Hellboy and two unruly children...

Books

Liz watched as Domitila made herself comfortable in the cupboard. She hung upside down from the clothes rack inside by her tail and watched Liz with interest. She was strange to look at with her large eyes and curly brown hair. Liz decided she would get her some new clothes tomorrow. But in the mean time, she would attempt to teach her English.

 “Okay, Domitila, are you listening?”

 “Sim.” she replied. Liz smiled and brought out a book. She began to read, pointing to the words and making Domitila repeat them. They got about halfway through the book when Domitila fell asleep still hanging on the rack ,upside down. Liz smiled, closed the book and reached out for the bedside light, turning it off. That was easier than I thought, she said to herself before pulling the covers up to her chin and closing her eyes.

         * * *

The boy had a dream while he slept. He was back at home with his foster brothers and sisters. They were playing catch in the backyard at night. He smiled as he watched them, laughing and playing and tripping over one another in order to get the ball. A little girl came up to him, pink dress covered in mud and blonde pig tails swishing around. The boy tch tched her.

 “Look at what you did to your dress, silly.” he scolded her playfully and sat her on his lap. She giggled and held his hand.

 “Do the thing! Do the thing!” she urged him. The boy rolled his black eyes.

 “Do I have to?” he asked. The girl giggled and waved his hand, as if it might happen without him trying. He sighed and clenched his hands, making his nails turn into claws. The girl giggled and brought something out of a little play purse. Nail polish.

 “Oh no.” said the boy but kept his hand still as the girl painted his claws.

 “I got your favourite colour. Black.” she told him, tongue poking out of mouth in concentration. She soon finished and put the nail polish away then started blowing on his claws to make the nail polish dry. She giggled when the boy blew in her face. The girl laughed and rested her head against the boy’s chest, looking at his newly painted claws.

 “You are my brother and I love you but…”

 “What?”

 “Why am I different to you. I can’t do long nails. And I don’t have black eyes or grey hair.” The boy sighed.

 “It’s not grey, it’s silver. You make me sound old.” he said, tickling the girl under the arms and snuffling in her hair to lighten the mood.

 “We’re different, okay? But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” The girl yawned in agreement and snuggled up to him, falling asleep. The boy smiled and picked her up, carrying the girl to her room and put her into bed. He stood there, watching her as if he would never see her again. Which was true. He heard a fight break out outside and went to referee the game. One of the younger boys wouldn’t give back the ball. He sighed and went over to try and coax it off of him when he heard a roar. All of the blood in his body went cold and he whipped around to see a huge fucking tentacle monster thing. And it was climbing inside the girl’s window. The kids screamed and ran. More screams came from inside the girl’s room.

 “HELP! NOOO!” she screamed as she was lifted from her room by the creature. The boy couldn’t move, he could only watch, eyes wide and heart stopped. The monster lifted to girl to it’s mouth and swallowed her whole. The boy screamed like he never screamed before, tears welling up in his eyes, streaming down his face and ran forwards to attack the monster as it turned to face him.

 He sat up in a cold sweat, breathing laboured and face wet with tears. His heart beat painfully in his chest and his throat closed up with sadness and anger. He cried silently, alone in the dark.