Bitten (Book 1 - Book 4) novel Chapter 104

Victoria slipped out of bed and ran to the head of the stairs. Neither Tail nor the person who had checked on her was in view, but she heard the door to the kitchen. Holding on to the railing, she went down the stairs, watching and listening.

The basement door opened, and she heard someone go down.

She walked quietly to the kitchen door and pushed it open. The sound of someone walking through the basement was louder than usual. The reason why was evident when she went through the kitchen and reached the basement door. Tail was sitting at the stop of the basement stairs. She was in the way of the door, preventing it from closing.

‘Good Tail.’

The warm smell of dirt and wood rose up to her. The smells were confusing since these were smells from outside.

The basement light was on, but a few moments later, it turned off.

Victoria stepped down a couple of steps. The door latched behind her, startling her. Tail came up beside her and tapped her with her tail as if telling her it was alright. Together, they walked down the stairs.

At the bottom, she stopped. There was nothing. She had expected something, not a big empty room. She spied three doors and the opening to a hallway.

‘Was she up?’

‘No, she was in bed.’

Victoria turned toward the voices. They came from the hallway.

‘I swore I heard someone upstairs.’

Victoria knew that was Zena’s voice.

‘Beetles are active this time of night.’

That was Bonnie’s voice.

‘Not over my head,’ Zena said.

Victoria flared her nostrils. The smell of dirt was stronger down here.

Tail pawed on the floor which told her that the smell was coming from below the floor. When she walked across it, she felt the sensation that there was a void beneath the carpet. The sensation was scary since she felt that the floor could give way at any moment. Tail seemed to walk a little more gingerly.

‘I’ll let Nattie know that I can go on Saturday to help clean up apartments. It’s a hell of a lot easier to clean a place when it’s empty.’

This was Kate’s voice.

‘Hell has really been cleaned up. It’s amazing. I can see it becoming the hot spot to live,’ Zena said.

‘All we do is clean.’

That was Mag’s voice, sounding like she was complaining.

‘Mag, we have it made here. You’re such a prissy girl,’ Kate said. ‘Sandia’s people wouldn’t even let her go to Festival. Not one night and they only went once. It wasn’t like they needed her. She keeps asking if we have any openings.’

‘She can’t work here. She’s not family,’ Mag said.

‘I’m not family,’ Bonnie said.

‘You started out working for the Council,’ Zena said. ‘You’re grandfathered in.’

Bonnie laughed.

Victoria peered down the hallway, but couldn’t see the women. The fluorescing paint on the walls caught her attention. The hallway glowed and seemed to go on forever. She touched the wall as she walked, letting her hand slide along it. It was mesmerizing.

‘Damn,’ Zena said, breaking the spell between Victoria and the wall.

Victoria looked around, remembering she had to be careful. Tail was right beside her. However, she paused a moment, listening to the intense silence.

‘What?’ Mag said.

Victoria jumped at her voice.

‘I’m smelling feline.’

‘Probably on your clothes,’ Mag said.

Victoria moved farther down the hallway, walking as quiet as she could. There seemed to be a bend to the hallway which prevented her from seeing the end. A glance behind her caused her to pause. She could no longer see the opening she came from.

‘I wasn’t smelling it before. Besides, I took my clothes off, and I washed my hands.’

‘You do have a good sniffer,’ Bonnie said.

‘That means only one thing.’

There was more silence.

Victoria continued on.

‘I’m going upstairs,’ Mag said.

There was a chuckle.

‘Mag, I don’t know why you can’t stand that kitten. It’s harmless,’ Zena said.

‘If it got down here, then how harmless is it?’

Victoria heard someone rise and leave. The sound seemed to echo through the hallway. Finally, the hallway straightened, and she could see the end. It seemed to open up into another room. She could see Zena and Bonnie lounging on pillows on the floor. They were naked.

‘What I want to know,’ Zena said. ‘Is how she got down here.’

‘If one is here, then they both are,’ Bonnie said.

‘Well, she is Uri’s kid. This shouldn’t surprise us.’ Zena said.

‘A little too damn smart,’ Bonnie said.

‘Who? The kitten or Victoria?’ Kate said.

There was laughter.

Victoria could see someone’s foot. She decided that had to be Kate.

‘Damn,’ Zena said again.

Victoria saw Zena flare her nostrils.

‘They’re both down here.’

‘You mustn’t have closed the door all the way,’ Kate said.

‘I guess I didn’t hear it latch. But I know Uri had the sensors on for Victoria’s room. I heard them. So neither Uri nor Nattie are hearing them,’ Zena said.

‘Uri was probably focused on something else,’ Bonnie said with a chuckle.

‘Nattie was popular at Festival. Everyone was looking at her,’ Zena said. ‘Uri held her hand the whole time to keep the boys away.’

‘She has a nice body considering she’s Undent,’ Kate said.

‘Well, I’m not a babysitter,’ Bonnie said, settling deeper into her pillow.

‘I already ran upstairs,’ Zena said.

‘I got this,’ Kate said.

The foot disappeared. Victoria froze when she caught sight of Kate approaching the hallway. Kate was also naked.

‘What are you doing down here, Victoria?’

‘Lost,’ she said in a whisper, trying to look small.

Tail was now hiding behind her.

‘I’m sure you are. Let me take you back to bed.’

Kate stepped out of view, but returned a moment later. She was putting on a robe.

‘Come on, kitty. You have to come, too. The basement is not for kitties or Victoria.’

‘Nothing down here,’ she said.

‘There are beetles that bite and Mag who can growl at you.’

Victoria smiled, thinking that was funny about Mag.

Kate took her hand. They walked back through the hallway and up the stairs. Kate waited for Tail to clear the door before shutting it.

‘You need to stay in bed,’ Kate said in a whisper while she led her upstairs. ‘Tomorrow I will show you the basement, but only if you stay in bed.’

Victoria nodded, not feeling that was going to be too exciting. There was nothing down there.

‘You’re scarfing breakfast down fast,’ Natalia said.

‘Busy day. I want to leave as soon as we can,’ Uri said.

‘I just have to finish my tea.’

Natalia watched Victoria using her spoon to eat her egg.

‘Almost a big girl.’

‘I am a big girl,’ Victoria said, sitting up straight.

‘Did you feed Tail?’

Victoria nodded, even though she knew Zena had.

‘I heard you and Tail went on an adventure last night.’

Victoria shook her head.

‘What good are those sensors if we don’t hear the alarm?’ Natalia said.

Uri shrugged.

‘The outside doors are on sensors that produce alarms, so we’ll hear if she gets outside,’ he said.

‘Like we’re hearing her now?’

He eyed her as if he didn’t want to discuss this farther so she didn’t say any more. There was no use in chiding him about his sensors that weren’t working. And what use were the sensors if they couldn’t even make sure that Tail was in the bathroom. The kitten was going to set them off anyway no matter where Uri positioned them.

‘We have to learn to outsmart a one year old.’

Uri broke out laughing.

‘Sorry. I didn’t realize I said that out loud.’

‘Are you ready to go yet?’ he said, rising from the table.

‘Yes. I’m so ready for this week to be over.’

Victoria accepted the kisses from her parents and watched them leave. She smiled with the new knowledge about the sensors on all the doors. However, there was another puzzle on how to turn them on and off. She wished Becky was here. She didn’t think the red button on the box in her parents’ room controlled all the doors.

‘Are you finished with breakfast?’ Kate said, stepping out from the kitchen.