Silence encompasses the small child, the air still in the darkness of the locker. The child strains to hear anything from without, his breath coming out in short spurts. A sliver of faint light shines through a slot in the locker door, and hesitantly the child looks outside. Seeing nothing around, the child slowly and as quietly as possible opens the locker, and takes a tentative step into the room. At this exact moment, a sound resonates throughout the room, a series of clicks and clacks coming from the corridor outside.

The sound slowly escalates in volume as whatever produces it comes closer. Startled, the child quickly clambers back inside the locker, wincing as the door clangs shut in his haste. The sound stops for a moment, then increases in tempo as something runs into the room. The child holds his breath, and presses himself into the back of the locker. He closes his eyes, and prays. Something slithers across the floor straight towards the locker, and stops right before the door.

The light that had once shone through the locker door was now gone, blocked by something that seems to tower up to the ceiling. A soft hiss breaks the silence of the room. The child keeps still, until a voice echoes through his mind.

You think you are so clever…

Luke never won these games with his friend. No matter where he hid, she always seemed to find him regardless of his efforts. Luke sighed as he got up from inside the locker, and shook his head wistfully. "You have an unfair advantage on me Seer; how do you expect me to ever win against you?" Something like a snort sounded from the creature known as she opened the door to the locker. It's not my fault you make enough noise to waken the whole hive she said with a slight chuckle. Besides, I can smell you from a mile away. Luke stepped out of the locker, muttering under his breath "Well good for you…"

He turned and smiled at Seer. He was constantly amazed at the creatures he now called family. To those unused to their looks he guessed they might find them disturbing, but he only found them fascinating. Standing at a little over seven feet tall, Seer was a pitch black creature of the night. Her whole body was sleek and refined, covered with an exoskeleton that gives off a slight sheen almost like wet metal. A ridged tail snaked out behind her, ending with a sharp spike. Her arms and legs were elongated in comparison to himself, with wicked claws on her feet and hands. The most prominent feature, however, was her head. It is a massive curved feature, much smoother compared to her chest, and devoid of any eyes that would normally be seen on any other creature. A large jaw lies at the end, with a "tongue mouth" inside that he had seen only a few instances before. Overall, Seer and the others like her were a deadly but beautiful race of creatures.

While they might seem terrifying on the outside, Luke knew that they were truly quite gentle creatures. He was a prime example of this, as he had been raised by them for as long as he could remember.

Smiling, Luke moved towards Seer, and hugged her. Purring, she reciprocated the embrace, kneeling down and pulling him close. It's getting late little one… mother will be wondering where you are. Luke pulled away, and nodded in agreement. Hand in hand Luke and Seer walked down the dark corridor, and deeper into the nest they both called home.

As it was every night, Luke's dream were filled with confusion and loneliness. He remembered little of the time before he was taken into the Hive but for the one memory that haunts his dreams. The only thing that comforted him before he falls into slumber is that in the morning he will waken in the embrace of Mother. While not his true mother in a biological sense, she was his true mother in his eyes, for he knew that she would never abandon her children like his own had done to him such a long time ago.

The night faded into dawn, and slowly Luke awoke from his troubled dreams. He was curled underneath his silken blankets, as warm as he could ever imagine. His Mother had him in her embrace, and all around the nest were the sleeping forms of his family.

A few had already begun to stir, uncurling from alcoves built into the resin covered walls and floor. As he himself began to shift, Mother awoke and gave out a croon. Good morning little one… how did you sleep? Luke sighed, and sat up. "It was just like any other night… the same nightmare again." Mother hugged him close, and sent feelings of love to him. The others, noticing the exchange, huddled next to Luke in an attempt to comfort him, purring all the while.

Mother wished that she could do something to help, but the pain that he felt on a nightly basis was so deep inside him that she did not know what she could do. This child of hers was scarred, and all she could do is comfort him as best as she could.

Seer ran into the throne room, talons clicking against the floor. Chirping a questioning note towards Mother and Luke. Is the lazy one awake? Much time has been wasted already from your idleness! Mother clicked sharply at Seer; Calm my child, my little one has suffered again tonight. Seer bowed her head in apology, but immediately perked back up in excitement as Luke walked over to her. "Good morning to you too Seer." Said Luke, bending down to hug her. She cooed in his hold, enjoying the companionship they gave to each other. Luke loved everyone in his family, but he felt closest to his sister Seer; she had an abundance of energy, and was always ready for the next adventure to be had. Seer wriggled from his grasp, and pranced away to the door. Come on now! We have places to go! Let's go swimming again! Laughing merrily, Luke dashed after her, eager to see the sunrise upon the water.

Mother gazed thoughtfully after them. She was pleased that Luke had found a friend inside Seer, but she still worried for him. The two of them always got into some form of mischief, and something of late had Mother troubled. With an echo of command, she sent two of her children to watch over them. While probably not necessary, it gave her piece of mind knowing that the most fragile of her brood had someone watching over him.

***Thanks for reading the first chapter of Thick as Blood! I just had a sudden inspiration to write this today, and wrote this first part in a few hours. Please let me know what you think and leave a review. Everything helps!***