Seconds (An Eyeless Jack X Oc Story)

Chapter 2

    I arrived home with the cat wrapped in a blanket I had. I walk up the metal staircase and open my apartment door. I can hear the Landlord shouting at another person who lives here. I am pretty mad now. “GIVE ME RENT!” 

He reminded me of that one man from the third original spider man that yelled at Peter to give him rent. I closed the door behind me and set the cat down to the carpeted floor. He started to walk around and seemed to know where he was going which I found incredibly strange.

    I walked over to the mini fridge in the living room next to the tv. I wanted to see if I could grab something for me and him to eat. There were small cans of tuna so I thought about making tuna fish sandwiches while he ate plain tuna on a plate. I open the cans and get started while I place down a plate for him first with the tuna.

    I see he hesitates at first but then gives in and eats. I finish up making my sandwich and soon head to the gray couch to watch TV. The cat comes over and plops himself on my lap. I feel at peace, I don’t believe that woman, why would he try to do something like this when he seemed so sweet.

    I really need to stop calling him ‘the cat’. I don’t know if I am going to get attached to him and keep him but it feels that way. The question is how will I get what I need for him without the landlord knowing. I sigh and stroke the cat. I would have to handle all this somehow. I try to get the remote and switch on the tv. 

    I wonder if they found out what happened to the boy, I think to myself. The news had nothing to do with the kidnapping so I assume they didn’t do it yet or I missed out. I realized I didn’t brush my teeth so I got up and gently put the gray fur ball on a soft, folded up blanket. I walk to the restroom and grab my toothbrush and the toothpaste. 

    Where am I going to put the cat for where he’s going to sleep? I felt way too stressed right now. My friends always took me as that one person who would have existential problems and thoughts in the middle of the night. I was quite the work-a-holic when it came to this stuff. I would just let him stay in my room, maybe set up a bunch of blankets and pillows for his bed.

I finish brushing my teeth and walk out. I then get to my room to get my pajamas on. I opened the door once I finished and got the blankets and pillows from my small closet of supplies. The gray cat walks in as I start setting up his bed with a big, soft, fluffy blanket, pillows on the side to rest his head, and a little water bowl for whenever he gets thirsty.
I get ready for bed and go under my covers. All of a sudden, the cat leaps up on my bed and snuggles close to me. 

“You're stubborn aren’t you?” I ask rhetorically. He silently meows in response which I find funny. “You can stay in my bed, it’s fine.” I slowly drifted into a slight slumber.

            ---------------Time Skip---------------

 I started waking up to the sound of the cat. I tried to ignore it but curiosity got the better of me. Makes me think about the one saying, curiosity killed the cat. I sit up and I see a big black figure facing away from me. I feel like screaming but instead I watch in horror. I was petrified in fear and my body never moved an inch.

This better be a dream or I swear to all of the saints in heaven and all the devils in heck! My mind screamed. I’m going to die! I’m going to die! I’m going to die! Was that cat really a bad omen? Oh lord save me! Did I put the leftovers away? I heard the sound of something being knocked over, my notebook I presume. This wasn’t a dream. And I did put the leftovers away.

Was I being robbed, or is this the same kidnapper that got to the kid? No, the man who kidnapped the boy wore a white hoodie instead of a black one. At least, the hoodie of this guy I see looked black. I reached down below my bed to grab my metal baseball bat. In an instant, it's knocked over and bangs on the floor. I grabbed it fast from the floor in fear of the person lunging at me. Instead, the figure runs out the window. I sigh in relief but question where the cat went.

Did he seriously steal my cat? Wow. I feel bad for this generation of burglars. I hear pitter pattering of paws coming to my room. At least he was alright. He jumps back up and I stroke him. “I wonder who that guy was,” I whisper. All the cat does is sit up and look into the doorway. 

I got up to check if anything was there to be safe. The window was unlocked and still opened. I walk over cautiously to close it. Doing so I step on something. Ignore it, I told myself. I close the window and lock it.

I walk over to my light switch and flip it on. I looked down to see something that chilled my bones. I felt like screaming or throwing up. A severed hand, it was holding a kidney. Blood ran into a giant puddle around it and a bone stuck out. 

What in all of the hecking world! I felt like fainting but I needed to read that note. I stare down waiting for a scary message saying something like your next. But no. It said, tattle-tail. I feel like bursting out laughing if I wasn’t so afraid. The cat came and rubbed against my leg. 

“This is reeeeally weird,” I say to the cat. “Okay, from now on I’m just going to call you a zombie because you scare the living daylights out of me when you disappear.” He hissed at me as if knowing what I’m saying.

“Nu uh,” I snapped playfully, “I picked you off the streets, I’ll put you back there. I’m risking losing my home bringing you here so you should be grateful.” He does a low growl in response but I just carry him to my room to sleep.

I’m probably not going to go back to bed after that so I might as well get rid of the hand and do something quietly. I look over to where the note and hand is and shudder. Where do I put a random hand? I go to the hand with a grocery bag in my hand. Grabbing it, I couldn’t help but vomit in the small trash can near me.
I grab my key card to my room and exit the building with the bag. There was an alleyway nearby with a dumpster. I quietly entered the hallway, making sure everyone here was sleeping before I went down the stairs. The coast is clear, I hope.

I walk down the hallway and enter the stairway. Heading down, I open the main door and start walking a little ways down the streets. I reach a building a few blocks down and head to the alleyway. I dispose of the bag and the hand in there. I fear that someone will find it and I will be suspected like the other residents. For now, I’ll have to just focus on things now. 

I bring the lid down and sigh. I hated this. I’ve been stressed for weeks now and with the cat, I feel like things are about to get worse. I turn to head out of the alleyway when I suddenly get knocked back to the wall. I’m held in place as the person stares straight at me. His left arm was held at my neck and the other one was holding a scalpel. I looked at my captors face, to see a blue mask, and the eye holes looked empty.