Dib was scared. He was four years old.
He shivered in his bed, freezing the moment he heard the noise. That noise. The one he'd been hearing every night since Mama d-… since Gazlene. The glow-in-the-dark stars cast shadows on his walls in corners he wished he didn't have in his room. Suddenly, a coat looked like a man and a man like a ghost. He clutched his copy of 10000 Mysterious Mysteries and Where To Find Them, giving an inaudible squeak when the noise got louder.
It wasn't a pleasant noise. It carried a distinct sound of hatred under its tone, the growl turning into a dark roar as it passed his room. He didn't like it. He could just barely see, hiding under his covers with only a small slit to look through, but he could see it. It's red, pupiless eyes shimmering in the hallway light as it's three fingered claws dragged along the wall. His eye darted to the closet, right past the door and that thing.
His safe haven.
He could hear rain outside, the night air chilly even under his quilt. Maybe it was because he had stored away all of his blankets into his haven. He stiffened again as the thing went towards the baby's room. He smirked. That thing wouldn't find Gaz in there, he made sure of that. Carefully, he slid his way off of the bed, taking the quilt and his pillow with his along for the ride. He winced as his feet touched the floor to make a loud 'creak'.
He heard the growl, making his dive for the closet's double doors. He ripped them open, flinging himself inside before locking the door securely behind him. He jumped when a soft noise came from his sister, her little body completely covered in the multi-colored blankets he's amassed in here.
"Is it gone?"
Dib jumped at the sudden whisper, looking at his new friend who was clutching his lithe arm in hopes of keeping the Ace bandages on. The ruby eyes didn't ever faze the young boy anymore, even if they glowed way too brightly in the dark.
Wordlessly, he put his finger to his lips, the growl becoming deeper as the creature passed the closet door. The crack of light under the door showed them only a piece of it, but that was more than too much. Dib scooted away from the door, more towards his friend, Gaz in tow as the three of them huddled up under the blankets, pillows and toys they had collected for the haven. Dib shut his eyes, feeling only Gaz's breathing and his friend's trembling form as the metal on his back got warmer in preparation for weapons.
There they lay, waiting, wishing that their Mother hadn't gone away.
A/N: Happy Mother's Day?