Chapter 21_ We have visitors

Rune

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Immediately they stormed in after the annoying Sheriff wasted their precious time because of a silly old woman's report and Luna inviting the boy next door for dinner, they all began to sputter simultaneously.

At first, they expressed their dislike for Old Mrs. John whom they hadn't even set their eyes upon but was already creating problems for them.

" I promise I'm going to dip a roll of sausage draped in foxglove into her old fat mouth" August pledged in spite.

Vidal chirped in sheepishly " Or maybe skin the flesh off of her old flat boobs" he grinned and August immediately agreed with him and then, they both roared in laughter.

" Why invite the disabled boy here?" Fender twitched his nose at Luna.

" Yes, why invite him here?" Farris supported him.

Rune wasn't sure if she wanted to defend the boy next door because it was Fender who first brought it up or if it was because she thought the boy hadn't done anything wrong " Luna was just trying to be nice. After all, he saved our faces in the presence of the sheriff" she shrugged but to her utmost surprise, Luna who invited him dissented with her.

" No, I wasn't trying to be nice" Luna said sharply.

They all turned to her simultaneously.

" What? But you were all smiles and was so against us breaking into his house and..." Calliope was saying but Luna cut her off.

" I was against us breaking into his house and I still am but I was not trying to be nice when I invited him over. Don't you all see? He would be here right in our abode. We could ask him whatever we want to and interrogate as we like " she let out with her hands listlessly in the air.

Oh, so Luna wasn't trying to be nice, she was trying to be smart. Well, Rune wished she could tell her it wasn't cute.

" I think we better get to arranging the house faster. We can not have a visitor in this mess of a house" Gizem put to stop the altercations and they all agreed with her.

It took them the whole day to finish unpacking and a half of the next day.

Soon, came the night and after a busy cooking and dressing the dining area, the knock they were all anticipating came.

It was three faint tappings on their front door.

"I'll get it!" Rune sprawled up from her seat on the dinning table which had different delicacies professionally prepared by August and Vidal with a little help from Luna. The two men, even though they were probably the most unserious creations found pleasure in cooking and were very good at it too.

Sometimes, Rune wondered if they had traded all the IQ they ought to have for skills in cooking.

She had already used her hands to rearrange her already-styled hair and dress before she wondered why she was making it necessary to appear attractive all of a sudden.

It was just the boy next door by the door. Why bother about appearance?

She silently admonished herself and moved closer to the door. As she sprung it open, her jaw dropped. An old woman with wrinkled skin which showed how hard more had dealt with her over the years was holding a wooden walking stick that looked as though it was going to drop dead if the old woman didn't release a bit of her weight that was settled on it.

" Hello there" the old woman smiled, revealing a set of few missing teeth where some of her molars were supposed to be.

Rune had to cough lightly to send back the lump of mucus in her throat. She was disappointed, she thought it was him. She shouldn't be so disappointed but she was. Maybe it was because it was her first time making a new friend after a long while. " Hello ma'am" she tried to sound respectful. If only the old woman in front of her knew how old she was, Rune thought. She would basically kneel in courtesy toward her instead of having the mild polite smile on her face.

"Can I come in?" the woman who was already straining her neck trying to get a hold of the happenings inside asked.

Her audacity, She wanted to come into their house just like that?

" How may I help you, ma'am?" Rune stressed, she was already hearing the murmurings from the others.

Before the granny could reply, the boy next door appeared with another boy who looked like five of Fender matched together. He was big and fat.

It seemed as if she wasn't the only one who made extra efforts into looking good that night. Even in his wheelchair, he looked ravishing like he had added extra effort into making himself look presentable. Too much for just having dinner in the house beside his.

" Old Mrs. John?" the fat friend of the boy next door let out in amazement.

Old Mrs. John?

The old woman who reported them to the police had the guts to come to their doorstep asking to go in?

The other members of the Nature family who heard when the boy called the woman Old Mrs. John scurried to the doorstep immediately.

They all had the astounded expression on their faces.

" What do you want old woman?" Farris inquired harshly, stepping forward and not bothering to hide the disgust in his tone.

Old Mrs. John held out her hands which had a small pack and handed it to Farris " Deep fried chicken for the new residents. I hope you have a lovely stay in our neighborhood" she beamed and walked away instantaneously leaving all the people present flabbergasted.

What in the world was she trying to do? Rune wondered.

Farris, who still had the carton pack of Old Mrs. John's chicken stormed in and threw it in the bin. " Stupid woman!" he fumed and returned back to his seat in the dining room.

" Come on Farris. Old Mrs. Mary or not, you don't throw to waste a pack of nice deep-fried chicken" Fender scoffed and picked up the pack in the bin, he opened it and stuffed one in his mouth. " Deep fried indeed" he commended with a mouthful without stopping until the bone of the chicken lap he was devouring was visible.

"It's Old Mrs. John" Duncan corrected. He was now inside with LSR, standing with his hands on LSR's wheelchair handle.

Fender eyed him cynically and strode have his seat.

Luna scolded him as soon as he sat " We have more than enough here. Do you have to eat the old woman's chicken?"

" Rats are thieves and gluttons. Jokes on you for expecting any less from him Luna" Rune chirped in.

" Cats are flesh eating zombies dear Rune. Jokes on anyone for expecting any good words from you" Fender fired back, playing with his fingers and also eyeing Rune the way he did Duncan.

" Ahem!" Farris cleared his throat to call them to order. " We have visitors!" he reminded.

As if they were all just realizing Duncan and LSR's presence, they all glanced at the two boys who seemed lost and out of place seeing their hosts argue like children.

" Hi" Duncan waved sheepishly, his stomach bouncing with every wave.

" Please, do have your seats" Luna offered the two boys, and they went forward to sit.

When Duncan started to fumble trying to sit LSR on the dining chair, Amadio stood up and swooped LSR up like he was a child that bearly weighed a pound.

Rune wanted to giggle at the sight. She knew LSR must have felt uncomfortable to have been carried that way.

Luna served the guests their portion of food and desserts. Everyone of the Nature family watched as LSR and Duncan shyly ate their foods. There was silence for a while until Farris spoke " So you're an artist?" he asked LSR.

" Yes, but not a professional yet" LSR who was silently wishing the night runs fast managed to answer.

Farris nodded " You drew that cat in the drawing we returned to you. What promoted the inspiration?"

" The night I was engaged in an accident.. In.. in front of your house" LSR stammered, finding it hard to conform the words.

Fender enunciated rather cynically as he picked a lump of chicken flesh stuck in between his incisors " You mean when you were trying to break into the house"

" No!" LSR jumped, defending himself sharply. " I saw a figure in the house. If you've lived close to a dormant house in which not even one single person has stepped in all your lives and suddenly, you see someone moving about in it, you'd understand my desire to quench my curiosity. I just... Just..Forget it" he gave up explaining.

Thankfully, Rune was sitting on the chair hm front of Fender while LSR was sitting closely beside Gizem who was sitting beside her. She gave his first toes a pinch with her own toe. They didn't invite the boy over to intimidate him. It was to find possible answers.

" Please, do continue" Calliope urged LSR with a friendly smile, trying to lighten up the tensed atmosphere.

Rune heard the increase in LSR's heartbeat. He was finding their company uncomfortable.

" When I got hit by the lift truck," LSR proceeded " I saw the cat in the drawing just before I passed out" he finished.

Silently, all the eyes of the Nature family turned to Rune and she shrugged. It was not her fault he saw her on the day she was supposed to come check out the house and the neighborhood. She came with Vidal, the figure he must have mentioned must be Vidals' because she was in her original form throughout that day. She remembered she was having trouble changing back into her human form because of her illness. So, that meant the boy next door was clean, he wasn't hiding anything. Just as she presumed, they had overreacted but she couldn't blame she and her family for overreacting. They have been through a lot and seen a lot in the past.

" Pheew!" Calliope sighed loudly and mimickingly wiped off an invisible sweat off her face.

Everyone else would feel a little relaxed. There was no running and fighting for now.

Luna was unable to hold her joy "What's your name young man?" she asked LSR with smiles and also turned to Duncan who had been silently enjoying his meal all along " And you too"

" I'm Duncan" Duncan was the one who answered first " He is LSR" he pointed at his friend.

Instantaneously, LSR shot his friend a deadly glare with his eyes almost shooting out of their socket " I'm Asher" he turned to Luna " Not LSR. LSR is just an alias I do not appreciate "

"Ohh" Luna who seemed confused drew her mouth into a circular form.

" Who hit you? Was the culprit apprehended? Have they paid for the difficulties they put you through?" Gizem suddenly asked out of the blue.

" No" LSR turned to her. His eyes betraying his composed outlet. He was stunned at the striking resemblance between Gizem and Rune. The only thing that differed them was the hair color. " it was a hit and run and the police has not been able to move forward with the investigation" he managed to explain.

"The detectives investigating his case was abducted and killed" Duncan blurted.

" Is it that serious?" Amadio spoke for the first time since the evening.

Before LSR could give a reply to his question, they heard a loud thud and the sound of a chair falling violently on the floor.

" Fender!" Rune gasped and they all ran to lift up Fender from the floor.

He had stumbled, his eyes darting around its socket and he was foaming in the mouth.