Michael opened the door of the apartment and looked up and down the hallway. "No monsters out here." He glanced over his shoulder at Alice.

She nodded and brushed past him into the hallway. "Let's hope it stays that way."

Turning, she led them down the hall, pausing at the entrance to the stairwell. Michael reached for the handle but, Alice placed her hand on his shoulder stopping him. She put her ear close to the door and listened for a moment. Hearing nothing, she shrugged and he pushed open the door.

They descended the steps and had just reached the second floor when Alice halted their movement.

"Hold on Michael." She moved her fingers around in the air. "I think the energy is moving." She grasped at the air, setting down her belongings.

"Do you think a monster is spawning?"

"Maybe. I think we should check it out."

Michael bit his lip, he was anxious to get home. Indecision overcame him for a moment, but he nodded at Alice.

Alice led them down the hallway of the second floor, pausing frequently. Her brows furrowed in concentration and a bead of sweat rolled down her neck. Finally they stopped and she nodded at an apartment.

Michael stepped forward and pounded on the door. No noise. "Excuse me!"

Alice bit her cheek. "It won't be long."

Michael frowned and pounded at the door harder. "Hey! We think a monster is spawning!"

Alice reached over and tried the handle. Locked. "Please, if anyone's in there, you're in danger!"

Two doors down, a neighbor stepped out of their apartment. "Monster?"

They nodded and were about to start banging some more when Michael felt the energy around them rush under the doorway before stopping suddenly.

A moment later, something chittered on the other side. The pair froze and looked at each other.

The neighbor approached them, wielding a baseball bat. He opened his mouth to speak but then his eyes went wide as he heard something chatter from the other side.

Alice held up a finger and Michael nodded at her. The stranger pursed his lips when he saw the exchange.

The stranger pantomined kicking and nodded at the door. Michael gestured at Alice and held up one finger, he then pointed at himself and held up a second finger, then he looked at the stranger and held up a third finger.

All three of them nodded and the stranger held up three fingers. Then two. Then one before he rocked back and slammed his heel into the door just above the handle. The wood of the wall splintered while the doorframe warped, the door exploding inward.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Alice burst into the room, taking in the sight of four green things staring at her in surprise. Alice's eyes flashed around the room, her mouth twisting in disgust when she spotted the bloody corpse lying in the middle of the group.

She gave a yell and closed the distance between them. She stomped on the back of one of the monsters and slammed the edge of her frying pan into the skull of another, sending the pair sprawling.

Michael was only a step behind Alice as he rushed across the room. He followed up on Alice's strikes by slamming his heel down on the spine of the green creature. It gave a shriek of pain and he followed it up by kicking the thing in it's stomach.His kick lifted the goblin off the floor and sent it flying across the room.

Beside him, Alice was fending off the two still on their feet while the third goblin crouched low, jagged knife in hand. It seemed to be preparing to leap at her, waiting for his counterparts to produce an opening in her defense. A moment later, a piercing shriek burst from it's lips as it dove for Alice's side.

"Alice look-" Michael started to call out, but she had already reacted. She took two quick steps backwards, barely avoiding an overturned stool.

A moment later he noticed a dull whomp behind him and glanced behind him and saw the stranger smashing his baseball bat into the kicked creature's head. He gave a shout and he slammed the bat down again, and again, faster each time. On the fifth swing, there was a crack as the goblin's skull deformed.

By the second swing, Michael had turned his attention back to Alice's fight. She was losing ground and Michael watched as one of the goblin's knives plunged along the side of her leg. His heart skipped a beat but Alice took the opportunity to step forward and pushed the goblin towards Michael. The creature lost it's balance and went sprawling at his feet.

Fear was apparent on its face as Michael took his chance and plunged his knife towards the creature's chest. His blade flashed downwards, caught on the monster's sternum and deflected into its stomach. Michael's eyes widened as he quickly scrambled away from the green thing and not a moment too soon as the monster clawed at the space he had occupied a moment before.

It crawled towards him like a ghoul while Michael scrambled back on his hands and knees. Whenever it drew near, he'd lash out with a kick towards the beast, enraging it further. A moment later, Michael's head slammed into the wall behind him and the beast tried to force it's way past his legs. The creature plunged it's knife downwards and with a thud it lodged itself in the floor.

Michael seized on this opportunity and lashed out with his wounded leg at the goblin's hand, disarming the creature but the movement ignited the pain in his wound. The goblin saw his hesitation and found the opening it needed. It dove for his neck, razor sharp teeth bared.

Michael reached out and grabbed the monster's shoulders, holding it at bay while it thrashed against his grip. The monster contained so much strength for it's child-like form but Michael clearly had the upper hand. It's filthy nails raked at his arms, blood-flecked spittle showering his face but he wrestled it to the ground.

He trapped the monster's arms beneath his legs and began crushing the creature's throat. It foamed and frothed, but couldn't bring it's teeth or nails to bear on it's stronger opponent. Michael felt something crumble beneath his fingers and tasted bile. He kept squeezing until the creature's struggle had died off before he rolled off the monster.

He swallowed the bile in his throat and heard another series of whomps behind him. A moment later a crack sounded and the room was left with only the sound of breathless people.

The stranger sighed. "This is madness."

Michael could only nod while staring at his hands. He needed a different weapon.

----------------------------------------

A short time later, Alice and Michael bid farewell to their new acquaintance, Mark. They had told him where they were headed and asked if he wanted to join them, but he had told them he had his children to go to. It was a split custody situation. With luck, he would find them and would be able to keep them safe.

Before they left, Alice and Michael had told him about their experience in their mental realms and how it had given them extra strength. He hadn't been aware of the realm or how to enter it, but under their protection had entered it and strengthened his foundation once, and expanded his truth once.

They wished him well, and parted ways.