Misery County

Chapter 11 - Part 2

"So now what?"

"I'll be honest, partner, I didn't expect us to get this far."

Eric and Cassie looked over the still-unconscious coyote sitting in the middle of one of the front rooms in the formerly haunted house. They didn't dare to chain or bind him in case the bindings were to crush him when he transforms into his human form, but the more time was passing, the more it looked like that wasn't going to happen – any of it.

"Do you – do you wonder if maybe, you know, we just bagged a regular ol' coyote?" Eric said.

"I mean, there are worse accidents that could have happened, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Eric replied vacantly.

Another moment of silence washed over the scene as the pair contemplated what to do.

"We could try to find the fairies again," Eric offered.

"I suspect they only get found when they want to."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Another moment of silence.

"Hey, what about the silver chains in the other room? Maybe being covered in silver will force him to transform," Cassie said.

"The silver chains that were used to wrap your disappearing corpse?"

"Yeah."

"The ones that have also disappeared?"

"Oh, right," Cassie said glumly.

Eric thought for a moment. "Had you said to me that they were coming out from beneath the floorboards?"

"Yes, I had."

"Well, maybe they're still there."

"Beneath the floor?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I suppose they must have gone somewhere. I mean, they might have been taken away, but –"

"But they could also have retreated back into the floor when you destroyed the ghost that controlled them," Eric finished her thought.

"You got a crowbar in your trunk?"

"You bet I do."

*

"What the fuck kind of wood are these floorboards made of?" Eric huffed as he tried again and again to yank one of them off from its setting.

"Maybe an ax would have been a better idea."

"Maybe you giving me a hand instead of sitting there offering idle suggestions would be a better idea."

"Eric, I'm 5'2". What could I possibly do that you can't?"

"Well... every... little... bit... helps..." With the last word, Eric managed to pull off a floorboard.

"Good work, partner. And if you'd managed to do that without straining so hard and bitching so much, you might even have looked like a man."

"Yes, yes, very funny. Hey, good news. Your silver chains are here, if they even are silver."

"Speaking of silver, do you think we should have tried our silver knives first?"

Eric looked up from beneath a sweat-drenched brow. "Are you telling me you haven't already tried that?"

"When would I have?"

"Shit, I don't know, maybe when you were wrestling with the bastard after I tranqed him."

"You overestimate just how much I can do in a matter of seconds. Also, why would I try to make him transform in public?"

"I don't know!" Eric said, more than sufficiently frazzled.

"Well, there's no use crying over spilled milk, or sweat, for that matter. It's done now, so let's get the chains and see if they'll work."

"Do we even know they're silver?" Eric repeated.

"No clue. Why don't you hold them up to your skin and see if you burst into flames?"

Eric mustered up all his remaining energy to roll his eyes. "Hilarious. Are you going to give me a hand pulling these chains out, or are you too diminutive to carry stuff now too?"

"Were you this much of a baby in the Marines?"

Eric stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. "Are you questioning my service now?"

"What, no. I'm just –"

"I'm only going to say this once, and if there's ever a second time, it'll be the last time we speak. Don't ever talk down on my time in the military."

"Relax, Eric, I was just joking around. What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing's gotten into me. Now will you help me with these chains or do you have more smartass remarks to crack?"

"I'm afraid it's worse than that, partner."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, what is it now?" Eric looked up at Cassie, who was looking out through the doorway and into the opposite room.

"It seems our friend has decided to go for a walk."