He Was Dying

Chapter Four

The red sky sent a shimmer of light, creating reflections on his golden hair. I couldn't see his face, as it was his back that was turned to me. He sat on the decomposing wood floor, legs crossed politely, staring up past the railing at the stars, hardly glimmering past the clouds.

"What are we doing here?"

He... he spoke. I stood there in the doorway, watching him in silence. His arms adjusted to stretch out behind him for support. "I know you're there. I have pretty good hearing."

The voice was beautiful. I could listen to it for hours, and never get bored of it. There was always a hint of enthusiasm in every sentence. Every word was spoken carefully. Spoken perfectly.

He patted a spot on the floor to his right. "C'mon, sit down." How was I to respond to this? After a moment, I walked over. In a baggy sweatshirt and exceptionally long human jeans, I probably sounded like one of the other humans by the way the fabric shifted against me.

I crouched down and sat a bit away from him, long legs awkwardly crossed. I stared at his face.

His eyes were blue. It was like starring at a blue moon-- so bright and so impossible.

"Why do we have to be here, in a rotting yard of scrap metal and burning trees running from some kind of monster?"
My ears flicked at that. There's that word again.

I snuffed quietly, which he thankfully didn't hear. I stared down at my paws, the night sky casting an odd shadow. I haven't met or seen a human like this before..

One night, ages ago, Hillbilly had been speaking to me in his cornfield. He would rip of the stalks of corn, old or rotting or out of harvest, which I would eat later, and I'd replant. It was a steady system.
He was talking to me in his tired, hoarse voice that having friendships with humans in your yard is bad news. He said that two humans made an agreement with him to let their friend go. H.B. was rather unusually confused. He had to sacrifice them, it was his job.

He tried revving his chainsaw to scared them away. But the two humans stayed. Hillbilly said that once their friend wiggled out of his grasp, they fled through the doors. He was broken hearted-- which was rare for a monster-- that they would trick him like that. He was then lectured by Trapper like the same way he'll probably lecture me.

Since then, I've found it obsurd to have any relationship with a human, but I have never met one personally. No human has talked to me and allowed me to assist them like these four. I felt special. I felt needed.

"What does he look like? I mean, the monster?" The human was still talking, eyes still glued on the sky. "Is he, like, tall, or something? Carry around a chainsaw like that other guy? Or teleport like that chick?
What if he was an Easter Bunny? That'd be neat."

He.. knew the Others?

"Why aren't you saying anything? Has this experience really bugged you out so much?"

Oh, no.

Those bright blue irises shifted to me. I never knew how quickly calmness could transform to complete terror.
He screamed, jumping away from me. He had to grip the wooden porch railing beside him for support and to not pass out.

My tall ears moved from him to the doorway. Feet were thumping up the stairs and running about the second floor. When I turned to look, the three were already at the doorway, panting.
"Bryce!" Delirious said, running towards him and enveloped Bryce in his arms.
Luke had his arm against the wall, and Evan was standing mainly on his uninjured ankle. Glad to see they were all right.

"G-guys! Good to see y-you too, Delirious, but look!" He pointed at me, throwing all the attention my way. I saw Luke's lips moved, he mumbled something inaudible while staring at my hoodie. I shrugged it off.

"Did you hurt him?" Evan asked me.

My paws twitched uneasily and I rapidly shook my head.
"He didn't hurt me.." Bryce muttered out. "Why are you guys so chill?"
Evan decided to explain, because he was there and conscious during everything.

I stood slightly, still balanced on my feet. I inched towards Bryce, who scooted backwards a bit, and sniffed the metal box in his right hand. I shuffled the tool box away from him with a paw and picked it up with my teeth. Hopping away, I turned a corner and faced the chest I looked through eariler. Of course, it was open.

Placing the tool box back after making sure all the tools were still inside, I shut the lid and stood up straight, walking back towards them. Bryce was being helped up while Delirious stared out at the view of the yard.

"Dear God, is he tall.." Bryce said in awe.

Part of my skull flexed into some sort of a smile. But some of my jagged teeth still hung out of my mouth awkwardly, so it probably didn't look too proper.

Luke stepped forward, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Guessing no one sort of asked, what's your name? So we don't just call ya 'the monster'?"

I blinked. I wasn't allowed to tell them. That was one of the rules. All of the Others have said you would be punished if you told your name to a human victim. In my opinion, we get punished if we do anything.

All eyes were on me. A pair was confused at my silence, another two intrigued, another patient. All curious.

I couldn't do this.

Luke and Evan were still blocking the doorway a bit, so I went the quickest way possible. I dove over the porch railing and landed on all fours, but heard an unsettling crack from one of my paws. I stood, now running as fast as I could on two legs away from the stress of the question with a heavy limp.

I don't know what would happen if I actually broke a rule. I've never done it before. And I don't know if I ever want to.