Summary: Alfred doesn't understand why people won't believe him when he says monsters are real. He really has seen them! And then when a cannibalistic monster named Ivan begins to take an interest in him, things just go to hell. Sometimes literally. RusAme; Monster!AU

or

Summary: Alfred goes on a journey. Ivan thinks he's running away. There is confusion, and then shit gets serious.

Pairings: RusAme, Spamano, CanUkr, GerIta; Frying Pangle, suggestions welcome.

Warnings: T-Rating may go up. Character death, language, gore, murder, language, umm, yeah.

Disclaimer: Guess what?

Chapter One

Alfred clutched at his knees, quivering. Every couple of minutes, he slowly turned his head around and looked at his open closet door. The door itself was up a few inches, so you had to step up to walk into it. It was only open a crack – enough to see the darkness inside but not enough to see what the darkness actually contained. Alfred could only imagine what horrors lurked inside. It was scary enough to look at in the daytime, but at night.

Outside his door, the floor creaked. Alfred froze in terror, his eyes wide. He was too afraid even to tremble. Someone was slowly approaching...

The light flipped on.

"What the hell are you doing there?" Alfred's roommate, Arthur Kirkland, demanded. Arthur's eyes traveled to the DVD player and the discarded movies around it. "And who gave you these?" He strode over to the slowly dying Alfred. When Arthur had walked in, pausing at the door before he did so, his heart had stopped beating for a second. He really thought that would be the end.

"Friday the Thirteenth?" Arthur chided. "Children of the Corn...Scary Movie...The Grudge...Alfred, you know you can't watch these!" He finished picking up the movies and made to walk out. A hand shot out from the quivering mess that was Alfred and grabbed his leg. Arthur looked down to see two wide, watery, puppy-dog eyes staring up at him.

"P-Please d-don't l-leave m-me h-here ah-lone!" Alfred wailed. "They'll come for m-me!"

Arthur sighed and squatted down. "Calm down, lad. Nothings anywhere." He stood back up and threw open the closet door. "See? Nothing."

In a horror movie this would be the point where the hairy, clawed hand reached out and grabbed him. Unfortunately, whatever was in the closet was probably scared away by the ghostly Alfred-doppleganger hovering behind Arthur.

Alfred pointed, hands shaking. "B-Behind you!" As Arthur turned, the ghost winked slowly and faded away.

Arthur stared at empty space for a minute, eyes closed and lips moving; he was slowly counting to ten under his breath. He can't help it that he's a complete idiot and a coward, at that. This is just babysitting a cousin. Drag him off to bed and turn a night-light on. Without a word, Arthur gently took Alfred by the hand and helped him into bed. He shut the closet door and turned on a lamp. Alfred was looking at him helplessly. Why can't he see it?

The ghost put a finger to his lips and smiled. It thrust an arm through Arthur's chest and wiggled transparent fingers around. Arthur shivered. "It's a bit chilly in here, isn't it?"

If Alfred's eyes became any wider, they would pop out. "I-Iggy? Uh, I-I'm fine n-now. You have, uh, homework, right? Y-You should g-GO!" His voice rose as the ghost's jaw dropped, unhinging like a snakes, and it began to mime eating Arthur's face off.

"You sure?" Arthur looked indecisive – he clearly wanted to leave but was unsure of what state he would find Alfred in next time he saw him. Dead of a heart attack, most likely. Jumped out off a window because he thought a were-wolf was chasing him.

"'Course I'll be. Heroes don't get scared! Just...leave the lights on, will ya?"

Arthur chuckled. Only a teenager like Arthur could chuckle. The guy was really like an old man. Though, by the accusations Francis threw at him, the dirty, perverted sort that was a staple in American comedy. So Arthur was like a Freaky Friday switch with a Grandpa Hoover in Little Miss Sunshine.

But that train of thought was interrupted by the doppleganger-ghost floating over to the side of his twin bed, jaw still unhinged, and leaning down over him. It's jaw dangled disconcertingly, teeth brushing against Alfred's skin. Not that he could really feel it, of course. But still.

Alfred screamed. Arthur came running back into his room. "What is it now!"

"I...uhh..." he was having trouble thinking with a jaw dangling over his head. "bumped...my...mouth...on a...BEAR!" The ghost's hands and feet had momentarily transformed into white paws. The main feature was the thick, sharp claws. "A...A teddy...b-bear."

Arthur shook his head. "Dear God, Alfred! Grow a pear."

Despite the over-whelming terror, Alfred still had to point out the fact that Arthur had used an American pop-culture reference. Arthur scowled, punched him, and walked out, swearing "You'll never get any more sympathy from me if you continue with this utter nonsense."

That dilemma out of the way, Alfred's attention returned to the ghost-bear-thing. Not that it had ever really left.

"It's the mouth, isn't it?" the ghost whispered. Alfred had to strain to hear it at all. "I'm not used to people seeing me...I forgot how to look and act." Very apologetic, for a ghost. Though it didn't seem to think anything was wrong with friggin' bear hands!

"C-Can you f-fix it?" Alfred asked weakly. The ghost's expression morphed slowly into that of embarrassment. Everything it did seemed to be in slow-motion. Alfred felt as if he was suspended it time – he could feel his limps becoming heavier as he watched it, though that might just be the adrenaline rush fading.

The ghost's jaw slowly fixed itself, invisible stitches knitting the skin together. "How can you see me?" it asked. "You look just like me!"

"Uh, do I? Haven't noticed..." Alfred tried to scoot away. The ghost just floated into the bed, passing through it like nothing was there. The ghost put a paw on Alfred's chest. It was sur...pris...ing...ly...hea...v...The ghost took his paw off, apologizing profusely and saying something about stopping hearts. Alfred shook his head like a wet dog.

"I have to go tell someone about this!" the ghost mumbled, clearly excited. Its hands were waving all over the place and he was glowing faintly. "No one has been able to see me for a thousand years! It's a miracle! I don't know who to tell first!" Before Alfred could protest, the ghost had faded out of existence, grinning.

XxXx

Standing outside his manor home, on the nice elevated wooden deck he had made especially for this purpose, Ivan aimed his rifle carefully at the fleeing figure. Hunting had become boring these days. New weapons made it too easy, and the traditional ones just weren't made correctly anymore. Though there was plenty of prey. Ivan looked down the scope, cursing the blurriness.

Ivan struck a figure against the night. It wasn't a good figure, or a handsome one, or a frightening one. It was simply a sticking one. He was as thin as a skeleton, though plates of meat were stacked around him. Occasionally he would reach down and grab a whole steak, tearing off huge chunks with absurdly sharp teeth.

"Master Ivan?" Ravis quivered. Ravis was possibly the only person in the world who could say something in a quiver. He was small – most onlookers would mistake him for a twelve year old (though in reality he was well over a hundred) - and two tiny horns poked out from his messy hair. The skin that showed under his heavy coat was abnormally hairy.

Ivan turned on his servant. "Daaaaaaaaa?" The longer the word drew out, the more annoyed Ivan was. Nine a's was slightly annoyed and ready to bite.

Ravis trembled. "Eduard told me to tell you of a rumor he heard from Tino who heard it from Feliks who heard it from some human Roderich is trying to eat, I mean drink, I mean date, who heard it from Gilbert who heard it from Francis who heard it from Yao who heard it from Im Yong who heard it from -"

"I think I understand," Ivan interrupted. "Is there information in this anywhere? I am rather busy at the moment. Unless...you want to become part of my game? You like games, da?"

Ravis shook his head, to the point where when Ivan finally grabbed his head to stop it from falling off. Not literally though. That was the man down the street. After his eyes stopped spinning, Ravis said, "There's a rumor that there's a human down Natalia's way that can see Matthew!"

"Matthew?" Ivan asked curiously, setting his rifle down. "Who's that?"

"Some ghost shaman bear thing. Maybe. I dunno. Eduard didn't really tell me..." Ravis apologized, beginning to tremble again. "But the point is, he's one of us!"

Ivan's eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Eduard said that Tino said that Feliks said that Roderich's girl said that Roderich said that Gilbert said -"

As Ravis's gossip-chain went on, Ivan began to think. A human that could see a ghost. Maybe it was something and just didn't realize it. Or maybe it was just a glimpse. Ghosts could sometimes accidentally enter the human's plane of existence and mistakenly think that the human could see into the ghost's plane. If that was the case, this 'Matthew' would have to be punished. That was probably the most likely thing – no human had been been able to see into the ghost plane since the times when drugs were more commonly accepted. It would still be worth investigating, though he thought he heard Ravis say...

"And Yao told Im Yong to be quiet, but Im Yong challenged him to a wrestling match for some reason and when Yao refused he hit him with his mallet and almost knocked his only eye out which would have really -"

"Natalia?" Ivan tried to direct that chatter into the topic he really wanted to hear about. Instantly, the one-sided conversation turned to his sister.

"And Toris said that Natalia had already heard of it but wanted to tell you before she hunted the human down but didn't want to get your hopes up so she would go and look at it until it saw her and then she would bring it to you and it would be the perfect dowry for marriage marriage marriage."...marriage marriage marriage marriage marriage marriage
The word echoed around the deck, somehow. It's not as if it was even in a room or anything; they were outside, in the open air. Natalia could have that effect on reality...and people. Completely warping it, destroying it, grinding it under her heel until it screamed for mercy...Ivan shuddered. Oh, the childhood memories...

"Sir? Sir!" Ravis was saying. Ivan broke out of his horrified reminiscing.

"Well, we have to get to it first," he decided. Ravis nodded eagerly. "And it won't involve me at all, will it? I'll just go inside and...rawify...this...raw meat. Um..."

"No, little one. You will find out where this human lives. Off you go now!" Ivan poked Ravis in the back, prodding him forward. "I will stop the game...for now." For a moment he looked genuinely sad, a child whose favorite toy is broken. "I know how everyone enjoys it."

"Ah, yes sir!" Ravis lied, remembering what Eduard had told him about Ivan and actually saying what you think. Like kicking a puppy. And that puppy would be you. "Everyone really looks forward to it!"

Ivan smiled, all happiness returned. "I...what is this human's name?"

"I don't know, sir!"

"Where does it live!"

"I don't know, sir!"

"What does it look like?"

"Like Matthew, sir!"

At least this was better than 'I don't know'. "What does Matthew look like?"

"I don't know, sir!" Ah...

"So we know nothing?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Well, Ravis...you better start searching right away!"

"Couldn't we just ask...your...uh...sister?"

"We're trying to get away from my sister, remember?" Ivan said carefully. "Are you sure you understand this?" Ivan wasn't sure why anyone would want to ask his sister anything. Natalia was pretty, but the impending doom that followed her like a particularly bad disease was a heavy turn-off for anyone. Except that domovoi that he had lent her...he was pretty attached.

"I mean...your other sister."

Ivan's expression hardened. "We don't bother Kat."

Ravis trembled a nervous goodbye and hastily departed, ready to impart all his troubles in a tearful speech to Eduard.

XxXx

Lili clutched at her blanket. Reading before bed really wasn't a good idea. Brother had always warned her it would give her nightmares, but she hadn't thought they'd be this bad.

Something growled. She hoped it was her stomach.

Lili had a small couch that Vash had helped her convert into a rocking chair. It was very comfortable, perfect for embroidering Vash his thank you present (a stuffed bunny rabbit). It had never seemed particularly menacing before, even when she had leaned back to far and had that moment of adrenaline-fueled rush of terror where she thought she would fall over. But now it seemed to be morphing into some type of animal...at first it appeared to be a small, hunched-back cow, than a badger...than some sort of walrus. The walrus was the only one that was able to move. It rotated its head back and forth, not focusing on one thing. But Lili felt sure, in that sureness you only get in dreams, that as soon as she moved, it would see her.

And that's why she couldn't turn the light on.

Her nose began to itch. Lili tried twitching her nose, tried getting rid of the itch through sheer will-power. Anything so she wouldn't have to move.

But it was just a dream, right? She couldn't really get hurt in a dream. She was in complete control.

Besides, if it was real,which it wasn't, Big Brother would protect her.

Slowly, she lifted one arm. Lili could almost feel her bones creaking under the pressure of moving so dreadfully slowly. Deciding to take another, less agonizing, approach, Lili quickly brought her hand up to her nose, so rapidly that the beast surely wouldn't see it. Not that it was real.

Just a dream.

If it was just a dream, why had it suddenly -

The thing bit into her arm, teeth hitting bone until it snapped. Lili screamed, a long, terrified sound that no one could hear.

Everything seemed to stop. The beast turned toward her, and even in the dark, she caught a reflection of sharp white teeth. An arm was dangling out of it's mouth.

I'm still dreaming. Why aren't I waking up?

Lili could see every hair growing on the creature's dirty back as it lunged towards her.

She didn't realize she was still screaming until it bit out her throat.

XxXx

Feliks balanced precariously on the roof. "Like, where the hell is this?"

"It doesn't matter," Toris answered, rolling his eyes. He sat down on a chimney. "We're only going to be here for a minute."

Feliks sighed and leaned sat down. It was hard to balance on a sloping surface, after all. "At least I'm like, on time. Right?"

"No, you're late. Again. They're going to kick you out, you know."

Feliks examined his fingernails. "Well, if I'm late, there's no point in like, warning anyone, is there? So should we just like, go in?"

Toris shrugged. "Are you sure you want to see it? It's sorta intrusive, forcing yourself onto someone's death. What if her family is -" Feliks was already swinging off the roof and crashing feet first into the window. Toris, with a resigned sigh, shuffled off, and with one hand grasping the roof's edge, balanced on the windowsill. "Did you really have to break the windowsill?"

Feliks ignored him. He was staring at a figure at the center of the room. Toris glanced at it, then quickly raised himself back up to the roof.

Natalia. What was she doing her? Was she looking for him? Toris indulged himself on that daydream for a second before snapping back to reality. More likely she was the cause of death.

"Like, what are you doing here?" he could hear Feliks demand. He shuddered. No one should demand anything of Natalia. No one could, not if they had a desire to live.

Surprisingly, she answered. "I am here for Big Brother. He will marry me soooooooooon!" The O echoed. Toris began to pray for Feliks's safety. Not even safety! Just that he would get off with a light maiming.

"You're like, so creepy. You're more of a banshee than I am. And I'm like, a banshee!"

Don't explain the joke! Toris wailed internally. Stop using like so many times!

"YOU aren't a very good banshee," Natalia said dismissively. "It doesn't take much work to be better than you." Before Feliks could protest, she added, "You stole my domovoi. Give him back."

Toris wanted to sink into the roof and disappear. Maybe he could, if he was home. His only hope now was that Feliks won't give him away.

"He's totally mine, bitch," Feliks said offhandedly. "But he's like, here somewhere. TORIS!"

Toris tried to stop breathing. It didn't work. Feliks's head popped out of the window. "TORIS!" He grabbed Toris's ankle and dragged him through the winter. "Why were you up there?"

"I was hiding," Toris hissed. "Thanks a lot."

"Ur welcome." Only Feliks could say that without a hint of sarcasm. He also could enunciate them so you knew, you just knew, he was spelling them incorrectly. He could pronounce the difference between 'two' '2' 'to' and 'too'.

It was incredibly annoying.

Natalia stood up from the small pool of blood spreading around her. The only thing Toris was able to take in before she dragged him off was the little girl's head in Natalia's hands. She was holding it by the hair, which seems to be the preferred method of holding decapitated heads. "Come," she ordered. "We will see Brother now. Wedding plans?"

"Uh, Miss Natalia, I think I left them at my house, you see, I don't -"

"No matter. We're going."

Toris looked at Feliks despairingly. Feliks gave him a happy little wave and smiled. "See ya soon, Tor!"

Tor? What? And then he was out of sight and (apparently) out of Natalia's mind. She thrust the head into his hands.

"Whaaaat?" Toris protested.

"This is a gift for Brother. She was able to see us; not any more." Natalia certainly didn't waste words, did she?

XxXx

Domovoi: A Russian house spirit.

This is my first time writing anything resembling horror or mystery. I know I didn't do too well. So please, please REVIEW and tell me how I can do better/how I did.

Thank you for reading.