"MOM! MOM!" the little boy came running into the apartment in fright as he tackled his mother's waist in a fit of tears.
Ray jumped, startled at first, but soon placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "Remy, what's wrong? Where's your father?"
"Right here," the tall man strode through the door with a sweat-dampened face.
"Jim, what happened? You didn't take him to any of those haunted houses, did you?"
Jim looked baffled. "Ray, you know me. What makes you think I took him to a haunted house?"
She folded her arms and leaned to the right while staring at him in disbelief. Remy remained hugging her tightly.
"All right, I wanted to go to a haunted house, but I didn't take him to any of them, honest! Blame that rude brother of yours..."
"Morgan? He promised me he wasn't going to scare him today!" She bent down to Remy's level and looked into his watery eyes. "What did he do to you?"
No words came from the boy. Instead, he lifted up his arm to expose ripped flesh and stained fur.
Ray gasped and immediately dragged him towards the bathroom. "How could Morgan do something like this? Where were you when this happened, Jim?"
Stopping at the threshold of the bright room, he watched as Ray washed their son's arm in the sink; red water flowed down the drain. Jim tensed at the sight of crimson, though the smell was what made his stomach churn. "I was standing on the side of the road, watching him go up to a house to ring the doorbell. Next thing I know, your brother's on top of him."
Ray began to growl. "I'm going to call him when I'm done bandaging Remy. How could he do this? I mean, look at this! He caused our son to bleed, and it will probably leave a nasty scar! It takes up his entire arm, just about!" She shut off the water and rummaged a nearby cabinet for a towel. "What did you do when you seen Morgan?"
"I shouted at him. Chased after him. I would've gone after him further, but I didn't want to leave Remy behind."
Ray shook her head. "I don't understand... What got into him? He promised."
"Well, honey... He is Morgan. Always has been..." Jim caught her glare and went to another subject, pointing to Remy's arm, "Should we get medicine for that? Just in case?"
"Morgan isn't rabid, Jim." She threw away the red-blotched towel and pulled cloth bandages and tape from the top of the cabinet. Wrapping the tiny arm up, Ray glimpsed at Jim and sighed. "Are you sure it was him?"
"Ray, I'm positive. Orange fur, brown and blond hair, black ears, up-to-no-good stare... It was him."
-
"Pick up, pick up, pick up..." Ray tapped her foot impatiently as she held the phone to her ear. Jim listened as he sat on the couch with a sleeping Remy in his lap.
Finally, "Hello?"
"You promised me, Morgan! Where are you?"
"Ray?" Morgan questioned.
"Where are you?"
"I'm over at Kale's watching a movie. Why?"
"You promised me that you weren't going to scare Remy, and you know what? Remy came home crying with a mangled arm. How could you do such a thing?"
Morgan started to sound defensive, "Whoa, I kept to my promise, Ray. I've been at Kale's house the entire night. I haven't scared anyone today."
"Then how come my husband and son admit to you being there? From what I understand, you attacked Remy."
"Your husband's been drinking," Morgan grumbled flatly.
Ray could feel her knuckles burning as her fists clinched. "Don't lie to me, Morgan..."
Jim gingerly set Remy's head on a pillow as he rose from the couch and walked over to his wife.
Morgan continued, "I'm not lying to you, Ray! You need me to get Kale on the phone to prove it to you?"
"I don't want Kale on the phone because I know she would take your side on anything. I want you to tell the truth."
"I AM telling the truth! What more do you want me to say?"
Ray took the phone away from her ear, squeezing the device tightly as she clinched her teeth in dander. "Ugh! I can't stand this nonsense! I don't know what to do anymore!"
Jim snatched the phone away from her. "Morgan?"
"Jim..." the teen's voice was cocky.
"Where are you at?"
Ray whispered, "He said he was with Kale."
"I'm on a couch."
"Listen, you little punk! How about we meet somewhere?"
"JIM!" Ray snapped.
There was a snarl on the other line.
"Be careful what you wish for, Jim..."
Jim roared as he slammed the device back into place.
"What did he say?"
"He hung up!"
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
A minute of silence went through the house as Jim and Ray stared at the door in uncertainty. The bell rang again...