Somewhere, West Virginia, USA.

Jeb was in the bathroom cleaning and treating the bitemark, or at least he WAS. Ruby had come in just as he pulled the first aid kit out and insisted on doing it herself.

Which was sweet, even if she didn't know what half the stuff was. After a few minutes of explaining to her the basic stuff, she got to bandaging him up. While she patched up the bitemark, Jeb noticed that she kept glancing at him. But she wouldn't meet his eyes.

After the umpteenth time of this he finally spoke up.

"What's up, you keep lookin' at me with a funny look? Did I smack my face?"

She flinched at his voice. She suppressed a curse at her action when she saw the concern and sadness on his face.

"No, its nothing."

He placed a hand under her chin and gently lifted her face until it met his.

"Come on. What is it?"

She sighed.

"What do you remember from the last little bit?"

Jeb looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you recall after you went outside?"

Jeb sat on the toilet and thought as Ruby continued her nursing.

"I went outside and grabbed some stuff I got the other day. Nails, wood, tar, a hammer. The usual."

He paused for a long moment, deep in thought as he tried to dredge up his memories.

"I don't remember what happened next. Just that one moment I was workin' on the carport, and the next I'm waking up on the floor of the basement!"

Ruby was quiet for a moment as he said that. Engrossed in her own troubled thoughts. Then Jeb spoke up again.

"Well, I did have a weird dream."

Ruby went alarmed at that.

"What kind of dream was it?!"

Jeb closed his eyes as he tried to recall the details of the strange dream.

"I was in my house, and I felt angry. I wasn't sure why. It was dark though, like it was nighttime. I searched for you. I went to the basement, and I saw you! You and the rest of the tribe!"

Jeb's mood went dark.

"And I saw a snake. A bright gold snake! It was reared back, ready to strike at you all! Then time seemed to stop as I advanced towards the snake."

Jeb paused, then he made to speak before stopping. He spoke once more after a few minutes.

"Then I woke up."

Ruby could tell that Jeb was holding something back, his face said as much. But she didn't press. She was just glad he thought it a fanciful dream and not reality!

"Well, we all have strange dreams from time to time!"

She finished patching him up, Jeb kissed her and she made to leave the bathroom. But paused when she noticed Jeb was not following.

"Are you still wounded?"

Jeb shook his head.

"No, I just need a moment to rest is all."

She looked concerned at him, but nodded and left him. He downed a painkiller for his headache and sat on the toilet to rest on. He thought about telling Ruby the rest of his dream. But she was already worried about him she didn't need to know the gruesome ending.

That he had grabbed the golden serpent. Thrashed it about, bashing the thing against the walls and floor. Then he tore the thing apart! Grabbing the snake's jaws and pulled! Splitting the thing in twain!

It wasn't what disturbed Jeb the most though. What did, was that he let out an ungodly roar! A roar that nothing natural could make. Something that sounded like a cursed mix of a animal dying and a banshee's wail!

Then he looked down into the pool of gore, and what stared back made his hair stand on end! What looked back from the pool was a bleached elk skull. 6 point black antlers crowned his head, and ghostly fire filled the sockets of his macabre, bestial head!

He scooped up the dead remains of the serpent, and devoured them joyously! Blood dripping down his bleached jaw. Then he let out that same cursed call of the damned!

Then he awoke.

Jeb has had nightmares before, everyone has. But this looked, no, it FELT real! Even now he could feel where the blood ran down his jaw. He brought a hand up and wiped away the non-existent blood. Nothing was what he saw when he looked at his hands. Even looking into the mirror showed nothing, swallowing though he could swear he tasted blood!

While looking into the mirror though, for but a brief moment. He saw the creature. The bleached skull with the balefire eyes stared back at him! Then he blinked and it was gone.

He shook his head and splashed some water on his face. He looked up once more at the mirror. But found nothing but his normal, human, face staring back.

"Just stress Jeb. That's all."

He took a couple of deep breaths before deciding he couldn't hide out in the bathroom forever and left. He briefly thought about taking a nap, but the nightmare he had made him rethink that idea. So he decided to get back to work on the carport, snow would be coming down soon and he wanted it done before that.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

So that's what he did, for the next couple hours he worked. Grateful for the distraction. Before long it was mostly done! He just needed to apply some paint and it'd be good!

But that would have to wait for tomorrow. The sun was setting and his dad had invited him over for dinner. He sighed. He should go, he hasn't been by in a while. Not counting the raid he did on Sammy's room for the hairspray!

Jeb went back inside and changed into clean clothes and made to leave when he was stopped just as he was about out the door.

"Where are you going?"

Ruby asked as she briskly walked over.

"Pa invited me over for dinner. I figured if my cookin' is makin' you sick then you might wanna stay home instead."

Ruby made to correct Jeb, but thought better of it. She already had more hope than she should. She didn't want to give Jeb false hope as well!

"Maybe I wont eat. But I would still like to come!"

Jeb just shrugged his shoulders and picked up the kobold and held her in his arms as he made his way down the hill to his father's home. She appreciated the warmth and comfort.

They just held each other in comfortable silence as they reach Jeb's fathers. Jeb knocked on the door and entered. The smell of roast beef and potatoes hit their noses.

"Jeb? That you?"

"Yeah! Its me plus one!" Jeb said as he entered the kitchen, where his father was preparing some colored greens.

"Who's this?" Sam asked when he spotted Ruby in Jeb's arms.

"This is my girlfriend Ruby." Ruby turned in his arms and waved at Sam.

"We met last time you came over!"

Sam made a questioning look as he tried to recall.

"OH! Back durin' that mess a few days ago!"

She nodded as Jeb sat her down in a seat and took his own.

"So what's with the get-up?"

Jeb cringed. He was hoping his father wouldn't pry too much. But it had to come out sooner or later.

"It's not a get-up."

"What you mean its not a get-up? You tellin' me that she's an ACTUAL walkin' talkin' lizard?!" Sam asked as he stopped what he was doing and turned towards his son.

Jeb just nodded, even as Ruby smiled shyly and made a little wave at him. Sam looked like he made to say something about his choice of paramour. Then he stopped. He got a sad look on his face. It almost looked like regret. Then he sighed and turned back towards his prep work.

"What was that? What we're you goin' to say?!" Jeb asked, somewhat defensively.

"Nothin'. Go get your sister, dinners almost done." Sam said simply but with enough force that said he wasn't going to talk about it anymore.

Jeb grumbled and rubbed Ruby's head as he made for his sister's room. Meanwhile, Ruby sat there and watched Jeb's father cook before speaking.

"Uhm, Jeb's father?"

"Sam." He stated.

"Yes, Sam. I was just wondering. How did you and Jeb's mother meet?"

Sam stopped in his prep.

"You saw It didn't you?"

"Well, she was pretty kind and-"

"No, I mean you saw IT! The creature that takes human form as a disguise!" Sam snapped. He calmed himself when he saw that Ruby was scared.

She nodded. He took a breath before telling his story.

"How else does one get with somthin' like that? I was young, stupid, and with the sex drive of a rabbit!"

He sighed as he resumed his prep.

"I can only vaguely remember how it started. Me and some friends were out partyin' in the woods for some reason. Like we needed one back then."

He paused his speech and collected himself before continuing.

"Somethin' happened. I don't know what or how. But me and someone else got into an argument. It got heated. A drunken haze later I'm standin' over his dead body, covered in blood."

Ruby dared not speak up as Sam became emotional.

"Me and the rest stood around and yellin' about what to do. Then someone said the magic words. We should go to the cops. That did it. Just like that those magic words made a group of friends tear themselves apart!"

He wiped away tears.

"After all was said and done? I was the last one standin'. Standin' in a pool of blood of some of my closest friends! I fell to my kneels and cried out. Hopin', prayin' for someone or something to help!"

His voice took a bitter tone.

"And help somethin' did. It came out of the shadows of the woods. Bare pale skin and bright red hair. A sweet smile crossed its lips. It asked what I would give in return for its aid."

He paused to get a breath and turn off the crockpot.

"And the horny, desperate fool I was I said ANYTHIN'! It smiled wider and we embraced. I awoke the next mornin'. Clean and clothed. The bodies of my friends were gone like they were never there!"

He made to continue but stopped when Jeb and Sammy came down the hall. Yelling.

"You owe me hairspray!"

"You don't need that much! What're you even goin' to do with it all?!"

"I'm gonna be a superstar! And I have to look pretty!" She said as she took her seat with a huff. Jeb took his seat near Ruby while Sam collected himself before dished up the food.

"You alright Pa?" Sammy asked when she saw that Sam's face was red.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just too much heat is all!" He lied. Sammy was satisfied but Jeb looked a moment longer before turning back to his plate.

They said a brief dinner prayer and dug into the food. All except Ruby. It smelled WONDERFUL but she didn't want to chance getting sick while they were eating!

As they ate Jeb and Sammy continued to bicker and snipe at one another.

"Don't know why anyone would want to see you dolled up and prancein' about on TV!"

"Because some people have good tastes and know that I'LL be beautiful and famous!"

Jeb rolled his eyes and continued to eat. Sammy made to barb again when she seemed to finally notice the short, red lizard woman seated next to Jeb.

"Who's this?"

"This is Ruby. My girlfriend."

"Hello!" Ruby said excitedly.

Sammy huffed.

"Of course you would be into something weird like dress up!"

"Sammy!" Sam snapped at his daughter.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Jeb retorted heatedly.

"You and your weird friends are always playin' that stupid nerd game! I'm not surprised that you got a girlfriend thats a nerd like you are that she dressed up like a lizard!"

"'Least I HAVE friends! Who do you hang out with all day beside Pa and G-g-g-greg?!"

"I have plenty of friends!"

"Yeah? Like who?"

Sammy hesitated for a moment.

"Priscilla!"

"Priscilla who?"

"Priscilla... von Lichtenstein!"

Jeb barked out a laugh.

"Yeah sure! Would miss Priscilla be about 8 inches tall and have red hair by anychance? Have a brother named Raggedy Andy?"

Ruby shrunk from the tension. But despite the heated tone nothing ever came from it.

"Aren't you goin' to eat Hun?"

Ruby turned to Sam.

"Oh, no. I haven't been feeling well lately and I wouldn't want to be sick while the rest of you are eating!"

"Its his cookin' ain't it?! How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to put so much spice on everythin'?!"

"Its spice! Its what its there for!"

Ruby got more comfortable around the family, even though the barbs continued between Jeb and Sammy, with the occasional intervention from Sam to keep it from getting too heated. She even nibbled on some of the roast and potatoes! Not much, but enough that she felt content.

After a while dinner was done. Sam had Sammy and Jeb clean up and moved to the kitchen while him and Ruby stayed in the dinning room. Once he was sure they wouldn't hear he continued his story.

"I returned to town expectin' them to still be alive. But when I went to their homes they were all cleaned! Spotless! Like no-one had been living in there for years! I called my other friends and they acted like they had no clue who I was talkin' about!"

He turned towards the door when he thought he heard something. But when no one came through he continued.

"School, town records, police report nothin'! They were just gone! Their parent's records were still there but everythin' said that they never had kids! That my friends never existed!"

He took a shaky breath.

"After that I hit the bottle. Hard. No one believed me. Thought I was crazy. I started to believe them, maybe it was all just made up and I finally woke up or somthin'. Then a few months later, guess who shows up at my door?"

"Jeb's mother?"

He nodded.

"That creature showed up one day. Sweet smile on its face, and said that it was with child. I was bitter and angry. I screamed and yelled, threated it, begged it to bring my friends back. Nothin'! It just waltzed right in and made itself at home! Nothin' I did mattered to it, after a time I just gave in. And that was it. Me being the same bitter man with a wife that I hated."

He smiled a genuine smile.

"Then came Jebadiah! My precious lil boy! He brought me such joy that for a time I even tried to make it work with that creature."

His smile turned sad.

"But it still didn't matter, it had no interest for me in any regard. Once Jeb was born he was all it cared about. After a few years of trying to make SOMTHIN' of this madness I got fed up! Told it to leave! That Jeb was goin' to stay with me and that was that!"

Sam shivered as he recalled what happened next.

"It just smiled at me and said, Ok, have your time. We can wait."

"After her I found someone who was visitin' the town, she was some ditzy airhead that didn't have 2 braincells to rub together! But I thought it would be leagues easier than last. Which it was! But it wasn't enough. Once Sammy was born she got her claim to fame by gettin' a call from someone wantin' her to come do a gig in Hollywood. Whatever that was, I still haven't seen her in the movies!"

He sighed.

"And of course that thing waited the whole time! Once Jeb was old enough he started seein' it and those hillbillies out in the mountains. Not like I could stop him! What was I goin' to tell him?! That his mother was some evil monster from the void?!"

He put his head in his hands.

"Still, he's a grown man now and he can make his own decisions! While I wish he spent more time here with me and his sister, I'm just glad that lately he keeps to himself and spends more time with his friends than with it and those people!"

Ruby just sat there and listened as this man poured his heart out! If anything he looked almost relieved!

"Sorry for spillin' all that on you! I'm sure you just wanted the basics and I got carried away."

"NO! No, its alright! I can't imagine how you must feel!"

"Well, thank you for listenin'! But not a word of this to Jeb. Or Sammy!"

Ruby nodded. But she still had a question, a dark question that's been at the back of her mind since earlier.

"What if Jeb turns out like her?"

Sam looked pale and sad.

"I... don't know. I pray everyday and everynight that he never does, and I hope that there is somethin' more benevolent that hears me!"

They sat quiet for a time, then Jeb came back into the dining room. He hugged his father and said they had to leave. Sam nodded and said goodbye as well. Before they left however Ruby hugged Sam and whispered to him.

"I'll make sure he doesn't end up like that!"

Sam just smiled and nodded as he said farewell to his son and his girlfriend. He spoke softly as he watched them disappear back up the hill.

"God speed you two."