Knowing The End (SAA Book 2) ✔

2: Familial Gifts

This Sunday morning dawned to be just like all the others. Hunter was playing in his highchair whilst Oren was reading quietly and Chip was being pampered with leftovers. Everything was fine until a sequence of knocks stirred everyone. A visitor at this time was strange, considering their discreet location. The street they lived on was dead and barren of any human life.

The houses beside and across from theirs were completely obliterated; roofs caved in and paint chipped from the tainted outer walls. Colorful graffiti marked about a quarter of the homes and if it wasn't that, nature decided to overtake the rest. Vines weaved past cracks in the walls and tree roots busted through plating as flowers littered the insides.

The whole street was beyond its fixing point.

Oren went to go answer the door when Smith began to wail, eyes squinting shut and tiny arms curling up to his chest. Clayton turned from feeding Chip and picked the boy up, swaying him gently with unsteady arms. The elf turned back to the door and opened it, revealing the empty front porch.

The elf's movements grew cautious as he stepped through the door frame. He opened the glass door rather warily and once his brain registered the visitor's absence, Oren considered going back inside. He went to swivel on his heel when something caught the corner of his eye.

He turned his head back to the porch, white hair swishing with his movements. Just in front of the "Welcome" mat, sat a perfectly woven pale basket with something concealed under a fluffy cotton blanket. There was a thin letter wedged between the gift and the inside of the handmade basket.

The elf's ears twitched and his eyes shimmered with curiosity as he knelt down before the basket. He reached a hand out and pulled the letter from the basket, reading the words;

"To: Oakley"
"From: Heath"

He used his slightly blunt nails to tear open the white envelope, revealing a card that notes the following, "Keep her warm, brother. I trust you'll take good care of my unborn friend."

Oren's eyes fluttered to the lump inside the oval-shaped basket. It wasn't mobile at the moment, just sitting there as if it were sleeping... Though, the lump didn't raise and fall, like it usually would when an animal breathes.

The elf's emerald eyes glimmered in the morning light, and to be frank, it was chilly this morning. Autumn was just settling into the neighborhood and the tree leaves were transitioning to various warm colors.

The elf shivered at the gentle gust of icy wind. He wrapped his hands around the basket and stood. "I wonder what kind of animal you are.." he muttered to the motionless mass with a subconscious smile tugging at his lips.

He brought the birch-colored basket inside the house, telling Clayton to lock the door behind him since his hands were occupied. The blond just stood silent for a few moments, his wary thoughts now regarding the mysterious gift his fiance brought in.

"So.. What's that, babe?" Clayton asked as he turned the two locks and secured the golden hatch on their front door. Oren turned around and smiled at the human who was quickly approaching from behind. He soon felt two hands slip around his hips and a chin rest on his right shoulder.

"I don't know. Heath left it on our doorstep. He gave me a note too, telling me to take care of it." he replied with a shrug, making Clayton's head bob slightly. In a matter of seconds, there was a chest pressing to Oren's back and the elf was fiddling with the blanket that draped over the animal.

The elf lifted the cloth.

Heath wasn't wrong about this animal being unborn.

A speckled egg sat in the flurry of soft cotton blankets. The thick shell was dotted with amethyst bubbles and the base color was a dark violet. Along with the large purple blobs that decorated it, there sat apricot and sunflower colored flecks in the negative space. Oren pressed a hand to the smooth, almost marble-like surface, noting the faint rhythm of soft thumps sourcing from the inside.

"What kind of creature is it?" Clayton inquired, leaning against Oren gently as he looked down to the speckled egg. The elf's ears twitched in curiosity as he leaned down to inspect it further.

"I honestly don't know.. We'll have to keep it safe until it hatches."

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Two Weeks Pass

The egg hasn't hatched, but it still seemed healthy. The egg was now cradled in Oren's arms, swaddled warmly in a fleece blanket. His arms and chest can feel the tactile, steady heartbeat resonating from inside the shell. He's been holding the egg for what seems like two hours now.

The door to their bedroom swung open and the elf jumped slightly at the sudden interruption. "How's it doing?" a voice called from the door. Oren turned to see Clayton; hands occupied by a sleeping child and a dog by his legs. Oren chuckled quietly and shrugged with a smile.

"It seems to be doing well. The body has moved a few times from inside the egg. From what I can tell, it's a rather large creature." Oren mentioned, keeping his eyes low-lidded as they observed the pulsing egg. The shell shifted, almost as if the critter from inside already desired the sweet freedom of that tight, damp space.

"It might hatch in the next few days. It seems so eager, despite being a newborn." Oren noted playfully, his fingers tightening around the egg as it continued to wiggle. The blond watched it quietly, disregarding his sleeping son that he proceeded to hold dearly. His eyes shimmered in a child-like curiosity as he stepped closer to the large creature egg.

"Rather... next few hours." the human added. The creature stirred, and Oren suddenly panicked, feeling the egg shell chipping from the inside. Then, it cracked.

Oren began to shake, desparately trying to keep the egg secure in his hold. Another crack formed in the shell, and soon it was opened up by a sharp scaly egg tooth. The scales were a smokey grey color, lined with a warmer tone of desaturated blue. The animal stopped for a minute, sensing the new crisp air that contrasted with the damp, hot air inside the egg.

Then, the creature's long curled talons scratched at the egg lazily as the egg tooth chipped more of the shell away. The creature wiggled and moved constantly, trying to escape the egg quickly. Then, its eyes opened, revealing bright blue orbs with slits for pupils. It was a reptile of some sort.

It squeaked. A high pitched resonance came from the creature as it opened its mouth. Sets of sharp unruly teeth sat on the lower and upper jaw; menacingly. It emerged from the shell, wiggling through the tight space it chipped open with its egg tooth. Then, Oren noticed.

Wings. It had wings.

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Thanks for reading!