Chapter 12
Thunder boomed outside the house, almost causing us to jump. The kids were huddled inside their sleeping bags as if they were trying to hide from everything out here.
I gave them each a light orb, “If the power goes out, at any time or anyplace, turn them on and make sure you hold them out and don’t drop them. These things could save you.”
I gave one to Courtney and kept the other one. I hand Ashley and Michael a flashlight and kept the third one myself, “Same goes for you guys; power goes out, turn them on.”
Ashley looked at the flashlight, “We aren’t little kids, we know what to do.”
I sighed, “I know, I’m just making sure anyway, because I can.”
Getting up I turned on my little lamp so the room was lit up dimly, “This lamp won’t be too bright, so we can sleep, but it will be bright enough to know when the power goes out.”
I got into my sleeping bag. Picking up the silver sphere I asked, “Everyone close in?”
Everyone moved their sleeping bag in closer together so the circle was tighter. After they did I pressed the button. The sphere turned into spikes and started expanding larger and larger until it covered us all like a dome. There was a good three feet from my feet to the metal spikes. I set my flashlight and light sphere above my head and snuggled into my sleeping bag. Everyone said their goodnight and started to go to sleep.
I lied there thinking for a bit as the other ones slept. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, there was no way I could protect my brothers and cousin without knowing their weakness.
I rolled onto my side to see Michael looking at me. Him and I were so close there was only a foot between our sleeping bags. He held my gaze for a second and asked quietly, “You okay?”
I sighed, “I don’t know.”
He shifted onto his elbow, “Want to talk about it?”
I shook my head in confusion, “I don’t know what’s to discuss. I mean, you know everything that is going on.”
Michael nodded, “Yes, but I do not know what’s going on in your head.”
I propped myself on my elbow as well. I looked at the carpet, “I don’t know, just I have no way of protecting my brothers, or even Jenn.”
He thought a moment, “You feel helpless, don’t you?”
I covered my face in my free hand, “I do! What can I do to protect them when I have no clue on what their weakness is, or even any idea where to start to find that out.”
Michael took my hand off my face and pat it with his, “You’re doing everything you can. Levi will be finding out the weakness in a day or two. We have these tools that will protect us, and you’re doing everything possible to protect them. I’m sure they appreciate it, scratch that, I’m sure they absolutely love you for it.”
I shook my head, enjoying the feeling of his hand on mine, “I just hope it’s enough.”
His grip on my hand tightened, “It is more than enough. Get some sleep, we’ll figure out what more to do in the morning.”
I squeezed his hand back, let go, and turned over and got comfortable. I closed my eyes, yet I could still feel his gaze on the back of my head. Closing my eyes I let myself drift off into a restless sleep.
Loud monstrous screaming woke me. I opened my eyes to see the side of the cage I was facing shaking violently. Another scream went through the air that left my ears ringing. Sitting up I could just barely make out the kids being huddled into Courtney and Ashley while Michael sat on his knees watching where the hits were going on the cage.
I shouted, “What’s going on?”
Michael looked at me, “I think one of those things came back! The power went out then this thing started banging against the cage.”
I started scrambling for the light sphere, “Didn’t anyone turn on their sphere?”
He started looking for the other ones, “We didn’t really think of that!”
I found mine, found the button, and clicked it. The room was bathed in bright light. Right outside the cage a large cockroach the size of a pickup truck, skinnier and with many legs like a centipede, was outside the cage. It had deep scratch marks all over its under belly and was bleeding down its self. Once the light hit it, it shrieked loudly again and shot off out of my bedroom.
Heavy silence followed until Ashley suggested, “I think we should leave that light sphere on.”
I nodded and slid the light sphere into the center of the circle. I grabbed two more and turned them on as well, setting them near the edge of the cage towards the doorway.
Aaron sounded scared, “Is it coming back?”
I paused and thought, “I don’t know, Aaron. I can’t guarantee that. However, if we keep these light orbs on, I know they will not bother us as long as they are on.”
With that he hurriedly grabbed his and turned it on. I put it at the foot of his sleeping bag.
The whole room was white with the light.
I sighed, “We should all try to get some sleep now that we know they won’t bother us with these on.”
Things started to settle down again as Courtney said, “Hey, good news, at least we know the things he gave us work.”
Crawling back into the sleeping back I caught Michael looking at me.
I became a little self conscious, “What?”
He gestured to me with his hand, “That’s what I’m talking about.”
I was a bit confused, “Talking about what?"
He lied down into his sleeping back, “What you just did. You do more than enough.”
I shook my head, “No I do not. If I did more than enough, that thing would not have bothered us.”
Michael shrugged, “Maybe so, but that is asking too much of you. When we were just sitting there staring at where it was hitting the cage, you took action and got out the light sphere, which got it to go away. Anyone could have sat and watched, but you actually took care of things.”
Shrugging I told him, “I guess so. Just next time I hope I can do more.”
He smiled at me, “You’ll figure out something.”
He put his head down and closed his eyes. I watched his side rise and fall for a bit as I thought. Then after everyone was asleep and all seemed safe, I rolled over and went to sleep.
