P.I.E. Operation: PARASITIC

XXXVIII: Tiny Toast

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Spencer, who was hanging off the edge of the kitchen sink by one hand, narrowed his eyebrows at the man with his head sticking in a cabinet. "What are you doing?"

The adult stirred, then tried to lift his head and ended up hitting the top of the cabinet. "Gah! What the heck?!" He demanded with a naturally loud voice. He pushed himself back and ended up sliding a bit on spilled water.

When he turned around, there was a spot of red liquid dripping from the center of his forehead to the tip of his nose. "What do you want?" He said to Spencer.

"Ah--Sir, your forehead!" Johnny spoke before the boy had a chance to say anything.

Papa Acachalla wiped a line of the fluid off his forehead and smelled it. "It's just spaghetti sauce. What's the big deal?" He answered who he thought was Spencer.

Spencer stared back at him with disgust and said nothing.

"Wait, you're not a posh British man...!" Papa said as he began to stand up. He slipped on a puddle of water and caught himself on the counter, which was covered with hard spaghetti. "Darn those Italian brothers and their illegal love of macaroni!" He paused awkwardly for a moment. "Where is that weird accent coming from? Who are you hiding here, you redheaded freak?!" He questioned Spencer harshly.

The boy rolled his eyes. "I'm not even hiding anyone, stupid." He held out his hand and Johnny stood up nervously. He was purposely in front of Gertrude and successfully hid only half of her from Papa Acachalla.

Papa inspected the finger-length male. "Wait a minute... Aren't you that weird partner of Johnny Ghost who likes to call everyone 'sir'? Eh... Johnny... Roast?"

"Um, Toast, sir... I--Gah!" Johnny suddenly felt very lightheaded and his vision blurred. Papa had picked him up by his head with two fingers. It felt like his neck was going to snap.

"You've been to my house a lot, and sometimes by yourself. Although, I prefer the other one... What's your problem?" Papa asked Johnny, whose body was dangling weakly.

When Toast only answered with a pained noise, Spencer said, "Idiot, put him back down! Are you trying to kill him?"

"Quit being so pushy, boy!" The Acachalla father yelled back at him and put Johnny back on Spencer's open hand. He fell backwards in a haze.

Papa's eyes widened. "There's another one? Who's that?"

His son's eyes widened as well. He made an excuse to avoid the question. "Uh... I have to go to the bathroom."

"What?!" Papa said.

Spencer slid to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, then struggled to a standing position and water-skated towards the hallway.

Papa unbent his knees and slowly was able to stand. Holding onto the countertop, he walked carefully in an attempt to chase Spencer through the slippery water and sauce covering the tile floor.

Spencer knocked over a chair and slipped out of the kitchen in time for it to block Papa's way.

He ran up the stairs as quickly as he could. He constantly tripped because he wasn't quite used to using steps yet that weren't his own. Every time there was a sudden jolt of movement, Johnny emphasized it by falling back down on Spencer's hand (although that wasn't on purpose--he was just trying to get up).

By the time he reached the top, Papa Acachalla had managed his way into the hallway and was running after him, repeating "Wait!"

Spencer tried at the first door he found on the left side of the hallway. It was busted up and threatened to hand out splinters, but it creaked open with a push. The room on the inside was very pink and sparkly; the freckled teenager cringed at the sight of it.

The next door led to a more blue bedroom with everything a typical 7 year-old boy would want, from action figures to sports icons spread about.

With no reaction, he moved onto the next door, which so happened to be the bathroom.

Papa had tired out from only running up the stairs and was making his way towards the bathroom door.

Spencer threw the water bottle at the bathroom sink and tried to close the door, but Papa was pulling it from the other side.

"What are you hiding from me, boy?!" Papa said.

Spencer strained to hold the door closed. "Obviously I'm not going to tell you!" He lisped.

Papa forced the door open finally. Spencer's face smashed into it.

Papa grabbed his adopted son's wrist and was able to see the messy ginger bun and (usual) green turtleneck of his wife. She looked much more distressed than usual. The detail that stuck out most for him, though, was the blood seeping through her shirt. "Spencer...?"

"Uh, what?" The boy fidgeted.

"Why is my wife tiny and bleeding?" Papa Acachalla said quietly, but with his voice getting higher at every word as if he were building up.

Spencer couldn't take an unnecessary beating so soon after he left the basement, so he pushed Papa out of the bathroom and locked the door.

He took the water bottle out of the sink it had fallen into and poured a few drops of water into the cap, being that it was the smallest 'cup' item that he could give to Gertrude. At her size, it was like dunking her whole head into a bucket. "Ugh, it's about time we did this." He looked to Johnny. "If this doesn't work, I will squash you."

Johnny, hazy to the point where he was stuck lying down without much movement, seemed uncomfortable at that threat.

He could hear Papa Acachalla banging on the door, demanding to let him in.

Out of all the water that had soaked Mama Gertrude's shirt, a bit of it went down her throat.

She coughed and sprang up in a sitting position. She held her throbbing side and fell back over. Mama stared up at Spencer and Johnny with her eyes half closed. She talked drowsily and as if she were holding her tongue. "Johnny...? My son has grown massively..."

She almost closed her eyes again, but Toast shook her shoulders somewhat excitedly and kept her awake.

"H-Hey, Spencer, I think you should get her more water." Johnny said shyly.

"Don't rush me, you little gnat!" Spencer replied. He handed Johnny the bottle cap.

The paranormal investigator gave it to Gertrude, but when she wearily sat up, she accidentally dunked over into the puddle of water.

When Johnny finally carried her out of it again, Papa opened the door and righteously posed with a key in his hand as if to say they could never hold back the Acachalla..