Chapter 7: Existentialism on a Movie Night.
"Let me tell you something about women, Michael." My father said while we were underneath my car.
There wasn't anything wrong with the car. We were actually hiding from my mother and sister who were on their time.
"Their fun and good for lonely nights?" I said as I uselessly cleaned the bottom of the chassis.
"Well yes, as well as other things. But they're like cars, you need to find a loyal one." My father replied as my mother and sister started yelling at each other from inside.
"I know that, dad. You've told me like half a million times."
"I know, I just want you to remember. Now I say we pretend like we need something for the car and go eat somewhere."
"Cool." I said and Rolled out of the car.
"Go get my keys." My father said.
"Why do I have to go?"
"Paper, rock and scissors?"
"Okay."
I walked out of the garage a minute later.
"Rock always wins, my ass." I mumbled as I made my way inside.
I heard a door slam upstairs as I crept in to grab my fathers keys.
"Where are you going?" My mother said as she washed the dishes.
"To the auto parts store, we need something for the car." I replied.
"Hurry home, lunch will be ready soon."
"Okay." I said and hurried outside.
"Did it work?" My father asked as he turned the car on.
"I think so, she said to hurry home for lunch."
We drove around for a while and finally arrived at the auto parts store. There were more guys waiting in line then there normally were. A man tried to let us go before him and got mad because we refused. The line took forever to move but nobody was complaining, I guess we were all here for similar reasons. We bought some spark plugs and made our way out.
"See, most of them will act one way while you're dating but will change when you marry them." My father said as we pulled into a Mexican food restaurant.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah. You're mother didn't, she's pretty much the same then when I met her, except that she stresses easier now. I think that she's depressed because she ages faster than i do."
"Why? Are we running in dog years or something?"
"No, the werewolf in us keep us looking and feeling younger. She looked like she's fourth something while I look like I'm barely 30."
"Hmm..."
"Yeah, but most of them stay the same, those are the ones you want."
"I think that all women change."
"Men too... My father, your grandfather, told me that marriage changed a man."
"How long have you guys been married?"
"I don't know... I can't remember. I'd ask you mother but she'd probably break into tears and hit me with a frying pan, if I was to ask her right now."
We ordered our food and took our time eating. We talked about how he met my mother and where he grew up.
"Where is Erorala?" I asked when my father finished his story.
"About two hours away. We should go there sometime during December."
"Any lookers?"
"Some, but what do you care? You have a husky and I'm not talking about Jeremy."
"Speaking of..." I said as I pulled out my cell phone and looked at the message saying that I had four unread texts. Three were from Kassie and one was from Iris.
"She's already bugging you, huh?" My father asked.
"Yeah... Iris sent me one, too."
"I like Iris, she's really mellow."
"Did you know that Manuel is actually a cat?"
"Ha, I knew it!"
"Hey, Kassie wants to know if I could go over to meet her parents. She says that they will keep her grounded if I don't go."
"You gonna go?"
"Well... Yeah..."
"I'll drive you there later. Let me tell your mother, I don't think she likes her too much." my father said as I replied positively to Kassie's message.
"Helena likes her." I said.
"Yeah we'll Helena isn't your mother." My father started. "Remember Alexis?"
"She's still mad at me." I said.
Alexis was a girl that I was friends with when I was in middle school. I brought her home one time and my mother called her a whore before kicked her out, almost literally, simply because she tripped and fell into my arms.
"Woman are like cats..." My father said while eating some ice.
"Sometimes literally, in our family." I replied and we shared a laugh.
I looked at my phone again. Iris wanted to know if I was free for a movie tomorrow night. So I said sure and closed my phone.
"Don't put your phone away."
"Why?"
"Your mom is about to call."
"How do you-" I started and jumped when my phone rang.
My father took the phone from me and answered it without looking.
"Hey, baby. How are you?"
After about twenty minutes of talking my father finally hung the phone up and looked at me.
"How did you know that she was going to call you?"
"I've been married to your mother for years. I know her better than she knows herself."
We ordered food for my mother and sister then sat in our car as we waited.
"So what do you guys talk about?" My father asked me.
"Who?" I replied.
"You and Frenchy."
"Oh... Well we're talking about family right now. She has two brothers, and a step- sister. Her father is the chief of police."
A girl walked out of the restaurant and handed me the food we ordered. "Have a nice day." The girl said with a smile and walked away, making sure to shake her hips a little more than she should.
"Did she just flirt with me?" I asked.
"Girls can smell it when a guy is taken." My father said and drive off.
My parents spent some quality time in the living room when we got home. I walked up the stairs and knocked on my sisters door.
"What?" She asked then sniffed.
"Oh God, you're crying..." I said with a sigh.
"What do you want, Michael?"
"I brought you lunch."
"The door's opened."
I opened the door and stopped when I smelled the scented candles that she always kept in her room.
"You changed them..." I said.
"So..." Helena said as she lay in her bed with her back to me.
"I liked the vanilla ones..."
"They ran out..."
"Want a burrito?" I asked, not really knowing what to say.
"No..."
"Why not?"
"Because..."
"It's not like you're butt's going to get bigger."
I placed the white paper bag on her bed side dresser, next to two framed pictures, the first was taken on my sister's 18th birthday party.
All our cousins and family friends were in it: Helena was shoving cake into my face while making a cheerful expression. Sam struggled as Iris pulled his wolf tail and Manuel held him in a head lock. Aiden posed while his sisters, Joanna and Desiree, held Jimmy and Poe in their arms. Felix and Senna simply smiled. My uncle Jeffrey was passed out in the background. I remember him sleeping in our house for a week after that as my aunt kicked him out.
The second picture was taken a few months ago. It was in a park and only two people were in it. Zeke smiled as he carried my sister in his arms. Helena was in mid laugh with had one arm around the back of Zeke's neck and the other was used to make sure that her skirt didn't reveal any more than it should. I remember being the one who took the picture.
"You're going to make fun of me like always, aren't you?"
"What are you talking about? Do you want me to make fun of you?"
"You always do. You always make fun of me when you think that it helps me feel better."
"No I don't."
"Yes you do!"
"Prove it."
"You always call me stuff like round hips or something."
"... Or like she person..."
"Yeah..."
"Walking Coke bottle..."
"Uhuh..."
"Fourth week..."
"Okay, you could stop now..."
"A lesser."
"Okay, it's helping, stop!"
"Second in command."
"Quit it!" She said and started chuckling.
"Nail breaker."
She quickly stood up and shoved me slightly then threw her arms around me. She let her head rest on my back and exhaled deeply.
"All better?" I asked when she didn't let go of me.
She simply nodded slowly.
"You can cry if you want to." I said.
She simply shook her head quickly.
"You sure?"
"It's okay, really..." she replied and sniffed.
"Okay... Hey, one more."
"No."
"Come on..."
"No! Stop being sexist."
"Even if I take you to see a movie tomorrow?"
"... Fine."
"Ha, you kitchen dweller..."
She shoved me off the bed and giggled slightly. "You're such a jerk."
"I love you too, now eat your damn burrito!"
She didn't reply, she just sniffed again.
I sighed and got up then sat on her bed again. I didn't say anything, I just kept her company.
The silence was broken after what felt like an eternity.
"I miss him, Michael..." Helena whispered as she stared at the pictures in the dresser.
"I know you do..."
"I really do."
"I know..."
"I want to know what happened to him... Not only because he broke up with me but because of what's inside of him."
"I don't even know how to find him."
"Luna said something about him returning tomorrow night."
"Okay?"
"So I want to talk to him, if he does come back that is."
"Let me talk to him, you belong in the kitchen anyway." I replied and smiled.
"Okay, now you're dead." She said and jumped at me.
I dodged her and ran out of her room and made sure to close the door loudly.
"Thanks dad" I said as I stepped out of the car that night.
"Oui oui!" he replied.
"What?" I asked.
"I think it means 'yes'."
"Oh..."
"Either that or 'dusty potatoes'."
I shrugged as my father drove off. I turned to look at the blue single story house. It was large but cozy.
I saw Kassie wave at me nervously from the window. I waved back and took a deep breath.
"Okay, Mikey... You can do this." I mumbled to myself as the door opened and Kassie walked out and gave me a hug.
"Hi." she said.
"Hi." I replied.
"Are you nervous?"
"No."
"You look nervous."
"Maybe a little."
A woman stood by the door. She smiled as she waited for us to come closer.
The woman looked to be in her late 40's of not her early 50's. She was mid-sized and slender with long black hair. She graciously leaned on the frame of the door as she stared at us.
"One thing though..." Kassie whispered as she pulled me closer.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"They only speak a little English."
"This is turning out well."
"Well they know enough... My father speaks it better than my mother."
We walked closer and the woman took a step forward to shake my hand.
"Bon soir, monsieur Talbain. I am Sophia Josèphe, Kassandra's mother." Mrs. Josèphe said.
Kassie quickly whispered in my ear. "Bon soir means good evening."
"Oh, good evening Mrs. Josèphe."
"Mama, c'est Michael, mon petit ami." Kassie said to her mother and signaled at me.
"Kassandra, a man should speak for himself, no Mr. Talbain?" Mrs. Josèphe said playfully.
"No, I mean yes, ma'am. I am Michael Talbain, it's a pleasure to meet you." I said and extending my hand once more .
She shook my hand again and motioned for us to walk in.
"Want a tea cup?" Mrs. Josèphe asked me.
"Huh?" I replied.
"A cup of tea." Kassie informed me.
"Oh yes, thank you."
"Okay give me a minute." Mrs. Josèphe said and walked into the kitchen. Kassie led me from the foyer to the comfortable living room. We sat down in the sofa that was on the edge of the living room.
"Fabian! 'Enry! Andrea! Le petit ami de Kassandra est ici! Venez dire salut!" Mrs. Josèphe yelled out from the kitchen.
"Huh?" I asked Kassie.
"Don't you know any French?" She asked.
"I know some Spanish."
"How's that working out?"
"Not that great."
Kassie giggled as two guys and a girl walked out of a room in the end of the hall and stood in front of us.
Both guys looked a little older than me, the first had brown hair and light blue eyes. He was regularly shaped and about 5'8. He wore a nice dress shirt and some dark blue jeans.
"Hey Michael, I'm Fabian. So someone is finally taking one for the team, I see." He said and pounded my fist. His voice wasn't as deep as I thought it would be.
The second guy had black hair and brown eyes. He wore a black shirt and some camo shorts. He was the same height and build as his brother.
"I'm Henry, good to meet you." He said as he also pounded my fist.
The girl smiled at me. She had an average body type. Her blond hair, green eyes and darker skin made it easy to see that she must be adopted. She wore some shorts and a plain t-shirt.
"Hi, Michael. I'm Andrea, don't listen to these clowns, Kassandra is really nice." She said.
"Guess who's older." Fabian said and laughed out slightly.
"Uh..." I started as I looked them both over.
Henry surreptitiously pointed at his brother.
"You?" I said.
"Lucky guess!" Fabian said.
"Technically," Mrs. Josèphe started as she walked into the living room with a tray that held six mugs and a boiling pot of tea. "They're twins, but Fabian was born first and for some reason he has brown hair. Fabian que te dire ?"
"Pardonne, mama." Fabian mumbled as his hair changed to more of a natural black.
Kassie took the tray from her mother and set it on the coffee table.
"Cool! My aunt and uncle, well they're more of a family friend, they have twins."
"Oh, c'est fantastique ! Are they... Um fils too?"
"I'm sorry?" I said.
"Fils de l'obscurité, comment c'est dire..."
"Oh, Darkstalkers! Yes , they are."
"Oh good. Andrea is not one. She is a regular human, her mother and father passed away when she was young."
"Oh, it must be difficult." I said.
"It's okay, I'm just happy that I'm not picking up all the dog droppings." She laughed out.
"You still can if you want." Fabian said, smartly.
"Bad dog!" Andrea said lightly tapped Fabian in the nose.
"Kids, stop it! My husband also human, we got married and he was shocked when he found out. Poor thing could not figure out why his sons had a tail." Mrs. Josèphe said with an amused tone.
"Mom was scared that he would leave her if he found out. So she waited until she was forced to tell him." Kassie said.
"Yes he wasn't too... Um... Qu'est le mot..."
"Fond?" Fabian suggested.
"Oui, merci! He wasn't too fond of the fils de l'obscurité until I showed him that I was one."
Fabian and Henry excused themselves and walked back into their room as we continued talking for a few more minutes until the front door opened. A tall man walked into the room. He was tall and slender with short black hair.
He greeted everyone as he walked in and hung his coat on a coat rack. He held a DVD in his hand.
Andrea moved to hug the man then announced that she was going to her room.
Mrs. Josèphe said something then stood up and kissed the man quickly. She then said something in French. The man turned to look at me and smiled.
"Salut, Michael ! Ça va ?" He said and shook my hand quickly.
"Uh..." I started.
"Papa, il ne parle pas Français..." Kassie said as she moved to hug her father.
"Oh, je suis désolé... Hello Michael, how are you?"
"I'm good Mr. Josèphe. It's good to meet you."
"Please call me, Jerald. Just because my hair is old doesn't mean I am." he said and laughed. "Hey do you like Le soccer ?"
"Soccer? A little." I replied.
"Très bien ! Kassandra, I like this one!" Mr. Josèphe said and threw his arm around me while laughing.
Iris, Senna, Helena and I walked out of the theater half an hour before the movie ended. We walked down the lobby in disappointment.
Senna came by to drop off a pitcher that her mother, Alexandria Ayalando, had borrowed from my mother so I invited her to tag along. Senna was a tomboy so while the girls were busy playing house, Senna was with us guys as we blew up frogs and tp'd the neighbor's houses. She wasn't our cousin but we grow up together so she was practically family.
"That was ass!" Senna and I said as we walked through the doors. We both turned to look at each other and smiled.
"Yeah... What the hell was it about anyway?" Iris asked.
"Zombies, I think..." Helena replied.
"Zombie-aliens." I added.
"Zombie-alien invaders from Mars that are smart enough to drive." Senna continued.
"That was stupid!" I repeated.
"Did you guys go see Zombie Wars?" The girl in the ticket booth asked us.
"Yeah." I replied.
"That movie is ass, do you want your money back?" She replied and typed some numbers on the register.
"Sure." I replied and took our money from her.
"Anytime, love."
We walked home in the dark. We all shifted our human eyes to our animal ones to be able to see better. The half moon wasn't enough to illuminate the streets and someone took it upon themselves to break half the lights in the light posts the night before.
"Girlie was flirting with you." Helena said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Zoom, right over your head." Iris said laughing.
"I was being sarcastic." I replied.
"Liar." Helena added.
I replied to a couple of texts from Kassie as she was still grounded for leaving her house like she did that night.
"Can you tell that woman to leave you alone for an hour?" Senna said in an annoyed tone.
"I don't think that it'll work." I replied and opened my phone when I received another message.
"See, when I get a boyfriend, I won't be this clingy." Iris continued and tried looking at the message.
"It's no worse than Helena." I said after hitting the send button.
"I am not clingy!" Helena protested.
"Yes you are, remember the backpack thing?" I replied.
"Shut up, that was a one time thing." Helena replied.
"What backpack thing?" Senna asked.
"Nothing." Helena snapped.
"She had me stuff her into her backpack and throw her in through Zeke's window one day." I said as I read a new text. "I had to fight the temptation of locking her in there and digging a hole in the backyard."
"What backpack?" Iris asked.
"Her small pink and black one." I replied and opened my phone.
"Holy crap! How did you even fit in that thing?" Iris asked, honestly curious.
"I don't want to talk about it." Helena said.
"I've been told that she is REALLY flexible." I said and closed my phone.
"I thought that only us cats were flexible..." Iris said.
"I did too, remember your grandma Felicia?" Senna replied.
"Oh yeah..." Iris said.
"What about grandma Felicia?" I asked.
"You don't want to know." Helena replied.
"Yes I do, I'm curious now." I replied.
"She can turn into an almost perfect ball." Senna said.
"Cool!" I let out.
"Not really, think of the all the kinky ways that grandma and grandpa must have done it..." Helena replied.
"Oh my God! Ew! Thanks for the mental image." Iris said.
"Welcome to my world." I added and forced a very disturbing image aside.
"You guys are dumb." Helena said.
"Whatever, I'm tired of walking, carry me, doggy." Iris said and jumped on my back. I hunched and held her up so she wouldn't fall over.
"You want me to hump your leg too?" I asked sarcastically.
"Who am I, Ms. Joseph?"
"Josèphe!"
"Whatever, mush!"
"Tell me what you want!" Kassie said as she sat on top of me while i lay in bed. She was in her full husky form: Her body was showed off by the beautiful dog's tight fur.
"I want you!" I said and tried to sit up but she forced me back down with her dog paw.
"How bad do you want me?" she asked as her muzzle disappeared into her face and the gray on her back turned into her blazing red hair. A freckles started appearing on her face as it became more human like.
"I want you bad! So bad!" I said.
Her paws and arms changed back into their slender human form. "Why is that?"
"Because you're what I want." I said.
Her legs changed back to her human selves up until her crotch area. She looked like she was wearing a white one piece swim suit made of dog fur.
She knelt down and licked my cheek. "Call me your bitch and some more comes off."
"You are... My bitch!" I said.
The centerpiece of her fur disappeared until she only wore two strips of fur, one for her bust and one for her crotch area.
"Say that you're this bitch's master and the rest dissapears." She whispered in my ear.
"I am your master." I said.
"You are my master and..."
"I am your master and... You are my bitch." I added.
She moved away and lifted her hands to hold her hair up as the small patches of fur slowly disappeared.
I woke up in the middle of the night and realized that i was dreaming. I sighed and saw Iris as she lay asleep next to me. She had stayed the night and decided to sleep on my bed with me. I looked around but didn't see Helena. She had been asleep in the love seat that my parents had placed in my room for temporary storage a few years back. Senna was stretched out on the floor as she snored lightly and scratched her stomach.
I got up and Iris immediately moved to take up the entire bed while groaning and muttered something about jelly beans and pizza.
I stepped over Senna as she groaned. "Felix, give Uni back to me..." she grunted then shifted slightly.
I smiled and started to head for the door.
"But I want to be with you..." I heard someone say outside.
I walked to the opened window and saw my sister talking to Zeke on the other side of the fence.
"Then come with me, i'll be yours if you become mine." Zeke said as I listened by my window.
"I can't just leave, my family would worry." Helena said.
"So I guess you don't love me."
"Yes, Zeke! Yes I do!" I sister cried out.
"Then take my hand..."
I tried to yell out but I only was able to whimper. Zeke turned to look at me with a very nerve breaking expression. I moved to jump out of the window and it forced itself closed on top of my hands. I tried to free myself from the window's hold as my sister looked at me.
She mouthed the words "sorry" and took Zeke's hand. He pulled her close then stroked her hair for a second before whispering something in Helena's ear that made her body go limp.
Zeke held Helena's motionless body for a second before letting her drop to the floor, carelessly, then disappeared.
"How did you know that I was here?" I heard Zeke say from behind me.
I turned and saw Zeke standing right behind me. I tried forcing my hand free again but the window forced itself tighter.
"Leave my sister alone." I groaned.
"That is your sister isn't it?" Zeke said and stood still as if to try and remember something. "Yes..."
"I'll kill you of you touch her again." I grunted as it was difficult to talk.
"You won't do a damn thing, doggy!" Zeke let out and moved closer but was forced to the ground by Senna who had jumped on him.
"How about if I do something instead?" Senna let out and punched Zeke upside his head.
Zeke didn't flinch or move in any way, he simply took Senna's repeated blows without hesitation. After a few seconds Senna stopped but didn't get off.
Zeke laughed quickly and Senna and I gasped when his head slowly turned backwards. He stared at Senna with a malicious look then said something that sent a chill through my body.
Senna collapsed to the side as Zeke stood up again. "Yes, she will do..." He said and adjusted his head back into position and dusted himself off.
"What did you do?" I asked as I tried to kick Zeke but he was just out of reach. I tried changing into werewolf form but it didn't happen.
"I wouldn't worry about it, doggy. They won't remember a thing. I'm bored, you see, so stirring things up around here might be fun for a while, don't you think." Zeke said then bent down and lifted Senna's body by her hair. "A werewolf... And a white tiger... Yes, This will do." he dragged Senna around the room until he stood by Iris, who still lay, undisturbed in my bed. I didn't know if Zeke had made her stay asleep of if she was just a deep sleeper.
"Don't you touch her!" I let out and struggled to break free from the windows tightening hold.
"Yes... I don't have any use for a cat..." He said then turned to look at me. "You could join me! This world will be mine and you could be with me or against me." Zeke said and moved closer.
I took the chance to kick him as hard as I could with my right leg. He didn't even flinch. Zeke sighed and held Senna's limp body up like she was some sort of prized catch.
"That's too bad... I could have used another werewolf. Maybe I'll settle for a dog, a husky would do... Yes... Someone to do some tricks for entertainment." Zeke let out as he amused himself by watching my expression change.
"Don't you dare touch her or I'll-"
He was instantly in my face. His eyes were replaced by a dark red flame. The room reaked of brimstone. "You'll do what?" He started. His voice sounded dark, ancient and intimidating. "You won't do a fucking thing! And you know why? Because you're nothing more than a useless... Undeserving... Pathetic excuse of a Darkstalker!"
"What's going on in here?" I heard my father say as he forced the door open.
My father stared at Zeke who stared back at him with the same expression he had been looking at me. My mother moved from behind my father and shrieked when she saw Zeke. Iris bolted upright as she looked around then yelled when she saw the fire in Zeke's eyes.
Zeke laughed loudly and held up Senna's motionless body again. "I think I'm done here."
"What the fuck have you done with her?" my father said and quickly shifted into his werewolf form and growled as a black energy manifested around him. He threw himself at Zeke who quickly threw Senna's body towards the wall. A small black portal opened right before her body hit and was sucked into it. Zeke then combusted into flames and disappeared. My father forced himself to a stop in front of me.
"Michael, what-" My father started but I cut him off.
"Dad, he has Helena! Look!" I said and signaled for him to look outside.
My father punched the window that was holding me in place then pulled it off and threw it aside. He growled loudly when he saw Zeke dragging both Senna and my sister by their hair as he walked towards a portal made of a black flame.
My father jumped over me and threw himself at Zeke but was forced to stop when Zeke held the girls bodies in front of him as if their were his shield.
My father crash landed next to Zeke then rolled on all fours.
Zeke laughed then quickly swung Helena and Senna's bodies, as if they were nothing more than a blunt weapon. The impact sent my father flying through the fence with a force so strong that my father kept rolling until he hit the tree in our back yard. My father shifted slowly as the wind had been knocked out of him.
I jumped out of the window and was relieved when i was able to change into my werewolf form. I landed on all fours and ran toward Zeke who held his hand up which made my body freeze completely. Zeke gestured abruptly and I was thrown left and right until I had broken most of the fence that divided our houses before he let me drop. I lay on the ground as blood oozed out of several cuts.
"I could kill you all, if I wanted." Zeke let out and held his hand in my direction.
I felt as if something was crushing my body. It felt as if I was being crushed by an invisible forceI grunted at first then yelled out as the pain became unbearable.
Zeke grinned then stopped when my mother hit him with a metal bat.
Zeke turned around and moved his hand around my mother's throat. He lifted her off the ground.
"I've no use for a human female!" Zeke said.
I groaned as I forced myself onto my feet. I saw my father do the same. The werewolf blood was quickly healing our injuries.
"Let go... Of my... Daughter!" My mother gasped as she kicked Zeke a few times in the chest.
"I think I'll kill you now!" Zeke said and tightened his hold around my mother's throat.
My mother gasped out loudly.
"Ezekiel!" I heard someone yell.
We all turned to see Zeke's step mother standing at the edge of her house in her night robe.
Zeke grinned then stopped and dropped My mother, Senna and my sister. Zeke fell to his knees and hold his head.
"Mom! Stay back!" I head Zeke cry out.
"Ezekiel!" Mrs. Simmons cried out.
I moved closer and Zeke turned to look at me.
"Michael... The library! Remember the libra-" Zeke let out then stood still. He started laughing and stood back up.
"Disregard that last part." Zeke said with a different voice. He picked Senna and my sister by their hair again and tossed them into the black flame. My mother cried out and ran towards Zeke who simply held his hand up and tossed my mother into the portal.
"No!" my father yelled and ran to Zeke who moved out of the way at the last second and kicked my father in the stomach then slammed him on the side of his house several times before letting him drop.
I jumped at Zeke but was forced to stop in front of him. I floated in the air as he stared at me "Think about it dog, I don't need you but I could use you."
I was thrown backwards and hit the wall of my house hard. I gasped loudly as I saw Zeke step into the portal and disappeared.
I tried yelling something but ended up spitting blood instead.
Mr. and Mrs. Simmons ran towards my father then to me. Mr. Simmons helped me up as I hurt everywhere.
"I have to find her..." my father said then collapsed.
Mr. and Mrs. Simmons moved to check on my father as I struggled to stay up. I moved closer, one step at a time, until my legs gave in and I fell to the floor. I saw Iris running towards me. She yelled something but I couldn't hear her. She shook me wildly but I didn't feel it as My vision blurred and i fell asleep with blood running down my face.
