Kitten

There was a beast in their basement.

Jules Blake had learned about it completely by accident. He had been looking for his kitten Sheba, and after fruitlessly searching the entire house, Jules had decided to check out the basement no one ever used. His hopes hadn’t been high—the basement was so cold, dark, and damp that even his not-very-bright kitten should have been smarter than to go there—but when Jules got downstairs, he was surprised to find security guards at the door. Armed security guards.

There were suspicious noises coming from behind the door. Growls? Had someone just screamed? The guards’ eyes were wary and troubled, their hands close to their holsters. It was beyond strange, considering that the basement door was massive. Nothing should be able to break through that door. Why were the guards so twitchy, then?

“What’s going on?” Jules asked, taking a step closer.

The guards blocked his way.

“Stay away from the basement, kid,” one of them said. “Your uncle’s orders.”

“Not a