Nightly Creatures (part 4)

In a room with yellow walls and carpeted floor, the reptile was the size of the height of the doorway. But still, it was bigger than that. It broke the lintel and support for the corridors. You can see a written book next to the bag on the floor. The same creature dropped those items that terrorized Buttercup, the marked one. Those items were in a room that no one found. The planks or voids surrounded the room.

Brittney was fascinated about the Backrooms that she admitted to her older brother Bryan. Bryan never drives there. He did not believe things like the Backrooms and thought his sister was insane.

They were in a town beside the one where Buttercup and the nightly creatures resided. It was a couple of minutes between these towns. The lady in Buttercup’s town wanted to relocate for safety. She lured her male children to the small cabin by the forest. She drove the car with her baby daughter Cream. Off she went while Mint noticed it before dark.

He told his father about the lady and her baby finding a way out. His father drove the truck and his son out of town and dropped him at the place. Mint said, “Thank you, dad.”

“I would not tell anyone about you. Have a fun vacation there.” Then the truck disappeared into the horizon. Mint turned around to the next town, Safe Haven. “That name sucks,” he said.

Mint was on the bridge towards the town. He felt too quiet and too safe to be there. But he had to look for the lady and her baby.

The car drove passed him as he stood still. He thought he had seen them. It was Bryan driving the car with his sister. It was completely dark. Mint searched the town. He bumped into a tree bark. He stopped and looked around and found a house was on. He went there and found a girl who was thin and healthy. She was happy with her hair down. But his thought stopped by the tall guy, her brother Bryan, who gave her a glass of tea. Mint was furious, “I want to be helping her out!”

Of course, he forgot to search for the lady and the baby in the town. He was distracted to see the girl Brittney in town. He went to the house and knocked on the door. Opening the door was Bryan. Mint least expected him.

Bryan asked, “Who are you? Are you around this town?”

Mint froze. “Uh, I want to talk to the girl for a minute.”

Bryan closed the door and called Brittney, who swung the door open to see Mint. She asked, “Who are you? Do I know you?”

Mint hid his two hands in the pockets, which ripped his pants open. He tried a straight face and said, “I want… to talk to you.”

She slammed the door, and he pulled his right hand to stop the door before he got angry. He said, “Let me finish talking.”

She said, “You are not from this town, and you--”

“Do not make me angry like my sis.”

“Bryan!” she called him.

Bryan appeared in the doorway and pushed the door, which hit Mint’s face. He was surprised that the claws were ruined the door. He said, “Get out of here.”

“You need to pay for this!” Mint went away.

Bryan slammed the door shut. He calmed his sister on the sofa. He said, “That is a stranger. Sorry, Brittney.”

“He looks weird.”

Bryan went in the back to get the toolbox to repair the door. He said it with anger when he did that. “he should not ruin the door. By the way, he has long fingernails. He comes just for you.”

“Creepy,” she hugged herself.

Mint paused to find the house, where the lady and the baby lived. He walked around the house to get in. He found the dog’s door. That was too small for him to fit in. He waits till daylight instead of pushing himself through the small door.

Mint slept on the porch, heard the door open, and rushed behind the bush. He discovered the lady was yawning in her pajamas. He wondered where the baby Cream was. The lady walked forward to water the plants. He felt to intervene and slapped her hands. She scolded him.

He said, “Remember me, lady. I can kill you tonight.”

“Yes, I did. And why are you here in Safe Haven?”

He laughed. “I got an advantage to kill you. That is my interest.”

“I ran away from home and away from my male children. They are growing recklessly around my house and destroying what I care about the most. They were very different than my daughter Cream.”

“But why runs away?” he was confused.

“You should go back and not ruin my second chance in the new town.”

“I doubt it,” he smiled. “I can ruin both of your lives with my claws.” His hands were human.

She laughed, “Haha. Get out of my way!” She turned on the faucet and put the hose on the flower beds. She sang with her whistle. He got annoyed and entered the house to look for the baby girl.

She was sleeping in the crib with her thumb in her mouth. Mint said, “Aww, cutie. Where are you? I want to ruin your cute life with my claws.”

The baby opened her eyes wide. She cried as the house rumbled. The lady frowned outside and entered the house. Mint hid behind the curtains by the window. She found her baby crying with tears out. She held her baby and sang a lullaby. Then, she put Cream into the crib and a blanket on her body.

Cream’s mother continued watering the plants outside. Mint appeared to be greedy. “You, cutie. I am not finishing you off.”

Brittney opened the door and said, “I want to see the Backrooms. I wonder if it is real.”

Bryan said, “We already went somewhere fun last night. But now, we have to walk around. Not meeting a stranger last night.”

“Let’s hope not,” Brittney said.

Mint came out and walked passed by Brittney and Bryan. He was about to interrupt their conversation, and the dog noticed him strangely and bit his leg. Mint did not wince. The owner found his dog. Then, he cuddles it. The owner said, “He is not like that. It is my first time seeing him that way. What is your name?”

Mint looked at him. “Not interest.”

The owner and his dog walked their morning routine. Mint has an idea to kill a dog. “Um, I am not sure about that. Nightly creatures do not kill animals. They only hunt the females at night. That means I kill the lady and the baby for sure. What about the male next to the female? They look like siblings.”

He followed right behind Brittney and Bryan. Bryan sensed to turn and protect his sister from Mint. Bryan cannot recall the one last night. Brittney said, “You--”

Mint said, “I want to talk, that is all.”

Bryan scratched his head while Brittney asked, “Do you believe in the Backrooms?”

Mint froze, “The Backrooms? That is too scary to talk about at first. I think I heard about something big lurking around there to scare us away.”

Brittney agreed, “Yes, I found someone who understands this.”

Bryan was in disbelief. “I am not taking you there, Brittney.”

“Come one, just for once. Once in a lifetime,” Brittney begged.

Mint turned around, and he could not stand the talking between these siblings. “It made me sick.”

After thirty minutes, Bryan said, “No, Brittney.”

Brittney looked at Mint’s back. She tapped his shoulder. “Can you take me to the Backrooms?”

Mint blushed. “Um, I can try.”

Bryan slapped his head with his hand. “That was not good,” He thought quietly.

Before the Backrooms, Brittney took Mint to a cafe. Bryan stayed on the watch. He sat near the window to look at how Mint treated his sister. Mint was not a hugger. Who was he? He was from out of town, Bryan thought.

Brittney gave Mint a minty coffee. She had her favorite coffee with cinnamon toast and whipped cream. She even got a second cup with vanilla cappuccino for Bryan. He does not like sugars much. She paid at the registration. They sat together drinking coffee except for Mint. He expected himself to drink water or juice, not caffeine. He drank it without looking at their faces.

He said forcefully, “I like the taste of it.” Still, remained the bitter taste after his talk. I do not like this stuff in my mouth. I want refreshments! He thought.

“Good,” Brittney smiled. He was dreaming of kissing her on the lips. She was so adorable. Bryan snapped his fingers. Mint was back in his seat. He said, “Do not mind my behavior.”

Bryan gave a tip of $5 on the table. The trio exited the cafe. It was about to rain. Mint pushed the siblings to the building with a roof. Bryan said, “Right, I do not bring an umbrella.”

“He saved us,” Brittney said.

“My name is Mint,” Mint recalled his name.

“Mint, are you from this town?” Bryan asked.

“No, I am from a couple of minutes away from here. My father lets me be here for a while.”

Brittney asked curiously, “So are you looking for a new life?”

“Maybe,” Mint shrugged.

“Does your father worries you a lot?” Bryan asked.

“Nah,” Mint answered.

Meanwhile, a big reptile underneath the town of Safe Haven, searching for rainwater. It pushed through the clean water of the lake. It breathed and tasted the water. It was located in the lake, very far from Mint. Mint sensed where it was going through his nostrils. “Man, this stinks,” he said quietly.

“I am bored,” Brittney said. “Plus, I want to go to the Backrooms just for a peek.”

Mint went in the rain to see if the rain affected him in any way. No claws, no blood, no sneezing. Nothing. His hands raised the dark clouds. Brittney came to grab him and put him under the same roof as Bryan. She said, “You will get sick.”

Mint said, “Nothing has affected just yet.”

Brittney rolled her eyes. “This has happened to me before. I get sick after it rains.”

Supposedly, the giant reptile will destroy Mint but did not come for him. Where is that big creature in Safe Haven? Or is the town safer enough that it did not come through here?

The giant reptile was bathing in the rain with its mouth open. It was chilling and soaking wet. It forgot to bother Buttercup. Plus, the creature did not hurt Mint or any nightly creature during the day. Free pass, everyone!

When the rainbow appeared overhead, Brittney got excited to take a picture on her cellphone. Mint was outside without a roof, waiting for the siblings to move. They went home first. Bryan took a shower while Brittney sneezed into her elbow. Mint found the box of Kleenex for her. She took the napkin and blew her nose. “I am getting sick,” she said.

Bryan came out and gave the cough drops to her. Mint thought was candy pops. He got one and tasted it. He threw it up into the trash can. Brittney got one and soaked it in her mouth. Bryan said, “You should not go to the Backrooms today.”

“I know.”

Mint went to the kitchen sink to wash his mouth. He grabbed a paper towel to wipe his mouth. He stared at the window and thought it was his father. Wait, it was not him. He looks like his father, but not so much.

Bryan entered the kitchen and found Mint staring at the window. He explained it was the gardener who tended their garden. Mint thought of something else. Bryan found his hands, one of his fingers had a long fingernail. He decided against saying it out loud. He went to the living to check on his sister. He said, “It was the same stranger last night.”

Brittney sneezed loudly. “Sorry, I did not mean to. What did you say?”

He whispered in her ear, “It was the same stranger last night.”

“Right now, he is a nice person. I liked him, though.”

Mint asked, “Where are the snacks?”

Bryan looked at him. “Ask permission first. I will get them for you. I do not want germs in my house.”

Mint sat next to Brittney. Bryan went to find the packets of snacks in the drawers. He picked some gummies, goldfish, and candies to serve in the living room. When he returned, Mint put an arm around Brittney, who stopped him not to touch her. Bryan dropped the snacks on the table in front of them. Mint was looking at him. Bryan said, “There are the snacks. Enjoy.”

He went away to his room to do his work inside. Mint wondered where he went, so he asked Brittney. She said, “He works virtually.”

“For money?”

“He makes lots of money. But not rich yet. He is learning to do digital business online and still works for clients. It is a stressful job for him.”

Mint was curious, “May I look at his work?”

“He expects to be alone all the time.”

It seemed like a long silence in the house. Brittney was asleep on Mint’s lap. Mint blushed and moved her head to the sofa carefully. He grabbed a blanket from another room and covered it on her body. She sounded asleep. The door opened. It was Bryan.

He came to check on his sister. He found that there was a cover on her body. He wondered who did it. “Mint,” Bryan said.

Mint looked at him. “What?”

“Thanks for taking care of my sister.”

“It is my first time seeing her like this.”

“Have you met any girl in your life?”

“Uh--” Mint’s jaw was left hanging open. He remembered he killed his sister. The fear in his mind was a nightly creature that ended her misery. If he killed Brittney, that would be heartbroken for Bryan, her brother. “No,” he said.

“I only cared for Brittney and nobody else. Not even the neighbors around here. They were too normal for me.”

“Normal, you say?” Mint said awkwardly. He did not mean to say, “Hello, nightly creatures welcome to the town.” His thought stopped quickly.

Bryan turned his feet to his room and continued working on the business. Mint took a peek into his room. Bryan was sitting on the chair by the desk. He looked stressed over the paperwork and laptop. He constantly checked for updates and talked to clients who were rude to him. Mint took a sign to kill whoever was on the phone or online chat.

Then, Bryan glanced at Mint by the doorway. Mint went away. He knew it was him. Later, he got yelled at by the client, who was still annoyed by his silence. He said, “I am listening.”

“You are not listening. I want a refund.”

Bryan sat there in shock. After the refund, he turned off the devices that he used for the work. Then, he stood and stretched. He went to see Mint, who was not in the living room with his sister. He wondered what did he go. He swiped the curtains. Outside was dark.

Mint sprints to the house wanting to kill the lady first. He was so excited that he bumped into the same tree. He stood quickly and found the house right away. He looked for an entrance. It took longer than ten minutes. He was about to give up when the dog snatched his leg. This time, the owner was not nearby. His claws stabbed the small mammal. He threw it in the flower beds. Mint said, “No nightly creature will kill one. I already did it to satisfy myself.”

Mint found the back door and opened it. He saw no one. Then he went to the room, where Cream slept in the crib. The lady was sleeping on the bed. He wanted to end both lives at once. So he did.

It was morning, he woke on the floor with blood all around him. He frantically washed them away in the sink and changed clothes into a toga and a golden wreath on his head. He felt better and fresh. He took the clothes to put them in the washing machine and turned the machine on. He went to the back of the house and hid before anyone suspected him. He went to another house where the siblings at. He knocked on the door with one hand. Bryan opened the door and found Mint in a toga. Mint said, “I came back.”

Bryan let him in. Mint sat on the chair in front of the window. Bryan closed the door and asked him why he was wearing that. Mint answered, “I feel like wearing that today.”

Brittney woke up and sat on the sofa. She removed the blanket to stand on the ground with the slippers. She looked at Mint first and blushed. Bryan said, “He wanted to wear it today.”

She embraced her brother, who was astonished. She said, “You dressed him up, right?”

Bryan looked at Mint, who nodded. Bryan lied, “I think so.”

“We are playing dress-up now,” Brittney was excited.

Bryan went to his room and continued his work. Brittney groaned, “He always did that to me. Plus, he was stressed.”

Mint said, “Let him be. I can take you to the--”

They heard the scream outside. It was the owner who found his dog dead near the house across from the block. Mint forced Brittney to tell Bryan to come with him to the Backrooms. Brittney obeyed, and Bryan drove the car while Brittney had the map and MInt was hiding in the back. He did not want to get exposed to the dog owner at any second.

The car drove off. The owner cried at the corpse. He did not try to report it to the police. Not many cars went to the highway or the quiet streets. Bryan got worried about the directions. Brittney said, “The map is leading us the way.”

Mint appeared in between the front seats. “I can see we are going the right way.”

“Have you been there?” Bryan asked.

“No, but I felt I was in a place like this one described in the books or some videos. But never actually went in there.”

“I wondered if this is real,” Brittney squealed.