Oobis's ears had sank low to the sides of his head. He knew he had heard Ella and she had sounded so frightened. She was one of his people. The cat had all this weird guilt tied up in his emotions about them. He was supposed to protect them. Jo's gentle voice interrupted his spiraling sadness.

Where. Think! Where?

He perked up quickly. Eyes bright and tail twitching. Mathias pulled a silent "yes" gesture, a sort of fist pump close to his body, down by his side. Oobis was on to something. Joleen turned to Matty and he grinned at her. Then she looked at him funny and Matty wondered he had something in his nose because she leaned in just a breath closer and sounded faintly disgusted when she wondered, what.

But she had been looking just past him. And a prickly, creepy, sort of feeling danced up his back. Jo mentioned they had company and NO WAY was he looking behind him. Her camera flashed and he was half blind but didn't care. "RUN" Mathias's tone indicated no time for debate. He would fling his friend over his shoulder and grab Oobis by the scruff if he had to. Bright blue, wonky spots swam over his vision. When he finally chanced a glance back it was terrible. Four spindly legs, shiny eyes and maybe a glimpse of needle teeth.

Mathias tripped over Oobis, who had suddenly pulled up short. Matty rolled to his feet just in time to see the thing bearing down on Joleen. Oobis didn't think. He ran right at the ghoul, and under it, between the things legs. The creature growled and turned to pursue the cat. It lumbered into an awkward turn and Matty scrambled after Jo. The two of them watched Oobis dance circles around the ghoul but that sense of foreboding crept in again. Matty glanced at the shrubbery and pipped a very unmanly squeak.

Two more pairs of eyes peered out of the bushes.