Mack parked the car in the driveway. They had made it home. When Dye opened the door to the house, he found everything was the same. As he stepped through the threshold, the rest of his siblings followed. Mack carried Dye and Corrine’s bags, while Sam and Jason were locked in some deep debate about something Dye didn’t really care about.

At the end of the group was Corrine. She entered the home and unlike Dye, nothing was familiar to her. This place was new to her, with the walls holding so many memories she wasn't part of, it made her question her choice to come back. She felt her unease come back but before she could process her feelings her mother caught her attention.

“You’re home!” Mrs. Haven exclaimed as she emerged from the kitchen. She rushed towards her youngest son and gave him a tight hug. She couldn’t stop smothering his face with kisses.

“Moooooom!” Dye groaned!

“Oh I missed you so much!”

“Hi — Mom,” Corrine said awkwardly. Mrs. Haven looked up and saw her one and only daughter.

“Corrine…” said Mrs. Haven, her eyes turning sentimental upon glancing at her oldest child. She approached her with a hug and after initially wanting to refuse, Corrine embraced her mother. “How are you doing? Did you enjoy yourself? Are you hungry?”

“I’m fine,” she said politely. Stopping her mother from the next barrage of questions. Her mother cupped her face and Corrine felt the warm longing for someone to actually care for her. She hadn’t known she’d needed this.

“I’m just glad you’re home,” Mrs. Haven said softly.

“Where’s Dad?” asked Mack.

“Oh, he’s out getting the truck gassed up for your trip,” Mrs. Haven replied.

“Sweet!” said Mack.

“I got dibs on packing up the food!” said Jason with more excitement than it deserved.

“Everything is already packed up. You have your father to thank for that.”

“You know, I can’t help but feel like you both want us gone sooner rather than later.” said Sam

Their mother looked at him and smiled deviantly. “Quality time with my husband? I wait all year for this weekend. Now go get ready. Your father will be back in a little while.” The boys started to head upstairs..

Mrs. Haven turned back to Corrine. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“But I thought you just said you wanted time alone with dad.” Saying the words Mom and Dad still felt off to her.

“Sure, but I’ll make an exception. We can make it a girl’s weekend.”

Corrine smiled, muling over the idea. “I think I should go. It’s a family tradition and since I’m now a part of the family again I should go.” She wasn’t sure about any of this, but her feelings kept telling her to go. Even though being out in the wilderness wasn’t something she wanted to experience again. At least this time she would be with family.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay well, let me show you something,” Mrs. Haven turned away and began upstairs.

“What is it?” Corrine followed.

When they reached the top of the stairs they headed down the hallway, passing Dye and Sam’s room and then stopped at a door on the right, just before the master bedroom. Mrs. Haven opened it.

Corrine stepped through and was amazed. Before she left, this room was just a guest room. There was nothing but a bed and an old chair. In fact, it was a secondary storage room because Corrine remembered there were boxes stacked in the corner near the closet.

Now, all of that was gone. There was a new bed with a fantastic headboard and a night stand off to the side. In the corner where the boxes used to be there was now a desk. Above that were floating shelves where various knick knacks sat. Curtains lined the windows and the door to the attached bathroom was opened. Corrine looked inside and saw a wonderful space to clean up and take a shower.

“Is this for me?” She turned to ask her mother.

“If you want it,” her mother said in response. “Like you said, you’re a part of the family again so it’s entirely up to you, sweetheart.”

Corrine began to ponder. Was this something that she wanted?

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Corrine replied. “I’m — not sure what I’m supposed to do with all this…”

Mrs. Haven saw the conflict within her daughter. Just the look on her face suggested to her that Corrine was utterly lost, confused, and unable to decide what she wanted to do.

“Look, I don’t know what happened to you in those sixteen years you were gone, and when you’re ready to talk about it, your father and I are here. If this is too much, I understand.” Corrine still pondered. “But, for the record, your father and I want you here with us and no doubt your brothers would like that too.” Corrine looked at her mother as she tried to push back the tears, “but it’s your choice so we will respect whatever you decide.”

“Thanks,” said Corrine.

“Towels are in the cabinet in the bathroom. There’s shampoo and body wash already in there and a nice scented candle. Peppermint and Eucalyptus. Enjoy.”

Mrs. Haven left the room, closing the door behind her. Corrine looked around her room. Maybe this could work for her.

Dye had finished washing up. It felt great. While in the Fire Sanctuary there weren’t any showers. There were, however, hot springs inside the volcano that Dye and Corrine visited quite frequently. It wasn’t as clean as they would’ve liked, but it was something to get the dirt off them from the day’s training. After an entire summer of nothing but hot springs, a full shower with actual soap was greatly appreciated. He took longer than normal in the shower to just enjoy it. He washed his hair at least five times and his body at least ten. It felt great to him and he didn’t care that his father would yell at him over how high the water bill would be after this.

He was finally done.

He dried himself and started getting dressed in his usual camping clothes; jeans and a t-shirt. He brushed his teeth and did his best to style his hair, now that it was longer, but to no avail. The stubborn curls still wouldn’t obey.

Oh well.

He emerged from the bathroom only to see Sam sitting on his bed reading a book Dye had given him last year for Christmas.

The Scientific Method

“Huh…I thought you would’ve already read that,” said Dye.

“I’ve read it a few times actually. It’s a good reference.”

“If you say so,” Dye rolled his eyes. “Are you packed?”

“Been packed since yesterday. All that’s left is your and Corrine’s stuff.”

Dye pulled out the same duffle that he took with him, opened it, rummaged through the clothes and zipped it back up.

“All packed!”

“You’re not going to wash those?” asked Sam.

“Why? They’re just gonna get all dirty again on the trip.”

Little did Sam know that Dye barely wore what he packed because of his powers. Ninety percent of the time he was in his fire resistant robes. Though, Dye found it funny to be able to mess with his brother again.

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“I hope I don’t have to share a tent with you again.”

“You and I both know that’s gonna happen so get ready for that!” Dye laughed.

There was a honk from outside. Dye looked out the window and saw the pickup truck parked outside. The bed was stashed with all of their camping equipment tied down securely. Their father walked from the truck towards the house.

“Dad is back,” said Dye. Just before he left the window a group of vehicles caught his attention. Two army-style hummers roared up the street, one behind the other. Behind the last hummer there was a limo and behind that there were two more hummers. Dye saw his father looking at the parade of vehicles. The look on Mr. Haven’s face had to be one of awe as he stopped dead in his footsteps. The hummers passed their house and then pulled over to park. The limo, on the other hand, turned and parked in their driveway, while the other two hummers pulled over and parked.

No one got out of the cars just yet.

“Um…Sam,” said Dye, a small worry tickling his throat.

“What is it?”

“There’s um….military things happening outside our house.”

“What?” Sam closed his book and stood next to Dye, staring out the window to observe.

“DUDE THE FEDS FOUND US!” said Jason, busting into the room.

“Guys, you know what to do. Act natural! We’ll get out of this.” said Mack.

Dye and Sam moved from the window to leave the room when they saw Corrine drying her hair, wearing overalls and an undershirt.

“What’s going on?” she asked, completely unaware of anything.

The brother’s looked at her. She could sense something wasn’t right, but the brothers couldn’t find a way to let her in on what was happening in enough time.

There was a knock at the door.

“Follow our lead, and act natural.” said Sam, he said with a tenseness.

The brothers trampled down stairs.

There was another knock at the door.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Dye gulped. The rest of the brothers stood behind him, their hearts beating at a wild pace. Jason nudged Dye.

“Open it!” Jason commanded.

“What? Why me?” Dye protested.

“Just do it!” hissed Sam.

Dye’s shaky hand seized the door knob. He turned it, hearing every single mechanism disengage to unlatch the door. He slowly swung it open, being sure that whoever was there could hear how loud his heart was blasting away.

“Can I help you?” He asked.

Standing before him was a tall, dark man, dressed in high-ranking military attire. The man took off his hat and stuck it underneath his arm and looked down at Dye.

“You will address me as General!” Shouted the man. “Do I make myself clear?”

Dye stood at attention instantly.

“Sir, yes sir!” Barked Dye at the top of his lungs. Sam, Jason and Mack were startled by Dye’s sudden change of character.

“May I ask, where is the head of the household?” Asked the General.

“Sir! He’s outside. Sir!” Replied Dye, still shouting at the top of his lungs.

“And who might you be?” Asked the General.

“Sir! My name is Theodore Jay Haven. My friends call me Dye, sir!”

“Impossible!” Replied the General. “The one you call Dye is just a child. How can you be him? This tall, muscular thing standing in front of me?”

“Sir! I’ve been eating my vegetables like you told me when I was a kid. Staying active and playing every day so one day I can be this tall, muscular thing standing in front of you, sir!”

“Is that so?” Asked the General, raising an eyebrow.

“Sir, yes sir!” Replied Dye. The General’s face broke into a grin.

“How’s my favorite nephew?” He asked.

“Uncle Bobby!” Replied Dye, breaking character and hugging his uncle, stepping aside to let him into the house.

“And where are my other three boys?” He asked.

Sam, Jason and Mack, still standing behind Dye, blew past him to greet him with firm handshakes and hugs.

Dye’s father emerged from behind his older brother. “Did it work?” he asked.

“Still sharp as a tact,” said Uncle Bobby.

Mr. Haven laughed. “As always. Gotta keep these boys on their toes. How are you Robert?

“I’m fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t make Christmas last year. As you know I was on assignment.”

“We figured.” Mr. Haven replied. “But I take it that’s not why you came.”

“Absolutely not. After I got your message I needed to make a trip. Where is she? Is she here?”

Mr. Haven joined his brother inside and shouted up the staircase.

“Corrine! Could you please come down? There’s someone here who I want you to meet.”

Corrine appeared almost instantly. She probably never left the hallway and heard Dye shouting at the top of his lungs. Her hair was still wet and her face suggested she didn’t have a clue what was going on.

“Russell,” Uncle Bobby’s face was dressed in awe. “This is the stuff of miracles”

“It sure is,” replied Mr. Haven.

“Why, I haven’t seen you since you were a baby.”

“You’ve seen me as a baby?” Asked Corrine, which felt out of place considering she didn’t know who this person was.

“Yes,” Uncle Bobby replied. “I was the first one to hold you when you were born. My, my, you were so precious back then, so small. Now look at you, blossomed into a fine, beautiful woman.”

“Corrine,” said Mr. Haven, “this is your Uncle Bobby.”

A tiny smile broke onto her face. She remembered his face from photos but to meet someone else who knew her was a different kind of feeling.

Mrs Haven emerged from the kitchen. “Jessica,” said Uncle Bobby, “still looking just as stunning as ever.”

“Hello, Robert,” she said, greeting him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “What brings you here?”

“Well, despite what I just said, Corrine wasn’t the only reason I came here. I need to talk to you about important matters.” He said the last two words with a mysterious tone, looking at Mr. and Mrs. Haven. Both of their expressions changed dramatically.

Mr. Haven turned towards Mack and gave him the keys to the truck. “Boy’s you’re all ready to go.”

“Okay?” Replied Mack, unsure of the situation. The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed and it was weird. It was as though the haste for Mack and everyone else to leave came out of nowhere.. “Come on, guys.” Dye ran upstairs and grabbed his bag. Corrine was right behind him. When they returned downstairs, Mack, Jason and Sam were already out of the house. Corrine and Dye said their goodbyes and left with them.

“I take it this is the traditional End of the Summer Camping trip?”

“Never missed a year.” Mrs. Haven replied. “Can I offer you anything to drink, Robert? Soda? Water? I just squeezed some lemonade.”

“I’m fine,” he replied, shaking his head. “Thank you. Please, sit down.”

Mr. and Mrs. Haven walked over to the couch and together they sat down with Uncle Bobby sitting across from them in the reclining chair. The room stayed silent for a moment, except for the ticking of a small clock on the wall.

“What I’m about to tell you is classified.” General Haven said sternly.

The parent’s were silent. “The pentagon has me looking into these superheroes calling themselves the Xenton. As you know, my assignments aren’t normal assignments, considering what you know, my commanding officers have granted me permission to tell you what is going on.” he paused. “We found another one.”

“Another what?” Mr. Haven asked

“Another creature.”

“Where?” Mrs. Haven asked just after her husband.

“This one was found in the jungles of Mexico,” he replied. “The locals called it the Chupacabra. After reports of livestock being sucked dry, my troops and I headed out. It put up a fight, but we captured it and killed it.”

“So that’s two you’ve found,” replied Mr. Haven.

“Sort of. But that’s not all.”

The couple remained silent. Uncle Bobby took a deep breath before continuing.

“We found another pod as well,” he said. Just like the ones we found in Antarctica, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Iceland. All six have symbols that cannot be decrypted. Our experts say that the language is probably not from Earth.”

“What are you saying? That these pods belong to aliens or something?”

“We don’t know. Nor do we know if these pods share any connection with the hostile wolf creatures we keep finding.”

“What do you mean by 'keep finding'?” Questioned Mr. Haven.

“We found another one a few months back in Germany. Its head was completely removed from its body.”

Mrs. Haven gasped, covering her mouth. “And just a few weeks ago, we discovered another one in Costa Rica,” he continued. “But this one had its limbs completely detached from its body, along with its head. Both showed no signs of a struggle, – like somebody is a pro at hunting these things down and killing them.”

“Why are you telling us this?” Asked Mr. Haven, holding his cowering wife.

“My job is to investigate anything that could threaten our national security. Both domestically, foreign and otherworldly. With the arrival of the Xenton, the attack on the city a few months ago, and what you have in your garage, it’s only fitting that my superiors have me inform you.”

“Wait, what does the thing in the garage have to do with any of this?”

“Whatever these wolf-like creatures are, they’re staying hidden but they are moving closer and closer to the United States. My intel suggests they’re looking for something.”

“And you think the thing in our garage is what they’re after?”

“It’s a theory, yes.” The General sighed. “Listen, I never told my superiors about that thing because Jessica was insistent on keeping it hidden. My superiors don’t know it exists. If these creatures are after it then we have a problem.”

The couple exchanged soulful looks. Their worry was evident. Uncle Bobby could sense it.

“I know this is a lot to take in, but let me assure you, I will protect you if things get ugly.”

Mr. Haven looked at his brother. “Thank you.”

“Of course. Now if you don’t mind, I have to return to base.”

Uncle Bobby made his way to the front door. “I will keep you posted,” he said, “and please, hug the kids for me.” Before leaving, the General turned to his brother.

“Also, call Dad, he says you don’t call enough.”

Through all the information he just learned, as it was doing backflips in his head, Mr. Haven acknowledged his brother’s request.

The parents watched as the General opened the door and left, closing the door behind him. They both looked at each other in fright.

“Don’t worry, honey,” said Mr. Haven, kissing his wife on the forehead. “We’re going to be alright.”