"Do you think it might be in the box of kibble?"

"Who would possibly put a clock in a box of dog kibble?"

"Ah, right. Yeah."



"Crap! Do you think it might be downstairs? I could - "




Bina, fishes around beneath the strange metal table, feels something and grabs it.

"Aha! Got it!"



Through the door they hear a huge metallic thump, then a bang, a wet sloshing noise, and a scream. Bina's scream. She hadn't remembered screaming at this point, but it makes sense. Her memories of her first encounter with the Hound are little more then fever-bright flashes of teeth, and muddy water cascading off frantically moving limbs.

Not-Piotyr has entered the building.

"Is that - ? "

"Yes! Hurry up!"

"How will we even know if we've got everything!?"

"We'll know!"

Is she feeling something already? A coiling sensation, like a steel spring coiling around her spine? She can't decide if it's fear and excitement or something real.

It has to be real. Otherwise they'll… well they'll just have to run for it. Maybe if they got the door to the alley closed, they can wedge something under it to stop the creature from following them.

Even thinking about running makes Bina's head hurt and her hands shake. No, this WILL work. It IS working. It has to be.

"What else?"

"I don't know! That's all I remember. No, wait, I couldn't see it clearly because it was behind me, but I think that rack of clothes was against the other wall."

"Are you almost done with the clock? Can you help me with this?"



From outside in the laundromat there is a crunch of plastic breaking.

Swiffer, thinks Bina. Past-me is almost out of time.

Together they grab the heavy rack of clothes and half-drag, half-carry it over onto the other wall.



OK. She wasn't expecting THAT.

Notes