Critter Volume 1 Chapter 10
“So you’re a shape shifter…but you can only turn into a Robin? That’s boring!” said Mitch “I’m most comfortable as a Robin, it’s easiest for me…and I can fly…can you fly? No you can sit in your office and read palms for change” Natasha replied “ALRIGHT! Back to business please!” yelled Lauren. Natasha told the people that she has been living outside of Bon Temps for years now and when she heard the trouble they were going through she decided to help. It wasn’t all out of the goodness of her heart, years back Madusa once fed on one of her top paying customers from her salon. Natasha always wanted to take her out. Once she found out how nothing would stop her. “There is one thing you all should know”. The vibes in the room went silent “well what is it?” asked Clayton “was anyone taken by Madusa?” she asked “Uh yes two of our friends…Jordan and Ashley…why?” asked Clay “I’m so sorry….but your friends are going to die”.
Ashley wondered how she was just going to walk into the bar and appear to people who assumed her missing for days. She knew she was not in any danger, but she owed Mitch an explanation. He was more than likely worrying constantly about her. She sat outside with her hand gripping the handle. She could hear customers inside with the light background muffle of dishes clanging. She took a deep breath and opened the door. It was silence as she stood in the doorway; people act like they see a ghost. Right away a frantic Julia runs and hugs the timid looking Ashley. “Oh My God!! Honey where have you been??” Ashley places her hand on Julia’s shoulder “I’ll explain everything later” she pushes through and runs to Mitch’s office to see him. She barged through the door to find Lauren, Tyson, Clayton and Mitch talking to a naked lady. Nothing close to what she expected. “ASHLEY!” Mitch jumped up and hugged her so tight “where were you? Tha—that house…it disappeared” Mitch was stuttering “START TALKING!” yelled Lauren.
~Flashback~
A hooded figure approached Ashley as she was running to the front door, the cloaked man grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with his hand, but not before she let out one scream. The man dragged her indoors “if you don’t stop screaming, that thing is going to find us and kill us” Ashley’s heart slowed down when she heard it was a woman’s voice. “I’m going to let go now, be quiet and sit over there” the woman pointed to a rocking chair by the window as she removed her hand from her mouth. Ashley decided to listen and take a seat, she looked out the window and she saw nothing but beautiful colorful gardens in the hot sun with a trickling stream traveling through. Wildlife pranced around as if they were putting on a show “what is this?” Ashley asked, when she was outside it was a pitch black dying forest and now all of a sudden it’s the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. “It’s whatever I want it to be, coffee or tea?”.
Ashley sipped on her Apple Cinnamon tea as she admired the lady’s figurines on her shelf “these are beautiful” she said “thank you very much young lady” Ashley was surprised to see that the woman that dragged her in here was older, she had to be at least 70 judging by her gray hair and wrinkles. “So do you live here? By yourself?” Ashley asked “I certainly do, this house has been passed down generations, it used to belong to my Grandmother” Ashley was pleased, she felt safe, she was planning on commenting on her beautiful art work when the lady interrupted “Don’t you want answers? Aren’t you wondering what this is, who I am and why I brought you here?”
The lady asked. “Of course I am, I was waiting for you to tell me”.
The lady’s sat on her back porch with their tea and a basket of biscuits. It seemed like a dream, but she knew it had to be real. The lady began to speak “first of all, I’m Kindred… but you can call me red if you’d like, now the reason you’re here sweetie is because if I don’t help you very soon you’re going to die.” Ashley sat down her glass “what do you mean?” “I don’t know what happened to you dear, but you have something inside of you. Something that if I don’t get it out fast, will come out on it’s own and tear you to shreds” Ashley sat up “what is inside of me” “well there isn’t a name for it quite yet, I call them critters, and honey…someone put that Critter inside you to grow strong, it slowly grows in you and once it’s strong enough…it’ll shoot out your pretty little throat!”. Ashley stood up “show me”.
The lady was in her basement for 36 minutes until she found the x-ray machine. Ashley didn’t know why she had it and she didn’t care. Once she began doing the scans Ashley grew more nervous to see if it was just a load of shit, or real. She began to think Madusa could have done something to her when she was in holding. “It’s printing now” Kindred said ash she walked to the printer. The paper fell out and ash Kindred looked at it she nodded her head and showed Ashley. “SEE IT’S A CRITTER!”.
~ --- ~
“I just about puked when I saw the image, it was inside of me, growing” Natasha spoke up “see I told you!”. “Kindred operated on me to get it out, she was able to kill it and stitch me back up. It’s out of me, but chances are it’s in Jordan too and by this time it could be strong enough to leave his body…we gotta save him!” yelled Ashley.
Jordan had a fist full of roses standing on Lena’s doorstep, she wanted to comfort her and be there for her after everything that happened to her. He knew things ended between them and he would respect that, but he still cared about her and that wasn’t going to change. He stepped up onto the first wooden stair when he felt a small pain in his ribs. He ignored it as he walked to the door. He pounded the door with his fist, excited to see the expression on Lena’s face when she saw him with flowers. He heard her steps coming closer to answering the door. His heart was racing. She swung the door open and she looked happy to see Jordan, all things considered. Before Jordan could even say anything a car pulled up to her house, it was Chevy, coming to pay his respects to Lena for her alleged loss. He stepped out of his truck with even bigger flowers “well maybe I out did myself” Chevy said as he laughed. “Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow, Lena these are for you” Chevy walked towards the porch to hand her the bouquet when he saw Jordan with a sweaty face and a blank stare “are you okay dude?” Jordan began screaming at the top of his lungs. Jordan was terrified from what he could see bones emerging from Chevy’s chest. Blood was pouring down his white button up shirt as he looked down. Whatever it was had punctured through his rib cage and began sliding up his throat. Chevy barely noticed it happened so quickly. The creature came through leaving Chevy nothing but a corpse along side his truck. The creature stood up with slime falling to the ground. It looked at Jordan and Lena with terrifying black eyes. “Lena…GET IN THE HOUSE!”.
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