Like an adult house pet, the large rat sat at the threshold where the door of the safe house met the barnyard. He lowered his patchy head to place the lock of jet-black curly hair near the jamb and waited. The whiskers on his nose twitched as he licked at the fingers on his paws as if asking for food.

Spencer lowered the club and cocked his head at the creature. "You gotta be shitting me."

"Hey, sis?" Millie moved closer to the opened door before turning to me. "You have more of those protein bars?"

"Not much." I dug inside my makeshift pocket and pulled out a crumbled oatmeal bar to hand it to her. "After this one there's only one left."

She took the bar, unwrapped it, and took out a decent sized piece.

"You're not really gonna feed that thing, are you?" The look of disgust on Spencer's twisted face said a lot.

"The little guy is obviously hungry," Millie said. "I can't let it starve. Plus, it brought us a gift."

Spencer let out a scoff, his arms folding over his robust chest. "Might as well give it a name, huh? Seems like you're planning to adopt it."

Millie ignored Spencer and tossed a piece of the granola bar to the rat. The oversized rodent quickly gathered the morsel into his four-fingered paws, nibbled it into his mouth, and scurried away out of view as if satisfied.

Dylan moved closer to the lock of hair to get a better look. "That was...interesting."

"Is that Tobias' hair?" I chimed in, scrutinizing the bundle.

"Maybe?" Millie shrugged. "Could be Sonya's too. Could be anyone's." She gazed around the immediate vicinity as if being careful of the Troll, Sonya or any other possible nearby threat waiting for us to let our guards down.

Spencer shook his head. "The real question is, what are we supposed to do with a few strands of hair?"

"I don't know." Millie stared at it. "Maybe the rat wanted to give us something in exchange for food and chose hair."

"That's weird." Spencer scratched the hairs at his temple subconsciously." The rats I've seen aren't that clever. But they're smart enough to stay hidden from humans."

"Maybe these are like crows." Jade pointed to the lock of hair. "Crows are highly intelligent and remember a person's face forever. If you treat one wrong, it'll communicate to other crows that they should stay away from you. But the opposite too. If you give them treats, they respond by giving you gifts."

I nodded. "I've heard of something like that before. They can figure out simple puzzles and find solutions to problems to get food. They even create and use tools. Mix that with Arcanum's genetic engineering and maybe we got ourselves an intelligent rat."

Dylan scoffed dismissively. His tone was laced with a bit of skepticism. "You guys act like that thing will be joining us at the poker table, debating politics or something."

"Us?" I raised an eyebrow, catching the subtle hint of his willingness to form an alliance.

"I'm just saying." Dylan shrugged, dismissing the remark.

"I mean, that is preferred," I went on. "Us together can do so much, get so far—"

"One thing at a time." Spencer raised a hand to get our attention. "Intelligent or not, why would the rat bring us some clumps of someone's hair?"

"Maybe Tobias is nearby?" I speculated.

"Yeah," Millie agreed. "Nearby and dead. How long has it been since you've seen him?"

"The last time I saw you." I stared at the clump of hair and suddenly became uneasy. "Ok, we can close the door now." I stepped forward to gently shut it, securing the lock again.

"It seems so quiet out there," Jade whispered. "It's unsettling. You think that troll is gone?"

"I have no idea, but what I do know is that we won't be able to hide in here forever." I assessed my aching abdomen, realizing the pain had become more manageable with time. "They're gonna come looking for you."

"They?" Jade's eyebrow raised.

"Production," I went on. "You're now a wrench in their system. That's why the more help we have the bigger our chances of survival."

Millie smacked her lips. "That's why they're upping the game by bringing in more Grimm monsters. They're trying to take us all out, especially anybody who isn't meant to be here." She glanced to Jade.

I needed to change the subject and satisfy my curiosity. "You really think Tobias is dead?" I looked to Millie, assessing her facial features.

Her lips pursed as she thought for a second. "It's a common-sense guess, isn't it?"

Jade shook her head. "This is the Grimm Games we're talking about. If you didn't see his death on-air, then you can bet it didn't happen."

I hiked a thumb back. "There were other contestants in the pregame trials, and they went down so uninterestingly that Arcanum refused to air it or commemorate their deaths. Didn't even announce their names on air."

"Pregame trials?" Jade cocked her head. "That must be new."

"It has to be new or very secretive." Millie nodded, her white hair reflected the warm light and demanded attention. "We were playing for so long and it wasn't even live yet."

"But the Games are live now," Jade went on. "There's a massive audience who's invested in you guys. And they also want to see blood. So, if Tobias is dead, we would've seen it play out on repeat in several angles."

I nodded, agreeing as she took the words right out of my mouth. "Or maybe they're just not informing us for the sake of the game?"

"Why do you care about Tobias so much anyway?" Millie locked eyes with me.

Wasn't it obvious? "He seemed to be interested in working together despite how his sister felt. And the more players we have on our side the better."

"Strength in numbers." Jade nodded.

Millie rolled her eyes, but to my surprise, didn't say anything. Maybe she knew she'd sound redundant, and a look was all that was needed to show her hesitancy.

"What is it, Millie?" I encouraged.

"I think you and me should figure out our next move in the Games and forget about everybody else." She didn't even hesitate as if the words were perched on her tongue awaiting a chance to appear. "I don't know how many times I have to say it."

"Okay then, what do you think is our next best move?" I waited.

She pointed to the door. "I bet not one of you noticed the lights outside are slowly changing." She glanced to all of us. "It's mimicking a sunset out there, getting darker as time ticks on. Why do you think that is?"

Spencer crossed his arms over his brawny chest. "They're getting ready for a nighttime game."

"Bingo." Millie nodded. "And what crazy Grimm creature likes to come around when the lights are down?"

"The Wolfman?" I stared at Millie, trying to follow where she was going with it.

"So, we should prepare for an encounter with that beast then," Millie continued. "That means readying our weapons and getting as much rest before another game starts. We need to stay one step ahead like the host said at the beginning."

"Rest sounds good," Dylan said and stood. "Especially because I have to pee like a racehorse." He made his way to the corner where the round cutout in the floor was. It was so silent, the sound of him unzipping the fly of his jumpsuit spread throughout the space.

I examined my own hidden zipper, realizing it ran from the top of my pubic area, down the middle, and stopped at the back so I could choose the size and location of the space I needed. "Clever," I murmured, using my fingers to feel the thin flap of fabric that expertly hid the zipper.

In that moment, a sense of calm washed over the space, granting us a much-needed respite. While Millie and Spencer engaged in their quiet discussion, I found myself lost in the depths of my beloved's eyes, mirroring her indulged gaze with my own.

I couldn't help but take in her plump lips as they stole my attention when she moistened them with a lick. In a whisper, I impishly asked, "Want to go out for ice cream after this?"

It never failed to elicit a blush and a bashful side-eye—a ritual that began with those very words and marked the inception of our intimate two-year relationship. Our plans for an imaginary ice cream outing would always be replaced by a sweeter indulgence enjoyed in the comfort of our bed.

Besides, splurging on true frozen treats was impossible when every dime went to keeping a roof over our heads.

"Ice cream's my favorite," she whispered with reddened cheeks. "However," the corners of her lips drooped. "It's not particularly sunny today. It's been a bit overcast lately."

I smirked. "If only we could indulge in a scoop or two to brighten up the day."

"I don't know." She dipped her head and rested it on my shoulder. "Seems like this sunshine will only melt the cone."

"Sometimes it isn't about the cone," I said softly, running my fingers through the curly ends of her hair. "It should be about savoring the moment, even if it's melting away."

She flashed the familiar look that caused a rush of endorphins to flood my body. "Sometimes the best flavors come when things get a little messy." Our grins deepened simultaneously.

The sudden silence enveloped the room, and as I glanced around, a flush of embarrassment overcame me at the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces.

Millie was the first to speak, her voice cutting through the awkwardness. "I mean, if you two need a moment, we can step out real quick. I'm sure the Troll won't mind."

"Just trying to lighten the mood for her." I avoided all eye contact and decided to match the bashful grin on Jade's face.

Her warm breath grazed my earlobe in a whisper. "You succeeded."

The brief lighthearted moment of indulging with my love came to a halt with more scratching at the shack door. Everyone went silent and looked at each other, as if wondering if we were going to be brave to open it another time.

Millie lifted the broken chair leg again. "I don't like it."

Spencer hoisted his club. "Me neither."

Dylan shook his head. "Seems like you have a new fan."

The scratching was the same as before, short strokes of sharp claws gouging at the wood.

"What could it have brought this time?" Millie crept to the door prompting me to stand to get a better look.

When Jade stood too, I directed her to back up and stand out of the way. "Careful," I reminded everyone.

We all waited, weapons ready as Millie angled her body to the side and unlocked the door. She glanced at us, waiting for our cue before pulling the door open a sliver.

The rusty hinges creaked as the wooden slab moved, opening just enough for us to see the beady black eyes of the rat. He sat near the threshold, in the same spot he was before, but this time another item rested in its fingered paws. The rodent dropped the object and it clinked when it hit the straw covered ground. I examined the small but sharp looking blade and its dainty wooden handle from the distance.

It looked familiar.

Dylan said it before I could. "That's Sonya's knife!" He crouched to retrieve the blade before anyone could stop him. As his fingers graze the handle, a bloody booted foot emerged from the blind spot and crushed his fingers into the straw-covered ground, pinning him in place.

He let out a cry and the rat scurried away with a frightened squeal, kicking up hay in the process.

A familiar female voice cut through the air. "I knew that little bandit took my blade," Sonya said through clenched teeth. Her tone was just as sharp as the edge of the stolen weapon beneath Dylan's hand and the weight of her foot.