The Disappearance

Agnes drew a long breath. “It seems to me…”

            She was interrupted by the sound of running feet. Maybelle dashed past her legs, Candy in close pursuit.

            Clara gasped. “What in the world?”

            “Oh, it’s that cat!” Agnes sputtered. “If she catches Maybelle, she’ll jump right onto her. I’ve got to put a stop to this.”

            Clara giggled. “Your dog is some great protector. She’s afraid of cats and thunder and what else? If an intruder broke in, we’d have to protect her.”

            “Well, be that as it may, we’ve got to go after those two. My cell phone is in my purse. There’s no service up here, but maybe the flashlight works. This candle won’t do,” Agnes said.

            Setting their candles on the mantle and using the light from the phone, they started in the direction  the animals had been running. In the distance, they heard Candy’s fierce yowl.

            “They aren’t going upstairs. They seem to be going down,” Agnes said, panting after the sounds of cat and dog. “Is there a basement in this house?”

            Clara huffed along beside Agnes. “Could be. Maybe.”

            Their chase took them past the kitchen, into the pantry, and through a half-open small door nearly hidden between two shelves. In the light of her phone’s beam, she saw  wooden stairs leading down into a basement swathed in shadows. Agnes caught her breath.  She  had  never  liked  cellars  or  caves.  She’d  always  had  a fear  of  being  underground,  but  her  dog  was  down  there  somewhere  and  needed  her.  Swallowing  a lump  of  fear,  she  put  her  foot  on  the  top  step.

           

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