Kelly, realizing Kade is becoming agitated, steps forward and lowers her weapon. “What is CC, is it something we should fear?” She asks, quietly.
In the dim light, I see Tony raise his arm and grasp a chord above his head. Kade tenses and lifts his weapon.
Tony pulls the chord and the room floods with light, which thrusts us all into a glaring blindness – “CC are Caesar and Cleopatra,” says Tony, affectionately.
……
When our eyes become accustomed to the light, we see two tree creatures cradled in each of Tony’s arms. One has a Bratz doll head attached to a teddy bear body, while the other has a baby dolls head with what looks like a snowman type soft toy body.
When a worm like tongue emerges from the eye of the Bratz doll, the familiar, creeping horror envelops me, “Tony, get that thing off you, its tongue is coming out!” I shout.
But Tony brings his hand toward the tongue and watches with a smile as it wraps itself around his finger with a: slithering, slimy, slurp.
The affection with which Tony handles these creatures reminds me of The Twins coveting their disgusting babies back in The Forever Garden and I can’t help but react, “They’re disgusting things!” I say, turning away.
Kelly is immediately apologetic, “Erm, we only have bad experience of these things. It was when one of them took my blood that I ended up in hell, or whatever the hell was I ended up in,” she explains.
Tony’s words are gentle, “Please don’t refer to my imps as ‘things.’ They are my pets, my rescue imps; mine since childhood.” He explains. When I look back, the tongue from the baby dolls eye is worming its way into Tony’s ear and he laughs affectionately as he gently pulls it out.
My mother speaks, “All creatures can become horrible in horrible hands. These two were rescued and have been nurtured with love. I understand your experience of imps has been truly horrific, because of course, we have seen for what purpose The Twins created them,” she explains, in her soft, sing songy voice.
“What exactly are they?” Asks Troy.
“They are surgically conjoined creatures, the species of which we don’t know, as they must remain encased in their protective sealant. These two were early subjects that were discarded by The Twins when they began displaying signs of tissue rejection. We rescued them and Tony nurtured them with love,” explains my mother, proudly.
Tony gets out of bed and gently pulls the creatures from him, placing them on the floor he allows them scurry under his bed, “Do not fear them, for they fear you more.” He says, getting back into bed, “Unfortunately, the latest imps are to be very much feared as we believe they may be species and mechanical hybrids controlled by the All Powerful One,” he says.
“Yes, The All Powerful One is a significant threat.” Says my father, “And we really should rest now, for we must prepare for what lies ahead.” He says, before greeting us all a good night.
……
Kade and I climb back into bed and his arms wrap tight around me. Feeling suddenly safe and sleepy, I close my eyes.
……
When I open my eyes, they instinctively dart to the beds of my family – they’re both empty.
I glance at Kade; he’s furled in a fetal position, deep in sleep, as are the others.
With a gentle hand, I grab the weapon and crawl out of the bed with a stealth like precision.
The floor is nothing more than compacted earth, which loosens as I crawl along.
When I pass little Kelvin and baby Belinda I quietly rise to my feet and tip toe toward the crudely cut arch that leads into the dining room. There doesn’t seem to be any doors in this under ground hide out; a fact I'm not sure is a good or bad thing.
The Surgeon Sequel: The Twins - Part 24
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