Note: This chapter was influenced by the songs "I Need You" by Three Doors Down and "Faceless Man" by Creed. Batrah is loosely based on a Godzilla monster by a similar name . . .Very loosely based.

Chapter 12: Old Friends

The bus came to a screeching halt in the parking lot of the Two Faced costume emporium. Wilt was the first off the bus, with Crackers riding between his eyestalks. Frankie snagged his arm before he could get too far, "Hey big guy, I know you're worried but we need a plan first, okay?"

Wilt nodded while impatience boiled inside of him, "Okay, Frankie. I'm sorry."

The red head gathered the others around her, "Allright, listen. Mac, Bloo, you go with Coco and check out the main streets. Crackers, you go with Wilt and check out the alleys and behind the shops. Ed, you're coming with me, we'll check the bus stops. I want you all back here by dark. Got it?"

"Okay Frankie."

"Coco!"

"Si."

"Now when you say dark do you mean dark here or dark in Nepal?" Bloo asked seriously, Frankie ignored him.

They separated and began to wander the streets in a race against time, calling her name and searching everywhere.

Wilt turned away from the others and headed on a different route, taking twisting and turning alleys without bothering to look around. The buildings began to look older and more decrepit as they went along. Crackers, still riding between Wilt's eyes, was baffled, "Wilt . . . We're supposed to be looking for Satin."

Wilt's eye looked down at him from it's stalk as he replied, "Don't worry, we are."

"But you're not stopping to look anywhere!" Cracker exclaimed, upset.

Reaching his hand up, Wilt patted the little guy's head, "I'm sorry, I haven't explained. Do you remember when I was out on my own for six months?"

Crackers nodded, "After James."

"Yeah, well, I knew a lot of abandoned imaginary friends around here. A lot of them came back with me to Foster's when Mister Herriman found me but some stayed behind. They said that they just couldn't stand living in a house anymore. Whenever I go out to find new friends I come here first, they can always tell when a new friend shows up." Wilt explained, rounding a corner to face a dead-end.

Three brick walls rose from the ground, boxing the area in. They belonged to the old apartment buildings that were being renovated. An ancient clothesline was strung between two windows on the second floor and from it hung several long graying sheets that fluttered lightly in the breeze. Crates and boxes littered the area along with a slowly rusting dumpster. As Cracker's vision adjusted to the dim light he saw several eyes gleaming in the shadows. Scuffling movements could be heard as Wilt moved forward. The air had a tense, tight, too thin feel to it, as though it might snap at any moment. With one stride of his long legs, Wilt came to a stop in the middle of the semi circle of crates, "Hey everyone, I'm back."

The soft noises of adjusting weight and breathing were broken by a crunching noise as the largest of the shadows rose up from the littered ground and began to approach them slowly.

Frankie had seen which direction Wilt had gone. She'd thought he might go back to see the others he'd left behind, after all, they knew everything that went on in this part of town. For a moment, she considered following him then chided herself for wanting to interfere. Some things were kept private . . .

She'd only been nine when Wilt had returned to Foster's with stories of the street friends that had taken care of him. Throughout the years she'd asked him to let her come with him when he went to see them. Every time she asked he had said no because Clay, their leader, had made him promise he wouldn't bring any humans near them. It was the only thing she could remember that Wilt had ever been adamant about and she respected it. She had no idea that Wilt had other reasons for keeping her in the dark . . . Reasons that had more to do with her own mental balances than upholding a promise.

Crackers shuddered as the creature came into view. He was an imaginary friend all right . . . Nothing 'real' could be that ugly. Long and tall, he put Crackers in mind of Wilt only bigger, meaner, and a whole lot scarier. He was more like a human than Wilt was, though he wasn't human at all. His skin was a sickening mottled gray color, as though he were rotting from the inside out. Huge arms and legs, almost as big around as Frankie's waist, moved with a resounding grace as he came closer. Long scraggly black hair hung across his face and down his emaciated torso, hiding the majority of his expression. Crackers figured that was a good thing, he was probably horrifying. Slowly, the creature reached out one long slender hand towards them and brought it to his chest. A deep Russian voice came rolling out from beneath the hair, "Welcome home, Wilt."

Wilt smile sadly, "I'm sorry I haven't been by to visit, Clay."

"We've missed you." Clay replied in a smooth drawl, "But you have not come for long, yes?"

Wilt nodded, "I'm sorry, we're looking for someone."

Clay inclined his head to the shadows behind him and spoke, "Is this the way we welcome comrades? Show yourselves!"

The shadows broke apart and Crackers found himself staring at he most frightening assortment of imaginary friends he'd ever seen. Some were frightening because they were made that way, like Clay, others were frightening because of their state. Some were missing limbs, eyes, or other appendages. Others were wrapped like mummies in makeshift bandages. Still others were normal . . . Or as normal as a friend can be. But there was something about them as well, something wild, independent, and feral.

They frightened Crackers in a deep and instinctive way. Everything about them was wrong. What sort of children would dream up such monstrosities?

There were nine all told, these friends of Wilt's. They did not cluster close in greeting, they hung back with frightened eyes set in their hideous faces. One, a violet furred creature with ape-like arms and feet instead of legs swung itself forward in a gently loping walk using it's knuckles. It looked up with the lump where its head should have been. Solid white glowing eyes stared up at Wilt as a long thin red tongue whipped itself over the long teeth protruding over the lower jaw. Reaching up, it stroked his leg gently and made a soft purring noise.

Crackers huddled down closer to Wilt's scalp, certain the creature would attack.

Wilt knelt slowly and, to Crackers's shock, embraced the monster, "It's nice to see you too, Yorka."

The creature purred louder which seemed to break the melancholy trance the others were under. Smiling with their gruesome faces and laughing with strangely contorted voices they surged towards Wilt, hugging him, patting his back, shaking his hand, with the familiarity of old friends. Crackers watched as Wilt gave them each their own round of greeting, a smile on his face that shone with happiness. "Well, if Wilt likes them I suppose they can't be all bad . . ." Crackers thought to himself, slowly letting some of his muscles relax.

"Ve thought you had been adopted or somethink." said a bat-like friend with a long mane of black fur and wings for arms. She looked up at Wilt with amber eyes that flashed like an animal's in the dim light.

"I'm sorry, Batrah, I've been a little busy at Foster's. I haven't had a chance to visit." Wilt replied.

A large moth clothed in a monk's cowl hovered closer and asked in a high pitched child-like voice, "Who is your friend, Wilt?"

"Wha-OH!" Wilt reached up and took Crackers in his hand, "I'm so sorry, Crackers! I didn't introduce you! Are you okay?"

Crackers looked up at Wilt than around at the others before replying in a shaky voice, "Sorta . . ."

Wilt grinned, "It's okay Crackers, these are the friends that helped me out when I was abandoned. Everyone, meet Crackers. He's from Foster's too. Crackers, meet everyone." he began to gesture, "Clay, Batrah, Yorka, Zwie, Wraps, Tux, Bounce, Lynn, and Suku."

Crackers smiled nervously, "Hiiiiii . . ."

Clay stepped forward and leaned down to look into Crackers's face, "Welcome, little one."

Straightening, Clay looked at Wilt closely, "So, my friend, tell me; why is it you have returned to us?"

Wilt looked up at Clay, "We're looking for a friend who ran away from the house."

A smile stretched across Clay's thin lips as he brushed the hair back from his face. Crackers trembled in Wilt's hand. Wilt had to admit that even his stomach turned at the sight of Clay's face. His thin lips and striking nose were very distinguished and coolly friendly but the rest of his face was smooth and blank, like an artist's mannequin. He had no eyes or eye sockets for that matter, simply a blank smooth plane where they should have been. Clay spoke softly, as if aware of their discomfort, "We saw her. She caught the five fifteen bus to Daleton."

"Are you sure it was her?" Wilt asked hurriedly, "I'm sorry, but well, I haven't even told you what she looks like yet."

Clay allowed his hair to cover his face, "She's the only friend that's been out on the streets loose all day."

Wilt took off in the opposite direction like a shot yelling over his shoulder, "Thanks Clay, I'll visit soon. Promise!"

Clay lounged back on a few of the crates in a contemplative pose then snapped his fingers and looked around, "Batrah, follow them. Wilt may need a little help."

Batrah nodded, eyes flashing, and took to the air as the remaining friends melted into the shadows.

Satin rode the tide of people out of the bus. She'd been jostled, bumped, and nearly sat on the whole way here but now she was out of that sardine can they called a bus. With a sigh she pulled out the envelope that had held Natalie's letter. 89 Parish Street. She could find that . . .

Looking up, she made her way to the courthouse. Where there was a courthouse there'd be a police station. Police stations held police, one of whom would surely help point a lost imaginary friend in the right direction.

Review Replies:

Kia1334: I'm a Sophmore in college (it really isn't that impressive, I'm nineteen). And no, I think everyone can watch cartoons! On live journal there's a whole community devoted to Foster's and several of them are around my age so don't feel immature!

You used to write before you went to class? That's dedication! I do a lot of review checking and editing at the college when I have time though I admit I do look around to make sure no one's watching (embarrassed grin). I do the same thing when I surf Sims 2 sites at school. (on a side note, we have to be able to use e-mail at the college because sometimes teachers will e-mail assignments to you).

I wake you up for class? Yay! Oh, check your e-mail. I've reviewed some on the chapters of ToB, omg it's good! I love the concept!

Hey, it's more than my after school life. I occasionally hang out in Linz's (timecapsule's) basement, I spend one weekend day with my boyfriend, and the rest of the time is spent either watching TV, doing chores, playing GameCube or computer, Writing, or working on this!

I have five brothers too . . . And a sister. They're all older than me though and moved out with families of their own now. I'm the baby.

Rattlecat: For some reason it wouldn't put Amazon dot com in my document, that's who Crackers was supposed to get his package from. I changed it to Barnes and Noble. No Connoisseurs! I'll be good!

Hope you liked the last chapter maybe we'll get to Satin in this one!

Pools-of-sorrow: We'll see what happens with Natalie and Satin. Hope you like this chapter!