The Killing Machine

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"The Killing Machine" is the sixteenth chapter of Into the Forest. It is the third chapter to be narrated by Xanther Ibrahim.

## Chapter Quote

"There is no gate but a thousand paths to choose from." - Lone Wolf and Cub, vol. 2

## Summary

The chapter opens up on May 17, 2014 at 13:10:00 in Los Angeles, California. Xanther has been unable to shake the feeling that someone else already owns the cat and would like to have it back. She feels like this is why she has not started trying to think of names for it. She is still visiting various animal shelters to post more flyers and spread information about the cat.

When they pull up to the next shelter, Anwar can tell how uncomfortable Xanther is becoming. He tells her that they could go home now because she has more than fulfilled her duty to the cat. Xanther agrees that they can stop for the day, but they might as well go inside of this shelter too since they are already here. When they go inside, they talk to an attendant named Gabby. They hand her a flyer and she hands them a form to fill out. Anwar fills out the form, but he tells Xanther that he will use Mefisto's information instead of his own, to get him back for the prank he pulled.

Xanther wanders into the main area of the shelter to look at the animals. Each animal is caged, and on each cage there is a laminated card to describe the breed, history, and any noteworthy issues for the creature. The cards are also color-coded. Green means the animal is still unclaimed and it is okay to adopt it. Orange means that whoever turned the animal in has the right of first refusal, which means the actual owner of the animal has a certain amount of time to claim it. Blue means the animal is in need of medical treatment. A red card indicates the animal has behavioral problems. The majority of cages Xanther sees have green or orange cards, with a few blue ones scattered around. Xanther visits the area for dogs, and then the area for snakes. She is not permitted to enter the snake area.

Xanther then visits the area for cats. She spots one cage that contains a cat named Sophy, whose owner recently died. Sophy's card is red. Xanther finds another attendant and she decides to ask about what happens to the animals who are assigned red cards. The attendant does not answer her. Suddenly, Xanther hears someone yelling. When she goes to investigate, she sees that all of the cages are swinging open on their own. All of the animals begin swarming the main area of the building. Many of them begin attacking each other. Xanther can hear Anwar shouting for her, but she ignores him and starts making her way through to the back end of the building. The attendants and other employees are trying to round up the loose animals. Xanther notices that all of the cabinet doors, drawers, and even a refrigerator have also swung open. She approaches a large stainless steel door, also already open. There is a sign on the door that reads "for your safety, only animal care center employees are allowed beyond this point." Xanther steps inside.

Xanther finds herself in a narrow hallway. A disgusting smell is in the air here. There are more cages, each being marked with a red card. There are still a few animals in the final room. Xanther can see a few vicious cats and dogs walking around. She spots a large machine in the center of the room. A series of tools and other instruments lie next to the machine. There is also a bottle of iindustrial cleaner. It is placed on a framed square of slate reading: "3:14pm. Remember: NO ONE gets out alive!" Xanther cries as she realizes that this is where the animals with red cards go.

The chapter ends on May 17, 2014 at 13:31:45.