Re: That Time My Mom Got Turned into a Monster!

Re: That Time My Mother Got Turned into a Monster! - Chapter Six

I stood at the door to the hiding place where my Mother was hiding. The door was closed and secure, as I had left it. I took a deep breath in an attempt to control my nervousness. It had been weeks since I had last seen her, and I was worried about her safety. Mother didn't require much substance daily as we humans do. I didn't know under what mechanism in a monster's physiology allowed for such a feat, but what I did know was that when she consumed food, she could consume inhuman amounts. However, today wasn't her scheduled feeding which meant I did not need to bring the carcasses of a few deer for her to consume.

For a few weeks, the owner of the barn has allowed me to use the barn as I saw fit for as long as I had a need, which is very kind and generous of him considering my use of the barn. I was grateful for her kindness and made sure to be careful not to disrupt her life in any way, but it wasn't easy to adjust to living in hiding. It was challenging to be away from her, but I knew it was for the best. The barn was a safe place for her to hide, and I was sure no one would come looking for her there.

As much as I loved my Mother, her transformation into a monster had complicated things, and keeping our secret from everyone was necessary. The thought of the consequences that would follow if the truth came out was so intense that it caused my heart to race. Still, I knew my Mother had no other choice. We were desperate, and we had no place else to go. I stood frozen in front of the door for a few moments, feeling my heart beat faster with each beat. I mustered up the courage and pushed the door open, hoping to find her inside.

Neither the old man or his daughter had asked any questions or even considered sneaking around the barn. If anything, they'd kept would-be snoopers away from their property or dissuaded anyone from the nearby town from asking too many unwanted questions. In that way, I could keep Evangeline, my Mother, hidden from the public eye. It was essential to be careful with Evangeline's situation; we couldn't risk exposing her secret to the world. I held the drawing that Doctor Aleena Walker had given me, studying every detail. I knew we were about to take a significant risk, but I had no choice but to trust the Doctor's plan. As my heart raced and my hands shook, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. It was time to face whatever came our way.

I felt a sense of appreciation as my eyes took in the drawing. It may have been a roughly approximate depiction of the person I was about to bring in, but it was the best I had to work with. Sadly, yet another innocent person had succumbed to the curse of being transformed into a monster without warning. It was a sobering thought, and I couldn't help but feel sympathy for the person who would now be in my care. I wondered how they were feeling and if they would remember their human life. The transformation had been so sudden and unexpected, and I could only suppose what kind of shock it must be. After placing the poster in my pocket, I unlocked the heavy door and opened it quickly. There was a dingy and dark atmosphere inside the building.

My Mother and I were both familiar with this. When I enter the dark space, I take the lantern hanging on the outside wall and enter the barn, but the lantern's light only illuminates so far—a typical phenomenon when dealing with monsters. The smell of stagnant air hit me like a brick wall, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed in my ears, making my heart skip a beat. Suddenly, a sound came from somewhere deep inside the pitch-black room, like something was moving. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw my Mother in the corner of the small area, lying on a tattered old mattress with her face hidden in shadow.

"Mother?" I whispered, taking a few steps forward, unsure how she would react.

She doesn't respond, which is not unusual after such a long absence between visits. I take a step closer.

"Mother?"

In the darkness, I notice she tilts her head. 'Okay!' Taking another deep breath, I slowly walk over to the mattress where Evangeline is lying down. As I approach, she moves, turning around with otherworldly grace. She looked at me with a sense of relief in her eyes, as if she could sense that we were finally safe in this hidden place. I sat the lantern down on the table near the mattress and went to shut the heavy doors behind me with a heavy sigh. Aside from the light emanating from the lantern, darkness engulfed everything around me. I turn back around to the mattress, and Mother is gone. Instead of panicking, I remain calm. Monsters are well known to move at inhuman speeds in the blink of an eye, and for most, panicking leads to an unfortunate end. I calmed my weary nerves as I spoke once more.