I run over to Phineas, who was sitting with his back up against the wall next to the open toilet.
"Phineas, what's going on?" I ask as I quickly walk over to him. I kneel next to him to get to his level.
"I don't know, while we were building the thing I started to feel kinda funny... then it turned into a terrible sick feeling in my stomach, and I didn't know what to do so I ran in here... ya know, just in case..." He explains.
"It's just pain in your stomach?" I ask. "Yeah. Maybe I ate something bad or something..." He suggests.
I ponder that for a moment. It hopefully is that, even though Phineas unfortunately would feel sick and nauseous all day tomorrow if he had in fact eaten something bad. Buy another dreadful thought pops into my head, just as I expected it would.
He wraps his arms around his stomach. I give him a questioning look. "It gets worse... every once and a while... though..." He says, breathing harder.
The worried thought gets stronger. I don't want to listen to it, though. I know it's just an over-reaction because of all the nonsense that's been happening around Phineas. But then again, you can never be too careful...
"Phineas, are you sure you're okay? Do you think you might throw up or... anything else?" I inquire. "I'm not sure. I still feel just as sick, if not more..."
"Okay, how about this. Let's get you to your bed and I can grab you the trashcan just in case. That way you'd at least be more comfortable than you are now. Then I can get you mom's heating blanket, heat should help your stomach." I say.
"Okay..." He replies before trying to get up. I grab his hands and help him up, his small pained groans feeding my concern for him. We walk to get him to the bedroom, slowly, and I gently lie him down.
He gets settled and I set our trashcan next to him, open, and then head downstairs to get Mom's heating blanket. But when I look around for mom to ask where it is, all the lights have been turned off downstairs. That means mom and dad have gone to bed, leaving me to find it on my own.
I search all the rooms but it's not on the couch or in any closets I've checked.
And that's when I hear a big thump from upstairs.
I freeze. At first, I didn't know if I even heard it, or if something fell in the closet and echoed through the hall. But then I began to hear shuffling around, and a series of other thumps and thuds of different volumes. All from upstairs.
And to top off my confusion and fear, it was soon accompanied by a really loud and painful moan.
I bolt for the stairs, rushing to get up them and to our bedroom. As soon as I get to the hallway, however, the noises all stopped, like he was listening for me. I slowly put my hand on the doorknob and still listened, but I didn't hear anything but heavy breathing from behind the door...
"Phineas?" I say through the door, fear and concern in my voice. I'm left without an answer from my brother. "Phineas, are you okay in there?" I ask. I put my ear up to the door, but I don't hear anything.
I move my head away and slowly turn the doorknob, before opening the door slowly and quietly to poke my head into the room.
I gasp and I'm frozen with fear as I stare up into the fiery inferno in the eyes of a beast at least five times my size...