Dust Bunnies From Hell by J.E. Erickson

Author:J.E. Erickson [Erickson, J.E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: J.E. Erickson
Published: 2023-07-07T05:21:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Thursday, October 15, 1998

Stage One: Infiltration

Kimmy fawned over the shoe box on the table in our little dining area while Todd and Chuck jumped around like idiot clowns. Dylan stood in the kitchen, gnawing on his thumb.

Sadie glared at me from the opposite end of the table, arms crossed, purple sweatshirt bunched over her chest. I could almost see the vein in her neck pulsing with barely checked annoyance.

Finally, she snapped, “Will you two shut the hell up? It’s after 10.”

Chuck stared at her, not comprehending. He shrugged. “Who cares?”

Todd huffed and shoved Chuck once more. “Boys will be boys, Saddy. You don’t get it.”

“Boys will be leaving if they don’t shut the hell up,” she growled. “We have quiet hours here, dumbass. Make a bunch of noise, and then the building manager shows up with the cops and starts asking all kinds of questions. Like why are there a couple of teenage jackasses jumping like assholes around a demon they summoned from the pits of Hell?”

Todd moaned. “You can’t kick us out, man. We get wishes, too.”

“And neither of you is getting a damn thing if you don’t settle you hyperactive asses down.” Sadie’s wide-eyed stare told them she wasn’t fooling around.

The boys looked effectively admonished. Considering how quickly their misguided excitement over wishes buzzed in the yellow light, I wondered how long they’d keep quiet.

Chuck shrugged again. “We just don’t feed it after midnight, right?” He wiggled a finger at the little creature but pulled back when the critter focused on his digit and opened its tiny mouth.

“That’s Gremlins,” I said and leaned closer. Weakness numbed me to the bone as if I’d just finished a marathon sprint. I wanted to sleep, but we needed to figure this out. “This isn’t a gremlin, definitely something else.” Whether it was truly a demon or just some other monster remained to be seen. The way it kicked and wiggled every time Kimmy cooed and babbled reminded me of a puppy or one of those battery-operated dolls that cried and wet themselves, only exponentially cuter.

“We should name it.” Kimmy tickled its belly and smiled.

It smiled back with teeth so black we couldn’t tell where each one began and ended.

“We’re not naming it.” Sadie grabbed my arm and walked me over to the hallway that led to our rooms. Her sweatshirt looked warm and comfortable. My eyes felt cottony.

She crossed her arms and lowered her voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “How did this happen? What is that thing?”

“I don’t know.” It didn’t look like one of the ‘Princes of Hell’ Remy described as the terrifying leaders of demonic armies. Nor did it look imbued with the power to grant wishes.

“Krista!”

“What?” I grumbled.

“Focus.” She gave me a harmless shake. “What the hell happened? How did this happen?”

“I don’t know,” I answered. “What did you think was going to happen when you guys started this whole thing?”

“I don’t know!” she said, exasperated. “This wasn’t supposed to work. Not really work, anyway.

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