Sheila sat in front of the fireplace with two of her siblings; the others were asleep. She had tried persuading these two to go to bed, but they refused. Pat was the next child after Sheila, while Shams, the last child, was only nine years old. He lay on Sheila's lap, watching the fire.
"Why did Pah have to go?" he finally spoke, directing his question to Sheila. Pat was already dozing.
"I told you already, Shams; it was really, really important," Sheila responded.
"Of what importance would an old man like Pah's presence be at a war?" Shams questioned fiercely, raising his head from Sheila's lap.
"Well, only a strong man like Pah and trash off the bad guys," Sheila responded, feigning enthusiasm.
Shams frowned but didn't argue, although Shams was the youngest, he heard good sense of reasoning.
"I will be 10 soon, Sheila; then I'll be able to join Pah," he muttered to himself. Sheila didn't hear; she was lost in thought. She might be trying to assure her siblings of Pah's return, but who would assure her? It was a war against strange or unknown beings who were certainly stronger than humans; there was no guarantee of his return; she could only hope he survived.
*********
(Somewhere dark and creepy)
"Any updates?" Boston questioned the men who stood in front of him. There were three of them, and they were the only ones who had come so close to Boston. Their meeting was always in the dark; they had never seen Boston's face, yet they knew he was very dangerous. Only his voice was enough to send shivers down their spine.
"The humans are planning an attack; men from age 10 upwards have to partake in the fight," Collins reported.
"Ten upwards?" Boston repeated.
"Yes, sir."
"And when do they expect our attack?" Boston questioned again.
"They are waiting already, sir. They have been prepared since over a week now."
"Then let's not keep them waiting for long. Tomorrow, spare only the young and the old. The rest, slay utterly, but do not feed on them," Boston ordered with a warning tone.
"Noted, sir," they chorused.
"You may leave. Collins and I should have a word." They left hastily, leaving Collins and Boston. Boston turned his chair to face Collins, revealing his red eyeballs. Though his face wasn't clear, his red eyes glowed in the dark, giving him an overall sinister look. Collins' heart skipped a beat; this was the first time he was seeing Boston's eye, and he wished he never saw it.
"How is she?" Boston asked, in his usual serious tone when he talked about her.
"She's fine, sir; her father has also joined the army," Collins informed.
"Interesting," Boston spoke in an amused tone. "Edgar," he muttered softly. "So they are all alone now."
Boston asked again, "Yes, sir, they are by themselves."
"Great, but... not enough... Do one thing for me, Collins: pay them a friendly visit tomorrow, take all you can make her vulnerable, you can even abduct some of her siblings, just make her helpless." He paused and then added in a deadly voice, "But do not dare to hurt her."
"I understand, sir," Collins nodded, masking his surprise. This girl must be really important to Boston, or he is obsessed with her, he thought.
The last time a proposal was sent to her, her father refused bluntly and even chased them out. Collins was starting to think that Boston was starting this war as a medium to get the girl.
"What if she refuses the proposal, sir?" Collins asked in a whisper.
"I dare her to," Boston's voice was laced with deadly promises. "Sheila is mine, and she should know that."