# Chapter 42

Breakfast consisted of eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits. Abraham walked into the house, able to smell what was cooking before he could see it. The inside of the house was very rustic looking, but still welcoming. The furniture was old and smelled much like the ranch outside, but it was cool and air conditioned. There were flower pots on the window sill and there was even a small TV near the fireplace, which had warm orange embers still glowing on the coals. A staircase resided to the far wall which lead upstairs to what most likely was an attic or bedroom area. Looking to his right, Abraham saw a large opening that lead to the kitchen and dining room where there was a skillet, a pot, and an oven all working at once. A fridge lay not far from that with the door slightly open. A chandelier hanging over the dining table glowed with real candle lights, and there were three chairs set around the table, however there were five plates.
“Excuse me.” Christina grunted, moving past Abraham and walking to the kitchen. Abraham moved aside as Tamil stepped in to join them, holding onto Abraham’s coat so that he had something recognizable to hold.
“Place smells new…very nice..”
“Thanks. I personally think it smells like the old folks home, but if you like it, then that’s great.” Christina laughed. She turned back to the skillet to cook and glanced towards Annie, who was hiding behind the door. “Hey, mind getting me three more plates, kid?”
“O-okay!” Annie squeaked, running over to help her. Abraham walked into the kitchen and stared at the table, wondering why five plates would be out, but only three chairs would be set up.
“What’s with the chairs?” Abraham asked.
“David and Pen don’t need to sit in a chair.” Christina answered.
“David I can understand, but why can’t Pen?” Abraham asked.
“Why don’t you explain it to him, Pen?” Just as she spoke, a small flutter caught Abraham’s ear, though Tamil seemed to notice it first, as he jerked his head behind him at the sound of some foreign noise. A small object swooped in from the window and landed on the table, behind Abraham, causing him to spin around and look. Standing at only a few inches tall with blonde hair and pointed ears was, what could only be described as, a living fairy! The little fairy boy crossed his arms and glanced up at Abraham and Tamil.
“Frankly,” the fairy answered, with a surprising British accent, “any chair larger than a dolls chair might be a bit too large for one of my stature.”
“You’re…a fairy!?” Abraham gasped.
“Quite an astute observation, my friend. My name is Pen Wagers. I’d offer to shake your hand, but I fear you might shake ME instead of my hand.” He responded with a smile.
“Pen over there grew up on a school house.” Christina smirked. “So mister four years in college thinks he’s smarter than the rest of us mere mortals.”
“I’ll have you know that I highly benefited from a proper education…something you and everyone else here could definitely use. However, I never claimed to be better than anyone.”
“Except Jelly?”
“Well…she’s learning.” Pen shrugged. “Now onto the topic of a more pressing notion…you three.” He turned his attention to Abraham and Tamil before him, though he also seemed to include Annie.
“You are friends of Tori’s I take it? She found me in the flower garden and explained everything to me in…well…a way only Tori could.” He chuckled. “But I’d like the details, if you please.”
Abraham explained the details of their circumstances, Tamil only interjected now and then to help clarify key points, but otherwise the conversation was all Abrahams. Pen hung on every word, and even Christina, who had already heard everything before, stopped for a while to listen. Abraham started with the event when he’d met the club and how they’d accepted him as their own. He talked about the trip to the beach and about Michelle’s transformation. He talked about picking up Annie and being chased by Drake, Asher’s father. At the mention of Drake, Christina gave a soft hiss of disapproval.
“Drake…that name sounds familiar.” She growled.
“You know him?”
“I might…was he a vampire with a bald head?” She asked. Annie and Abraham both paused and turned to her in shock.
“Yeah…you met him?!”
“…Yeah…a long time ago. Continue your story. I’ll tell you about it some other time.” She urged, feeling a bit ashamed for interrupting. Abraham continued his story and told about the destruction of the club house and how they’d found their way to Tori, Mato, and Naomi. Pen smiled as he recounted how Mato and Naomi had both been cold towards him and that Naomi had been an old friend of Calypso’s. When he finally brought up the fact that they’d come here thanks to David warning them about the Dawn Bringers, Pen nodded.
“That’s right, I was the one who told David to warn Mato and the others about it…I didn’t know your group was with them at the time. You think they can manage all on their own?” He asked.
“Asher not easy to kill…” Tamil laughed. “Am not worried about him at all.”
“Yes, having a vampire of that kind of caliber would definitely tilt the odds in their favor…but remember that Dawn Bringers were vampire hunters first and foremost.”
“Yeah, but Michelle is strong!” Annie pointed out.
“And Mato is quite the formidable warrior.” Pen added. “I’m sure all of them would prove to be more than a match for 20 or some monster slayers.” After he spoke though, the room fell deafeningly silent, as no one dared speak. There was a strange sense of foreboding that seemed to fill the room. Like they knew something bad was on its way, but no one wanted to be the first to acknowledge it.

“So how long will strangers stay?”
“AAH!” Everyone spun around to see Jelly had slid in through the open window and was now sitting on the middle of the table, dripping her gooey body all over.
“GET OFF THE TABLE, JELLY!” Christina shouted. “I JUST CLEANED IT!” Jelly giggled and jumped off, steal leaving some of her purple goo behind. Pen shook his head and wagged his finger at Jelly.
“Jelly, you need to take more responsibility! Start acting like a respectful young woman.”
“Respe…respcuto…” Jelly rolled the words around on her tongue as if she was struggling to say them.
“Just be well behaved!” Pen sighed.
“But Jelly likes to be Jelly!” Jelly laughed. Abraham just stared at her in surprise. She seemed so innocent and childish…but could she really be so dense? She made Tori look intelligent by comparison.
“Just who is Jelly?” Abraham asked.
“That’s a good question.” Pen answered. “She doesn’t know herself. Jelly is, from what we can tell, a fully conscious and animate mass of oozing water mire. Her body is of an odd consistency. It can change shape to match its surroundings like a liquid, but she can also freely manipulate it to take on forms she likes. Also, if she drinks enough fluid, she can add the fluid to her body mass and make herself larger. No specimen like her seems to exist, at least not in this region.”
“Pen talks funny…hehehe…” Jelly giggled.
“However, she’s also rather uneducated…and I mean that to the fullest extent. Jelly was able to quickly learn how to speak, and she also seems to understand the moral standards of right and wrong without being taught. For example, she understands its wrong to steal or hurt people. And she also can recognize emotional responses in people. She knows when people are angry, happy, sad, or afraid simply by analyzing their facial expressions and voices…however, big words are difficult for her, and she is also a little immature, sometimes doing whatever she feels like without considering how it will turn out.”
“Like when she gets in the water barrel, like she did today?” Christina asked.
“Oh Jelly, you did that AGAIN!?” Pen cried. Jelly giggled sheepishly.
“Sorry…Jelly was really thirsty last night.”
“I swear, is it so hard to just drink from a glass?” Pen asked. While Pen shouted at Jelly, Christina began setting the table, putting plates out at each point of the table, including a small one for Pen. Abraham stepped aside to let them and backed into a solid object behind him. He glanced up to see Alex had walked in and was rubbing his head to get the sweat off.
“Hey, ya’ll get a grip on ya.” He shouted, marching in and sitting down. “This’s still ma house…let’s keep conversat’n civil, alright?”
“Sorry, Alex.” Pen grumbled.
“Ye might be educated, but don get bigger than yer britches.” Alex instructed. Jelly giggled and Alex shot her a frustrated glance, causing her to go quiet. “An you need ta stay outta the water barrel. Now I gotta go fill ‘er back up.”
“…Jelly sorry…” She cried.
“Now all ya park yerselves at the table and lets eat.” He announced.
“Alex remind me a lot of Michelle…” Tamil whispered to Abraham. Abraham could only nod back, surprised as well by the similarity. Both were firm and fair leaders who commanded respect and obedience from both the most wild and the most in control members of their group. Christina finished setting up the table and beckoned Annie to come with her as she sat down.
“Grab a chair folks.” She encouraged. “Everyone is welcome to join us at the table.”
“Thanks!” Annie squealed, grabbing a chair from the wall near the window and pushing it up to the table. “Sit next to me, Abraham!” She called.
“Let me get Tamil a chair first.” Abraham replied.
“Where’s David?” Pen asked.
“He’s showering off with the hose.” Alex laughed. “Runnin all las night had im stinking up a storm.”
“I thought he naturally smell that way.” Tamil noted, causing the whole room to burst into laughter. Somehow Tamil had the talent to pull humor out of any situation, no matter how strange or out of place it may seem to be. It was a talent that Abraham admired, but it also brought back a strange sensation. Standing here in a warm and comforting home with a gang of monsters and misfits…all of whom could laugh and carry on conversation so easily brought back thoughts of another house…one that no longer stood up right.
He missed the club…he wanted to see them again. He couldn’t help but think about how worried Christina and Pen had acted. How Tamil and Annie had both been so silent. His eyes turned downcast as he considered how they must be doing right now, and if they were all alright.

“Abraham, you alright?” Alex asked, noticing Abraham was the only one who wasn’t moving. Abraham blinked a moment and nodded.
“I’m okay, just lost in thought.” He grabbed a chair for Tamil and pushed it up next to Christina as he pulled up a chair of his own to sit near Annie. Alex smiled and leaned back in his chair.
“Yer worried about yer family?” He asked. “It’s all over yer face.” Abraham gave a silent nod and Alex winked. “If ya believe in em, then there ain’t nothi’n ta be worried about.”
“It’s natural to worry about people you live with though, right?” Abraham asked.
“No…that ain’t natural.” Alex argued. “But it is natural, to worry about yer family.” He smiled.
“We are family.” Tamil nodded. “And we all okay!”
“Now enough doom and gloom. We’ve got some chores to get to today.” Christina announced to the group. “I’d appreciate the help of our guests, if they wouldn’t mind.”
“We’d be happy to.” Abraham smiled.
“And just so you know…Tori’s gone back to check on your group and let them know you’re okay.” Pen added, walking across the table and sitting at his tiny plate. “Just to put your mind at ease.”
“Thank you…all of you.” Abraham sighed. “I don’t know how we can repay you.”
“How about ya can start by bless’n the food before Jelly consumes everything on the table?” Alex asked as Jelly began to fidget, staring hungrily at her plate.
“Hahaha! Sure…I’ll say grace.” Abraham replied as he bowed his head, a relaxed smile creeping onto his face.