Please Stand By

Chapter 8

Jade stood in front of the mirror, looking, from a side view at her belly. It had gotten bigger in the last few weeks. She really was pregnant. She smiled. The thought of bringing a child into this world had always made her happy. Maybe not quite the world that they had been living in for the last two months, but she was excited, nevertheless. Cain came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her, gently kissing her neck.
"How are you two doing?" He asked. She smiled.
"We've been fine. A bit hungry, but still fine." She turned to him. "What about you?"
"I'm okay."
"You sure?" She asked. He paused for a moment.
"Yeah..."
"Is it your dad?" Cain nodded in response. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Lets just go get breakfast."

Cain put his hand is hers and they walked downstairs together, Wolf following behind. As soon as they got downstairs, they were greeted with a horrible sight. The creature was maybe seven or eight feet tall. Its skin was burnt to a crisp and it had no hair. There were only long slits as eyes, as though a sculptor had cut them out with a knife. It was the same with the nose. Its mouth was flat on its face but open. Inside were razor sharp teeth. Cain could see that there were two, maybe even three rows. It had no clothes but there was nothing it needed to cover. It looked like something out of a child's imagination. It was the type of monster one of Cain's siblings would have gone to mom and dad about, saying that it was lurking in their closet.

"JANE GET UPSTAIRS!" Cain shouted. Jade stood there in absolute horror. "JANE!" He shouted again. "GET THE FUCK UPSTAIRS NOW!" She listened the second time and ran upstairs, Wolf right at her heels. She ran to Cain's room and locked the door, slumping onto the floor in a sudden panic, covering her ears with her hands. She backed up to the corner farthest from the door, moving her hands from her ears to her belly, wanting to protect her child the most. She turned her belly away from the door but kept her eyes on it, not willing to look away.

Cain had run to the couch, lifting up the seat. In it was a loaded gun. He grabbed it, cocked it, and aimed it at the monster. At the moment, the monster was not moving. It cocked its head at Cain, tilting it to the side. The gun was shaking in Cain's nervous hands. He held the gun tightly and remembered what his dad had taught him. The twins were behind the monster, the girls close to the front door.
"Not... welcome?" The creature asked, its voice deep and husky.
"No." Cain said flatly. "You're disturbing the peace of my home. Go find your own home."
"You... hurt... me?" It asked. Cain paused, seeing pain in the monsters' eyes. 
"Not if you leave. If you go away, I won't hurt you." The monster looked to Cain sadly and began to slowly walk away. When it was out of the house, Trevor ran to the back door and shut it, making sure to lock it.
"How did it get in?" Cain asked, putting the gun back in its place.
"I woke up on the couch and he was inside." Trevor said.
"What were you doing on the couch?" Cain asked.
"Watching a movie."
Cain nodded. "Did everyone else just come down to the monster being here?"
"Harmony and I were in the office already." Trisha said.
"I came downstairs and found that... thing here." DeShawn said
"And nobody thought to get me and Jade up?" Cain asked.
"We didn't want to yell for you guys and have it freak out or anything." DeShawn said.
Cain paused for a moment. "Fair enough."
"Hey!" Trevor said. "Don't act like you're the older brother here. Don't forget that we're still older than you!"
"I know." Cain said. He turned and began to walk away.
"Don't act so high and mighty like you're the leader."
"I'm just trying to protect my family." Cain walked back up to the door of his room. He knocked on it.
"Jade? You alright? It's me Cain."
"How do I know it's really you?" She asked. They had learned early on that monsters can manipulate the voices of people. Cain looked down at the white scar running across his arm from thinking that what was really a monster, was just his dad coming home. 
"Because the monster already left." He said.
"I don't know that for certain." Her voice seemed closer to the door. "Tell me something only the real Cain would know."
Cain thought for a moment. "Your friend that we got Wolf from, her name was Alana." He said. Jade thought for a second.
"What else?" She asked. Cain thought for a moment.
"After thanksgiving, we went upstairs and took a bath together with a lavender bath bomb. Afterwards we went to my room and... made love." He said, his voice seeming a little strained. He blushed.
Jade opened the door. She looked him up and down.
"Nobody's hurt?"
"No. It walked away."

Jade immediately wrapped her arms around him. She looked past him and at the stairs. Trevor was there. He looked at her through narrow eyes. She buried her chest in Cain's shoulder, happy that nobody was hurt.

The rest of the day went about as though nothing had happened. Cain traced his finger along the scar on his arm. 

"How did dad die...?" DeShawn asked. Cain could not look his brother in the eye. He knew his family was looking at him, expecting an answer he was not ready to give.
"A... A monster." He responded shortly, almost chocking out the words.
"But... what kind?"
"I don't really know how to describe it. The thing had long tentacles for feet and one for its tongue."
"So it used the tongue?" Trevor asked.
"Yeah." Cain said flatly. 
"Was it quick?" Trevor asked.
"I hope so..." Cain said.