For Shits and Giggles [2024]

Chapter 32

Just outside the cabin, there was a rustling sound. Two gloved hands appeared on the window frame, tugging, jimmying, and pushing up—locked. They moved to the doorknob, twisting, turning, and pulling.

Locked.

"I'm telling you," said one voice. "I saw him come in here."

"Let's try around back," said another. Then, footsteps shuffled around the side of the cabin.

Another window, locked. A third window, no luck. But then, a fourth window.

Not locked.

Once inside they could see the cabin had recently been lived in. More than lived in, it looked like whoever was last in here had rushed out. A spilled cup of something brown drying on the table. Coffee maybe, hot chocolate?

They stepped around the sticky puddle on the floor. The bed was unmade. What really gave it away were the windows. They were all locked except for that one. Whoever had left in such a hurry had been careless, forgotten to check all the windows. But then again, why would windows need to be locked from the outside?

"Check upstairs," said one voice. Careful, calculated footsteps traveled up the stairs. They were inconspicuous and adept, as if these footsteps had learned to sneak around a million times before.

Downstairs, the second voice looked around, opening kitchen cabinets, pulling out drawers, rummaging through the dresser, pocketing any loose change or expensive looking jewlery. Then he moved to the bed, checked underneath the mattress. Nothing there.

He dipped his head beneath the bed frame for a quick look—jackpot.

A chest. A heavy chest. He grunted, using both hands to wrestle it out from underneath the bed. He wiped his brow, plopping onto the bed with a satisfied grin.

"Hey," he called out to his brother upstairs. "Come check this out."