Chlorine Eyes

Sunny marched to the cafeteria with a confident step in her stride. She struggled with the images of her father's accident. They were as fresh as the day they'd happened, serving as a reminder that justice was seldom wrought. The more she thought about it, the more her impatience grew. Sunny shook her head, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. There'd be time for that later. Right now, Benji needed to hear her out.

The cafeteria was an expansive room spanning the size of at least a dozen classrooms packed side by side. Students hustled from one table to the next. Some carried trays, while others brought along lunches packed by their parents. Sunny's shoes squeaked against the white-and-black tile, her lunch packed in a brown paper bag by June.

"We have to be quiet," Sunny said, plopping her bag on the foldout table. Benji blinked twice and nodded before Sunny took a seat beside him. Benji took a bite of the green apple, chewing on it while Sunny continued. "I have a plan to see Papa avenged." Her cheeks pinked. Benji was no stranger to her words but was wise enough to know that speaking about her father so outwardly and fondly was still difficult for her. She'd learned most kids referred to their fathers as 'Dad' or 'Daddy.'

"Whatever it is, we'll do it," Benji said as he swallowed the shred of apple. "Got an idea?"

"I do, but it's going to be dangerous, I think. But we can do it!" Sunny was quick to emphasize their capabilities. Benji was strong, stronger than people realized. He carried a silent strength about him that Sunny knew she could depend on. This also meant he had an ear and eye for danger.

Benji raised the brow of his good eye. "I'll go with you, but are you sure we'll be okay? You're kinda worrying me."

Sunny nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! I'm sure of it! I just… can't talk about it here."

Benji looked to his left, then to his right. "Umm, so then what do we do?"

"Let's plan a sleepover." When Benji frowned, Sunny continued and nervously threw her hands between her legs. "I'll tell them I'm going to your house, and—"

"And I'll say I'm going to your house," Benji completed. "Oldest trick in the book," he smiled. "I dunno, though… June seems like she'd catch on to that."

Sunny shook her head. "She won't. I promise."

---

Two days later, Sunny waited at a corner a few blocks from where Benji lived, her backpack filled with delicious meats. Never had she imagined that meat would be so expensive with the allowance June gave her each week. She struggled to imagine how Ren and June could afford such luxuries. At least, they seemed like luxuries to her.

Her heart pounded against her chest in anticipation. She rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, hoping it would help alleviate the stress she felt in her veins. It did little to abate it.

"C'mon, Benji," Sunny quietly whined to herself. "I can't do this without you."

Seconds later, Benji appeared at the opposite end of the street, a backpack over one shoulder and his signature Halloween basket curled around the bend of his arm. He offered a gentle wave as he jogged his way over to her. Sunny could feel the tension in her shoulders subside, and she breathed a sigh of relief as he approached.

"Wait long?" Benji asked.

"Nope!" Sunny shook her head. "Was your dad okay about our sleepover?"

Benji's gaze veered. "Yeah. He seemed to buy it, at least." He shrugged. "I don't think he'll look into it." He lowered his voice. "It's still taking some getting used to, having a dad and all. It's hard not to feel like he just decided to show up when it was convenient for him." He wringed his hands. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get heavy."

Sunny knew better than to pry when it came to Benji's father. Benji had just met his dad months ago, so the two were still struggling to build a relationship. Regardless of the matter, his dad seemed to trust Ren and June, so Sunny tried not to think about it too much, as she would quickly spiral down into thoughts about her own dad.

"Don't be. Let's go over the plan," Sunny said, hoping to change the subject.

Benji smiled wryly. "Yeah."

Sunny and Benji weren't dumb enough to put their plan into action so close to Benji's home. Moving a mile down the street, Sunny and Benji came to a portion of the neighborhood where the city met the forest. Hiding in an alleyway across from the border, the two children kneeled and set their backpacks against the wall.

"How much did you get?" Sunny asked, unzipping her pack.

"Not much," Benji groaned. "Dad doesn't cook a lot, so there wasn't a bunch in there that was too great." He procured a box of frozen Salisbury steak.

Sunny gagged. "Still eat that stuff?"

Benji shrugged. "Sometimes. I-I don't think it's that bad though, r-right?" He flushed, and Sunny smiled. "Or is it?"

"If you like it, you like it," Sunny said easily. "Not a fan myself. June cooked it once, and my stomach hurt the whole night."

"Sounds like June doesn't cook it anymore." Benji's tone bordered on the edge of uncertainty and accusation as if he was always afraid of making claims that might offend someone. He scratched the back of his neck. "Unless I'm, uh, projecting? Is that what they call it?"

"Yeah!" Sunny smiled. "You're not, by the way." She flipped her backpack upside down and poured the contents onto the ground. "I'm pretty proud of my haul."

"Uhh." Benji frowned. "You… you don't think this was overdoing it?"

"Overdoing it?" Sunny tilted her head.

A week's worth of food was resting on the ground. Expensive ribeye cuts, bone-in pork chop, chicken, and even some fish could be seen among the pile.

"Well… not my house, but I'd be wondering where all the food is if I just opened my fridge and saw all the meat was gone." Benji seemed to grow nervous. His fingers tightened around the rim of his bag, and his stare was intense. "What if they find out?"

"They won't! Really, you're worrying too much. Ren and June won't think anything of it."

Benji didn't seem convinced but nodded his head. "Okay."

"Okay, so here's the plan. We're going to go leave some food over there," Sunny said, pointing to where the forest's border began. "The Denizen is going to come out, and we're going to snatch him up in a trap!" Sunny emphasized her remark by pounding the bottom of one fist against her palm. "Then we'll pleesate him, and I'll avenge… my dad."

Benji's eyes wandered. "Uh, okay. But, isn't it, uhm, placate? What's pleesate?"

Sunny's face turned beet red. "O-O-Of course, I knew that! Yes, placate! J-Just slip of the tongue, ehehe." Sunny bowed her head forward and looked away. "A-Anyway! That's it. That's the plan."

A soft laugh escaped Benji's lips. "You still didn't explain what you meant by the claw marks and other stuff."

Sunny played with a strand of her hair, curling it around her pointer finger.

"When… my dad's accident happened, they found a bunch of glowy liquid." She drew a deep breath. "The same stuff Ren found when he and I hunted down the one Denizen. Of course, you already knew that. But the same claw marks were seen on the trucks delivering meat to Sigg's bar." The two locked eyes. "All of the same events line up, Benji. There was a shipment of meat on that train when it happened. It can't be a coincidence."

Benji held his stare for a time before speaking. "And you think we can trap this thing?" He sighed. "I dunno, Sunny. I, uh, kinda think this might be a bad idea." Benji crossed his legs and wrapped his arms around his Halloween basket. "I wanna help, but you don't think it's best to tell Ren and June instead?"

"Ren has no reason to. He would like to help me, I know he would! But there's a lot going on, and after our last Denizen involvement, he's been more… well, careful."

"I guess that makes sense," Benji mumbled.

"Please, Benji!" Sunny clapped her hands together and bowed her head as if she were in prayer. "I need you for this! With your ability, I know things will work out!"

"Hey, hey, easy there," he said with a nervous laugh, "I'm not going anywhere. Just wanna make sure you think this is the right thing to do."

Sunny raised her head. "Without a doubt."

"Then I'll stick around. We can take on one Denizen."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Sunny started to pick up one package after the next, their contents still ice-cold to the touch. As she stood up, Benji grabbed her by the rim of her jacket.

"Wait. Let's try and cook 'em."

Sunny frowned. "But all the attacks were on frozen shipments."

"Yeah, but those are rare if you think about it. There are thousands of trucks driving around, so if one or two gets hit, then it's not a big deal," Benji argued. "But I think the smell of cooking meat will act as a quicker lure."

Sunny wasn't convinced, but what harm could it do? "But how do we cook them?"

Benji smirked and tapped at his cheekbone. Oftentimes, Benji used his Jitter to freeze things, but it was just as helpful in heating situations up when the time called for it.

"Are you sure?" asked Sunny. Chlorine Eyes, as Benji liked to call it, was best used in short bursts. It was potent, able to drastically alter an area's core temperature within seconds. Like most Jitters, it had a nasty side effect to it as well. The side effect was a sensitive subject to Benji, and Sunny didn't like to push him. All she knew was that it was difficult for him to deal with. He often spent the time afterward crying. "I don't want you to unless you have to."

Benji shrugged. "It won't do anything major if I'm quick about it. Let's tear open the packages and cook it at the forest's edge."

"If you're sure, then okay!"

---

Hours passed. Sunny sat in the alleyway with her legs pulled close to her chest. It was nearing 10 P.M., and Sunny was beginning to drift off. Benji snored beside her, drool wetting her jacket sleeve.

"No, I want the last slice of cheesecake," Benji mumbled in his sleep.

Sunny giggled. Goodness, was she tired. It'd be so easy to—

No! Sunny slapped her cheeks. You gotta stay awake! For Papa!

The rustling of leaves caught Sunny's attention, and adrenaline woke up her limbs. A gasp escaped her lips as something crawled out from the bushes.

"Benji, Benji," Sunny whispered as she shook her friend. "Wake up! It's here!"

"Hah? But the chee—" His voice caught. "Holy crap, it's there. W-What do you wanna do?"

"What else?" Sunny rose to her feet, her hands clenched. "We take it out."

The air was cool and humid. Street lamps kept the mostly empty road lit with dim luminescence. Behind the park bench was the Denizen she'd been after; it had to be. They'd need to be careful. No one would be coming to their rescue if anything happened.

Not at this hour.

"I can handle this," said Sunny. "Only help if something goes wrong."

"Only? You never mentioned this!"

Sunny glanced at Benji over her shoulder. "I don't want you to use Chlorine Eyes unless you have to."

Sunny withdrew a kitchen knife from the pouch on her backpack, clenching it in her right hand. "I got this."

Wings sprouted from between Sunny's shoulder blades. She squatted down momentarily before jumping to help grant her the initial boost of speed and airtime she needed. This fight would need to end quickly and cleanly. Once her wings were gone, she'd be a sitting duck. Benji was a last resort.

With the blade held at her side, Sunny rose higher and higher, intending to swoop down like a hawk and tear the beast's throat out in a single slash. She'd done it plenty of times before when hunting with Ren. This time would be no different.

Once she'd risen a few dozen feet over the tops of the trees, she narrowed in on her target—a small dark blip on the ground, occasionally moving its head to gorge itself on the delicious meats Benji had roasted. Sunny drew three short breaths, then nosedived.

The wind felt terrific against her ears—natural, even. Below was her victim, and she was the bird of prey. Sunny repositioned the blade in front of her, the point held outward, at last recognizing the shape of her target.

The Denizen walked on four legs, low to the ground. Black scales covered a creature with eyes protruding in a circle around its body where its shoulders should've been. It reached out with one of its clawed feet, wrapping its slender fingers around the prime rib and guiding it to one of its two pointed snouts. The snouts lay atop one another like two sets of jaws. Bone crunched and shattered between the creature's pointed teeth.

Sunny closed in, swooping down in an L-shaped formation.

The Denizen whipped its head around toward Sunny, reeling back as she soared past it. Sunny tumbled past the bushes, quickly redirecting her momentum to the Denizen. A bizarre bark escaped the creature's throat. It was hollow and sounded like someone was saying 'Oh!' repeatedly.

Sunny flew at the creature again, and the Denizen dodged, lowering its head to the ground. A forked tongue ran out of the reptile-like creature's bottom jaw, an unnerving hiss filling the air.

Sunny hovered a mere foot above the ground. Knowing that hesitation would be her downfall, she swiped at the beast from the right, then the left. She knew nothing of knifeplay, only what she'd seen on TV. It was much more challenging than it looked, and her energy was quickly leaving her body. Beads of sweat dripped off the edge of her brow, and she began to pant. It wouldn't be long before her stamina was spent.

"Damn it, just die!" Sunny let out a frustrated scream, holding the knife's grip with both hands and driving the blade forward.

Leaping to its side, the Denizen wrapped its long, black tongue around her torso and threw the weight of its body backward, sending her along with it. Her body hit the ground, and the knife went flying.

"Sunny!" Benji cried.

"No! Not yet!" Sunny yelled before grabbing the Denizen's tongue and biting into it with her teeth. It was nothing like she'd expected. Tiny pinpricks like furry cactus needles draped across leather lined the creature's tongue. Biting into it was like munching on glass-covered rubber. Sunny yelped and coughed before the creature slammed her against the ground a second time. "My wings! Stop!"

An angry snarl hissed between the teeth of the Denizen as it spun in a half-circle, releasing Sunny of its tongue and sending her smack against a nearby tree. A sickening crunch echoed among the trees like a clap in the air as Sunny cried out for help.

Sunny's entire body trembled as she reached behind her with one hand. One of her precious wings had snapped off. She felt where the wing used to be, suddenly realizing the other had fallen beside her. Her teeth chattered as the leaves rustled in front of her. Her snapped-off wing was beginning to vanish as if someone had set fire to it. The Denizen was drawing closer, eager to make her its next meal. Sunny watched as it slowly approached her.

There was no fight left. No flight left.

All that remained was fear.

"Help! Please, help me!" Sunny bellowed.

The Denizen suddenly yelped and turned around in a flash, scraping its front claw against the dirt. Just past the creature, Sunny could see Benji.

He'd put the Halloween basket over his head—one of the last things he had left of his mother. Benji bowed his head forward slightly, his eyes unseen. The Denizen growled and snapped its top jaw before running toward the boy.

The air around them grew extremely cold for only a moment.

And then one of the Denizen's arms fell off—its right hind leg. The Denizen fell to its right, whimpering and hollering. Its left foreleg fell off next. Then its course changed. No longer did it desire Benji's blood. It desired survival. The beast began to scrape its way to the side with its remaining legs. As Sunny watched, she observed the eerie blue-green fluid that dripped across Benji's mask. Sunny swallowed hard, watching as the Denizen went still before shattering into hundreds of pieces moments later.

Sunny and Benji sobbed as the two stumbled toward one another.

Benji removed the basket from his head, wiping what remained of his tears from the empty socket where his eyepatch normally was. His lips were pulled into a straight line, and his good eye was bloodshot. Sunny shakily rose to her feet, and the two embraced each other.

"W-We need to get out of here," said Sunny.

Benji didn't speak. He rocked back and forth, and Sunny felt him nod. But as the two supported each other on the way back to the alleyway, a series of growls and snarls followed them. Sunny and Benji turned around to see no fewer than a dozen of the same creature Benji had killed just seconds ago.

The air left Sunny's lungs, and the two began to cry together. This was it; there was no getting out of this one. Running would do them no good, and Benji couldn't take on a dozen of these things.

"I'm so sorry!" Sunny sobbed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Benji sniffled, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

A swift wind blew past them when they shut their eyes, and the strength left their limbs. When Sunny opened her eyes again, the world was whisking past her.

"What just happened?"