Hare Moon

Some Things Don't Belong Underground

Previously in Basement in the Woods...The final girl discovered she has really good aim...

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The medical facility beneath the McKendricks' house has trees stencilled all over the walls.

It's distracting. Eerie.

Trees inside. Underground, no less. Awkward and lifeless in their two dimensional prison.

"He'll be fine. The surgeon says it's a routine procedure," Erin reassures softly, accompanied by strokes along the back of my hand, but I get the feeling it's comforting her more than me. Mum and Dad sit on the other side, cuddling on a loveseat.

What does it look like when someone's eye is taken out? Do they scoop it like ice cream? The thought makes my gut bubble and acid rise in my throat. What have I done?

Mum yawns. She should be resting. I try not to stare at the bandage on her head, beneath which sits a nasty haematoma. The attackers went upstairs. They went upstairs looking for me and they found Mum. They only knocked her out, but they could have killed her. So damn easily.

The door opening draws our attention. Sunny! I sigh in relief. One less thing to worry about.

"Where have you been?" Erin stands and places her hands on her hips.

Sunny drags a hand through his lank curls, sheepish, and mutters an apology.

Erin strides over and shakes him before pulling him into a hug. "We thought the assassin finished you off, you numpty!"

Sunny apologizes again and pulls away to come stand beside me.

"Bunny, I am so sorry. I should not have run off and left you like that."

Erin steps between us, arms folded as she scolds him, "Damn right you shouldn't have! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, okay? I just couldn't let him get away."

Erin swallows. "And did he?"

Again, Sunny ruffles his hair and avoids eye contact. "Yeah, he got away."

I shiver. The man who attacked me is still out there. Maybe he'll come for me again. Those icy blue eyes. But at least Sunny is safe.

"So you left Bunny for nothing? You should have stayed--"

"Erin, please. I've had enough of this from Milton. I know I--"

"Milton?" I sit up, ignoring the lightning pains forking through my body. "You spoke to him? Is he alright?"

"Oh, yeah. More than alright. Even drugged up he's scary." Sunny pulls a face. "Sorry, Reece said to let you know he was okay and the...the operation went well. But I forgot to. Because I'm a screw up." Sunny drops his head on the bed dramatically. I scratch behind his ears the way he likes.

"We're all just glad you're safe, dear." Mum pulls her chair closer and rubs his back. "And we are so grateful that you saved our Bunny. You were brave last night. You're not a screw up, you're our hero."

Sunny grins, though he's probably not filled in on the cover story for last night. We didn't tell my parents the whole wolf part, that's for sure.

"Yes. We owe you, Sunny," Dad says, "but now that we know everyone is okay I think we all need to get some rest. You look like you could use it. You have seen the doctor, right?"