Mated to a Human

☽ 25 ☾

I cover a baking sheet with frozen chicken strips and French fries as Perry and Harper search for a movie to watch on the TV. Perry wants to put on Saw while Harper deems it too horrific.

"I watched Halloween," he argues.

"It's worse than Halloween."

I agree, calling from the kitchen, "No Saw."

Perry groans.

"Look, there's Paranormal Activity." Harper points out. "You haven't seen that; it's about ghosts. You love ghosts, right?"

Perry mumbles, arms crossed, pouting on the couch, "I guess."

"Do you want to start it now or when the food's done?"

"Now," he decides.

I slide the baking sheet of fried goods into the oven and set the timer while Harper starts the movie. Perry gets up to shut off all the lights, leaving only the back porch light on to illuminate the room through the windows.

Harper stubs her toe on the coffee table. "Damn it! Do all the lights have to be off?"

"Shh," Perry demands, "I can't hear the movie."

"Hear what? It's the studio titles."

"Guys," I mediate, coming around the couch, "just relax, okay?"

The three of us settle on the couch directly facing the TV, Perry in the middle, and Harper and I on either side. The movie starts, and we watch in peace, but when the timer goes off, I get up to handle the food, serving Harper and Perry each a full plate.

"Ketchup," Perry says, belatedly adding, "Please."

I take the ketchup bottle from the fridge, and Harper asks, "Can you grab the mayo too?"

Perry crinkles his nose. "Mayo?"

"For the fries."

"Ew. Since when?"

"British people do it," she defends.

I return with both condiments and put them on the coffee table. "All good?"

They snatch their respective bottles, seemingly satisfied, so I sit back down and bring my plate on my lap. Teddy sleeps peacefully on the top of the other couch, his paw twitching before he stretches and adjusts.

Mom and Dad should be back from dinner in an hour or two, so I lean back and kick my feet up.

Halfway through the movie, Harper gets a Facetime call. She springs up. "It's Delsin. I'll be back."

She dashes down the hall and her footsteps stomp up the stairs, audible through the ceiling until her storm concludes with the distant slam of her bedroom door. Perry doesn't seem to care; his attention is fixed on the TV screen.

I get up, collect the empty plates, and set them in the kitchen sink to clean later before heading for the bathroom just off the living room.

While I'm going about my business, Perry shouts, "A ghost!"

"What part is it?" I call through the door, having seen the movie many times.

"Outside!"

"Outside? Isn't that in the fourth movie?" Curious, I flush and start washing my hands.

"I have to video this for Erin," Perry says and then I hear the back door open and close.

My heart stops. "Perry?"

I shut off the sink and leave the bathroom, finding the living room empty. I look out the windows, seeing a brief streak of light — a flashlight — so I dash for the backdoor which is now unlocked, and I slip out barefoot.