Village of the Darned

                                    

                                          
"Thanks so much for coming, Sarah," Mrs. Morgan thanked her. "Okay, this'll be great. It'll be fun. Just call me if you smell smoke."
                          
The doorbell rang and Mrs. Morgan rushed to get it.
                          
"So, I have to babysit you, while you babysit two nine-year-olds? Seriously, how bad could they be?" Sarah questioned.
                          
"Imagine a giant piranha that walks on land. Now give it rabies, and a brother. I'd rather babysit the piranhas," Ethan explained.
                          
"Ethan, you remember the boys. They're being so nice and quiet," she let them walk away into the living room. "They're up to something, I know it! So, let's go, shall we, before they... you know."
                          
"No, I don't know. Why are they running?" Mrs. Morgan asked as they went out the door.
                          
"Ooh, kids drawing. So scary. Where should we hide?" Sarah asked teasingly.
                          
"I'm keeping this at the ready," Ethan said quietly.
                          
"Hey, Jane! Do you want me to color with you?" I quietly asked with a smile.
                          
"Here," Jane handed me a coloring book and I colored with Jane.
                          
"Just wait. Wait for it," Ethan whispered.
                          
"Benny!" Benny barged into the room and Sarah punched him in the stomach.
                          
"Booyah!" Rory appeared behind the counter and Ethan shot a dart at him. "Hey! Is this for me barfing down your chimney?"
                          
"No, no. I just- wait, you what?" Ethan questioned.
                          
"Nothing," Rory said quickly. "I'm here to battle the tornado twins."
                          
"Yeah, are they here yet? I don't see anyone bleeding..." Benny trailed off.
                          
"See for yourself. Hey, boys? This is Benny and Rory," Ethan introduced them.
                          
"Hello, Benny and Rory," the twins said and I went back to coloring.
                          
"Whoa. That is a tornado of weird," Rory commented.
                          
"Okay, kids speaking in unison. That's never good," Benny added.
                          
"Are we going or what? I'm starving," Erica's voice came with the thud of a door.
                          
"Coming, Erica," I said, forgetting that it was tonight. "Be good, don't draw on the walls." I got up.
                          
"Where are you going?" Jane looked up.
                          
"Erica, Sarah, Rory, and I are going to get some food," I said innocently.
                          
"Going where?" Benny questioned.
                          
"New safety rule from the council. They want us to hunt in pairs," I explained, putting my purse strap on my shoulder.
                          
"You're supposed to be my backup. You can't leave me alone with them!" Ethan hissed.
                          
"I won't be long. And if you need backup, Sarah and Jane are more than willing to handle it. Right, Jane?" Sarah said.
                          
"You betcha," Jane saluted Sarah.
                          
I smiled and left, flying away with Rory. Erica and Sarah separated from us, going to the next street over. We sat on a bench, Rory's arm around my shoulder.
                          
"And now, we wait."
                          
~~~
                          
"There is no one out tonight," Rory noticed.
                          
"You think?" Erica asked after the two sped over to us.
                          
"Sorry, you three. Same time tomorrow?" I asked.