A/N: Dear lord this chapter was hard to write! I hate how it turned out, but oh well I had to get it out of the way. I'm tired. Thank you so much everyone for your support so far! At the end of the chapter I've written a glossary for you new Predator fan fic readers out there!
"Bailey please eat your green beans," her mother lightly chided as she scooped another helping onto her plate.
"Can I have some more mom?" Elijah asked sweetly.
Their mother smiled and spooned more green beans onto her son's plate. Bailey only rolled her eyes at Elijah's smug smirk. He was such a little brat…
"Dad is really late," Bailey stated as she eyed the clock and shoveled more pork into her mouth.
"Is he trying to shoot something in the dark?" Elijah asked as a follow up.
"He's probably working in the shed," their mother offered. "I'll check on him after you two go to bed."
The two siblings pouted for a moment before finishing their meal and starting their evening routine. Turns were taken in the shower due to their singular household bathroom, teeth were brushed, and kisses were given as they bid their mother a good night. There was little fighting and their mother smiled proudly as the two remained civil for the rest of the night. As a reward she tucked them each in carefully, brushing aside black curls and promising as much cake as they wanted during Bailey's birthday. Elijah looked down excitedly at his sister from the top portion of the bunk they shared and Bailey returned it. The cake was usually very small due to their financial standing and normally only fed each family member two pieces. Their mother's promise however told that this year would be different.
"What do you think you'll get tomorrow?" Elijah questioned as he traced patterns on the ceiling with his eyes.
Bailey silently contemplated her answer. She'd never get what she really wanted on holidays, she'd come to terms with this fact a few years ago. Her family was poor. Not too poor, but poor enough to make the two children look on in envy as their friends pulled out ham and cheese lunchables at school. That was a luxury they just couldn't afford. Not even once a month.
"Maybe some new clothes," she mused, thinking about the goodwill they often visited.
"Yeah, you need'm," he snickered at his own fat joke.
Bailey rolled her eyes and looked out the window across the room. Their house was on the outskirts of a forest and nearly a mile away from the road their driveway led to. It was very secluded and almost frightening. Bailey never liked the area they lived in during the dark. She eyed the bare trees as squirrels ran across them and knocked off snow, the branches pointy and menacing. Closing her eyes she thought of her father, hoping as a child would that the scary forest would return him safely.
"Bailey! Bailey! Wake up! Dear god wake up!"
Bailey's eyes snapped open with fear as she was shaken from her dreams.
"What, stupid?!" she yelled, prepared to lash out with her fists when he continued shaking her.
"M-Mom's not in the house and d-dad's not back yet! Nobody's here Bailey, I'm scared!"
Bailey rolled towards her brother and focused when his panicked tone finally registered. Elijah's cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears as his eyes moved frantically from her face to their bedroom door.
"Nobody's here?" she finally questioned. Looking out the window confirmed it wasn't even close to daytime so her parents should have been cozied up in their own bed.
"I went to the bathroom and wanted to see if dad was back. They're not there Bailey, they're not there!" His tears renewed Elijah gripped her night shirt and silently pleaded her to comfort him.
"Maybe they're in the shed," she tried to convince him though fear soon entered her voice as well. "Go check."
"BY MYSELF?!" he screeched, his voice cracking magnificently. "No Bailey come with me!" He started sobbing erratically. "Come with me, come with me, come with me!" He punctuated each request with a tug to her shirt and a stomp to the floor. His face reddened even further with lack of breath and his eyes swelled with salty tears.
Bailey couldn't answer him without sobbing herself. Elijah was instilling more fear than the actual situation, so without a word she grabbed his hand and climbed out of bed. Together they ran through the house and out the door, neglecting coats and shoes with their haste. The feel of snow against their bare feet sent shock waves through them both, effectively slowing them down and shallowing their breath.
"Th-the shed, l-let's check it first," Bailey stuttered and blamed the cold for her tied tongue.
Elijah nodded and with a sudden burst of adrenaline ran ahead and around the corner of the house. Fear struck Bailey at suddenly being alone but she was unable to run. Instead she slowly began tip-toeing in the same direction, ears pealed for any sound that might warrant danger. She was not prepared however for the sound of retching and liquid splattering across the ground.
"Elijah!" she called out, abandoning caution and sprinting to aid her brother.
She found him just outside their family's rickety wooden shed on his hands knees emptying his stomach. Landing harshly next to him Bailey placed a hand on his back as they both tried to catch their breath.
"Elijah! What's wrong?!"
Elijah sobbed and gagged once more but nothing came out and Bailey tried hard not to look at the undigested green beans splattered across the snow. Squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as possible Elijah let out a scream, dipping his head lower and grasping the snowy grass beneath him. Bailey shot back from him at the sudden outburst and her eyes widened in terror.
"DAD!" he screamed this time, voice hoarse and broken as he fell to his side into a fetal position.
Bailey whipped her head towards the shed and stared for a long time, torn between staying with her brother and going to see just what exactly he'd seen. Gritting her teeth she leapt from her spot on the ground and tore through the back yard. Tears blurred her vision and she tripped a couple times but she almost didn't need to see to realize what was in the shed. The smell hit her first, sickening and heavy. Without so much as a warning bile rose in her throat and she began vomiting against the door frame. When she was able to raise her head once more, Bailey was met with a sight she'd never forget.
Blood.
Blood was everywhere.
The shed only contained power tools, now covered in blood, and a small table.
On top of it was her dad's legs.
Bailey vomited again.
"…ailey…." came her brother's voice. She could barely hear it over the blood rushing through her ears.
"Bailey…" he said louder. Turning her head she raised her wide eyes to his where he stood just outside the shed.
"He's dead," she choked, dry heaving a bit before stumbling away from the horror.
Elijah nodded and they fell into each other. Gripping tightly the two siblings sunk to the ground and cried.
"Where's mom?" Bailey sobbed into his shoulder.
"I don't know," he answered. "All I saw was…was dad's head he-"
He squeezed tighter and Bailey bit into his shirt, trying to gain some control over herself and failing.
"We have to check the house," he finally said. Their bodies shook violently from the cold as the shock began ebbing away. "We have to find mom."
Bailey knew he was right but didn't want to move. All she wanted to do was cower in a corner and wish it all away. She wasn't given the chance however as Elijah stood and grabbed her hand. As he led the way Bailey briefly wondered when her little brother had gotten so brave. Here he was at ten years old taking care of her and all she could think about was running away. Why couldn't she be more like him?
The journey back to the house didn't take nearly as long as Bailey had hoped and soon they were back inside, ears strained and breath held in hopes of sensing anything out of place. A thud was heard from their parent's bedroom and the sibling pair jumped. Bailey began to cry once more but Elijah shushed her, tears forming in his own eyes but controlling his sobs.
"Hide in the cabinet under the sink," he whispered with a tremble in his voice.
"But Elijah I-"
"Shut your fat face and do it!" he snarled, pushing her into the kitchen and making sure she followed his order.
Bailey squeezed into the cabinet and watched as her brother quickly scanned the room. With a final nod he knelt down and gave her a stern glare.
"Stay here, I'm gonna call 911."
"But the phone's in mom and dad's room!"
"I know, now shut up and stay here!"
Bailey remained quiet and sniffled, silently pleading her brother to stay with her. Instead of complying Elijah leaned in and gave his sister a quick peck on the cheek before closing the cabinet door.
Bailey waited with baited breath and her body trembled in fear and cold. She couldn't hear anything outside her own heart beat and the silence was driving her mad. Was someone in their house? Was mom still alive? Did Elijah call yet? Oh god, what if someone got him? What if he was hurt? What if he was dead? What if-
"BAILEY!"
Bailey kicked the cabinet door open and stepped out just as Elijah came tearing down the hallway. She watched, stunned as he cowered against the fridge to her left.
"MONSTER!" he screeched and tried to become one with the kitchen appliance. "BAILEY IT'S COMING!"
Before she had the chance to question his insane exclamations a growl rumbled through the dark hallway followed by several clicks. Bailey whipped her head in the direction of the sound as heavy, yet padded footsteps echoed towards her. When the owner of it all stepped into the light, Bailey wet herself.
It really was a monster, tall and broad and looked like a nightmare incarnate. Claws scraped their hard wood floors and walls as the creature leaned heavily against them. Its skin was that of a lizard's and its hair was bound tightly in what could only be described as dreadlocks. But all of that was lost on the small girl as all she could do was stare into its eyes. Small, sharp, and glaring with the kind of blood lust even the movies couldn't capture. The creature took another step forward and stumbled into the kitchen against another wall. Something green oozed from between its fingers as it palmed its hip, indicating an injury.
THUMP
Bailey jumped at the sound and saw in her peripheral what had caused the noise. It was her dad's crossbow, jostled to the floor by the monster's heavy stumbling. Their dad's crossbow…their way out.
The creature growled and gained her attention once more. A blade was in its other hand and was already dripping blood…her parent's blood…
"Ooman…" came the monster's voice in a rough guttural rasp. "Pyode amedha…"
A sharp bark left its mouth and the crab like appendages flared as it stood to its full height.
"Worthless."
As soon as the English word left its mouth the creature leapt towards her, teeth bared and claws poised to slash. Bailey reacted immediately with a shout and jumped sideways. The monster landed just centimeters away in a crouch, spinning on the ball of its foot and preparing to spring again. Bailey landed on her side and her chubby arms flailed for her only chance at survival. She had just enough time to grab the crossbow and roll onto her back before the monster roared its next attack. Bailey screamed right back shutting her eyes tightly and squeezing the weapon's trigger.
The bow shot and Elijah screamed.
There was a sickening crack, a heavy thud, and then silence.
Bailey quivered from her spot on the floor and finally opened her eyes to stare at what she'd just accomplished. The creature was dead and lying just beyond her feet. Not needing to see anything else she quickly stood and made a mad dash to Elijah. The two embraced each other for the second time that night.
"Bailey!" he shouted into her chest and continued to repeat it as she nearly squeezed the breath out of him. In turn she kissed the top of his head and took in several shallow breaths. It was over…it was over…it was-
"Pauk!"
The two siblings started at the exclamation and Bailey immediately jumped up in front of her brother with the crossbow raised. There was no arrow in it now but the weight of it in her hands was better than nothing. Standing in their open doorway was another creature, though this one was wearing a mask and strange crisscrossing material covering its chest. It towered over the dead one, bending to check its pulse and then straightening once more, eyeing the two children.
"Ooman…" it began as it took a step forward.
Bailey screamed at it and lashed out with the crossbow. This earned a tilt from the creatures head and a few more steps forward. Both children sobbed when it became apparent they had no more defenses. Stopping just one step away the creature seemed to regard them. Elijah hid his face against his knees and Bailey trembled in her wet pajama pants.
"GO AWAY!" she screamed, not caring that it wasn't the best idea to try and startle the monster in case it decided to retaliate.
A deep rumble answered her plea and the creature's shoulders shook. It was laughing.
"Yeyinde,"it simply said before reaching out and placing a massive hand on Bailey's shoulder.
She had no time to react before it gave a gentle squeeze and the world went black.
Ooman = Human
Pyode amedha = Soft Meat
Pauk = Fuck
Yeyinde = Brave one
