SWARM

The Duck Hunters

Chapter 8

The double-bedded that once belonged to Nathan and Raymond once more made Nathan feel like a kid as he went back to where he was accustomed to lying, above the bunk bed, and for David underneath. Just for the week where they intend to stay, his two little cousins are now the inhabiter of the room, and they don't mind it at all sharing with Nathan and David while the little boys sleep by the floor with cushioned blankets as temporarily mattresses.

Raymond turned into an adult without his biological mother. She disappeared without leaving a trace when he was only one year old; Grandpa Teddy always had his suspicion on the flip-side. Raymond's father was missing most of his life as a child, cursed with alcoholism since his wife had been nowhere in sight. Raymond's father was Isaac's older brother and adopted Raymond as his own ever since. Then Nathan comes to existence as the only child but has Raymond as an older brother as much of a cousin. Regardless, they both prefer calling each other cousins, for they thought it's much cooler.

"Sweet dreams," Nathan said, and he laughed.

David kicked the top bed and said, "Don't let the bed bug bite ya. I hope you don't drop during my sleep man or I'll never wake up," he snickers.

Raymond is back in his barn fixing the boat they are using for duck hunting in a few more hours. He couldn't sleep last night, and he tried to catch the last rest if he could move around, setting up until he becomes a bit tired, but it's too late. He might as well make his morning coffee and watch the earliest television news. He thought of maybe catching it where they'll be camping up even when it's the middle of sunrise; the earplugs will also come in handy, and he will place his target shooting earmuff over it. One of the reasons for insomnia isn't on the occasion of the college friend's homecoming. The former soldier is still adjusting without drinking moonshine before sleep; one remedy that did work, Isaac disapproves.

"You buy'em a ring first son, before sleeping with her to our home, ya-hear? This is also a house of God Raymond. I hope you understand."

"Yes sir," said Raymond. Mrs. Elk has offered him sleeping pills, but he doesn't trust anything from the pharmacies.

As David lays on the bed, he embraces the pendant on his chest that Grandpa Teddy gave. He's still perplexed about the strange message he thought came whispering from Susan earlier after receiving the necklace, then he drops off to sleep and begins to dream; it's his mother from the last time they talked on the payphone. "You pray to God..." she says, and she waves at him at the front of their house in Boston. Then David sees something strange behind her from the front door where his mother stands, and it's a massive silhouette of a monster similar to a windigo. His large antlers emerge behind her with glowing red eyes, and his furry arm he places around David's mom, revealing the large dark fingernails making an imprint on her shirt. The windigo then takes David's mom. "Mom!" he screams, and he runs after her dropping off his luggage's for homecoming, but when he gets behind the door where his mom was standing, David is in a different place, and he doesn't know where he is, and so he gazes around. David is confused about being on a beach surrounded by coconuts on a humid, bright day. David can hear what sounds to be raccoons running around him, but he doesn't see them. Then he sees grandpa Teddy sitting upon a wooden chair by the shallow waters of the ocean; David headed toward him to ask if he knew where to find his mother. The old man has the same girl on his lap from the last time David saw him, and the girl over again made two thumbs up. David became afraid of what the child had on her both thumbs, which appears to be a set of eyes blinking and then staring at him. David backs away and runs back to the coconuts, but he is blinded as if his face has been removed, making him touch his face of what has gone missing, and he couldn't feel his eyes. Suddenly, David wakes up with a gasp.