Lassoing the Cresent Moon

32. Away

A terrible yowl filled the air as Catnap jolted into a standing position. Buzzing filled the air as he fell onto his side. His legs kicked violently and smoke rose from patches of where his fur had burned. He let out another ungodly screech as he tilted his head up and tried to reach for me.

I don't know if he wanted to put himself to sleep.

Maybe he was too anxious and needed to breathe.

But the moment the red smoke poured from his lips, what was left of the electric sparks set on fire.

My eyes widened as he tried to drop and roll to put the fire out. His movements were jerky, unnatural, as his furless skin charred black. Hot embers and blue sparks invaded the air.

I couldn't move. I just watched.

Huggy had fallen into the darkness.

Mommy's body was shredded into another side of the wall I couldn't see.

But this... this was agony I couldn't look away from.

A light covered the floor as the hatch in the roof opened. A metal claw came down and stretched itself towards him.

That was the hand that dragged the dead body of Mommy Long Legs. My breath hitched.

No

Catnap backed up when he saw it. He looked at me, then at it. His ears folded back as he shakily got on his knees.

But it was too late. I saw it in how he last looked at me. I saw it in how his knees trembled. He had failed his god.

...and failures were worse than heretics.

Catnap devoted his life to the prototype, and now that it was fading he was here to collect his soul. The metal claw pulled back gently aiming for Catnap's permanent grin.

"No!" I screamed as I tried to push catnap put of the way.

The hand shot forward, racing with my grabpack hand at it shoved it's needle like claws forward. My grab pack was fast, but not fast enough.

Catnap's head was shoved out of the way to avoid death but the prototype's appendages still ripped through his cheek and a small bit of his smile.

Catnap choked, blood dripping from the back of his head as the prototype's claws stretched from the other side of his head. It began to pull upward when Catnap's cheek snapped, ripping the flesh and anything left of the fabric.

The prototype's hand continued to retreat upwards as Catnap coughed and fell to the floor.

I came forward with a stern look on my face. "You don't get to escape that easy."

Catnap glanced at me weakly.

I leaned over him. "Do you see it now? Do you fucking see it now!?" I screamed before kicking his ribs. My eyes swelled with hot tears.

"Audriella!" Terry shouted in protest.

A lump in my throat formed as I tried to catch my breath. "He tortured you, Terry! He wanted us to get eaten alive. That cheap scrap of metal doesn't get to kill him- not before I hurt him!" Terry pulled me back by the waist forcefully before hugging me. My chin landed on his shoulder. "It's not fair..." I whimpered.

Dogday glared at Catnap who still shook. "The gas has been redirected. You don't have the strength for another attack. You've lost." Dogday held me a little tighter. "He's lost. We're safe."

"I want to save him all over again but I also want to hit him with a baseball bat..." I whispered.

Dogday chuckled. "Yeah that... that sounds about right."