All confidence and intrigue she’d possessed was dashed away in seconds. Her determined, unconscious smirk trickled away at the sides of her lips, and soon her eyes were big and trained on the beastly dog. She felt the adrenaline and strength leave her at the knees.

When she noticed that indeed the rabid dog had gone from the dumpster to looking at her, she stiffened. The humor was evident in Tzich eyes, but it wasn’t helping her any and she began to panic. She shuffled from one foot to the other, then looked to the man who’d dragged her into all of this. If it wouldn’t have conflicted with her best interest, she would’ve slugged him right in the face.

“Seriously? Aren’t you going to help!” she bellowed.

That made the demonic dog before her get excited. It hunched down, flexing its irregular and deteriorating muscles, then pounced up, flashing its vicious maw, cankerous saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth. Carly yelped and darted for the side in one fluid somersault.

She ended with one knee and foot on the ground, her fingers pressed lightly at the concrete. Wild, she looked between Tzich and the hungry beast.

“What do I do?!”