Between school, work and general laziness, I have had no energy to edit and post this chapter.
Wordcount: 5.9K
Published: 17.06.2018
Not betaed.
Chapter 3
Conan sighed. What a mess. He crept over to the door and thrust his hand between metal stems. He grabbed at the clothes of the unconscious ex-possessed man. A minute spent digging through his pockets, and he fished up a key.
He stood and shoved it into the keyhole. He twisted his hand, a second later the door opened with a soft 'click'. He sighed in relief. Thank the devil it worked. He opened the door and withdrew the key. Conan turned to the other occupant in the little cell. With quick steps he crouched down to the sleeping form and reached out as he gently shook her shoulder.
"Ayumi. Wake up."
The girl's head bobbed slightly as she shook, but she did not stir. Conan sighed. Naturally it wouldn't be this easy. He closed his eyes slightly as he held the palm of his hand pressed against her forehead. Slivers of violet energy sparkled across his palm before sinking into the pale skin. A moment later, Ayumi's eyes shot up. She gasped in surprise, her pupils widening in fear before she recognized him.
He let his hand fall back. No noticeable nerve damaged on the kids at least. Relief flooded throw him. He couldn't possibly have explained away the situation if the kids had all died on him. That would've have been one awkward conversation. The thought made him chuckle darkly.
Ayumi blinked slightly, before a small hand came up to rub a hand in her eyes.
"What happened?"
She sat up slowly. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the open door and the man laying unconsciously on the floor. She gasped. Conan followed her eyes as he regarded the situation. He looked back at her and gave an awkward laugh.
"Everyone seems to have suddenly fallen asleep, so I picked his pocket. Look!" He fished up the key and showed her it. Ayumi regarded him with large now, this time in awe.
"Really? We can get out now. We can all leave."
Excitement shone in her face as she grabbed the key from his hand. She almost tripped as she ran out of the door to the next cell. Struggling for a few seconds, she shoved the door open. It hit the metal barriers with a 'clink'. The sound echoed in the room. Conan flinched slightly and covered his left ear.
"Careful Ayumi," he hissed. "You don't want to wake the grown-ups."
The girl paled. "Sorry Conan-kun," she yelled whispered. A tone only children have narrowed down to an art. She ran into the cell and crouched next to the sleeping rust-haired boy.
"Suzaku, wake up. We can leave now."
The boy did not stir. Conan sighed, his head fell forward. Do I have to wake up all of them? Waves of annoyance shook through him. He did not particularly fancy using his replenished energies for that task. He stepped towards the two children and reached to put his palm on Suzaku's forehead.
"Go open the other doors, Ayumi. I'll wake them up."
The girl hesitated but nodded. She stood and left the cell to open the next one. Conan regarded the sleeping boy. He let a sliver of energy accumulate in his palm. Instead of shooting it through the child, he concentrated on a larger mass. A second later, the energy dripped from his hand as it sparkled on the ground in different directions. One sliver slithered over Suzaku before disappearing from view. For a long minute, nothing happened. Conan frowned. Had he miscalculated the spell?
A hand grabbed his wrist. He recoiled in surprise. Dark eyes fluttered open to stare at him intently. Conan arched an eyebrow.
"Morning sleepy-head. Mind releasing me?"
Suzaku's eyes wandered down to stare at where he was holding Conan's wrist. A small blush blossomed in his cheeks and he recoiled his hand as though burned. Conan mumbled a thank you and stood. By now, the other children had started to stir too. Mumbles of confusion and surprise filled the room. Ayumi kept opening the doors and beamed at everyone.
Conan left his cell. He stepped over the unconscious form blocking the door. Somewhere behind him he heard Suzaku ask Ayumi what had happened. Conan ignored them and started in the direction of the door. His eyes regarded the sleeping ex-demons to make sure they were still sleeping as he passed them. He eyed the door from the steps of the stairs.
The door was startlingly white in the dimmed room. Everything else in the room seemed faded and old, but this, this was a newly constructed item. A shiny box stood on the right side of the door. A red light shone slightly. It had a keyboard with numbers ranking from zero to nine. I was right. It was a coded padlock.
"How are we going to get through that?"
Conan jumped in surprise. He had not heard him following him. He shot a glance at the boy who regarded him with a curious and somewhat calculating gaze. Conan twitched an eyebrow. He looked around. There had to be something he could use. He eyed the card boxes stacked neatly by the wall.
If I'm lucky.
"Ne, Suzaku-kun. Check one of their pockets and see if any of them have a lighter."
He barely saw Suzaku's questioning look before he started towards the boxes. There was two things people always needed. If he was lucky, he could find both of them. He stood on his toes as he stretched his arms to open the first box. It was filled with canned food. He picked up a can of pineapples and moved to the other one.
"Found one!"
Conan grunted in acknowledgement as he looked through the third box. In the bottom he found his price. A relieved sound escaped his lips. He picked it up and backtracked his steps. Suzaku handed him the lighter.
"What are you going to do with that?
Conan flashed him a grin. "Just wait and see."
He sat down on the tip of the stairs. He opened the canned box and handed it to Suzaku. By now, several of the other kids had wandered over to them.
"Make sure you guys eat what's in it. If you want more there is a box in the corner."
The children did not need to be asked twice. They were all hungry, not starving, but still hungry. He was handed the box back after a few seconds. Some of the older children had already picked up the card box and started handing it out. Next, he selected the lighter and brought the flame under the can. The next few minutes were filled with hushed voices and chewing as the kids dug into the food. The metal felt warm under his fingertips. It did not bother him. Conan turned the can. The underside was blackened with soot.
"Can I have another empty can?"
One was handed to him. He nodded his thanks and put it down on his knees. Bits of something unrecognizable bobbed in an orange coloured juice. He scowled.
"I said empty."
"You should eat something Conan-kun."
He looked up at Ayumi's worried eyes.
"Yeah. You did not eat anything last time either. You gave us your dinner."
Suzaku frowned at him. Conan sighed in exasperation. Why did they had to be so… so human?
"Fine, fine."
He stuffed his mouth with the oily bits and swallowed without tasting it. That done, he got rid of the liquid. He wiped the inside dry with the corner of his sleeve. He picked up the first can and used the lid to scrape the soot into the now dry can. Satisfied with the amount, he put it away. He picked up the last item. It was a box of laundry powder. Specifically, laundry powder containing stark. He ripped the lid open and poured a small amount into the can containing the soot. He ripped the bottle ring from the lid of the can and used it to stir the contents together.
Suzaku and Ayumi was practically vibrating in excitement and curiosity. Thankfully, they held their tongue, letting him work in silence. After a minute of stirring, he rose. Anticipation filled the room like thick smoke as the children fell quiet as they regarded him with large eyes. Every step taken up the stairs echoed in the room. His neck hair stood. A slight shiver trembled through him. Those eyes were unnerving. He came to a stop on the top of the stairs. He drabbed his clean sleeve in the grey powder and rose to his toes. With feather light fingers, he started to apply the powder on the tabs. The sounds of footsteps up the stairs reached his ears. They did not approach him as he worked.
Conan took a step back as he finished. A satisfied grin danced on his lips. A gasp ran out in the room.
"Fingerprints!"
Suzaku appeared in his peripheral. His entire body shook slightly in excitement. Conan grin intensified.
"Yeah. You can improvise the powder by mixing starch and soot. It's not exact science, but at least you can see which keys have been pressed."
He eyed the key lock. The prominent grey powder lay thick on four keys. 1 – 3 – 5 and 8. That narrowed down the possibilities.
"You are so awesome, Conan-kun!"
Arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders as Ayumi tackled him from behind. He wobbled slightly from the weight. Quick lips pressed themselves against his cheek as she pecked him. An involuntary blush crept into his cheeks. Had the kid just kissed him on the cheek? What was up with these humans? He had practically sucked the life force out of them less than twenty minutes ago.
Suzaku grinned at him. "Can I? I'm good with numbers." He waved a hand towards the padlock.
Conan could not do anything but nod as Ayumi kept her grip on him. The girl hummed happily as the apple blossom scent attacked his nose. He wrinkled his nose, but managed to keep the disgust from appearing on his face.
Conan glanced towards the rest of the children, leaving Suzaku to deal with the padlock. They had started to put away the empty tin boxes and followed them up the stairs. Should I leave? He pondered for a short moment. The kids would figure out a way to get out soon. They would be safe. He paused. There were still more of the Daitengu's human herdsmen around. He could not tell if they'd fallen unconscious too. He sighed inwardly. Guess I have no choice but to see this through then.
"It's open!" Suzaku cried a few minutes later. The door buzzed as it was pushed open. Excited gasps erupted from the children.
"Let's go!"
Ayumi let him go and he was pushed as the kids hurried towards the door. He hit the ramp with a groan.
"Wait!"
That made them freeze. A dozen or so eyes turned to stare at him in confusion. At least they were still listening to him.
"What is it Conan-kun?"
Ayumi eyed him with worry. Behind her, Suzaku looked puzzled. Conan sighed in exasperation.
"There are still more of those 'mean men' around," he quoted Ayumi's previous words. "We have to be cautious and stick together. I'll scope the area and see if I can find a way out and possibly a phone."
Suzaku frowned. "You can't go alone. I'm going with you." Ayumi nodded with him. The possessed child twitched an eyebrow slightly. Scratch that, they aren't listening to me at all. He regarded them thoughtfully. If they came with him, he could not use his powers to knock the culprits out. They could get hurt. He shrugged. Oh well. Who cares.
"Alright. But if you die, don't come crying back to me."
The rust-haired boy grinned as he recognized the words. He nodded in agreement. Ayumi just looked determined. Conan glanced at the rest of the children.
"Stay," he warned as he turned towards the door.
…
Small feet smacked against the floor. The hallways continued down in what felt like mile: the curving in the corners making it feel like a maze. The thick forest and ash scent clung to the walls. They stepped over two unconscious bodies on their journey. Conan made sure to be the first one around the corner and a few meters in front of the two children. Twice now, he had reached into the minds of the abductors and snuffed them out before Ayumi and Suzaku could reach him. He panted softly. The host body still not recovered from the previous incident.
Conan continued down the hallway. The grey coloured concrete leaving him feeling blind as he stared around. He could not remember the path they'd taken when he'd first arrived. Doors lay scattered across the walls. They did not dare open them in case there were anyone inside. They could not afford being spotted before they could figure out where the exit was.
Something made him freeze in his track. The scent of leather and lemon surrounded him. His eyes wandered to a non-descriptive door. Something niggled on his mind. He reached out to open the door and stuck his head in. It looked to be a large office with several tables. In one corner stood several screens, now black. They had most likely showed live-videos of the warehouse. Whether the Daitengu had turned them out previously or he had accidently short-circulated them was unclear. The two men he had been forced to rend unconscious could have gone down the hall to see how the kids were doing. A man sat with his back to him drinking a cup of coffee.
Conan turned his palm up as he regarded him. He reached out with his mind. Flickers of consciousness and memories filtered through his thoughts. He ignored it as his vision blurred.
Welcome home, sweetie, how was school? Murmured a woman in his mind. Conan grimaced. He was getting tired if it meant streams of memories were slipping past his shields. He concentrated in digging further into the consciousness fluttering against him. Pay more attention in school Kyou, or you'll have to retake a year. The scent of baked apricot filled his nose. Damnit Kyou. I can't do this anymore. I'm breaking up with you. The slam of a door echoed in his head as he watched a retreating woman leave. Sorrow coming from the memory filled him with an alien feeling. Conan had enough. He tightened his hold on the mind and squeezed. Kyou froze, before he slumbered over a second later. His head lolled back. A snore escaped his now open lips.
Conan withdrew from the mind with a low grunt. He could not keep this up. Partial possessions took a lot of energy from him. He slouched on the door for several seconds, trying to regain his breath.
"There's a phone in here!"
Conan was too tired to react when Ayumi yelled in his ear. She tried pushing the door wider. Conan lost his balance as it moved, but he was saved from falling as a hand clammed down on his shoulder. Ayumi slithered between him to enter the room.
"Are you alright? You don't look so good."
Conan glanced slightly at the taller boy, before shrugging his hand off.
"Don't worry about me." He gritted out. He was a demon, he could not show any weakness. Collecting himself, he walked after Ayumi. The girl stared at the slumbering man with an uncertain look.
"Why are they all asleep?"
"Who knows," he muttered in reply. "Who cares. The longer they sleep, the better chance we have to get out."
Rustling of clothes warned him Suzaku stepped up next to him. He too, regarded the sleeping guard. Conan turned away from them.
"Ayumi. Take the phone and call the police. Suzaku, guard the door in case someone walks by."
The girl nodded, determination shone in her eyes. She went for the phone. A small hand curled around the receiver she picked it up.
"What are you going to do?"
Conan glanced at Suzaku. Burning eyes stared into his.
"Look for a way out."
He left before the physically older boy could argue. Conan pondered his dilemma as he continued down the hallway. The kids would be safe now. He should leave before anyone found him. His business here was over after all. He had gotten his satisfying meal. He should return to the netherworld.
Not yet, I don't want go back just yet, a voice murmured in his head. He sighed in exasperation. Fine fine. I'll see this through. He was curious how the humans would react. A little bit more fun would not harm anyone.
Conan froze as he stepped around a corner. The guard adjacent to him froze in his step too. They eyed each other for a long minute. Well, shit. He could not partial possess someone who was alarmed, it would be too risky of being caught. He swore soundly, his eyes wandered over to a bottle laying alone in a corner. The guard seems to have gotten over his shock and moved towards him with threatening steps.
Conan ignored him as he lunged for the bottle. He twisted his lower body and kicked the bottle. It shot up in an alarming speed and hit the guard square in the face. The man flew backwards from the momentum and hit his head with a loud 'thump' into the wall. Conan grinned. Demonic strength had its advantages, especially in a tiny body.
"What the hell was that?"
The possessed child turned around in surprise. His eyes widening as he spotted Suzaku. The rust-coloured boy eyed him with shock. Damn. Why didn't I notice him before now? He had been caught red-handed. What should he do? He could rend the boy unconscious. Should he rip him of his memories? They could be suspicious if he suddenly lost his memories. The only other option was to kill him.
"You are like them, aren't you?"
Conan tightened his jaw. No one would believe a child if he told anyone about this. Could he risk letting him go?
Suzaku frowned.
"Are you an angel?" The demon blinked in surprise. Him? An Angel? What a laughable idea. He couldn't' do anything but to stare in surprise. The imagination of a child knew no bounds. Maybe if he pretended he was one of those creatures Suzaku would keep his mouth shut. However, the thought of being associated with one left a bad taste. The taller boy nodded slightly to himself when Conan was too busy with his inner conflict, apparently making up his mind.
"I won't tell anyone."
Conan rubbed his forehead. Deciding not to contradict him. "Let's just go find that way out, shall we?"
Suzaku grinned in responds. His steps lighter as he followed Conan down the hallway.
…
By the time the police arrived, the children had all exited the building. They stood under the roof of the adjacent building, holding around each other to hide from the cold and from the rain. Some of the kids who had been captured the longest enjoyed the feeling and the (somewhat) refreshing air. A couple was crying, some laughing and one or two curled against the wall in exhaustion.
(Conan slumped against the wall. Finally, it's over. He let his eyes close as he breathed in the area. The buildings felt oily to his senses, somewhere on the periphery another mystery hummed. More warehouses in this district was doing dodgy business. He let it slip through his mind, he was content for now. His hunger long since satisfied.
"Are you alright, bouya?"
Conan opened his eyes slightly and took in the female officer crouching over him. Short brown hair framed her face. She wore a navy-blue jacket that matched her knee-length skirt. Eyes the colour of mauve hid intelligent. The scent of warm sugar and Oxalis acetosella tickled his nose.
The noise of police and medical personal buzzed in his ear. Now and again, the officers would drag the kidnappers out from the buildings. By now, civilian cars had shown up on the scene and embraced their children. Suzaku was talking amicable with his parents further away, Ayumi was hugging her mother and crying. Some, like himself, stood alone, while others had already been transported to the hospital in ambulances. Conan focused back on the policewoman and nodded.
"What's your name? Has anyone called your parents yet?"
She was staring at him with a soft smile. Kindness shown in her mauve eyes. Conan hesitated. Maybe it was time to leave. Why was he still hanging around? He shook his head.
"I don't have any," he replied and looked away.
A line appeared in the woman's forehead as she frowned. She stood a second later as it was made apparent he would not talk. Someone called her name in the distance. She wavered. She glanced at the boy before turning towards the voice, leaving him alone once again.
Conan followed her with his eyes. He sighed. What a mess this has been.
He considered his options. He should get out of dodge, the longer he stayed, the possibilities of being discovered increased. When he left, his host would faint. Everyone would just assume it had been out of exhaustion and be transported to the hospital. When he woke up, all memories of what had transpired would be gone and the assumptions made would be that the boy had repressed them. However, something made him hesitate. A part of him did not want to go just yet. The human world was so fascinating. He wanted to see just a little bit more of it.
Conan eyed his surroundings with a wistful look. Who knew when the next time he would have the opportunity to come her again? Yukiko would never help him again. This had been once in a life time chance. The price had been high, but more than worth it.
His eyes wandered over to the police woman again. She stood now next to a tall male officer in a beige suit. They were talking to a couple of the children, including Ayumi and Suzaku. As he was watching them, Ayumi turned around and pointed in Conan's direction.
Conan twitched an eyebrow. Oy, oy. What is she saying about me? This could be dangerous. The two officers turned in his direction. He was too far away to see their expressions. Something told him he should flee. A second later they stood and started in his direction. Conan looked away, pretending he had not been spying. The mixed scent of sugar, cinnamon and something he could not name waved over him.
"Are you Conan-kun?"
Slowly, the boy turned towards the masculine voice. Grey-beige coloured eyes met him in curiosity. After a full minute of eyeing the two, he nodded slightly. The woman looked at him with calculating eyes.
"The other children were saying you were the one who got them out, is that true?" the male continued.
Only taking a fraction of a second to decide he actions, Conan shook his head. "That's not true! We were all helping each other." He looked at them with childish eyes in what he hoped was an 'I'm just an innocent child' expression as he pitched his voice high.
The man frowned slightly as he glanced at a notebook in his hand.
"That's not what the other children has been saying. You got the key from the culprit and figured out a way to make fingerprint powder to open the padlock. You are quite an intelligent boy aren't you." It had not been a question. The woman eyes observed him with an intense look.
Conan swallowed nervously. Maybe it was better if he did not reply. He let his eyes fall as tears started to brim his eyes. He sniffed slightly.
"I was so scared, inspector. Someone had to do something. The grown-ups just fell asleep, I was lucky enough to be the closest. And-and, I'd seen a crime show where they made that powder. I was just hoping it would work!"
Tears fell from his eyes and a small hand came up to rub at it. The male officer fidget slightly before a hand fell on his shoulder and he leaned down to murmur consulting nonsense.
"You were a brave boy, Conan-kun. Thanks to you everyone is safe. No one is after you, we just have a few questions that's all."
Conan sniffed again and looked up. He nodded slightly.
"You were the first one to wake up, correct? Did you see anything suspicious?"
Conan furrowed his brow as he looked thoughtfully down.
"I think. I think I heard that blond person talk about an organisation coming after them. Something about treading into zones that didn't belong to them?" His eyes widened slightly as he looked up at the grown-ups. "They were going to move us somewhere."
The two police officers glanced at each other. The man scribbled something down on his notebook.
"That information is very important. Thank you for your help. We'll come back and ask you some more questions later, alright?" The woman smiled as she straightened from her crouch. The two took a few steps further away and started whispering to each other.
Conan snorted as he slipped his hands into his shorts. Acting like a child was making him grit his teeth, but it was worth it if it meant he could divert their attention for quite some time.
…
A couple of hours later Conan found himself at the police station. He had been among the children whom did not need any medical attention and which parents the officers hadn't managed to contact. Conan sat in a room with three other children. It had clearly been furnished for such an occasion in mind. The wallpaper on the yellow walls were decorated with different kinds of animals in a parade.
His eyes wandered over the decorations. His mind vaguely recognised some of the animals as cartoon figurines. An elephant with too large ears and a yellow hat. A duck wearing a blue hat and sweater and no pants. Conan grunted in disinterest and let his eyes survey his surroundings. There was a large screen filing up most of one wall showing an animated children show in Japanese. In the middle of the room was a low bench filled with building bricks and stuffed animals.
A black haired little girl wearing a bright yellow dress slept in one of the sofas. Her little hands curled around a teddy bear.
Conan stood from where he had been crouched over for the last hours. He stretched. This is getting boring. It's time to go. He started in the direction of one of the larger chairs and crawled into it. He wriggled a little to find the most comfortable position. He let his eyes drift shut.
Thanks for the help Edogawa Conan. He took a last, deep breath and concentrated on filtering his consciousness from the boy. Alien memories shifted through his. Pictures of a laughing family flashed through his mind.
Conan-kun!' A young woman smiled. She picked up the boy and twirled them around. The little boy, at maybe three or four giggled as he curled his small fingers in her directions. The laugher echoed in his mind before being switched out with another memory.
'Mum?' The boy tripped into the dark kitchen. He was certain he had heard something earlier. He stretched, trying to find the magical switch that turned on the lights. He couldn't reach it. He gave up, dropping his hand.
"Mum?" he tried again. Silence met him. He started towards the bench. His feet tripped on something. A second later he sprawled on the floor. Pain shot through him. Eyes started to water as he tried suppressing the urge to start crying. He sat up slowly. He patted the ground in front of him, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Something cold and rubbery-like met his fingertips. The little boy frowned. He crawled closer. He could feel fabric now. The air in the room felt heavy. The only sound heard was his panicked breaths. He was scared. He wanted his mum.
"Mum, is that you? Please say something." Small hands grabbed something that felt like shoulders and started to shake them. "Please wake up mummy."
"Aniki, can you hear something?"
The boy froze. Unfamiliar male voices came from the living room. His breath quickened in fear. The lights turned on in the kitchen and he held a hand up to protect his eyes from the sudden light. A shadow crept over the floor. Conan shivered in terror. His eyes widened as he saw the man. He was fully clad in a black suit. His face hidden under a black hat and sunglasses. The two figures froze as they spotted each other. A second later the man fished up a gun from the jacket's inner pocket.
"Oy. There's a little boy in here."
"A what?" A dark voice replied immediately. Another person entered the kitchen behind the broad-shouldered man. A silver haired man regarded the boy with green, cold eyes. Conan could not move. He was paralyzed like a mouse in front of a snake. This was a man who could kill without a care.
"So that's why she ran away. She got a brat," the man grunted. "Just kill it." He turned away from the door. The other man smirked.
"Will be my pleasure."
Conan stared at the metal in his hand. He had only ever seen one on the telly. The thought of death was a foreign word. What did it entail? Whatever it was, it was not good. He had to get away, somehow. He had to save his mum. He turned around to shake his mother just as a loud 'bang' echoed in his ear. He twitched as some force pushed him over the body. He gasped. Pain shot up from his shoulder. Unbelievable agony hundred times more than last month when he fell on his bike and scratched his knees. His vision blurred.
The next thing he remembered was heat. Waves of warm air surrounded him. He inhaled a breath, only to cough when it hit his lung. He felt dizzy and exhausted. His throat hurt. Eyes fluttered slightly before opening. Something niggled on the back of his mind. Something was wrong. He sat up slowly. Pain shot through him and he groaned in pain.
"Mum?"
He froze. His eyes slowly fell to the cushions he had been laying on. His heart quickened. His mother was laying on the floor, unmoving. He grabbed her.
"Mum, open your eyes, please," he whimpered with a hoarse throat, not able to get out anything louder. Why was she not moving? He whimpered her name again as he tried shaking her, only to flinch back as another wave of pain went through him. What was going on? Had there not been anyone here earlier? He looked up as he remembered. Light flickered from the living room. He stood up with trembling legs. He held against his shoulder as he started to take small steps in the direction. Light meant someone had to be there right? Someone who could help him wake up his mum? He coughed.
Conan grabbed the doorframe and leaned against it. He was exhausted and scared. His shoulder hurt. Why couldn't his mum wake up and patch him up with a smile and a kiss like she always did? He glanced into the living room and frowned. Something red danced across the floor mesmerizing. Crackling filled his ears. Something was wrong, this wasn't' suppose to be there. He coughed again. His vision blurring as he swayed. 'I have to get out,' something whispered in the back of his mind, 'you'll die if you stay here.'
Conan glanced back into the kitchen where his mother was. He fell to his knees as he started crawling back to her on his knees, only using one hand. The other swayed limply as he moved. Something sticky trickled down in.
"Mum," he whispered, grabbing the cold body. "We have to leave. Please mum, wake up." His eyes were too dry to shed any tears. He was so afraid. He wanted to leave this place, it was getting too warm. No reaction or answer came. He coughed. He could barely see anything, his energy long since drained. He grabbed her and started to push her. The body barely moved. Conan wanted to cry. He felt so helpless.
A large thud came from the corridor. Conan froze. Had the men came back to hurt him? He leaned over her, determined to protect her this time. A yellow monster burst through the door. Flames flickered around him. Conan widened his eyes, his heart quickening. Terror struck through him. The monster regarded the room. His face was black with two large eyes that mirrored the room. The face narrowed downwards to a snout. Conan could imagine how large the mouth would be. It could probably devour him whole. He coughed.
The monster turned in his direction. "Stay right where you are."
Conan could not move even if he wanted to. The yellow monster took a step towards him. It's head was covered in a bright yellow shell. Every now and again, it wheezed for breath. The boy cringed, lowing his shoulders to protect his mother.
"Don't hurt us! Please go away." He cried hoarsely before another coughing fit shook his body. Pain burned through him, both from his injured shoulder and his dry throat. The monster stopped in his track. He put something heavy down on the floor as he held up his hand. Only know, Conan noticed it was an axe.
"I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to get you out. Please trust me on this."
Conan shook his head. He clutched his mother tightly.
"Please don't eat us. I don't want to be eaten."
The monster crept closer, still holding his arms up. He tensed at the boy's words. A low chuckle escaped him.
"I'm not going to eat you, this is just a mask." He held up his hand and tore of his face, showing pale, but unmistakable human face. "I'm a fireman."
Conan widened his eyes in shock. His mouth came out in an 'o'. He coughed, putting a hand over his mouth as the small form trembled. His vision blurred. The next few seconds went by in a haze.
When Conan blinked again, he was sitting outside a little further away from a burning apartment complex. A dark blue blanket covering his shoulder. He held a bottle of water in his hand. The boy frowned in confusion. What had just happened? He looked around. Where was his mother? All around him on the green grass people were busy. Several yellow monsters ran back a forward into the house, a few were holding a hose trying to extinguish the flames. A few, like himself, were sitting on the edge on white trucks. He put his bottle down and jumped off. He had to find his mother.
Conan slithered through the crowd, desperately looking around. Several minutes later had him standing at the edge of the parking slot. His mum was not here. Why would she leave him like that? He trembled. He was cold and scared, and he wanted to go home. His throat and shoulder hurt. He laid a hand over the bandage. He sniffed. He had to go find his mum. She had to be here somewhere. Casting a last glimpse back on the burning house, he turned around to look through the streets. Not one soul saw him leaving.