Flippy found himself lost in the streets of a destroyed city. The cold rain was pelting him as the sounds of their echoes rang in his ears, but it did not haunt him as much as the sound of utter silence. The people were confined in their homes out of fear of him, afraid for their lives. They watched him running, many noticing his many cuts and bruises from his days of surviving alone.
But they did not care if he was young, or cold, or hungry. He was an evil, heartless child in their eyes.
He began hearing the accusations of the people that have seen the things he has done.
"My god! He must be the spawn of Satan!" "What a horrible boy!" "Somebody shoot that little bastard already!""Please! Just kill that beast already!"
And he remembered the first order he had heard from a police radio, from the commander of the force.
"Be on the lookout for him, men! If you come in contact with Masterson, you are permitted to shoot on sight. He has been officially been made wanted dead or alive."
The nightmare was becoming worse, and more traumatizing by the minute. He heard the rumble of explosions from behind him, and he felt the wind blow against his face, feeling like invisible razor blades. The sight of blood began to haunt him, as it began to replace the raindrops.
He was running past a store that had several televisions on display, when he heard something shocking.
"In other news, police are on the lookout for Phillip Masterson,"
He stopped in his tracks and looked at the TV.
"a nine year old boy charged with several counts of second degree murder. He has been code named, 'The Demon Child.'"
Flippy remembered how shocked he was to hear the horrifying name.
"The Demon Child has been made wanted dead or alive, and a large bounty has been placed on him. But police urge you; please remain in your homes until he is brought to justice."
He saw just how scared the woman was, and he watched her shiver in fear. And the reflection off the dirty glass showed an ashamed little boy, feeling guilty at just the sight of how this scared the woman was.
And she broke out in tears, pounding on her news anchor desk.
"My god… Please, to all those brave men and women… Kill that monster as soon as you can! The Demon Child, Phillip Masterson, is a menace to our society and needs to be put down! Kill him! Please, for the love of god, kill him!"
The guilt and the hatred the poor little boy was feeling deep in his gut was too much to bear. He was so young, and yet people already want to see him die. Much worse, they want him to be shot and killed.
And that name. That horrible new name.
He began to run, crying row after row of tears. He heard the screams of people running for their lives from him. And he saw so much blood, now running down the sides of the buildings and pouring onto his head from the lacerated sky.
And through his misery, he began to hear the horrible chanting of that name from his other half, who was taunting him out of heartlessness.
"Demon… Child… Demon… Child…"
Fliqpys voice was getting louder and louder, and Flippy continued to run and cry.
"Demon Child. Demon Child."
Flippy stopped in his tracks and fell to his knees, clasping his head and bawling.
"DEMON CHILD! DEMON CHILD! DEMON CHILD!"
And the poor little boy just could not stop crying. The pain was overwhelming, and the guilt was becoming intoxicating. Fliqpys horrible voice repeated over and over in his mind, as the area became darker and bloodier.
The child was so afraid, and he yelled as loud as he could.
"NO! STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Fliqpy screamed louder and louder.
"DEMON CHILD DEMON CHILD DEMON CHILD! HAHAHAHAHA!"
And Flippy just could not take the pain anymore.
"SHUT UP! STOP! NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
The nightmare was becoming so traumatizing, and Flippy kept his hands on his throbbing head. His fingers dug so deep into his skull that lines of blood began to trickle down his forehead, covering his face in the abhorred liquid and cursing his face with its stains. He hated blood; its sickening stench and its bitter taste. But it was the fuel for his evil side, who continued to laugh and torture the boy in his head.
Soon enough, the city had vanished and now the little boy was stuck in pitch black darkness. And more and more blood was falling from the sky above him, now forming a pool beneath his knees. He could practically feel the thick red substance on his skin.
And appearing around him was thousands, literally millions of faceless shadows, all chanting a curse upon his head. And he heard Fliqpys voice chant along with them.
"Kill the Demon Child! Kill the Demon Child! Kill the Demon Child!"
And his bawling was louder than their chanting.
"STOP SAYING THAT! GO AWAY! STOP! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
But soon enough, just before he was about to lose control once again from the pain, he heard something new. A sweet sound, from a fallen angel. A gentle voice, like the coo of a dove.
"Flippy! Wake up! You're having a bad dream!"
Flippy opened his crying eyes, and saw his dream beginning to literally crack, as many small openings were beginning to form in the air. And from every crack, a bright white light began to shine and pierce the evil darkness. The shadows began to fade, and the blood began to dry from beneath him. It was like an angel was sent to vanquish the darkness.
And Flippy recognized the sweet voice.
"Flaky…"
And suddenly, the nightmare was fading, and Flippy felt his mind begin to wake up. He slowly opened his tired eyes, and saw the little redhead in front of him. She had a worried expression on her face, as she heard his screaming from her own slumber. She had her hand on his cheek, and he felt his freezing pain by warmed by her palm.
He groaned a bit, and rubbed his head, which was back to its green color.
"Flaky… Thanks for waking me…"
She spoke quietly.
"Flippy okay?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. I have nightmares all the time. I'm used to it. Don't worry."
He looked out the hole in the wall, and still saw the night sky he fell asleep to.
"Still pretty early. Back to sleep, Flaky."
She removed her hand as he got up to his feet.
"I don't wanna sleep if you don't."
He wagged his finger at her.
"You need your rest. I'll be fine. Just goin' for a walk."
She instantly grabbed his hand.
"Flaky not gonna sleep. She ain't sleepy no more."
He looked down to her.
"Look… I'm gonna be fine okay. It's just… I need some time alone right now. I promise I'll come right back, okay? Here. Come on. I'll tuck you under your blanket."
They walked hand in hand over to the balled up blanket on the floor. He picked it up and she sat down flat on the floor. He carefully laid her down and threw the blanket over her. He then ran his hand under her back and up to her neck on one side, then walked over and did the same to the other. She raised up her legs and he tucked the remainder of her blanket under them.
Now she was stuck, but she was cozy.
She sighed in pleasure.
"Flaky loves her blankey…"
Flippy nodded.
"Good… Now… Back to sleep, now."
She sadly watched him climb down the ladder. She was worried about her dear friend, as she truly cared about him and hated the way he looked when he was having his nightmare. But she did not want to make him upset by going against his orders, so she threw the blanket over her head and shut her eyes.
She popped her thumb into her mouth and slowly began to snore.
Flippy kept his hands in his pockets as he walked through the dense woods. He had the sights of his nightmare on his mind, especially the remembrance of his siblings. He had not thought about them in weeks, since the day he met Flaky. But somehow, the word of his sister seemed like malarkey to him.
How could they always be with him from heaven?
He spoke to himself in his mind.
"Haven't had that dream in a while. Man, they seem so far away from me. I thought they said they'll always be here for me. So why aren't they?"
He sat down against a tree.
"Big brother… Sissy…"
But then, he heard a familiar voice, and he saw a frightening sight. The boy saw a young man suddenly appear right next to him, wearing an army uniform and sporting a caring look to him.
"Hello, Phillip."
Flippy looked up and saw his older brother next to him. He was so confused.
"Big brother? Is it… Really you?"
He nodded.
"We told you we'll always be here, right? Whenever you need us."
And suddenly, at his other side, he saw his sister suddenly appear as well. She was once again wearing her jeans and red varsity jacket, and she was well looked so caring and heartfelt.
"And now we're here."
Flippy looked at her so lovingly.
"Sissy… You're here too…"
He looked at them both so strangely.
"What are you doing here?"
Patrick smiled.
"We came to tell you… We're proud of you…"
Penny nodded.
"Yes. We are. You're doing such a great job."
Phillip bowed his head.
"But… I'm a monster…"
Patrick shook his head.
"Not to those kids. You've done so much for them, and you're making them all so happy."
Penny smiled as well.
"Especially Flaky. You've made her so happy, giving her everything she needs. You gave her a new life, bud. And she's a cutie! Plus, she loves you."
Flippy raised his head.
"I don't know… Maybe she doesn't really…"
Patrick spoke in a stern voice.
"Kid, if you can't tell by how she treats you that she loves you, then just ask her if she does."
Penny smiled.
"I guarantee that she will say yes. You're special to her, just like she's special to you."
Flippy blinked a few times.
"She… Is special to me… So is Cuddles and Handy… They're my family now…"
He had grown so attached to his new friends, as he felt them all become more than just comrades to him. He felt Cuddles to be his scout brother, and he felt Handy to be his grumpy brother. But most of all, he felt so much love for the little girl named Flaky.
Patrick looked down at the boy.
"If you really think that… Then prove that to them…"
Penny looked down as well.
"Phillip… We want you to promise us something. Promise that you'll never leave them. Keep them close to you."
Flippy looked up.
"But… What if they find out about me? And… They don't like me anymore?"
Patrick smiled.
"For what you've done for them, I doubt losing their trust will be so hard. And as for Flaky, you are to never leave her. She's too small to be left behind, and you love her, right? So go ask if she really loves you, okay? Just so you know."
Penny smiled as well.
"Be a good boyfriend to her, bubby. Okay?"
Flippy thought for a minute; seeing his brother and sister return from the dead to give him advice about the people he cares about must mean they care about his happiness. And they knew his real feelings for the little girl and the other boys were true, or else they would not have arrived. But still, he did doubt Flakys feelings for him, as perhaps she was just saying that she loves him.
After all, nobody has loved him since the two spirits that were sitting next to him.
Flippy nodded and stood up.
"Okay… I will… I'll never leave them… And I'll go ask if she really loves me…"
They both nodded as Patrick spoke.
"Good. And remember, we're always here for you."
And Flippy watched as Patrick disappeared. And Penny smiled as she was beginning to fade as well.
"That's right. We love you, little brother…"
And then, she was gone as well. Flippy was all alone again, and he had a mission to accomplish. After having the same nightmare once again, he needed to know if he was even capable of being loved, especially by such an adorable young girl. An adorable young girl that had been beaten and molested by her father, which would normally cause any other child difficulty to trust anybody.
But if she loves him, then those memories do not matter to her anymore.
He nodded in determination and looked up at the sky. He had no idea he had been out for so long, as he saw the sky was turning pink from the beautiful sunrise.
Flaky was still lost in a sweet dream as Flippy climbed up the ladder. He saw the cute little girl curled into a ball, and she was clutching her teddy bear close to her. He remembered how worried she looked when she woke him up from his nightmare, and he recalled seeing those beautiful green eyes of hers in the middle of the night.
He walked over to her and whispered quietly.
"Flaky… You awake?"
She slowly opened her eyes and moaned from her nights sleep. She rolled over and saw her beloved.
"Hi…"
He nodded.
"Hi. You sleep good?"
She nodded.
"Flaky slept like she was a little baby again…"
She carefully rolled out of the blanket and got up to her feet, and she carefully rubbed her tiny eyes and yawned silently. She was happy to see him, but she kept the sounds of sights of him the previous night on her mind.
"You scare Flaky last night. Flippy okay?
He nodded.
"Yeah. Just a bad dream…"
He remembered his mission.
"Here…"
He opened up his arms.
"Can I have a hug?"
She smiled and slowly walked to him and gave him his hug. And it was not her normal squeezing hug, but a rather affectionate embrace to the young boy. And she was growing a bright red line across her cheeks as he hugged her back, by wrapping one of his arms on her upper back and the other clasping the back of her head.
She looked up to him.
"Is this all Flippy wanted? A huggy?"
He looked down to her.
"Well… No… Listen…"
He let her go and knelt down to meet her at eye level.
"I dreamed about my family last night… It's not fun to see them again, since I still miss them pretty much. But… Then the weirdest thing happened… I talked to them when I went out for a walk… And…"
He bowed his head, thinking about how to explain his feelings to her.
"Flaky…"
He raised it up.
"Look… I keep wondering… Do you really… Like me? You know… As a boy?"
She stared at him so closely, and saw the look in his eyes; he really was a bit doubtful on their relationship. And that was not how she wanted him to feel, as he was her first love and she was his first as well. There had to be a way to show her affection to him.
Then, her naive little brain thought up an idea.
While he was kneeling down in front of her, she gently clasped the sides of his head and brought her lips up to his forehead. She smiled as she gently kissed him, and he felt a familiar warmth and care from this very type of action.
It was the same comforting method his older sister used on him. And it worked just as effectively here as it did then.
She backed away as she kept her hands on his head.
"You're silly…"
He sat there in emotionless shock.
"Flaky… I…"
She smiled as she wrapped her arms around him.
"Flippy is Flaky's boyfriend! Flaky love Flippy!"
He looked at her with a confused look as she continued to hug him.
"Why'd you kiss me, Flaky?"
She let him go so she could look into his emerald eyes.
"Cuddle Bunny told me that girls who like boys give them kissies. Now Flippy know Flaky love him?"
Flippy kept his shocked expression, just feeling her warm kiss on his forehead. He kept the memory of his sister alive with the kiss beginning to burn, and that feeling of love from such a simple act came rushing back to him.
He now knew the truth; the little redhead truly loved him.
And he responded by smiling.
"I… Love you too…"
She smiled, as she let go of his head.
"Want a kiss too?"
Her eyes perked up.
"Really?!"
He nodded.
"Sure. Gotta be fair, since you kissed me."
She smiled and began to lightly hop, excited for her first kiss. He turned his head to think about where to kiss her. He did not want to copy her and kiss her forehead, though. Perhaps her cheek? Or maybe her nose?
He turned his head, and was confused to see the little redhead had her back arched, as if she was looking up. Her arms were straight and her fingers were spread apart. Her eyes were closed, and she had a bright line across her cheeks.
But was stuck the most was her lips, which were puckered and awaiting his.
He spoke.
"Uh… What are you doing?"
She opened one eye.
"Waiting for a kissie…"
She shut her eye and stretched out a little more. Flippy could hear her silent moaning, like she was practically begging for a kiss. He never gave one to a girl before, and had no idea how yet. Sure, he wanted to, but with what she has been through in her years, he doubted she would want to get a kiss on her lips yet.
But once again, he misjudged her.
Flippy put one finger on her lips.
"That's… Okay…"
She stood up straight as she stared at the boy.
"Come on… Flaky want a kiss…"
He shook his head.
"On the mouth?"
She nodded.
"Flaky want Flippy to be her first kissie! She wants one on the mouthy, please!"
He shook his head.
"I… Don't know…"
She dropped her smile, and arched her eyebrows into a sad shape. She had heard that boys who like girls are supposed to kiss them, and she loved him. But now, after he had a bad nightmare, perhaps he has lost interest in her. She had been ridiculed for being ugly by her father before, so maybe she just was not cute enough to Flippy anymore.
She bowed her head.
"You… Don't love me anymore…"
He shook his hands and walked up to her.
"Nonono! Of course I do! I swear I love you."
She raised her head.
"No you don't!"
She turned around.
"If you do… You'd want to kiss me…"
He walked up and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Flaky… I want to kiss you, sure… But not on the mouth… At least, not now…"
She turned around.
"Why not?"
"Well… You do know that… Kisses on the mouth mean more than regular kisses, right?"
She nodded.
"It means love… And Flaky love you… Please… Can I have a kissie? It don't gotta be on my mouthy anymore… I just want a kiss from you… Pretty please?"
He thought a minute, just for a second, then finally did what she wanted. He bent down and gently placed a kiss on her cheek.
She gave a shocked look as he stood straight.
"There… Now you know I love you?"
She smiled greatly, with the biggest smile he had ever seen, and she jumped up and latched onto him. She tightly hugged his neck, and wrapped her legs around his torso, under his armpits. He silently giggled as he hugged her back. She giggled louder, and they were both blushing brightly. She carefully nuzzled her head under his chin, and he smiled greater.
And she felt his head reel back and plant another kiss on her head, making her even happier. He did not even mind that it left several bad tasting flakes on his mouth.
He felt the affection from her giant hug, and felt that she was just as weightless as ever. And she could feel that he did love her after all. He just did not want to move too fast. After all, they had only been boyfriend and girlfriend for one day now.
He carefully put her down, and they exchanged a smile and a loving look at each other. But suddenly, they heard a faint rumbling sound. Something they have both heard from both of their bodies in the past, but it was not as loud or as painful as then.
But it was still a mysterious sound, as Flippy scratched the back of his neck in confusion.
"What was that?"
Flaky, knowing what the sound was, shocked Flippy by lifting the end of her nightgown up to under her neck. Her pale colored belly was in plain sight, and her bright pink underwear was also visible. Flippy blushed at the sight of her so exposed, and he looked away to not embarrass her.
She looked down at her belly, and she spoke very gently.
"Flaky hungry…"
She carefully lowered her nightgown back to its original length, and she smiled at the boy. She put her hands behind her back and tilted her head, making her seem cuter than usual.
"Breakfast, sweetie pie?"
He blushed still, with the image of her body burning in his brain, and he stammered a bit.
"S-s-sure… W-we got s-s-some eggs…"
She jumped in excitement.
"SCRAMBLED EGGIES! YAY!"
She skipped over to the ladder, and quickly climbed down while shouting loudly, waking up the boys downstairs.
"BUBBIES! WAKE UP! IT'S SCRAMBLED EGGY TIME!"
Flippy was still blushing from the sight of her underwear, but he was also ecstatic. Not only did she kiss his forehead, symbolizing her love for him, but she gave him a new pet name. It was a very special thing to him, since it really meant that she cared enough for him that she would call him something so cute and heart lifting.
But he wondered where the name came from as he walked towards the ladder.
"Sweetie pie?"
