Rex lay on the top of the bookcase, Sid and Nancy were play chasing each other on the floor, but Rex was worried. Worried about Abby.
Over the past eight months, he had noticed that her tummy had been slowly growing bigger, and rounder. Rex had been wondering what was wrong with her, but she and Connor had both seemed very happy about it, so he had put it aside. He had however,wondered why they had cleared out Jack's old room and filled it with all sorts of unusual things he had never seen before. Stuffed animals, a bed with bars on it, and a thing that dangled a load of plastic ducks from it.
Then, three days ago, Abby and Connor had been called out to deal with another anomaly, but they hadn't come back since. And now it had become a source of great worry for Rex.
Just then, the door clicked and opened. Sid and Nancy stopped their game and scurried over to it. Rex meanwhile walked to the edge of the bookcase. Yes, Abby and Connor were home at last. Sid and Nancy squeaked with delight and scurried around Connor's ankles. But much to Rex's surprise, he was ignoring them. He leapt off the bookcase and swooped low over Abby's head, that usually got her attention. But when he looked back, he realised that she hadn't even turned her head in his direction. As he landed on the table, Rex noticed that both Abby and Connor's attentions were focused on something small wrapped in blankets that Abby was carrying in her arms. As his owners carried it up the stairs towards Jack's old bedroom, Rex saw a tiny arm reach upwards out of the blankets and stroke Abby's chin.
Sid and Nancy saw it too. Neither they nor Rex had any idea what was going on with Abby and Connor, but one thing was clear to them now. There was something else living in the flat now.
* * * * * *
That night, all was calm in the flat. The snakes were all curled up inside their tanks, the lizards bathed in the glow of their lamps as they slept. Sid and Nancy lay cuddled up with each other under the table, and Rex lay asleep on top of it. There came the soft sound of snoring from Abby and Connor's room upstairs.
But then, this peaceful mood was shattered by an ear splitting howl coming from Jack's old room. Sid and Nancy started squealing with fear, Rex woke with a start and looked around for the source of the sound. Meanwhile the other lizards woke and started running around their tanks in fear. The only things that hadn't been woken up were the snakes, and that was only because they were deaf. The noise itself was deafening enough, it sounded like whatever was making it was in pain, and it was certainly causing great pain to the animals in the flat.
Finally, Connor came out of his room carrying a bottle filled with white liquid, and soon after that the noise subsided. But by then, Rex, Sid and Nancy were well and truly awake. And as they tried in vain to get back to sleep again, another thing became clear to them. This sort of thing would be happening a lot from now on.