VITAL STATISTICS
Dreamer: Tim
Date: Oct. 9, 2000
Title: Changelings
It was a dreary, grey fall day, the light was diffuse and a cold breeze was blowing. Gret, myself and the kids were in the van heading to a nearby farm which some of our friends ran. As we pulled up the hill to the large white rambling house,we noticed a light on next door at the gas station they also operated. It was strange that a light would be on so I drove over and parked halfway between the house and the station so that Gret could take Noah inside to play with Stephen and Josh and I could take Zeb over to see what was going on in the garage.
I felt strangely apprehensive as I approached the door to the office and I could hear Mike speaking angrily. "For the last time, I'm leaving the farm to my kids, not to you, you jackass. Just because you work here doesn't mean that you get a share in the inheritance!" At this point I knocked on the door so they would know I was there, Zeb was just looking around happily, oblivious to the tension in the air.
"Listen," an unknown voice replied "if you leave me half the farm I could develop a few houses and maybe a mall or two and make a fortune!"
"No one will ever devolp this land while I'm around" Mike shouted back at him.
"Well F**K you then and take this job and shove it!" the hand retorted, throwing open the door and storming across the pavement and out into the night. Mike followed after him and I began to follow just in case he needed help, but held back because I had Zeb and didn't want to risk anything happening to him. I heard the two of them shouting at one and other off in the gathering gloom as they headed towards the woods at the edge of the field. About halfway across, Mike turned back and headed towards the house. Relieved I turned and began to head towards the house as well.
It was then that I noticed that there was a woman at the pumps waiting for service. She was a small dark haired woman with a cheerful face and deep brown eyes and a smile that shone throught the increasing gloom. "So what was that about" she asked pointing towards the woods.
"Beats me" I said, as I filled her tank. With that she drove off and I noticed that the light was on in the shed to the side of the house. I walked over and admired the dark basalt that Mike had been laying as a new walkway between the shed and the house. It was eeirly beautiful, it was so dark you would swear it was almost glowing.
No one was in the shed, so Zeb and I headed back to the car. The creepy feeling I had been having was increasing as the darkness increased, so I put Zeb in his seat, strapped him in, closed the door and went inside to get Gret so we could go.
As I walked in the warm, brightly lit living room some of the oppresive feeling began to vanish. Noah and Josh were sitting on the floor playing with their trucks, and Gret and Angie were chatting at the table. I began to relax a bit and started to walk over to Gret to tell her that I thought that we should be going when I passed the cellar door. I swear at first I saw cat eyes looking back at me, glowing a malignant green in the darkness of the stairwell. I jumped back, the hairs on the back of my neck raising in horror.
Then Zeb stepped out of the stairwell. It looked like Zeb, except that he moved as gracefully as a dancer, and the look in his eyes when they meet mine. Full of hatred and evil, old and chilling. I gasped and stepped back as it came towards me grinning evily, his little fingers curled like claws. Everyone stopped and looked at me as I was slowly backing away with a look of horror on my face. I froze for a second and then it came to me. ZEB IS IN DANGER!
Screaming like a madman I pounced on the little thing and grabbed it, wrapping it in a blanket as I ran for the door. Everyone who a second ago had been paralyzed burst into action, grabbing at me because it looked like I was hurting Zebby! I screamed "GET TO THE CAR" "GET ZEBBY" as I ran to the door, Gret, Angie, and Mike hot on my heels. The thing in the blanket struggled, and as I got to the door, Noah ran to me crying. The thing in the blanket reached for him and I pushed Noah away with my foot. Noah looked up at me, his face full of hurt and betrayal.
I yanked open the door and saw that the van door was ajar. Screaming I ran to it and yanked it open and saw that the inside of the van had been torn up, Zeb was not inside. The thing in the blanket was giggling hideously, a sound that seemed to burble out of a viscous fluid I threw the blanket on the ground and saw that it was empty. As small spider with glowing green eyes scampered away from it and I stepped on it before it got away. I turned to look for Zeb, but he wasn't anywhere around. I've never felt that kind of pain before and hope to god I never do again. I woke then whimpering, trying to breathe. I got up and checked on the kids, gave them each a kiss and went back to bed. It was quite some time before I could sleep again.
Back to the Invincible Muffin Main Page
