Pawndex

Disappointed, Elias was about to turn away when he heard it. A soft scrabble at the shop’s back door. Then a wet snuffling . He grabbed the baseball bat from under the counter. The lock clicked open by itself.

He ran to the front door. Locked. The windows were steel-shuttered. He was a pawnbroker—he’d built this cage himself. He grabbed the Pawndex, meaning to smash it. His fingers brushed the crank. pawndex

He pointed at Elias with the paw.

The Pawndex began to hum. The crank turned backward, one last time. Disappointed, Elias was about to turn away when he heard it