《SplatterPunx》 Prologue It was a quiet evening in the hospital. Many of the patients¡¯ families had gone home, wishing their suffering relatives kind words and quick recoveries. Leo felt a tinge of envy for those who would be leaving, knowing full well that he would not be one of them. He bunched the sheets in his hands, frustrated with the ever-growing weakness in his body. The pitter-patter of feet drew the teenager''s attention, and his stare glued to the door. A warm smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as the noise drew closer. Moments later, the door to his room slid open. In the doorway were a nurse and a small girl. ¡°Leo, Leo! Yay!¡± The girl cheered, running to Leo¡¯s side. She put her hands on his forearm, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°It¡¯s great to see you, Shore,¡± Leo said, glancing between her and the nurse. The nurse shook two cups of gelatin in her hands and walked over to Leo and Shore. ¡°You might want these,¡± she said, handing him the cups and a pair of plastic spoons. ¡°Thanks, Ms. Miranda,¡± Leo said. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Of course.¡± Once she was done, she turned and left for the door, sliding it back open. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two some time to catch up.¡± Leo nodded his appreciation. ¡°Gelatin! Gelatin! Gelatin!¡± Shore cried as the nurse left. Leo couldn¡¯t help but laugh at her overabundance of energy. Seeing how excited she was, he figured now was as good a time as any to share something fun and personal. ¡°Shore, would you like to hear a story?¡± From beneath the sheets, he procured a small notebook¡ªone of many he¡¯d written in¡ªand placed it on his lap. Within its pages were the characters and world he¡¯d painstakingly created over the entirety of his life. He fought back tears as the realization that they would soon be Shore¡¯s hit him. ¡°They are the characters of tonight¡¯s story.¡± Shore¡¯s eyes widened. She knew that this was Leo¡¯s gentle way of asking her to calm down. Leo admired her intelligence despite being so young. Her tiny fingers trembled around the book¡¯s rim. ¡°Do I still get the gelatin?¡± Shore asked. Leo chuckled. ¡°Yes, you still get the gelatin.¡± ¡°Yes! Please! Are there kings and princesses and knights?¡± Her excitement continued to soar while Leo put Shore¡¯s share of gelatin beside him on the bed. ¡°Something like that.¡± Pulling open the plastic covering to his snack, Leo dug his spoon into the gelatin and pried a large chunk out before putting it in his mouth. He set the cup aside, then cleared his throat. ¡°Our story begins on the outskirts of a beautiful city¡­¡± Chapter 1: Sparkle Teeth In Kast Legari¡ªa massive city made up of various districts¡ªhumans and demi-humans called Denizens lived with equal rights. The city was surrounded by the Cinderwoods, a glowing red forest filled with terrifying abominations called Lurkers. Unlike the Denizens who lived among the humans, Lurkers were mindless horrors with an insatiable urge to kill. While the mayor worked hard to keep the city safe from Lurkers, citizens were growing increasingly concerned at the rate of sightings within the city. Law enforcement was stretched thin, and the populace began to wonder if they cared at all¡­ --- Thick, smoky fog blanketed the forest ground, making it impossible to see one¡¯s feet. It was unnerving to crunch twigs and leaves under each step, never knowing when some strange critter might crawl up your leg and bite you. Still, Ren had to press on. If the reports were to be believed, then the Lurker would not be much farther. Ren adjusted his black-rimmed glasses as he followed Sunny¡ªa girl who was wise and strong beyond her years¡ªagainst his better judgment. ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s out here?¡± He¡¯d asked her a few times at this point, and each time the answer was the same. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure,¡± said the girl a few feet ahead of him. She was two heads smaller than him, no older than ten. She sported a fashionable black jacket with red cloth poking up around her neck. A black cap sat upon a head of pink-blonde hair curled into elaborate spirals, bobbing with every step she took. At the very least, she had an eye for fashion¡ªsomething Ren couldn¡¯t help but admire. Ren exhaled through his nose. The Cinderwoods were a dangerous section of land. Few dared to travel its contents. On occasion, teenagers would dare one another to see how far they could get, oftentimes reaching the old shrine located somewhere at its center. The stories varied wildly from person to person, but as of recently, one thing did remain the same. Each of them claimed to have seen a terrible beast. Sunny stopped in her tracks, gesturing for Ren to stop. ¡°Wait. Do you hear that?¡± Ren frowned and cupped a hand to his ear. The star dangling at the bottom of his necklace jingled slightly. ¡°Is that¡­ kids?¡± The sounds were unmistakable. Laughter and playful jabs traveled on the gentle breeze. Ren could make out some of the words if he concentrated. Sunny nodded. ¡°Yes. It must be. I bet the shrine¡¯s over there.¡± ¡°This fucker must be close, then,¡± Ren said, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Bet it¡¯ll be itching at the chance to gobble up a few stupid teens.¡± Sunny continued her trek through the forest at a slow pace. Ren kept close, and a few steps later, the jovial sounds grew louder. Until at last¡­ there was a bloodcurdling scream. ¡°Damn it!¡± Ren cried, racing ahead of Sunny. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± Sunny yelled back as she ran to keep pace. He sprinted through the forest¡¯s trees, bushes, and overgrown roots, Sunny¡¯s voice trailing behind him. She¡¯d catch up in no time, of that he wasn¡¯t concerned. There were people who needed him and¡ªstupid or not¡ªthey needed his help. ¡°Help, someone! Oh my god!¡± came the voice of a girl. Come on, I gotta make it! Ren thought. As Ren''s legs carried him through the thicket, he caught the silhouettes of two people fleeing somewhere on his right. He couldn¡¯t make out their details but was aghast at the thought of them leaving behind their friends. Ren''s mouth grew dry, his heart battering against his chest. The shape of something enormous was coming into vision past the fog. He leapt over the hedge ahead of him, coming to a grinding halt in front of the shrine. Ren gasped. Before him was a Lurker unlike he¡¯d seen. Standing almost twice his height, the beast held a teenage girl in its hand, slowly turning its head to look at Ren. The hairless creature had no eyes. At least, none that Ren could see. Yet somehow, it could see him through the thin flaps of pink skin over its eye sockets. There was nothing behind those terrible ¡®eyes.¡¯ Just pure blackness, devoid of soul or emotion. Chunks of flesh fell from the Lurker¡¯s body, landing with a disgusting squelch. The scent was indescribable. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. For better or worse, the Lurker¡¯s attention was on Ren now. Drool dripped from its luminescent pink teeth, and a disturbing smile tugged at the corners of the beast¡¯s lips. As it turned to face him, he brought the struggling girl to his mouth. ¡°No!¡± Ren cried. Running toward the Lurker, he plucked a 9mm bullet from his pocket and gripped it tightly. ¡°Here goes nothing!¡± Ren leapt into the air, meeting the bend of the beast''s elbow with his fist. The bullet slid through his fingertips and as soon as it left his grasp it ignited and rocketed straight ahead. A bang echoed throughout the forest, and the beast roared in agony, releasing the girl from its grasp. Blood oozed from the small bullet wound, and Ren hopped back as the Lurker swiped through the air with its good arm. ¡°Gonna need better ammo for this motherfucker,¡± Ren mumbled. Wispy, gray smoke billowed out from his palm, his hand trembling. ¡°What are you all waiting for?¡± Ren bellowed, swinging his arm through the air. To his disgust, the other teenagers had simply stood by and watched the whole thing happen. Not a single one of them had tried to help the poor girl. ¡°Are you blind? Get the hell outta here, you idiots!¡± The remaining teenagers scattered. Even in their efforts to leave, none of them looked over their shoulder for their friend who¡¯d almost been devoured. The Lurker¡¯s attention was on her again. To the girl¡¯s credit, she rose to her feet¡ªand although there was palpable fear in her steps, she ran as if the wind carried her. Slashing at the air with its good arm, the behemoth caught the hem of her skirt, scattering tears of the fabric onto the grass. She squealed before disappearing into the fog of the forest. Hopefully, she¡¯d be able to get back on her own. A deep, guttural growl emanated from deep inside the Lurker¡¯s throat. It turned to look at Ren, its bones cracking with every movement. The beast stamped its foot against the earth. Pieces of rotting flesh fell, its immense strength shaking the very ground Ren stood on. Ren struggled to keep his footing. Calm down, Ren thought. Don¡¯t lose your head. Just focus. You got this. ¡°Bring it on, asshole!¡± Ren taunted, beckoning the creature with his hand. The Lurker let out an ear-shattering roar, and Ren clapped his hands to his ears. Spittle stuck to the grass, the trees, to Ren. And then the Lurker charged. Oh, shit! With the aftershock of the tremor still shaking him to his core, Ren knelt and tumbled to his right, narrowly evading the monstrosity. The monster kept going, knocking over several trees and falling over itself like a train flying off its rails. It stopped seconds later, and with its back turned to Ren, the creature shook its head and looked over its shoulder at him. How in the fuck could it see him with those flaps for eyes? It felt as if the deepest depths of hell commanded this thing, guiding it on a one-way path to death and destruction. As if the thing delighted in destroying every little thing that came upon it. A sickening expression split the beast¡¯s mouth into the shape of a smile¡ªor at least, a shape that resembled one. The smile grew wider and wider until the thing¡¯s flesh started to crack apart and bleed out. A chill swept over Ren¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± came the familiar voice of Sunny. What the hell is she doing in the air? Ren wondered. Ren looked up to see the figure of Sunny, dozens of feet in the air. Brilliant white wings stuck out from her back, flapping with an elegance that bore a striking resemblance to those of angels. The Lurker looked at her, smacking its lips with its pocked tongue. ¡°Sunny! Higher! Now!¡± Ren cried. Sunny blinked and began to rise higher into the sky. The Lurker stood up and bent its knees, focusing on the small girl above. ¡°Damn it,¡± Ren whispered to himself. He sprinted and reached into his left-side pocket and pulled out a bullet for a 44 magnum. Ren curled and uncurled his fingers as he ran, rolling the casing along his knuckles. He braced for the impact of his own attack, balling his hand into a fist around the munition. ¡°Hey, shithead!¡± The Lurker slowly turned its head to look at him, surprise written on its face¡ªat least, as far as Ren could tell. Ren tensed as his fist collided with the knee of the creature. Another explosion followed, louder and more intense than the last. Ren yelped with the attack, and his arm screamed in agony. Maybe I should¡¯ve kept some distance, after all, he thought, cursing under his breath. Blood seeped from the creature¡¯s body, forcing it down on its good knee. As the beast roared, Sunny landed behind Ren. ¡°Think you can get me in the air?¡± Ren asked, breathing through his teeth. God damn, did that attack hurt. But the damage had been done. Thick, almost slimy, blood slowly oozed out of the Lurker¡¯s orifice, painting the blades of grass in red. ¡°I can,¡± Sunny whispered back, ¡°but I need a little more time. I can¡¯t stay in the air like that for long.¡± ¡°How long do you need?¡± ¡°One minute.¡± Ren let out a raspy laugh. ¡°One minute. Okay, cool. Fucking great.¡± Chapter 2: Recoil Ren muscles screamed for him to stop. He couldn¡¯t keep fighting like this. He counted his lucky stars he had gotten this far. If not for the teenagers and Sunny, he was sure the Lurker would¡¯ve never been distracted long enough for him to hit it. His arm trembled with the shock of the attacks. Getting up close and personal had been the double-edged sword he anticipated. While the damage to the Lurker was great, he paid the price. Blood seeped through the orifices of his screen, painting it in specks of red. He¡¯d had to play it safe. Use smaller caliber ammunition, keep his distance. There wasn¡¯t any room for error now. All it would take is one mistake, and it would be game over for them both. ¡°What¡¯s it doing?¡± Sunny asked, gasping. ¡°What do you¡ª¡± Ren¡¯s voice caught. The behemoth¡¯s flesh was mending. Bone and tissue contorted, cracked, and writhed. Sinew stitched like worms melding together, the recent wound slowing its bleeding. What the fuck? I¡¯ve never seen a Lurker do this before, Ren thought, his eyes wide. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Sunny asked, her voice trembling. Damn it, I can¡¯t protect her and kill this thing at the same time. Ren weighed his options and reached into a small pouch around his waist containing what he thought was the best weapon for the situation. Retrieving a large 12-gauge shotgun shell from the bag, he stared at it for a couple of seconds before clenching it in his fist. ¡°Ren, don¡¯t do it. It¡¯s dumb,¡± Sunny hissed. The caliber of the bullet determined the strength of the attack, but the drawback hurt like a bitch. Kickback aside, range was a large contributor to how hard his attack would hit and how much damage he would incur from it. Do it too much, and he risked seriously hurting himself. I don¡¯t have much choice. Smaller bullets aren¡¯t potent enough for this fucker. ¡°I¡¯m going to give this thing something else to smile about,¡± Ren said. ¡°What?¡± Sunny asked. ¡°My trump card. It¡¯ll be kinda like popping a balloon. Only, this balloon¡¯s full of meat, so it¡¯s going to be a little gross.¡± Ren took two steps forward. The Lurker had almost healed its wounds within the twenty-or-so seconds they spent deliberating. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid! Please!¡± He looked at her over his shoulder, flashing a toothy grin. ¡°You¡¯re not going to like what happens next, then.¡± ¡°Ren,¡± she hissed. ¡°I need you to stay back. Like, way back.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. She paused. ¡°Fine.¡± Sunny bowed her head. There was no time to argue. The Lurker was rising to its feet. Sunny darted away in haste, standing behind one of the shrine¡¯s numerous long poles. ¡°All right, let¡¯s do this,¡± Ren muttered, then yelled, ¡°Hope you¡¯re hungry, pal!¡± The Lurker screeched before sprinting in Ren¡¯s direction. Beads of sweat collected on Ren¡¯s skin as he readied into a stance. The disgusting creature swept Ren into its hand with minimal effort, bringing him to his mouth. Ren reeled back, offering the Lurker his arm. Just as he¡¯d planned, the behemoth bit down on his arm. The pain was terrible, scorching his veins and causing his entire body to scream out. Blood seeped out from the gaps between the monster¡¯s teeth, drenching Ren¡¯s clothes in red. ¡°Gotcha, bitch!¡± White light covered the immediate area. A deafening bang followed, and innumerable pieces of the behemoth¡¯s top half flew in a myriad of directions, painting the forest in pinks and reds. Ren dropped to the ground, the lower half of the Lurker¡¯s singed body plummeting with him. ¡°Oh god!¡± Sunny screamed. She ran up to him, kneeling beside him. ¡°I have to get you out of here!¡± she said, her hands shaking. Ren¡¯s face contorted. ¡°Yep. That went¡­ pretty much how I expected it to,¡± he struggled to say. The behemoth¡¯s demise had come at a great cost to himself. Pointed bone and singeing flesh were all that remained of his forearm. ¡°Only this hurts far fucking more than I thought it would,¡± he breathed. ¡°Isn¡¯t the adrenaline supposed to help me or something?¡± ¡°Stop talking! I¡¯ll get you to Doctor Scales right away! I promise!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you,¡± Ren said, forcing a smile. Dabbing his pointer finger around his wound, he reached over and drew a smiley face on her palm. It was crude, sure, but he hadn¡¯t gotten this far by taking everything so seriously. His consciousness was beginning to fade. He only hoped that he would wake up. --- The fog was growing murkier with each passing second. Sweat soaked the inside of Sunny¡¯s hoodie while her arms trembled with Ren¡¯s weight. Her chest heaved, and for a moment, she stopped, putting Ren down gently. The grass cushioned his body, and Sunny fell to her hands and knees, beads of sweat dripping from her brow. What was she supposed to do here? The situation was looking grim. Sunny had never seen Ren so pale before. With her limited knowledge, she had done her best to tie a scrap of cloth around his arm to stop the bleeding. It worked well enough, but every time she managed to drag his body just a little farther, the fabric would come loose, and the bleeding would continue. She had done this three times already. Until today, Sunny had no idea a person could breathe so slowly and still be alive. How could Ren have thought that losing his arm was the best idea for that situation? There must have been a better option. Ren could have maintained his distance for a while, tried a different technique, tired the Lurker out. Something, anything other than what he¡¯d just done. Sunny wiped the sweat from her brow and gripped the end of Ren¡¯s hood with both hands. Her fingers were locking up from repetition, her muscles crying for a break. Simply squeezing the hem of Ren¡¯s hood had Sunny¡¯s arms hardening into rocks. Sunny was reaching her limit. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ren,¡± Sunny cried, allowing the tears to flow down her cheeks. She leaned back on her legs, burying her face in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can save you.¡± It was going to be just like last time. Another greeting, another parting. Why was it that she could never hold on to anyone? Was there something wrong with her? Had her jitter cursed her in some way she was unaware of? This wasn¡¯t fair. Sunny had never been anything but nice to everyone. Yet, here she was, on the verge of losing yet another important person in her life. ¡°Papa,¡± Sunny choked out through hacked sobs, ¡°what do I do? You¡­ you never taught me any of this. I don¡¯t know how to help him.¡± Sunny slouched forward and ripped a clump of grass out with her hand, bashing her closed fist against the dirt. ¡°Please! Please help me! Help him!¡± A gentle breeze began to rustle the nearby trees. Sunny sat up, her cheeks soaked and red from tears. She cocked her head back, looking at a sky covered by smoky fog. ¡°Papa¡­¡± Chapter 3: Train Tracks In this world, individuals could be born with a ¡®jitter¡¯. Many believed the jitters were the world¡¯s way of counterbalancing the evil brought on by Lurkers. Exceptionally rare and unique, those who are born with them are often considered blessed. They provide the person with a power unlike any other, and no two people were ever born with the same ability. Shrouded in mystery, all that is known is that those with a Jitter tend to draw the attention of Lurkers. --- Three Years Ago A torrent of rain pelted the exterior of the train¡¯s caboose. Perched on her elbows, Sunny peered through the window while Papa manned the train through the storm. With him behind the controls, Sunny knew she would be safe. There was no one better. ¡°Hey!¡± a voice cried from behind Sunny. She looked over her shoulder to see a boy who appeared around a year younger than her. Emerald eyes bore into Sunny from beneath a head of messy brown hair. His face was littered with freckles, and he was missing a tooth. ¡°Wanna play?¡± he asked, his voice whistling through the gap in his teeth. Sunny drummed her fingers against the windowsill, looking away. Papa was always traveling, and by extension, so was she. Friends made were friends lost. Sunny found she spent more time on the trains than she did in her own home. Returning home was sometimes a chore as well, as it meant much of their time was spent dusting off furniture or shopping for groceries that would rot anyway. To make matters worse, she could barely remember what her room looked like. There were stuffed animals on her bed, that much she knew. But what was on her desk? Hung up on the wall? The color of her carpet? She had no idea. ¡°Come on!¡± the boy said. ¡°Let¡¯s play tag!¡± The urge to play was too great. Sunny hopped down from the seat, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. ¡°Okay! But let¡¯s make some special rules!¡± ¡°Whaaaat? What kinda special rules?¡± The boy frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna cheat, are you?¡± ¡°No, silly!¡± Sunny said, putting a hand on her hip and wagging her finger at him. ¡°This will make it more fun!¡± Every day was spent like this. Another friend made¡­ another friend lost. An hour later, the train pulled into the station. Steam blew from the machine¡¯s pipes, and an old bell rang throughout the caboose. Humans and Denizens exited through the doors one by one. As family members waved hello to each other, Sunny stayed behind and waited for Papa. ¡°Hey!¡± said the boy from earlier. Sunny turned toward him, and soon she felt sad to say goodbye again. ¡°I had a lot of fun! Let¡¯s play again!¡± ¡°Yeah, sure,¡± Sunny said with her head bowed. ¡°Now, come along, Charley. Let¡¯s leave the little lady alone,¡± said an older woman, presumably the boy¡¯s mother. Tipping her hat to Sunny, the older woman took the boy¡¯s hand and led him off the train with the others. The boy waved frantically up until the moment the doors closed. Another friend made. Another friend lost. ¡°Who was the boy?¡± came a gruff voice behind her. She looked up to see a weathered man in a black suit and tie. He wore a white button-up shirt underneath. Beneath the man¡¯s cap was a head of black hair speckled with hints of gray. Eyes as blue as the ocean¡¯s depths looked upon her with fondness. Sunny could spot a smile behind his rugged beard if she looked hard enough. ¡°Papa!¡± Sunny squealed with delight. ¡°How¡¯s my girl?¡± he asked as he went down on one knee. Sunny threw her arms around her father¡¯s neck, pulling him as close as her little arms would allow. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she whispered into Papa¡¯s ear. ¡°A little sad, though.¡± ¡°I know, sweetheart. I know.¡± After a while, he parted from his daughter¡¯s hug. ¡°I promise it won¡¯t be like this forever.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Hey, listen to me.¡± He pulled her away and locked eyes with her. ¡°I want to talk to you about something since we got about a half hour until the next group arrives. There¡¯s gonna be a lot of Denizen civilians boarding the caboose. Do you remember what I said about them?¡± ¡°Always give them space, and don¡¯t talk to them!¡± The man smiled wide. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± He ruffled the pink-blonde hair of his daughter, eliciting a giggle. ¡°Oh, Papa! Look what I can do now!¡± Sunny clapped her hands against her chest and shut her eyes. The muscles around her shoulder blades tensed; moments later, she could feel it. The wings were sprouting from her back. She drew a deep breath and opened her eyes. Sunny could see the whites of Papa¡¯s eyes. ¡°Papa?¡± The man ran his hand across his beard. Sunny knew that Papa did this whenever he was thinking. Like a good girl, she decided to wait. Papa got comfortable and sat down, crossing his legs. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± she asked, shrinking beneath his gaze. ¡°No, sweetie.¡± Papa smiled, and Sunny sat down in front of him, mimicking his gesture. ¡°Do you remember when we talked about your jitter? Way back when you were even smaller.¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°Mhm! It¡¯s a gift!¡± The man chuckled and tapped her on the nose. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s a gift. And when we get gifts, what do we say?¡± Sunny knew the answer. ¡°We say ¡®thank you!¡¯¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Papa hesitated. The smile vanished. ¡°You¡¯re a big girl now.¡± Papa craned his head over his daughter. Sunny hoped he found her tiny wings cute. ¡°You¡¯ll hear many different things from people about Jitters.¡± He leaned back and relaxed. ¡°It might not make sense to you right now, but I need you to remember something for me.¡± ¡°Anything, Papa!¡± ¡°Never pity those without a Jitter. Never look down on them.¡± His tone caught Sunny off guard. This was a serious matter. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­ Why would I do that?¡± Sunny¡¯s smile vanished; with it, so too, did her wings. Papa shook his head. ¡°You¡¯ll understand someday. I promise. Can you do that for me?¡± Sunny paused, then nodded her head. ¡°I can do that! Everyone is equal, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The smile returned. ¡°Everyone is equal.¡± Papa took the cap off his head and put it on Sunny¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Sunny tipped the cap forward to hide her blush. ¡°Thanks, Papa.¡± Time flew by in an instant. As the civilians boarded the train, Sunny kept to a corner of the caboose, her back against the wall. The Denizens began to board the train. While she didn¡¯t have the official names for them, she could see some with fur, others with scales, and a couple of unique ones with something in between. A few others had horns protruding from the sides of their heads. A pair of girls with oil-colored skin and slim features practically slithered onto the train with whip-like tails behind them. Some of these Denizens were a first-time sight for Sunny. Sunny¡¯s knowledge of the Denizens was minimal at best. Papa used a lot of complicated words to describe them. Something about a divide, Denizens and humans not getting along, and how interactions were complex and tense. At some point, a truce had been made, and those who sought peace sided with the humans¡ªsometimes reluctantly. Yet somehow, it was still strange to her. If the Denizens were trying to get along with humans, why was Papa always so insistent on her staying away from them? Weren¡¯t they all equal? ¡°Ah, ¡®scuse me, ¡®scuse me, just gotta talk to the conductor,¡± said a man from the back of the mob. Sunny caught one of his long arms over the shoulder of a minotaur. ¡°Hey, buddy. I need to get over there. Mind movin¡¯?¡± The minotaur grunted and moved to one side. ¡°Hey, thanks!¡± A man, someone younger than the usual fare, snaked his way through the crowd and approached the door to the next caboose¡ªthe conductor¡¯s room. The man jiggled the lock, sighing. ¡°Fucking really?¡± he whispered under his breath. ¡°You should watch your language,¡± Sunny said. She would¡¯ve never dared to say such a thing to a Denizen. But she knew what she could get away with when it came to humans. ¡°Oh, crap! Sorry, you weren¡¯t supposed to hear that,¡± the man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t interrupt the conductor either. My dad will get mad at you.¡± ¡°Nah, he knows me!¡± the man said, waving his hand through the air. He jiggled the door a second time, and Sunny grew more irritated. ¡°Be patient! Wait on the caboose with everyone else!¡± Sunny said. Patience was a virtue. Did this man not know that? He looked older than her, so he should¡¯ve known better. ¡°You¡¯re the conductor¡¯s daughter?¡± He blinked. ¡°Huh, I guess that makes a little more sense why you looked so familiar.¡± The door to the other caboose opened abruptly, and an irritated Papa stuck his head through. ¡°Ren, you¡¯re pushing me,¡± he warned. Ren put his hands up. ¡°Hey, man, come on, we do this all the time!¡± Papa sighed. ¡°Two and a half hours. Now sit your¡ª¡± Papa stopped, catching Sunny from the corner of his eye. ¡°Sit your butt down, sir.¡± Ren clicked his tongue twice and flashed a toothy smile before taking the nearest booth by the door. He leaned against the windowsill on his elbow, tapping his foot to some unheard beat. What a strange man. Chapter 4: Off the Rails One Year Ago In the years that followed, Sunny became more and more comfortable with Denizens. They may have looked strange, but somewhere in Sunny¡¯s heart, she hoped the tense relations between humans and Denizens would ease. She kept to Papa¡¯s rule of thumb, avoiding them whenever possible. But so long as she was calm, patient, and quiet, nothing terrible ever happened. ¡°I won¡¯t be gone for more than a couple of days, three tops,¡± Papa said on his way out the door. Sunny had grown tired of constantly moving around, urging Papa to take more time off so they could be a family at home. At first, it was just as he¡¯d promised. But as time went on, Sunny stayed at home and Papa continued to work on the train, sometimes for weeks at a time. ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°You said that last time,¡± Sunny whined. ¡°You were gone for almost a week. I had to ask the neighbors for sugar and flour.¡± Papa averted his gaze. His eyes looked heavy, his expression complicated. ¡°I know, sweetheart. I¡¯ll make it up to you. I promise.¡± His promises had become harder to believe. Sunny didn¡¯t believe him, but nodded regardless. ¡°Okay.¡± With his hand on the doorknob, Papa removed his cap and whipped it through the air before extending it toward his daughter. ¡°Here, sweetheart. A small going away present.¡± Sunny¡¯s eyes lit up. Before Papa could change his mind, she snatched the hat from his hands, marveling at it as if it were made of gold. ¡°Really? You mean it? Make sure! You can¡¯t take it back after!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, nodding and laughing. ¡°It¡¯s yours now, sunshine.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± He paused. ¡°Say, do you want to come with me to the train station? To say ¡®see you later¡¯?¡± ¡°Please!¡± It¡¯d been months since she last boarded a train. The crowd was bustling more than Sunny had seen in some time. As she passed by the cabooses, her eye caught the strange man her father talked to from time to time. Ren was bobbing his head side to side, forward and back. Occasionally he would snap his fingers and move his lips to some unknown tune. Sunny had grown to like him, even if he was a bit strange. He was one of the few people she could count on to see every once in a while. Ren stopped when he saw her. He mouthed something to her, but since the windows were shut, she couldn¡¯t hear him. She put a hand to her ear and shook her head. Ren smirked and ran the tips of his fingers down his tongue. Sunny frowned, grossed out by the gesture, then watched as Ren drew smiley face after smiley face on the glass of every empty seat¡¯s window. The glass squeaked with his movements, and soon a giggle escaped Sunny¡¯s lips. He had drawn as many as seven smiley faces before Sunny¡¯s father called her over. Ren waved to Sunny as she left, returning to the private DJ session in his head. Sunny held onto the cap as she ran to her father. Unlike the years prior, her head fit into it now. As long as she adjusted the back a bit. ¡°Well, I¡¯m out of here, sunshine,¡± Papa said, kneeling on one knee. ¡°Be a good girl for me, okay? You can always ask our neighbors if you need anything.¡± Sunny nodded. ¡°I know! I¡¯ll be good!¡± Papa kissed her forehead and entered the train. As she waved goodbye, she thought of all the wonderful things they would do when he returned. They¡¯d finger paint, go to the mall, spend time at the park, just to name a few. His face became a distant smudge of colors in the distance as she adjusted the hat on her head. That was the last time she ever saw him. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. --- One week passed. Two weeks passed. Three weeks since Sunny last heard from Papa. It wasn¡¯t unusual for his sessions to take longer than planned, but three weeks was a bit much, even for him. ¡°Who¡¯s that cutie?¡± Sunny said whenever she caught herself in the mirror with Papa¡¯s hat. She¡¯d stitched black cat ears to the top to add some style to it, to truly make it her own. ¡°That¡¯s you!¡± She continued to come up with ideas to keep herself preoccupied and tried to avoid boredom like an evil shadow creeping up on her. It worked for the most part. That was, until one day, a knock came at the door. ¡°Sunniva, dear? Dear, please open the door.¡± It was the neighbor lady, Jemimah. Sunny fiddled with her fingertips before cracking open the door. ¡°Yes, Miss Jemimah?¡± The woman wiped away a tear. ¡°Hey, honey. Have you¡­ have you heard about your father?¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°No. Is he coming home soon?¡± Jemimah bit her bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear. He¡­ he was in an accident.¡± The woman closed her eyes and sucked in her lips. ¡°He¡¯s no longer with us.¡± Sunny blinked. She understood those words, but her mind refused to translate the obtuse meaning behind them. ¡°No, you must be mistaken. What did you mean?¡± she asked, shaking her head. Jemiah let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Oh, sweetheart. He¡­ he¡¯s gone.¡± Sunny slammed the door shut. No, that was impossible. How could she say such a thing? Did she not know when a joke had gone too far? Or was she telling the truth? --- Days later, someone else was knocking. Sunny slowly opened the door. Someone¡¯s foot slipped in, wedging the shoes between the door and frame. ¡°Excuse me, miss.¡± The man pushed the door open slightly. ¡°You¡¯re Sunniva Icarus, daughter of Cassidy Icarus, are you not?¡± Sunny¡¯s lips trembled. Who was this man? ¡°My name is Wesley,¡± the man continued. ¡°I¡¯m here to take you somewhere safe. Can you please come with us?¡± Another man appeared beside him as he pushed the door open the rest of the way, each of them wearing a black suit and red tie. Wesley wore a smile while the other scowled. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on here?¡± someone asked from behind them. Sunny looked past the men to see someone she recognized¡ªRen. ¡°You here to take her away?¡± ¡°Young man, this doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Wesley said. ¡°Like hell, it doesn¡¯t. I¡¯m her cousin!¡± The man frowned. ¡°Cousin? So you and her are¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, cousins. So back the fuck off. Who do you think has been taking care of her while her pops was away?¡± Ren closed the distance slowly, his hands in his pockets. ¡°We were told¡ª¡± ¡°You were told wrong. I stepped out to go to the store.¡± He gestured with a flick of his head. ¡°Now get the hell outta here.¡± The men mumbled. ¡°Sorry to inconvenience you.¡± As soon as the men were out of earshot, Ren approached. ¡°Hey, dork. You okay?¡± It was no good. Something about his words struck her¡ªrelief? Sorrow? Abandonment? Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees. Ren gasped and knelt with his hand extended. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Papa¡­ Papa!¡± ¡°Papa?¡± He paused, and then his eyes widened. ¡°Oh no,¡± he said in a hushed voice. ¡°It must¡¯ve been the stop right after mine.¡± ¡°Papa¡¯s gone! He left me! He left me!¡± ¡°Shhh, shhh,¡± Ren said, putting his hand on her head. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay. Let it out. It¡¯ll all be okay.¡± ¡°They¡¯re¡­ they¡¯re going to take me away now,¡± Sunny sobbed. ¡°I¡¯m going to be stuck in some orphanage! Nobody¡¯s going to love me anymore!¡± Sunny continued to sob while Ren ran his hand against her head. The minutes continued like this for some time. When Sunny looked up, she could see Ren¡¯s eyes glazing over. Did this hurt him too? ¡°Hey, look¡­ I know I ain¡¯t your pops, but¡­ you could come stay with me and my sister for a while.¡± He massaged the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s not a super great place for a kid, but we got food. How ¡®bout it?¡± Sunny¡¯s gaze traveled downward as she allowed the remnants of her tears to plummet to the soil. Slowly, she nodded her head. Ren stood up, then proffered her a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± Ren said as Sunny took his hand. ¡°The suits are gonna find out one way or another that I lied.¡± He smirked, and although Sunny didn¡¯t know him very well, it looked forced. ¡°Sooner we get outta here, the better.¡± Ren turned and tugged on her hand. ¡°Wait,¡± Sunny said, letting go. ¡°What?¡± Sunny ran back into the house, up the stairs, and into her bedroom, where her greatest treasure was. On her study desk was the cap she so dearly cherished. Snatching it, she slipped it on and left the room. With her hand on the door handle, she took one last look at her room, capturing it like a photograph in her mind. She would never see it like this again. Chapter 5: Coming to There was another school of thought. To date, no person, man or woman, human or demi-human, had been born with a jitter without it having some sort of drawback. Worse yet, there was no consistency to them, seemingly requiring the strangest of prerequisites in a best-case scenario, and being downright crippling in the worst. It was not unusual for those born with jitters to curse the very power they were ¡®blessed with¡¯. Ren was one such person. --- The world was a fog when Ren came to. Shadow encroached around the corners of his vision, painting the world in a strange replay of silhouettes and images. ¡°What. Where am I?¡± Ren mumbled. ¡°Finally awake, are you?¡± The voice chuckled, and the snap of latex followed. Doctor Scales, it sounded like. ¡°Make sure to thank your friend.¡± Thank my friend? As the thought crossed his mind, he winced. His head pounded, his arm felt like it¡¯d been thrown into a meat grinder, and¡­ something soft was touching his other arm. ¡°Ren?¡± the voice cooed. Ren shut his eyes. ¡°Is that you, Olivier?¡± Ren breathed. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she said. Ren snapped up into a sitting position at Olivier¡¯s soft touch, hitting the light above him. ¡°Ah, fuck!¡± Ren hissed. The lamp swayed back, and Olivier stopped it as it came back to hit him. Tightening her grip around his bicep, Olivier forced him back down. ¡°Ah-ah-ah,¡± she warned, putting one hand on top of his chest. ¡°Careful now. Lay back.¡± Thin fingers with black-painted nails gently pushed on him. As he drew a deep breath, his eyes wandered from the short plaid skirt, to the old beige sweater and button-up shirt. A series of gold diamond-shaped piercings hung from the bottom of her long¡ªas in like the elves of fantasy stories¡ªleft ear, her hair a striking mix of gray, black, and red tied into a ponytail. Olivier smiled, and the scar around her lip moved with her. Her blood-red eyes were enough to convince any man¡ªRen especially¡ªto calm down. ¡°We were really worried about you,¡± another woman said as she moved to stand behind Olivier. ¡°What the hell were you thinkin¡¯?¡± June, Ren¡¯s sister. ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t,¡± Ren chuckled. A sharp pain shot up from where his arm had been taken off, causing him to bang the elbow of his good arm against the metal gurney he now lay upon. With some struggle, Ren slowly moved his new forearm in front of him, noting the change in color from the rest of his skin. A line of intricate stitches had been made where his skin connected with the new appendage. ¡°Ugly.¡± ¡°Beggars can¡¯t be choosers,¡± someone snapped from Ren¡¯s right. As he¡¯d expected, it was Doctor Scales. He wore the white lab coat typical of a man in his position. What wasn¡¯t typical was the helmet he wore that bore the resemblance of a dragon. How he did his work like that, Ren had no idea. He didn¡¯t care so much, but it was hard to get a read on him sometimes. The man was washing his hands in the sink. ¡°Be grateful you¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°Thanks, Rudy.¡± A smile tugged at the corner of Ren¡¯s mouth as Doctor Scales hesitated briefly. Ren knew it got under the man¡¯s skin, but that made it that much easier to understand what was going on in his head. There was something about it that felt real, felt genuine. ¡°For real, man. Thanks. This shit hurts bad, though.¡± Scales ripped a paper towel from a dispenser, drying his hands as he approached. ¡°Medicine has that effect. It¡¯s a wonder you¡¯re not used to it by now.¡± Pulling out a small flashlight from his coat pocket, he gripped Ren by the chin and turned his face toward him. ¡°Don¡¯t blink.¡± The doctor clicked a button at the end of the cylinder and a light came on. He pointed it directly at Ren¡¯s left eye, then his right, clicking it off and pocketing it afterward. ¡°Well, you seem fine enough. You¡¯ll want to rest, though. You lost a lot of blood. Your body needs time to recover, so make sure you eat something as soon as you can.¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Yeah, yeah, yeah,¡± Ren said, waving his good hand and rolling his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Olivier sighed. ¡°Come on, Ren, be reasonable.¡± Ren tilted his head to the left, catching her gaze. ¡°Uhh, well, um. Yeah, I¡­ yeah, I suppose I could do that. Gotta, uh, take care of myself, right?¡± Olivier smiled warmly. ¡°Oh, brother,¡± June whispered just loud enough that Ren could hear. ¡°Heard what happened, bro.¡± A behemoth of a man came up to June¡¯s side next. Even beneath his jacket you could tell the man was not to be messed with. Tanned skin rested beneath a head of dyed blonde hair, his natural brown buzzed on the sides, ruffled from sweat. A relieved smile tilted his goatee to one side, his caramel eyes digging daggers into Ren. This was Maxis¡ªRen¡¯s best friend. ¡°Gotta say, man, that was pretty stupid, even for you.¡± ¡°Eh, not the worst I¡¯ve done,¡± Ren said. It was the truth, but it would definitely take one of the top three spots of dumbest things he¡¯d done in his life. ¡°You¡¯re right, but don¡¯t do that again. I don¡¯t want to be the one to arrange your funeral.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be me,¡± June corrected. Dark bags sat beneath her anti-eyebrow piercings, her favorite black shirt tied underneath her bust. Her dark hair covered one side of her face as her sparkling green eyes constantly veered away from her brother. The golden hoop piercing tumbled with her lower lip. ¡°I would be arranging your funeral, dumbass.¡± ¡°I said I was sorry,¡± shrugged Ren. ¡°Did you?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I?¡± He thought for a moment. ¡°Well, I¡¯m apologizing now. Sorry.¡± Ren sat up slowly, taking care not to hit the light a second time. Now that he was thinking about it, the jitter mark that¡¯d gotten him into the most trouble was gone, replaced by a lifeless-looking arm. ¡°What the fuck, did you just give me some dead guy¡¯s arm?¡± No response was given. Scales sighed. ¡°What did you think I was stitching to your body?¡± Ren blinked. ¡°Hmm. Well, whatever, I guess it works well enough.¡± Ren thought for a time. The jitter mark which caused him to warp around¡ªor blink, as he liked to refer to it¡ªhad been part of the arm he lost. Part of him hoped it would disappear with his arm¡¯s departure. But the reality was, he knew better. Whether that jitter mark was visible or not, his abilities, good or bad, would remain uninhibited. Jitters were exceptionally rare to see, and were doubly unusual when someone was born with two of them like Ren was. They showed up as small tattoos somewhere on the body at birth. Oftentimes, they were dull to look at, and were mistaken for birthmarks. Most manifested before the age of ten, and not all children were pleased to discover their power. Jitters were oftentimes a double-edged sword for the wielder. While the mark often bestowed a unique power upon the person, there was always a drawback, a condition that sometimes made living a normal life difficult, if not impossible. Even with such debilitating symptoms, most of those who lived in Kast Legari saw them as a gift, a blessing. Ren balked at the idea. He wasn¡¯t any different from your average Joe as far as he was concerned. Matters weren¡¯t helped by the fact that both of his Jitters were on the backs of his palms. At least, they were until now. Ren sighed. ¡°How did the little dork get me here?¡± June turned around, sniffing and wiping away a tear from her eye. ¡°Sunny said she used your cell phone to warp you around,¡± Maxis explained. ¡°Pretty damn smart for a kid, eh?¡± Ren peeked through the gaps between his friends to see Sunny sleeping on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll have to make it up to her,¡± Ren said, smiling. Ren had a faint idea of what had happened. He¡¯d experienced it for as long as he could remember. Whenever his emotions would go unchecked, he¡¯d sometimes ¡®blink¡¯ from one spot to another, warping instantaneously. It was never very far¡ªabout a few dozen feet at best¡ªbut the one consistent thing he¡¯d discovered about it was that it tended to move him toward sources of light. Since the effects could occur while he was asleep, Ren imagined Sunny had used the phone¡¯s light source to essentially guide his unconscious body through the woods. Smart kid. ¡°Well. I need to get going before another imbecile like you walks in,¡± Scales said. As Ren was about to retort, the man continued. ¡°By the way. If you can manage to get some samples from the Lurker you killed, I¡¯ll pay you a pretty penny.¡± ¡°What? Like if I go now?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t go now. Fetch them later. Or don¡¯t. Either way, I¡¯m leaving. I¡¯ve got better things to do.¡± With that, Scales pushed the door open to another room and locked it behind him, closing the curtain. ¡°Damn, man,¡± Ren moaned, scratching the back of his neck. As much as Ren liked doing the right thing for people, he quickly found out that he struggled to follow orders. Rather than be in a group of tight-lipped suits parading as heroes, he preferred to do things his own way. With border control and traditional law enforcement out of the picture, he worked with Scales to do what he could for the common person. Unfortunately, he still had bills to pay. Deals with Dr. Rudolph Scales supplemented his need for cash and offered him a way to do what he wanted. A payment for a payment. That was the way of it. Bring in the samples and remains of Lurkers, and the doctor would pay him top dollar for it. At least, so Scales claimed. Chapter 6: Loitering Ren was out within minutes of relaxing on his couch. He had to wonder if the medication prescribed to him also worked as a sleep aid. Not that he knew anything about medicine, anyway. He threw the covers off him, grumbling at the rays of light peeking through the blinds. ¡°What time is it?¡± he muttered, reaching for his mostly broken phone. ¡°10 a.m.?¡± He¡¯d slept almost eighteen hours since his visit with Scales. Maybe he needed more rest than he imagined. He shook his head and tossed his phone onto a cushion beside him. Making his way to the kitchen, he pulled open the fridge door, smiling wide when he saw his favorite box of wings was still waiting for him. Once he pulled it out, he saw a note on the top from his sister. Eat these slowly! Watch yourself and take it easy! If I catch you outside, you¡¯re a dead man! Love, June. Ren chuckled and shut the refrigerator door. --- ¡°All right, here we are,¡± June said, pulling up to the front of the school. She pulled the lever behind the wheel, putting the vehicle into park. ¡°Got everything you need?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so,¡± Sunny nodded as she shifted through the contents of her backpack. When she was done, she zipped the backpack shut and opened the passenger side door. ¡°Thanks for driving me!¡± ¡°Of course, sweetheart.¡± June nodded. ¡°Have a good day now! Say hi to Benji for us!¡± ¡°I will!¡± Sunny shut the door, waving as she made her way up to the staircase leading to the school. June perched her chin atop her palm, watching until Sunny entered the building¡ªa habit she¡¯d formed from Ren¡¯s delinquent past in school. June chuckled, and the memory of her and Sunny¡¯s first meeting resurfaced. Goodness, she¡¯d been so angry with Ren. With the unpredictability of Ren¡¯s work and her low wages, she wasn¡¯t sure if she and Ren could pull it off. But how was she supposed to say no to someone who¡¯d just lost her father? The first week or two of Sunny¡¯s move in had been rough, strange, uncomfortable. Everything one would expect from a new roommate. Now, though? June couldn¡¯t imagine life without her. June leaned back in the seat. The springs squeaked, and she listened to the hustle and bustle of children and their families. She remained like this for a few minutes, then shifted the gear back into drive. Next stop. Amber. --- Shit, this was exactly what I needed, Ren thought. It wasn¡¯t until his third wing did Ren acknowledge how little energy he had. With every bite, he felt renewed and full of vigor. It wasn¡¯t unlike the sensation one got after recovering from being sick. Sometimes it took an awful experience to help you appreciate the slow and mundane. ¡°Baka!¡± cried one of the characters on the show Ren was watching. Seemed the new Everyone¡¯s a Catgirl movie was coming out soon. Maybe some time spent relaxing on the couch wouldn¡¯t hurt once in a while. Tossing the remains of his thirty-sixth wing onto the plate, Ren let out a sigh of contentment and leaned back against the couch, feet on the table. It was almost noon now, and with the newfound energy given to him by the food, his legs were desperate to move. Olivier and Maxis¡¯s class would be starting at 1 p.m. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Smiling, he stood up and stretched his limbs. Those two were overdue for a visit, anyway. Well, one that didn¡¯t involve him getting stitched back together. --- Black Lotus University was everything Ren hated about school. Pompous and pampered young adults walking around like they knew the first about living in the real world. While they sat around in their cozy little classrooms, Ren was out making a difference in the world, eliminating the Lurker threat one monster at a time. As Ren passed by a group of jocks, he caught Silas out of the corner of his eye¡ªthe spitting image of a man and a gargoyle fused together. Unlike someone like Maxis, who had¡ªfor the most part¡ªjust inherited his father¡¯s height and relative build, Silas¡¯s skin was pale like a corpse. Silas reminded him of the group of emo teenagers who thought they were tough, edgy, and misunderstood. There was nothing to misunderstand about Silas. Ren clicked his tongue, and pretended not to see them. By the time Ren arrived at Olivier and Maxis¡¯s classroom, it was close to 1 p.m. Smirking at his good sense of time¡ªhe did have a good sense of time, right?¡ªhe looked to his left, and then his right before climbing the tree nearest the top floor of the building beside him. Olivier and Maxis sat relatively close to each other, the former seated next to the window. Ren shimmied along the branch as he usually did in these circumstances, and watched as the teacher droned on about some complicated formula that didn¡¯t matter. He counted the seconds¡ªthree to be exact¡ªbefore he mentally checked out and reached into his coat pocket for a piece of paper. Among the paperclips, knickknacks, and other miscellaneous objects, Ren found a couple of receipts. It¡¯d be a little awkward up here, especially with such a long piece of paper, but he could build paper airplanes with the best of them. How Olivier and Maxis could concentrate, Ren had no idea. Somehow, they hadn¡¯t noticed him yet. Which, hey, that was fine. It would make his paper airplane entrance all that much sweeter. There wasn¡¯t a whole lot of space on the receipt, but there was at least enough to set up a meeting spot later on. ¡°Tell Maxis,¡± Ren mumbled as he wrote the note, ¡°meet at Sigg¡¯s after class. Have a great day, Olivier!¡± Ren scribbled a small smiley face at the bottom, scanning over it one last time before folding it into an airplane. ¡°And now, for my next act,¡± Ren mumbled, putting the finishing touches on the receipt given life, ¡°watch as this bad boy brings some life to this boring-ass classroom.¡± Lining up the back wing of his airplane with his nose, he rocked his good arm back and forth a couple times before letting it loose. The airplane flew with perfect accuracy, and in good time, too. The professor¡¯s back was turned, his attention on the board. Olivier rubbed the side of her head where the paper had hit her, frowning. She plucked it off her desk, glancing in Ren¡¯s direction. Olivier stifled a laugh as she unfolded the piece of paper under the desk, mouthing off what Ren had written. Olivier turned her head in Ren¡¯s direction, her eyes still glued to the instructor. She flashed him the okay sign. Maxis turned his head toward Olivier, then followed her gaze to see Ren. Maxis¡¯s shoulders slumped, and he shook his head. Glad to hear it, Ren thought, chuckling. Err, see it, I guess. Apparently, his chuckle was too loud. The instructor¡¯s head snapped around, his hand still preoccupied with a piece of chalk, and saw him. ¡°Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Time to get the hell out. Ren threw both legs over one end and hopped down from the tree. He stumbled as he landed, but quickly recovered and batted the grass from his pants. As the teacher peered over the edge of the windowsill, Ren put a thumb to his nose and waved with the remaining fingers. ¡°Later, loser,¡± Ren muttered before darting off. ¡°Hey, get back here! I¡¯ll have you reported if I catch you on private property again!¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± Ren cried, spinning on the spot to meet the teacher¡¯s gaze briefly. No one came to chase him off. No one ever did, and Ren liked to believe the instructor knew it was a losing battle. Getting onto the campus was just too easy. Ren knew he looked the part of a college student coming onto campus, and he¡¯d take advantage of it any time he could. It was worth it to see the looks on their faces¡ªand of course, to see Maxis and Olivier. ¡°Well, they got the note,¡± Ren said, looking over his shoulder at the monstrosity of a school. God, did it look creepy. Whose idea was it to model it with so many spires and arches of black, anyway? At a distance, it just looked like a series of spikes jutting out of the ground. Ugly as hell. ¡°Might as well check up on Sigg while I¡¯m waiting,¡± he mumbled. Don¡¯t know what Rudy was so worried about. I feel fine. Always been a quick healer, he just doesn¡¯t know it. With a smirk, he made for Sigg¡¯s bar¡ªBattalia¡¯s. Chapter 7: Battalias Maxis sat at the front of the bar with Ren, ice clinking in his glass. Ren spent some time explaining the appearance of the Lurker and why the fight turned out the way it did. For the most part, Maxis understood, and while this was unfortunately par for the course for his brother from another mother, he¡¯d still berate him for making such a dumb mistake. ¡°Did you really have to blow your arm off, though?¡± Maxis asked with a raised brow. He meant it in good faith, but Ren insisted. ¡°Nah, nah, man. You don¡¯t get it! This fucker was huge.¡± Ren spread his arms wide to express the size of the creature. ¡°I can¡¯t even stretch far enough. You should¡¯ve seen it.¡± ¡°Maybe I should have.¡± A Denizen¡ªa minotaur, and Maxis¡¯s father¡ªdressed in a navy-blue bartender¡¯s vest approached. Waves of dark hair framed his bull-like features like a barbarian. He bore a golden hoop around both his left ear and his septum. A set of black-framed glasses sat atop his nose comfortably, his golden eyes carrying power and intelligence in equal measure. The wood of the counter squeaked as he leaned on it. ¡°How was class, son?¡± he asked, looking at Maxis. This was Sigg, the owner of the bar. He was a stern man, strong and reliable like many minotaurs. He was just as powerful as he appeared, though it was rare he demonstrated his strength. ¡°Just fine.¡± Maxis sneered as Ren. ¡°Though I heard this troublemaker threw paper airplanes at us during class.¡± Sigg eyed Ren. ¡°Hey man, that¡¯s a lie, and you know it¡­ it was one paper airplane,¡± Ren corrected. Sigg sighed. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t hear anything from your professors, so I can only assume you¡¯re not in trouble because of it.¡± ¡°Probably exaggerating, anyway. They always make it sound like the end of the world whenever Ren shows up.¡± Maxis shook his head. ¡°It was kind of a nice break, anyway.¡± The bell clinked behind them, indicating a customer had just walked in. Ren swiveled around in his chair to see June and Amber. ¡°Hey, Sis. Hey Amber.¡± June growled. ¡°Ren. You¡¯re supposed to be resting.¡± ¡°And what better way to rest than at Sigg¡¯s?¡± he shrugged. Amber giggled. She was a jewel of a person with. Violets, oranges, and yellows traveled like a gradient toward the tips of her hair. A white dress with frills of blue at the hem brought attention to her long legs, and showed off the tattoo on her left shoulder. A golden ring hung from her septum, her eyes a stunning gold. ¡°Be easy on him,¡± Amber said. She pecked June on the cheek and turned around, waving goodbye to her and Ren both. ¡°Love you, sweetheart! See you later tonight, Ren!¡± ¡°See ya!¡± Ren waved back. He clapped his hands together, once. ¡°You know what? She just reminded me. I should go pick up Sunny.¡± ¡°What?¡± June looked aghast. ¡°No! Rest! She can handle the bus for one day!¡± ¡°Yeah, she could,¡± Ren said, brushing past her, ¡°but she¡¯ll be so much happier to see me instead! Have a nice shift, Sis!¡± ¡°Ren!¡± --- Ren pulled up to the school entrance and shifted the vehicle into park. It¡¯d been a few minutes since school had gotten out, so he didn¡¯t have much time to look for her. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just hang around the buses,¡± Ren mumbled. Right on cue, Sunny came walking down the steps from the school. A couple of girls were trailing behind her, giggling. Ren smiled until one of the girls put her gum in Sunny¡¯s hair. ¡°The hell?¡± Ren got out of the car and slammed the door shut, then jogged up to the group of girls with a furrowed brow. ¡°You want to tell me why you just did that?¡± He looked down at a girl with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore the same arrogant sneer that all bullies wore. ¡°W-Well, she started it!¡± the girl cried. ¡°I did not!¡± Sunny retorted. ¡°Stop picking on me!¡± ¡°Go on, you heard her,¡± Ren warned. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to deal with me. And trust me,¡± he said as he went down on one knee, so his gaze was level with the girl, ¡°you don¡¯t want to deal with me.¡± The girl¡¯s eyes widened, and she motioned to her friends. They were gone in a flash, scrambling onto the school bus. ¡°Thanks,¡± Sunny said. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, squirt. But next, fight back,¡± Ren said, rising to his feet. ¡°If you let them get away with it, they¡¯ll think they can just keep picking on you. Trust me, I¡¯ve been there. It¡¯s worth going to detention for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ try,¡± Sunny said under her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t see Benji,¡± Ren said, craning his head over the crowd. ¡°Benji had to leave early today,¡± Sunny explained. ¡°He¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°Oh, that sucks. Well, hey! We¡¯re watching movies with Amber tonight, remember?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Sunny¡¯s smile returned. Ren couldn¡¯t help but reciprocate the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m excited! What are we going to watch?¡± ¡°Dunno. But Amber knows how to pick them. Just hope none of it¡¯s romance.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with romance?¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°Is it ¡®cuz you don¡¯t get any dates?¡± ¡°First of all, ow. Secondly, that¡¯s none of your¡­ ahh, it doesn¡¯t matter. Come on, we¡¯re getting out of here.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± An hour later, Ren was on the couch with Sunny and Amber, two bowls of popcorn and three glasses of soda at the ready. Sunny sat between Amber and Ren, bobbing side to side happily. ¡°Okay, Amber, I¡¯m trusting you not to make the same mistake you did last time,¡± Ren said, his palms held out. ¡°No romance, right?¡± Amber rolled her eyes but giggled. ¡°No romance. Not this time. But you really should open your mind to it. I was able to convince June, so I think you¡¯ll come around eventually.¡± ¡°Nah, nah, nah, that¡¯s different. You two are an item, so that¡¯s easy stuff. I¡¯m just¡­ well, here, ya know?¡± Amber shook her head. ¡°Give it a try sometime. Maybe you just haven¡¯t found the right movie yet.¡± ¡°Ehh, I don¡¯t know about that.¡± He breathed out and turned on the TV. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you got picked out for us.¡± --- ¡°Need anything else before I leave, Sigg?¡± June asked as she peeked around the doorframe. ¡°Did you get the glasses cleaned?¡± Sigg asked from behind the counter. ¡°Sure did,¡± said June. Sigg stood up, whipping a towel over his shoulder. ¡°Then you¡¯re good to¡ª¡± He frowned. ¡°Hang on. Do you hear that?¡± June looked out the front window, squinting. Across the street were two cars with their brights on. They screeched through the neighborhood with reckless abandonment, giving June and Sigg pause. As the vehicles turned into their street, the windows rolled down, and two unidentified people pointed their guns at the bar. ¡°Get down!¡± Sigg screamed. ¡°Eat lead, freak!¡± screamed one of the men. Sigg and June dove for cover as bullets soared through the air. Glass shattered, and wood splintered, sending bits of broken glass and gnarled remnants of the counter to the ground. The seconds that passed felt like minutes. The smell of burned rubber permeated the air, and the wheels screeched into the distance. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sigg asked as he rose to his feet. ¡°Y-Yeah, I think so,¡± June said, gently shaking the small pieces of glass and wood away from her clothes. When she saw blood, she gasped. ¡°Sigg! You¡¯re hurt!¡± Sigg furrowed his brow and looked down at the wound in his bicep. A thin line of blood oozed out from the hole. With a grunt, Sigg plucked the bullet from his skin and rolled his shoulder. ¡°A flesh wound.¡± ¡°What a relief,¡± June said, sighing. Sigg grunted. If they were there for him, they should¡¯ve known to pack better heat. Were they stupid, or was this some sort of trick? ¡°Shit,¡± June breathed. ¡°W-What do we do now?¡± Sigg examined the bullet between his index and thumb fingers, then crushed it in his hand before dropping the mangled metal on the ground. Leo Interlude 1 Leo rubbed his forehead. The flash of heat was coming on quicker than it usually did. He¡¯d spent a considerable amount of energy dumbing down some aspects of his story and rehabilitating it for a child as young as Shore. He knew it would take effort, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to affect him as strongly as it did. A knock came at his door shortly before the nurse cracked open the door. ¡°Leo? May I come in?¡± the nurse asked. Leo quietly thanked the nurse for her incredible timing. He wasn¡¯t sure how much longer he could keep up the facade in front of Shore. ¡°Yes, you can come in,¡± Leo said. He watched as Shore ran to the door, stopping short just a couple of feet. The nurse smiled when she saw her, and Leo took this chance to massage the pain in his forearm. ¡°Come in.¡± The nurse motioned to another behind her. The first who¡¯d entered was Miranda, the second was Rachel. It was rare that Leo saw these two on duty together. Miranda fingered an errant strand of her chestnut-brown hair behind her ear while Rachel kneeled to give Shore a hug. The two knew Leo and Shore on a first-name basis, and Leo viewed them as friends. ¡°Rachel, can you escort Shore to the lobby and call their mother?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Rachel said, rising. ¡°Bye, Leo!¡± Shore said, turning around briefly and blowing a kiss to him. Leo caught the imaginary kiss and smiled as the two waved on their way out. When they were gone, Miranda¡¯s expression darkened. Turning to look at Leo, she approached his bedside and put a medical chart in the cubby behind him. Leo squeezed his eyes tightly, allowing himself to moan in pain. ¡°God, it hurts,¡± he rasped. ¡°Please, help me. Make it stop.¡± ¡°I have something for you right here, just hang in there.¡± Miranda worked behind the bed with the IV while Leo rocked back and forth, gritting his teeth. Clammy with sweat, beads of perspiration traveled down the side of his head and dripped onto the sheets. A tingling sensation shot up his arm, and each time it did Leo wanted to scream. When she was done, Miranda grabbed his good arm gently and stuck a needle into the vein before taping it against his skin. ¡°It¡¯s going to take a minute, but you should feel the relief soon.¡± ¡°Guh!¡± Another sharp wave of pain swept over him. Leo kicked. Seconds later, a cool sensation entered his body. The feeling was as if someone dunked the entirety of his organs into a pool of ice-cold water. And it felt amazing. He drew a deep breath and leaned back against the cushion. Pure bliss. ¡°You are an angel.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hardly,¡± she said with an obviously forced smile. As the minutes passed and silence filled the air, Leo¡¯s head began to clear now that it wasn¡¯t filled with thoughts of taking off his own arm. With each second that passed, the discomfort only grew. The sound of shuffling papers as Miranda worked wasn¡¯t doing any favors either. ¡°You can tell me,¡± Leo finally said. He stared at the ceiling while he spoke. He¡¯d spent far more time in this sterile box of white than he would¡¯ve liked. Miranda had spent a considerably larger amount of time watching him than usual. Not a great sign. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Miranda whispered. She took a deep breath, retrieved a chair from the corner of the room, dragging it to Leo¡¯s side and sitting. ¡°It¡¯s not very easy to say this, and¡­ I can only imagine how this will make you feel, but the doctor spoke with me.¡± She paused. ¡°Your disease is terminal, Leo.¡± ¡°Yeah. Had a feeling.¡± Miranda went silent. Leo forced a smile as he turned his head toward her, still leaning against the bed. ¡°Nobody stays in a hospital as long as I do without something being seriously wrong with them.¡± Leo shrugged. ¡°It only makes sense if you think about it.¡± Miranda gaped. ¡°Aren¡¯t you upset?¡± ¡°A little bit, yeah. I mean, that means I¡¯m going to die right? I think anyone would be upset.¡± Leo turned to the side opposite and looked at the stars. ¡°What else can I do?¡± ¡°The doctor is going to do everything in his power to help you. He has some ideas. We haven¡¯t given up yet, so I don¡¯t think you should either. I don¡¯t know the specifics, but we¡¯ll have the doctor talk to you tomorrow. Even so, though, we felt you had a right to know.¡± ¡°I take it that I won¡¯t be leaving any time soon, then.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stop you, but we would advise against it. Your body is breaking down. Even exercise could put you back in bed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A shooting star streaked across the sky. It¡¯d been the fourth one he¡¯d seen in a month. He¡¯d stopped making wishes after his first month in the hospital. Forcing a smile, he turned back to the nurse. He glanced at the book on his lap, thinking briefly on the story he¡¯d shared with Shore that evening. With slow movements, Leo moved to put the book under the cushion, halted momentarily by Miranda. ¡°Wait, let me do that for you.¡± ¡°Nah, I got it. I¡¯m not just gonna sit here like a corpse while this disease kills me.¡± When he was done, he adjusted his posture until he was comfortable. ¡°Hey, sorry if I¡¯m sounding like a jerk, but can I be alone for a while? I¡¯m kinda tired.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Miranda nodded and rose from her seat. She put a gentle hand on his arm. ¡°Just beep me if you need anything, okay?¡± Leo smiled and nodded. When Miranda was gone, Leo bowed at the neck, his mind a cacophony of thoughts. This story needed to complete itself, one way or another. It was so close. Perhaps by sharing its details with Shore, he could complete it. I wonder how much time I have left, he thought. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes and his nose began to run. His fingers curled between the sheets as his mind imagined people at his funeral. His breath hitched, and soon his facade fell. He wept into his hands, profusely, quietly. Why was his life being cut so short? Chapter 8: Maxi The cool ambient lights surrounded Ren and his friends in a blue glow as they sat around a hibachi grill. Ren and Maxis sat opposite of each other on matching blue sofas, smacking their lips at the sounds and smells of freshly grilled meat. A red hue colored their cheeks, and the faint smell of alcohol mingled with the sizzling meal before them. Ren had been eyeing a particular slice of beef for some time. To his dismay, Maxis had his sights set on the same strip. The two glanced up at each other for a moment. ¡°So it¡¯s come down to this,¡± Ren said, hiccupping. ¡°Heh. You¡¯re no match for me, small fry,¡± Maxis said, smirking. ¡°I¡¯ve got years of fitness on my side. What have you got?¡± ¡°A brain, for starters. Oh, and wit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what you tell all the girls.¡± Sunny munched on a graham cracker, amused by their playful jabs. It¡¯d been a busy week, and Sunny missed seeing Ren and Maxis go at it like this. Ren and Maxis clacked their chopsticks together. The food would be done in five, four, three, two¡­ The match was over in an instant. Ren was fast, but Maxis was faster. ¡°As I said,¡± Maxis taunted, ¡°fitness, my man.¡± He rubbed the slab of meat between the chopsticks, clicking his tongue. Ren sighed, looking to his left. ¡°Oh, shit! What the fuck is that?¡± Ren bellowed, pointing at something to his left. Maxis¡¯s head snapped around, and that was all Ren needed to seal the deal. Whipping his sticks through the air, he snatched the succulent beef from Maxis¡¯s hand, nearly causing Maxis to drop his utensils. In Maxis¡¯s hubris, Ren found victory. ¡°Like I said; I got a brain.¡± Ren completed the remark by stuffing the beef in his mouth and sighing in contentment. ¡°Good thing there¡¯s other, smaller pieces for you to chew on.¡± ¡°Bastard,¡± Maxis grumbled. ¡°Playin¡¯ dirty.¡± ¡°Not my fault you weren¡¯t paying attention, bro.¡± He shrugged. Sunny giggled. Maxis settled for a smaller slice of beef and slurped it up. ¡°Strange, though,¡± he said, continuing the conversation from moments earlier, ¡°that the insurance company is working as quickly as they are. I thought this shit would take a month or two minimum.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Ren said, the remnants of irritation boiling his blood. ¡°Sorry about June, by the way.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± Ren said in a more aggravated tone than he intended, ¡°it¡¯s not like she got hurt or anything.¡± ¡°Thankfully. But still. That¡¯s gotta be irritating.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ren snapped his sticks together before snatching up another piece on the grill. ¡°Yeah, it is. She¡¯s got a lot of nerve getting all pissed off at me for what I do, then turns around and pulls a stunt like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t mean anything by it, yeah?¡± Maxis took a drink of his beer and set it beside him. ¡°She¡¯s always had trouble understanding that sorta thing.¡± ¡°Only when it applies to her. She¡¯s just as frail as anyone else. Just wanna know what the fuck is goin¡¯ on, ya know?¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Maxis nodded sagely. ¡°I hear ya.¡± ¡°God, it scared me shitless when Sigg called. You don¡¯t open a conversation by going, ¡®oh by the way, the bar got shot up.¡¯ You start by tellin¡¯ the guy his sister is okay. Then,¡± Ren gestured like he was moving something over to the table beside them, ¡°you tell me about the shooting. Fuck, man.¡± ¡°I take it the two of you are still arguing about it, then?¡± ¡°Yeah. She doesn¡¯t get it.¡± Maxis nodded, and the two continued to pluck away at the grill in silence, Sunny occasionally grabbing strips of her own. She mostly preferred to stick with her graham crackers. ¡°Any news on the Lurker?¡± Maxis asked. ¡°Seemed like Scales was willin¡¯ to pay good money.¡± ¡°Kinda, I guess. Got docked pay because I contaminated the sample,¡± Ren said with exaggerated air quotes and a mocking voice resembling the doctor. ¡°I don¡¯t know how the hell he expected me to get him liquid without ruining it somehow. I wasn¡¯t exactly expecting the whole damn Lurker to be gone.¡± Maxis frowned. ¡°The whole thing? Just like that?¡± He scoffed. ¡°And no one reported it?¡± ¡°Nothin¡¯ that I¡¯ve heard,¡± Ren shrugged. ¡°The whole thing is really fucking weird, man. This thing wasn¡¯t like the Lurkers I¡¯ve seen before. There was something different about it. Hard to put my finger on it.¡± ¡°Liquid?¡± Sunny asked, gulping down the meat she grabbed off the grill. Ren stared off into the distance for a moment and thought. The way he figured it, Sunny was there the entire time. Considering what happened, she seemed pretty well adjusted, so what harm would it be to divulge some information? ¡°Weird stuff. Don¡¯t remember seein¡¯ it when we killed the ugly fuck.¡± He clapped his chopsticks together, gesturing for Maxis to take the last piece of beef. Maxis shrugged while Ren thought. ¡°Didn¡¯t look like anything I¡¯d seen before. It was shiny and full of rainbows or some shit.¡± Maxis snickered. ¡°Iridescent, you mean?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure, whatever. It was like gasoline or something, man. Real weird shit.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sure the thing didn¡¯t bleed that stuff?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sunny answered, shaking her head, ¡°it didn¡¯t. I saw. Ren did a bunch of damage to the Lurker. Nothing irid¡­ irideecent?¡± Maxis groaned. ¡°Iridescent. Big word. You can just call it rainbow stuff.¡± ¡°Rainbow stuff,¡± Sunny said, nodding. She leaned against the sofa and pulled her legs close to her chest. ¡°Stuff like that was around my papa¡¯s train accident.¡± Fat chance that¡¯s a coincidence, thought Ren. Ren¡¯s instincts told him there might¡¯ve been something of a connection between the two incidents, but he wasn¡¯t about to tell Sunny that. The last thing Ren wanted to do was stir up memories of her old man. The kid had enough on her mind, to begin with. And besides, the truth of the matter was that she¡¯d likely put two and two together on her own. Ren tried to think of something to throw Sunny off the trail. ¡°A dumb coincidence,¡± Ren said. Ren and Sunny locked eyes. He knew that stare from a mile away. Ren glanced at Maxis, and thankfully, Maxis appeared to get the hint. She didn¡¯t believe a word that was coming out of his mouth. ¡°I think Ren¡¯s right. Probably not,¡± Maxis said before draining the rest of his beer. ¡°How come?¡± Sunny asked. ¡°Well, trains got gasoline and all kinds of other colorful black gunk around,¡± Ren explained. ¡°It would make sense that the stuff is around an accident like that.¡± Ren caught Maxis rolling his eyes. He had no idea why, but he decided to keep going with it. ¡°There¡¯s no way the two things have anything to do with each other.¡± Sunny hummed and stared at her shoes as she rocked back and forth in thought. Hopefully, Ren¡¯s words would be enough to deter her. Maxis flicked his head toward a nearby pool table. ¡°Wanna play?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Ren stood up and made his way over. ¡°I¡¯m feelin¡¯ restless, anyway.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new arm, man,¡± Maxis said, following him. ¡°That thing startin¡¯ to feel natural at all, by the way?¡± ¡°Yeah, oddly enough.¡± Ren rolled his shoulder and grabbed a pool cue from the rack behind the table. ¡°Starting to feel like it belongs to me. And hey, the Jitter Mark isn¡¯t there anymore, so I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it, bro.¡± Maxis grabbed a cue of his own and rubbed the tip with a block of chalk before tossing it to Ren. ¡°I don¡¯t need this.¡± ¡°You know how it is. Dad¡¯s rules. Don¡¯t let him catch you not usin¡¯ it.¡± Ren sighed and chalked the end of his cue before placing it on the table''s edge. ¡°How you wanna do this?¡± ¡°Standard stuff, I guess. Banking a ball earns a point. Double if you wanna call a shot.¡± Ren cricked his neck to the side. A game of Pool was just what he needed. Chapter 9: Cue Chalk Ren clicked his heel against the wall behind him while Maxis set up the game. Calling a shot had become a regular rule between the two. Ren learned when they were kids that Maxis was a very competitive person. Not that Ren was complaining. He was happy to accept a challenge. After a while, though, it became clear that whoever went first usually won the game. It was rare that either of them missed their shots. So, to make the game more interesting, they allowed the players to call shots. Bank the ball in a called hole, and you¡¯d double your points. There was a catch, though. Sink the eight-ball and buy the other a drink. ¡°Scales tell ya when he¡¯ll get results back?¡± Maxis asked as he dragged the balls to the center of the table using the rack. ¡°Nah. Vague as ever.¡± Ren clicked his tongue. ¡°Probably gonna take him decades if he¡¯s complaining about a little bit of spit in his sample. Maxis paused, frowning. ¡°Spit? That¡¯s what contaminated it?¡± ¡°Yeah, I had to use my soda cup to collect the stuff.¡± Maxis¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s upset.¡± ¡°You kidding me? You¡¯re taking his side? It¡¯s all I had on me!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t take anyone¡¯s side. Besides, you knew you were going back. You didn¡¯t think to grab some other container on the way?¡± Maxis lifted the triangle off the deck and walked to the side opposite Ren to line his shot. ¡°That was pretty stupid of you.¡± Ren groaned. ¡°Okay, whatever, fuck you too, man.¡± Maxis snickered, and the balls scattered with his shot. It¡¯d become a bit of an unspoken rule between the two of them that Maxis would start by splitting the stack. Of the two of them, Maxis had a minor advantage. Ren chalked it up to being the son of a bar owner. Sunny perched on a nearby sofa closer to the pool table, watching with bright eyes and a wide smile. She much enjoyed watching them go at it for a bit. ¡°Your move.¡± Maxis let the cue slide down his hand so the fat end hit the floor. He grabbed a chalk stuck in a small groove beneath the table and rubbed it against the tip before blowing it off. ¡°Scales seems a lot more uptight lately,¡± Ren commented and leaned forward to get a better view of the balls. He tilted his head from one side to the other, his eye on the striped ten-ball. Ahead of it was the striped thirteen-ball. A smirk stretched wide across his face. ¡°Thirteen, left corner pocket.¡± He pointed at the hole. ¡°Calling shots already?¡± Maxis scoffed. ¡°You know me.¡± ¡°Yeah, damn fool you are.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Ren pushed against the inside of his cheek with his tongue, clamping down it gently with his molars. He shifted the cue between his index and thumb fingers, holding his breath. Tonk! The ball soared across the table, clipping the thirteen-ball with a clack and ricocheting between the walls of the right-most corner. The thirteen-ball moved steadily and clunked into the corner as Ren had predicted. ¡°Booya, bitch!¡± Ren cried. ¡°One ball and you¡¯re already on the ropes.¡± "This is just the beginning, bucko,¡± Maxis growled as he observed the table. ¡°Scales was really mad, then?¡± Sunny asked. ¡°Oh yeah. Dude¡¯s too uptight, for real. I mean, it¡¯s just a bit of spit. He knows it¡¯s from me, doesn¡¯t he have like, my DNA already or something? Should be easy to sort out if he¡¯s as great as he claims. Maybe he¡¯s a sham after all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite that easy.¡± Maxis regarded Ren with an incredulous shake of his head. ¡°Maxis,¡± came a voice from the stairs. It was Sigg¡ªMaxis¡¯s father. He motioned with his head. ¡°Come here. I need to talk to you for a moment.¡± Maxis sighed and set his pool cue against the wall. ¡°Duty calls. Be right back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll watch your balls for you,¡± Ren said, laughing. Maxis followed his dad up the stairs, and Ren leaned against the wall, sighing. ¡°How are you holding up, Sunny?¡± It¡¯d been a while since they discussed the fight with the Lurker. Ren knew Sunny was a tough cookie, but even she choked up occasionally. What she went through to get him back would¡¯ve scarred any kid her age. He wanted to make sure she was okay. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Sunny looked down at her feet, taking her time to respond. ¡°I¡¯m doing fine.¡± The tone of her voice said she wasn¡¯t being entirely truthful with him, but Ren knew better than to pry when it came to Sunny¡¯s emotions. Her father¡¯s circumstances were still a sensitive topic and probably would be for years to come. Ren regretted that the Lurker discussion likely brought up some awful memories. ¡°Well, uh,¡± Ren scratched the back of his neck, ¡°if you ever need to talk to someone, I mean¡­ I¡¯m here. If you need it.¡± Ren¡¯s cheeks began to burn, and even he knew it had nothing to do with the alcohol. Man, why am I so bad at offering emotional support? That shit was too complicated. What good did it do to dwell on stuff that was in the past, anyhow? They were here now, living and going through the motions. Best to live in the present and take things as they come. Bad shit happened to good people all the time. So, he vowed to try and smile any chance he got. No matter what. Sunny offered him a bewildered stare. Damn it, he must¡¯ve come off like a fool. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Sunny said. ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Ren said, and flashed her a smile. ¡°Hey, guys, sorry about that,¡± Maxis said, descending back down the stairs with a fresh new beer in his hands, scrolling through something on his phone. He took a swig and breathed a sigh of relief. His face was noticeably redder than it had been before he left. ¡°That hits the spot. Too much goin¡¯ on lately, man.¡± ¡°What was that about?¡± Ren asked. ¡°Eh,¡± Maxis shrugged his shoulders, glancing at Sunny. ¡°Weird shit goin¡¯ on with the bar is all.¡± ¡°You mean besides the shootout,¡± Ren said with dripping sarcasm. ¡°Oh, shut up.¡± Maxis paused, his gaze nailed to Sunny. ¡°Eh, I guess Sunny¡¯s seen plenty of this action already, so it couldn¡¯t hurt to tell ya. Our shipment was late. Not by just an hour or two, either. We¡¯re talkin¡¯ days. Had no idea what happened until just today. Well¡­ they found the shipment around Scarrow¡¯s End near the outskirts of the city. Come to find out, the driver was torn to shreds.¡± ¡°The fuck? Like, ripped apart?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Maxis scoffed, ¡°and it gets worse. Take a look at these.¡± ¡°I dunno if I wanna see that,¡± Ren flinched. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. These were taken after it was cleaned up.¡± Maxis and Ren leaned closer while he scrolled through the pictures of the attack. ¡°Wild, right? Holes were ripped out of the side of the truck. Huge claw marks everywhere, so they think it might be some big Lurker similar to the one you two encountered.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Workin¡¯ theory, anyway. This is the third time it¡¯s happened in a week.¡± Ren furrowed his brow and drew back. ¡°Shit, you¡¯ve lost three shipments?¡± ¡°Oh, no, not us,¡± Maxis corrected as he pocketed his phone. ¡°This is the first time this shit¡¯s happened to us.¡± He took another drink of his beer and nearly tripped over an imperfection in the floor. Catching his balance, he went over to his pool cue and grabbed it with his free hand. ¡°Third time in the district. We ain¡¯t the only ones with this problem. Seems like it¡¯s only happening to shipments with meat. Bastard must be hungry. ¡°So, Dad¡¯s talkin¡¯ how we should start armin¡¯ the drivers just in case this happens again.¡± Maxis sniffed. ¡°But this is the first time this sorta thing has happened to us. Really jumpin¡¯ the gun as far as I¡¯m concerned. Gettin¡¯ them armed and trained, and makin¡¯ sure it still fits under the clause of our insurance policies and¡­ man, it¡¯s just too much work to think about, ya know? We got enough shit goin¡¯ on as it is.¡± ¡°Whoa, hold on now. The Lurker I fought off was reported by a handful of dumbass teenagers only a day after an incident. How the fuck is something like that staying hidden for so long?¡± Ren asked. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone know what this asshole looks like by now? Or where it hangs out? Nobody snapped a picture or a video or anything?¡± ¡°I dunno, man.¡± Maxis sighed and walked up to the opposite side of the pool table. ¡°Just reportin¡¯ as Dad¡¯s tellin¡¯ it to me. I don¡¯t know much more than you do. Was my turn, yeah?¡± ¡°Uhhh.¡± Ren couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Yeah, I think.¡± Maxis lined up his shot as he spoke. ¡°Cops found the stuff, though, at least. The missing shipment, I mean. It¡¯s gone bad, obviously, and most of it was eaten anyway, so I guess that¡¯s a loss. But since these events are gettin¡¯ more common, I¡¯m wagerin¡¯ it¡¯s just a matter of time until someone catches up with it. Usually, they¡¯re pretty good about this stuff.¡± ¡°Was the shipment near the Cinderwoods? Where Ren and I fought?¡± Sunny asked. Maxis glanced at her and smiled. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. The Cinderwoods. That place is gettin¡¯ even more dangerous to walk around in lately.¡± Ren rolled the pool cue between his hands as he pondered the situation. Was it a coincidence? The Lurker he fought was fiercer than what he usually dealt with, and much closer to civilization too. Normally they know to steer clear of populated areas. But the event wasn¡¯t strange enough that Ren could call it a unique incident. Sure, Lurkers like that were rare, but they weren¡¯t unheard of. Still, though, Ren thought as he observed his new arm, why do I have this nagging feeling? ¡°Don¡¯t let it worry you,¡± Maxis continued. ¡°They¡¯ll catch the Lurker eventually.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Ren said. Maxis took his shot, and the ball glided across the table at a gentle pace. It bounced between a pair of striped balls, landing in the same corner pocket Ren had scored in only minutes ago. ¡°How¡¯s that for a called shot?¡± Maxis said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Ren muttered, lost in thought. ¡°Wait, what the hell, man? That wasn¡¯t a called shot. Don¡¯t start cheating.¡± ¡°Yeah, it was.¡± Maxis laughed. ¡°You¡¯re just not payin¡¯ attention is all. Like usual.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯m gonna trust the word of a stumbling drunk ass like you,¡± Ren snapped. ¡°Sounds like the talk of a loser. Why don¡¯t we make this more interestin¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah. Why don¡¯t we?¡± Ren reached into his pocket and slapped down enough cash for a few drinks. ¡°Why don¡¯t you put your money where your mouth is, cheater?¡± Maxis clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯re in for a world of hurt.¡± Chapter 10: Her Sword Sunny walked the school halls with a sense of determination in her chest. Despite what Ren, Maxis, or anyone else would think of her, she¡¯d have to investigate the event behind these trucks. The connections were too similar and too consistent. Ren may have meant well, but could never fool Sunny. She¡¯d spent most of her life around trains, and there wasn¡¯t a single part of the locomotives with such a peculiar-looking fluid in its engines. Of that, she was certain. Wandering memories of Papa resurfaced in Sunny¡¯s mind. His warm smile and captivating voice were just as fresh as when she rode with him on the trains. There was a pause in her step, and then shook her head. She couldn¡¯t spend time thinking about him. Not right now. Not when there was such a strong lead before her that could lead her to the reason for his death. Sunny would need to be exceptionally careful. She couldn¡¯t put Ren in danger. Especially after what happened to his arm. Even if she were to come to him with the problem, there was no way Ren or June would let her investigate this matter. If she wanted to figure it out, she would need to remain quiet. With all other avenues explored, there was but a single person she could trust. Not to mention that he could be terrifying in the right circumstances. ¡°Benji,¡± Sunny said, catching her best friend as he exited the boy¡¯s restroom. ¡°I need to talk to you.¡± The teal-eyed boy blinked, gaping. ¡°Uh, sure. What¡¯s this about? Did I do something wrong?¡± Sunny shook her head. ¡°No. Come with me.¡± She instantly snatched up his hand and led him outside to the bleachers where nobody could hear them. She continued when she was sure it was just the two of them. ¡°I got a big score.¡± Benji blinked. ¡°Uh, what? What are we talking about?¡± Sunny paused, bowing her head. ¡°On my papa¡¯s accident,¡± she whispered. Benji gasped, his eyes widening. ¡°No way. What did you find out?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ umm¡­ promise you won¡¯t laugh?¡± Benji stuck out his pinky. ¡°Promise.¡± The two wrapped their pinky fingers around one another, smiling warmly. ¡°Tell me.¡± Sunny adored Benji. Of all the kids she knew at school, he was the one she could trust most. He was a timid boy, roughly a year younger than she was. Like her, he usually got picked on by the other kids for the way he dressed. An old basket hung from his elbow. It was shaped like a pumpkin and colored a vibrant mix of dark blue and black. At some point, Benji had cut the eyes and mouth out so he could occasionally wear it as a mask. Oftentimes, he wore it if he was struggling with something. This would invite further ridicule, and Sunny took the chance to stand up for him whenever she saw it happen. Unlike many of the other kids, he had a sense of fashion that resembled her own. He had a bowl cut, though it was a bit unruly compared to what Sunny usually saw. Benji wore a varsity jacket, blue shorts, and dark blue boots that looked black in the proper lighting. An eyepatch was strapped over his left eye. Occasionally, Sunny wondered if Benji still had an eye under there or if it was simply for show. She abstained from asking, especially since it was a constant source of ridicule for Benji. He earned the nickname Patchy, so Sunny had to assume the eyepatch was an item of necessity. ¡°Thanks, Benji. I knew I could count on you,¡± Sunny said. ¡°There¡¯s so much to tell you.¡± Sunny released her pinky from Benji¡¯s grasp and clasped her hands behind her. ¡°Remember when I told you there was some strange rainbow-colored liquid at my dad¡¯s accident?¡± Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Benji nodded. ¡°Yeah, I remember.¡± ¡°Ren mentioned that he found some of the same stuff where he and I fought a Lurker. I snuck a glance at some pictures Ren and Maxis were looking at, and the same stuff has been seen in some attacks as well.¡± Benji drew a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re joking. You¡¯re sure it¡¯s the same, though?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gotta be, right? I mean, I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s true, but¡­ are you sure? I don¡¯t like to doubt you when you find these things, but did you get a good look?¡± Sunny contemplated telling a white lie but shook her head at the thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t get a good look,¡± she admitted. When Benji frowned, she continued. ¡°But really! It¡¯s gotta be the same stuff! It¡¯s not just that, either! There¡¯s claw marks, meat problems, all the same events line up!¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa,¡± Benji said, putting his hands up, ¡°let¡¯s slow down. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening. I¡¯m confused.¡± Sunny sighed. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m just excited to finally find something that could tell me what happened to my papa. I know these events have something to do with each other.¡± ¡°Start from the beginning, then.¡± Benji smiled. ¡°Retrace your steps, Sunny.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit of a long story,¡± Sunny said with a nervous laugh. Sometimes Sunny wondered if she and Benji were more adult than Ren and his friends. Benji didn¡¯t seem to think anything bad of them, but still, she liked to look the part of a mature girl whenever he was around. If she told him Ren and, especially Maxis, were drunk when she saw it, then that could call into question her judgment. ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Benji shrugged. ¡°But school is going to start pretty soon. Why don¡¯t we wait until lunchtime? I don¡¯t wanna get in trouble again.¡± ¡°Oh, right! Sorry!¡± When she thought of everyone else listening in on their conversation, Sunny hummed and shook her head. ¡°Actually¡­ let¡¯s plan a sleepover and talk about it then.¡± Benji blinked. ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Sunny grabbed Benji¡¯s hand and scurried back to the classrooms with him in tow just as the bell rang. I got an idea. Sunny marched to the cafeteria with a confident step in her stride. She struggled with the images of her father¡¯s accident. They served as a reminder that justice was seldom wrought. The more she thought about it, the more her impatience grew. Sunny shook her head, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. There¡¯d be time for that later. Right now, Benji needed to hear her out. The cafeteria was a large room spanning the size of at least a dozen classrooms packed side by side. Students hustled from one table to the next. Some carried trays, while others brought along lunches packed by their parents. Sunny¡¯s shoes squeaked against the white-and-black tile, her lunch packed in a brown paper bag, courtesy of June. ¡°We have to be quiet,¡± Sunny said, plopping her bag on the foldout table. Benji blinked twice and nodded before Sunny took a seat beside him. Benji took a bite of his green apple, chewing on it while Sunny continued. ¡°I have a plan to see Papa avenged.¡± Her cheeks pinked. Benji was no stranger to her words but was wise enough to know that speaking about her father so outwardly and fondly was still difficult for her. She¡¯d learned most kids referred to their fathers as ¡®Dad¡¯ or ¡®Daddy.¡¯ ¡°Whatever it is, we¡¯ll do it,¡± Benji said as he swallowed the shred of apple. ¡°Uhh, got an idea?¡± ¡°I do, but it¡¯s going to be dangerous, I think. But we¡¯ll be fine!¡± Sunny was quick to emphasize their capabilities. Benji was strong, much stronger than people realized. There was a stoicism about him that Sunny knew she could depend on. Benji raised the brow of his good eye. ¡°You¡¯re kinda worrying me. Are you sure about this?¡± Sunny nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Yes! I just¡­ can¡¯t talk about it here.¡± Benji looked to his left, then to his right. ¡°Umm, so then what do we do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s plan a sleepover.¡± When Benji frowned, Sunny continued and nervously threw her hands between her legs. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them I¡¯m going to your house, and¡ª¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll say I¡¯m going to your house,¡± Benji completed. ¡°Oldest trick in the book,¡± he smiled. ¡°I dunno, though¡­ June seems like she¡¯d catch on to that.¡± Sunny shook her head. ¡°She won¡¯t. I promise.¡± Chapter 11: Baiting the Hook Two days later, Sunny waited at a corner a few blocks from where Benji lived, her backpack filled with assorted meat. Never had she imagined that meat would be so expensive with the allowance June gave her each week. She struggled to imagine how Ren and June could afford such luxuries. As her heart pounded against her chest with anticipation, she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, hoping it would help alleviate the stress she felt in her veins. It did little to abate it. ¡°C¡¯mon, Benji,¡± Sunny quietly whined to herself. ¡°I can¡¯t do this without you.¡± Seconds later, Benji appeared at the opposite end of the street, a backpack over one shoulder and his signature Halloween basket curled around the bend of his arm. He offered a gentle wave as he jogged his way over to her. Sunny could feel the tension in her shoulders subside, and she breathed a sigh of relief as he approached. ¡°Wait long?¡± Benji asked. ¡°Nope!¡± Sunny shook her head. ¡°Was your dad okay about our sleepover?¡± Benji¡¯s gaze veered. ¡°Yeah. He seemed to buy it, at least.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll look into it.¡± He lowered his voice. ¡°It¡¯s still taking some getting used to, having a dad and all. It¡¯s hard not to feel like he just decided to show up when it was convenient for him.¡± He wrung his hands. ¡°Sorry.¡± Sunny knew better than to pry when it came to Benji¡¯s father. Benji had just met his dad months ago, so the two were still struggling to build a relationship. Regardless of the matter, his dad seemed to trust Ren and June, so Sunny tried not to think about it too much, as she would quickly spiral down into thoughts about her own dad. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Let¡¯s go over the plan,¡± Sunny said, hoping to change the subject. Benji smiled wryly. ¡°Yeah.¡± Sunny and Benji weren¡¯t dumb enough to put their plan into action so close to Benji¡¯s home. Moving a mile down the street, Sunny and Benji came to a portion of the neighborhood where the city met the forest. Hiding in an alleyway across the border, the two children kneeled and set their backpacks against the wall. ¡°How much did you get?¡± Sunny asked, unzipping her pack. ¡°Not much,¡± Benji groaned. ¡°Dad doesn¡¯t cook a lot, so there wasn¡¯t a bunch in there that was too great.¡± He procured a box of frozen Salisbury steak. Sunny gagged. ¡°Still eat that stuff?¡± Benji¡¯s stare veered away from Sunny. ¡°S-Sometimes. I-I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that bad though.¡± He flushed, and Sunny smiled. ¡°Or is it?¡± ¡°If you like it, you like it,¡± Sunny said easily. ¡°I hate it. June cooked it once, and my stomach hurt the whole night.¡± ¡°So¡­ June doesn¡¯t cook it anymore, is that right?¡± Benji¡¯s tone bordered on the edge of uncertainty and accusation as if he was always afraid of making claims that might offend someone. He scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Unless I¡¯m, uh, projecting? Is that what they call it?¡± Sunny smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not projecting. I don¡¯t think so, anyway.¡± She flipped her backpack upside down and poured the contents onto the ground. ¡°I¡¯m pretty proud of my haul.¡± ¡°Uhh.¡± Benji frowned. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t think this was overdoing it?¡±Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Overdoing it?¡± Sunny tilted her head. A week¡¯s worth of food was resting on the ground. Expensive ribeye cuts, bone-in pork chop, chicken, and even some fish could be seen among the pile. ¡°Well¡­ not my house, but I¡¯d be wondering where all the food is if I just opened my fridge and saw all the meat was gone.¡± Benji seemed nervous. His fingers tightened around the rim of his bag, and his stare was intense. ¡°What if they find out?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t! Really, you¡¯re worrying too much. Ren and June won¡¯t think anything of it.¡± Benji didn¡¯t seem convinced but nodded his head. ¡°If you say so.¡± ¡°So here¡¯s the plan,¡± she said, wanting to get started as soon as possible. ¡°We¡¯re going to leave some food over there,¡± Sunny said, pointing at the forest¡¯s border. ¡°The Lurker is going to come out, and we¡¯re going to snatch him up in a trap!¡± Sunny emphasized her remark by pounding the bottom of one fist against her palm. ¡°Then we¡¯ll pleesate him, and I¡¯ll avenge Papa.¡± Benji¡¯s eyes wandered. ¡°Uh, okay. But, isn¡¯t it, uhm, placate? What¡¯s pleesate?¡± Sunny¡¯s face turned beet-red. ¡°O-O-Of course, I knew that! Yes, placate! J-Just slip of the tongue, ehehe.¡± Sunny bowed her head forward and looked away. ¡°A-Anyway! That¡¯s it. That¡¯s the plan.¡± A soft laugh escaped Benji¡¯s lips. ¡°You still didn¡¯t explain what you meant by the claw marks and other stuff.¡± Sunny played with a strand of her hair, curling it around her pointer finger. ¡°When¡­ my papa¡¯s accident happened, they found a bunch liquid that was black and had a rainbow of colors if you looked at it the right way.¡± She drew a deep breath. ¡°The same stuff Ren found when I and him hunted down the one Lurker. I know you know that, but the same claw marks were on the trucks delivering meat to Sigg¡¯s bar. I saw them.¡± The two locked eyes. ¡°All of the same events line up, Benji. It can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡± Benji held his stare for a time before speaking. ¡°And you think we can trap this thing?¡± He sighed. ¡°I dunno, Sunny. I, uh, kinda think this might be a bad idea.¡± Benji crossed his legs and wrapped his arms around his Halloween basket. ¡°I wanna help, but you don¡¯t think it¡¯s best to tell Ren and June instead?¡± ¡°Ren has no reason to find these things. He would want to help me, I know he would! But there¡¯s a lot going on, and after our last Lurker involvement, he¡¯s been more¡­ well, careful.¡± ¡°I guess that makes sense,¡± Benji mumbled. ¡°Please, Benji!¡± Sunny clapped her hands together and bowed her head as if she were in prayer. ¡°I need you for this! With your ability, I know things will work out!¡± ¡°Hey, hey, easy there,¡± he said with a nervous laugh, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. Just wanna make sure you think this is the right thing to do.¡± Sunny raised her head. ¡°Without a doubt.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll stick around. We can take on one Lurker.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you.¡± Sunny started to pick up one package after the next, their contents still ice-cold to the touch. As she stood up, Benji grabbed her by the rim of her jacket. ¡°Wait. Let¡¯s try and cook ¡®em.¡± Sunny frowned. ¡°But all the attacks were on frozen shipments.¡± ¡°Yeah, but those are rare if you think about it. There are thousands of trucks driving around, so we need a way to stick out from the rest,¡± Benji argued. ¡°If we cook the meat, then maybe they¡¯ll come to us instead of them.¡± Sunny wasn¡¯t convinced, but what harm could it do? ¡°But we don¡¯t have a grill or anything.¡± Benji smirked and tapped at his cheekbone. Oftentimes, Benji used his Jitter to freeze things, but it was just as helpful in heating situations up when the time called for it. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Sunny asked. Chlorine Eyes, as Benji liked to call it, was best used in short bursts. It was potent, able to drastically alter an area¡¯s core temperature within seconds. Like most Jitters, it had a nasty side effect to it as well. The side effect was a sensitive subject to Benji, and Sunny didn¡¯t like to push him. All she knew was that it was difficult for him to deal with. He often spent the time afterward crying. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to unless you have to.¡± Benji shrugged. ¡°It won¡¯t do anything major if I¡¯m quick about it. Let¡¯s tear open the packages and cook it at the forest¡¯s edge.¡± ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s do it!¡± After all of the meat was unpackaged and set at the forest¡¯s edge, they retreated to the alleyway. Benji pointed at the meat from across the street and within seconds, the smell of barbecued meat filled the air. Chapter 12: Chlorine Eyes Hours passed. Sunny sat in the alleyway with her legs pulled close to her chest. It was nearing 10 P.M., and she was beginning to drift off. Benji snored beside her, drool wetting her jacket sleeve. ¡°No, I want the last slice of cheesecake,¡± Benji mumbled in his sleep. Sunny giggled. Goodness, was she tired. It¡¯d be so easy to¡ª No! Sunny slapped her cheeks. You gotta stay awake! For Papa! The rustling of leaves caught Sunny¡¯s attention, and adrenaline woke up her limbs. A gasp escaped her lips as something crawled out from the bushes. She couldn¡¯t fully make it out due to it hiding in the darkness, but it had four legs. ¡°Benji, Benji,¡± Sunny whispered as she shook her friend. ¡°Wake up! It¡¯s here!¡± ¡°Hah? But the chee¡ª¡± His voice caught and his muscles tensed. ¡°Holy crap, it¡¯s there. W-What do you wanna do?¡± ¡°What else?¡± Sunny rose to her feet, her hands clenched. ¡°We take it out.¡± The air was cool and humid. Street lamps kept the mostly empty road decently lit with dim luminescence, except for a few dark spots that the light couldn¡¯t reach. Behind the park bench was the Lurker she¡¯d been after; it had to be. They¡¯d need to be careful. No one would be coming to their rescue if anything happened. Not at this hour. ¡°I can handle this,¡± Sunny said. ¡°Only help if something goes wrong.¡± ¡°Only? You never mentioned this!¡± Sunny glanced at Benji over her shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to use Chlorine Eyes unless you have to.¡± Sunny withdrew a kitchen knife from the pouch on her backpack, clenching it in her right hand. ¡°I got this.¡± Wings sprouted from between Sunny¡¯s shoulder blades. She squatted down momentarily before jumping to help grant her the initial boost of speed and airtime she needed. This fight would need to end quickly and cleanly. Once her wings were gone, she¡¯d be a sitting duck. Benji was a last resort. With the blade held at her side, Sunny rose higher and higher, intending to swoop down like a hawk and tear the beast¡¯s throat out in a single slash. She¡¯d done it plenty of times before when hunting with Ren. This time would be no different. Once she¡¯d risen a few dozen feet over the tops of the trees, she narrowed in on her target¡ªa small dark blip on the ground, occasionally moving its head to gorge itself on the delicious meats Benji had roasted. Sunny drew three short breaths, then nosedived. The wind felt terrific against her ears¡ªnatural, even. Below was her victim, and she was the bird of prey. Sunny repositioned the blade in front of her, the point held outward, at last recognizing the shape of her target. The Lurker walked on four legs, low to the ground. Black scales covered a creature with eyes protruding in a circle around its body where its shoulders should¡¯ve been. It reached out with one of its clawed feet, wrapping its slender fingers around the prime rib and guiding it to one of its two pointed snouts. The snouts lay atop one another like two sets of jaws. Bone crunched and shattered between the creature¡¯s pointed teeth. Sunny swooped in, making a radical turn moments before hitting the ground. She was mere inches above the ground and proceeding at an alarming speed.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The Lurker whipped its head around toward Sunny, reeling back as she soared past it. Sunny tumbled past the bushes, quickly redirecting her momentum to the Lurker. A bizarre bark escaped the creature¡¯s throat. It was hollow and sounded like someone was saying ¡®Oh!¡¯ repeatedly. Sunny flew at the creature again, and the Lurker dodged, lowering its head to the ground. A forked tongue ran out of the reptile-like creature¡¯s bottom jaw, an unnerving hiss filling the air. Sunny hovered above the ground. Knowing that hesitation would be her downfall, she swiped at the beast from the right, then the left. She knew nothing of knifeplay, only what she¡¯d seen on TV. It was much more challenging than it looked, and her energy was quickly leaving. Beads of sweat dripped off the edge of her brow, and she began to pant. It wouldn¡¯t be long before her stamina was spent. ¡°Damn it, just die!¡± Sunny let out a frustrated scream, holding the knife¡¯s grip with both hands and driving the blade forward. Leaping to its side, the Lurker wrapped its long, black tongue around her torso and threw the weight of its body backward, sending her along with it. Her body hit the ground, and the knife went flying into the bushes behind her. ¡°Sunny!¡± Benji cried. ¡°No! Not yet!¡± Sunny yelled before grabbing the Lurker¡¯s tongue and biting into it with her teeth. It was nothing like she¡¯d expected. Tiny pin pricks like furry cactus needles draped across leather lined the creature¡¯s tongue. Biting into it was like munching on glass-covered rubber. Sunny yelped and coughed before the creature slammed her against the ground a second time. ¡°My wings! Stop!¡± An angry snarl hissed between the teeth of the Lurker as it spun in a half-circle, releasing Sunny from its tongue and sending her smack against a nearby tree. A sickening crunch echoed among the trees like a clap in the air as Sunny cried out for help. Sunny¡¯s entire body trembled as she reached behind her with one hand. One of her precious wings had snapped off. She felt where the wing used to be, disturbed by the sight of it beside her. Her teeth chattered as the leaves rustled in front of her. Her snapped-off wing was flaking and rising into the air as if someone had set fire to it. The Lurker was drawing closer, eager to make her its next meal. There was no fight left. No flight left. All that remained was fear. ¡°Help! Please, help me!¡± Sunny bellowed. The Lurker suddenly yelped and turned around in a flash, scraping its front claw against the dirt. Just past the creature, Sunny could see Benji. He¡¯d put the Halloween basket over his head¡ªone of the last things he had left of his mother. Benji bowed his head forward slightly, his eyes unseen. ¡°Get away from her, you monster,¡± Benji hissed. The Lurker growled and snapped its top jaw before running toward the boy. The air around Sunny and the Lurker grew cold. And then one of the Lurker¡¯s arms fell off¡ªits right hind leg. The Lurker fell to its right, whimpering and hollering. Its left foreleg fell off next. Then its course changed. No longer did it desire Benji¡¯s blood. It desired survival. The beast began to scrape its way to the side with its remaining legs. As Sunny watched, she observed the eerie blue-green fluid that dripped across Benji¡¯s mask whenever he used his Jitter. Benji slowly approached the creature. The crying and sniffling that Sunny had come to associate with Benji¡¯s Jitter emanated from out of his mask. Sunny swallowed hard, watching as the Lurker went still before shattering into hundreds of pieces of frozen flesh moments later. Benji sobbed as he stumbled toward Sunny¡¯s direction and fell to his knees. Sunny began to cry as well, standing and falling with each attempt to approach him. Benji removed the basket from his head, wiping what remained of his tears from the empty socket where his eyepatch normally was. His lips were pulled into a straight line, and his good eye was bloodshot. Sunny found the strength to stand at last, and shakily rose to her feet. Sunny pulled Benji into a tight embrace. ¡°W-We need to get out of here,¡± Sunny said. Benji didn¡¯t speak. He rocked back and forth, and Sunny felt him nod. But as the two supported each other on the way back to the alleyway, a series of growls and snarls followed them. Sunny and Benji turned around to see no fewer than a dozen of the same creature Benji had killed just seconds ago. The air left Sunny¡¯s lungs, and the two began to sob. This was it; there was no getting out of this one. Running would do them no good, and Benji couldn¡¯t take on a dozen of these things. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± Sunny cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Benji sniffled, his chest rising and falling rapidly. A rough wind blew past them, and they shut their eyes. Sunny¡¯s strength left her, and as they fell to the grass together, something swooped her up. The sensation of falling and jumping swept over her skin, and as she opened her eyes, she gasped. The world was whisking past her. Something soft and furry cradled her, and she blinked rapidly to see that Benji was resting in something large and claw-like. ¡°What just happened?¡± Chapter 13: Shreds By the time Sunny could acknowledge what was happening, she was across the street where she and Benji had been waiting minutes prior. Sunny looked over her shoulder to see a set of razor-sharp teeth and two large, beady yellow eyes. ¡°Ahh!¡± Sunny squealed. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Sunny!¡± Benji said. ¡°I think it¡¯s here to help us.¡± ¡°Down,¡± the beast snarled. ¡°Safe.¡± The strange being set Sunny and Benji down before returning to leap into the fray with the Lurkers. ¡°W-What is that thing?¡± Sunny stammered. ¡®Werewolf¡¯ was the first word that came to mind as Sunny observed the Denizen. Long brown fur covered the beast from head to toe. It wore a tattered gray hoodie and black shorts that cut just above the knee. A long tail extended from the end of its spine, swaying side to side as it entered combat with the herd of Lurkers. Of all the weird things about the Denizen, however, what really caught her eye was the tombstone it carried on its back. ¡°What if we¡¯re next?¡± Sunny trembled, the adrenaline in her veins dulling the pain around her shoulder blade. ¡°I don¡¯t think we are,¡± Benji said as he put his eyepatch back on. ¡°It had a chance to kill us. Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier to run away?¡± It was becoming more and more difficult to form words. Sunny replied with a shaky ¡°Uh-huh,¡± her eyes glued to the fight¡ªno, a fight was how one described two combatants going toe to toe with weapons or their fists. It was a bloodbath. The beast howled as if it reveled in every second spent drawing blood and flesh from its next target. One minute the creature would pin a Lurker to a tree with one of its obsidian-black claws. The next, its head would be flying into the air. Park benches and nearby buildings were painted in scarlet, the creature¡¯s attention never on Sunny or Benji for more than a split second. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Benji asked. Sunny struggled to answer, mortified by the amount of blood she was seeing. ¡°H-H-Hear what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a whisper. A song? No¡­ I can¡¯t make it out, it¡¯s too loud over there.¡± Sunny shut her eyes and tried to listen. Perhaps it would help alleviate her pain and the horror she observed. After a time, she could hear it too. It was sporadic, with no particular rhyme or melody. Benji was right¡ªit did sound like a song. At least, at first, it did. But as Sunny listened, it started to sound less like a melody and more like someone was speaking into a cup. Just as Sunny felt she was beginning to understand it, the sound became haphazard again. Meanwhile, the slaughter continued. One of the Lurkers bit the forearm of the werewolf. Blood oozed out, and the werewolf roared, spittle spraying from its fanged teeth. Tearing the beast away from its wound with seemingly no effort, it spun on its heel, swinging the Lurker like a club and knocking two more of the advancing creatures away into a nearby wall. The beasts hit the wall with a crunch, splattering blood and brain matter onto the structure until collapsing to the ground.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this thing?¡± Sunny asked, her eyes growing wide. There¡¯d been a lot of blood when Ren lost his arm, but that was nothing compared to this. What they were watching was no better than a meat grinder. Sunny could barely watch when the werewolf started to dismantle the bodies and use their limbs as makeshift baseball bats. ¡°Benji, this isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Sunny,¡± Benji said, grabbing both of Sunny¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I know this is hard to watch. I don¡¯t like it either. But if we run, and even a single one of those things follows us¡­ we¡¯re dead.¡± Benji bowed his head and swallowed hard. ¡°We have to stay here. It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Safe?¡± Sunny squeaked, tears falling down the sides of her cheeks. ¡°Look at what it¡¯s doing. It¡¯s not just killing them! It¡¯s tearing them into pieces! The thing¡¯s a butcher!¡± Sunny struggled to think of things to say. What else was there to say? All they could do was watch this thing tear every Lurker apart and hope they wouldn¡¯t be next. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine,¡± Benji said. Sunny shook her head. Did Benji believe the words he was speaking? Was he saying that to convince himself? ¡°G!¡± a feminine voice cried. The werewolf turned to face Sunny and Benji, and as the children raised their heads, two more Lurkers were galloping in their direction. They¡¯d barely had enough time to gasp before the werewolf leaped into the air and came crashing down on both of them, one beneath each foot. For a moment, Sunny thought she sensed a hint of civility in the creature. It bore cat eyes, its pupils long and thin. Its hair was equal parts black and blue, tied into matching braids that flanked its cheeks. It briefly regarded her with curiosity before stepping off the Lurkers and pulling each one up to eye level by their snouts. The werewolf turned around, smashing the two Lurker¡¯s heads together, spraying blood and viscera onto the streets. Only a couple remained. Pinning one of the dead Lurkers with its foot, the werewolf tore a hind leg from the body, marching toward the remaining beasts with slow and heavy footsteps. The severed limb dripped with life¡¯s essence, droplets landing on the friendly werewolf¡¯s feet periodically. With a single swing of the Lurker¡¯s severed leg, the werewolf sent the two remaining creatures soaring into the park bench. The bench snapped like a bundle of toothpicks, scattering wood and splinters. One had died instantly, but the other was limping away. ¡°No,¡± the werewolf growled. The ground trembled as it made its way over to the Lurker, sweeping up it with its spare hand and holding it at eye level. A puff of hot air escaped the deepest regions of its throat as it growled. The Lurker snapped its jaws in retaliation shortly before the werewolf threw it to the ground. ¡°What is it doing now?¡± Sunny asked as she fell to her knees. The pain in her back was returning, and the sight was becoming too difficult to bear. Stomping on the gut of the Lurker, the werewolf tore the head from the creature¡¯s body, blood pouring freely onto the grass as he held it up. A sickening smile twisted the lips of the werewolf as he muttered a single phrase. ¡°Batter up.¡± He tossed the head straight up, underhanded, before clasping both hands around his makeshift baseball bat and striking the lump of flesh. A disgusting crunch followed, and the lump went flying. Sunny swore she heard the creature chuckle. Its attention back on Sunny and Benji, the would-be hero dropped the limb it¡¯d been using and approached with slow and steady steps. It stopped a few paces away, and extended one black nail toward Sunny. Benji moved to stand in front of Sunny. ¡°I like to think that you helped us,¡± Benji said, his arms extended at his sides. His legs visibly trembled. ¡°But if you want to hurt her, you¡¯ll have to get through me first.¡± The creature retracted its nail, electing to scratch the bottom of its chin instead. It grunted, then said, ¡°You. Safe.¡± Chapter 14: Spirit Mediums Benji swallowed the building lump in his throat. Voices and words spilled out of the creature¡¯s mouth, but there was no guarantee it understood much of what it was saying. After the spectacle that was it tearing the Lurkers apart, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that he and Sunny were next. ¡°D-Did you p-protect us?¡± Benji asked as he clenched his hands into fists. ¡°G! Why did you do that?¡± the same feminine voice from before asked. It was wispy and cold, like being breathed on by a freezer. ¡°G. I don¡¯t understand. What is it you see in him?¡± ¡°Good. Good,¡± the beast replied. The disembodied voice sighed. ¡°I wish I could understand you better.¡± ¡°W-Who¡¯s there?¡± Benji asked. ¡°... You can hear me?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± Benji looked down at Sunny. ¡°You hear it too, right?¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± Sunny replied in a tone that was barely audible. ¡°I hear her.¡± ¡°How strange,¡± the voice rasped. A transparent figure appeared in the form of a young girl. She wore a dark cloak that frayed at the bottom and looked several sizes too large. Her hair was emerald in color, bearing hints of pink at the roots. A black band of velvet covered her eyes. She pointed at Benji. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°B-Benji. Are you going to let us go?¡± he asked, his teeth chattering. ¡°Of course. G simply wished to help you.¡± ¡°... Why?¡± ¡°Good,¡± the Denizen grunted. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°G, please.¡± The girl put a transparent hand on the creature¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Allow me.¡± As the girl floated toward Benji, Sunny rose to her feet, her stare glued to their new friend. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself, first.¡± She put a hand to her chest. ¡°My name is Kiska.¡± She turned her head toward Sunny. ¡°And you?¡± Sunny narrowed her gaze and tipped the front of her cap down. ¡°Sunny.¡± ¡°Wonderful names.¡± The girl smiled. ¡°I am sorry if we caused you any undue stress. I¡­ can only imagine how you feel after watching that.¡± When Sunny and Benji didn¡¯t reply, Kiska continued. ¡°It was due to G¡¯s interest in you that we assisted.¡± ¡°Interest?¡± he asked. Kiska nodded. ¡°Yes. I do not know the reason for which he has chosen you.¡± Kiska looked at G. He continued to stare at Benji, his head tilting curiously on occasion. ¡°There is something about you that he finds appealing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m okay with that,¡± Benji admitted. ¡°Understandably. I wish he could express why, but he¡­ struggles to speak in more than one or two words. He understands what¡¯s happening, but how he expresses it can differ substantially.¡± Kiska paused to regard G. ¡°I communed with him years ago. You have my promise that whatever his reason is, it is not a harmful one.¡± ¡°Y-You don¡¯t even know why he likes Benji?¡± Sunny¡¯s tears returned and she buried her face into her palms. ¡°I just want to go home. I don¡¯t understand anything anymore. This didn¡¯t turn out right at all.¡± Benji approached Sunny from behind and embraced her as he leaned his head against her shoulder. ¡°Sunny¡­¡± ¡°I can see that you are traumatized,¡± the specter sighed, ¡°but please try and relax. Despite G¡¯s appearance or his inability to talk, he has a strong sense of justice. He could not simply watch.¡± ¡°So, what happens now?¡± Benji asked. ¡°I understand that I may be overstepping my boundaries, but I would prefer to continue watching over you,¡± the ghost continued. ¡°G has been watching you for some time, and I wish to see how this interaction affects him. I understand if you are not comfortable with it, but rest assured, you won¡¯t even know that we are there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to stalk me?¡± Benji didn¡¯t like the sound of that. He didn¡¯t need some werewolf-looking creature following him around. Good intentions or not, it¡¯d only be a matter of time until they were seen. And he didn¡¯t know a thing about this duo. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°Please. I beg of you. G needs this.¡± Benji blinked and looked at the creature. ¡°And his name is just G? Like the letter?¡± Kiska pointed to the collar around the creature¡¯s throat. Burned into the leather was the letter G. ¡°That¡¯s all he had when I met him. He does not seem to recall his name.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. G¡¯s nose shot up, sniffing at the air. The werewolf looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing on something back where the fight concluded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, G?¡± Kiska asked, her form disappearing. ¡°Bad. Bad,¡± he grunted. The tombstone on his back shifted side to side as he approached the remnants of battle on all fours, the stench of iron permeating the air. He continued to sniff the air as he walked, moving from corpse to corpse. Sunny and Benji followed at a distance, their bodies trembling. It took great effort to walk around the mess that G had created. The smell was enough to make them gag. ¡°Here,¡± G grunted. ¡°Bad.¡± A single leftover Lurker¡¯s corpse lay at the foot of a bush. He tilted his head curiously before quietly tugging open the gut of the creature. Benji and Sunny neared while G reached into the Lurker¡¯s body and plucked a sphere-shaped object from its stomach. G suddenly made a strange noise between a growl and a whine, and the object fell from his hand, landing in the grass. ¡°No! No!¡± he cried, reeling until the tombstone on his back ran up against a tree. Benji and Sunny walked over to where the object fell, each of them frowning. A single eyeball sat in a mess of dirt, grass, and blood. Worse yet, the eyeball looked like it belonged to a human. As Benji¡¯s morbid curiosity got the best of him and he reached down to grab it, Sunny pulled him back. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it!¡± she said. ¡°You saw what it did to him!¡± ¡°R-Right. Sorry.¡± His face burned, and he felt stupid. A black substance covered the object in streaks and splatters. As Benji observed it, he noticed an iridescence about it if he looked at it from certain angles. It resembled gasoline, but the distinct scent associated with it was missing. The longer he stared at it, the more inviting it appeared. He had to take it with him, one way or another. Benji drew a deep breath, guiding a finger down where his blue-green tears had fallen minutes ago. ¡°I have an idea.¡± ¡°Benji, no! Don¡¯t do it. We¡¯re safe now,¡± Sunny hissed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for even suggesting you could ever use your jitter.¡± He paused and glanced at Sunny. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. It¡¯ll only be for a second.¡± A very painful second. But if it could crack open the mystery behind Sunny¡¯s father, then it was worth it. Benji widened his eye and tilted his head to one side, concentrating on the eyeball. The scent of pool chemicals filled the air¡ªone of the side effects of his jitter¡ªand the space surrounding them grew cold. The laughs, cries, and gentle words of his mother filled his ears. Visages of his mother flashed before his eyes, and his emotions overwhelmed him. He restrained the urge to reach out, to try and save her from herself. But she was dead, and he needed to accept that. A crackling noise followed, and moments later, the eyeball was encased in a solid block of ice. ¡°T-There you go,¡± he said, sucking in his lips, his voice shaking. The sights and sounds disappeared, but their effect lingered. They always did. ¡°Are you all right?¡± Sunny asked as she put a consoling hand on his shoulder. ¡°Yeah,¡± he whispered, wiping away an errant line of blue-green fluid from underneath his eyepatch. ¡°Really. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Incredible,¡± Kiska marveled. G returned and reached down to pick up the block of ice. With a grunt, he extended the block of ice out to Benji. The faintest hint of a smile stretched the beast¡¯s lips, and although Benji was still scared, he detected a hint of kindness in the creature¡¯s movements. ¡°Thanks,¡± Benji said, taking the block and putting it into Sunny¡¯s Backpack. He zipped the pocket shut and leveled his gaze on Kiska and G. ¡°I need to get Sunny out of here. She¡¯s hurt.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Kiska said. ¡°Try to remain calm. Her life is not at any risk.¡± ¡°F-F-Friend,¡± G growled. ¡°Friend.¡± Kiska looked at G briefly before addressing Benji. ¡°We will be in touch.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± With a motion that barely constituted a wave, Benji wrapped his arm around Sunny and began to lead her down the street. The sooner they got away from this mess, the better. --- Ten minutes had passed since they left the scene. While Sunny didn¡¯t seem any worse for wear in terms of walking, the blood around her shoulder looked thick and sticky. The sight was rough for Benji, and part of him blamed himself for letting it get as bad as it did. ¡°It hurts,¡± Sunny whined through stifled sobs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Benji said with a shaky voice, ¡°we¡¯re going to get some help soon. You¡¯re going to be fine.¡± ¡°Sunny!¡± a voice cried out. ¡°Sunny!¡± ¡°Benji, where are you?¡± an accompanying voice screamed. A panting Ren appeared beneath a lamp post down the street. He gaped when he caught Benji and Sunny staggering toward him. ¡°Lyro! They¡¯re this way!¡± he called down the road to his right. Ren barreled down the night¡¯s sidewalk, stopping short of running into Sunny and Benji. ¡°Fuck, do you know how long we¡¯ve been looking? Do you realize what¡ª¡± His voice caught. ¡°Sunny? What¡¯s wrong?¡± His eyes widened, and he pulled Sunny¡¯s jacket down to reveal the blood smear. ¡°What the fuck happened?¡± ¡°S-S-Sunny¡ª¡± Benji started. ¡°God damn it! This is why you don¡¯t take shit into your own hands!¡± Ren positioned Sunny behind him and lifted her onto his back so she sat piggyback. ¡°Benji!¡± A stern voice followed, and soon a man who resembled Benji and looked straight out of college appeared. ¡°Where have you been?¡± He frowned, raising a hand to silence Benji before he could even speak. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°How the hell am I supposed to know?¡± Ren balked, standing up. ¡°All I know is that I gotta get her help.¡± Ren shot Benji a glare, clenching his teeth before running off, Sunny bouncing on his back. The stern man crossed his arms, regarding Benji with a disapproving glare. ¡°Care to explain to me what you¡¯ve been up to, young man?¡± Despite his youthful appearance, Lyro possessed sharp features and perceptive eyes. His was the stare of a man who implied he knew more than he let on. He adjusted his glasses. ¡°Well? I¡¯m waiting.¡± Benji couldn¡¯t bear to get Sunny in more trouble than she was already in, so the solution was simple for him. ¡°I, uh, thought a camp-out would be fun,¡± he lied. Benji avoided Lyro¡¯s stare¡ªhis father¡¯s stare¡ªand tucked his arms behind him. Lyro shook his head. ¡°More lies. Fine. We¡¯ll discuss your punishment tomorrow morning. Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Good. Come along now. It¡¯s late.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 15: Table Scraps ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Ren asked. ¡°What the hell is this supposed to be?¡± Scales asked as he observed the eyeball encased in ice. ¡°Beats me. Sunny and her friend found it,¡± Ren supplied, irritated. He wanted to punch a wall. ¡°Figured you¡¯d probably want it since you¡¯re good with this shit.¡± ¡°Am I being paid for this?¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d be paying me.¡± Scales¡¯s helmet raised a judgmental brow. ¡°Fine. Ten percent of what I usually give you.¡± When Ren opened his mouth, Scales continued. ¡°Twenty. And not a single penny more.¡± ¡°Damn, man. Fine. Whatever.¡± Ren fell into the recesses of Scales¡¯s¡¯ sofa as the doctor walked into another room to observe his new item. Ren grabbed the remote off the coffee table and turned on the TV. As soon as the news anchor began talking, Scales¡¯s voice pierced the room again. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could stay here and make this place your home. Get out of here!¡± ¡°Shit, man, fine!¡± Ren said, tossing the remote onto the table and throwing his arms into the air. ¡°I¡¯m going, I¡¯m going.¡± ¡°The authorities are still investigating the strange occurrences of NEON in the area. With local law enforcement on the case, there is¡ª¡± Ren stopped to turn off the TV, sighing. Whatever the eyeball was covered in, Scales would know soon enough. --- June and Sunny sat on the couch together while June quietly clicked through the channels for something interesting to watch. The air had been awkward between them after Ren found her and Benji. Sunny struggled for a reason to speak until something on the TV grabbed her attention. ¡°Wait, what was that?¡± Sunny asked as she leaned forward. ¡°The news?¡± June asked. ¡°You never like the news.¡± She clicked back a few channels, stopping when she saw the graying news anchor. A black, oily-looking substance was pictured in the top-right corner. ¡°Police are still investigating the cases of NEON found in Kast Legari. Researchers are concerned there could be more to this substance than mere addiction. Like many recreational drugs, the effects have included increased appetite and dopamine production. Unlike other recreational drugs, however, sleep deprivation was discovered as one of the symptoms and is the leading cause for concern at this time.¡± The man looked down at the stack of papers in his hand and flipped the front page over. ¡°A small group on social media has come forward recently, hoping to recover from this intoxicating drug. We talk to Kathy now, who¡¯s on the scene with one of the unfortunate souls who fell into a life of drugs and crime.¡± The channel froze for a few seconds until a younger woman with brown hair and a microphone appeared. Beside her was a man who looked to be in his late teens. His eyes were bloodshot, his clothes dirtied and pocked with moth holes. Another man in law enforcement clothing stood behind him, the young man¡¯s hands cuffed behind him. ¡°Kathy here on the scene,¡± the reporter said, looking at the camera, ¡°with a young man named Sebastian. He says that a life of highs isn¡¯t what it seems and that he only wants to return to the person he once was, stating that he barely recognizes the person he¡¯s become.¡± The woman looked at the man. ¡°Sebastian, do you have any words for those watching today?¡± ¡°It ain¡¯t worth it,¡± he said with a deeper tone than Sunny expected. ¡°I can¡¯t *bleep* sleep, man. I haven¡¯t slept in *bleep* days. I don¡¯t even¡ª¡± June changed the channel. ¡°June!¡± Sunny exclaimed. ¡°I was watching that!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate for a girl your age,¡± June said with a more dire tone than usual. ¡°Let¡¯s watch something else.¡± A more lighthearted show came on as Sunny wondered more about the NEON substance. It looked just like the substance she and Benji had seen the night prior. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. --- Benji felt weird riding without Sunny by his side. He¡¯d taken a seat in the back of the bus where he could be left alone, the night of the Lurker attack still weighing on his mind. As much as he wanted to know what the eyeball meant, he knew it was out of his hands now. Whatever Ren and the others would find out, he and Sunny would have nothing to do with it. Not after the stunt they pulled.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He sighed as the bus pulled up to the school. With his jack-o-lantern beneath his arm, Benji kept to the back of the line. From his experience, he¡¯d learned it was the best way to avoid comments or bullying. The bus driver had intervened once, not because of the words, but because of how loud they were. He avoided looking at the driver on his way out. A sprinkle of rain had many kids running for the front door. Benji didn¡¯t mind the rain and maintained his comfortable pace as he approached the school steps. He stopped at the stairs when a familiar wispy voice intruded on his thoughts. ¡°Benji. We need to speak with you,¡± Kiska said. Her sudden presence caused Benji to flinch, nearly dropping his basket. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could speak back to her at such a distance. Kiska hadn¡¯t exactly been clear as to how her telepathy¡ªif that¡¯s what it was¡ªworked. Benji turned his gaze to the forest line on his left. He couldn¡¯t see anything from where he was, but something told him she and G were just beyond that line somewhere. ¡°I gotta get to class,¡± Benji muttered, unsure if she could hear him. ¡°We can talk at recess.¡± A pause followed. Just as Benji was about to open his mouth, Kiska continued. ¡°When is that?¡± ¡°A couple hours from now. There¡¯s a tire swing by the forest line. Meet me there.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± A sudden force struck Benji across his shoulder, shoving him forward. Benji gasped, catching the jack-o-lantern moments before it hit the ground. A taller kid¡ªlikely the one who hit him¡ªsnickered and shook his head. ¡°Dumb pirate¡¯s talkin¡¯ to himself again,¡± the kid said. His friends chuckled with him as they ascended the steps. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t he be locked up in a looney bin?¡± one asked before entering the building. The rain worsened. As the water soaked the shoulders of Benji¡¯s letterman jacket, he felt a need to curl up beside a tree and collect his thoughts. Steeling himself, he drew a deep breath and entered the school. Two and a half hours later, the teacher released Benji and his classmates for their fifteen-minute recess break. Grumbling as he approached the forest line, Benji occasionally looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was following him. It wasn¡¯t often that recess started late, but of course, there just had to be one kid in the class who wouldn¡¯t shut up. A punishment for one was a punishment for all. Once Benji stood beside his favorite tire swing, he craned over the canopy of bushes and flora to see the back of G¡¯s head. ¡°G,¡± Kiska said. ¡°Turn around. Benji is here.¡± With a half-snarl, G turned around and settled into a sitting position, his head barely visible over the bushes. G scratched his nose, his gleaming yellow eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°So¡­ w-what¡¯s going on?¡± Benji asked, the sight of spilled blood from the night prior still fresh in his mind. Being alone with them unnerved him. ¡°I would like an accord.¡± Kiska¡¯s translucent shape appeared beside G, floating a few feet off the ground. ¡°Considering our circumstances, I believe we share a mutual interest.¡± Her words were too formal, too complicated. Benji had to digest their meaning longer than he would¡¯ve liked. He scratched the back of his neck and swallowed hard. It was hard to stay calm. ¡°Uhhh, okay? So, what? Y-You want to team up?¡± ¡°That is correct,¡± she nodded. ¡°Since you understand us, I think we would be strong allies.¡± The thought of Sunny crying at home, desperately wishing for answers regarding her father¡¯s death, surfaced in Benji¡¯s mind. His heart broke at the idea, and as he exhaled, he nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll help.¡± The way he figured it, Kiska and G could do things he couldn¡¯t, and most likely get to places where he couldn¡¯t. To top it off, they were exceptionally dangerous. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± G gestured to his open mouth with one pointy finger. ¡°Ah-ah-ah,¡± he grunted. ¡°Food?¡± Benji asked, blinking his one eye. Kiska giggled. ¡°Yes. As pathetic as it may be to hear, we struggle to find reliable food sources. I obviously don¡¯t need food, but G does. We were hoping you may be able to fix that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Benji crossed his arms in thought. There was an old shed at his house that might work. His father had set foot there one whole time since Benji met him. It was more the property of the local spiders than anyone else. ¡°I might have a place you can stay. My dad is rarely home, so you can use my bed during the evening when he isn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°Is that wise?¡± Kiska asked. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Benji said with a forced smile. He tried to remain optimistic about his situation, but the longer he talked with them, the more he felt he was biting off more than he could chew. ¡°You¡¯ve been following me anyway, right?¡± G offered an enthusiastic nod. ¡°Yes,¡± Kiska added. ¡°We can meet at my house after school. We¡¯ll talk more then,¡± Benji said. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°In the meantime, can you please pass notes between Sunny and me? That would help.¡± ¡°We can do this,¡± Kiska nodded. ¡°G and I will make for Sunny¡¯s place now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need her address?¡± Kiska smiled. ¡°We follow you, remember? We know where Sunny lives.¡± Benji found that equal parts charming and kind of creepy. ¡°Okay¡­ well, when you¡¯re done, meet me at my house with a note from Sunny. If you can do that, then we can figure something out.¡± ¡°Splendid,¡± Kiska, her tone resuming its usual girlish charm. ¡°See you there,¡± Benji said, forcing another smile before turning on his heel and heading back toward the school. The more time he spent talking to them, the more likely they were to get in trouble. Treading on the line of the forest was already a good way to grab the teachers¡¯ attention, and he didn¡¯t need anyone else breathing down his neck. His heart pounded against his chest, and a tiny voice urged him to get back to class. Despite the anxious feelings he was experiencing, however, a shred of him was glad he could do his part to help. This is for Sunny. Chapter 16: Su Casa The journey back to Benji¡¯s home was quiet, as usual. Knowing that two strange beings were following him gave him cause for concern, but they seemed to have Benji and Sunny¡¯s best interests at heart. Besides¡­ if they had ill intentions, they would¡¯ve done something by now. Power was not something G was short of. They saved us, Benji reasoned with himself. I¡¯m sure they mean well. They have to. The rain had stopped, but the dark clouds still loomed overhead. Benji undid the latch on the gate, and the iron squeaked at his push. He shut the gate behind him, throwing the latch back over, and snaked around to the back of the house. Situated against a corner of the brick wall was an old two-door shed. It was a nasty old thing in dire need of tender love and care. The structure was marked with spots where the wood used to be painted white, flaked away by the passing of time. Splinters stuck out like porcupine thorns, eagerly awaiting their next victim. To top it off, you couldn¡¯t get within ten feet of the shed without running into a spiderweb. The thought of one of those creepy crawlies on him was enough to send a chill down his spine. Clearing his throat, he approached the shed. ¡°Hello? Are you guys there?¡± The bushes rustled, and a grinning G popped up over the wall. ¡°Phew. That¡¯s a relief. Were you able to meet Sunny?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± came Kiska¡¯s gentle voice. ¡°She gave us a note. G?¡± The werewolf grunted enthusiastically, leaping on top of the wall on all fours¡ªlike a cat¡ªand jumped over Benji, landing a few feet away. G dug through his hoodie and pulled out a slip of folded up paper. As Benji reached to grab it, G pulled back and dropped the letter, distracted by a red-bodied insect flying in the air. He snapped his jaws at it, then jumped to catch it with his claws. The ladybug casually flew out of his reach, soaring higher and higher into the air. ¡°G! I¡¯m so sorry, Benji,¡± Kiska said. ¡°G! G! Pay attention!¡± G grunted and blinked twice before reclining on the ground before Benji. Benji chuckled. So, there was a soft side to that gigantic creature, after all. He plucked the letter from the old tire treads in the dirt and straightened the paper. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Benji mumbled the letter¡¯s contents. ¡°Ren and June took my phone and said I can¡¯t go to school or use my computer until I¡¯ve healed. I¡¯m grounded. We have to talk like this. I decided to trust G and Kiska. What about you?¡± Benji redid the fold and tucked the paper into the pocket of his letterman jacket. ¡°Thanks, Kiska, thanks, G.¡± G nodded, his smile widening to show his pearly white cuspids. ¡°Thank you for trusting in us,¡± Kiska said, appearing beside G. ¡°It means a lot to both of us. We haven¡¯t had anyone to talk to in a very long time.¡± ¡°O-Of course,¡± Benji said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. ¡°Still getting used to it if I¡¯m being super honest.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I understand. Our appearances must be alarming.¡± Benji struggled for a nice way to say what he felt. Words weren¡¯t his specialty, and he often found himself in deeper trouble with every word he spoke. It was easier to stay quiet. Things were simpler that way. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Kiska pressed. ¡°N-No,¡± Benji shook his head. ¡°Let me help you get into the shed.¡± Benji dug around in his shorts pocket and pulled out his ring of keys for the house. Flipping through them, he stopped on a tiny copper key and motioned for G and Kiska to follow. ¡°Sorry for the mess, but we don¡¯t go in here anymore, so it might be super dusty and filled with spiders.¡± He undid the padlock holding the chains together, then slipped the chains away from the handles. Once the chain was off, he wrapped his hands around one of the shed¡¯s handles and used his weight to pull the door back. The metal screeched from years of misuse but refused to budge. Benji dug his heels into the dirt, and still the door didn¡¯t move. Hissing through his teeth, Benji shook his hands. ¡°Stand aside,¡± Kiska said. ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Benji backed up a few feet, and G approached the door. He wrapped three of his clawed fingers around the loop and pulled. The door slid open easily, and the metal screeched again. ¡°Woah,¡± Benji said with wide eyes. G sniffed at the air, then waved his hand in front of his face. ¡°Sorry, you¡¯ll have to deal for now.¡± He moved to stand in front of G. With no sunlight, Benji struggled to see inside. He hesitated. ¡°Hey, Kiska.¡± ¡°Yes, Benji?¡± ¡°How much can G understand?¡± ¡°His understanding seems to fall somewhere just below our own ability. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Benji pointed to a hanging lightbulb. ¡°It might not work anymore, but do you think G could try and pull the cord? I can¡¯t reach it.¡± ¡°Of course. G?¡± ¡°Rah?¡± G grunted. ¡°See that lightbulb?¡± Kiska asked, pointing at the hanging cord. G nodded. ¡°Look under it. Pull it.¡± ¡°Pull! Pull!¡± G mimed before walking in without any sense of caution. He reached for the cord and yanked. After what G had done to the door, he half expected the bulb and wiring to come out of the ceiling. To Benji¡¯s immense relief, however, the lightbulb came alive, bleaching the room in bright white. G covered his eyes with one hand and backed away. ¡°Bright!¡± ¡°Very good, G,¡± Kiska smiled. The shed looked just as Benji remembered. Tools and home improvement supplies littered the floor and walls. Despite how long it¡¯d been since the shed saw use, the room was still exceptionally organized¡ªa testament to his father¡¯s habits, he supposed. ¡°Well, there¡¯s plenty of room to hang out, sleep, eat, whatever you want,¡± Benji explained. ¡°Like I said, you can sleep in my bed when my dad isn¡¯t around. You probably sleep outside a lot, huh?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Kiska said, ¡°but we will not impose more than necessary. So long as G can eat, we will be fine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Benji sniffed. ¡°My dad will be home in about an hour. He just comes home to change and goes right back out. I¡¯ll microwave some dinner once he¡¯s gone and come give you some.¡± ¡°You are certain?¡± Kiska asked, cupping her hands over her chest. ¡°Yeah! It, uh, it¡¯ll be fine. You¡¯ll see. I¡¯ll close up the shed fifteen minutes early, just in case. You can check it out in the meantime. And be careful, Denizens are kinda looked down upon in this district.¡± ¡°We shall practice caution. You have our thanks.¡± Appearances were only skin deep, and Benji knew that better than anyone. He worked hard to remind himself of that, and that whatever G and Kiska¡¯s reasoning for following him, it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d found two new friends, and you couldn¡¯t put a price on friendship. ¡°Hey,¡± Benji began, ¡°sorry to suddenly ask you something after I¡­ just said you could, uh, check out the shed, but, uhm. Could you pass along a message to Sunny?¡± Kiska smiled. ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± Chapter 17: Family Issues Benji kicked his legs under the dinner table while he waited for Lyro to return. It helped soothe the anxiety he felt whenever his father was a short distance away. He leaned forward and crossed his arms, humming a song from one of his favorite bands. ¡°Benji?¡± came Lyro¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Welcome back,¡± Benji said, lifting his head and jumping from the chair. He pushed the chair flush against the table, and the legs squeaked. When he came to the door, Lyro was putting his damp coat on the rack. ¡°How, uh¡­ how were things?¡± Lyro regarded him, glancing at Benji¡¯s shoes. ¡°You¡¯re still wearing your shoes. Were you planning on going somewhere?¡± To avoid an extra step, Benji thought to keep his shoes on so he could get food to G. He hadn¡¯t suspected Lyro would pay attention to such a tiny detail. A sigh escaped Lyro¡¯s lips, and he brushed past Benji toward the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead and start dinner. Benji¡¯s heart skipped. ¡°Y-You¡¯re staying?¡± Lyro stopped with his hand on the doorframe to the kitchen, raising a brow. ¡°I-I-I mean, it¡¯s just, uh, surprising! You know?¡± Lyro continued to stare, drumming his fingers along the frame''s spine. A few more seconds passed, and he shook his head before entering the kitchen. ¡°Take your shoes off. You¡¯re going to dirty the floor.¡± Benji clicked his tongue. He kicked his shoes off by the front door, then quietly slinked into the kitchen. Lyro was already opening cabinets and pulling down cans of beans and tomato sauce by the time Benji approached the table. He put a hand on the back of one chair, an uneasy feeling searing the ends of his nerves. ¡°What¡¯s the occasion?¡± Lyro hesitated as he reached for another ingredient, then continued as if nothing had happened. ¡°A father should make a meal for his son every so often.¡± Benji didn¡¯t disagree with that, but Lyro had a lot of nerve to talk like he had any experience being a proper father. And why did he pick tonight of all nights? ¡°Only now you want to make meals?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t there for you when you were younger,¡± Lyro said, procuring a small tube of turkey from the refrigerator, ¡°so I¡¯m making up for lost time.¡± Benji frowned. ¡°You think it¡¯s that easy.¡± He meant to frame it as a question, louder than a whisper. Instead, it came out like a statement, as if he were trying to wrap his own mind around the concept. ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°I know.¡± What nerve. What did he know of being abandoned and left to fend for oneself? Countless nights were swept into the darkness while his mother sat beside a windowsill, praying for the return of a useless man. The grief he felt when he discovered she was dead still haunted his memories. She¡¯d fallen asleep with her arms wrapped around him. In the morning, she was gone. Needle marks littered her forearms, and blank eyes looked back at him. If not for his sister, then¡­ ¡°Sit down,¡± Lyro said. ¡°This won¡¯t take long.¡± Benji took the seat closest to him, kicking his feet back and forth in anticipation. The silence was thick, unnerving. Lyro¡¯s piercing stare glanced at him on occasion. He hated it when he did that. It felt like an insect was checking on him constantly to see if he¡¯d moved. Somehow, Lyro managed to get food on the table twenty minutes later. Lyro scooped up a helping of the chili he made, and plopped it into a small bowl with a spoon. After sticking a spoon in, he set the bowl on the table, then spooned another helping for a bowl of his own.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Benji poked and stirred the chili with his utensil. Lyro sat down with a bag of shredded cheese and sour cream. ¡°In case you want it,¡± Lyro said before bringing a spoonful to his mouth. Benji¡¯s lip twitched, and he quietly mixed some cheese and sour cream into his chili. Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t keep his attention on the meal for long. He wanted to hit Lyro, scream at him, tell him to get lost. But he couldn¡¯t. Like it or not, Lyro was his father. That much wouldn¡¯t change. Even if Sunny¡¯s parents were no longer alive, at least she had fond memories of them. At least, he assumed. He¡¯d never heard her speak of her mother, but she always had a bright smile whenever her father came up. Benji shared the sentiment when it came to his mother. Benji watched him for a time, then continued to eat when Lyro noticed. Why did he leave? G and Kiska seemed like such natural friends, even if their means of communicating were a bit¡­ odd. Sunny was doing everything in her power to discover the reason for her father¡¯s death. Perhaps he could be brave, too, and¡­ ask why. ¡°I¡­ need to ask you something,¡± Benji managed. Lyro hummed as he enjoyed his chili. His heart hammered against his chest. Be brave. Come on. ¡°Why did you leave? Why did you abandon us?¡± Lyro stopped chewing, looking up from his meal. He watched him for a few moments, then swallowed his food. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to.¡± Benji tightened his grip around the spoon. His eye twitched, and tears threatened to fall. ¡°Liar.¡± When Lyro didn¡¯t say anything, he bowed his head. Looking away from him made it easier to talk. ¡°You never cry. Never smile. Never laugh. It¡¯s creepy. I feel like I¡¯m talking to a robot.¡± ¡°Son¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± Benji spat. ¡°You weren¡¯t there when we needed you most. Mom spent countless days looking for you! Praying that you¡¯d come back! Crowlei told me everything!¡± ¡°... Then why are you asking me?¡± Lyro said, his voice monotone. ¡°Sounds like you have your answer already.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even going to try and tell me that I¡¯m wrong?¡± Benji asked, aghast. He was too young to remember much of the event, except what his sister¡ªCrowlei¡ªhad told him. He had to go away somewhere far for some deal or practice. His absence broke the family apart, and Crowlei often spoke of him with regret in her voice. Some time after, Crowlei disappeared as well. ¡°I see little purpose. You¡¯ve decided what I am.¡± Lyro spooned another helping of chili, then began to chew. He swallowed. ¡°I understand that what I did was wrong. I¡¯m not going to debate that. All I can do now is make amends.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you want to,¡± Benji growled. Even at Benji¡¯s worst, this man could somehow maintain composure, maintain that terrible voice. He should be yelling at him, getting angry, crying alongside him. Yet he continued to sit there, as if they were discussing the weather. ¡°Why are you even here? Why show up now?¡± It was no good. Tears fell down Benji¡¯s cheeks without mercy. Thoughts paraded in his mind, taunting him with the idea that his mom would still be alive if Lyro had never left. Perhaps Crowlei would still be here, and they could be a family. Instead, this soulless husk of a man sat before him, pantomiming good will and promises that would no doubt be broken again. Like a machine calculating its next move. ¡°You¡¯re terrible!¡± Benji screamed. ¡°Terrible! You just walk back in like nothing happened! Like Mom didn¡¯t die! It should¡¯ve been you! Not her!¡± That seemed to draw a reaction out of his ¡®father,¡¯ albeit a minor one. Lyro gaped, and his eyes widened subtly. Benji pounded his fist against the table. ¡°Answer me this: why were you there for Crowlei, but not me?¡± Lyro paused. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t understand? Are you joking?¡± Benji growled. Lyro averted his gaze. ¡°The situation was¡­ is complicated.¡± ¡°I hate you.¡± Benji¡¯s appetite was shot, and he didn¡¯t care to have this conversation anymore. Pushing his bowl of half-finished chili forward, he leapt down from his chair and marched up the stairs to his room. Unsurprisingly, Lyro made no attempt to stop him, and even as he marched he could hear Lyro continuing his meal as if nothing had happened. Benji made his way to his room, then slammed the door behind him. In a fit of anger and upset, he fell forward onto his bed, and buried his face into a pillow. His muffled cries filled the room as rain began to pelt the window. Chapter 18: Thawing It was raining when Ren arrived at Scales¡¯s office. The man had been more secretive than usual, stressing that it was important they speak face to face. Personally, Ren thought Scales was more paranoid than was warranted, but with him being the only lead on the eyeball, he wasn¡¯t in a position to complain. ¡°NEON?¡± Ren frowned. He sighed, then put his hands in his pockets, thumbs exposed. ¡°That drug they¡¯re talking about on the news?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t strictly use that term, but yes. The eye was covered in it,¡± Scales said from the other side of a large chrome table. In the center was the organ in question, now floating in a large cylinder filled with an unnamed fluid. Ren didn¡¯t care to know what the fluid was. Some sciency thing, he figured. ¡°What¡¯s this NEON shit even do, anyway?¡± ¡°Are you going to listen, or are you playing at interest?¡± Ren rolled his eyes. ¡°Bro, come on.¡± Scales paused. ¡°Very well. For starters, it removes the desire for sleep, and creates sensations of euphoria.¡± He adjusted his helmet and straightened his back. Something he seemed to like doing whenever he was explaining things. ¡°Truth be told, this is the first time I¡¯ve had such an opportunity to examine it, so I¡¯ll need more time to understand its full potential.¡± ¡°You think this is the new hot garbage making its rounds on campus?¡± Ren remembered hearing some of the college students talking about a new way to get high as a kite. Maxis had mentioned it in passing as well, but neither of them had thought much of it at the time. Likely popular in high schools as well. ¡°Hard to say,¡± Scales admitted, ¡°but I would wager that it is. If it is, then we have a rare opportunity to unveil its secrets.¡± He shook his head, then sighed. ¡°No. I¡¯m getting ahead of myself. What¡¯s important right now is that we keep its location here a secret.¡± Ren gestured the zipping of his lips. ¡°Gotcha covered, Rudy.¡± Surprisingly, Scales nodded. Ren had expected a more exaggerated response from calling him Rudy. ¡°I¡¯m willing to wager it¡¯s already lining the pockets of most Were Street stockbrokers and politicians.¡± As he spoke, his voice descended to a whisper and Ren had to pay close attention to hear him. ¡°A large enough dose could keep someone going for days.¡± ¡°Where is this going?¡± Scales clicked his tongue. ¡°Forget it. Anyways, some preliminary testing showed where the eye came from.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do a drumroll for you.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Vinny,¡± Scales hissed just before Ren could start. Ren gaped. ¡°Wh¡­ what? Vinny? You don¡¯t mean Vitriani¡­ do you?¡± ¡°Scared now?.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Ren hissed, biting his lower lip. Vinny wasn¡¯t a popular man, but he loyally served Bruno Vitriani¡ªthe current family head of the Vitriani mafia, and Amber¡¯s father¡ªfor years. Seeing Vinny¡¯s eyeball floating in the cylinder, he figured he was as good as dead. No one crossed Bruno Vitriani. ¡°Amber hasn¡¯t said anything.¡± ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t know,¡± Scales reasoned. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine they tell her much.¡± Ren licked his lips and blinked. His heart skipped, and when he opened his eyes, he¡¯d appeared on the couch. ¡°Great.¡± Scales sighed. ¡°Try to relax. I don¡¯t want you teleporting all over my lab.¡± ¡°Easy for you to say,¡± he spat before suddenly appearing behind Scales. Scales turned around, gently pushing Ren away. ¡°In any event, I do have Vinny¡¯s address if you want to continue investigating this.¡± ¡°Man, I don¡¯t know.¡± He began to pace the room in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the hell I¡¯m looking for. Bruno¡¯s ruthless, and I do not want to get between him and whatever the hell he¡¯s doing. You know the motherfucker almost beat someone to death because their soup burned Amber¡¯s tongue?¡± He half-laughed, running a hand through his hair to calm down. ¡°Who does that?¡± Scales fell silent. ¡°Seriously. I¡¯d rather fight a dozen Lurkers,¡± Ren continued. ¡°The guy¡¯s unhinged.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware. But there¡¯s no one else we can trust.¡± ¡°Yeah. Right. Uhhh, right.¡± Scales tapped Ren¡¯s shoulder, motioning for him to move aside. Ren complied, and Scales pulled open a drawer from the opposite desk against the wall. He plucked a slip of folded paper from the drawer, then closed it before turning around and holding it out to Ren. ¡°Something else is going on here,¡± Scales said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a part of it any more than you do. If what you said is true, and the kids were the ones who found this eyeball, then this implies something utterly horrid occurred to our ¡®friend¡¯ here. Whatever method he used to eliminate Vinny is dubious, even for a crime ring. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡± Ren took the slip of paper from Scales with a bit of hesitation. He gazed at it for a few seconds before sliding it into his back pocket. ¡°Yeah. It does. But man, I don¡¯t even know what the hell I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°Anything. Everything. Something that tells us what¡¯s going on here.¡± Ren didn¡¯t like Scales when he got like this. It meant something dangerous or awful was about to happen. Scales could barely stand to have Ren around most of the time. If not for his abilities, Ren wagered the man wouldn¡¯t tolerate his presence for even a minute. Scales was combative, short-tempered, and exceptionally blunt. To see him mellow out and choose his words more carefully was enough to send a chill down his spine. ¡°All right. Well, I¡­ guess I better get going.¡± Ren made his way to the front door, and pushed it open. ¡°Hey,¡± Scales said. ¡°Be careful, all right?¡± ¡°I will be. Thanks, Rudy.¡± Ren shut the door behind him and retrieved the slip of paper from his back pocket. He mumbled off the address, then slipped it back in. He couldn¡¯t afford to do this the way he usually did. For this, he¡¯d need backup. The best a guy could ask for. Someone like Maxis. Chapter 19: Prepping Maxis held a frown the entire time Ren spoke with a tone that flip flopped between shaky and determined. Ren gestured animatedly with his hands, and Maxis listened intently. The situation was dire, he wouldn¡¯t refute that. Though it didn¡¯t shake him in the same way it seemed to affect Ren. ¡°So if we go to that address, what are you expecting to find there?¡± Maxis asked. Ren shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, man. Something? Maybe nothing. But I feel like the NEON¡¯s involved with all the weird things going on lately.¡± ¡°You¡¯re jumping the gun, bro. Even if what Scales said is true, we don¡¯t have enough evidence to pin it on him. Could be a coincidence.¡± ¡°And if it¡¯s not? Shit, what if Amber¡¯s somehow involved in this? That¡¯ll put June¡ª¡± ¡°Whoa, whoa, easy there,¡± Maxis said, gesturing with his hands, ¡°we don¡¯t know anything. I trust Amber. She would never put June in danger like that. You know that, right?¡± For a rare moment in time, Ren paused. Normally, he¡¯d fire back with positivity. Now, though, he didn¡¯t seem the same. He was more finicky, he flinched at loud noises, and he was tapping his foot more than usual. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ I think so.¡± ¡°You think so.¡± Maxis raised a brow. ¡°Fuck, just come check it out with me. Please.¡± Ren was not a guy who said ¡®please¡¯ unless he was desperate. Maxis¡¯s desire to see his friend relieved won over. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯ll do it. If just to give you some peace of mind.¡± He zipped up his hoodie, then started his way past the bar. ¡°Give me just a few minutes to collect a couple things.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Ren took a spot at a table in a corner of the room while he waited. The glass was still broken from the drive-by shooting, so Sigg had installed wooden boards where the windows used to be. It made an already dark bar even darker, robbing the bar of its usual ambient nature. Naturally, fewer customers had come in, scared that they might be next on the hit list. It was classified as a hate crime against Denizens, but he had his doubts. He made his way to a room at the back of the bar where he and his father stored camping supplies. Seeing the bag of his desire in the corner, he pushed aside the boxes and retrieved the thick leather, pulling apart to strings to make sure the sleeping bag was inside. ¡°Perfect,¡± he muttered, tying the strings taut. A nylon bag out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. If what Ren said was true, there was a good chance they¡¯d need to come armed. That meant Ren would need ammunition for his jitter. Retrieving it, he carried both bags in his hand, making a brisk return to the bar¡¯s common room. ¡°Hey, man. Ready,¡± he said, slapping the table with his palm. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°What are you bringing two bags for?¡± Ren asked. Maxis rolled the shoulder carrying the drawstring bag, then smirked. ¡±You know, just a little insurance in case shit hits the fan.¡± ---This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Sunny sat on the couch in June¡¯s living room, with her hands wrapped around her legs while the TV players. After what happened at the bar, June suddenly had a lot more time, paid time off in fact. She spent much of it watching TV with Sunny, inviting Amber over, and overall lounging around the house. Being ground, Sunny had few opportunities to be alone, June and Ren convinced that the moment they took their eyes off her, she would escape again. They weren¡¯t entirely wrong, either. ¡°There¡¯s just nothing good on, is there?¡± June lamented as she quickly sifted through the channels on the television. At her wit¡¯s end, she threw the remote onto the table, and Sunny quickly retrieved it. ¡°Damn, I¡¯m bored.¡± Sunny clicked through the channels, looking for anything colorful. She desperately wished to indulge herself for a bit while she waited for the next message from Benji. A show about three different colored rabbits playing keeps for a hoard of vegetables at a table came on, and she released a sigh of relief. Amber walked into the living room next, carrying three steaming cups on a tray. Sunny glanced at her, sniffing the familiar aroma of tea. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be back to work in no time, amore,¡± Amber said as she set a cup down in front of June. She set another, smaller cup, in front of Sunny next, then took a spot on the couch beside June with her hands snugly wrapped around her beverage. ¡°It¡¯s probably just a bunch of druggies who shot up the place anyway,¡± June groaned. ¡°Maybe.¡± Amber leaned her head against June¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But at least we get to spend time together.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose you¡¯re right. Silver lining, huh?¡± A sudden tapping at the glass caught Sunny¡¯s and the other girls¡¯ attention. Sunny fought down the urge to look suspicious, but she knew a message must¡¯ve arrived from G. ¡°Can I go upstairs to get something?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± June asked. ¡°My journal.¡± ¡°Yeah, go ahead. Make it quick, though. I better not catch you sneaking out, ya hear?¡± Sunny nodded, then jogged to her room, shutting the door behind her. Apprehension in her step, she approached the windowsill and pulled back the curtains to see G standing on the garage roof that was below her window. He was completely soaked, and yet he smiled. Sunny frowned, then pulled the window up. ¡°You¡¯re going to catch a cold like that,¡± she hissed. G tilted his head, seemingly unaffected by the rain or her words. He handed her a folded sheet of paper pocked with raindrops, and she snatched it away greedily, eager to hear back from Benji. ¡°T-Thank you.¡± A knock interrupted them. Sunny spun around, then turned back toward G, pushing his head outside. ¡°Shhh, you need to go. Oh, wait, actually. Stay there, but hide. I¡¯ll write you a note in a second.¡± G didn¡¯t react, so she wondered if he understood. She shut the window as quietly as she could, closing the blinds, and retrieved her journal from the desk. Making sure not to run or walk too quickly, she came up to the door and opened it, gaping when she saw Amber and not June. Amber leaned forward, hands on her knees. ¡°Want to get out of the house?¡± Sunny blinked. ¡°Uh, well.¡± ¡°I think June¡¯s one more infomercial from losing her mind, and we could all use a girl¡¯s night out, don¡¯t you think?¡± Yes, but I need to stay here and get messages from Benji. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m feeling well, though.¡± Amber frowned, then straightened up. ¡°You need to wait here for something, don¡¯t you?¡± Sunny averted her gaze. Was she that obvious? ¡°N-No, it¡¯s just, umm, my stomach.¡± Amber snickered. ¡°Right. Stomach.¡± ¡°I-I mean it!¡± Amber shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯re not in any trouble.¡± She glanced over her shoulder, then leaned closer. ¡°You just can¡¯t leave without us, understand?¡± Sunny struggled to look Amber in the eye. That straight-faced expression was hard to look at when she was hiding something. ¡°Umm, okay.¡± Amber hummed and adjusted her posture. ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± She winked and walked away. Sunny breathed a sigh of relief. She had to make sure she stayed here. Now more than ever. Chapter 20: The Gravemakers The rain fell in merciless sheets. Benji looked to his left toward the window, watching as water pelted the glass. Thoughts of ¡®what if¡¯ and ¡®if only¡¯ continued to plague his mind, and the storm was doing nothing to help him. He had to stop this. Shutting his eyes, he sniffed and tried to return his thoughts to Sunny. Ren and June were surely doing everything they could to make sure something like their encounter with the Lurker didn¡¯t happen again. Perhaps it was his fault she ended up the way she had. If he had tried harder to dissuade her, then maybe¡ª No, he reasoned, she would¡¯ve gone it alone, then. And if she had, then¡­ A came at his window, and he turned his head toward it. A long nail and an accompanying furry hand was tapping the glass. Oh no! He gasped. How could he have forgotten? He threw his legs over the side of his bed and ran to the windowsill. G clung to the wall with a dopey grin on his face. Glancing over his shoulder, Benji pushed the window open, allowing a light blanket of rain to hit the carpet in front of him. G reached over, extending a folded piece of paper. Benji pocketed it while G perched on the windowsill. The wood squeaked, and Benji hissed through his teeth, scared that it would break at any moment. ¡°Uhh, why don¡¯t you come in?¡± Benji said, standing to the side and gesturing. G stumbled forward, digging deep grooves into the wood on his way in Benji cringed, looking over his shoulder at the door. ¡°J-Just a sec.¡± He jogged over, opened the door for any sign of Lyro, then quietly shut it and turned the lock. Benji breathed a sigh of relief, then shut the window and drew the curtains. He and the Denizen sat on the carpet across from one another. As Benji opened his mouth, G crossed his legs and tucked his hands between them. ¡°Feel bad,¡± G stated. G tilted his head, then nudged Benji with a bit more force than he¡¯d expected. He¡¯d nearly pitched him to the side. Maybe he could tell something was wrong with him. ¡°Feel bad.¡± Benji blinked and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Oh, uhhh¡­ my dad¡¯s just a jerk.¡± Part of him was hoping Kiska would show up soon. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he could talk to G and pretend like the night with the Lurkers had never happened. ¡°Just some idiot who thought he could fix years of abandonment.¡± ¡°Food,¡± G said, blinking. ¡°Oh, right,¡± he said, feeling stupid, ¡°I did promise you food, didn¡¯t I?¡± Going down there right now wasn¡¯t something he could do. Emotionally, he couldn¡¯t handle it. On top of that, he hadn¡¯t expected Lyro to come home. He¡¯d have to be more careful than he thought. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll get you some later, okay?¡± G seemed to understand. He patted Benji on the shoulder, and Benji gently maneuvered to his side. Dang, that hurt. ¡°You telling me not to worry?¡± Benji asked. When G didn¡¯t respond, he continued. ¡°I¡¯m glad you have someone who¡¯s there for ya, G. Kiska seems like family to you.¡± He bowed his head. He had plenty of people he could depend on, but it would¡¯ve been nice if there were some family members in there too. G hummed. ¡°Family.¡± ¡°Yeah. My mom was my family. It was usually just the two of us most of the time, but we had a lot of good times.¡± Benji plucked fibers from the carpet while he recollected the peaceful mornings when he and his mom would wake up and have breakfast together. He smiled wryly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve had a mom, or if you know what that even means, but she was very special to me. She¡¯d always watch Gori Gori and the Gravemakers with me on TV. Ever seen it?¡± G scratched the side of his head, then sniffed himself. ¡°It was so awesome, dude,¡± Benji whispered. ¡°I loved their music. I still remember sitting on the floor with my mini table, peeling my orange and eating cereal before school.¡± He paused to examine G. He wasn¡¯t sure why he was spilling his guts out to a Denizen who could barely talk, but somehow it felt¡­ therapeutic. So he continued. ¡°Those small tables are great, you can eat anywhere you want.¡± He sniffed. ¡°Mom had a habit of doing the same stuff every day. Sometimes, that wasn¡¯t a good thing, though.¡± He sighed.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The rain was dying down. A shame. The petrichor helped him concentrate, offering a semblance of white noise when his thoughts were erratic. As his mind clung to memories of his mother, he shook his mind and decided to broach another topic instead. ¡°¡®G¡¯ is kinda a weird name, don¡¯t you think?¡± He stared at the necklace around G¡¯s neck. From what Kiska had explained, that was the only identifier she could use to name him. G didn¡¯t seem to care one way or the other, but reducing him to a single letter felt weird. ¡°We should give you a better name.¡± G leaned forward and tucked at the front of Benji¡¯s shirt with a nail. Benji gently pushed it away, which took more effort than expected. To his dismay, G had managed to poke a tiny hole in his shirt. So sharp. ¡°What if we called you Gori?¡± Benji said. Perhaps it¡¯d be a bit on the nose, but who cared? ¡°Gori,¡± the Denizen said, seeming to take a liking to the sound. ¡°Gori. Gori. Gori Gori.¡± ¡°You seem to like it,¡± Benji laughed nervously. ¡°Gori Gori, then?¡± ¡°Gori! Gori!¡± Benji smiled. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. From this day forth, you¡¯re Gori Gori.¡± G¡ªor, Gori Gori, as he now was named¡ªrocked back and forth with a toothy grin, hands on his forelegs. ¡°Gori Gori,¡± he growled. ¡°Gori Gori.¡± Benji stood up and made his way over to a bedside drawer behind Gori Gori. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, then we need to make sure you can represent the Gravemakers properly.¡± He fished through clothes, tickets and CDs¡ªmany of which were composed by Taylor Crush¡ªand found an old comic book at the bottom featuring Gori Gori and the Gravemakers. ¡°Here,¡± Benji said, sitting in front of Gori Gori. He proffered the comic book, and Gori Gori took it with minor hesitation in his movement. To his surprise, the Denizen was delicate with the comic, and opened it up to the first page. ¡°These guys were heroes. They would fight crime, and their music made people happy. You can read it in your spare time if you want. I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± The necklace caught the gentle light of the lamp. It looked terrible, like a dog¡¯s collar. As if Gori Gori was a pet or a slave. It made him feel uncomfortable, so he leaned forward and yanked the necklace off of Gori Gori¡¯s neck. Gori Gori grunted, tilting his head in confusion. Perhaps that was his way of asking a question without knowing how to pronounce it. ¡°It seemed cruel to me,¡± Benji explained. ¡°What kinda person just wraps a necklace around someone like that?¡± It was worn, bitten into, frayed and tight¡ªalmost like a collar. Whoever did this had malicious intentions. Gori Gori smiled wide, rocking back and forth with his new comic book. He licked one nail tenderly before using it to turn the page. Maybe he saw someone do that before. There was a sort of gentle giant air about him, and Benji found that charming. ¡°Sunny¡¯s working hard to find her dad. Why don¡¯t we be heroes and help her out like the Gravemakers would?¡± Gori Gori set the comic on the floor beside him and reached over to embrace Benji in a hug. It was warm and kind, soft and strangely comforting considering what Gori Gori could do to Lurkers. As it went on, however, Gori Gori continued to increase his strength, and the scent of wet fur was growing oppressive. ¡°Ack! Gotta¡­ gotta let go!¡± Benji wheezed. ¡°Oooh!¡± Gori Gori released him and pulled away. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re strong.¡± Benji coughed and tapped his chest with his palm. ¡°Ooooh.¡± Gori Gori nodded, then resumed his time with the comic. With that out of the way, it was time to see what Sunny had written on the note. Benji plucked the note from his pocket, and mouthed the words. June said I can go back to school again. I found out that the goopy stuff we found is called NEON. It¡¯s all over the news! We need to investigate this! Lyro¡¯s sudden interest to involve himself would complicate issues. As far as Benji knew, Lyro was still home, and that made the task of getting Gori Gori to disappear a little more difficult. In any event, this had to be followed up somehow. While he wasn¡¯t sure what that would look like, he could at least write back. Benji returned to the bedside drawer and extracted a pen and a slip of paper. He set it down and began to pen his response. Yes! Lyro¡¯s being a bit of a¡­ Benji scratched it out and rewrote it. Lyro¡¯s being a huge pain right now. He¡¯s watching me, and he even made dinner! He never does that! We should probably do most of our investigating at school, and through Gori Gori and Kiska. Oh, that¡¯s right. I gave G a real name. It felt too simple, really strange to just have a letter for a name. So he might respond to that. He seems to like it. Benji folded the piece of paper and tucked it into his hoodie pocket before sitting back down in front of Gori Gori. He was halfway through the comic now, and Benji liked to imagine Gori Gori liked how colorful and impactful the pictures were. Now what? Chapter 21: Dear Camilla Lyro rolled his tongue while he stood on the back porch under the veranda. The rain was gentle now, striking the veranda like dozens of little pebbles. It was therapeutic, helped him think. He flicked the occasional ash from his cigarette, his stare locked onto the hammock he and Camilla built when they were still kids. ¡°Camilla¡­¡± Her name escaped his lips in a whisper, as if saying it any louder was too dangerous. He looked down at the rings on his left hand. He wore six in total, four on his left and two on his right. Five of the rings were everlasting reminders of his failures, and his deal with the devil. The sixth ring¡ªhis wedding band¡ªwas a reminder of his lies, his broken vows. Intentional or not, he¡¯d failed to protect her and their family. ¡°Damn it,¡± he muttered. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to go. He was a genius, top of his class, valedictorian, the person people stopped when they passed him in the streets. ¡®He¡¯s going to go far,¡¯ they would say. For a man so smart, he sure did feel like an idiot. They¡¯d told him he was bright, exceptionally intelligent. If they¡¯d known how many of those years he spent in panic, then maybe they¡¯d say differently. After Camilla¡¯s miscarriage, Cammilla resorted to hard drugs and became increasingly difficult to deal with. She spent much of her time high and locked up in her room. Each attempt to convince her to get off the drugs resulted in a screaming fest. The anxiety struck his nerves like a hammer to the nail, and eventually he began to expect screaming whenever he spoke to her. His exhaustion took hold, and he became closer to the mayor due to their shared interests in economics. Time passed, and as the two grew closer, the mayor introduced him to his library. He would peruse the non-fiction section in search of knowledge whenever he needed to take his mind off things. It brought him a sense of calm, and gave him the strength to return to Camilla¡¯s side later that evening. The library eventually became a haven for Lyro. Countless arguments were had as to whether they should try again for a baby. The doctor had stressed that the complication was a rare circumstance and was unlikely to happen again. Of course, the doctor never gave them an answer one way or the other. Lyro understood why. Saying one would discredit the other. In the case that the doctor was wrong, he could lose his medical license. Concerned that Camilla may do something reckless, Lyro stopped visiting the library. He and the mayor grew apart, associating with one another only when necessary. Mayor Just¡ªa terribly ironic name¡ªwas a smart man, however, and soon he approached him with inquiries. Somehow, he¡¯d caught wind of their miscarriage. The world became stranger after that. So much stranger. Lyro remembered the event, word for word, action for action. All he wanted was to forget the past and instead work toward the future. When the mayor offered him a chance to speak with someone who could ensure such tragedies wouldn¡¯t happen again, his curiosity was piqued. Two days later, Lyro met the man the mayor had spoken of. A tall figure, with inky features and a disturbingly black umbrella that seemed to swallow the sky stood beneath the tree in the mayor¡¯s backyard. Mayor Just had been standing beside the figure, a proud smile on his face. ¡®I understand you have lost someone precious,¡¯ the shadowy figure had said in a husky tone. ¡®You wish to ensure it will not happen again.¡¯ ¡°I should¡¯ve¡ª¡± Lyro growled, recollecting the event in perfect clarity. ¡°Damn me.¡± Shima¡ªas the man was named¡ªmade a promise. One he could keep. It would come at great cost, and that cost would be unknown until the moment the pact was made. For his service, Lyro or anyone else would be granted a boon; a wish of sorts. He would be allowed seven of these wishes, to be used whenever he deemed appropriate. A ring for each wish would be placed on his hands, never to be removed until the moment the wish was made.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The desperation to see Camillia happy and healthy, with children of her own, took hold in that moment, and Lyro had surrendered to him. Rings adorned his fingers, and for his first wish, he asked for a successful pregnancy and the family he always desired. Shima smirked, whispering, ¡®With this trade, the privilege of age is lost to you. Something is given. Something is taken.¡¯ At the time, he had thought nothing of it. It was a small price to pay to ensure the safety of their future child. As the devil promised, Crowlei was born without complications, and at last they had a family. After Lyro¡¯s parents passed away, finances worsened. The mayor offered a property of his own, promising that it would not affect his wish count. What happened between Lyro and the devil was their business, not his. Years passed without issue. Crowlei was a wonderful daughter, and Lyro and Camilla played with her every day. They frequently discussed getting a dog, building a library, and so much more. What Lyro was unaware of at the time, was how much Camilla was struggling to keep up with him. Once Crowlei had been born, Lyro saw¡ªwhat he thought¡ªwas the original light that¡¯d drawn him to her in their middle school years. Their happiness was fleeting. Years passed. One evening, when Lyro had returned home, he found Crowlei crying at Camilla¡¯s door. When Lyro found it was locked, he broke the door down to find his wife in bed, her bedside table littered with needles and straps. He ushered Crowlei into the hall and tended to his wife. She¡¯d been as cold as ice, her breath barely present. The panic took hold, and Shima heard his plea. Camilla gasped and coughed, the warmth returning to her skin in a flash. Her eyes were clear, the bags beneath them gone. Whatever this devil had done, he had done it in an instant. It was at that time that the devil¡¯s whispers reached his ears once more. ¡®With this trade, the privilege of remembrance is lost to you. On this day every year, the newly met will forever forget you. Something is given. Something is taken.¡¯ With the devil¡¯s words, the second ring had disappeared from Lyro¡¯s hand. Lyro shut his eyes and forced himself to return to the present. He could stand here all day, thinking of the actual thousands of ways he could¡¯ve remedied the problem, the different ways he could¡¯ve solved it. The reality was¡ªregardless of how painful it was¡ªthat what was done was done. Benji could yell at him all day for not divulging the details of his circumstances. The truth was, however, that he had explained his situation to Benji. He had explained the complications behind his curses, his duty. He, Camilla, and Crowlei did everything they could to explain what was happening. But no matter how many times they told him, a devil had taken Lyro¡¯s life from him and left him to rot in the ageless body of an eighteen-year-old. Four times he had gone down this road with Benji. His son would cry, apologize, and the two would return to amicable terms. Only to do it all over again the next year. At first, it wasn¡¯t all that hard. He loved his son, as did Camilla. If explaining himself every year was the price to pay for Camilla¡¯s happiness, then he would gladly pay it. Crowlei was a wonderful older sister, and the two were invaluable in helping him deal with his son¡¯s annual amnesia. Lyro took a puff on his cigarette and blew a heaping of smoke into the air. He tapped the side, and a clump of ash fell to the porch floor. This would mark the first year he decided not to explain the details of his pact. He¡¯d grown tired of it. Tired of explaining, tired of mending their relationship, tired of the crying, tired¡­ of being forgotten. So fine. If that¡¯s how it was going to be, then so be it. He¡¯d be the deadbeat dad who was never at his son¡¯s side. The man who abandoned his wife and child for reasons unknown. It sure as hell was a lot less painful than fixing their relationship once a year. ¡°I want to be your dad, Benji,¡± Lyro whispered, lingering on the old oak tree in their backyard, ¡°but he won¡¯t let me. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lyro sighed and flicked his cigarette into the yard where the rain doused it. For a moment, he identified with the cigarette. The strong flame that once existed was long gone, now a mere facsimile of its prior self. The remaining embers would be snuffed out, and he would surrender. The only thing that kept him going was the love and duty he felt for his family. If only Crowlei could be at his side. Then perhaps this would be easier. ¡°I hope you¡¯re okay,¡± he whispered, ¡°wherever you are.¡± Chapter 22: Toxic Olivier¡¯s blood boiled. She stomped her way across the sidewalk on the way to her apartment, her smartphone held in a vice grip. She made no effort to hide the fury that pulsed through her veins. Occasionally, a murmur or a glare would follow her, but she couldn¡¯t care less. Striding up the stairs, she shoved the front door open and made a beeline for the elevator directly to her left. The bellhop behind the front desk raised his hand. ¡°Ma¡¯am, wait!¡± ¡°Back off!¡± Olivier warned. She pressed the button for the sixth floor, cursing under her breath as the elevator doors shut. The hum of the machine filled the room as an advertisement for a new brand of soda played on the screen behind her. Her chest inflated with anxiety, and bobbed the ball of her foot to alleviate it. Thoughts of punching her boyfriend swirled around with images of him fighting back. ¡°Damn it,¡± she hissed. The elevator dinged. The doors opened, and Olivier stepped out into the hallway. Hesitation quickly replaced fury, and the urge to turn tail and run swept over her. Swallowing, she turned around just as the elevator doors shut. ¡°Wait, no!¡± she said, trying to pull the doors apart. The elevator had already left. ¡°Urgh!¡± She rocked her lower jaw side to side, equal parts angry with herself and scared. She turned her head toward the stairs to her left. They called to her, promising that if she simply descended back down to the main hall and played the ignorant girlfriend, then complete bliss awaited her. What a lie. Olivier pocketed her smartphone, the raunchy image of Silas¡ªher boyfriend¡ªin their bed with another woman continuing to resurface in her mind. After a short bout of deliberation, she resumed her walk toward the apartment¡ªtheir apartment. Her heart pounded against her chest at the thought of how Silas would react. He¡¯d sent the picture to her by mistake, and he was quick to unsend the message. Before he could undo the damage, Olivier had snapshotted it. Pulling it up was painful, serving to remind her that he didn¡¯t love her anymore. Or, perhaps, maybe he never did. Olivier stopped at the door and plucked her copy of the apartment key from her skirt pocket. The lock clicked at her turn, and as she turned the doorknob to open it, the door suddenly pulled open. A yellow eye set in a face of stony pale skin peered at her between the crack, Olivier¡¯s entry stopped short by the door chain. The man ran his long fingers through his silver hair. ¡°You¡¯re back early,¡± he said. ¡°Cut the crap. You know why I¡¯m here, Silas,¡± Olivier said, crossing her arms. ¡°Where is she?¡± Silas frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s who? Who the fuck are you talking about?¡± He sighed. ¡°Are you having another one of your fits?¡± ¡°My fits?¡± Olivier balked, raising her voice. ¡°Are we going to pretend that you didn¡¯t send me a picture of you and another woman getting it on in our bed? Were you trying to brag to your friends again? Think you¡¯re some big, tough guy?¡± ¡°Dumb bitch. I¡¯m getting real fucking tired of being talked to like this,¡± Silas growled. ¡°It was one time, and I apologized.¡± One time, he said. Yet, Olivier could count almost a dozen occasions. Far more chances than he deserved. ¡°Besides, did you even check our text history?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Yeah. Sure did. You unsent the message so I wouldn¡¯t see.¡± Olivier reached into her skirt pocket to retrieve her smartphone. She¡¯d have to look at the picture again. The picture of Silas screwing another woman. Her hands were shaking, and she was terrified that he would strike her again. But she had to do this. Had to prove it to them both. She scrolled down to her phone¡¯s gallery, clicked the image, then turned the phone around so he could see. ¡°Care to explain how you found your dick in another woman like that? Or are you going to tell me some nonsense, like she just tripped and fell over on top of you?¡± Silas chuckled. ¡°You are fucking insane. Truly. To think that you would go so far as to doctor an image to sully my name. You plan on distributing this to the press, too? Mess up my dad¡¯s reputation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you care about, isn¡¯t it? You and your dad¡¯s precious fucking reputations. You think I would resort to blackmail like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s beyond a caddy bitch like you.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, he reached toward her for her phone. Olivier saw it coming, but even so, Silas was quicker, and he snatched the phone from her grip, snaking it through the crack of the door and out of her reach. ¡°Hey, you bastard! Give it back!¡± Olivier bellowed, squeezing her arm through the door¡¯s crack. Using his foot, Silas slammed the door on her elbow, eliciting a yelp. ¡°Agh! Silas, let me go! Don¡¯t do this! Please, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± ¡°Looks like you forgot how things work around here,¡± Silas chuckled as he held her phone at a distance, ¡°so, let me give you a refresher.¡± He leaned against the door, and the muscles in her arm cried out for him to stop. Her bones were popping and bending in excruciating ways. Olivier pounded against the door frame. ¡°Impeccable work, as usual. This looks like the real thing.¡± ¡°It is the real thing,¡± Olivier whined through gritted teeth. Silas pushed harder. ¡°Please, s-stop! It hurts!¡± Her arm tingled as he pushed. She could feel the door threatening to break her bones, the muscles below her elbow growing cold with the increased pressure. ¡°You need to be taught a lesson, so just shut the fuck up while I fix this. Then I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Olivier nodded, and she fought back the tears that were coming on. This was just the way it went. Each time she would stand up to him, and each time he would knock her down. She whimpered and sobbed quietly while he worked through her phone. She drew an onlooker across the hall, and Olivier shook her head. The young woman frowned but ushered her child into their apartment. At last, Silas let her go. Olivier gasped and pulled away, cradling her arm. She gently pressed and massaged the area. It was tender, and waves of pain came in and out. It would bruise. ¡°Here. Fixed it for you,¡± Silas said, throwing the phone against the wall behind her. It made a crunch as it collided. ¡°Well, shit. Sorry. Hope that didn¡¯t do any damage.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch,¡± she hissed under her breath as she retrieved the phone. Two large cracks traveled across the screen. If not for the protective cover, Silas probably would¡¯ve broken it. ¡°What was that?¡± Silas asked. ¡°Are you saying weird things again?¡± He clicked his tongue. ¡°Look, why don¡¯t you get the hell out of here before I call the authorities?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my apartment too, you creep.¡± Beads of sweat coating her forehead. Her breathing labored. She couldn¡¯t do this for much longer. She needed help. ¡°Besides, you would never. Your father¡¯s precious reputation means too much to you.¡± Silas regarded her with a furrowed brow, clicked his tongue, then slammed the door in her face. Olivier pocketed her phone with her good arm, wiped the sheen of sweat that¡¯d been collecting on her face, then knocked on the door. ¡°Just let me in to confirm if there¡¯s another girl in there.¡± The nonsensical part of her¡ªthe part of her that Silas had designed¡ªwas winning again. The part that said everything was fine, and that this was somehow all in her head. Memories of when they shared quiet lunches together, kissed under the moonlight, and snuck out late caressed her in their warm embrace. Desperation took over, and her heart surrendered for what must have been the hundredth time. ¡°I¡­ I love you, and I just¡­ don¡¯t want to get hurt anymore.¡± Silence. ¡°Silas?¡± Olivier repeated. ¡°You need to go,¡± Silas said from behind the door. ¡°Cool off, then maybe I¡¯ll let you back in.¡± She brushed her fingers against the door longingly, then quietly left. Chapter 23: The One Percent Olivier kept her head bowed while she waited for one of the servants to answer the door. The Vasseur family was one of the most prestigious names in the city. Its very presence commanded respect and obedience. Speaking with a Vasseur may as well have meant that you were speaking with royalty. Well, if your name was Grey or Louis. ¡°You got to be kidding me. What the hell is taking so long?¡± Olivier hissed under her breath. The pain had reduced to a dull ache, throbbing with the beat of her pulse. Focusing on getting into the home was all that kept her from crying. At last, a man with an impressive mustache and graying hair answered the door. He was dressed like all of Mother and Father¡¯s servants¡ªblack suit, red tie, priceless shoes that you could eat off. The constant show of prestige made her sick. ¡°Madam Olivier,¡± the man said, bowing with a hand clapped to his chest. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°Save me the song and dance, Franklin,¡± Olivier said, brushing his shoulder as she moved past him. ¡°Point me to my brother and I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± He raised a brow and pointed to the study at the west wing of the main hall. Olivier steadied her breath to help alleviate her pain. Most of the medical journals she¡¯d read implied that maintaining a steady heartbeat and a calm outlook improved healing and reduced stress. She had her doubts, but she was willing to try anything. As she concentrated on her breathing, she strode to the thick dark door, turned the knob, and pushed it open slowly. Most people would¡¯ve knocked, but given the circumstances of her younger brother, such niceties were pointless. ¡°Where did you go?¡± she muttered as she looked to her left, and then her right. The study was a poor word to use for what was a monstrosity of a library. Whether her parents actually read any of the books, she had no idea. The rumor had been, they originally filled the shelves for her and her brother¡¯s sake. Powerful reading material for them as they grew older. As time went on, however, and they became wealthier and more involved with Livion¡¯s continued rule as mayor of the city, their interest waned, and the books became little more than additional items for the servants to dust. A smile tugged at Olivier¡¯s mouth as she caught her younger brother reading a thick book in a corner of the room. He sat in a comfortable leather chair, positioned behind a desk like the next mayor. A three-dimensional astrolabe garnished the desk to the boy¡¯s side, granting him a studious air. Olivier strode to the front of the desk, tapping the wood in front of him so he would see. He gasped, then looked up, equal parts shocked and happy to see her. He set the book down to his side, then formed the sign language for ¡°Olivier! I missed you!¡± Olivier smiled wider, mouthing the words as she spoke back to him in sign language. ¡°I missed you too, Coy. Are you feeling okay today?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± he said, excitedly forming the signs. She always admired his enthusiasm. Despite being deaf and sickly, he never let it define him or slow him down. How a boy only a few years younger than her could be so happy and filled with energy, she had no idea. ¡°Today¡¯s one of my better days. How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing great too,¡± Olivier lied. Coy was aware of her strained relationship with Silas, but she didn¡¯t want to be the bringer of bad news. He¡¯d had enough of that lately, what with their parents constantly breathing down his neck about his future. ¡°Are Mom and Dad treating you all right?¡± Coy shrugged, then rolled his eyes. ¡°About as well as they¡¯re capable of, I suppose.¡± He paused, clicking his tongue forming the sign for ¡®money.¡¯ ¡°You know how Dad is about money.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes. What¡¯s going on now?¡± Coy shook his head. ¡°Nothing you haven¡¯t heard before. How¡¯s Silas?¡± A dick. ¡°He¡¯s doing okay,¡± Olivier said quickly. ¡°I¡¯m taking care of a few errands while he tidies up the apartment.¡± Coy raised a disbelieving brow. ¡°Silas tidying? That¡¯s not a very good lie. Did something happen again?¡± Olivier paused, formed the sign for ¡®actually,¡¯ then thought again. ¡°We can talk about it another time. We¡¯re just having some difficulties.¡± Coy leaned his head to the side, then met her eyes. ¡°As long as he hasn¡¯t hurt you.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Olivier refrained from touching the bruise on her elbow. She¡¯d pulled her sleeves down to make sure no one would see it. The last time this topic had come up, Coy nearly made himself sick with worry, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive herself if she was the cause for his hospitalization. As she moved to itch her eye, she caught a small red streak on the sleeve of her shirt, stopped, then slowly hid it behind her back, cursing under her breath. Coy wouldn¡¯t be able to hear her, but he¡¯d developed a good sense for reading lips. Damn it. Coy frowned. ¡°You okay, Sis?¡± Olivier swallowed, then nodded. While her haemolacria was mostly harmless, it was alarming and gave others an easy way to tell if she¡¯d been crying. She¡¯d cleaned up before coming over, and felt stupid for missing the streak of blood. Carefully, she pulled each of her sleeves up just enough so that the blood and the bruise were hidden. Coy was much too smart for his own good. He¡¯d notice it¡ªassuming he hadn¡¯t already¡ªand the worries would arise. Even though he was a few years younger than her, he could run circles around her given the right circumstances. Here¡¯s hoping he doesn¡¯t see it. ¡°Where are Mom and Dad?¡± Olivier asked. She¡¯d intended to say hello to them, but perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. Mother was always too busy telling her and Coy how to walk, how to think, how to dress. It came with being the owner of your own clothing line. Dad, on the other hand, well¡­ Olivier was convinced he was more of a dog than an actual human. All Mayor Livion had to do was ask him to jump, and her father would ask, ¡®how high?¡¯ ¡°Dad¡¯s helping Livion with his next campaign. Mom is¡ª¡± As Coy continued to make the signs, the front door opened, and their crone of a mother¡¯s voice echoed throughout the main room. Olivier formed the hand sign for ¡®stop,¡¯ then strode to the door of the library. She peeked through the crack to see her mother waving her finger around like a conductor¡¯s baton. ¡®Clean this, make that call, why are you standing around?¡¯ She could practically recite the tone to perfection. Olivier shook her head, then returned to Coy. Can¡¯t go two minutes without barking orders, can you, Mother? ¡°Looks like Mother¡¯s home,¡± Olivier made the signs to Coy. Her brother nodded in understanding. The less time she spent around their parents, the better. If they wanted her to maintain a cordial relationship with Silas, then she would do everything in her power to avoid them. ¡°Do you need anything before I go?¡± Coy shook his head. ¡°Just promise me to take care of yourself. I don¡¯t trust Silas. I¡¯m not okay with what he¡¯s done to you in the past.¡± Olivier never knew how to respond to such statements. Few knew of what was truly going on between them. Coy knew more than the average person, and had been her shoulder to cry on. Even so, he¡¯d never heard of anything like today. If he did, then he would absolutely end up in the hospital. It was bad enough knowing that one of her best friends was still comatosed. She¡¯d been trying to move on from that, tried to come to terms with the reality that her friend was dead and would never wake again. Imagining her brother like that made her sick to her stomach. ¡°I will. I promise.¡± Olivier turned tail and left before any further bad blood could be spilled. Stick around long enough, and it was only a matter of time before more awful memories were unearthed. She offered her mother little more than a piercing glare and a casual wave as the two brushed shoulders on her way out. Her mother said nothing, and that suited her just fine. --- Clothes tumbled in the machines, blanketing Olivier with a brand of white noise that proved to be more therapeutic than she expected. The idea of having her clothes washed and dried at a public laundromat was initially perturbing when she¡¯d moved out of her home. After the same ten servants had done her laundry for most of her life, she¡¯d begun to think that cleaning clothes was beneath her. She was delighted at how wrong she was. With ten more minutes left on her batch, she took up an old plastic picnic chair and sat down, hunched forward with her smartphone in hand, and a sucker in her mouth. She scrolled down to Maxis¡¯s name, her old friend at the front of her mind. She tapped the screen with her thumb, hoping for a distraction that would never come. Leaving wouldn¡¯t be an option while clothes were still in the dryer. Damn it. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve put it off for too long,¡± she muttered as she typed out the words on her keypad. She paused after she completed her text, then sent it to Maxis. Hey, Max. Can I ask u for a favor? Maxis is typing¡­ Olivier swallowed and shut her eyes. She couldn¡¯t take it back now. Yeah, what¡¯s up? She muttered the words as she typed them, pausing for a moment before sending the message. I think¡­ it¡¯s about time I saw Terra. Will u go with me to visit her? Maxis is typing¡­ Moments later, his text came through. Oh totally! How''s next week sound? Ren¡¯s got me doing stuff with him this weekend, so im a bit busy. Olivier frowned. Those two were like peas in a pod. kk next week, then. Thanks Max. Yeah, ofc! I know she¡¯ll be happy to see u! =) She clicked the power to her phone, and the screen went black. She let the device dangle from her pointer finger and thumb, rocking it back and forth in thought. Can she even hear us anymore? Leos Interlude 2 It was almost infuriating how bright the sun was. As if the limited time on his clock was insignificant to its majesty. While he fought every day of his life, the sun continued to shine like nothing was wrong. Of course, Leo knew directing his ire at the big ball of fire in the sky was senseless. But he couldn¡¯t have cared less. He was in the mood to blame anyone and anything. ¡°If I could just snuff you out,¡± Leo mumbled as he raised his hand to the sky and enclosed his fist over the sun¡¯s outline, ¡°then maybe I¡¯d feel a little better.¡± He hated how powerless he was, how much pain he felt just from walking. Despite the doctor¡¯s supposed best attempts to alleviate his suffering, every day was wrought with grief and test after test. He felt like a guinea pig, and managing a simple smile proved to be one of the most monumental tasks of his life. Shore was one of the few things left in his life that he could still genuinely smile at, but even that had grown more difficult as of late. Sighing, Leo leveled his gaze and let his arm fall to the side. On his nurse¡¯s recommendation, he had taken a stroll through the hospital¡¯s yard. Mere minutes later, the pain became so great that he had to sit down. He kept his IV next to him, like many of the other patients wandering the yard, and observed the nurses strolling alongside their patients. They offered kind words and gently guided those who were struggling to walk. Most of the patients were older, and were recovering from surgeries, or waiting until their last days like he was. That pissed him off. At least they got to live a full life. The bench was losing its appeal. Leo carefully stood, dragging his IV beside him, and walked over to the central fountain, taking a seat on the ledge. The figure at the center held a bowl in her hands, where the water overflowed into the basin below. A pair of wings sprouted from her back, and a trio of birds behind her head spewed steady streams of water from their beaks. The image was serene, and for a minute, Leo felt a sense of peace. How nostalgic. The scent of chlorine brought back vivid memories of going to public swimming pools with his parents. His sister hadn¡¯t been born yet, but his mom was pregnant at the time. She insisted on swimming to work her muscles, and Leo remembered being excited about getting a sister. The thought of leaving her alone pained him, and he fought back the oncoming tears he felt welling in his eyes.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Leo ran his hand through the fountain water to distract himself. He observed how the water ebbed and flowed between his fingers. Swimming was one of Mom and Dad¡¯s favorite activities. He lamented that such joyous days were behind him. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you,¡± Leo heard an older man say. He turned his head toward the man. He was sitting in a wheelchair and looked to be in his late forties. A woman of similar age stood beside him with her arms wrapped around his head. She kissed his forehead and rubbed her cheek against his gray beard. ¡°I¡¯ll always be here for you,¡± the woman replied, her eyes glazed. ¡°Until the end.¡± Leo¡¯s eye twitched, and he looked away, returning his attention to the water. He cupped a pool of water in his hand, raised it to eye level, then tipped his hand, spilling the water back into the basin. He wondered what it was like to be in love. To know that another person was always in your corner, ready to leap into action at a moment¡¯s notice. Sharing one another¡¯s heat, holding hands, feeling each other¡¯s soft lips. Leo brushed a finger against his lips as he recollected a pair of girls he fancied a few years back. Few women caught his eye as he grew up, but those two were something special. He could still see Macy¡¯s scruffy brown hair, her charming toothy smile, and hear the chipper tone of her voice whenever she detailed her day¡¯s schedule. Even on the worst of days, she found a way to make the best of situations. No matter what, you couldn¡¯t put her down. A trait Leo was sorely lacking nowadays. ¡°But Esmeralda,¡± Leo chuckled, ¡°now she was a keeper.¡± Like many who grew up through high school, Leo also had his goth girl phase. Esmeralda was a gorgeous woman who liked to wear fishnets and stylishly torn clothes to school. She had a lip piercing, which the school demanded she have removed. In protest, she studded out her whole left ear. She was the type of girl who often clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. She was never a fan of ¡®the system,¡¯ as she had put it, but even so, she was a girl you could count on if you were ever in trouble. Leo desperately wished he could see them again. After they moved, they kept in contact online and through various social media websites, but over time, they drifted apart. Esmeralda found someone she loved, and Macy was on her way to becoming a professional athlete. Meanwhile, he was here. Rotting away like a corpse. I wonder what a life with one of them would¡¯ve looked like. Leo shut his eyes, then opened them to see the older couple happily resuming their conversation. They shared pecks on the lips, and after a brief cry from the man¡ªwho Leo assumed was her husband¡ªshe wheeled him back toward the hospital. I guess I¡¯ll never know¡­ Chapter 24: Crimson-Soaked Carpets Sergeant Keensburg was no stranger to the stench of death. Spend enough years looking at corpses and plucking evidence from a scene, and eventually your nerves calm and all you can smell is iron. Damn, stick with the force long enough, and you can even have lunch before heading over to the scene¡ªwhich is what Keensburg usually did before arriving. Today was one day he was glad he hadn¡¯t. He clapped a hand to his mouth as he entered the hotel room. A clammy sweat coated his face, and it took damned everything he had not to throw up. All manner of sinew, bone, and viscera covered the walls, the furniture, the floor, even some of the leftover food. In instances like these, it was important to remain logical and level headed. As an officer of the force, it was his job, his duty to ensure the safety of the citizens. Keensburg steeled himself, then approached one of the few officers who was still detailing the evidence. The man¡¯s hand shook as he took notes on a pad of paper. The creases of his hand collected sweat, and he removed his hat several times. ¡°What have you found so far?¡± Keensburg asked as he flashed his identification. The man¡¯s chest rose and fell steadily. He leveled his gaze at the room, pointing to various aspects with the eraser of his pencil while he spoke. As he detailed the pure evil and sheer brutality of the crime, the picture became clearer, but at the same time, more muddied. ¡°Is it true?¡± the officer asked when he was done. ¡°Is what true?¡± Keensburg pocketed his badge. ¡°That this is¡­ part of a series of crimes?¡± Keensburg paused. He was never one to divulge the details of crimes or ongoing cases, but the man was on to it. It bore all the hallmarks of the prior slaughters they¡¯d been investigating for the last few months. To make matters worse, he¡¯d seen this cop before. He¡¯d been there to catalog evidence for a similar crime. It was no wonder he was one of the only officers in the room. ¡°I¡¯m not at liberty to say,¡± Keensburg said, kneeling down to examine the blood soaked into the carpet. He slapped on a pair of latex gloves and pressed his first two fingers into the substance. It squelched. ¡°I understand,¡± the officer muttered. ¡°Were you able to identify the victims?¡± ¡°No. But we were able to find teeth. We¡¯ve sent them up for analysis.¡± ¡°Good. Can you have them sent to my precinct?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Keensburg.¡± A gruff voice to his right. Keensburg turned his head toward the source to see an older man with sharp gold eyes and a healthy beard that was as gray as a storm cloud. He wore a cowboy¡¯s hat that bore roses around the base, and a poncho with elaborate reds and oranges depicting flowers wreathed together by what appeared, to Keensburg at least, to be vines.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Sheriff Krawl.¡± --- Maxis scrolled through his history of texts with Olivier while he waited for Ren. As much as he admired Ren¡¯s, well, free way of living, he hoped that by now that he¡¯d at least have a stronger respect for punctuality. Such things used to bother him, but after a while he¡¯d learned to accept that Ren was never going to arrive on time. Ah, well. At least it gave him time to reflect. The passenger door suddenly flew open, and Ren jumped into the seat. Maxis put his phone between his legs and started the engine. ¡°Man, I should¡¯ve just gotten my old phone fixed. This thing sucks.¡± Not even an apology. Maxis chuckled. ¡°Your new phone works just fine, what are you talking about?¡± he asked as he shifted the vehicle into reverse and looked over his shoulder. ¡°Dude, it doesn¡¯t even have a fingerprint sensor.¡± He turned the phone around so Maxis could see it, but Maxis didn¡¯t grant the phone so much as a glance. Distracted driving was a very real problem that he refused to be a part of. ¡°Bro, see those rounded edges? That¡¯s so damn stupid. My finger keeps slipping off the edge and I mistype shit constantly. How the hell am I supposed to use this thing?¡± He retracted his phone and began to scroll. ¡°Good thing there¡¯s an autocorrect for people like you,¡± Maxis snickered. He shifted the car into drive and made a right onto the street. ¡°Yeah, real funny. Next time you send a ducking message, maybe then you¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t rely on the autocorrect. I learned how to spell years ago. If I spell it wrong, a simple red underline shows up instead. It¡¯s an app I use.¡± ¡°Dude, really? Like those document processors?¡± Ren said with what Maxis thought was a hint of jealousy. ¡°Yeah, super helpful stuff.¡± ¡°Nerd,¡± Ren chuckled. ¡°Just don¡¯t forget who¡¯s buying your ammunition,¡± Maxis said before violently swerving to the left. Ren yelped and dropped his phone on the floor. ¡°Whoops.¡± ¡°Yeah, ha ha, very funny.¡± He snatched his phone out from under the seat and wiped away the dust and dirt. ¡°Oh hey, let¡¯s not tell anyone about this, all right?¡± Maxis frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t want to tell at least one person where we might be going? I get the whole ¡®trying to keep the job a secret¡¯ thing, but what if we got hurt? No one¡¯s going to know where we are.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ren said, shaking his head. ¡°If June or Sunny found out, they¡¯d be on our asses before you know it and we¡¯d never even know. I don¡¯t want them to get hurt.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not even remotely concerned?¡± Maxis frowned. He turned on his left signal and turned into the left-hand lane, coming to a stop at the light. ¡°Of course, I am. But we can handle it.¡± Maxis wondered if Ren really believed that. Ren was rambunctious and hard headed sometimes, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. Despite his lack of book smarts, he was much more street smart than people gave him credit for. He knew which gangs to look out for, how to evade theft and confrontation. Ren tapped his left foot against the floor¡ªsomething Maxis came to realize he did whenever he was nervous. Maxis turned onto the next street and pulled into the parking lot on his right. It was dinky, and the street was in dire need of repair. But it housed one of the only gun stores nearby. ¡°All right, we¡¯re here,¡± Maxis said. He turned off the ignition and retrieved his keys. ¡°Stay here like a good little boy, and hopefully the guy¡¯ll sell us what you need.¡± ¡°Bite me. He¡¯s such a tightass, anyway.¡± ¡°That tightass provides the ammunition to your only useful jitter,¡± Maxis reminded him. Ren used to shop here all the time, but after an argument with the store owner, he was no longer welcomed. He didn¡¯t see what went down, but judging from the words Ren used, Maxis assumed the store owner was in the right. ¡°A little kindness goes a long way.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know.¡± Ren sunk beneath the window so as to hide from the owner. Maxis chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Chapter 25: Spin Cycles Olivier stretched her arms and cricked her neck from one side to the other. The hum of the empty laundromat helped keep her from going out of her mind while she scrolled from story to story, video to video on her phone. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned on the table, gazing out the window toward an old hotdog cart with the glare of the setting sun. The man, Sethel, who managed the cart, asked that she watch it while he went out for dinner. She¡¯d known him for as long as she¡¯d been going to the laundromat and seeing as how he¡¯d given her a few hotdogs on the house, she wasn¡¯t about to refuse a favor. Click. ¡°Hm?¡± Olivier looked up and over to her right where her clothes were drying. The light had turned off and the machine stopped. She sighed. But as soon as she moved to stand up, the machine resumed its cycle and the light¡¯s scarlet glow returned. ¡°Ancient machine,¡± she muttered, returning her attention to the cart outside. The cart¡¯s dented metal and chrome finish was tasteless at best, and she often spent time wondering how it could be improved. By the time she saw Sethel again, she¡¯d usually forgotten or decided not to divulge what she thought. He was an opinionated man, and one who would not stop talking once he found a topic he enjoyed discussing. So Olivier restricted her time with him, electing to¡ª Thunk! Olivier frowned. The noise came from her unit. ¡°They better not charge me if it breaks,¡± she muttered as she turned her head toward it. It sounded as if something heavy was inside. The machine continued to hum and whine until at last stopping. She sighed. ¡°What a piece of junk.¡± Olivier bowed her head and glanced at her phone. Even if Sethel hadn¡¯t put her up to watching his cart, her phone was almost dead. She knew the way back to her apartment by heart, but she knew better than to drain the entirety of the phone¡¯s battery. Funny thing she¡¯d learned about life was that it was often better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it. She scrolled past her screensaver, shook her head, then clicked the power button. The screen turned black, and a faint image reflected on the screen. ¡°What the?¡± A face had appeared behind her shoulder. Two dark sockets and pointed teeth stared back at her. Red streaks and sinew covered the face haphazardly. A stench like months-old meat assaulted her nostrils. She turned around and shrieked. The Lurker swept one lengthy claw toward her, and she ducked, falling backwards under the table with a hiss. The claw sailed past her into the other machines to its side, tearing through them like butter. The creature jerked it back, but the claw wouldn¡¯t budge. Tendrils of flesh coiled around the arm that had embedded itself into the machines and pulled. The claw was extracted with a sickening crunch, mending and reforming before her eyes. Blood and flesh flowed out of the dryer units, creating pools on the floor. ¡°W-W-What the fuck?¡± Olivier screeched. She had to move. Why couldn¡¯t she stop shaking? Why did her body refuse to move? The scarlet moved as if it had a mind of its own, wriggling and twisting toward the malformed beast in front of her. If she didn¡¯t move, she was dead. New flesh appeared, creating tendrils and webs of meat between the bones. A human spine poked out of the ¡®back¡¯ of the abomination. This was her last chance. A disgusting heat flowed out of the creature¡¯s mouth. It was hungry. Fucking move! Olivier crawled backward on her hands and feet. A whip of flesh stretched toward her, snapping the table in half. She squealed, then scrambled to her feet, snaking and ducking behind the other units to her left. Another tendril whipped through the air, cleaving through the upper half of the units. The broken parts fell to the floor with a crash, and as the Lurker retracted the appendage, she saw hints of bone within, sharpened to a fine edge. The creature lurched forward and descended into a large mass of meat and bone and cartilage. With alarming speed, it wriggled toward her like hundreds of hungry worms. ¡°Eeeyaaah!¡± she screamed, shoving the door of the laundromat open.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The Lurker crashed through the glass of the store¡¯s window, landing beside her with a squelch. Olivier rounded the hotdog cart and tipped it over toward the mass of flesh. Dozens of uncooked dogs spilled onto the sidewalk, and the creature¡¯s scarlet mass encompassed the cart. What the hell is that thing? A blood-curdling belch erupted from whatever orifice the creature possessed, and after a momentary interest in the cart, it resumed chasing her. A terrified hiss escaped her throat, and she urged her legs to move as fast as she could. The streets were empty at this hour, but even so, she found that whenever she tried to speak, her throat refused to work. It was no magic or ability of the Lurker; her body simply refused to do what she asked of it. ¡°Stay away from me,¡± she barely managed to whisper, her voice hoarse and dry. She dared not look behind her, but the creature¡¯s noises were growing louder, more prominent. A police station loomed a few blocks down, and as her eyes widened with relief, a wet appendage wrapped around her ankle and pulled. ¡°No,¡± she hissed as she tripped. Her cheek hit the ground, and before she had the chance to wince, the appendage pulled her into a dark alley. ¡°No, no, no,¡± she breathed. She was flung around like a ragdoll. Her back hit the ground with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of her. The unholy abomination lurched toward her, its dark urges radiating off its body. If you could call it a ¡®body.¡¯ ¡°Oh please, no,¡± she said, the heels of her shoes scraping against the tiny pebbles on the cement. She scrambled away on her hands and knees until her back hit the brick wall. The Lurker¡¯s flesh dismantled and rearranged in a series of clicks and crunches. The flesh adjusted, creating new muscles and cartilage until a large cylinder with sharpened teeth lined the ridge. Canines continued to puncture through the meat within, creating a large tunnel of teeth and pores. The stench was indescribable. Olivier balled her hands into fists, and tears of blood began to stream down her face. The Lurker¡¯s ¡®mouth¡¯ reeled back, rotating while a guttural hiss escaped its mass. ¡°Get the fuck away from me!¡± Olivier bellowed, shutting her eyes and rubbing the jitter mark on her left forearm. A cool chill filled her veins. As the Lurker lunged for her, a shield of steel erupted out of the blood she¡¯d shed. The metal created a wall between her and the creature. The fleshy Lurker¡¯s mass thumped against the metal. She looked up, horrified to see such a large dent in the structure. One, two, three strikes against the structure, and the creature had already torn a small hole through it. A scythe of bone cleaved through the shield, creating a clean hole for which the creature began to ooze through. Olivier hissed, dodging the incoming tendril of flesh that had found purchase in her shield. The sharpened appendage sailed past her, drawing a line of blood down her neck. She clapped her hand to the wound, rolled to her right, then formed a long blade of steel from the blood on her hand. She was used to forming these metal objects from the iron in her blood. The shield she¡¯d created moments before disappeared, and as the Lurker caught on, she sliced her blade at the incoming tendril. The steel cut through the flesh, though with more difficulty than she¡¯d anticipated. Wicked fast and disturbingly eager, the Lurker whipped a second tendril, then a third, then a fourth. Each of them reformed faster than the last, increasing at a speed that Olivier couldn¡¯t keep up with forever. With a quick movement, she shuffled the blade to her other hand and ducked to evade the next attack. She lathered the wall beside her in the blood leftover on her palm, and rows of rotating saw blades emerged from the crimson surface. The combination of the creature¡¯s attacks and her sudden saw blades caused her enough fright that she fell over, concentrating on the blades. The Lurker was slowly dismantling them, but it was enough to keep it busy. Seeing her opportunity, she stood up and bit her hand. Warm blood poured out of her wounds, and she sprayed the crimson upon the walls on each side. ¡°Eat this!¡± she cried as more saws emerged. Blood and flesh sprayed over the contents of the alley, creating a disturbing sight of bone and viscera. Despite her attempts, however, the creature simply reassembled itself each time her blades cut through its flesh. Its frustrated wails filled the air, and she began to step backward. Her concentration was waning. She¡¯d used too much of her blood to supply her Jitter. Vertigo overwhelmed her, and soon she struggled to continue standing. I have to run. It¡¯s only a matter of time until it breaks free. She shook her head, and as she concentrated on the saw blades, she pictured the event in her mind and turned tail. She sensed the blades slowing as the distance between her and the Lurker widened. The police station was her only hope. She soared through the streets as fast as her legs would allow. Every step closer was another blade dismantled by the Lurker. Meters separated her from her destination, and she dismissed the objects she¡¯d summoned through her blood. She shoved her way past a boy in a tan suit, grabbing him by the arm and tumbling to the ground with him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the big deal?¡± the boy cried, rising to his feet. ¡°Don¡¯t go out there!¡± Olivier screamed, her voice finally hers again. ¡°There¡¯s a Lurker out there!¡± The boy frowned and glanced at the front door. He patted away the dust from his coat, then cautiously peeked outside. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s nothing out there.¡± ¡°I swear to you! There was this horrible creature of flesh and bone! It chased me and tried to eat me!¡± The boy blinked. ¡°Little lady, are you okay?¡± a gruff voice from behind her asked. She looked over her shoulder to see a decorated officer in flamboyant colors and a poncho. A healthy head of graying hair framed a weathered face set with gold-colored eyes. A pair of skeletal arms crossed over his chest in addition to his normal set, and Olivier briefly wondered if they were props. Olivier swallowed. ¡°There¡¯s a Lurker out there!¡± The officer looked past her at the door, and the boy shook his head. ¡°I believe you.¡± He looked back at her and proffered his hand. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a talk about what you saw?¡± Chapter 26: Dial Tone Maxis groaned as the sunlight struck him. Despite his best attempts to wake up early and be as much a part of the business as his father, there were some days he felt he was designed for a different lifestyle. Ren snored beside him, his lip twitching and a thin line of drool pooling out of his mouth and onto a pillow. The stain was large. Maxis smirked, then cricked his neck side to side and shook Ren¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Bro, it¡¯s time to get up. There¡¯s work to do.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Ren said, rolling over to the opposite side. ¡°Just five more minutes.¡± ¡°This was your idea. Get up. We could¡¯ve gone yesterday, but you got cold feet.¡± Ren snored louder. It was so obviously an attempt at faking falling asleep. Well, he asked for this. Maxis leaned back, arched his legs, then shoved him. ¡°Uwahhh!¡± Ren cried as he rolled across the floor in his sleeping bag. He crashed into the wall, hissing through his teeth as he sat up and scratched his head. ¡°What the fuck was that for?¡± ¡°This is not a good look for you. Come on. If you want to get this done, then we need to start now.¡± Ren frowned, and Maxis ignored him as he walked over to the bathroom to brush his teeth. To Ren¡¯s credit, he could jump out of bed and be perfectly fine in whatever he was dressed in. Pants, T-shirt, boxers, it didn¡¯t matter to him. He could fall asleep in his clothes if he wanted. Maxis liked to do things the proper way, just as his dad had taught him, but Ren was a bit of a wild card at times. By the time Maxis exited the bathroom, Ren was waiting by the front door, ready to go. ¡°Now you¡¯re the one holding us up,¡± he grinned. Maxis rolled his eyes and plucked his keys from his pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± --- Vanille was a shining example of human-Denizen architecture. Beautifully paved roads, sparkling blue water, and box-shaped buildings made up the majority of the district. It was an expensive place to live, but one that brought in a significant number of tourists. Maxis made the drive on occasion to collect provisions for his father, and each time he did, he reminded himself to take a moment to breathe and enjoy the scenery. ¡°Have you ever seen this place glow at night?¡± Ren asked. Of course Maxis had. Numerous times. In fact, the district was so spectacular, so majestic, that those who lived in adjacent districts would find nearby mountains and hills and prop up scopes to get a better view. Their photos filled the pages of magazines and online news articles, citing it as a wonder of civilization and a shining beacon of hope and love. On occasion, Maxis would thumb through the magazines, waxing nostalgic on how adamant Terra was about living here. Maxis had promised to bring her here one day. ¡°Yeah,¡± Maxis said as he made a left turn at Golden Wind Ave. Even the drivers were polite. Nothing like the dredge he had to deal with back home. He found himself daydreaming momentarily, then shook the thought away. He could dream later. They had a job to do. ¡°Ahhh, man. I¡¯d kill to live here someday,¡± Ren said, perching his feet up on the dashboard. ¡°Get a couple of their MELO-MELON popsicles on a hot summer day. Maybe have some of their world-class pasta for dinner.¡± He groaned. ¡°Shit, that sounds good.¡± Maxis frowned. He liked to believe he practiced a fair balance of work and play, but sometimes Ren seemed to do nothing but play. ¡°Let¡¯s stay focused,¡± he kindly reminded him. ¡°You do remember that you roped me into this, right?¡± Ren clicked his tongue. ¡°Of course I do, bro.¡± He tapped his elbow nervously, then put his hands behind his head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t kill ya to take it easy once in a while, though, yeah?¡± Maxis refrained from rolling his eyes. The beauty of Vanille was striking, sure. Its food and populace, astounding. But there was a time and place for this sort of thing, and this wasn¡¯t it. A smirk tugged at the corner of Maxis¡¯s mouth, and he jerked the car to the right, causing Ren to squeal and flash away. ¡°Whoa,¡± Ren said from the back of the car. ¡°Just tryin¡¯ to keep you on your toes,¡± Maxis chuckled. After some playful banter and jabs, Maxis drove his vehicle into the parking lot of the apartment building that Vinny supposedly lived at, then turned off the ignition. ¡°You got your ammo?¡± Ren patted both of his pants pockets. ¡°Locked and loaded.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Maxis nodded before exiting the car. Ren got out the opposite side, and as Maxis stepped up to the front door, he frowned. He rang the doorbell, then moments later the door clicked open. ¡°Damn, I feel like I¡¯m gonna catch something just looking at this place,¡± Ren said as Maxis pulled the door open. The door squeaked at the joints. Dirt and indents decorated the bottom half of the make, suggesting someone had kicked it in at some point. The hum of electricity emanated from the lamp above. This place was falling apart at the seams. ¡°Just keep your head on and we¡¯ll be fine,¡± Maxis said. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got your six.¡± Ren said, following closely behind. Vinny, and by extension, anyone associated with the Vitriani, were dangerous and most likely had people after them for one reason or another. If not Bruno, then a rival gang of miscreants who¡¯d like to see them dead or worse. With that in mind, Maxis elected to take the stairs instead of the elevator. With how filthy and dilapidated the place was, it seemed the safer option. Some may have called that paranoia, but Maxis felt no such thing. He was careful, observant, and did his best to anticipate the moves of others. The carpet was thin and old as they ascended the steps, and for a moment Maxis was baffled. He¡¯d never visited an apartment or hotel in Vanille, but with it being the shining example of what a city should look like, he imagined most of the hotels would at least be somewhat clean. He shook his head, kept his hand away from the railing, then paused as they approached the third floor.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Anything up there?¡± Ren asked. Maxis shook his head. ¡°Not that I can see.¡± He walked up the remaining steps and looked down the hallway to his left. Rows of doors lined both sides of the corridor. The style resembled a hotel more than an apartment complex. As he traveled the length of the hall, he noted how quiet the floor was. Not a single peep could be heard from any one of the rooms. ¡°It¡¯s weirdly quiet,¡± he remarked. Ren chuckled. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t like this. At all.¡± ¡°Breathe in and out, bro. You said it was 303, right?¡± Ren nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what Rudy¡¯s paper says, yeah.¡± As Maxis came up to the door labeled 303, he noted several documents and letters hanging out of the mail slot. There were so many that some of them had piled onto the floor or slipped under the door. He kneeled down with a frown, plucking a pink letter out of the bunch. ¡°Eviction notice,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Can¡¯t believe the guy¡¯s still getting letters.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± As Maxis moved to turn it over, Ren snatched it out of his hand. ¡°Hey!¡± Ren turned it around in his hand, then slipped his finger under the seal and tore it open. ¡°You can¡¯t open other people¡¯s mail,¡± Maxis hissed. ¡°I just did,¡± Ren snickered. ¡°The guy¡¯s long gone, anyway. I don¡¯t think his eviction letter is going to bring him back.¡± He tore the letter from inside, shuffling each paper to the back as he glossed over it. ¡°Boring.¡± ¡°Let me have that,¡± Maxis said, stealing the letter back. He looked at the top-right corner and noted that the letter was old. Quite old. ¡°This letter was sent over a month ago.¡± ¡°Yeah. Like I said. Long gone.¡± Maxis grunted and let the letter fall from his hand. He peered through the keyhole in hopes he might see something. It was much too dark, however, and he pulled away, shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡± He stood and tried the handle, but unsurprisingly it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Do you think you can get in?¡± Ren pocketed his hands and stared at the door. ¡°I¡¯m trying.¡± Ren¡¯s teleportation was the very definition of unreliable. To date, Ren was still unsure how to make it work in a way that didn¡¯t risk life and limb. He¡¯d noticed certain aspects of his ability, such as its inclination to follow light, or teleport him away from harm when his emotions got out of control. But for the most part, it was like playing the lottery, and he rarely won. Maxis could tear the door down, but he didn¡¯t want to leave too much evidence of their intrusion. He imagined that Vinny couldn¡¯t have very many people looking after him anymore. But those who did were unlikely in their right mind, considering the men Vinny associated with. He squeezed the handle, and the brass knob began to buckle. The wood whined, and as splinters frayed from the edges of the knob, the whine grew louder. ¡°Damn it,¡± he said, letting go. He turned to Ren, only to find that he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Ren?¡± A bang from inside the apartment put Maxis on the defensive, and he fell onto his back foot, his arms raised into a fighting stance. The door lock clicked, and the door squeaked open to reveal Ren. A banana peel was perched atop his head, and something had stained his left shoulder. Maxis sniffed the air. He smelled awful. Rotten, even. Ren sighed. ¡°I flashed into the fridge.¡± He turned to leave, when Maxis caught him by the forearm. ¡°You got something on top your head.¡± Ren frowned, patting his head for the rotten peel. ¡°Eck!¡± He plucked it with his pointer and thumb fingers, then tossed it to the side. ¡°Oh man, now it¡¯s got its slimy goop all over my hair. Damn it.¡± ¡°I think it adds. Made you more appealing,¡± Maxis chuckled, shutting the door behind him, locking it. ¡°That was so fucking lame,¡± Ren sighed, turning his head to a stack of papers and documents on the coffee table. ¡°Guess we just start digging?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°Wonder what we¡¯re looking for?¡± Maxis shrugged and entered the kitchen to his left. ¡°Anything? Everything? Something that¡¯ll give us a clue as to what¡¯s going on with this NEON that keeps showing up.¡± ¡°Think it¡¯s got any connection to what happened with the bar?¡± Maxis opened the fridge, gagged, then shut it and waved the smell out of the air. ¡°I doubt it. That¡¯s kind of a leap.¡± ¡°Well, I mean, weird shit¡¯s been happening a lot more often than usual. You gotta admit that.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Maxis said, opening an old book on a nearby shelf and thumbing through the pages. Weird that Vinny had something like this in his home. He didn¡¯t picture him the type to read. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to jump to conclusions without any evidence.¡± He put the book back on its shelf and turned his attention to other things that stuck out. The carpet was brown, pocked with cigarette burns and stains. Maxis kneeled down to have a better look, taking a quick whiff. He couldn¡¯t smell anything in particular, which wasn¡¯t surprising considering how long Vinny had been gone. The remains of a wine glass rest on a table beside him, glass scattered across the carpet. ¡°Hey, be careful,¡± Maxis said. ¡°There¡¯s glass on the carpet.¡± ¡°Yeah, I got one of the stupid shards stuck in my shoe on the way to the door,¡± Ren snapped. ¡°Man, what the hell was wrong with this guy?¡± A lot, from the looks of it. For someone who dealt with Bruno on a frequent basis, Maxis had expected more of the man¡¯s home. Instead, it looked no different than some of the delinquent homes close to the seedier areas of his town. He pushed his way into the bathroom next, noting a large crack across the mirror. The basin was stained with all manner of brown, and a large needle with droplets of NEON in the casing floated in the water. At least, he hoped it was just water. ¡°Hey¡ª¡± ¡°Dude, look at this piece of junk,¡± Ren interrupted. Maxis turned around and returned to the living room to find Ren pushing aside stacks of magazines and documents. Underneath was an old message machine. Maxis hadn¡¯t seen one of these since he was a kid. In a way, it was kind of nostalgic. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and¡ª ¡°Who has such an ancient piece of tech like this?¡± Ren balked. He pointed to the landline phone next to it. ¡°He¡¯s even got one of those cord phones. What year was this guy living in?¡± ¡°The present, I¡¯m sure,¡± Maxis chuckled. He flicked his head toward it. ¡°The light¡¯s blinking. See what¡¯s on it.¡± Ren pressed the button, and he and Maxis crossed their arms as a woman¡¯s voice came on the line. ¡°Vinny, this is your mama. I just wanted to give you a call and talk for a bit. I miss you, you know? I¡¯m sorry if I did anything to upset you, but you didn¡¯t come to the last family dinner, and you haven¡¯t returned any of my phone calls.¡± The woman paused. ¡°Please just give me a call back, okay, sweetie? Mama loves you. Bye bye.¡± The recording finished, and Maxis hummed. ¡°What¡¯s the date on it?¡± Ren leaned forward and brushed his finger against the panel. ¡°Uhhh, about a week ago?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Dude, I can barely read this hunk of junk. Could¡¯ve at least retrofitted it with a backlight.¡± ¡°Probably too old for that,¡± Maxis reasoned. ¡°A week, though. I wonder¡ª¡± The front door¡¯s knob jiggled, and a familiar pop song sounded from beyond. ¡°Vinny! Open the door!¡± came a man¡¯s voice. Maxis and Ren glanced at one another, eyes wide. Oh shit.