Tammy’s eyes stung with all the tears she had shed that night. Her hand was also on fire, burning as the damaged flesh fought to repair itself.

The basement in this house was colder than the previous one, and somehow emptier.

When Aidan shoved her down the ladder, he didn’t care if he hurt her, or if she fell directly onto her hand, which she did.

“You’ve shown me up,” he’d said as he pushed her. “You want to hope I’ve calmed down by the time I come back.”

He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving Tammy alone with her tears.

Her fish would most likely be dead by now. The thought occurred to her she’d be better off that way, too.

“I bet you’re feeling pretty stupid,” Aidan appeared at the top of the ladder, his voice cold and low. “All of this because of a dog.”

Tammy turned her head away, ignoring his petty comments.

“I mean,” his voice trailed off as he made his way down to Tammy, taking each step slow and deliberate. “I have dogs.”

“Funny story,” he continued. “But, I’m not sure that you want to hear it.”

Tammy stared up at him in disgust. He belonged in a mental hospital.

“Not talking, eh?” he tilted his head to the side, pretending to be interested. “How’s your hand?”

In a hurried panic, Tammy pulled away.

Aidan smiled a devilish, dark smile as a fresh light returned to his eye. He bit his lip, his smirk growing wider with each passing moment.

“You see,” he said, his voice once again full of arrogance. “I’ve wanted to tell you this since the day you knocked on my door.”

Tammy raised her eyebrows. “I don’t care,” she whispered beneath her breath.

“Oh, but you will,” Aidan went on. “Because this story features mommy and daddy.”

~

“Your darling mother came to see me about four years ago,” he started, finally gaining Tammy’s attention. “About a puppy.”

A sudden pain coursed through her rib cage as the memory of her mom foreshadowed a panic attack.

“She was with your dad,” he went on, despite seeing the obvious discomfort in Tammy’s face. “I believe it was for your fifteenth birthday.”

The stiffness in her chest had vanished and was now replaced by sheer frustration. “You liar,” she shouted, throwing her hands into fists. “My mom hated dogs!”

He narrowed his eyes, his smirk fading a little. “She did,” he admitted, “but she also loved you.”

A tear fell from Tammy’s eye as Aidan continued his story, not bothering to pause for breaks.

“I told her she shouldn’t be driving that late at night,” he concluded, raising his eyebrows. “She insisted, and your useless dad didn’t stop her.”

Tammy’s heart grew heavy, her chest aching yet again. She swallowed a mouthful of air in a desperate attempt to catch her breath, but nothing was filling her lungs.

“Of course, you know what happened next.”

Tammy’s parents died because of her. If she hadn’t had begged them for a dog all of those years, they’d be alive today; it was all her fault.

“I don’t believe you,” she lied in a futile attempt to convince herself otherwise.

Aidan smiled, a smile which seemed kinder than his usual smirks. “The police brought the dog back to me,” he said.

~

Aidan’s question rattled in her head, his words replaying on repeat. Her mind couldn’t take this right now.

“Do you want to see the dog?” he asked again. “Your mom adored him.”

“She hated dogs,” Tammy hissed.

Aidan nodded. “She fell in love as soon as she set eyes on him.”

He waved his hand, motioning toward the door.

Tammy followed his command, rising from the cement floor she had been sat on for the last few hours.

He grabbed her wrist as soon as she stood, pulling her into his body with ease. “Don’t make me regret this.”

Aidan’s persona changed somewhere between the basement and the kennels.

His eyes had once again darkened, along with his face. “I told you not to run away,” he growled, pushing her forward.

Tammy’s back slammed against the metal fence which stood tall behind her, causing a collection of barks to sound out.

“I didn’t,” she replied, meeting his hard gaze. “I stayed with you the whole time.”

“Don’t lie to me,” he screamed back at her, spitting in her face as he did.

More barks cried out as he shoved her further into the fence.

“You’re lucky I don’t throw you in there with them,” he snarled.

“What’s your problem?” she shouted back at him, a mixture of fear and nerves overpowering her voice.

Aidan stopped, trapped in a thought. “You.”