Justin felt a buzz in his pocket. He tried to look in that direction, but he felt his forehead brush against the cobwebs. He shivered and put his head down. Could it be his phone? And if it was, was it Katherine? In his current state it was hard for him to focus on anything except the tight space and the spiders. He reached down and grabbed the bag of treats.
He pulled it up and stuck it under his chin and took out a handful of smelly treats. “Snookie. Here kitty, kitty.” He said scattering them in front of him.
Snookie sniffed the air in Justin’s direction. “Meowt?” He said in questioning voice. He sniffed again.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Justin said, getting desperate. He could not even get his other arm in. Outside he heard Mrs. McQueen’s voice. “Snookie, baby. Here kitty, kitty.” Snookie uncurled himself and took a step. “Meowp.”
Justin took out another handful and put it right in front of his hand, then lay his hand in the dirt. “Snookie, come on, here kitty, kitty, kitty!” Mrs. McQueen was also saying similar things from outside the hatch.
Finally, hunger overtook the fluffy cat, and he inched closer to Justin. Food and someone he knew and his mother’s voice calling from the outside. He was so close now that Justin could almost reach him. But he didn’t move he didn’t breathe. His phone buzzed again. Justin closed his eyes. Who was it and what did they want? The only person he cared about was Katherine. In his mind he saw her. She was on the couch where he had put her. What was wrong? Why was she texting him? He tried to see around her. His pocket buzzed again, jolting him. He opened his eyes. Snookie was closer now, inches away from his hand, happily gobbling up the bits of treats.
Justin made one quick move and grabbed the cat by the scruff. “Got him!” He said, but not too loudly. Snookie made a “Meow!” sound but didn’t try to scratch or bite Justin. Justin wiggled his body backward, dragging the cat with him. When he was far enough out, he got his other hand up and grabbed the cat with both hands and at once pulled him out and handed him up to the waiting hands of Mrs. McQueen.
She took him, cooing over him and thanking Justin at the same time. “Oh, my baby, my sweetheart. Thank you, Justin.”
Justin nodded and closed his eyes, reached back inside for the flashlight and treats. His hands found them. But a vision struck his brain. In it, Katherine was huddled terrified on the couch, and there was a shadow over her, reaching for her. He turned to see who it was. He knew instinctively then what he had not been able to in the dark spider-infested hole under the house. Matthew had gotten to Katherine. He pulled the treats and flashlight out, leaving them at the entrance to the hatch.
Spookychild’s writings 
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