LEA

My eyes shoot open, staring up at the black ceiling. My breaths are coming quickly, until finally I realize there's no danger, and start to relax. Then I hear a creak, coming from outside the room.

There was only one bedroom, which Chance had let me have. He had slept on the couch, and I hoped that was him I was hearing, not some monster.

I slip back my covers quietly, going to the door and quietly pushing it open a crack. From personal experience, it never hurt to be extra cautious. I press an eye to the gap, and see Chance sitting on the couch, pulling his sneakers on. I move back inside before he looks over and sees me. Something about the way he is moving tells me I'm not supposed to see him leaving.

I steady my breaths, trying to keep them as quiet as possible. My eyes scan the room, locating my shoes. I move as quickly as possible to grab them, stuffing my feet into them. When I peek out the crack again, Chance is gone.

Still being quiet, I open the door enough to slip out. I hear the door close down the hallway, and move towards it. The sky is a dark grey, and I check the clock. It reads one o'clock in the morning.

Where on earth is he going this early?

This thought only encourages me to hurry, trying to catch up. I open the door quietly, and look around, seeing Chance slipping down a side alley. Without hesitating, I hurry after him. My sneakers make dull noises on the road, even though I try to be as quiet as possible. 

The houses around me are slowly losing their colors over the day. Their aging process seems sped up by at least one hundred. Bricks are scattered on the road from them and their wood looks like it's rotting.

I hear low tones being spoken, and slow down, keeping my back to a house, and moving slowly towards it. As I get closer, I can tell that it's Chance speaking. My heart thumps once. Who is he talking to?

"... I know, I'm sorry." There's a pause. "It's going to be alright, okay?"

I can't help myself, I slide out of the corner of the house, enough to see Chance and... my breath catches. A monster. A stinking monster.

Chance rubs one of his hands down the monster's hard shell, and it gives a little wobble.

"Once I..." Chance stops talking as the monster freezes. Even though it doesn't have eyes, I can tell it just sensed me. Chance twists around, and he pales. I step out further from the building, my palms slick with sweat.

"Chance..." My voice wavers, and the monster screeches, going from full stop to full charge in point five seconds.

"No!" Chance yells. The monster is already at me, and it extends, showing me its underside, which is pulsing blue. I back up several steps, my breath catching in my throat. This is the poisonous monster. I'm dead.

It lunges at me, and I scream, covering my head with my arms in a vain attempt to protect me. But the attack doesn't reach me. I look up, and see the monster laying, in a curled up ball. Chance's face is strained so much it looks like it might explode.

His arms are stretched out towards the monster, and then abruptly drop to his sides.

He doesn't say anything, and sort of stares at the monster. I do too, not comprehending what I just saw. Chance just controlled a monster. Chance just...

"We need to talk." I manage to get out. I have a feeling that there's more to this than he's letting on.