"Oh, monsters are scared," said Lettie. "That's why they're monsters."
-Neil Gaiman
I made Nicole a sandwich with some fruit, mostly because I didn't have much in the way of human food. All my food was either for me or for those creatures I invite over. There were eyeballs, brains, hearts, cow tails, dog tongue...basically anything a creature could ask for. The only human food I had were fruits, some venison, cheese, and white bread. I had no idea how long she'd stay here, but I knew I'd need more food if she was going to live longer than a week or two.
When I'm finished making her food, I grab a plate and then head upstairs to where I told her to go. I knock twice before opening the door and looking inside the bedroom. She isn't in here, but I do hear the shower running, so I know she hasn't gone far. I place her food on the dresser and look around to see her backpack is open. Inside, I see clothes, a small plastic card, and one of Edna's feathers. I chuckle at the feather but place her bag in the closet then walk out of her room. I go down the hall to my office and start doing some work.
It was probably two hours later when I heard soft footsteps outside my door. I look up and see the handle twist downwards and the door swing opens slowly. Nicole peeks her head inside and gasps. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were in here!"
"It's fine," I say and turn to my work again.
I sense her linger in the doorway, watching me. I feel her eyes hone in on what I am doing. This doesn't bother me much considering I am used to people watching me work. Softly, Nicole says, "May I come in?"
"For what?"
She shrugs. "Just looking around. I don't really have anything better to do."
I look up at her and see she's fidgeting nervously. "Yes, just don't take anything out of this room, understand?" she nods and begins to look around. I go back to work.
"Do you know every monster inside the gate?" she asked ten minutes later as she looks through my bookshelf.
"No. If I did, it would be a miracle."
She turns to me and smiles. "Do new appear every day?"
I sit back in my chair and study her for a moment. She was different from when I first saw her on Edna today. "New creatures appear almost hourly. You will become familiar with who the new creatures are and who the old ones are. Humans and animals die every day, so depending on if their soul is dark or not, they come straight here. They are pissed off and stupid, but tend to ease into being a monster by their first year or so."
"Do any of you die?"
"Many of us die. It's just not as noticeable because sometimes it's too hard to remember who's supposed to be here and who's not. I've messed up a few times thinking someone was alive when they had died centuries ago."
Nicole walks towards my desk and leans against it, her face lit up with curiosity. "What do you suppose is the ugliest monster?"
"First, don't call us monsters," I say firmly. "It's speciesism."
"But that's what all of you are."
I shake my head. "A monster is something you consider frightening. What you consider a monster is what someone else might consider cute and cuddly. So far, I haven't seen one creature you're afraid of yet, so don't call us monsters unless you absolutely mean it." I pause, letting that lecture sink in before answering her question. "Personally, I believe some of the Sarugami and the Geryon species are quite ugly. But Satyrus women are the most hideous."
Nicole hums to herself before standing straight. "May I read some of your books? I want to get familiar with the mon—creatures here."
"Not from in here," I say. She frowns and I stand to usher her outside into the hall. "I have another place you may do your research." Leading her down the hall and down the stairs, we go into another door where I have several bookshelves stocked full of books on all the different creatures that I have encountered but may not remember. "Any monster I know about is in here in these books. Read as much as you like. Just be out of here by nightfall."
"Why?"
"You're to be in your room at that time, not roaming the house."
"May I take a book with me to my room?"
I think about this for a moment. "Only if you return it to its rightful place." She smiles and nods, moving to a bookshelf and pulling out a book. "I'll be either in my office or outside. Text me if I'm outside." She hums a response but is engrossed in the book about Ato-oi-kozo to care about me. Chuckling, I leave her to her imagination and research.
When I get back to my office, Lorvog is waiting for me just outside the door. He cocks his head to one side, looking at me quizzically. I raise a brow questioningly. "You smell of human."
"Probably, there is a human here under my care," I say and go to my desk to sit behind it. "What is it?"
"A Bardi is asking permission to enter your home."
"How do you know it's a Bardi?"
Lorvog crosses two arms and glares down at me. "It smells like many, and the stench of death is more prominent than with other inhabitants."
I nod slowly. Lorvog was one of my most trusted monsters who understood and obeyed the rules set out for them. Even though my mind has changed about humans – or one in particular – he still follows without question. There are some, like the Shadows, who feel the need to test my patience and try to kill without mercy or hide their tracks.
This is why having it in the human world could be a major problem, killing whatever it sees for entertainment. I kill for survival, Tracy kills for her gem, and so on and so forth. If it were up to me, the creatures through the Gate would only kill for survival, not just entertainment, but we don't always get what we want.
"I—"
A scream shattered the easy silence and I was immediately running. Lorvog was ahead of me, the club at the ready. Glass shattered and something fell before I heard Nicole's call. "Ezra!"
Gritting my teeth, I continued to follow the giant Geryon into the room of bookshelves. On one side, Nicole was holding a chair in one hand and a thick book in the other. On the other side, the Bardi was licking its lips, shifted into the Shadow. Lorvog got in front of Nicole without any invitation from me as I crossed my arms and smirked at the Bardi. "I don't remember giving you permission to enter, Wrephor."
"She is trespassing," it said in a hissing voice that sounded neither female nor male. "She should be dead!"
"She is here under my command, not to mention it is not your business as to if she's here or not. Leave now, before I call someone to come get you."
The Bardi hissed menacingly and looked at Nicole, narrowing its eyes on its target. I sighed and waited patiently. Lorvog raised his club, ready to strike if the situation calls for it as Nicole cowered behind him. I shake my head a little, reminding myself to explain how not to show fear and stand up for herself. She'll need it if she stays for a while.
Now that I think about it, it's probably the most fear I've seen from her, which makes me curious if it's the Shadow or the Bardi itself being able to shift into the Shadow. I saw her fear when I saw her on Edna's back, but it wasn't as prominent as it is now.
"She's my prey, Obayifo. I deserve to eat the prey I hunt!" Wrephor growls and lunges at Lorvog.
~~~
Bardi (Wrephor)
A Bardi is a shapeshifter, it doesn't have a specific form. But whoever faces one will see their worst fears.