Uninvited Guests

The darkness of the basement had long since ceased to be a refuge for Jaden. If it weren't for his braggart relatives and their insufferably sticky son, who insisted on playing hide and seek, he would have stayed in his room and played video games all afternoon. But when his mother caught him sneaking away, she grabbed his arm, pinched his butt, and gave him a menacing smile through flared nostrils. Jaden couldn't help but grit his teeth and offer a polite greeting to his aunt and uncle as he allowed his cousin to drag him into all the "must-do" activities of his visit.

Sinking back against the rough plaster walls, Jaden stared at the ceiling and tried to find shapes in the bumps and scratches. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spider spinning its web in a musty corner, and flinched as a fly landed in the sticky mess. The spider approached its prey with anticipatory glee, and Jaden quickly looked away. Sighing, he pulled out a comic book from his back pocket and began to lose himself in the dangerous adventures of his favorite superhero, Wolverine.

But just as he was getting absorbed in the story, there came three quick, consecutive knocks. Jaden looked up at the stairs, hoping it was his cousin, but when no one descended the steep steps, he returned to his comic with a sense of unease. A few minutes later, the knocks returned, this time with more aggression. Jaden's head shot up and he turned to the source of the sound, which seemed to be coming from a small door to his left. He watched the door closely, and when the knocks came again, he tightened his grip on the colorful pages of his comic. His heart was pounding. He was sure he saw the doorknob turn.

Jaden kept his gaze fixed on the small door, counting his racing heartbeats. Ever since he had cleaned out the basement, as his mother had ordered, and uncovered this small door that barely seemed big enough for two cats, he had heard strange noises coming from beyond it. But every time he tried to open the door, all he found was a stonewall.

Jaden watched the small door from his dark corner for a few minutes, debating whether to crawl over and try it again. But he knew he didn't want to be disappointed again, so he returned to reading his comic. He told himself that the dancing shadows of the basement were just playing tricks on his eyes, making it seem like the doorknob was turning in an attempt to lure him into their trap. Flipping through the last few pages, he glanced at his watch.

Just as he was about to give up and go back to his cousin, he heard footsteps behind the small door. Jaden shrunk back into his corner and watched as two hairy creatures crept out, their golden eyes scanning their surroundings. They wore ragged towels wrapped around their plump waists, with knives dangling dangerously from their hands. Jaden let out a quick whisper of a breath, and one of the creatures heard him, galloping towards him with enormous rage, its partner close behind. Jaden backed deeper into his corner as the creatures studied him with glowing, golden eyes.

"This one is good," said the first one, its voice deep and rough.

"How do you know?" demanded the second, its voice shrill. The first one pulled out a knife and jabbed the blade into Jaden's tender flesh. He yelped in pain.

"See, his blood is dark and thick, just as the gods want." The second creature dabbed its finger in the blood and tasted it.

"Yes, this one will do," it agreed.

"What the hell are you?" Jaden hissed through gritted teeth as they jabbed him again.

"We are the monsters that lurk beyond that door," the first one spat out, its voice dripping with contempt.

"Then why the hell do you want me?" Jaden choked out, fear coursing through his veins.

"Our tribe will wither and die if we don't offer a human sacrifice to our gods as an offering of penance," the other creature snarled.

Jaden shook his head frantically. "I'm not going to be your fucking sacrifice," Jaden protested, desperation and horror coursing through him. These monsters needed someone better than him. "You don't want me," he said, trying to stand up and think of a way out of this nightmare. "Although my blood is strong and rich, I'm dying of a terminal illness. Your gods wouldn't want a weak, sick human sacrifice, would they?"

He watched as the creatures exchanged a glance, then turned their glowing eyes back to him. "You're right," the first one admitted grudgingly.

Jaden took a step towards the stairs, gripping the railing tightly. He could hear his cousin stumbling around, trying to find him. A small, mad smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Well, how about I offer you someone else, someone healthier and twice my size?