Mutant

One

Darkness. He was all alone, and he had nowhere to go. The window was shut and the blinds were closed. Literally, no one but himself, and the unknown. That was his fear. But then someone opened the closet, no explanation but the doorknob shaking. The figure came out out of the closet, all dark and crawly. It scampered closer and closer to him until the green canine face was illuminated by the random light.

The monster's tongue slithered and slurped just to say, "You never had a family, they all died. And now you're all alone. All alone with me!"
The green monster raised its black claws and attempted a quickening swing.

"Noo!" The boy cried.

The claws got closer and closer and closer until...

"Arch, wake up!"

The boy jolted up from his bed and spectated the room. He was sweating, and he knew this because he just had a nightmare. The same nightmare that has been occurring to him for the past month. He swerved his hands up and down to make sure they weren't wounded. And then his palms moved up to his face. Good, all good. They weren't harmed. And thankfully, he was still Arch. Arch Littleton, the scrawny black haired, grey eyed, and curved nose sixteen year old. Arch, the same boy that had been called weak, careless, and frail on so many occasions by so many people. All because he's not able to speak up and step up. That was his life.

Arch's older sister, Lizzie, was standing by the framed doorway with her arms crossed and her legs firm.
"It's Mom's birthday today, hurry up and get dressed. We have to set up the balloons before she comes."

Lizzie's stern face suddenly loosened as she noticed Arch's wandering eyes. "You had the dream again, didn't you?"

Arch kept his mouth shut, he didn't want to look like a whiner. It was bad enough knowing he was weak, but being a whiny baby too?

Lizzie went up to his bed and politely sat next to him. She gave him a sympathetic look as the two locked eyes.
"It's okay to have bad dreams Arch. But you don't have to hide it from me, I just want to help,"

Arch looked at Lizzie with comfort. The twenty three year old was always there with him. Even through the toughest times, she's always supported him. Arch thought of Lizzie like a second mom.

"Well," Arch started. "The dreams always end the same. And don't ask me why because I don't know. So I'm in this bed and I'm all alone, and then I see my closet open. And then this monster..it's green and it has sharp yellow teeth that just come at me,"

"Like an alien," Lizzie said, trying to connect with the story.

"Yeah, like that. But only it's in my bedroom."

Lizzie shook her head and then faced Arch in all sincerity.
"These things come and go Arch. I remember having these kind of nightmares when I was nine. But eventually they stopped. Do you know what I suggest you do?"

"What?" Arch asked eagerly.

"You need to find distractions. Do whatever you can to get your mind off of dark things. And once you've forgotten about it, you won't have a hard time sleeping. Can you try that?"

Arch shrugged. "I'll try,"

Lizzie smiled. "Good. Now get ready, the balloons and cake are waiting for us."
Lizzie walked out of the room, leaving only a small click as the door closed behind her.

Arch wiped his face and forced himself to stand up. At first he teetered a slight, but his main focus was regained.
He could see the white two door closet in front of him. It was closed, but it still lingered in Arch's mind. Should he open it? You know, just to see if it was real.
Arch shook his head. "You're being ridiculous. Monsters in closets only exist in bedtime stories, and you're sixteen."

Arch headed to take a shower, leaving the temptation of what could have been in the closet.
*********************

When Arch had finished his shower and getting dressed, he descended down the stairs in anticipation. But then he remembered something.

"My scarf," Arch muttered as he returned to his room. He scanned the room until he found a thin white scarf lying on his bed. He took the scarf and went to the bathroom.
The mirror reflected his face with a sharp clarity. And not only his face, but his neck. There was a giant red mark that spread all over his neck. Arch remembered how he had received this cursed forever-lasting mark.

It was a boring Sunday, in a mild May. The whole family was getting ready to go to church and Arch was all dressed and ready. He had on his tie and everything. But then his mother, Mabel, was carrying a hot iron. And while so, she had been in a tiny argument with Lizzie. So when she had swung around, the hot steamy iron had clapped on Arch's neck with complete momentum, causing him to wear on that ugly mark.

Arch carefully wrapped the scarf around his neck and scampered downstairs.

The living room was as cheerful as it can be. There were portraits and frames that hung or rested on every angle on the walls. The couches lay there like a lazy bear as it it indifferently faced the LG flatscreen tv. And Lizzie was hurrying to a table as she was challenging herself with a cake in one hand.
There were several balloons floating up in the ceiling, but the rest were being blown by two younger girls that stood back in the dining room.

"You can help your sisters finish off the balloons," Lizzie suggested.

Arch walked to the dining room and picked up the first bag of unknown balloons.

The first girl saw Arch and ran up just to cling on to him.
"Archie!" She cried.

Arch grunted as she felt his wrap her arms around him.
"Good morning Annie," gasped Arch. "How's it going Autumn?"

The second girl known as Autumn walked in secondly.
"Not much." She said as she continued to blow on a blue balloon.

Autumn and Annie Littleton were Arch's two younger sisters. Autumn was the older one. She was twelve years old and she carried on a more emo look. Annie, the younger one, was nine and she looked more bright and cheerful than Autumn. She was currently wearing a pink headband and a Winnie the Pooh t-shirt.

Lizzie came up to them.
"So how much balloons do you guys have so far?"

"I've blown like eight," said Annie.
"Two." Autum breathed.

Lizzie took the blown balloons and said "That should be enough."

"Do you think we should get the plates?" Arch suggested.

"Good idea!" Lizzie cried.

But it in a few seconds, the door began to knock knock knock.

Lizzie jumped. "Bad idea! Everybody, hide!"

Arch, Autumn, and Annie gave their very best shot in cramming themselves behind the couches as Lizzie skipped to the door and closed the lights.

The door knocked again.
"Coming!" Lizzie chirped.