“I still can’t get over this place,” Kat said offhandedly, flipping through yet another of the garage library’s many books.

“You’re telling me,” Kody replied from his position in the dusty armchair. “I don’t even like to read and this amazes me. I still want to know who left it all here, and why.”

“You and me both,” Kat agreed. Suddenly, she jumped a little. “Jesus!”

“What? What is it?” Kody asked, alarmed.

“Nothing, I just got a text,” Kat replied, letting out a sigh of relief. “My phone vibrated in my pocket and it scared me.”

Kody didn’t react at first. “…Wow,” he said eventually.

“What?” Kat asked, frowning.

“Just…that,” Kody replied, beginning to laugh. “You’re such a girl sometimes.”

“Am--am--well I am a girl, but not like that!” Kat said angrily. Kody just laughed harder.

Katarina grumbled something to herself, fishing her phone out of her pocket to read the message. “Oh, shit!”

“Now what?” Kody inquired.

“That was my mom,” Kat told him. “She wants to know where I am. It’s after midnight.”

“Huh? Seriously?” Kody said, eyes widening. Kat showed him the screen of her phone, where the clock read 12:14 AM. “Oh, man. We'd better get out of here.”

“Um, yeah!” Kat exclaimed. “I need to be at home studying!”

Kody looked at her as though she had sprouted a second head. “Kat, it’s Saturday.”

“Yes, and I have an English test on Monday!” Kat said frantically.

Her friend stared at her a few seconds longer, then burst out laughing again, earning an agitated frown. “You are ridiculous,” he chuckled, standing up.

“I am not!” Kat defended weakly. “Stop calling me that!”

“No worries, it’s cute, in a way,” he laughed, ruffling her hair as one might a small child’s while walking past. “Come on, let’s go home,” he said, climbing back out the secret entryway to the library, leaving a flustered, somewhat red Katarina behind him.

“H-hey! Wait up! Kody!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Geez, when did it start getting so cold?” Kat wondered aloud as she and Kody strode down the streets of Ariesville in the direction of her house.

“When it turned into October and then got dark,” Kody replied matter-of-factly, though he seemed unfazed by the chilly fall air. Suddenly, he stopped walking. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Kat asked him, stopping as well.

"I thought I heard something," Kody told her, scanning the area.

"Uh, what'd it sound like?" Kat inquired.

"An animal, I guess," Kody replied.

Kat gave him a funny look. "There's lots of animals around here. We're surrounded by woods. It was probably a deer."

"Not unless deer have learned to growl," Kody said, still looking suspiciously from side to side.

"A dog, then," Kat offered.

"If it's a dog it might be rabid or something," Kody cautioned.

"I doubt it," Kat said. "Come on. Whatever it is, we're probably better off steering clear of it."

Kody hesitated before saying, "...Yeah. Alright, let's go."

They moved to continue forward, but the crash of a garbage can falling into the street in front of them caused both teens to take a frantic jump backwards. "What the..." Kat mumbled as something emerged from the alley that the can had fallen out of. "Is that a bobcat?"

Sure enough, an animal, about twice the size of a house cat, padded silently out onto the street. It had tufted ears, long, thick fur, and was covered in dark spots and stripes. Kat and Kody stood perfectly still, watching it. Suddenly, it seemed to notice them. It turned its head, lowering it, yellow eyes boring into them as a low growl erupted from its throat. Kat stared back at it, a bit nervous, but unable to move. As she looked into the creature’s eyes, however, her brow furrowed. This cat looked familiar. She couldn't for the life of her figure out why, but something about the way it glared defiantly up at her really reminded her of someone. A quick glance at Kody, who looked unafraid but equally puzzled, told her he was probably having similar thoughts. Finally, the cat let out a sort of snort, broke its gaze, and dashed off into the woods.

Kat and Kody remained still a moment longer, watching it disappear into the falling foliage. "Well..." Kody began eventually, "that was strange."

"Very," Kat agreed, letting out a small breath of relief with the word. "I knew we had bobcats around here, but you almost never see them, especially in town."

"Hm. Maybe he was lost?" Kody offered jokingly.

"Maybe. What makes you think it was a he?" Kat asked as they began walking again.

Her friend shrugged. "Just a feeling."

"Whatever," Kat said, rolling her eyes. "Still, a bobcat. How weird."

"Or was it?" Kody mumbled.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he said. “Come on. Let’s get you home before your parents have a panic attack or something.”

“Yeeaahhh,” Kat agreed. “I wouldn’t put that past my mom. Besides, you’re out here too. I bet your parents are freaking out a little.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Katarina swore she saw Kody tense, almost tripping over his own feet, before regaining his balance and continuing forward. “No,” he said quietly. “They’re not worried about it.”

“Oh really?” Kat asked, arching an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“I just know.”

Kat frowned, but let it go, and they continued their journey home.