The familiar creak of the old wooden door opening brought a sad smile to my face. I pushed through the entrance and proceeded down the hallway. Several doors led off from the main hall, but before I reached mine, another caught my eye—Dad's old room. Even though I had gotten everything moved in by now, I still didn't have the nerve to go in there. With another sigh, I proceeded into my studio. Aside from my own bedroom, I had claimed a spacious room (I think it was originally a guest room) for my personal space. A faint yet recognizable smell—the aroma of chalk, paint, and charcoal—wafted past my nose. An easel was set up in the corner with my latest piece: a charcoal sketch of Optimus Prime, the Autobot leader. One of my best, if I do say so myself.
"I hope they appreciate you the way I did..." I muttered, glancing around to make sure everything was in its proper place. I checked my bedroom next. It was a spacious master bedroom, complete with a walk-in closet and a plethora of nerdy memorabilia. A quick glance around the room revealed that everything was in pristine condition—a testament to the careful handling of the movers. I continued through the room and into the attached bathroom. I paused as I passed the vanity—superheroes everywhere: a Batman toothbrush holder, a Superman nightlight, an Iron Man soap dispenser, and even a Spider-Man soap dish. I grinned in slight embarrassment. I bet the movers thought I was a huge nerd. I shook my head as my stomach suddenly reminded me how long it had been since that last flight.
My footfalls echoed on the hardwood floor as I walked out of the bathroom and headed for the next door on the left: the kitchen. I opened cupboard doors and cabinets, looking for any sign of food or drink but found nothing. I decided to check the fridge first. It was mostly empty, but there were some bottles of water and sodas. I grabbed a bottle of Mountain Spring and popped the top. I carried it to the table and sat down. I needed something to do with my hands, and the cold can felt good against my skin. I took a sip and let the coolness wash over me. I'm hungry, I thought, as I peered over at the fridge again. I saw a box of cereal on the top shelf and scooped it down, taking a bowl out of the cabinet above. I poured a bowl and sat down to eat while I thought about this whole situation.
I should really call my mom, let her know I got here safely before I go see her tomorrow, I thought. I looked at the clock on the wall. It's almost 3:30. I stood up and walked over to the phone.
"Hello?" I heard my mom's voice say from the other end.
"Mom... it's me... I made it okay... everything is going to be alright," I tried to reassure her, but I could hear the defeat in her voice. She wasn't buying it. I could tell.
"Did you run into any trouble?" she asked.
"No, no problems... I'm just taking stock and I'll be by tomorrow," I said. I wanted to talk to her about everything, but I knew it would take time.
"Okay, sweetie. I'll see you then."
The phone went dead. I hung up and put the receiver back in its cradle.
"I guess I should start settling in," I muttered to myself. I started to head for the front door where my travel case sat when my eye caught sight of the entertainment center in the living room. I walked over and began opening drawers. The first drawer was empty except for a few DVDs. I pulled them out and examined the covers. They were mostly recent releases, but a couple were older: Transformers: The Movie, Gundam Wing: The Endless Waltz, and Super Fortress Macross. I smiled, happily distracted by my obsession with giant robots.
I looked inside the second drawer and found more DVDs. Most of the cases were empty, but a few contained episodes of several TV shows. I opened the DVD player and flipped through the menus until I found the episode guide screen. It looked like the latest was Transformers Prime. Eagerly, I pressed start and watched the last episode in the queue. The action unfolded as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Arcee fought against the evil Decepticons: Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, and Knockout.
After some time, I turned in for the night. My dreams were strange and disconnected. My dad's voice... saying something, and of course... the Transformers. What stood out most was what I swear were small robotic hands prodding and poking at me. I was rudely awoken by what sounded like a small explosion. I carefully peeked out into the hallway but didn't see anything. "Maybe a car backfiring...?" I reasoned as I returned to bed. I tried for a while to go back to sleep but couldn't, so I decided to get up and start the day. I took care of a few essentials in the bathroom, threw on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, and walked into the hallway. At first, everything seemed the same... except... the pictures.
I looked around and realized that most of the frames were empty. There weren't any pictures of Dad, me, or anyone else in the family in the ones that were still there. Only a few art pieces and autographed photos remained. Frowning, I continued down the hall. "What the hell is this?" I asked quietly. At the end of the hall were the missing photos, arranged near the base of the wall in some weird collage. Faces circled, and lines connected some with some sort of writing that I couldn't read. Before I could investigate further, the lights went out. I stood in the middle of the darkened hallway as the sound of the basement door opening cut short any more questions.
"Who's there?" I inquired. There was no answer. I felt something brush past my feet. Two small beams of light circled about half a foot off the ground. Remembering my cell phone had a light, I shined it around. I saw two little creatures—one much bigger than the other. One looked like a black feline, and the other was a blue, boxy sort of robot.
"Ravage! Attack!" The blue one spoke, and the feline pounced on my left foot, sinking tiny teeth into my bare skin. I yelled out in shock and confusion. The small feline snarled as I tried to kick it off. It yelped and was sent flying down the hall. The larger one's eyes narrowed as I recognized them.
"I... It... couldn't be. It's not... possible..." My disbelief was cut short as the feline got back up and joined its master.
"Organic inferior! Soundwave superior!" The robot coldly responded.