Phantom's Tribute

Aston

           I waited outside the entrance to the mysterious white building for a good five minutes- I wanted to be extra early so I wouldn't freak out about being late. I had been looking around, taking in my surroundings as the sun disappeared behind the skyline. I checked my watch as it finally ticked 7:00 PM and I looked around for Kacey.

          What could she possibly want? For all I know, she must've wanted to cut off all connections to me as possible. The note she 'wrote' didn't look like her handwriting at all, but maybe she was in a rush.

I turned around to see Kacey pacing down the street towards me. She wore all black- something she didn't usually do. She stopped next to me and I started questioning her immediately.

          "Kacey why did you want to me up? I thought you hated me after... well you know, but I also wanted to show you something, umm- hold on-" Kacey started talking as I started shoving things around in my bag, desperate to find that photo.

          "Umm, yeah, I just wanted to-" She stopped and hesitated as I put my bag away, guessing I hadn't brought the photo, and would he to reason with her. "Ali, you changed my mind about these monsters, and I was wondering.... can I see him?" Kacey asked. Once again I was totally stumped by this I couldn't speak.

          SHE MADE UP HER MIND THAT QUICKLY? IS THIS EVEN REAL?!

She brought her hand up to her arm as she spoke again. "U-unless that's stupid or..." She trailed off.

          "U-uh I mean- I mean um- s-sure... ahah-" I laughed, barely making my words audible. I was still completely dumbfounded I didn't know what to do and for a good minutes I stood there with my mouth hanging wide open.

          "Well...?" Kacey finally uttered. I laughed sheepishly and called for Phantom, luckily it was already pretty dark, the sun was already completely gone and the moon was out, and Phantom seemed to walk through yet another wall.

It still amazed me- and it went against everything I knew already. He purred at me and I motioned to Kacey. He stepped up to her and sniffed her, before backing away slowly with his back arched and his tail curled tightly behind him like a chameleon. He started growling, and before I could ask why, he brought his tail out from behind me, wrapped it around my arm, and drew me back behind him.

          "Phantom- what are you doing?!" I whisper shouted at him. "It's just Kacey! She only wanted to see you-"

That is not Kacey.

He growled. Kacey took a step closer and he growled louder, and stood protectively in front of me, the spine along his back sprouting up like a cats fur would.

That same alien-like growl intrigued me, but I pushed past him and out of his grip.

          "Phantom I don't know what's gotten into you, but she's not going to hurt you-" I stopped, realizing something I should have been wary of the first time I saw that note.

          How did she get in my house? Wait, no one let her in- when exactly did she put that letter in my house? How did it get there?

I started freaking out and slowly drew back the photo. "Kacey..?" I said quietly, my voice trembling.

          Her eyebrows narrowed and an evil grin grew on her face- it seemed unnatural, and it was a little scary. I took a step back, but within five seconds Kacey had grabbed onto my arm with a strength she shouldn't have had, and whipped out an ID card, showing it to the scanner, and the doors slid open. I screamed as she dragged me in, but I couldn't help but notice how modern it looked inside- everywhere else looked like it belonged in 2020, but this place had technology I had never seen, and the whole interior was coated in a bright white. It looked like some kind of crazy lab.