked the dining room table. Just an empty bottle of whiskey that Aaron gave her as a peace offering briefly after the meeting.
Aaron investigated the bedroom just to make sure. he didn't see her. He didn't look around when he was in there. Beth didn't let him.
He looked in the nightstand. Some of Beth's clothes were usually in there as well as condoms. There was also a picture. He never saw in there when he had to get the condom. But to be fair, that wasn't on his mind.
The picture was a young girl and an older man on a swing set. Aaron guessed that they were father and daughter. But why was it here? There were no other pictures in the house. He took the picture. There were no markings on the back. He put the picture in his pocket.
He went into the bathroom. Nothing. He heard the same key sound in the backyard. He walked out of the house and to the left side. He heard the same key sound. He walked out of the house to the backyard.
***
He saw a dog lying on the ground and chewing on something. The dog saw it and barked a few times. The dog looked like a German Shepherd but too fluffy. It looked like a mixed breed but wasn't sure. The dog, with the bone in his mouth, went over to him.
Aaron put his hand out. The dog sniffed it. Aaron saw a dog tag. It didn't look official, but it was engraved.
MONGREL
"How fitting" Aaron said. He reached out and patted the scruff of its neck. Mongrel leaned and started to wag its tail. Aaron picked up the bone and threw away from the house. The bone landed in the snow in a poof. Mongrel ran over to it
"Wheres my picture?" Beth said. Aaron jumped.
"Where were you?" Aaron replied.
"Out."
"That's vague...."
"Does it matter? Besides, you didn't answer my question."
"It's in my pocket. You can't have it. I wanna know who's on it."
"None of your fucking business," Beth said sharply as Mongrel barked.
"You're scaring the dog."
"I don't give a shit about the dog." Aaron raised his voice and Mongrel barked again. "Then why is it here?"
" To teach you a lesson."
Aaron didn't know how to react. He just stood and looked at her. He was frozen. "Look over there." She changed the subject by pointing over to a line of stones about 25 yards away. "They look like property border markers, right?" Aaron remained silent. "Well, yes...
But, there are also reminders of all the others before you. I appear distant, and somehow, and you males just appear to me. Moths to the flame. Then, just when they think they have me, they become a stone. Call me a succubus. Go ahead. The others did. Just like that guy in the picture. But he got away though."
"Fucking knew it," Aaron said.
Beth's voice raised at least two decibels "You know shit! You have been more stubborn than the others, I'll give you that." Mongrel barked at the noise. Beth shot a look at the dog. The dog had a look of fear. Even male dogs can be victims of the look.
"I was going to kill you. But no. I decided to teach you. Watch." Beth held out her hands. a ball of Orange and mostly red came out. But it was heavily red. It was pulsing out heat so much that grass was already started to show around her. Aaron's gaze turned towards the glow.
"How you ask? Well, it's easy. Just watch the dog."
Beth shot out her arms and hands towards Mongrel. The orb shot through the dog so clean that you could see the hole all the way through its body. Mongrels body didn't fall over. The blood started to boil. " I know you want to run. So I'll give you 8 minutes before I kill you. Why 8? Well, according to scientists, if the Sun suddenly disappeared, it would take 8 minutes for humans to realize it Go before I change my mind."
With that, Aaron ran. He ran as fast as he ever did before.