Chapter 6: Growing Numbers

Over the next several weeks a few more bangs resounded through the town, and the news displayed stories of peculiar bites more and more often, but those involved always refused to give interviews. They just don't want anyone to think they're crazy because their mind is connected to an alien creature. One day there was a brief mention of other such incidents having started cropping up in various sites all around the globe, but they didn't give any details. Slowly, people began admitting seeing bizarre creatures, usually roaming about at night. To bystanders, the stories sounded very farfetched, especially because few people ever had similar accounts. One person saw a bright orange, chicken-like creature, another a foul smelling flower with a face, something resembling a pinkish cat with a split at the end of its tail, and once even a purple living blob that seemed to come out of a storm drain. The town's police were almost laughing at the stories, but as more and more rolled in, they eventually initiated a curfew to ensure people were home before dark.

And so it begins, John thought.

The news stations reported something about gas explosions on the edge of town to explain the loud bangs over the previous weeks. It means they have no clue, and they're just making something mildly reasonable up so people don't panic.

The Monozu, as Celebi had called it, grew very fast, and by the end of the month had gone from just below John's knee to as tall as his belt. It soon became rather mischievous, hiding car keys and the TV remote and such. But each time John had to leave it alone to go to school, he felt the same sense of loneliness. When he returned home and the creature happily pranced toward him, he felt what he guessed was what it felt like to be reunited with a lost brother, even though he was only gone for half of a day. His mother gradually took to the little animal. Once, when Monozu hid her purse, she actually laughed, and said, "He's just like you were when you were little, John, just before your Fa…" She broke off and abruptly left the room. Monozu looked inquiringly at John.

John sighed. "When I was just a few years old, Dad left my Mom to fight in the war. When he came back, he just wasn't the same. One day, he just packed a suitcase and walked out; never said a word! Mom was so sad. She still gets like this sometimes." Monozu looked at the rug. "You don't understand a thing I'm saying, do you?"

Monozu looked up and clearly nodded.

John stood into a half crouch in surprise. "You can understand me?" It nodded again.

"How smart are you?"

It hopped into his lap, forcing John to sit back down, and gently pressed its forehead against John's. It then hopped from his lap, and ran to the back door, where it jumped on a chair and looked out the window. John heard a voice echo in his head, as it had with Celebi, but this one sounded gravelly, almost a growl.

"Ou-out-sy-outside."

"Outside? You want to go outside?"

It nodded. John hesitated. To avoid it being seen, which would obviously raise a lot of uncomfortable questions, he had only let it outside to relieve itself, and even then only when he was sure the coast was clear. John checked the neighbors' yards. There was nobody outside, so he decided it was safe to let it out. He opened the door and went into the back yard.

"OK, so why did you want to come out here? And how did I understand you just now?"

It looked at him. "Y-you, me? Me, y-you?"

John stared at the animal. "Yeah, we're the same, in a way. You're me from another dimension, apparently."

"T-try th-think talk."

John blinked at him. Monozu pressed his forehead against John's again.

"Uh, well, ok."

Feeling foolish, John closed his eyes and imagined thinking toward him.

"Yes, th-that it."

John felt the tiniest resistance, like trying to press against the air, only to find a strong wind blowing in the opposite direction. He pressed further and the resistance suddenly fell away. He gasped as he felt the same sensations as when he had first encountered the creature. Monozu flinched as he felt the same. Each simultaneously experienced their own and the other's senses; saw from each other's eyes, felt the grass beneath them. They quickly pulled away from each other, returning to themselves, each panting a little.

"What the hell was that?"

"D-don't n-not know."

After a moment, John said, "Hang on, I want to try something." He reached toward Monozu once more, more cautiously this time. He felt the resistance again, and tried to impress his knowledge of the English language to him.

Monozu growled a little and shook his head. "Ah! M-much! T-too much!"

John quickly eased back. He proceeded at a much slower pace; imagining going through the basics of English, and steadily working up toward grammar and structure. After several minutes, he withdrew again.

He stared expectantly at Monozu. Monozu just stared back.

"Well, did it work?"

"Did what work?"

John leaned forward a little.

"I think it did. You're not stammering anymore at least."

"Well, obviously it worked, I can finally talk and not sound like I have brain damage, now can't I?"

John laughed. "Wow, this is just unreal."

"What, the fact that you taught me most of the English language in five minutes or the fact that I was capable of learning it that fast without my head exploding? Cripes, you gave me a headache."

"Sorry, but honestly was it worth five minutes of discomfort?"

"Maybe," he grumbled. "So explain to me how exactly we're the same?"

John explained as best he could.

"I'm going to be honest, you completely lost me, but then again, I am only a month or so old. Any idea how many more there are like us now?"

"No clue, but judging by the news, I'd say a dozen more, and who knows how many people got bitten that just never told anyone. Something strikes me as odd, though."

"Besides the fact that you're rationally talking to what you previously believed to be just some animal?"

"Seriously, though. Every person that's been reported bitten has been a kid or a teenager. Not a single adult's been bitten yet that I know of. You don't think there's some kind of strategy to what they're doing do you?"

"I don't even know what strategy is."

"Right."

John's mother poked her head out of the door. "John, what are you doing? What if someone sees it? Get in here!"

"Well, I guess that ends that conversation."