text by Jenna Pitman - photo by Donald Holman

The day stopped suddenly, swirling around that body hanging between Jared and Vince. The dogs seemed as shocked as I was, for a half breath stunned into silence. Then they erupted. Growls at first then that slickly screaming sound they make only when confronted by one of Them. Vince started, dropping his half and throwing his hands to the air. Behind him Harton walked briskly through the hole, followed by his son and three more men I’d never seen before. Then, as if in slow motion the new comers drew their handguns guns and… they… opened fire on the pack.

One by one I watched the dogs around me fall. Within moments silence had descended again and blood began to trickle through the rocks at my feet.

I stood gaping, that was all I could do. I looked up to meet Harton’s eye, but all I could say was, “What am I supposed to say when they ask where the dogs are?” It wasn’t what I wanted to say. I wanted to scream. I wanted to kill them all, but it was only me and a rifle against seven men at least three of which were armed. Those dogs were my friends, Jaxx was gone and Stella no longer came this far out with me, but two of the dogs were there that I’d known since puppyhood. The rest of them were there every day for me. I was closer to them than any of the humans I lived with. And the body? A body?

“I’ll take care of it. I trust you know better than to mention this to anyone?”

Of course, you never mention anything to anyone. Not that it matters, everyone seems more informed than I am anyway. All I could see was that body. My tongue was lost. I felt my knees giving out. All I could see was that body, covered in a thick woolen blanket. Somewhere I heard someone utter the word “shit.” One of the men I didn’t know was aiming his gun at my forehead. I couldn’t really find it in me to care anymore. It did seem sort of sad though, after all of that, after all I’ve seen, all I’ve survived that this would be what brought me down.

The gun shot didn’t come. I almost feel sorry about that.

Harton called them off, he pulled me forcibly to my feet, his fingers digging into my arm. I heard him shout some orders about the pit and the ninth wall. Then he dragged me back in. Ring after ring we saw no one. That’s not impossible but it was terribly uncanny. It wasn’t until the fifth ring that we found anyone. Three sentries I’d never seen were standing stoically beside what had once been a great garage. There were moans inside, some gurgling. Haven isn’t a big place; I thought I knew everyone who lived here. I know I knew everyone who lived here. Harton seemed unsurprised. He paused to take in the groans, “We didn’t get It in in time, did we?”

One of the foreigners shook his head. Didn’t say anything, just pressed his lips together and shook his head from side to side.
Harton cursed again and shook me, “It’s your fault you know, your fucking screams and those damned dogs” Then he turned back, “Well… are they both gone then?”

The man nodded this time. Harton cursed louder. “We’ll fucking kill them and get that other one under control. I can’t have them running rampant. Bad for business, bad for morale. We can’t advertise. I want it taken care of.”

He pulled me on, whispering threats under his breath. I tuned it out. I got the idea. Say nothing to no one. Easy. I’ll do what I always do. Nothing amiss. But things were amiss. As soon as he left me I ran back home and couldn’t stop throwing up.

I said I was sick. For three days I’ve been sick. I haven’t left my room. Harton did take care of it, just like he said. I’ve been told everyone feels bad for me but I don’t even know what was supposed to have happened. Wouldn’t it be more believable if I knew? I can see that they don’t need me anymore, not with Jared out there. I feel disposable and after what I’ve been seeing that scares me more than I can say. Not that it should.

I feel like I need to talk to someone, but since Kathy died there is no one. They used to say that Harton was a crime lord, it was said that he did horrible things before Haven. I have suspicions. Nothing close to proof. Haven is getting worse. I don’t know how many people know what Harton is up to, but it seems like too many. Why isn’t anyone speaking up? What is he planning? What is going on? I don’t really think I want to know… but who else is going to find out?