Káel ran faster than he ever knew he could, desperately pushing to keep up with Ray's abnormal pace. The band of bat monsters were close behind, holding their human appearance and riding the tailwind of the two boys, gradually picking up speed.

          Groups of people leapt out of the way as they tore down the sidewalk. The acreage was in sight, but exhaustion took over Káel as he gasped for air and slowed his pace. He stole a quick glance over his shoulder at the billowing cloaks of their guests, they were closing in fast. Káel yelped, doubling his speed and whipping past Ray into the grassy field.

          The two boys vaulted the gate without even checking the lock, and dashed into the house. Káel immediately snapped down every lock he could find on the door, bracing the doorknob with a chair he collapsed on to regain his breath. "What the f-"

          "Chirops," Ray cut in, giving the window a quizzical stare. "They're not supposed to be here."

          "Chirops?" Káel gave Ray an exaggerated nod as he smiled at the understanding, barely catching the sarcasm lacing Káel's voice. "Right, yeah okay... You don't seem particularly surprised that Dracula and his boy-band just attacked us, might I ask why?!"

          Ray removed his overcoat and obviously pulled his book out of some secret pocket. "Nice house." The door rattled and creaked, the shrill screeches of the chirops muffled by the sturdy barrier. Ray peeked through the small window in the door. "One... Two... Five... Six..."

          Káel grabbed a wooden bat out of a tin full of umbrellas, his voice still shaking with fear and aggravation. "Why are we being chased by bat monsters?"

          "Dunno," Ray said, pulling a small metal capsule out of his shirt, and flicking it out into a long baton. He looked over at Káel who was poised to smack in any direction with his bat, "maybe you?"

          Káel was even more confused now, slowly raising his eyebrows without a shred of amusement. "I didn't do anything."

          One of the windows in the kitchen shattered and two of the chirops crawled in, eyeing their targets with spitting gargles that barely passed for words. Ray swung his baton at one of the chirops as it leaped at him, crackling with electricity as soon as it touched the creature's skin, and producing a shriek as it retreated back a couple feet to hiss at its enemy.

          Káel's opponent circled him on all fours, trying to startle him with swipes and hisses as he turned-tail and booked it up a flight of stairs. With a couple cries of surprise at his thudding and clambering foe, he made it to the top, taking advantage of the high ground as he slammed the wooden bat across the chirops face, sending it tumbling back down with a cry of pain.

          He tried to shake the jitters from his hands, turning with the prospect of barricading himself in his room, when a cacophony of thumps came back up the stairs. A different, or perhaps the same chirop leapt up onto the landing, pursuing Káel as he screamed bloody murder and ran into his room. He hadn't gained enough distance to slam the door, instead leaping onto his bed and jumping to the other side of it as the creature fitted its massive wings through the frame and gave him a scolding hiss.

          "Kafi-iknan!" it spat, slowly stepping towards him and dropping to all fours like a lurking cat. "Munda'irai Caspiaraak."

          Káel looked at the creature with a whimpering grimace, holding up the bat as his entire body shook with fear. The creature took a left at the bed, forcing him to take a right as he stared at it in bewilderment, and tightened his grip until the flesh of his knuckles went pure white.

          The creature backtracked to take a right around the bed, scoffing in irritation as Káel respectively went left. "Kafi-iknan!" it repeated, growing indignant as Káel didn't budge and leaping onto his bed.

          With a girlish yelp Káel drew back, jumping as it hissed, and repeatedly screaming no as he fled the room with the chirop in hot pursuit. Thinking back on Ray's short display of fighting skills, Káel went barreling back down the steps in an attempt to dump the monster on him with the rest of the group, but he realised his mistake as he counted the five extra pairs of black eyes drawn to him, all respectively pinning down a part of Ray as he continued to struggle.

          Káel gave the stairs a double-take, tossing the bat in his hands at the chirop thumping down them, then turning back to the tin as he fixed his gaze on the five remaining spectators, and drawing a long black umbrella with growing worry.

          One of the chirops got off of Ray, prowling towards Káel with a light footed step as it stared at him in a curious fashion. "Caspiaraak?" They'd been repeating that word quite a bit, but Káel hadn't a single clue in deciphering their gibberish.

          "Caspia get the hell away from me!" he retorted, drawing a look of pure offense from the chirops as the one prowling towards him rose to its feet, moving to grab him. He popped open the umbrella in a surge of panic, causing every chirop in the room to jump back in terror, and in the process release Ray. His only ludicrous hope in surviving.

          Ray didn't spare a second to jump to his feet, socking one of the chirops in the head, while ducking under the grabbing arms of the rest to reach Káel. Káel quickly retracted the umbrella, fighting with hopeless swipes. They were positively done for, unless Ray had a grenade in his sock.

          Suddenly, a bulky mass slammed into the creatures, toppling them like perfectly aligned dominoes. This was the last thing Káel thought he'd ever see. Brick was bare-handedly pinning down each chirop like a pack of squealing pigs.

          Káel didn't understand. Brick, however emotionless he was, should have shown even the slightest bit of shock at being attacked by half a dozen human sized bats, but he impassively broke them down like they were any old cat burglar.

          One of the chirops attempted to flank Brick, but his leg shot up and he gave it a roundhouse kick to the face. It fell to the ground and twitched a little, before going motionless, allowing Brick to turn to his next victim. Káel backed away, this all had to be a dream, and he'd wake up any second now... Any second.

          Taking one step too many, he bumped into something. But he knew his house, Brick and Ray were fighting in the dining room, he was in the kitchen by now, and the island was to his left. There wasn't supposed to be anything behind him. Especially not something so warm... and fuzzy.

          Hot breath swept across the back of his neck, and a thick rotting stench choked his nostrils. He froze as his heart began to beat faster and faster, tightening his grip on the umbrella, he looked back.

          The silver haired chirop glared at Káel with savage eyes, a smug grin of success painted on its face, despite the traces of blood clotting at the side of its head. Káel tried striking him with the umbrella, but he caught the object mid swing, crushing it like an empty pop can. He didn't spare a second to gape at the remnants of his weapon and turned to run, but the massive chirop had anticipated his actions, grabbing his collar and throwing him against the counter.

          Ray stole the chirop's attention by throwing his overcoat over the creature's face, and whacking it a couple times with the electric baton, but it didn't affect this one as much as the other chirops.

          There was a throbbing pain in Káel's head where he'd hit the counter, and from what he could see, the chirop was winning the fight with Ray. He scanned the kitchen for a worthy weapon, and his eyes locked onto the sink.

          The cast iron pan he used that very morning was still in there. He grabbed it vengefully, walking over to the creature's turned back. The chirop was oblivious to Káel as he raised the pan high over its head, slamming it down with a resounding Ftang! It stood rigid, stumbling back in a woozy manner and giving Káel the chance to give it another good whack, watching the chirop fall to the floor limply.

          The remaining chirops fighting Brick stopped and looked at Káel's handiwork, not even making a single attempt to rescue their companions, as they fled the house. The pain in Káel's head had reached an unbearable intensity, and his vision blurred. A heavy coat of fatigue swept over him as he dropped to the floor and blacked out.

  —————   

          Warmth enveloped him in a soft fluffy blanket when he awoke, the crimson rays of sunset dancing around his room, and the softest hum sang through the dead air. Jeremiah was perched over his face grooming his nose while Káel regained his foggy memories. As soon as Ray's face crawled into his head, Káel shot out of his covers and ran to the kitchen. Brick stood there, vacuuming the floor impassively. The window and back door were in perfect condition.

          A glimmer of hope crossed Káel's mind, could it have been a horrible dream? He thought, looking around for any evidence that said otherwise, but there was nothing; everything was in its proper place.

          The more he pondered his theory, the more he believed it, until he walked into the living room and almost had a heart attack. Ray was sitting on the couch, trying to master the intricate art of sewing. Káel punched the air in disappointment and stroked the back of his head, a tender lump had formed that spiked with pain at the slightest touch.

          Ray greeted Káel, and stabbed at his uniform, sewing one of the sleeves shut with neon pink thread and getting more irritated by the second.

          "Why are you still here?" Káel growled, grabbing a pack of frozen peas from the freezer to place on his head.

          Ray accidentally stabbed his thumb with the needle, cursing under his breath. He threw the overcoat on the floor, whipping a long remote looking object out of his pocket. He pointed it at the bundle of cloth yelling svaika, like it was some disobedient puppy. After the twentieth relentless command, a blue spark zapped the bundle, bursting it into a thick cloud of pink smoke.

          Ray waved away the smoke revealing the overcoat, it was sitting on the couch in perfect condition. He put it back on, adjusting it until it was comfortably rested on his broad shoulders.

          He looked at Káel, suddenly remembering his question. "I'm here to keep you company." He bowed courteously. There was still some pink smoke streaming off his coat as he walked over to Káel, blasting him with the stench of burning polyester.

          Káel didn't find his company very comforting, especially since his first encounter with Ray was them almost getting killed by monstrous bats.

          He picked up the T.V. remote, pressing all the random buttons on it. "And... I'm waiting for ride." Eventually it turned on, and Ray stared at the screen like a deer in headlights.

          Káel stroked the smooth metal surface of his cellphone, he could call the cops and Ray would be out of his hair for good. But there was a barrier, Káel didn't know what it was, curiosity, fear, he just couldn't do it.

          "Ride? Someone's coming to pick you up?" It was hard enough dealing with Ray, let alone any acquaintances he had.

          "No... Not only me. You too."

          Káel chuckled nervously. "Oh no, I'm good with staying here. I'd hate to be a burden to you."

          "Not safe." Ray said, pausing as he fished through the couch cushions for his book. He flipped through its pages, stopping halfway. "If you stay, white flowers... more monsters will come."

          More monsters? Káel didn't like the sound of that, but he didn't like the thought of going with Ray either. Suddenly, Káel remembered his uncle, he knew everything about the weird and crazy, he could call him.

          Something furry brushed against Káel's leg. Jeremiah was sitting there, along with a friend. The familiar brown tabby watched Ray with its lemony gold eyes, while Káel tried to piece together how the feline had gotten into his house.

          "Ragdoll!" Ray exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he whistled to the cat. The feline trotted up to him, its feather duster of a tail swishing happily as he removed a large silver ball from its collar.

          "What's that?" Káel caught the ball as Ray lobbed it at him, rolling the flawless orb in his palm. It had the trickling feeling of cold water, and was as light as a feather, but its function was a complete mystery to Káel, since, in his eyes, it was a giant marble.

          Ray said another word in his strange language and the ball softly whirred, lifting into the air. Káel backed away, watching the metal ball float motionlessly in the air as if it had been photo shopped.

          "It's a Telly," Ray replied, moving his hand around the empty space the ball was floating in. "No strings."

          "That's a telephone?"

          Ray looked at Káel like he was a complete idiot. "No... Telly, te-le-port." He sighed at Káel's blank expression. "Rrghh! Hate English! Messy trash!"

          Without any warning, Ray grabbed Káel's arm, stabbing a small syringe into it that he'd flicked out of his sleeve. The sudden jolt of pain made Káel drawback and punch Ray in the face, rubbing the tiny swell mark on his arm with a new wave of panic.

          "The heck was that for?!" Káel snapped, holding his phone at the ready.

          Ray smiled, and swiped the Telly out of the air. "That, was a translator. Now I don't have to use that infuriating book to brush up on my English skills." He smiled, his choppy accent had eerily vanished, along with the anger on Káel's face, leaving an exhausted look of fear. "You can now understand most of Lumi's languages, not including non-humanoids, and Novans."

          Káel grew silent, walking over to the door and lacing up his shoes.

          "Where are you going?"

          "My psychiatrist." It wouldn't have surprised him if he'd finally gone loopy from practically living alone for four years.

          Ray stepped in front of the door. "Unfortunately, I can't let you do that. Ragdoll, please activate the Telly."

          The brown cat meowed and Ray dropped the Telly in Káel's hands. He glanced at the ball, confusion filling his face, and then, as far as he was concerned, made the biggest mistake of his uneventful life. There was the softest click that came from the orb, and he rolled it over, looking down at the little circular button he'd accidentally pressed.

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3/19/2018