When Darkness Falls...

Fungus’ POV

I rushed to the locker room, searching frantically for Randall.

“Randall!” I called.
“what?!” he yelled, coming around the corner in a towel
“We- uh… we have a problem.” I said, weakly.
“Well, what is it?” he asked, impatiently.
“Well, uh.. you see, um. I went to go take the empty tanks back to the back and I looked behind it, because, you know I have this fear that there could be a human behind it so I always check and-“
“Just get ON with it Fungus!”
“oh! Y-yes right!” I yelp slightly. “Well, when I checked, there actually was a human this time!”
“What?!” he said, stunned.
“A-and, sir, that’s not the worst part!” I said “It’s that little girl’s older sister. The one you tried to scare!”

Randall’s expression turned cold and he stalked out of the locker room.
I rushed behind him

“Wait sir!” I said
“Shut up Fungus!” he growled.

I winced and followed behind him.

“where was she?”
“Right over here.”

She was gone.

“Oh no” I whimpered. “She’s loose in the factory! What are we going to do?!”
“Calm down fungus!” Randall said. “We will find her.”
“sir?”
“What?!”
I yelped.
“Y-you might want to change.”

He looked down and growled, heading back to the locker room.

“Start looking Fungus! I’ll be right back.”
“Y-yes sir!”

I searched the room. I checked everywhere: behind tanks, under desks, even behind the shredder but I had no luck.

Suddenly I hear a girl’s scream pierce through the air. The lights surge and flicker.

I rush into the locker room as fast as I can to find the girl cornered by Randall, who still hadn’t gotten dressed. The girl didn’t look too scared, intimidated, yes but not scared.

“well, well well.” Randall says, chuckling. “look what we have here, Fungus.”

I winced. I didn’t like it when he brought me into his taunting.

“A little girl who’s lost her way home.”
“s-sir, we could get into big-“
“Can it, Fungus.”
“Y-yes sir.”

Randall steps closer to the girl.

“you know, you really pissed me off, hitting me in the head like you did.” He growled.
“Yeah, well, that’s what you get for scaring my little sister, asshole.” She countered.

Randall glared at her

“It’s my job, kid.” He replies, stepping back and heading to his locker. “Keep her there till I get back, Fungus.”
“b-but what if she touches me? I could-“
“Just DO it Fungus!”
“Y-yes sir.”

I take a seat on the bench and I look at the girl sitting on the ground, who’s staring at me curiously. She leans forward.

Rylie’s POV
These things were very intriguing. No doubt, a whole room of them was kind of scary but this one seemed more scared of me than vice versa. He kept eyeing me nervously and sat as far away as he could while still looking like he was guarding me. They looked just like humans, it was crazy. I leaned forward to get a closer look and he tensed. Hmm…. I slowly stand and he flinches. I hold my hands up in a ‘I mean no harm’ way and sit next to him. He scoots away slightly and watches me close.

“what did you mean?”
“W-what?”
“what did you mean when you said ‘what if she touches me’?” I asked.

He didn’t look too much older than me. In his early 20s. He looked utterly terrified; he was even shaking.

“w-well, uh, w-when a m-m-monster comes into c-contact with, um, a human th-“
“are you serious, Fungus?!” Randall yells behind him.

He yelps and turns around quickly, apologizing.
“What?” I said, confused. “why can’t he tell me what happens if I touch you?”

Randall glares.

“Because you don’t need to know.”
“oh, okay then.” I say, turning away and quickly turning back and grabbing Fungus’ arms.

He screams and shoves me away, falling off the bench and scooting far away, bumping into the lockers across from us. I blink.

“Well, damn…” I mutter.

Randall growls and gets in my face.

“Uh… hello…” I say.
“You’re a pain in my ass.” He growls before turning and looking over Fungus, who was having a panic attack.

“I’m gonna die, aren’t I?! How long does it take? Do I have time to-“
“Shut up, Fungus.” He says harshly. “You’re going to be fine.”
“Wh-what?” he looks up, astonished.
“You aren’t going to die.”
“b-but how? She-“
“Because humans aren’t toxic. Get over here.” He replies, grabbing Fungus and setting him on the far side of the bench I was on.

Fungus looked at me, fearful.

“Y-you could’ve killed me!”
“Well I didn’t know that!”

Fungus looked at Randall, who rolled his eyes.

“You’re going to be fine, Fungus.” He said again.
“Y-you sure? I feel a little queasy. I might-“
“Fungus, you ALWAYS feel queasy.” He said. “I’ll be right back, don’t move.”

I scooted closer to Fungus. He stiffened again and I grinned evilly. He gulped.
Raising a hand I extended a finger towards him slowly. He started getting nervous. I got about an inch away from his cheek when he finally spoke.

“Stop! Stop!” he said.
“I’m not doing anything.” I say, innocently.
“Don’t, please!”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t touch me!”
“I’m not!” I grin
“Stop!”
“I’m not touching you!”
“please stop it!”
“Stop what?”
“stop!”
“I’m not-“
“Would you two knock it off?!” Randall growled.

He yanked me away from Fungus and got in my face.

“Stop messing with him.” He said.
“…Man, I really hit you hard with that book…” I say, looking at the dark bruise under his eye
“rruhhggg!!” he yells. “You are getting on my last nerve, kid!”
“I’m not a kid!” I yell back

He growls and grabs the sleeve of my jacket and carts me out of the locker room, Fungus in tow.

“uhh… where are we going?”
“My apartment.” He says flatly.
“Uh… why?”
“Because I can’t get you home tonight.”
“Why are we hurrying?”
“Because there’s only a few more hours till sunset.”
“What happens then?”
“Every monster in Monstropolis will turn into their true form.”
“Why’s that bad?”

He turns to me.

“You don’t realize the danger you’re in do you, kid?”

I shake my head.

“Well, to put it simply: if we don’t get to my apartment before everyone in the city turns, they’ll notice you’re human and then the CDA will be call and you DON’T want to be caught by them.” He says.

I shiver and nod. One look from Fungus tells me I need to trust Randall’s word. He turns around and continues carting me to his apartment. Once there, he shuts and locks the door, as well as shuts the blinds and then disappears into his bedroom. Fungus sits next to me on the couch.

“Sorry about the whole touching you thing earlier.” I say.

He smiles softly at me, he seems to have calmed down from then.

“It’s okay.” He replies. “I tend to overreact a little.”

He looks past me and frowns a little. I turn to look too and notice the sun’s almost completely set.
I look at Fungus who’s looking at me nervously

“What happens when you guys turn into Monsters?” I ask.
“Nothing really, we just change looks.” He says shrugging.

We wait and watch the sun fully set. I watch as Fungus changes from a guy with dark brown hair and glasses to a small red monster with three eyes, large lips and what looks like backwards legs.
He takes off his glasses and replaces them with a similar pair but they have three lenses instead of two.

“huh…” I say. “That’s really…cool”
“oh, it’s nothing really…”
“Here, kid.” Randall says, coming out of his room carrying sheets, a blanket and two pillows with two pairs of arms.

I never noticed he had two pairs of arms.

“Oh, um, thanks.” I reply, staring.
“…what??” he asks.

I shake my head and look away.

“N-Nothing.” I mutter.

We set up my bed on the couch and I say good night to Fungus as he retreats into his room. Randall stays out a little bit longer but doesn’t talk to me. I say good night to him when he gets up to go to his room and he mutters a good night back.

All in all it was an awkward night. I sighed and lay down, thinking of Alissa and hoping she’s doing okay with me gone.