Upside Down

(15) Yes Ma'am

Chapter 15

Safe Kriss : Good :: Hurt Kriss : Aw, hell no fucker

Holy shit,

That was the first thing I thought when I got to the caves.

The cave was a nice place, naturally carved into the cliffs by our pack and surrounded by forest. The pack often came here for celebrations and parties because of the pond water close by being so clear. There were dozens of ponds and rivers around that area and a lot of flora and fauna too. This was the best part of our forest and now it was trashed.

Most of the tall birch trees that surround me when I came there were on the ground, their trunks broken at the base. Rocks and boulders of all sizes made it nearly impossible to get in the caves as if they had avalanched.

"What the hell happened?" I shouted once I saw my dad across the clearing. We met in the middle of the clear in front of the caves and I could take in all the damage as if a tornado had blown through this area.

"Honestly, I didn't take Ms. Laden seriously when she first told me we had a monster in the woods," Dad admitted to me. "But I think this-" He waved his hand around us to motion to the scenery. "Would prove me wrong,"

"What did she say it looked like?" I asked him.

"She said she didn't see anything but the silhouette of the monster," My dad answered. "It was tall and very thin with large eyes but that's all she knows, on and it smelled."

Wow, that's really helpful ... not.

"Sir," One of the men walked up to us. "The claw marks on the tree indicate that the creature that did this was at least eight feet tall and we found foot prints in the mud."

Dad and I looked at each other but followed the man and as he said, they found the foot prints in the mud and some foot prints they were. They were at least as long as my forearm and shaped like a dog's foot, long with paws and huge claws.

This was definitely a monster.

[Back Home]

I felt sick remembering the damage to the forest, the dead bear we had found mutilated and disfigured. It had been so tore up you could barely tell what it was. What if this thing started to attack people? What if it attacked the pack? What if ... I gulped ... what if it attacked Kriss? Somehow this was the scariest thing of all.

When did Kriss become such a top priority? No matter what though, that won't change. I was already in the house, looking for the telltale sign of her black mane and large silver eyes. I had smelt her in the living room and when I got there I saw her curled into a corner of the couch by herself, peacefully watching Tom and Jerry smash each other to pieces. Just to imagine her, hunted down and violently ripped apart like that bear by that ... monster. I shuddered and suddenly I just had to have her near me.

I walked into the room and I felt joy that when she saw me her eyes immediately brightened. "Emers-" She started but I cut her off by pulling her off the couch and into a hug as soon as I got close enough.

"Good to see you too." Kriss said between breaths into my shirt.

She will not be hurt. I will not allow it.

[The Lab]

"They have Kriss." The man said to the woman. "And are beginning to trust her,"

"Good." She mumbled looking into the specimen jar. "Very good, Alexander, bring me the book."

"Yes, ma’am," Alexander bowed his head then left to get the book.

"Xavier," The woman said with a voice so soft it was almost a whisper. "Come." The boy came to her like a puppy to his owner. "Do you remember what I told you the other day?" She asked as she stroked his cheek. "Do you remember our deal? My promise?"

He nodded numbly.

"Good. After tonight then, in the test room, you'll find the object lying on the cart. Call in your father and do exactly as I told you too. Any different and I'll have the same done to you." Her hand on his cheek got a little tighter, her short nails digging a bit into his soft pampered skin.

"Y-yes ma’am" His voice shook as he looked into the woman's dull brown eyes.

Her face softened not into a scowl but a soft motherly smile, taking the boy into her arms and stroking his hair. "So much like your father..." She whispered into his hair. So easily manipulated, she added in her head.

"Get the serum." The woman said, shoving Xavier off of her.

Xavier frown, "Which one?"

"The one I have been talking about!" She shouted but regained her composer quickly. "The serum with the label L-14 on it," She seethed through her teeth, hissing. "The one I had been talking about as a present for Kriss."

"Oh, yeah!" Xavier exclaimed, remember. "That one."

The woman rolled her eye as the boy came back with the syringe filled with a clear thick liquid labeled L-14. She stepped over to the counter where a box of chocolates sat. With a red-lip stick smile, the woman carefully added just the right about in each chocolate ball in the box.

"What if she doesn't eat them all?" Xavier asked.

The woman wished she could just slap his head but settled for an eye roll instead. "She only needs to eat three."

"What if she doesn't eat three?"

"She will, just shut up!" The woman shouted then with a mumbled curse, turned back to her work and away from the annoying boy. "Just don't doubt me, okay?"

"Yes ma’am." The boy mumbled, dropping his head.

~~~YES!!! I know, I'm just soooo fucking awesome. And I'm wearing a cape.

Emerson: Capes are cool, they're dangerous. Ever seen the incredibles?

Me: Shut up Emerson! You are no fun! Seriously you never have fun! The only time I see you smile is around Kriss so leave me alone to me own amusement.

Emerson: I don't even know why anyone reads this shit...

Me: *Snorts attractively* it's YOUR life.

Emerson: ... So what up with the evil chick and chocolates?

ME: *smug* See, it is intresting and trust me you will find out soon enough.

The games can finally begin.