T⃨u⃨r⃨n⃨ O⃨n⃨ T⃨h⃨e⃨ N⃨i⃨g⃨h⃨t⃨ | The Lost Boys

C⃨H⃨A⃨P⃨T⃨E⃨R⃨ T⃨H⃨I⃨R⃨T⃨E⃨E⃨N⃨

If I wanted to check on Laddie, I had to follow Paul's lead.

After successfully surviving the staircase, I took one step onto the wooden bridge and whined. The wood bent under my weight in a way that surely wasn't architecturally sound. As I walked, the boards I stood on gave an ominous creak and I silently begged Paul to go faster so I could get the hell off this thing.

Had Laddie really walked over this too?

"Jesus Christ," I muttered under my breath as I finally crossed the bridge, "How are you guys not dead yet?"

Laughing like I'd told a joke of the funniest kind, Paul led me into the cave they apparently used as their home. He ducked through a mishmash of wooden fencing and under an old Danger sign. I hovered at the mouth of the entrance, watching as he leapt down the rock formation inside with surprising grace. He moved a bit like a jaguar I realized, very feline in his approach.

Following at a much more sedate pace, I scaled down the rock entryway. The stones were rough and bit into the soft skin of my palms, making me huff in irritation. My enterance took a bit longer, but even I had to admit the adventure was worth it once I got a good look at the place.

Crumbling pillars dotted the sides of the cave, obviously from an era before mine. Old roots hung between them, dangling down to the ground level and mixing into the assortment of souvenirs the boys kept stashed in the corners. I trailed down the steep entry way and wandered toward what looked like a broken fountain in the center of the cavern, moonlight from a hole above coloring the place in an eerie glow.

Candles were laid around the base of the fountain and as I trailed closer, I caught sight of large poster resting against the wall before my gaze was pulled back into the trinkets lying around. At some point I'd lost sight of Paul and I wandered in a small circle, poking at a dangling piece of glass from a half-broken windchime.

"Pretty cool, right?" Paul interrupted my observation, appearing from behind one of the historic pillars, "Used to be some hotel, but it sunk during that earthquake—" he moved past me, jumping on top of the fountain with barely restrained glee, "Now it's casa la lost boys!"

"Lost boys?" I snorted at their self-imposed moniker before trailing my gaze back over the cave, "Where's Laddie?"

Paul threw a finger over his shoulder, pointing at a couch I'd failed to notice, "Little man passed the hell out."

Meandering toward the surprisingly well-kept couch, I trailed a hand through my son's hair. The weight that had been dampening my chest eased and I perched myself on the arm of the sofa. Paul grinned at me, jumping down from the fountain, and moving out of my line of sight before I heard a music box kick itself to life.

At the same time, two figures stepped out from a crevice I'd failed to examine earlier. I caught Marko's stare just in time to hear his unfamiliar companion whisper, "Why do you have a child here? I never thought David would sink so low—"

She was pretty. All long flowing hair and slender build. I couldn't help myself from debating why she might be here, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. I'd been the subject of enough judgment in my life and it wouldn't be fair to place that burden on another.

"Hi," I spoke up, watching as the strange girl's attention snapped toward me, "He's mine. Uh, his name's Laddie."

Marko detached himself from his companion with a surprising disinterest. He moved behind you, throwing an arm over your shoulder in a gesture you would have otherwise called friendly, "Star, meet Madeline," his grip tightened as he finished, "Maddy, meet Star—our sister."

The way he drawled out the designation sounded like a threat.

"Nice to meet you," I offered, trying to ignore the budding tension in the air, "Sorry, didn't mean to barge in here like that. Thanks for sharing your uh, place with us."

"Don't sound so shy, babe," Paul danced back into the room, throwing an arm over Star's shoulder in a maneuver similar to the one Marko held me in, "You're part of the family now."

Paul's statement made Star's face go through an alarming combination of emotion. Eventually, she settled on horror, "Both of them? Paul! You cannot make her the new Alexan—"

"David's orders," Marko cut her off before she could continue. His tone was weirdly hostile, "Don't like it, talk to him."

Star's mouth opened and closed twice before she shook her head in distaste. I wasn't sure what her reaction meant, but the air tasted like disappointment. Sparing me one last glance, she offered, "Be careful, you don't understand everything."

I watched her as she moved through the cave, ducking around the assortment of stuff laying on the floor before she made her way to a secluded area in the far corner, covered fully by layers of silk and tapestry. She didn't look back as she darted behind the coverings, effectively hiding herself from the room.

"Well," I trailed off, hand stilling in Laddie's hair, "I don't think she likes me."

"Don't worry about it," Marko whispered in my ear, his tone tinted in subterfuge, "She doesn't like any of us."

I twisted my head to peer up at him, "Family drama?"

"Something like that," his responding chuckle was dark, tinted with layers of frustration. Marko didn't wait for me to respond, pulling at my shoulder in command, "Come on, we'll show you around. Let the kid sleep."

I spared Laddie's sleeping body one last look before allowing myself to be led back toward Paul. I stepped around a poorly placed wheelchair and ducked under a hanging strand of what appeared to be garland before reaching him. He'd camped out on the opposite side of the fountain, his feet propped up on the top of an old trunk as he nursed another joint.

Marko didn't hesitate to collapse beside him, stealing the joint out of his hand easily. I hovered over him, fiddling with my hands as I struggled to comprehend how I'd found myself in this situation.