Ch. 17: Family Born and Torn

The clouds converged gloomily above, a downcast tone similar to that of the first trip across the channel. Raoul was assisted by Emile and Maud, while Lucille directed them. Francoeur stood at the back, searching tiredly across the crowd on land for a tall, elegant figure. He kept in mind the conversation he had with his partner, but couldn't refrain his desire to see the woman he could never have. The mechanic was also disappointed in the disappearance of Serena, having once hoped to talk to her more about cars and mechanics. She would've been a good assistant to his trade, at least for the time they remained in town. He never did acquire all the parts he went there for, nor did Emile pop the question to Maud. For the men of the group, their trip was a grand failure. Everyone's nerves were too shot to continue north, so it was decided they would head straight home to Paris.

A loud horn blared, signaling the disguised flea to board the ship. Lucille waited patiently for him, she held his hand with a pitying smile and they began their descent home. The boat ride was as unpleasant the second time as it was the first. There were no comforting tunes or melodies to distract the passengers as the singing duo were in too low a mood. Francoeur traced the cover of his scrapbook idly, staring off at the shrinking figure of land.

Once his view was shrouded in blue, he took out a few newspapers and cut out selected articles. He included the advertisements for the venues they performed at, the inn that housed them, and places he visited. There were many articles concerning The Sandmen, although the accounts were false he did use them for a focus on the monster and wrote in his own account of their scuffles. It occupied him for an hour or so before he came upon that day's paper and was troubled by one of the side stories. It claimed that all over town, people were plagued of what they called visions of a horrible arachnid monster. Physicians blamed stress and madness for these night terrors that tortured troubled souls. It could only be a result of extreme remorse, because each victim admitted to being caught by the monster in a sinful act. Some called it an agent of God come down to punish sinners, while others saw it as a trick of the mind. In any case, it was strange that these people were being persecuted by the same demon in their nightmares. A shadow disturbed Francoeur's reading, he looked up the find a young boy blocking his light. The child chewed loudly on some sort of bread food, analyzing the man before him.

"You dumb enuff' to fall for that rubbish?" he spat, "I bet ya think faeries and sea munsters are as real as I stand before ya." The big guy tried turning away from him, but the boy snatched the paper from his hand. Shaking it mockingly, he read it with an incredulous and sarcastic tone. Lucille stomped over to put an end to the boy's bullying.

"That is not yours. Why don't you run off to your parents? I'm sure they miss you, being such a sweet boy that you are."

"Nope, they toll me to git lost for awhile. You his mum? Are you the one that's told him that faery tales err real?"

"I didn't need to teach him that extraordinary things happen."

"Estroardinery? I din't know you could calla demon that. Err you a follower of the devil? Is that why he's so big? Is he deformed? Is that why he wears the big clothes?"

"No, no to all of what you just said. Come on Francoeur, he's just a boy, but that doesn't mean you have to endure him."

"You foreigners err cowards, runnin away from things you don't like. I bet you would'v run away like all the other people in my town. Cowards, all of em 'cept for my father. He caught a real monster, a man who took out a building of lab men and stole their stuff. He was a thief and almost a murderer if it wasn't for my dad. He's a doctor, he saves lives!" the boy yelled out to the retreating duo.

"Ugh, I'm glad to be away from him. What was he going on about his father? It's not important anyway." Francoeur followed her blindly, thinking about the story the boy was telling.

He saw an article similar to what the boy was telling, a lab being raided a few towns or so over. The entire building had shot up in flames, the scientists were left outside in a bloody mess and one of their cars missing. It was reported that one of the lab men was left unharmed and he had stopped the thief from ending the lives of his coworkers with a dagger. He claimed to have chased down the man and restrained him for arrest. The thief was recognized as a worker of the lab that had been missing in the days leading up to the event. There was debate over the validity of the story, the organization being known for unethical practices. A rival firm accused the men of covering up questionable experiments before they were to be inspected by the city. Francoeur reviewed more about the incident, having nothing else to occupy his mind. Authorities also asked for "public compliance on any information regarding strange metallic boxes as they may contain unstable chemicals developed by the accused ex-scientist for malignant purposes." How did I remember all of that? I need to do something or I'm going to go mad.

He idly traced his pen on the paper, making smooth curves transform into elegant musical notes. They didn't make out to be a usable song, but it kept him occupied. The roar of the sea was an excellent back music to his troubled, scattered thoughts. Lucille sat them down by the group, shame radiating off her in fierce waves. It was necessary for her to have that talk with Francoeur, but the devastation on his face made her think otherwise. He wasn't surprised about it though, probably because he had been thinking the same thing. She felt terrible not only for bringing his fear into light, but for almost shoving her successful relationship in his face. After their talk, she relieved Emile of his baby siting duties and sat with Raoul for a while, simply content in holding his hand. She didn't know Francoeur had followed her until the door slammed shut. Her friend spent the rest of the night reading articles, newspapers, and any other print he could get his hands on. It was a strange coping mechanism he had. Something they were all very familiar with. How could we ever believe we saved him?

…

The sight before her filled her soul with warmth, vital like the sun. A little girl held hands with her parents as they meandered through the crowded street. Dressed in their best attire, they practically glided along, not with elegance, but in perfection like they were right where they're supposed to be. She knew neither the girl's nor her parents names, yet she knew everything else about them. This would be the last time she laid eyes on the family from those few weeks ago. The man had sobered up, and the girl nursed to perfect health. The mother, too, regained her sanity and, thus, stability. Farewell, comrades. Your mirth and spirit has given me purpose. She hid beneath a fish merchant's wooden sign, watching them pass by. For a fraction of a second, she held eye contact with the mother and did her best to communicate her feelings. You were the first to believe I was a guardian and I am eternally grateful. Then, Serena turned the opposite direction, leaving the woman to stare at nothing but the air a phantom breathed.

Dusk fell upon her quickly, so she ran the rest of the way 'home' to her awaiting 'family'. Those two words being used loosely. Her residence was in a closed off attic connected to a factory. It wasn't what one would call welcoming or even comfortable, but she adjusted well. As for her family members, they were more like old roommates that needed constant care and attention, like children or pets. But they were not pets, she couldn't degrade them to such a title. After all, they technically were her family members at one point.

Serena gently placed her hands on a glass case and was greeted by tiny, blue claws that stretched out toward her. She reached inside and allowed for her old friend to climb into the palm of her hand. A reminiscent smile graced her features, gaze locked on eight dark eyes that blazed specks of red-orange. He clicked his mandibles at her, traveling up her arm and onto her shoulder. The woman walked to a side table, careful of her passenger, to retrieve their meal for the evening. She walked back to the case and knocked against it, stirring up its occupants. More claws, legs, and fuzzy faces popped out from their hiding spots beneath web cocoons. A street-rat's limp body was dropped in the excited tangle of limbs, dissolving to the bone in less than two minutes.

The inseparable pair left the rest to enjoy the feast, favoring each other's company and the taste of dried fish. She balanced on the window ledge, an internal conflict engulfing her mind, one that she's been feeding for a while now. The idea was ridiculous, no good could come out of it. But how could she protect them all on her own. The security of a group was the only thing that made living in one beneficial. Now, they were nothing more than a burden. Except, they felt necessary to her survival. When they first revealed themselves to her at a shipping dock, she didn't have it in her to just continue passing by. They were lost souls thrown into a world that didn't even know of their existence. All she needed was one, one to look out for her while she looked out for all of them. The small glass vile that hung from her neck never felt heavier than in this moment. It would take barely any effort to clink her vile to the one around her friend's neck. Such a small action needed to change everything.

There was chittering at her side, the spider trying to jump down from his perch. Ultimately, she decided to take him out of the stuffy room where they might have space for the transformation. With a loud thud and squeak, the window was thrust open and the curtain of falling darkness covered up their movements from the city dwellers below. They spent hours simply traveling over buildings, across the bridge, to a secluded park area by the time night took over the sky. She sat idly by while the alpha arachnid spun in circles from a tree, swinging into her face occasionally to smack her on the nose playfully. And they believed we didn't have a thought in our heads besides fight, feed, and fu—. Her vision became distorted and a familiar feeling tickled her sides. She clenched her eyes shut and took a deep breath before facing her friend who watched her silently.

"I don't know if you even understand me as I'm like this, or even remember who I was, but I'm giving you a choice," she held up the two viles, "these have the power to make us, make you, like them and….a little more."

Normally, the process would be over in a second. This instance, she could feel every inch of her body change at an agonizing slow pace like nature decided to take a more practical amount of time. Her hands ached, curling and uncurling into fists that grew thicker. She didn't feel like she grew in height, but that her body was drifting away into the abyss of the night sky from where she could never return. That's exactly how she felt in each transformation, but it was always a fleeting tremor. A passing horror, being pulled away into an infinite nothing where she could only watch history pass by, but be unable to experience any present events like a ghost outcasted by reality.

"There! Over there! The experiment!"

"Ay, don't let that thing outta ya sight!"

Bugger me, 'pa' wants me back home. She took no time to even peek at her friend as she ran and shielded him in her hand. Loud car horns echoed throughout the streets like the symphony of a horror movie soundtrack. The sounds grew nearer, and they were closing in on her in the middle of a square with only one-story-buildings in the periphery. As she squatted low to jump, a loud boom resonated in the area. A chain mail net was launched high in the sky and encased her on its decent. Her sharp teeth and talons proved useless against the material. The weight also deterred her from running with the net or throwing it off. She collapsed at the spot onto her side, heaving and struggling to remain awake. In her hand…she felt nothing. Her eyes scanned frantically for the body of her companion and was drawn away by the sound of clicking around her neck. The two pieces of glass shone sharply under the street lights and contrasted with the blue claws of her friend. He locked eyes with Serena and held the gaze for a good three-seconds before splicing the viles with his talons. There was a bright light, screaming, and thuds before a dark shadow stood over her. The last thing she saw were iridescent, orange eyes and long arms reaching out to her.