Creature

Unknown

We each are holding our breath as we hear the scraping of feet getting louder and louder. Each second passing makes it more suspenseful than before. Seeing a shadow appear near the entry of the ship, I instantly recognize it. Without a moment's hesitation, I drop my pole and take off at a dead sprint. "Mom! Mother! Are you okay? Where were you? What happened" I asked as if she was going to easily answer all of them right then and there. "Whose blood is that? Is it yours? Are you hurt?" Before she answered anything she found the nearest area to her, and sat down, trying to collect her rigid breathing. 

 "What did I tell you boys about NOT going in there?! No matter what you heard?" She tried to sound angry, but really she was trying to cover up her pain. Scott adds in, "We heard a woman scream and thought it was you, so we ran in to search for you but discovered something...completely different." Melissa slowly looked up towards us, but not making eye contact, as if she knew what we had found. "I am so sorry you boys had to see that, I wish there was a way to remove it from your memories." The three of us shared a glance.

As if we were able to read each other's thoughts, we started walking towards my home. The walk was calming and quiet, hearing only the sound of each of our own heartbeats. A clearing of the throat from Carter takes over the silence, "I don't know about anyone else, but I just realized I'm starving. Especially after all that running and...stuff." Scott laughs a bit, "Yeah, me too. Food sounds really good right now. Something nice and warm." After that segment of food talk, the air went back to silence. 

When we got home, the boys and I headed straight for the kitchen. Since my mother had spent more time at the town hospital than home, I have taken it upon myself to learn how to make a few things. So I didn't have to wait for mother to start making anything. Not even five minutes of being home mother speaks up, "I'm going to block off the entryway to the boat to make sure no one goes inside. In case it's a contagious virus. Stay here and stay inside, it's almost dark out." Our mouths were too full to respond, so we just nodded in agreement.

Eating enough food to feed a starving horse, we planted our exhausted bodies on chairs. A satisfying burp coming from Scott, he says "I have never been so glad to be stuck at home. Thank god that...thing we saw doesn't come out at night." "Good that" I add. Hearing nothing but our stomachs digesting, a thought creeps up from the back of mind. Not being able to figure out what is, I brush it off as if it was nothing.