His father's— The demon's face was inches away from him.
It stared right into his eyes, and he met its void-like gaze as black fluid spilt over them. It ran down to its cheeks, where it mixed with mucus and saliva before drooling off its chin.
Every facial opening released this viscous, gluey blood-like liquid. Its head tilted, with a mocking grin plastered on its face.
"Ever so frail..." it said, chuckling with a coarse, grating voice as if nails had gone through its throat. A crack was heard as it stood straight from a bend, moving away from him.
Alley released the breath he didn't know he was holding. Clutching his stomach, he fought the urge to gag at the nauseating smell of the black blood that outpoured the demon.
"And so is this body..." said the demon in Fiona's body, trying to walk. Its shoulders and knees gave in with every step. It rose and fell, staggering and unable to move forward.
Alley's shoulders tensed. His chest bent backward—it sank in.
They are taken over.
The phone slipped from his relaxed hand, yet he caught it. "I-It's… They're…" He moved backward and backward, falling off the sofa.
"M-Miss Janet…" he was shaking, scooting back with his feet—eyes fixed on his father.
"Alley? Alley, what is happening?" He could barely hear Janet's voice from the phone and whatever came next after she called his name.
Only the sofa was between them. They shared a look, and in that stillness, only a smile formed on the demon's face, amused at the situation.
Alley snapped out of it and gazed at the door. A shiny object caught his attention, and he saw it. The keys to the door—hanging beside the coat rack.
His breathing quickened from the sudden plan he came up with. At a moment's notice, he prepared to create a temporary barrier by kicking the sofa when suddenly…
"Brother?" said a child on his left, rubbing his eyes, wrapped in his blanket like a cloak.
His eyes widened, "Asher…"
The child ran toward him without realizing the current situation. Alley immediately covered his eyes and held him, and the child tried to get out of his grip.
"Hey... Ow, too much, let me go…"
"Sorry Ash… but stay still."
Asher followed his brother's request. "Huh?"
Alley didn't know what to say. "There are thieves... in the kitchen," he kept nodding, agreeing with the idea of his make-believe.
"What, where—" The child wanted to look, yet Alley did not let him out of his arms, knowing full well he had to protect his perception of their parents.
"How touching," the demon applauded with its hands while looking at the brothers.
"Who's that talking, brother?" asked Asher in a whisper.
"Don't mind him, we're getting out," whispered Alley back.
He instantly kicked the right part of the sofa forward, hastily propping himself up and pulling on Asher, whose face was half-covered. His speed caused him to crash onto the wall, then turned the doorknob.
It was locked, and he immediately grabbed the keys. Asher, who only looked at Alley's tensed face, clutched his brother's shirt as the other fumbled for the right key.
Rarely breaking eye contact with the demon, he struggled to find the right one. He only observed as the demon crouched, ready to pounce.
The key was in, and a turn was all it needed.
Then the demon, which was quick on its feet, jumped at the brothers, grabbing Alley by the nape. He immediately pushed Asher towards the door, and the child stumbled and fell.
"RUN!" he shouted, hoping the child could open the door and run out on his own.
The demon's clutches tightened, lifting Alley off the ground and throwing him across the room. He hit the shelf beside the television, hearing a crack from his body. Numerous books fell on him, and he screened himself with both arms.
His back took the heaviest toll, and for a few seconds, he almost felt unable to move. Glancing at Asher, he noticed the blanket had fallen off him.
A pang of a very painful thought hit him, so he repeatedly hit the wooden floor with his hand to take the demon's attention.
"HEY! ARGH! HEY!!!" he kept on yelling and yelling, and the demon responded by looking in his direction. He aggressively waved his arm, hinting Asher to go. Yet, Alley noticed his brother stunned.
The kid kept on looking at their familiar loved one, oozing with black blood. The sheer horror in his eyes as the child realized his father was possessed devastated Alley.
Even so, Asher stood up, supporting himself with the nearby shoe rack, but his knees gave in.
"Help..." his voice shook as he crawled towards the door. He propped himself up and turned the key. "HELP US!" he put more strength into his voice this time, without looking back.
The slight peek of the outside abruptly ended, and the pounding on the wooden floor got louder and more distraught. Asher looked behind at the shadow that overtook his whole form, and there he saw his father, close and real as ever.
It grabbed Asher's arm, then his neck, pushing him upward, carrying his weight.
"ASHER! NO! HEY!!!" Alley struggled to stand up with the shelf's support as a piercing pain hit his lower back.
Asher's feet were off the ground as he held on to his father's arms, trying to ease the pressure on his neck.
"Pa… It's me… Ash… A—sher.." he said, begging it to remember him. The demon only smirked and threw him across Alley's direction, and his brother gathered all his strength to stand up properly and catch him.
Asher's body hit the center of his abdomen as his back collided with the edge of the shelf. He tasted blood in his mouth.
"It's always interesting to see the initial reactions..." The demon laughed hysterically. It walked leisurely toward them as the brothers scooted over to the shelf. They heard an unexpected cackle coming from their mother, giggling, snorting, as she found the situation amusing.
Alley only stared at them with a whimpering child in his arms. To his mother's unmoving body, then back to his father. Then to Asher, who was still shaken from the experience.
He needed to do something. Most especially, for the child in his arms.
He glanced around the room. The location of his bat, any safe spaces, anything that he could make use of. Then gently, he put Asher down in the corner as he stood up.
He took a deep breath and looked straight into the demon's eyes, settling on the decision to fight back. His method was to stretch time and toughen his gut out to last at least until help arrived.
As this was entertainment for the demon, he set his mind to extend the playtime.