Dog

          This is a story of a mysterious dog.   It came out of nowhere and followed me home.   My name’s Darian Crenshaw.   This is the story.

            See, I live in a town called Dowden.   It’s a real nice place.   The folks are friendly and we get along well.   I live all by myself.   I'm twenty-four and live alone.   I really want a companion.   My parents moved away from here when I was six.   I lived with my grandparents until now.   They live right next to me.   That’s pretty cool though.   I can visit them anytime I want to.   Anyway, back to the dog.

            I was walking down the alley behind my house.   I had just come from the store.   It was a dark, cool night.   I was kinda scared but I didn't let it bother me.   I saw a shadow dart in front of me.   I stopped abruptly.   I glanced around.   Nothing around.   I continued walking on home.   Seeing my fence coming up, I heard a noise behind me.   I spun around like a top and looked down.   It was a black dog with pointed ears.   It was a Doberman.   I heard it whimpering.  

            “Go on!   Get outta here!” I yelled at it.   It came closer.   I saw it had a bite mark on its right side.   It was huge.   Something must’ve bitten it.   The dog shuffled to my side and rubbed my leg with its head.   I touched its fur affectionately.

            “Alright.   You can come with me,” I said, sighing.   I walked up to my gate and opened it.   The dog went through and I followed.   I skipped up the backporch steps and opened my door.   The dog strided in and lay on the kitchen floor.   Setting the groceries on the table, I bent down and stroked the dog's fur.   It was very soft.   Picking it up, I took it to my living room.   I got some towels and my doctor bag.   I’m a medical student.   Luckily.   I spread the towels on the carpet and opened my bag.  

            “Come here dog,” I whispered, patting my leg.   It ambled slowly over to me.   It laid down on the towels, its right side to me.   I noticed it was a girl.   Taking out my pouch from the bag, I pulled out a needle, thread, gauze and ointment.   I also took out my penlight.   Clicking it on, I examined her wound.   Something or someone did some major damage.   The wound was deep.   I put on some gloves and felt in the wound for organ damage.   This might sound strange but there were no organs at all.   Only sacs of some kind.   They felt squishy.  

            Whipping my hand out, I quickly sewed the dog up.   She sat up and looked in my eyes.   Her eyes were black.   They were like two gaping holes.   Suddenly, her eyes flickered purple.   The purple seemed to flow in and out of the black.   I backed away, afraid.  

            “Okay.   Let me get cleaned up and I'll feed you,” I said, standing up and going to the bathroom.   I got the towels, washed my hands thoroughly, and went to the kitchen.   I found some leftovers and warmed them up.   I pulled the food from the microwave.   It smelled delicious.   Roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots, and hot rolls filled the kitchen.   I heard the clicking of claws on the tiles.   I pivoted and saw the dog standing there.

            “Do you like roast beef?” I humorously asked, a little laugh coming out.   The dog whimpered.  

            “Alright.   Let’s eat,” I said, grabbing my plate and heading back into the living room.   Plopping myself at the table, I clicked on the TV.   I channel surfed as I ate.   I stopped at channel 16.   A good movie was on.   “Kiss of the Dragon” was on.   I love this movie.   I looked at the dog.   She was sitting near my legs.   I took a thin slice of roast beef and held it out to her.   She sniffed it curiously and lapped it up.   As she did that, I felt a nip on my finger.   I looked down and saw I was bleeding a tiny bit.   I leapt up and went to the bathroom.

            While Darian was in the bathroom, the dog suddenly began to change.   The fur fell off onto the floor.   The dog was totally hairless.   It shook violently as it changed.   Hearing Darian coming back, the dog ran and hid behind the couch.  

I came back and saw the dog had disappeared.   Spotting fur all over the floor near my chair, I began to worry.   I glanced around nervously.  

“Dog?   Dog, where are you?” I asked shakily.   I saw the dog fur and glimpsed a trail leaving it.   Cautiously, I followed the trail.   It led to the couch.   Peering slowly behind it, I almost screamed at the sight.   The dog was changing!   She was contorting and howling.   Her front leg shot forward on the floor.   The paw elongated and slender fingers formed.   The head flew up.   It swayed this way and that, pulsating and throbbing.   The head transformed into a woman’s head.  

Finally, the body molded itself into a woman’s.   Thick, wavy black hair sprouted from her head.   I stepped carefully up to her.  

“Dog?” I asked, slowly kneeling down.   Her head came up, a mean look on her face.   I jumped up and tried to run, but I was paralyzed.   She quickly stood up, looking around.   Looking at me, she held up her left hand.   A slit opened on the palm.   I blinked, stunned.   Rapidly, she spoke in an obscure language.

"Krakktototoaaaagulaacc!" She uttered, glaring at me.   Her eyes were black, purple moving in and out.

“Huh?” I asked.   Then, I saw a mist come from her hand.   It sprayed into my eyes.   I fell back on the floor, scratching my eyes.   Then, I stopped and was knocked out cold.

A few hours later, I woke up.   The woman was standing over me.   She was still naked.   I sat up quickly and backed away.   My back bumped into the couch.   She crept slowly up to me.

“I’m sorry I sprayed you.   When I encounter a new species, my defense mechanism activates,” she spoke, touching my temple.

“You-you can speak English?” I asked, moving away from her touch.

“Yes.   Once you spoke, I found a library of languages in my brain.   English was the first one,” she explained, moving to my side rapidly.

“What’s-what’s your name?” I questioned, my voice shaking.

“Kirashnadevnisabora,” she rattled off.

“Can I call you Kira?”

“You may,” Kira replied, standing up.   I looked at her body.   She was so beautiful.

“Let me get you some clothes,” I said, getting up and racing upstairs.   I rummaged through my closet and found a blue plaid shirt and bluejeans.   I ran back down and gave them to her.   She stared at them oddly.   I stepped up to her and told her to put out her arms.   She stuck them straight out towards me.

“No, no!   To the sides,” I laughed, watching her put her arms to the sides.   I walked behind her and slipped a shirtsleeve onto her arm.   I did the same to the other one.   I walked back in front of her and handed her the pants.

“Want me to show you how to put these on?” I asked, looking at her unbuttoned shirt.

“Oh!   Let me--,” I started to add, but she stopped me.   I watched as she looked at my shirt.   I had on a buttoned shirt, too.   Kira was studying how to button a shirt!   I saw her hands move to the shirt and she buttoned it.   Then she looked at my pants.   What she’s doing is accessing the last time someone did something (in this case, Darian putting on his pants) and she goes through the steps.  

I saw her stretch the pants out and open the fly.   She slipped one slender leg into one leg and the other in the second leg.   After Kira fastened the pants, I motioned for her to follow me.   I walked upstairs, Kira softly following behind.   We emerged in a hallway.   I shuffled a few steps down the hall and stopped at a door across from mine.   I opened it and flipped on the light.   The room filled with bright light.   Kira stepped in and glanced around in awe.   There was a desk and a large bed in the room.

“This is where you’ll sleep,” I spoke, yawning suddenly.   Kira looked back at me.

“Thank you,” she said, slowly sitting on the bed.

“You’re welcome.   I’ll be getting to bed now.   If you need anything, just come and get me,” I instructed, yawning and walking out.   I stepped into my bedroom door and turned around.   Kira waved at me.   I waved back and smiled.   Then, I closed my door.   I shuffled to my dresser and opened the bottom drawer.   I pulled out my semi-thick pajamas.   They were plaid.   I undressed and slipped them on.   I jumped into bed and touched a button above my headboard.   I started to fall asleep.

While Darian slept, Kira opened her door and slipped out.   She slithered quietly to Darian’s door.   She opened it slowly, trying not to rouse him.   Her bare feet padded across the hardwood floor.   Darian stirred minutely.   Kira stopped in her tracks.   He stopped stirring and Kira continued up to his bed.   She flew a foot into the air and floated over to the other side of Darian’s bed.   Kira pulled back a part of the covers and slipped under.   Darian wasn’t facing her.   She wrapped her arms around his waist.   She cuddled up close to him.   Kira’s hands lifted his pajama shirt up a little.   She caressed his velvety skin.

Her fingers spread wide and she released a pink light.   It covered them both.   On her world, this is a sign when someone’s in love.   It’s her Love Light.   She loves Darian!

I had weird dreams that night.   I dreamt about Kira.   She was floating in blackness.   I was, too.   I swam up to her and saw that her eyes were closed.   I touched her softly on the cheek.   Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled.   I smiled back, looking her over.   She was nude except for a thin, light pink sarong.   Her arms were crossed over her chest.

“Darian,” she whispered, floating closer to me.   I felt my pajamas disappear and replaced by pants of the same material as her sarong.   Kira’s arms flew up and embraced me.   I encircled her, too.   A pink light replaced the blackness.   I felt warmth surround us.   As she whispered my name again, I felt her lips caress mine.   She kissed me softly at first, and then harder.   My hands ran through her wavy hair.   We were in bliss.  

The next morning, I woke up and felt Kira behind me.   I sat up abruptly and her arms fell off me.   I looked at her and saw her hands fading from a light pink back to her golden color.   I got out of bed quickly and quietly, staring at Kira’s hands.   I showered quickly and got dressed.

Padding softly downstairs, I walked to the kitchen.   Opening the refrigerator, I gazed inside to scope out some breakfast opportunities.   I took out a carton of eggs, some ham cubes, and some cheddar cheese.   Placing it on the counter, I looked in the cupboard under the sink and fished out a skillet.

Grabbing a non-stick skillet, I placed it on the stove and turned on the burner.   I cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl.   Beating them with a fork, I poured them into the skillet.   They sizzled wildly.   I threw in some ham and cheese.   Ummmmm!   I love ham and cheese omelets!   The smell wafted up to me.   I inhaled deeply.   I turned around to put the eggs, ham and cheese back into the refrigerator when I saw Kira.   She was standing at the doorway of the kitchen.

“Oh!   You startled me Kira,” I said, a little laugh sneaking out.  

“Sorry Darian,” she replied, staring at me seriously.   I motioned for her to sit down at the table.   She did so.   I put the eggs and stuff up and went back to the skillet.   I flipped one side of the omelet over.   When it was done, I turned off the burner and got out a plate.   I slid the omelet out onto it and placed it on the table.   I got out two plates and two forks.   Sitting a fork and plate in front of Kira, I set my plate down.   I went to a drawer and got out a knife.   I sliced the omelet in half.

Putting a half on my plate, I prayed before I ate.   I watched Kira to see if she’d put a half on her plate.   She stared at the yellow object.

“It’s an omelet.   A breakfast food consisting of eggs.   You can put anything in it.   Ham and cheese for instance.   Or tomatoes, peppers, bacon, anything,” I rattled off, cutting a large piece of omelet and placing it in my mouth.

“Om-let,” Kira struggled to say, watching me cut my omelet.   She picked up her fork and looked at it.   She turned it over and over in her hand.   She glanced at me and began to hack at her omelet.

“No, no!   That’s not how you do it!   Here,” I exclaimed, getting up and showing her.   I grabbed her right hand and gently moved it back and forth in the air.

“Like that,” I instructed her.   I went back to my chair and watched her.   She did just what I told her.   Her hand moved back and forth across the remnants of her omelet.   I smiled.   She smiled and placed a hunk of ham and cheese-filled egg in her mouth.   She chewed slowly.   She seemed to be enjoying it.   We finished our breakfast in silence.   After we ate, I cleared the table and put our dishes in the sink.   I grabbed her slender hand and guided her into the living room.   We sat down on the couch.   Kira cuddled up close to me.   Her hand rested on my chest.   I moved my left arm from under her head and around her narrow shoulders.

Clicking the TV on, I saw Showtime was still on from last night.   I channel surfed for a while and then stopped on HBO.   A boring-looking movie was on.   I sighed and left it there.

“We’re changelings,” Kira blurted out.

“What?” I asked, looking down at her.   Her face turned up to mine.

“My people.   We metamorphose into different things,” she answered, sitting up now.

“You mean, you’re an alien?” I questioned.   Just then, the doorbell rang.   I got up, jumped over the couch (barely missing Kira’s head) and walked briskly to the door.   Looking through the peephole, I saw my grandparents.   A big smile cracked my face.   I unlocked the door and welcomed them.

“Grammy!   Pappy!   Oh, how good to see you!” I exclaimed, grabbing them both in a big bear hug.

“Oh Dari!   Good to see you, too!” Genevieve Jones yelled, trying to squirm from my grasp.   Jeremiah Jones broke from my grasp.   I let Grammy go and looked at them both.   They were both 76 and looking great.   Grammy’s hair was curly and dark brown with a little silver at the temples and some running throughout.   Her caramel skin had a few wrinkles at her eyes, around her mouth and on her hands.   Pappy still had smooth chocolate skin.   He barely had any wrinkles.   His hair was black with gray running throughout also.  

“Come in, come in!   I want you to meet someone,” I said happily, grabbing their hands and dragging them from the door.   I closed it and pushed them into the living room.   Kira still sat on the couch.   But now she got up and shuffled away from the couch.   She stared at my grandparents.   I introduced her to them.

“Kira these are my grandparents, Genevieve and Jeremiah Jones.   Grammy, Pappy, this is my new friend Kira,” I introduced happily, putting my arms around their shoulders.

“Hello Kira,” Grammy and Pappy harmonized.

“Hi,” Kira shyly said.   Her eyes darted from Grammy to Pappy, and then she sprinted from the room.   I heard her footsteps bounding up the stairs.   I laughed nervously.  

“Uh, she’s shy,” I said, my voice shaking.

“Where did you meet her?” Grammy asked, plopping on the couch, helping Pappy sit down.

“Uh, at a party,” I lied, sitting next to Pappy.  

“Aaawww!   How cute!   She’s very pretty,” Grammy exclaimed.

“Yeah, she sure is.   So, what brings you here?” I asked, playing with a thread in the couch.

“Well, we were driving from breakfast at Tony’s and we went to the store.   We brought our groceries inside and hopped over here!   We wanted to see how you were doing,” Grammy explained.   Tony’s my uncle.   He lives way out on the outskirts of Dowden.   His house is really huge.   He’s a billionaire.   I forgot how he got so much money.   We sat there and talked for a while.   Then, Grammy and Pappy lowered their voices.

“What?   What’s wrong?” I asked, apprehension creeping in my voice.

“Well, your mom and dad were driving from Crendale to come see you last week.   The road was a little slick from the rain.   They were going only 35.   A dog darted into the street.   They swerved, and….and..,”   Grammy broke off and sobbed uncontrollably.   Pappy held her.   I got up and jumped in front her.  

“Are they okay?” I asked, grabbing her arm.   She looked up, tears streaming down her face.

“No.   When they swerved, the exhaust pipe gouged the dog.   And….and they drove into a ditch.   They were injured severely,” she finished.  

“Are they okay?” I repeated.

“No!   They died at the hospital!   Your mom’s last words were, ‘Th-th-the dog h-had pointed ears, and w-w-was black.’   Oh my daughter!” Grammy exclaimed, crying again.   What?   My parents?   Dead?   Nooooooooooooooo!   I cried, too.   No, I bawled my eyes out!   OH MY GOODNESS!   My head fell into Grammy’s lap.   We held each other for a long time.   Kira had come downstairs.   She looked at us.   She felt their sadness.   A tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

The next day, the funeral happened.   I asked Grammy and Pappy and dad’s family if they could ask the funeral home to keep the caskets closed.   I didn’t want to see them.   At the funeral, Kira stood to my left.   She held my hand.   Everyone wore black, accept for my twin niece and nephew, Kayla and Kendrick, who were four months old.   They wore matching white outfits with little hats.   My sister, Jeniva, stood to my right.   She held Kayla and Kendrick.   She just had her 26 ^th birthday.   She lives a few streets down from me.

I looked down at mom and dad’s matching caskets.   The preacher was telling their life.   Then, he led us in prayer.   Tears kept streaming down my cheeks.   After the prayer, I collapsed and cried.   Kira and Jeniva held me, caressing my back.

The dog had pointed ears?   It was black?   Like Kira.   I mulled that over in my mind.   When we came home, Jeniva asked if Kira and I needed any company.   I said yes.   She came in and sat down, turning the TV on.   I plopped down next to her, putting my head in her lap.   I felt Kira gently lay her head on my side.

“NO!   Get away from me!” I yelled, sitting up and glaring at her.   She jumped up and sprinted up the stairs.   I put my head back on Jeniva’s lap.   She caressed my cheek.  

“Ha.   Remember when mom and dad took us to the Water Park in Florida?”

“Yeah.”

“The day before, they told us we weren’t going anywhere for the summer.   Mom told us to pack our bags because we were going to stay at a camp for four weeks,” Jeniva said, turning off the TV and setting the remote on the arm of the couch.

“Yeah!   They said we were bad,” I recalled, sitting up and looking at my sis.   She had the same chocolate skin as me, accept her hair was chocolate brown instead of black.   My eyes were a smoky gray color and hers were brown.  

“We were riding for a long time, weren’t we?   We were asleep and when the car stopped, we woke up.   We were so happy we didn’t go to camp!” she finished, laughing.   We laughed heartily.   After that, we stopped and sat there, staring at the TV.

Jeni turned it back on and surfed.   She found a movie.   It was “Poetic Justice” with my favorite singer, Janet Jackson.   It was coming on now.   I saw it when it came out at the theater and every time it came on the movie channels.   I even bought it!   I love this movie!   After the movie went off, Jeni said she had to go.

“Well, I’m glad you feel better, Dari,” Jeni said, pulling on her coat.   She left, after hugging me tightly.   I watched her get into her car and depart.   Closing the door, I looked at my watch and saw it was late.   It was midnight!   Me and Jeni were up talking all night!   I trudged up the stairs, not wanting to see Kira.   I went to my room.   I closed the door, changed, and got under the covers.   I fell asleep right away.

The next morning, a Saturday, I woke up.   I didn’t feel like getting up.   I just lay there, staring at my wall filled with Janet Jackson posters.   She always cheers me up.   I felt a little happiness come in.   I stared at this one poster in particular.   Janet’s wearing this shiny crop top and jeans.   Her hair’s straight and blown by some wind from a fan.   Her head is slightly lowered, her eyes piercing into mine.   I love her so much.  

I finally budged.   I sat up, throwing off the covers and flinging my legs over the edge of the bed.   My eyes roved over each poster.   I stared at another one.   It’s a 1993 poster, just like the last one I looked at.   Her hair’s curly and she’s sitting on a car hood.   She’s mugging again.   She looks so beautiful when she mugs.   Now, I stare at another one.   It’s from the “I get lonely” video, right when she rips open her shirt.   I love that video.   It’s one of my favorite videos.

Finally, I get up and walk over to my CDs.   I have all of Janet’s CDs.   I pick out “The Velvet Rope.”   Popping it in my player, I turn the track to “You.”   Hitting play, the track comes on.   Her sweet voice wafts out at me.   “Here I am in your face, tellin’ truths and not your old lies.   Seems to me that you care, and I know that you’re runnin’ out of time.   See ya can’t get away, I’ll be here forever and again.   Whisperin’ in your ear, do believe cause ya know you cannot win.”   Then, her deep, rapping voice comes in.

“Spent most your life pretending not to be.   The one you are but who you choose to see.   Learned to survive in your fictitious world.   Does what they think of you determine your worth?   If special’s what you feel when you’re with them.   Taken away you feel less than again.   That’s right, you gotta mean what you say, you gotta say what you mean.   Tryin to please everyone, sacrifice your own needs.   Check in the mirror my friend, no lies will be told then.   Pointing the finger again.   You can’t blame nobody but you.”  

I bopped to the song up until she started spelling conscience backwards.   “C-N-E-I-C-S-N-O-C.   You can’t blame nobody but.   C-N-E-I-C-S-N-O-C.   You can’t blame nobody but you.   C-N-E-I-C-S-N-O-C. You can’t blame noboday!   C-N-E-I-C-S-N-O-C.   Oh, that’s right!”   I love the way she says “You.”   “Yooou-you-you-you.   Yooou-you-you-you-you.”   After listening to that song, I put on “Together again.”   In dedication to my parents.   I sing my favorite line, but with a few changes: “Always been a true angel to me, now above.   I can’t wait for you to wrap your wings around me mommy.   Wrap them around me daddy.”   I start to cry.   I shut the music off with my remote.   I lay back down on my bed.   I hear the door creak open slowly; I hear footsteps creeping up to me.   I feel the bed move a little.

Kira .   I think, closing my eyes tight.

“I’m sorry for your parents.   That dog, it wasn’t me.   It was my brother.   He’s evil.   He doesn’t like anyone,” she spoke softly, touching my back.   I sit up abruptly, glaring at her.

“Oh yeah?   Then where were you that night?” I questioned.

“With you.   But, I guess you don’t want me anymore.   So, I’ll leave.”   She got up and touched my forehead.   Everything went white.

Kira left Darian lying there on the bed.   She slipped out the front door and into the cold morning.   She started to cry.   People were staring at her.   She finally went into an alley and lay in the garbage.   She opened her left palm and willed a slit to form.   A hologram formed in the air.   A beautiful woman’s face appeared.   She smiled.   Kira spoke to her.

“I-I shouldn’t have come here.   He thinks I killed his parents!   I didn’t mother!”   The smile vanished from the woman’s face.

“Well, what do you want to do about it?” her mother asked.

“Come back to you?” Kira answered, wiping tears from her eyes.

“No, no, honey.   Go back to him and make him believe that you didn’t kill his parents.   Show him how ruthless your brother is.   Okay?”

“Okay mother.   I’ll do that,” Kira replied softly, like a little child.   Her mother smiled, and then the hologram vanished.   As Kira got up, she felt a chill go down her spine.   She looked around and saw a man lying in the garbage across from her.   She stared at him for awhile then she left.   Just seconds after she left, the man turned into her brother.   He looked just like Kira.   Accept he was a few years older.   He smiled evilly.   Then, he got up and followed her.   Back to Darian’s house.

After Kira left, I got up and took a shower.   I showered for a long time.   The hot water felt good against my back.   After showering, I got out and threw on some clothes.   I trudged downstairs to the kitchen.   I fried some bacon in a skillet so I could make a sandwich.   Fumbling around in the refrigerator, I found some cheddar cheese slices.   Smelling the sizzling bacon brought back memories of mom making breakfast for Jeniva and I.   I smiled at that thought.   Then, a black dog tore through my reverie.   I frowned and turned off the stove.

I grabbed a plate, put a couple of paper towels on it and put the bacon on it to cool.   I sat at the table and thought about an apology for Kira.   Kira, I’m sorry.   Kira, I know I was mad at you, but I was caught up in grief.   I love you Kira.   I didn’t mean to hurt you.   A million more apologies ran through my head.   After the bacon was cooled, I plopped some on bread and threw some cheese on it and headed in the living room.   I fell heavily on the couch, nibbling on my sandwich.   Just then, I heard a knock at the front door.   I got up slowly and shuffled to the door.   Looking through the peephole, I saw a beautiful face.   Kira!   I tore open the door and grabbed her in a bear hug.   She was startled, then she hugged me.

“Kira!   You’re back!   I’ve had time to think things through.   Kira, I’m so sorry for the way I treated you.   I love you and I will never do that again.   Forgive me?” I said in one fatal swoop.   I pulled her away from me and looked at her.   She smiled and said:

“Yes Darian.   I forgive you,” she answered softly.   I pulled her inside and closed the door.   I gulped down the rest of my sandwich and we went upstairs to my room.   We lied down on the bed and held each other.   I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.   Then, we dropped off to sleep.

While Kira and Darian were asleep, Kira’s brother, Maran, crept up to the back door.   He flexed his right arm and small purple bolts of lightening shot from his hand and into the lock.   The door creaked open slowly.   Maran creeped in and shut the door cautiously.   Transforming into a snake, he scoped out the house, slithering in and out of the kitchen, living room, and bathroom.   He flattened himself and squeezed under the basement door.   He stealthily slithered down the stairs.   He came to rest in the middle of the concrete floor.   Then, he turned back into himself.   Maran used his heightened sight to see in the dark.   He saw cardboard boxes and old newspapers in one corner.   The others were bare.

“Ha, ha, ha, Darian and Kira.   I shall wreak havoc on you,” he hissed, stepping over to one of the bare corners.   He willed threads of liquid to come from his skin.   The threads wrapped around him to form a cocoon.   The cocoon formed ropes to stick to the adjacent walls.   The cocoon pulsed and throbbed.   There, he waited.

After sleeping for a few hours, I woke up and stretched.   I looked down at Kira.   She looked like an angel, her jet black, wavy hair spread out on the pillow.   I touched her arm softly, shaking her.   “Wake up, Sweety,” I whispered into her ear.   She stirred and opened her eyes.   They were purple.   Just then, the purple dissipated.   Weird, I thought, smiling at her.   She smiled at me.

“You’re probably wondering why my eyes did that.   Whenever my people go to sleep, we shield our eyes from our planet’s harmful rays of light,” she said, propping herself up on her elbows.

“But, you’re on earth,” I said, yawning suddenly.

“I know, but you never can know,” she said breathily, sitting up and softly kissed me.   She pulled off and got up to stretch.   Like a nail shooting through her head, she grabbed it and screamed.   She stumbled and almost fell.   I jumped over the bed and caught her.

“What?   What’s wrong?” I uttered loudly, gripping her shoulders.

“He’s here!”   She whispered loudly.

“Who?   Who’s here?”

“My brother, Maran.   Oh!   How’d he get here?”

“Where is he?”

“In this house.   In, in a lower room.   What is it?   The b-b-b-b-b-…”

“Basement?”

“Yes!   We have to find him and destroy him.”   She answered, still gripping her head tightly.   Suddenly, she wrenched loose from my grasp and fell to the floor, writhing and moaning, as if in pain.   I bent down and grabbed her hands.   Then, the vision hit me like a ton of bricks.   I saw her brother.   I saw the cocoon throbbing and pulsing grotesquely.   I saw into the cocoon now.   I saw Maran’s eyes open.   They were fiery red.   I saw black fur sprout from his body.   I saw his teeth grow into large fangs.   He started to growl.   That’s where the image stopped.   I heard the growl come from the basement.   It was muffled.   But, it was bloodcurdling.

I jumped up, pulling Kira up with me.

“Kira,” I softly whispered, “wake up babe.   What do we have to do?   How do we destroy him?”   Kira had stopped moaning and was staring at the ceiling.   She lay limp in my arms.   Then, a guttural noise came from deep in her throat.   She spoke slowly and deeply:

“We must stab him in the heart.   Stab him with a large, sharp knife.   Our heart is the most vulnerable part of us.”   Her eyes closed.   I tapped her on the cheek with my palm.   Her eyes flew back open and she stared at me.

“Kira?”

“You have to do it.   I’m too weak.   Do it now.”

“No!   You have to regain your strength!   I can’t lose you now Kira!   I love you! ” That last part I whispered.   I laid her on the bed and leaned over her.   I kissed her softly on the lips.   Works in movies , I thought.   I pulled away and stood up.   I stared down at her for any sign of returning strength.   Suddenly, she started to convulse.   Spittle erupted from her mouth.   I ran to my bathroom and grabbed some tissue.   I came back and saw her on the floor, on her back, writhing and holding herself.   Just as suddenly, she stopped moving.

I cautiously shuffled over to her and knelt over her.   I wiped her mouth and forehead.   She’d been sweating profusely.   Her eyes fluttered open.   Kira gave me a small smile.   I smiled back and pulled her up to her feet.

“You back?”

“Yes, my love.   Now, let’s go get my brother.”   We went downstairs to the kitchen and looked in the utensil drawer.   I found my parent’s butcher knife.   They gave it to me as a moving present.   Thanks mom and dad.   It’ll go to good use now.   The knife had a rubber handle and a long blade.   I can’t wait to jam this in Maran’s heart!   We crept to the basement door.   We slowly opened it, trying to keep it from creaking.   I took one cautious step down.   I heard a guttural growl.   My heart fluttered rapidly.   Come on D, you can do it.   Just get this over with.   I crept down two more steps, three more.   It was dark, but I didn’t want to turn on the light for fear of Maran.   My foot touched a smooth surface.   The floor.   I heard another growl.   Then, Kira stepped in front of me.

“Let me give you some light,” she whispered.   I felt warmth, then I saw a lavender glow.   She illuminated herself!   I saw a grotesque thing in the corner.   The cocoon!   It pulsed grossly.   I lunged and stabbed at it, hacking away until I saw a black shape.   This might seem weird, but I heard a heartbeat!   I stabbed the black shape, right in the place where I heard the heartbeat.   But, my knife sliced right through it and into goo.   I pulled my hand away.   It was coated in a viscous liquid.   He wasn’t in there!

“Kira?   What is this?”

“His transformation liquid.   We all use it when we turn into humans or animals.” She answered.   I wiped my hand on my pants.

“Why didn’t you use it?”

“Because I didn’t have a place to form a cocoon.   It’s in our genetics to change right away if we don’t or can’t form a cocoon.”   I nodded, gripping the knife tighter.   I looked around, trying to figure out where he would be.   A muffled growl came from over by the boxes and newspapers.   I swallowed nervously and shuffled over to the boxes and papers.   I stood behind some boxes and peered slowly around the corner.   There he was!   He was gigantic!   Long black fur, huge mouth with razor-sharp teeth, four big paws with sharp claws.   He was on all fours, looking right into my eyes.  

Before I could move back, Maran jumped on me, knocking me to the floor.   The knife flew from my hands and clattered away.   His claws dug into my flesh.   He growled in my face, spit getting all over me.  

“Kiraaaaaa!   Grab the knife!” I yelled, trying to kick Maran.   A kick landed on his testicles.   He angrily howled and fell off me.   I crawled over to Kira as fast as I could.   She handed me a shovel that was on the floor.   Maran was quickly recovering.   I turned over on my back and swung at him.   He sidled away and came at me from the side.   I hit him in the snout.   He yelped, but kept on coming.   Kira pulled me up and I hit him in the eyes.   I kept hitting him until he wasn’t moving.   I limped over to him and kicked him over on his back.   He breathed shallowly.   I saw some of his ribs sticking out.   His legs were broken, too.   Kira gave me the knife.   I fell to my knees and raised the knife over my head.   I was bringing the knife down when the fur started to fall off Maran.   He was smooth once again.   But, something really, really, really terrible happened.   He transformed into my mother!

“Please, Dari.   Don’t hurt me.   Please.   Don’t.” She pleaded, tears flowing from her eyes.   I felt tears falling down my cheeks.   I sobered up and plunged the knife in her heart.   She yelled loudly and died.   Slowly, she disintegrated into a puddle.   The puddle vanished.   I turned to Kira.

“Kira, we did it.   We killed your brother.”   I hugged her tightly.   I stood up, pulling her up with me.   I saw the cocoon was still in the corner.   It too melted and vanished.   I smiled happily, took Kira’s hand and walked upstairs.   We went to my room.   I lay down on the bed, tuckered out from the fight.   Kira placed her hands on my legs.   A purple light spread on my legs.   I felt warmness spread in my legs.   I closed my eyes and smiled.  

“Kira, I wanna apologize again for the way I treated you.   I was upset over my parents’ death,” I said, opening my eyes and looked at her.

“It’s alright, my love.   I forgive you.   I’ll take care of you.   We’re going to be happy together.   Nobody will ever come between us.   I promise,” She said softly, stroking my face.   She kissed me longingly.   I touched her face as we kissed.   Then, she laid her head on my chest.   We lay like that for awhile.   Yep.   This is the life for me.   A beautiful woman, no troubles coming our way.   We should be very happy together.   I hope so.