Stolen

The Beginning

A laugh erupted from the table. Megan, the oldest, made a joke and Cooper spit his milk everywhere. Dinners were like this everyday at the John's. The John family consisted of Kathy and Bruce the parents, and three children. Megan was 16, Cooper 12, and Tyler was 7. Cooper was a shy kid, who hid behind his shaggy brown hair. He was thinly built, and had freckles covering his pale face. The only people that could bring warmth and light to his face were his family. They were an average family, with a working dad and stay at home mom. They tried to have family meals as often as possible. Family meals were what brought the family together, and at that time, that was the only thing that everyone in the family was thinking about. Once they left the table, it was over; no more jokes were made, no more laughs were had. Every one split back up. Megan was a teenager, so she didn't like to hang out with her "dorky" and "lame" brothers. This left the boys to entertain themselves.

Everyone cleaned up and jumped on the couch just in time for the news. There were a great deal of people that had been snatched from their families in those past few weeks. At each of the houses of the missing people, a black ooze was left in the home, leaving a vulgar stench in the house. Even if you would clean it, it would appear the next day absorbing more space. The population had come up with a name for whatever foul monster had been doing that. They called it, The Nukkus.

"It gives me the chills every time they say that name," whispered Cooper when the reporters broadcasted the latest news.

"And this week, we have lost a member of the Silmen family. Mother Deb, and father Benjamin, have lost their only daughter, Claire. She is only 3 years old. So, please, if you know anything, please call our station!"

"I can't watch this," Kathy started as she stood up. She didn't succeed, for Bruce grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down. Kathy avoided eye-contact with her husband as she sat back down.

When the daily news was over, everyone dispersed. That night, no one had said anything else, and there was an eery silence in the house.