Good For Gone

The Doberman

My heart sped up at the words, "Whose back?"

"The elders and Master. They broke in last night." He was shaking, "we need to leave."

I reached out to him, but he flinched away so I let my arm drop back to my side, "Wait a minute, they know you're here? They know you're alive?"

"They know now. It apparently surprised them."

"And they just left you here?" I asked.

"They said they would be back," he tried to get up onto his trembling legs, "We need to leave. I don't want to go back."

I stood up too, but fought the urge to help him, knowing he wouldn't like it, "It's going to be alright."

"No its not, Master wanted me dead you don't think he won't try and make sure it happens this time."

"I won't let that happen, we'll get you as far away as possible. They won't be able to find you."

"You can't promise that." He was rubbing his face, "You can see what they did to those people down the road."

"Well they're not going to do that to you." I began throwing his books and clothes into plastic bags.

"They're going to kill you too. It was supposed to be you."

"What." I stopped what I was doing.

I could hear the stress in his voice, "I told them that they were the ones who were helping me, and they killed them."

He collapsed to the ground again. The news had the opposite effect on me however.

"Come on Peter you have to get up."

"They're dead and it's my fault."

"It's not your fault I promise. They're murderers," I squat down next to him, "They were going to kill somebody, it doesn't have anything to do with you."

I didn't even entirely believe what I was saying, but I couldn't deal with him becoming catatonic right now. We needed to move as soon as possible.

"But," he seemed lost for words.

"No buts, just get up and gather everything you want to take with you. I'm going to pull the car around. You need to have everything ready to load so no one sees. Okay?"

"Okay." He breathed.

I wanted to hug him, to make him feel better. But there wasn't time.

I got to my feet and walked out, checking to make sure no one was around to see us.

I jogged to the tree line and stepped quickly through the underbrush towards the car. But the as soon as I got close I froze.

Lying across the hood was the mangled body of one of the Lotte's Doberman Pinschers. The blood streamed down the sides and dripped onto the grass.

I had to muffle a scream. It was horrifying. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I'd liked those dogs, and these monsters had cut it to pieces. Who knows what they did with the other one.

I'd only parked in this spot a few minutes before.

I felt the panic hit me. They were here, and I had to get back to Peter immediately.

I approached the car. I was on the verge of puking, but I grabbed the dog's foot and pulled him off the hood. That's when I noticed a piece of paper tucked under my windshield wiper.

I took a deep breath and grabbed it before jumping into the car and locking the doors. I even checked the back seat.

The car roared to life but I let it idle, ready to flee at any moment.

Unfolding the note I saw only one line scrawled in pen.

The devil lives in him