All in the Family by Taft Sowder

black-light trance had come over them. Bobby had never been under a black-light before. The boy had seen them at the county fair, in the fun house, but never in someone’s house.
    The boy eased the door open, and they were greeted by another short hallway. A door stood open to the right, a bathroom; the bathroom even had a black-light. Further inside and around the corner, that’s where the sound came from. Sounds of ecstasy, and perhaps agony, were coming from deep inside the room.
    They crept slowly, being as quiet as they could be.
    As they peeked around the corner, a flash nearly blinded them. Again, the flash happened, this time in a three flash burst. Soft music played in the background. Bobby blinked, trying to clear his vision.
    When his vision finally cleared, in the black-light glow, he could make out a bed and something on the bed. On the far wall, a cross stood, not a crucifixion cross like the one in a church, but a bondage cross that looked like an X. Bobby had seen them on the internet. Chains and cuffs hung from the top and bottom. Near the cross, a whip lay spread out. Three sets of handcuffs lay spread across the floor as well.
    On the bed, he could make out what appeared to be a dog. Yes, Bobby blinked a couple of times to clear his vision, it was a dog, and it was on the bed. The dog was hunched over, it’s back arched and its fur thick and slightly raised. Grunts and moans came from the direction of the dog. Was it a dog or someone dressed in a furry costume? Hell, it was too dark for Bobby to see clearly. There was movement behind him.
    “What the hell are you doing in our house?” A female voice asked from the darkness, to their right. The grunts and moans stopped.
    “What the fuck?” A male voice came from the left, from the direction of the bed.
    Then it started, a snarl, a dog’s angry growl, a dog protecting its territory and possibly its master.
    “Oh, shit!” the acne-faced boy said. He bolted for the door, followed quickly by Bobby.
    There was movement behind them. A man cried out, a pain filled cry, and then something hit the floor, hard. Bobby heard it snarl behind him. He turned and behind him, glowing in the black-light, two yellow eyes nearly pierced him. He could see it was a large dog.
    They flung the door open, and Bobby quickly led the way down the hall. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him. He hit the stairway and descended them, two and sometimes three at a time. He turned his head to see his partner in crime at the top of the stairs. The boy had stopped.
    At the top of the staircase, Aaron decided to take his stand. Memories flashed through his mind. “Aaron Acne!” the kids taunted. Since he turned ten, he had acne problems, and the kids teased him. Maybe this was why he lashed out at those weaker than him now. Maybe it was the reason behind all the anger and bullying. Either way, he was going to make his stand today. It wasn’t a dragon, or a grizzly bear, and hell, it wasn’t even a huge dog. He knew he was going to make his stand, and he was going to slay this beast that chased them. He was going to go home this night a hero and expose the man who lived here for the pervert he was.
    Aaron withdrew a switchblade from his pocket and pressed the button. The blade flung open with a small sound. The dog was on its way. The dog’s swollen member smacking the hardwood as it ran.
    Aaron bent his knees, ready for the impact. It happened fast and hard. The dog snapped at his neck, and the weight of the dog forced him against the railing and then over. They tumbled fifteen feet to the floor, landing with a thud.
    Bobby saw the gruesome aftermath. Aaron, Mister Acne to Bobby, lying sprawled on the floor, a huge dog on top of him. His neck ripped open, blood pooled beside his still corpse. A switchblade protruded from the upper side of the dog, obviously a lucky hit, for it had found the heart.
    Bobby heard someone coming down the hall.
    From outside through the broken