"Monster Club?!" Abraham cried in stunned amazement. "You mean…like a school club or something?" Solomon laughed.
"Don't be so daft, boy…it's just a name." Solomon walked towards the stairs and made his way down. Abraham followed close behind him as they walked through the still dark house. The rain outside was still pouring heavily, but the lightning and thunder seemed to have died down considerably. "What we really are is a safe haven. We provide a home for monsters who have none. Currently we have 5 monsters that reside here…and you will get to meet each and every one of them." Abraham felt his heart skip a beat. Would he really have to face all of these monsters? What would they be like?
"Would either of you like some tea?" Abraham turned to see Sarah scuttling behind them. She was tying a white apron behind her back and tying her hair back with a red ribbon. If she didn't have those spider legs and abdomen…she'd be a very beautiful young woman.
"Sarah, you know that I haven't had anything to eat or drink in 40 years." Sarah grinned and winked to the far corner.
"Actually, Solomon…I wasn't talking to you." Abraham and Solomon both turned to see another girl standing in the corner. She was about as tall as Abraham but she looked slightly older. She had reddish brown hair that fell down to her shoulders and she had eyes like nothing Abraham had ever seen. They were misty and faded blue…like a husky dog. There was a hidden wildness beneath her…it was etched across her face. Her body was lean and it looked very tired. Her muscles were well defined and she looked almost cute in her pajamas. It was an interesting combination of beauty and wildness.
"Ah, Michelle…I didn't hear you come in." Solomon said with a grin. Michelle didn't return the smile but kept her blue eyes trained on Abraham. "I thought that you'd be asleep."
"I smelled a human in the house…so I came down to investigate." Michelle growled. Solomon sighed and turned to Abraham.
"Michelle is a werewolf," he explained, "she has heightened senses of smell, hearing, and sight even while in her human form."
"Do you just go around sharing our secrets now, old man?" Michelle barked fiercely. Solomon ignored her outburst and continued to face Abraham.
"You'll have to excuse her attitude…it's only two days before the next full moon, and she is going through a bit of stress right now." Michelle made a move toward Solomon, but then stopped herself and snarled dangerously. Abraham knew it was not polite to stare…especially at a monster…but he couldn't help but gawk in awe as he heard the news that Michelle was a real werewolf.
"You're…really a werewolf?!" Abraham cried. Michelle shot him a venomous look.
"And what if I am, human?" She snapped. "Going to find yourself some silver to put through my heart, perhaps?" Abraham suddenly went very quiet and shook his head.
"No…no of course not."
"Michelle, be nice please!" Sarah called out. She was moving around behind the counter, pulling down cups and tea leaves. "He's a guest in our house, after all."
"HE SHOULDN'T BE HERE AT ALL!!" Michelle roared, causing Abraham to jump backwards in surprise. Solomon just closed his eyes and groaned. "It's because of humans that we made this club in the first place! Now we just let them walk in any time they want to?"
"It was the storm, dear." Solomon said calmly. "He needed shelter, and I gave it to him…just like I have done for each and every one of you here." As he spoke, an odd quiet fell over the room. Sarah stopped moving and her smile fell to a frown as she stared at the tea in front of her. Michelle just stared at her feet…unwilling to look up.
"Mmmm" The room spun around at the sound of the groaning…and Abraham let out a cry of fright. Descending down the stairs was what could only be surmised as a walking and moving mummy! Wrapped from head to toe in bandages and wrappings, it moved stiffly…but all the same, it was moving rather quickly. It walked with such a natural pace, it looked nothing like they said it would in the movies. In fact…he looked rather small for what Abraham thought a mummy should look like.
"Tamil!" Sarah cried happily. "You're up awful early today." Tamil turned to face Abraham…making Abraham want to back away from him that much quicker. Michelle only snorted.
"He's terrified." Michelle pointed out. Tamil took a step closer to Abraham and held out its long and bandaged hand. Abraham jumped back from it in horror. Tamil stopped and looked in Sarah's direction. Sarah giggled.
"You silly…it's only polite to look someone in the face when you shake their hand, Tamil!" Suddenly Tamil reached up and began to remove the bandages around his head. As he did, Abraham wasn't sure whether he wanted to look away…or watch and see what emerged. He expected perhaps a skeleton…or maybe a worn and withered corpse….
He got neither.
The wrapping had been mostly removed with the exception of one solitary bandage looping over his face at a diagonal angel going down from the top left side of his head down, over his nose, and looping around the right bottom half of his head, just under his cheek. His hair was wild, dirty, and black. His skin was dark tan and there were parts that looked a little worn or weak. His eyes were a deep dark color that Abraham couldn't place. It looked almost black….but maybe dark brown. Tamil smiled a small and innocent smile. He reached out his hand once again.
"….Ahela!" Tamil said in a very tired and froggy accent. Abraham stared at the hand and didn't quite no what to do with it.
"He doesn't speak Egyptian, Tamil." Solomon said jokingly. Tamil suddenly smiled sheepishly."
"Sorry…I nut used to your language yet." Abraham carefully took Tamil's hand and shook it, letting go quickly. Tamil didn't seem offended by his fear. "My name Tamil."
"….A-Abraham." Abraham answered nervously. Tamil grinned.
"Tamil here is a mummy," Solomon said to Abraham, "he was one of the most recent to ever come to the house…the first being Michelle herself." Michelle grunted and sat down at the table. Sarah came out from behind the counter and handed a cup of tea to both Michelle and Abraham. Abraham took it politely, but was too nervous to take a drink. He was standing in a room with a spider woman…a ghost…a werewolf…and a mummy. What kind of nightmare was this?
"Tamil, you haven't seen Asher or Calypso, have you?" Sarah asked excitedly. "I want them to meet our new guest!"
"No need to worry yourself, Sarah…we're here."
Abraham spun to back to the stairs were two figures had walked down and had entered the kitchen. One was a young girl with long silvery blue hair and blue tinted skin. Her body was covered in strange and cryptic markings. Her feet were bare and her clothing was very light. She had on a white tank top and a black skirt. She had silver eyes that looked almost mystifying! He felt lost in them…like they were designed to pull people in. She looked exotic in a gorgeous way.
Next to her was a tall and dark boy. He had black hair that was combed back, with small bangs hanging slightly above his eyes. He had broad shoulders and a very well built body. He wore a leather jacket and he had on a dark shirt underneath it with an emblem of a cross on it. He wore jeans and boots that looked a little dirty. His eyes, were what terrified him the most though. They were dark red and so very human…and yet…inhuman. There was a depth to them…a hunger. This was a person that Abraham knew was extremely powerful.
Sarah squealed at the sight of them and scuttled out to place her hands on Abrahams shoulders. "Come and meet out new house guest! This is Abraham!" The red eyed young man looked at Abraham and then his eyes narrowed.
"You're a human!" He said suspiciously. As he spoke these words, Tamil and the girl next to him both stopped and stared at Abraham with the same awestruck expression that he should have been giving all of them. Tamil clearly didn't realize that Abraham had been human. The girl next to the red eyed boy looked surprised and stepped away quickly, placing herself up against the boy. His red eyes had narrowed and were glaring at the boy. "What are you doing here, human?!"
"I…I uh…I…"
"He is our guest, Asher." Michelle took a step forward. Asher looked up at Michelle and frowned.
"A guest?" The girl asked. Michelle nodded.
"Yes, Calypso." She replied. "I don't like it much myself…and I still have plenty of questions that I want answered…but for the time being, this human is a guest in our house. Michelle turned to Abraham and pointed to the table. "Please take a seat, boy." Abraham hesitated, but the look in Michelles blue eyes told him that resisting was not a wise move. He quickly moved to the table and sat down in one of the chairs, trying hard not to look as scared as he felt. Michelle motioned for the other monsters to gather around her, which they all did obediently. Soon, all eyes were on Abraham.
"Abraham, meet the Monster Club." Michelle said. She walked to one monster and, as she spoke moved to each one individually. "Tamil, Sarah, Calypso, Asher, Solomon, and myself." She walked forward and stood in front of Abraham dangerously. "This is a club has one purpose…to protect and shelter monsters who have no where else to go or live…because of humans who have hunted us and drove us away." Abraham suddenly understood why it was that him being human was such a big deal…and why everyone seemed so threatening towards him.
"I…honestly didn't know." Abraham said.
"We'd like to believe you…but we can't take any chances." Michelle knelt down so that she was eye level with Abraham. "I need to know why you're here…where you are from…and what your intentions are." Abraham stopped and stared at her…and then at all the monsters around her, who stared at him curiously and expectantly.
"That…that's private." Abraham muttered darkly, not willing to give away his origins. Michelle's strong fingers suddenly grabbed his chin and yanked his head to look at her.
"You have intruded upon OUR house and invaded OUR privacy, and you expect me to give a DAMN about yours?!" She let go of Abrahams head and he let it hang…as she had just made a strong and very compelling point. "You will tell us those three things…or Asher will take them from you by force." Asher took a threatening step forward, and his eyes flashed again with that hungry red glow. Abraham gulped and tried to look away…and not think about those eyes.
"I'm here because I'm on the run right now." Abraham answered solemnly.
"From who, exactly?" Michelle pressed.
"Everyone…no one…I don't know anymore." Abraham admitted. "I've been from foster home to foster home…moving from orphanage to orphanage. I guess I'm just on the run from those places." Michelle gave him a curious look.
"Foster homes? Orphanages? What were you doing there?"
"My mom and dad died in a car crash 6 years ago." Abraham replied darkly. Michelle responded as if she had been slapped in the face. She backed away slightly and looked at the ground solemnly….ashamed of her question. The entire room seemed to darken as everyone in the house suddenly seemed downcast…as if they understood the kind of situation Abraham was in.
"I…apologize. I didn't mean to open old wounds." Michelle muttered. Abraham shrugged off the apology.
"It's okay…I hardly remember what they look like anyway…it's been a long time."
"The face of a mother and father…not something that ever should be forgotten." Tamil replied sadly. Abraham cocked his to see Tamil's face better. The other monsters looked saddened…but Tamil looked positively depressed…why?
"So, what do you plan to do now, Abraham?" Solomon spoke up. He had been standing silently to the side, watching the scene unfold before him. The entire room now glanced at Abraham, waiting for his answer. Abraham looked down and considered the question carefully. He had not thought about his next move. To be honest, he never considered it in the past either. Abraham had always been a responsive person…not a planner. Abraham didn't act until forced to…and he often did things on the spur of the moment. He didn't know where he was going to go when he ran away…he didn't know what he would do with himself. The thought had just not come to him. If it had, then he had not paid it any attention.
"I am not sure." Abraham admitted. "I guess I'll stay here over night and then leave tomorrow when the rain stops. I'll go to the nearest city and…find a place to stay there."
"No!" All eyes spun to look at Sarah. Sarah was standing fiercely, staring at all of the others, through her red eyes. She had a determined look on her face. "No one deserves to live on the run their whole life…everyone needs a home." She marched forward on her 8 long legs and placed her hand on Abrahams hair protectively. "He can live here with us!"
This statement drove a different response from the group than Abraham had anticipated. Solomon simply smirked at Sarah, as she spoke these words. Michelle's mouth dropped in stunned amazement…as if she had just heard something appauling. Tamil jumped back in shock. Asher gave a surprised stare at Sarah, and then to Abraham. His eyes seemed to be trying to process the concept of keeping Abraham in the house. Calypso let out a small squeak of shock and covered her mouth with both hands.
"Sarah, do you realize what you're saying!?" Michelle hissed.
"Yes, I do!" Sarah defended. "And why shouldn't we take him in? He's like us! We needed a home…and Solomon gave us one!"
"This is different…HE is different!" Michelle shouted.
"I don't know…" Calypso spoke up softly. Her voice was so small and soft that Abraham had almost missed it. "It….might be kind of nice having someone else around." Michelle turned and waved a finger at Calypso.
"Don't encourage her!"
"I'm sorry." Calypso said quickly, backing away. Michelle turned back to Sarah.
"Think long and hard about what keeping a human around here would mean!" Michelle barked.
"I think e should ztay!" Tamil said quickly. All eyes turned to Tamil as he fiddled with the bandages on his arm. "If e ztayz…then would be anoter boy in house!" Tamil said with a laugh. Sarah and Solomon both cackled with laughter. Michelle just groaned under her breathe.
"That's beside the point, and you know it." Michelle groaned.
"Asher," Solomon spoke up. The house went quiet as they turned to stare at Asher, who was standing silently by the counter. "You've been awful quiet…would you like to contribute?" Asher glanced from Michelle to Abraham. He stared at Abraham long and hard…as if his red eyes were trying to see into Abraham's soul.
"I think he should stay." The house seemed stunned by his answer. Michelle turned and tapped her foot.
"You, more than anyone, know how risky such an act would be…why do you think he should stay?" Asher sighed and looked around the room, knowing that he had no choice but to explain.
"For one thing…everyone else seems to want him to stay." Asher pointed out. "Second of all…we created this club as a safe haven for monsters who have no homes…or have been cast away by humans. If we turn away anyone simply because they are different from us…that makes us no better than the ones who wronged us." The group all smiled at Asher's answer…and Abraham was shocked at the way that Asher had answered. He thought for sure that Asher must hate him…but in the end, he had saved him. Michelle frowned and then closed her eyes, letting all the arguments she had heard sink in.
"It seems that the decision has been made for me." Michelle said. Sarah squealed with delight and hugged Abrahams, neck, making him squirm a little….Abraham noticed the rest of the house was snickering at him.
"D'you hear that, Abraham!?" Sarah cried. "You get to stay! This is your new home!" Abraham didn't know what to say. A new home? A home was all he really wanted…a home where people cared about him and where people loved him. Here was a house full of some of the most terrifying and strange monsters and creatures he had ever seen or heard of. This wasn't the kind of place he would call home….but then he thought about all he had seen. How the housemates had all stepped forward on his behalf…how they had all defended him. They truly cared…and they truly wanted him to stay. What was it he wanted? Was it a home of normalcy, or a home of caring?
"I guess I could use a bit of something new." Abraham whispered to himself with a shrug.
