Alice’s heart beat so hard and fast it was all that she could hear in the darkened room. “Fuck. Stupid, untimely brownout!” Alice needed to be silent and not bring attention to her self, so quickly brought a cushion up to hide behind and cover her mouth. How stupid it was to have spoken aloud in this dangerous situation. Her eyes big and filled with fear over making such a potentially fatal mistake searched the darkness around her.

Crouched as still as possible upon her couch, Alice moved her bare feet further under her and leant back as hard as she could into the back of the couch while continually scanning the dark room frantically, listening hard, paying special attention to her close surrounds.

Finally, when assured that her slip had not brought retribution down upon her, Alice let out a small sigh of relief.

Once more Alice glanced over to the dresser where the one or two candles she had managed to light after the lights went out, flickered and struggled to illuminate her dark apartment.

Their small flames provided her brief, flickering glimpses of a few photos situated above them and also managed to illuminate the now empty turtle aquarium.

Snappy had escaped and was at large somewhere in the apartment.

“I should have got the dog. Oh, I should have got a dog.” Alice chastised herself mentally and rested her forehead on the cushion for a brief moment.

“Nooooo.” Alice sarcastically noted to herself. “You had to get that damn evil turtle because it seemed so low maintenance.”

“Damn you Tina for putting that idea in my head.” Misplacing the blame for what was ultimately Alice’s own decision and knowing it with a resigned sigh. “I should have let Bette talk me out of it … Sucker. It bit you for freaking sake! SNORT!”

The snort came out loud within the silent room causing Alice to bite down hard on the cushion held protectively in front of her and once again her eyes frantically searched the room for her arch nemesis, Snappy.

“It’s evil. Possessed at least by a Tyrannosaurus Rex.” Alice had no doubt what so ever that it was truly a descendent of such a fearful reptilian ancestor … At the same time she knew her fears were unreasonable and tried to justify them with these unrealistic and exaggerated thoughts.