The Night Off

(sorry this is a shortie-)

Kevin would usually be at the Candy Club right about now. During the week, it would normally be one of his shifts. He knew this.

But right now he was at home

He was taking the night off.

He had to.

It was rare, but there was also an... occasional feel about it.

Right now he was finishing up with locking the back door.

"Alright, the front and back doors are locked well..."

Internally, Kevin showed extreme relief. He still remembered the last time those doors weren't locked or even shut tight.

Well, most of that last time, anyway.

He went on to his couch to check if anything was good on the television.

"No... no... hmm..."

Ultimately he just put on the news.

Nothing really that he hadn't known about.

It just went on as he scrolled through his phone.

Kevin kinda spaced off for a while as he laid.

In fact, he was just about to doze off before he checked the time.

6:35 PM

"Fuck, already?!"

He got up and went to his kitchen, first getting a broom and dustpan next to a counter, and then from under the sink, large trash bags.

Then he went to the basement entrance where he set the plethora aside the wall.

Next to the door was his calendar.

He already began to cross off the current day. A certain symbol on the date, a mere little white circle, made him cringe just a little bit, but not as much as the first days this occurred.

The door was heavy and very metallic, but he had experience with opening and closing it.

Kevin entered as he slammed it behind him.

"Wheew... hmm.."

The disgruntled young man looked at what was at the end of the door he faced, and reacted with rising concern.

At least one of the four locks Kevin was managing was busted, another seemed to be ready to meet the same fate.

He'd have to get new ones after payday... whenever that was.

Similarly, compared to the older ones, the newer claw marks were looking deeper. That large dent didn't make anything better.

"How much longer can this door hold?!"

Kevin felt himself penting up.

"Whatever, I'll... remedy it somehow."

Regardless, he would just open the door, get out, wash up, and start the day like normal the next morning.

Carefully, he walked downstairs into the basement's floors.

Cold, hard, yet clean mostly.. The only other things down there were a minifridge right around the end of the stairwell, a 'bed' of a couple blankets in a corner, and a chain post that with a busted leash proved inefficient.

He was quick to walk to the fridge and pull out a piece of fresh, bloodied, raw venison.

Leaving it on the floor, he walked to the blankets and lied down once again, checking the time.

6:58 PM

Kevin had considered... heh... maybe on the next night like this he could go to work just to give those two kids a scare as payb- wait. No. No.

He knew they wouldn't be scared of him. And regardless, exasperated by their antics he may have been, the last thing he would want to do was to kill them.

Even though it would occasionally get easier to manage and somewhat better than work, Kevin wasn't that fond of his nights off.

It didn't help that when his anger heightened, particularly when those shenanigans happened at work... he just felt it manifest regardless of time.

He was just glad during the both times those two kids were there to hear his snarling, they were too oblivious to notice it.

Otherwise, he barely remembered the rest of the nights off, this one to be included.

It was mainly just heightened emotions, black and red within his visions, and heightened hearing and senses.

Other than that, nothing.

Last month, he awoke right next to the door with his head pounding, as if it hit something hard. That was when he saw the dent.

He had no idea what would happen if he would escape during a future night off, though. And even now, he was scared to imagine.

Finally, he felt it start.

The venison in front both out and in the fridge, the dust on the walls, the trash outside... He could smell everything within and out.

Soft buzzing... the next door house... crickets... he could now hear it all.

And then the worst part.

A deep ache within his back...

Then it circled through his face...

His legs...

His arms...

That was when his mind was beginning to crumble.

It was time for him to rest.

And for the wolf to wake up.