Monsters

Out

Ishka sat frozen for a heartbeat, two.

Mom had just walked in on them--

And now Kirg was--

Kirg's face was turning colors.

Terror, complete and solid slithered through Ishka with the strength of a tidal wave. She heard screaming, realized it was her.

"MOM! NO! STOP! DON'T KILL HIM!"

In the next instant she was off the bed. Before she could take another step forward, Bram was there, pulling Mom off of Kirg. And then Asher was there, helping to hold him.

Kirg slid to the floor, and Ishka's heart stopped. She raced to his side, "Kirg!"

She saw the gentle movement of his chest as he breathed in an out, and her heart started to beat again.

"Mom! Luken! LUKEN!" Bram pleaded, "Calm down! It's not whatever you're thinking."

"NOBODY HURTS ISHKA!" Mom roared, thrashing. There was a glazed look to his eyes that Ishka had never seen before.

"Kirg wasn't hurting me!" Ishka denied. "I'm the one that--!"

"We can't hold him much longer," Asher warned. "He's in frenzy."

"Ishka, get Kirg out of here!" Bram growled, pushing with as much strength has he had.

She picked Kirg up and threw him over her shoulder, quickly bolting out the door.

She met Dad on the steps.

"Ishka? Kirg?" Ishka could see concern etched into the woman's face.

"Kirg and I...we...Mom thought--"

Her eyes flashed up the stairs, and her jaw clenched. "Get Kirg somewhere safe. I'll take care of Luken."

Ishka nodded, quickly going down the stairs.

From above she heard Dad screaming, "Luken, what the hell?! Kirg's our kid too! How could you--What's wrong with him?! LUCINDA!"

Lucinda and the other adults ran up the stairs, but before she passed, Lucinda called out, "Wait for Bram. He'll know where to go."

Ishka waited at the edge of the woods. She watched light and shadow battling in the house, and the whole time her stomach was rolling.

A few minutes later Bram and Asher ran out of the house. Ishka waved at them, and they jogged over.

Both of them were covered in sweat but otherwise looked unharmed. For some reason Bram was naked.

"What happened?!" Bram demanded.

"Kirg and I... Mom walked in as Kirg..." Her cheeks flushed.

"You were having sex?" Asher wondered.

She shook her head, "Not exactly, but he was on top of me. We'd kissed, and--"

"And Luken thought he was breeding you," Bram finished.

Ishka nodded.

"Where do we go?" Asher wondered. "We can't stay here. He might escape."

"Lucinda said you'd know where to go, Bram."

Comprehension entered his face, and he nodded, glancing at Asher, "Not how I expected to show it to you, but we can lay low in the cave until it's safe again."

The three of them walked to the cave, Ishka still carrying the motionless Kirg.

The cave was a few miles from the house, but they covered the ground swiftly. It was protected by several large bushes, and had Bram not known where they were going the others never would have found it.