Hey y'all. Don't worry, I'm not dead. Just been hella busy. I've gotten most of the adulting under control though, and I'm finally able to work on the next chapter. It could still be a little bit, though. For now, I want to leave you with this sneak peek. When the full chapter is ready, I'll delete this and put the full one in its place.

Stay tuned, it's on its way!

Chapter 8 Preview

The morning was as quiet as the night before. Deathly so. A glance around the room and I could tell that none of us had slept. I could understand that. I simply couldn't close my eyes. Not with everything I'd learned the night before. By the time I had finally fallen asleep, it was only a few hours till morning.

Eventually, everyone else joined me, all of them in the same state I was. Baggy eyes, slouches… everything. Hellboy decided to make us something for breakfast, using supplies he got from his BPRD friends. The food of the angels, he said… or pancakes, as most people called them. No milk, so thankfully my Luz won't have another thing to add onto her woes.

"Might've had a terrible night, but we can at least start the morning off something nice." He said. I could tell he was trying his best to cheer everyone up. His results… varied. Most of the others dug into their meal as if they hadn't eaten in days… it was probably their way of dealing with the stress.

But Luz, Eda and I were not so eager. I had too much on my mind. Eda simply stood in her kitchen, drinking some apple blood. She wouldn't face us. And Luz… she could only poke at her food. Every now and then she would glance at me with worry. Perhaps hoping that I would change my mind, or maybe she was afraid of the answer she knew I would give.

If only she knew… I had no idea what I wanted anymore. Everything had become topsy turvy. This place didn't feel safe… but home doesn't feel safe either. What could I possibly do now? Where could I even hope to take my daughter to keep her out of danger?

I'd only just started to realize last night what was waiting back on earth. But maybe I was worrying too much about it? Or… perhaps I was not worried enough. I needed clarity… and I knew who to ask to get it. But first things first… I needed to get Luz out of the house.

I put my fork down and cleared my throat, grabbing everyone's attention. "Luz, about last night…" Luz tensed up, likely expecting the worst. "I think you and your friends should get some fresh air."

Luz doesn't say a word. Her head falls slightly forward before recoiling, her brain short circuiting for a moment. "Uh… wha?"

"It wouldn't be good to stay cooped up in here after last night. Perhaps Willow and Gus know some places that could take your minds off what happened?" I glance at the two young witches, who also seem a bit confused. When they realize I'm asking them, they snap out of it.

"Uh… y-y-yeah." Willow speaks up. "I… guess we could go to our usual hangouts."

"That's good. I'm sure she would enjoy that. Just as long as Roger goes with you."

"Yeah… of course." Gus nodded.

I noticed Hellboy giving me an inquisitive look. I waved my hands, letting him know I'd tell him later.

Luz's remained bewildered for the rest of breakfast. Strangely enough, the anxiety of the situation encouraged her to eat. I did manage to catch her with several looks of content… guess I should start eat too. I'm worried it might be the only reprieve either of us have today.

It didn't take too long for the kids to get ready, even Luz. No doubt it was because I didn't turn her down like she thought I would. But I don't want to get her hopes up… it's not as if that suddenly means I'm letting her stay. Ugh… I'm thinking in circles here.

Out of their pajamas, the three children stood at the door. They were only waiting on Roger, who seemed to be talking with Hellboy about something. Eda was seeing them off.

"The gray goliath will be with you, so he'll keep you out of trouble. Just don't try to trick him…" She leaned in with a smirk.. "…He won't fall for it. Trust me."

Luz smirked back for a moment but drooped her head. She opened her mouth, only for nothing to come out at first. She eventually found the words. "Eda… if this is… if I can't stay, I…"

"Of course you can't stay."

She seemed put off by that. "W…what?"

"You've got a full day of fun with your friends to look forward to! No use squatting around this dusty old place when there's a whole town of cool stuff just waiting for ya."

Hooty took offense. "Hey! I bathe!"

"Yeah, in mud." She shot back. She placed her hands on Luz's shoulders. "And after all that excitement you'll end up stuck back here because my door is on the fritz. Chin up, kid. You're not out of my hair yet. So enough with the premature goodbyes, alright?"

I had to smile at that. I don't get along too well with Eda… but I won't deny that she has a kinship with my daughter. It's beneficial, even. But that doesn't matter right now, at least not until I can figure out what it is I want.

Roger finally joins them. Luz walks up to me one last time before they head out the door. "Mom… what exactly does this really mean?"

Isn't that the question today? I let out a breath on instinct as I put my hand to her cheek. "…You'll know for sure when you get back."

She's not quite pleased with the answer, but she's not sad either. She sighs to herself and slowly walks out with her friends. Roger gives me a thumbs up and follows them out.

Not a moment after the door closes, Eda starts to scrutinize me.

"Eh, stop giving her the once over, Snaggletooth." Hellboy calls over from the table, digging into an inhumanly large stack of pancakes. "She wants to say something, she'll say it. That is what this is about, isn't it, Cam?"

I give a weak laugh. "Si. How could you guess?"

He pretended to think about it. "Hmm. I dunno, really. Just a hunch."

"Yes, well I would've probably kept Luz within arm's length if I didn't have my world view shattered last night." I pinch the bridge of my nose. "But I suppose it's also my fault for not really "listening" when you and your friends told me all those stories. It was all right there in front of me, but I was too blind to see it…"

He shook his head. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Lots of people tend to be like that."

"But I'm not exactly in a normal human situation anymore, am I? I said that the first day I got here but I didn't think about just how true that was." I sat down at the table across from Hellboy. "And now I don't know what to do again. Everything seems so dangerous and… I just don't want anything happening to my little girl."

"So… how can I help?"

I smiled. He's been so willing to help despite how small my problems likely seem to him. "Despite worrying so much that it turned me into an insomniac, there was one thing that finally put me to sleep. The only way I'm going to figure out where to go next… is if I do the same thing I did last time." I clasped my hands together. "I need context. I need info. I need to know just what danger lies in wait on earth…" I looked at Eda as she groggily drank a mug of her 'apple blood'. "…And the Boiling Isles."

Eda coughed up apple blood back into her cup, spilling some on herself. "Did I… am I hearing this right?" She stared at me like I was growing a second head. "You've been against this place since you got here. I thought you'd be done with it after last night. Are you saying that you'd actually… let her stay because of some ghost stories?"

I was about to protest her framing of it, but she didn't seem accusatory or even opportunistic. Just genuinely confused. I take a breath. "I won't say for certain… but if I can get the full picture, maybe I can finally figure that out."

Hellboy snapped his fingers and pointed at me. "Which is why you sent Luz out for the day."

"Si. I know what she would argue for. She is biased towards the Isles. But I don't think she has the full picture of what this place is really like. Yet at the same time, I had thought I had a nice, full picture of earth and the dangers it held… until last night." I looked at them both. "Both of you have seen the good and the bad of both sides. If I am going to decide, I need that realistic point of view, unhindered by both her idealistic viewpoint… and my own."

Hellboy nodded, while Eda just looked in deep thought. "I'm happy to help. But I'm not sure where to start." He said. "My resume's pretty large."

"Maybe you could start with something I'm familiar with."

He raised an eyebrow. "Familiar with?'

"Yes. Monsters I was told about since I was a child. Dominican legends. If I can get an idea of just how real they are… it would be telling, to say the least."

He dug into his pancakes while mulling it over. "Hmm. I've actually been to the Dominican Republic a few times." He snapped his fingers again. "I got it." He swallowed before continuing. "Let me tell you about the time I was called to the country in the eighties to investigate a string of disappearances…"

6 Characters…

6 Tales…

NEXT TIME

The Owlet and Other Short Stories