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“What do you think, Chum? Netflix day?” I asked Chum as he lingered in the doorway. I’d named him Chumley after a TV show my mom used to watch, some pawn shop one. He kinda reminded me of him. In a shadow monster way.
Chum grunted as he headed over soundlessly, practically drifting over the vinyl flooring to perch on the arm of the couch on the other end.
“You’re lucky I did shopping already,” I muttered as I reached for the remote on my stained coffee table. Too many times I’d knocked drinks over or left them sitting on it, but I’d picked it up for free from Craigslist, so I didn’t care.
Most of my furniture was free stuff. I couldn’t afford anything on my shitty wage, and the money I’d inherited after my mom died wasn’t going to be released to me until I turned eighteen. In three days.
Not that it was much. I knew that, but maybe I could try to find somewhere better to go.
I put my legs up on the coffee table, ignoring the ringing of my phone. I couldn’t come in. Not today, even if my boss wanted to shout at me. Jack was going to make sure of that.
I was probably going to lose my job.
But right now, some Netflix sounded good. Something to fry my brain, as my mother used to say about TV.
“What were we watching?” I ask Chum, glancing over at the smaller shadow monster on the arm of my couch. Sometimes, he even sat on the couch next to me. But I never touched him.
They were hot to the touch, as if they were burning a little inside.
I’d discovered that the first time I’d tried to get past Jack.
Chum grumbled something in his beastly growl.
“Right, we were watching ‘The Punisher’,” I murmured. Chum seemed to like the show. As did I.
I flicked it on, turning my phone upside down on the coffee table when it rang again. Guess I was going to get fired.
I groaned, sinking into the couch and shooting a sideways glance at Jack. Why did he do this anyway?
Asshole.
I sighed and folded my arms as the episode started. I’d have to make up for my lost pay if I was going to survive here another week. Once Jack let me out again.
It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that the tall shadow monster stepped away from the doorway.
I’d spent the morning binging on Netflix with Chumley, then cooking up some noodles for lunch. I’d exercised, listened to some music, and was pretty much bored to fucking death until he moved.
“Finally,” I muttered as I tied my long brown hair up in a bun.
Jack just blinked slowly, his red eyes glowing softly as he cocked his head.
“Where are the other two?” I asked him as I pulled on an oversized hooded jacket I’d had for years now.
The other two shadow monsters, who I had named Bug and Creeper, were nowhere to be seen.
As if I summoned him, Creeper appeared, crouched on the wall near the doorway.
Yes. On the wall. He fucking stuck to everything. He’d scared the shit out of me one time when he was standing on the ceiling, just hanging there with his arms crossed, his horns nearly touching the foot of my bed.
Creep.
“Hey Creeper,” I greeted him, and he just grunted. He was lean like Jack, but shorter. Chumley was the shortest of the lot.
Bug still hadn’t shown. Maybe he wouldn’t. I didn’t see them every day. Well, I saw at least one of them each day, but days could pass where I wouldn’t see two of them at all.
“Because of you, I need to make up for my lost pay. Otherwise I can’t pay my bills, dickhead,” I growled at Jack, who was leaning against the wall with his arms folded. His shadowy figure was like the others, wispy and seeming alive as it swirled around him. He clearly didn’t give a shit though as he just watched me like a hawk.
“You coming, Creeper?” I turned to said monster, who was looking ready to go with me. He always came with me on ‘extra pay’ activities. Bug normally showed up too.
