|| 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 || [𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙜]

Part 21

1989, 12 years prior.

"Karl!" A woman called from downstairs.
Young Karl scrambled, pushing rusty tools under his bed.
"Coming!!" He shouted.
He ran down the stairs, down into the kitchen.
His Mother stood by the sink, arms crossed. His Father was standing beside her too, face scrunched up into a slight frown.
"What's the matter, mama?" He asked innocently.
"Karl. Did you or did you not go into one of your father's tool bags and take some of his tools?" His mother asked firmly. Her shiny curly brown hair bounced slightly as she spoke. Her skin was white like porcelain, the apple of her cheeks rosy and pink.
The boy shook his head.
"No, Mama." He lied.

"I'm going to ask you again. Did you or did you not take a few screwdrivers, nails, and a hammer from Papa's tool bag?" His mother pressed. "And I hope you aren't lying. I would be very sad if you were."

The child sighed and put his hands behind his own back, looking down with guilt.
"Yes.."

"And where are they?" His father asked.
"Under my bed." Karl answered.

"That's my boy. We don't lie in this house." His mother smiled. Her pearly white teeth shone through.
She hugged her son, squeezing.

"I know how much you want to be like your Papa, baby. But you'll have to wait until you turn 12. The factory is very dangerous for such a young boy like you." She said sweetly, brushing the hair out of his face.
"I know, but I wanna learn now." Karl whined.
"I wanna impress Aless."

His mother let out a low chuckle. "Aless, hmm?"
The boy blushed.
"N-not like that!! I just think she would be impressed, that's all!!" He squealed.
His mother ruffled his hair, laughing.
The sound of her laughter was smooth and comforting, like a warm hug.

"Alright. Go get the tools and bring them down, okay?" The woman asked of him sweetly, "And maybe, just maybe, I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."

Karl smiled with glee. "I would like that very much, Mama!"

As he ran upstairs, his mother sighed.
"He lied at first, why are you rewarding him, Em?" Her husband asked with annoyance.
"But he told the truth afterward, didn't he?" She retorted.
Her husband scoffed.

"Oh, relax, my love. He's a sweet boy. He meant no harm. He looks up to you, you know." Em smiled warmly.

The man sighed as Em placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"I know."

As Karl ran back down with the tools, he handed them to his father.
"Sorry Papa."

"It's all right, my boy. Maybe tomorrow I'll teach you how to make something small, okay?"

"Yeah!!!" Karl said as his mother turned around to make cocoa.

Suddenly, they heard banging from outside the house.

Karl whimpered.
"It's a monster!"

"Shit. Em, take Karl into the-"
A lycan came through the window, grappling the man by the throat.
"Papa!!" Karl cried.
The lycan snapped the man's neck, and pulled him out of the house.
"Go upstairs!!!" His mother cried. "Go!!"
He ran to the stairs.
Before his mother could catch up, another lycan climbed through the window, snarling.
It charged at the woman, digging it's claws into her abdomen. Blood spurted everywhere.
"NO!!"
Frightened, the boy ran upstairs. He ran into his room and locked the door.
He cried.