Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Boris was screaming, the car was swerving off the road, now bumping into the tall grass. Tyler was cursing and trying to control the vehicle. He slammed his foot on the break as he whipped around in the seat.
"What the fuck, Boris?!" the canine shouted. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Boris hugged himself, panting. "Fuck!"
"Don't do that when someone is driving! We could have died! Then what the fuck would this be for?! Huh?!"
The otter shook his head. "Tyler, will you please lower your voice?! I'm not screaming for no reason!"
"Then what the fuck were you screaming for?!"
"I . . ." The words wouldn't come out of his mouth. "I was . . ."
Tyler stared at him while he awaited the answer.
Boris sighed. "I can't tell you."
"Of fucking course." He rolled his eyes. "And where the hell did your injuries go? I was literally on the way to the hospital."
Boris sat up, looking down at himself but unable to really see in the dark. "I don't feel injured. Absalom healed me." But why would he want to keep King a secret?
The German shepherd looked forward. "Get up here, then. I don't want to have to look back there every time I talk to you."
Boris opened the side door and got out, walking around to the passenger seat and getting in. "That's better. It feels rather nice to not be driving, for once."
"What the hell happened back there?" the dog asked, shifting the car out of park and driving off the grass, back toward the road. "There were . . . three animals . . ."
How could Boris forget the most intense few minutes of his life? "Oh . . . I got to the place with Amaranthe and he ended up having two captive animals which he let animals pay him to do anything to. And I mean anything."
"So you murdered them?"
"No! Of course not! I failed to save them. In fact, I was losing the entire fight and would have died had Absalom not handed me the Blade of the Mirror from the reflection of Amaranthe's eye. I don't understand why Absalom chose such a weak body as his vessel."
Tyler got the car back onto the asphalt and the ride became a lot smoother. "W-wait . . . losing? I thought Absalom wouldn't let you get hurt."
"Apparently not. I need to learn to fend for myself," Boris explained. "He said it costs less of his power that way."
"Power? What? Is he a fucking machine?" Tyler frowned.
"I don't know how it works," Boris told him. "But . . . I saw what you did." He opened the glove compartment and pulled out the gun, observing it.
Tyler flinched. "Wh-what the?! But you were out cold."
"Absalom showed me."
The dog looked like he felt sick. "Guess I better not do anything behind your back . . . ."
"You wouldn't anyway, right?" Boris looked at him, putting the gun back.
"Not when I know you can pull a blade out of my eye," Tyler shuddered.
Boris looked forward at the eerie illuminated road ahead. "I apologize, by the way."
"For?"
"Having to do what you did while I was out. Crawl on that mess and clean up and call the police."
"Don't worry about it," Tyler said. "I chose to do that. I could have just left it, but something was pulling me. I felt like I had to."
Boris looked out the window at the silhouettes of trees and black sky, with its minuscule amount of stars thanks to Austin's light pollution. "I feel thankful, for some reason."
"Because I picked up your mess?"
"No. Because I truly wanted to save that mink and gazelle, and I couldn't. But you gave them a chance to be found and identified. Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you," Tyler huffed. "Anyway, what's next for this fucked up duo?"
Boris continued looking outside. "You need to get cleaned up. We can go back to Downing Manor."
Tyler furrowed his brows. "What the fuck kind of idea is that?! You literally had us pack suitcases because we weren't going home!"
Boris rested his head on his fist, his elbow on the door. "No, I think we should go back to the mansion."
"Are you insane?!" Tyler yelled. "We could just go to a motel and leave in the morning. And don't tell me you're worried about money because that would be a stupid joke."
"No," Boris said, his tone suddenly coming off cold. "I just think we should go."
Tyler turned his head. ". . . Are you feeling okay?"
The otter nodded slowly. "Yes. I think we should go back."
Tyler groaned and pulled over the car. "How many times am I gonna stop this fucking thing?!" He growled, squeezing the fancy material of the steering wheel. "Don't you know what it means to go back there? The Mortal Guard is probably waiting for us to come back! Are you trying to get us killed?"
"Just listen to me and drive," Boris demanded. "They aren't there."
"How do you know that?"
Boris frowned, then reached forward, yanking open the glovebox and pulling out the gun, cocking it quickly. He aimed it at the German shepherd's head. "Drive, or I'll blow your brains out."
Tyler knew that wasn't Boris, then. His ears flattened as he stared down the dark barrel of the gun. He couldn't take his eyes away. He took a quivering breath. ". . . Absalom."
"Yes."
"Where's Boris?"
"If you ever want him back, you will drive this car to Downing Manor," Absalom hissed through Boris' body. He jabbed the gun against his head. "Now."
"What's back there that's so important?" But when he felt the gun press harder against his head, he gulped down a ball of saliva. "Right. Driving."
Tyler swallowed, switching his foot from the brake to the gas pedal. The car began moving through the night once more. "Can you take the gun away?"
"I'm not giving you any opportunities out of this," Absalom squinted, the cold of the gun never leaving Tyler's temple.
There were no words for the rest of the ride.
They arrived at the large, sprawling building with its stone fountain out front, the crystal blue water pouring out. Tyler parked on the street outside, noting how the beautiful architecture of the house clashed with the ugly situation he found himself in. "Okay. We're here." Please take that thing away now.
"Good," Absalom nodded, placing the gun back into the glove box. "Come along."
Tyler stayed inside for a moment before getting out. "So, what's in here that's so important?" Might as well try again.
"You need to wash the blood off," Absalom ignored, already walking toward the large gate that led to the house.
Tyler grabbed his shoulder, then regretted it immediately. "Do you think walking up there with blood on my clothes is gonna work? His hand lifted. He's so cold . . .
"Oh, grab your suitcase," Boris said, popping open the trunk with his key fob, which he had retrieved from the dog. "You'll need to get changed."
Tyler pulled his suitcase out and set it down, shutting the trunk. He extended the handle and rolled it along the ground, the grinding of the wheels against the stone rather loud in the night.
The two walked up the gate, and the deer butler outside reared his head. "M-Master Boris? Who is—"
"Calm yourself, Marx. He's an actor. It's fake blood. He came over to spend time and borrow the showers."
"Does your father know?" Marx's eyes flicked up and down Tyler, trying to determine if the blood was fake.
"I don't care." Boris rolled his eyes. "Just let us in."
"Yes, Master," Marx nodded. He pressed a button on a small remote, and with one loud squeak, the brown electric gate rolled to the side.
The otter and German shepherd walked across the perfect lawn while Marx trailed them with his confused gaze. They stood next to the fountain in the middle of the courtyard.
Boris looked around. "We shouldn't go through the front. To the basement, then."
Tyler just nodded in response, unsure of what to say. They walked around the grand white structure and up to a cellar entrance, the two wooden doors shut tight with a padlock on the latch once more. The German shepherd blinked rapidly, rubbing his head. "I know for a fact that Boris destroyed this door. Did you fix it?"
Absalom knelt and lifted it, sliding out the small wheels with numbers as he put in the code. Pulling on the device, it came undone, and he yanked it off, opening one of the large wooden doors.
Tyler looked down into the abyss. "This whole thing seems wrong."
"It will be fine," the otter responded, lifting his leg and entering the cellar, descending the dark stairs.
Tyler looked around and pushed down the suitcase's handle, now picking it up by the fabric strap. He followed close behind as the wood creaked.
"Close the door behind you," Absalom said, from deep within the dark.
Tyler whined softly. "Mmm . . ." He turned back and pulled the large entrance shut, bathing them in pitch black. "I'm gonna fall down the stairs."
"Quit whining," the other animal snapped. "You're lucky you're still alive."
"Fuck that," the German shepherd growled, taking out his phone and switching on the flashlight. He let it guide him safely down the stairs until his shoes made contact with the cement ground.
Tyler couldn't see anything besides what his light shone upon, so all he saw were a bunch of dusty boxes around. There were a few cobwebs that accumulated over time. Whatever was in the basement, it seemed like the Downing family had forgotten about it. Wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible, he found Boris with the light and ran after him, putting the suitcase into roll mode again.
There was yet another set of stairs at the other end of the basement, and the animals walked up them until Boris opened the door into a hallway with a wooden floor, a long red rug extending down it. The wallpaper was also the same color, and antique lights were hanging from the wall.
Tyler felt relieved to be in the light, looking around. "You're on the third floor, right?"
Absalom nodded, still creepily distant. "We'll take the elevator. The caretakers don't go onto the third floor this late."
The canine followed him down the lavish hall until they went around the corner, coming upon the wooden elevator, a gate blocking off the entrance.
"And you're sure it's a good idea to be here?" Tyler remarked.
There was still no answer as Absalom pressed a button, and the gate pulled open, letting them mount. The otter set its destination for the third floor, and it began lifting.
Tyler stayed, looking at the blue carpet floor the entire time. Is Boris gonna come back soon? Absalom still isn't strong enough to completely take over his body. But how long . . . ?
It was about a fifteen-second ride before the elevator stopped on the third floor, and the gate opened again. Absalom stepped out. "Use the bathroom near his room. Come along."
Tyler swallowed. These walls were pretty large and comfortable, but he sure felt like he didn't belong. This made the walls feel tighter around him.
Another corner around, they reached the final hallway to Boris's room on the right, which Tyler recognized from his first visit here. He didn't want to return to where Boris tied him up, but he was mentally exhausted and wanted to sit in the shower for an eternity. After all, his grandfather Hugh had only been killed by the otter in front of him just yesterday. Fuck.
Suddenly and without warning, the door before Boris's on the right opened, and a female otter in a seafoam green dress and high heels stepped out, noticing them as soon as she turned around. "Boris?!"
The otter's hands dropped in front of him, and it seemed like all at once, the warmth returned to his being. "Leah!"