The dog looked at Nikolett. The distance between dog and human was almost two meters, and Zoltán almost erupted in a joyful shout, because it couldn’t happen, it was absolutely impossible that Nikolett could get hold of her victim from that distance. He felt great relief in his heart, because Nikolett had ruined it all, she couldn’t triumph from there, she would never outrun a dog.

Nikolett pulled down the black mask to uncover her face. Zoltán knew that face, knew every small detail of it, but he almost didn’t recognize her now. It was another mask, or maybe the face she wore during the day was the true mask after all, a mask that had slipped now to reveal the real Nikolett. She looked deep into the Labrador’s eyes, then clicked her tongue, and the dog tucked its tail between its legs and started walking towards her.

Zoltán wanted to scream at the dog, yell at it, make it run away, but his body was paralyzed, hypnotized by terror. The dog had just admitted to being prey, a born victim. Victims always lean towards compromise; in order to avoid the greater pain, they offer a smaller one.

The dog stopped in front of Nikolett, then rolled onto its back to show its belly. Its entire body was exposed in a position of ultimate submission. The dog quivered in fear, but it let Nikolett do whatever she wanted.

Nikolett signaled to Zoltán to get closer. He did so on shaking legs. Now he felt more of a kinship with the animal than with his girlfriend. The girl was already opening her mouth for the bite; they had agreed to bite simultaneously, that’s why this dog was special. It would be the first with a double bite. Zoltán knelt down by the Labrador and prepared himself for what was to come.

He felt someone’s eyes on him. He looked up. The owner of the dog, a man in his early twenties, stood a few meters from them, holding a leash in one hand, a cleaver in the other. He was looking at Nikolett, the trembling dog lying at her feet, and Zoltán, whose face was nothing but a black hole because he never took off his mask.

We’re busted, we’re busted, a voice screamed in Zoltán’s head, but the man didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. Nikolett looked deep into the owner’s eyes, and the man surrendered just like his dog.

After all, if the dog is bitten, he’ll be safe afterwards. He only has to go through it once and then it’s over.

After seeing that the owner had surrendered too, Nikolett leaned down to the dog’s belly and bit it. The dog whined painfully but still didn’t run away.

Zoltán did.