Blair Bathory

the one her Tio had used to haul lumber back when the town still had work. Now it smelled like gasoline, old plastic, and whatever was left behind from the last ride. In the passenger seat, Rose clutched a rosary behind her fingers, like it might break. In the back, Elsa stared out the window, and Lisa, her younger half-sister, kept muttering to herself in a whisper Yvonne couldn't make out.

the one her Tio had used to haul lumber back when the town still had work. Now it smelled like gasoline, old plastic, and whatever was left behind from the last ride. In the passenger seat, Rose clutched a rosary behind her fingers, like it might break. In the back, Elsa stared out the window, and Lisa, her younger half-sister, kept muttering to herself in a whisper Yvonne couldn't make out.

the one her Tio had used to haul lumber back when the town still had work. Now it smelled like gasoline, old plastic, and whatever was left behind from the last ride. In the passenger seat, Rose clutched a rosary behind her fingers, like it might break. In the back, Elsa stared out the window, and Lisa, her younger half-sister, kept muttering to herself in a whisper Yvonne couldn't make out.

Maybe a prayer, maybe not. No one was talking, but Yvonne could feel the weight of everything unspoken in the car. The tension rode between them like a fifth passenger. Then the car slowed. Yvonne's foot eased on the gas as her eyes narrowed. Something was standing in the road up ahead. A dog. At least, that's what it looked like at first.

Maybe a prayer, maybe not. No one was talking, but Yvonne could feel the weight of everything unspoken in the car. The tension rode between them like a fifth passenger. Then the car slowed. Yvonne's foot eased on the gas as her eyes narrowed. Something was standing in the road up ahead. A dog. At least, that's what it looked like at first.

Maybe a prayer, maybe not. No one was talking, but Yvonne could feel the weight of everything unspoken in the car. The tension rode between them like a fifth passenger. Then the car slowed. Yvonne's foot eased on the gas as her eyes narrowed. Something was standing in the road up ahead. A dog. At least, that's what it looked like at first.

Scrawny, hairless in patches, its spine curved and in a natural arch. Legs stiff, like it had been walking for a hundred years. But what made her skin go cold was that it didn't move, not even when the headlights hit it. It just stood there, still, watching. What the hell? Yvonne muttered under her breath. The air turned thick, like breathing through a wet cloth.

Scrawny, hairless in patches, its spine curved and in a natural arch. Legs stiff, like it had been walking for a hundred years. But what made her skin go cold was that it didn't move, not even when the headlights hit it. It just stood there, still, watching. What the hell? Yvonne muttered under her breath. The air turned thick, like breathing through a wet cloth.

Scrawny, hairless in patches, its spine curved and in a natural arch. Legs stiff, like it had been walking for a hundred years. But what made her skin go cold was that it didn't move, not even when the headlights hit it. It just stood there, still, watching. What the hell? Yvonne muttered under her breath. The air turned thick, like breathing through a wet cloth.

A coppery smell filled the car, sharp and sudden. She reached to roll up the window, no buttons in this old thing. Her hand shook on the crank as the glass squealed upward, inch by inch. The others did the same, wordlessly. As they got closer, she realized something was wrong with the dog's face. It was shifting. Shifting. No, splitting.

A coppery smell filled the car, sharp and sudden. She reached to roll up the window, no buttons in this old thing. Her hand shook on the crank as the glass squealed upward, inch by inch. The others did the same, wordlessly. As they got closer, she realized something was wrong with the dog's face. It was shifting. Shifting. No, splitting.

A coppery smell filled the car, sharp and sudden. She reached to roll up the window, no buttons in this old thing. Her hand shook on the crank as the glass squealed upward, inch by inch. The others did the same, wordlessly. As they got closer, she realized something was wrong with the dog's face. It was shifting. Shifting. No, splitting.

Two heads, one turned forward, the other angled slightly back. They didn't move and sink. Each looked around like it was watching a different world. She tried not to look directly at it. Her hands tightened on the wheel until her knuckles whitened. The creature was only a few feet away, close enough to see its gums, black, and peeling back from jagged teeth.

Two heads, one turned forward, the other angled slightly back. They didn't move and sink. Each looked around like it was watching a different world. She tried not to look directly at it. Her hands tightened on the wheel until her knuckles whitened. The creature was only a few feet away, close enough to see its gums, black, and peeling back from jagged teeth.

Two heads, one turned forward, the other angled slightly back. They didn't move and sink. Each looked around like it was watching a different world. She tried not to look directly at it. Her hands tightened on the wheel until her knuckles whitened. The creature was only a few feet away, close enough to see its gums, black, and peeling back from jagged teeth.

its eyes weren't cloudy or mad they were calm patient yvonne hit the gas the car jolted forward splitting gravel into the air the creature didn't chase it didn't move at all not even to blink no one spoke not until they were nearly at the top of the pass and the dog thing was behind them buried in the dust and the dusk yvonne's voice cracked the silence a forced attempt at something light

its eyes weren't cloudy or mad they were calm patient yvonne hit the gas the car jolted forward splitting gravel into the air the creature didn't chase it didn't move at all not even to blink no one spoke not until they were nearly at the top of the pass and the dog thing was behind them buried in the dust and the dusk yvonne's voice cracked the silence a forced attempt at something light

its eyes weren't cloudy or mad they were calm patient yvonne hit the gas the car jolted forward splitting gravel into the air the creature didn't chase it didn't move at all not even to blink no one spoke not until they were nearly at the top of the pass and the dog thing was behind them buried in the dust and the dusk yvonne's voice cracked the silence a forced attempt at something light

Tell me someone else saw that ugly-ass dog. Lisa's voice came quiet, too steady. That wasn't a dog. It had two heads. Yvonne didn't reply. She didn't want to say she'd seen the same thing. She didn't want to name it. By the time they reached the town, the sun had vanished. Smoke curled from the chimneys. The bells of the old mission church tol-

Tell me someone else saw that ugly-ass dog. Lisa's voice came quiet, too steady. That wasn't a dog. It had two heads. Yvonne didn't reply. She didn't want to say she'd seen the same thing. She didn't want to name it. By the time they reached the town, the sun had vanished. Smoke curled from the chimneys. The bells of the old mission church tol-