Jack walked through his front door with a spring in his step and a smile upon his face. He walked into the kitchen and set down the business card onto the table that he hadn't let go of his whole walk back home. He turned to leave the kitchen and went to sit on to the on the tan suede couch. He flopped down in a half laying position, and glanced around for the remote. He felt a weight settle next to him and the remote the lightly landed in his lap from being tossed.

"Thanks." He said flatly.

He switched on the T.V. to watch nothing in particular. Turning the channels mindlessly he got lost in thought. I wonder what Aster and I are gonna do. Come to think of it. What does that 'E' stand for? I wonder if he'll pay for whatever it is we're gonna do or would we split it?

Jack picked up the remote that fell out of his hand while he was thinking, and shut off the T.V. He stood and made he was down the hallway. He Quickly peeked in each doorway seeing a black mass of a creature watching him the whole way with a grin. Once he reached his bedroom door he turned and looked down the hallway.
Filling the hallway was a small group of monsters all smiling grimly at him with their needle like teeth and abyss-filled eyes. All oozing a thick black liquid from their eyes, mouth, nose and, fingernails.

Jack glared at every one of them, "I'm going to sleep, And if any of you disturb my rest," He paused trying to think of something he could do to the monstrosities in his hallway but fell short of anything remotely possible, "well, I don't know what I'm gonna' do, but you'll be sorry that's for damn sure." and with that final statement they all nodded and he slammed his door shut.

He trekked to the foot of his bed, once his knees met the edge he let himself fall into the cloud that was his mattress. He let his eyes fall shut tiredly, and drifted into a restless sleep.
_

-Nine Years Prior-

Jack was running home from his friend's house, he had only a half a block to go before he reached the front door. He kept stealing looks over his shoulder. He couldn't shake the feeling of something chasing him.

He went to look behind himself and timed it just wrong enough to catch his foot on something and fell face first into the dirt. He quickly turned over, ignoring the pain he felt in his nose and mouth.

He was abruptly picked up by the throat and hoisted high up into the air. He snuck a quick glimpse to the ground and saw he was at least ten feet off the ground. He looked ahead at what was holding him.
A glistening black creature with antlers hutting from its skull was smiling at him. Its teeth were wide and jagged like a shark's, with layers upon layers of others rows waiting to bite down into its soft vulnerable prey. Its ribs were outlined by tight skin its belling sunken in showing off its hip bones quite predominately. Its disproportionately long legs reached the ground, having a firm stance. Its grip on Jack's throat tightened to bring focus off its body and onto its face. Jack's eyes amplified at the look this beast was giving him. Too scared to do anything but hang there painfully, he waiting for the creature to do what it wanted.
Its mouth opened wide and Jack was forcefully thrust inside its mouth.

Jack woke up on the floor of his small room, sweat dripping down his forehead. He crawled into a standing position and ran out into the hallway. He looked down the hall at his mother's bedroom threshold. He sprinted the closed door and busted inside. His mother lay in bed in what looked like a peaceful slumber. Jack stared at his mother's sleeping form.
He ran over to her when recognized the fact that her chest wasn't moving. He jumped onto the bed, and hastily crawled on top of her. He grabbed her shoulder's and shook her widely.

"Momma!" He yelled at her. He rapidly moved to turn on the bedside lamp, when he looked back at her still atop her stomach he saw blood. Lots of blood, pooled around her head and neck, still seeping slowly from the gash in her throat.

"Mom!" He tried shaking her again but, to avail. She stayed unresponsive. He leant down and tucked his head in the crook of her shoulders. And cried as it dawned on him that she wasn't going to wake up from this eternal slumber she had passed into.

-
-Present-

Jack woke in his bed, struggling to inhale the oxygen that had escaped his lungs during his sleep. He sat up as a powerful hand patted him on the back a couple times, allowing for a cough to reset his breathing. He inhaled deeply, and looked behind him to see nothing but his pillows and bed which stayed uninterrupted by movement. He laid back down and took slow breaths keeping his eyes open.

He raised his hand as he looked at his hands to find to his surprise, his broken hand was unrestricted by the cast that had been there what he assumed was just a few hours ago. The swelling had gone down exponentially as well. He moved his finger gingerly to find they still hurt some. He heard his door creak open and looked to it.

The creature was looking at him looked rather solemn. Well, that's a new expression.

The beast didn't open its mouth as it spoke to Jack, "I fixed your hand. It should be fine by tomorrow." It broke eye contact and stared at the floor.

Jack tilted his head to the side perplexed. These monsters never look at me like that. Let alone break their eye contact. Hmm, well, that doesn't change what he is.

Jack righted his head, cleared his throat and with a snarl in voice and a questioning tone, "Don't all of you always fix me?"

The creature chanced a glance at Jack's eyes and quickly looked away seemingly shy and afraid, "No other wants you fixed." The creature got a confused look from Jack, "But, I don't like the special one being hurt."

Jack huffed credulously, "Well, thanks I guess. For all the years you all have followed me." And this whole time I thought they all wanted me healthy. This one is strange.

Jack stood and creature blow away in the nonexistent wind into a black dust that swirled around Jack and finally absorbed itself into Jack's still aching hand. Jack winced as it felt reminiscent of needles being jabbed in his hand as the being flowed into his skin. He looked at the hand the thing just somehow went into. Black veins appeared on the top of his flesh like a disease reaching all the way up to his elbow.

Okay, I hope you all get how long jack has had to deal with these things. And I just realized that all the thoughts before this chapter aren't italicized so..what a bummer right? I hope it didn't confuse you. It did me a bit. So if it bothers anyone enough, let me know, and I'll go back and fix it. Otherwise it's staying. I also hope the flashback was satisfactory. There'll be a another flashback soon. Should I skip to the date him and aster are gonna go on? or day by day? obviously there's gonna be time lapse considering there's a year ahead of them when Jack's time will come. So uhhh... yeah, tell me what you think. also, I apologize these last two chapters have been shorter than I intended them too. I'd like to have them atleast 2500 words each or more. Obviously that can't always happen. Or if the length is good, tell me that too. Hope you enjoyed. And I like cake.