Chapter Text
A thundering crash blares throughout the house. The struggle grows in intensity; screams of pain and anger travel from room to room as they increase in volume. Glass shatters, and furniture breaks and cracks as they’re destroyed in the ongoing chaos. Only two voices are audible in the mayhem as the figures snarl threats at each other. Despite being nothing more than a scuffle between the men, it sounds like a full-scale war has broken out.
A scream morphs into a bellowing, monstrous roar, and a gunshot-like boom follows. A brief moment of silence is broken by one of the figures swearing, and something hits the wall with an explosive thud. A high-pitched violent screech responds, returning its aggression to its opponent, and the owner of the deep voice reacts with a loud grunt and agony.
For the two battling figures, the violent and daunting fight is somewhat of the norm for them.
For the eight-year-old girl hiding in the untouched bedroom, it’s absolutely terrifying.
Taking shelter in the only safe spot in the house, Jolyne hides deep underneath her bed, trembling. Even with her bedroom door locked shut, even though the door protects her from the destructive sight of whatever lies beyond her room, she refuses to crack a single eye open. She hasn't had a peek at what’s going on beyond her door, but the commotion alone tells her enough. Never has she been in this sort of danger. And the fact it’s happening in the safety of the house isn’t reassuring.
Kids like her usually deal with getting lost, touching things she's not supposed to, and not talking to strangers. ‘Don't stay outside during a thunderstorm,’ ‘Don't play with fire,’ ‘stay out of the street,’ and not leaving her parent’s sight and other stuff. But someone forcing themselves in and wrecking everything around them? She doubts most kids have experienced this. They might have had some warnings like she did, but even then, she never thought something like this would happen to her. But neither would any child.
Other kids would probably flee from the house, not Jolyne, not because she’s paralyzed with fright, but because her father told her to remain in this bedroom.
Even if she had the option, where would she go? She can’t simply leave the house. This isn’t her ‘home’ home; it’s some kind of temporary home or an out-of-town home that her father uses when working. This area is technically new to her, and she doesn’t even know anyone around here, so asking anyone for help is out of the idea. No people are near her; they’re all miles away from this house. He just had to have a place far away from others, and judging by the explosive sounds outside the room, it’s not a very good idea to step out right into the crossfire.
Jolyne can only imagine how her father is faring out there. She has faith in him, but it sounds like he’s struggling with the frightening stranger out there. A few of those angered yells sound more like anguished screams. She’s not going to forget those screams any time soon. Not only does it unnerve her, but she hates hearing him in pain, she hates the stranger for hurting him, she hates that she’s useless to help her father, and she hates that she has to deal with all of this alone.
It’s not his fault nor hers; it’s neither of theirs. He’s out there protecting her, and there’s not much she can do to help or defend herself, especially when she’s feeling so ill.
The best she can do is wait.
Still, she rather not be alone during something like this, there’s Iggy, but she hasn’t seen him since this unfolded. Not even a single bark. Where did he even run off to?
Besides that, she just wishes to be in her father’s arms soon.
Her bedroom doesn’t even give a sense of security. In the destruction around her, there isn’t much she can use for comfort, it was a debate whether the space under the bed or her closet would make a good hiding spot. The closet might have been the better idea; it has much more space and is far deeper. Though with the current havoc around her, it’s probably best to stay where she is. As much as she wants to change hiding spots, chances are, the stranger in the house might burst in as she heads for the closet. She’s not exactly fast. She probably could outrun the intruder if she had the energy.
She promised to be strong. She has to, for her father’s sake, so he can keep her safe. Although she doubts the correct choice in this situation. No one can blame her for having them. She’s still a child after all. Though she feels slight guilt for doubting her Dad, is this really the best way to keep her safe?
He’s always been weird in his ways of dealing with things. It’s the reason why she’s even out here with just herself and her father. She needs to be away for a while so she can get better. At least, that’s what her father told her. All because she got very sick, enough for her to be sent to the hospital. Her fever would often come and go without a moment’s notice, but when it acts up, she can only describe her experience as miserable. Apparently, it was severe enough that her father’s friends visited her. She hadn’t seen them in a while, so it was a nice surprise, but they spent most of their time speaking with her father. Jolyne doesn’t quite remember what they discussed because they always do it out of range. Plus, she was too exhausted then and probably missed what little details she could catch. She could, however, make out clearly during one visit by her parents that they were having a serious conversation based on the tone of their voices. She still has no idea what caused her mother to argue with her father tearfully. Whatever it was, it went on for what felt like a day. Then, they suddenly left the hospital and didn’t return until later, when they reassured her that everything was alright between them.
Maybe it was the idea of her being out here alone with her father?
Her mother must have eventually agreed, or she wouldn’t be here. But still, not much was explained to Jolyne, and no amount of asking led to her getting any answers other than she’s here to recover.
Nothing at all makes sense lately.
Times have been confusing; she has little understanding of what’s happening around her. Jolyne is bright for her age, but anyone in her place would have difficulty making sense of the situation. Still, she’s not clueless about the danger. After all, her world was thrown into chaos when her father suddenly woke her up, demanding that she stay in her room until it’s safe. It would understandably leave anyone in a state of confusion. He didn’t say why, only that she should stay there no matter what happened, but it was easy to put the pieces together.
Still, her mind couldn’t stop returning to his expression when he woke her. It’s a justifiable reaction for anyone to look like he did.
Except this is her father she’s describing.
She’s never seen her father look so…frightening. His anger was intense in his expression. Normally her father always looks grumpy and uninterested regardless of how he felt. The fact his fury was clearly visible left her stunned. She actually flinched upon her eyes greeted by such an infuriated look. She wondered if he realized how he appeared to her as he did stroke her head and squeezed his eyes shut before telling her to stay put. Even on the occasions she did manage to see him angered with another, he never expressed himself to that degree. The offender probably has to earn that type of wrath from him.
She has no idea who or what is out there with her father, but it seems her Dad must know them, and the stranger is not welcome here. It sounds like another man but no one familiar to her. It’s not a friend, from what she can tell.
She’s not sure if it’s even human with the otherworldly sounds blasting in her ears. Can people even make those sounds?
The sounds are entirely foreign to her, almost alien. Her brain searches for a rational answer of what sources can make noises like that, as sensible as a kid like her can be. The continuing explosions and what sounds like animalistic roars only reinforce the idea it’s anything but human. Overwhelmed, the thought of curling into a ball crosses her mind, but she’ll probably be more vulnerable than she already is.
Jolyne’s eyes snap open as a deafening crash shakes the room. A yelp escapes her as she pushes herself further under the bed and buries her face deep into the carpet.
Her face scrunches up as her fingers dig into the floor. Jolyne winces, hearing her father’s voice yell over the destruction, her mouth opens to call for her father or the dog, but the words get stuck in her throat. As a result, she can’t alert the stranger to her hiding spot. That earlier crash might mean the fight had briefly broken into the room. The fact the screams and crashing are less muted now supports her theory.
She hasn’t checked yet, but…really, she doesn’t want to see what’s out there. Those roars and screeches told her enough that it won’t be a pleasant sight.
Still, she also has no idea if that stranger or thing might end up in her room again, and at this rate, there’s probably a good chance it will.
She lifts her face from the carpet, peering from her shelter. From underneath the bed, her wide eyes lock on the crater-sized dent in the center of her bedroom door. It sits ajar, swaying by an inch, lop-sided as it hangs loose from its hinges. Jolyne holds her breath, not wanting to let any sound escape by accident.
Jolyne expects the damage to look pretty bad since, with it being a warzone out there, this house is going to look like a wreck. However, this mess isn’t usually seen in a regular brawl. The massive, splintered wood around the crater doesn’t give her the idea someone punched or tried breaking down the door. It’s more like something large in size was thrown against it.
And then there’s the hallway, which is decorated with multiple large holes, bloodstains, and what appears to be marks from nails digging in. Or it could be claws. At this point, she can’t tell if she’s having a fever dream. Nothing about this feels real. The only way she can make sense of anything here is that everything happening currently is because of supernatural reasons.
Doesn’t help she hasn’t seen a glimpse of the intruder. Her father might as well be fighting an actual monster based on the evidence around her.
She flinches as a loud, brutal crash drowns out the rest of the battle. As the chaos dies, a harsh groan fades with it. At the same time, numbness takes over as she gains a sense of dread. Jolyne instinctively goes still, her eyes growing wide, shivering as she stares out the doorway. That voice…she isn’t sure, and she hopes it’s not, but that sounded like her father.
A deafening silence falls over the house. There’s not even a slight creak. It’s unsettling to her, but she dares not make a move. There’s no telling if the stranger is still a threat. She rather not take any chances by making her presence known, but…honestly, she isn’t sure what to do next. The stranger hasn’t made a sound, which should mean they’re no longer a danger. If they’re the winner of the fight, they should be leaving or moving around the house. They wouldn’t stay silent. Maybe they’re waiting for something, or perhaps they’re knocked out?
Just…This doesn’t feel right.
It isn’t the fact that she doesn’t know if the attacker is still there or not that makes her anxious. It’s that she’s not heard a hint of her father since. He should be checking on her, rushing back, or calling out her name; there’s no way he would just leave the area without her. He has to be in the house still… She would check, but that might leave herself open for the stranger. Either he’s really hurt or…
She shakes her head, forcing herself to hold back the tears. H-he’s okay, he should be okay…she shouldn’t think about stuff like that. Her father told her not to worry about scary things like that happening to him. He’ll be alright…
Hopefully, she just has to wait a little longer for her father to say anything. One of them has too.
Unless the two somehow knocked each other unconscious, she’s unsure how something like that can happen. It’s been long enough as it is. Her worry only builds.
Her skin crawls with a prickling sensation as the air grows cold around her. Her lungs feel stiff. She inhales and forces a single word out.
“D-dad?”
There’s nothing.
“Dad?”
Silence.
“Please…”
There’s movement as something shifts nearby. From what she can tell, it’s not too far from her room.
Jolyne grips the carpet in anticipation, her eyes staying on the doorway. It sounds like whoever is moving is taking it slow, seemingly dragging themselves across the floor.
She braces herself. Whether it’s her father or the intruder, she’s ready for whoever shows up first as the figure enters the doorway.
It’s neither of them, but she doesn’t feel shock or fear, just bewilderment.
For one, she isn’t sure what she’s looking at…or if it’s even real. It’s clearly there but can’t even begin to describe what it looks like. It’s definitely not human…but it isn’t an animal either…its appearance is just so unreal her mind can’t register if it’s even alive.
It’s looking right at her…at least she thinks it is, if what she can call those weird symbols on its supposed face, eyes. It’s strangely mixed between something organic and machine. The closest she can say it resembles is a lizard crossed with a rat. It’s skeletal in its appearance, and several of its traits almost look human, mainly in its face and arms, but that’s the most she can make out. Oddly enough, she finds herself more confused than afraid. She’s scared, but…she just can’t find the proper way to react. She’s not even sure if the thing is dangerous, though the creature appears to be coated in blood around its hands and supposed mouth. No telling if it’s the creature’s wounds or from someone else.
Should she run or stay put? This would be the point to start fleeing, her brain is urging her to run, but with the weirdness of this situation, she finds herself unable to take her eyes off the creature. She might as well be having a staring contest with it. If it even has eyes.
Neither of them budge an inch as their gazes stay on another’s. Both apparently waiting for the other to make their next move, but it seems none can decide who should go first. It’s probably just as surprised by her presence and cautious as she is.
At least, that’s what Jolyne assumes from the looks of it. The creature’s face is unreadable, so there’s no telling what it’s thinking. She’s only hoping for the best, but the current state of things tell her otherwise.
She is at a loss for what to do in this situation. She figures to wait for the creature to make its first move before deciding to flee. But several minutes have passed already, and it dawns on her the creature has no intention of leaving anytime soon. Truthfully, she would have ran for it if she wasn’t so terrified. She doesn’t want to be anywhere near it. Its appearance is unsettling enough, and she rather not enrage it. With blood staining its mouth and hands, it doesn’t give her the impression that it’s friendly. It might only be curious of her, but that’s not reassuring. Its behavior is too off-putting to see it as anything more than a danger. Chances are, it probably sees her as an easy snack.
The fact it hasn’t moved since showing itself and that her father hasn’t returned yet…it certainly doesn’t ease her worries.
She’s too frightened to say or imagine what’s happened to him. He has to be okay. Did the monster hurt him? She rather be looking for him at this rate, but...
But…why hasn’t he come back?
Her eyes squeeze shut as she’s overwhelmed, her throat burning as she struggles against the urge to cry out for him. He said he would be okay, he…He never was good with promises.
There’s a sound of something softly scraping across the floor. Her eyes immediately go back to the creature. She roughly takes a breath full of air as her body turns rigid. It definitely moved when she wasn’t looking. It’s halfway through the doorway now.
It raises its head and takes another step forward, dragging its body.
She instinctively inches away.
It stops, perking its head. Its deformed mouth opens slightly. She recoils. Disturbingly, it looks like an amused smile. And it resumes crawling.
The way it crawls across the floor is unnatural. It’s sort of snake-like as it moves like a man on fours. She didn’t notice before, but its limbs doesn’t appear to have bones. Instead, it uses them like they’re elastic.
Jolyne pushes herself further under the bed, wary and uncertain about what to do.
The creature, noticing this, goes still. It sways steadily from side to side, keeping its gaze on her. There’s a hiss as it arches its back. Then, its “smile” grows wider. It’s practically enjoying this, and that’s not a good sign. It’s rearing up like a snake about to strike. And she’s already in a bad spot. She’s basically cornered, and her chances of escaping look slim…
Jolyne stammers, unable to get any words out of her burning throat. She needs her father. She has to scream. She must scream, and he’ll show up to save her.
But he should have returned earlier…unless something happened to him. The creature has blood on it, so what if…?
Her body shivering, she whimpers
“Don’t.”
The creature’s form engulfs her vision as it throws its body at her.
She finally manages to get the words out of her throat.
And the creature is suddenly gone.
What just happened? She can’t describe it because she doesn’t even know what or make sense of what happened. But it seems screaming saved her from the blow, somehow. It’s peculiar; she hears what sounds like her father shouting then…the creature just isn’t there anymore, like it blinked out of existence. But those terrible screeches and roars continue out of her view. Somehow, it had moved some distance away from her, not by its own admission. It seems like the creature is struggling with another attacker, that attacker sounding much more monstrous. Whatever is attacking it is absolutely furious, its loud roars fierce as Jolyne can practically feel the rage dripping from its tone.
The other creature’s terrified cries give her the impression it’s begging for its life. Even after it threatened her, she can’t help but feel slight pity for the creature. The vicious attacks it receives can be felt through the house, the ground shaking violently as a series of explosions follow continuously. She ducks further under the bed. With the volume of the fight turning extreme and happening right near her, she covers her throbbing ears. Bones audibly break and splinter among the beating. It might have been from the house’s structure being damaged. Still, the creature’s cries increased in intensity, and an unfamiliar man’s voice screaming in distress during each horrible-sounding snap confirms the brutal reality.
There’s a high-pitch otherworldly screech and a roar. Then, silence falls over the house, with the creature’s and the stranger’s screams fading into nothingness.