Cale Everen sat cross-legged on the cold, cracked floor of the living room, his eyes glued to the flickering TV screen. The old horror movie played—something about shadow creatures slipping through cracks in the walls. But Cale didn't really care about the monsters on the screen. He was more interested in the quiet sound of his brother's voice beside him.
Mark Everen, ten years old and already acting like he knew everything, leaned back against the faded couch. His messy brown hair fell in front of his sharp eyes, and he held a half-eaten bag of chips like it was treasure.
"Did you see that?" Mark whispered, voice low, like he didn't want the shadows in the room to hear. "The shadow thing—it's like it's alive or something. Like it's waiting."
Cale nodded, but he felt more scared than curious. He liked when Mark said stuff like that. It made him feel like maybe he could be brave too.
Outside, the wind howled, rattling the old windows like the house was about to wake up. Cale shivered, pulling his knees closer.
Suddenly, the TV screen flickered—then went black. The room plunged into darkness, the only sound now the pounding of their hearts.
Mark sat up fast. "What the hell?"
Cale wanted to speak but no words came out.
The air in the room grew thick, heavy, like the dark was pressing in on them. From the corner of his eye, Cale thought he saw something move—a shape darker than the blackness around it.
"Mark?" His voice was barely a whisper.
"Stay calm," Mark said, though his voice cracked just a little.
Then—without warning—the front door slammed open, banging against the wall with a loud crash.
The wind swept in, carrying a cold chill that froze Cale to his core.
"Who's there?" Mark shouted, standing up, his small fists clenched.
But no answer came, just the sound of footsteps fading away into the night.
Cale looked at Mark, wide-eyed. "Was that… real?"
Mark didn't say anything. He just stared at the door.
Mark asked again, his voice louder this time, "Who's there?" but no answer came back. The silence felt heavier, like the whole house was holding its breath.
Mark hugged Cale tight, like trying to protect him from the darkness creeping in. His small hands trembled, but his eyes stayed sharp, staring out the cracked window.
Then Mark whispered, "It's... it's sAaAAAAAAAAFffffffEE—"
Before he could finish, a huge, slimy tentacle smashed through the window with a wet CRASH, glass exploding everywhere. It wrapped around Mark's waist like a living chain, squeezing tight. Mark screamed—loud and raw.
"No—MARK!" Cale's voice broke as he tried to pull his brother free, but the tentacle was too strong.
Mark struggled, kicking and thrashing, but the creature was relentless. Another tentacle smashed through the wall, knocking over the lamp with a deafening CRASH.
Cale's eyes widened so much it felt like they'd pop out. "Did… did an octopus monster just snatch my brother away?" His voice was shaking, disbelief thick in his throat.
Wait, monsters are real? The thought hammered in his mind.
Mark screamed again, fading into the darkness as the tentacles pulled him deeper into the house—into the unknown.
Cale shook his head hard, trying to clear the panic. "Oh yeah… MARK!" he yelled.
He was only six. Six years old and no idea how to fight a giant, slimy monster.
But the world didn't wait.
Suddenly, a wet tentacle grabbed Cale's ankle, yanking him off the floor with terrifying strength. His scream mixed with Mark's as the two were pulled through the broken window into the cold night.
The monster's lair was a cave carved deep into the cliffs behind their house, dripping with water and smelling of salt and decay. The walls gleamed with strange glowing moss, casting eerie green light on the slippery stones.
Cale hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of him. He scrambled to his feet, heart pounding like a drum.
Mark was a few feet away, tangled in the monster's tentacles, struggling but no match.
"Let him go!" Cale shouted, picking up a jagged rock.
The octopus monster hissed, a wet, guttural sound, as tentacles writhed closer.
Cale threw the rock with all his might, hitting one tentacle. It recoiled, leaving a trail of dark ooze. The monster growled, furious.
Mark kicked wildly, breaking one tentacle loose. "Run, Cale!"
But Cale froze—he couldn't leave his brother.
A tentacle lunged at him. He ducked just in time, feeling the cold slime swipe past his head.
Cale grabbed another rock, throwing it again and again. Each hit made the monster howl in pain, but it only got angrier.
"Come on, Mark! We gotta find a way out!" Cale yelled.
Mark nodded, eyes wild but determined.
The cave was slippery, wet, and full of weird tunnels. The monster chased them, tentacles smashing into the walls, shaking loose stones.
Cale slipped once, scraping his hands. Pain burned but he kept going.
"Watch out!" Mark shouted, pulling Cale away from a swinging tentacle.
They ran deeper into the cave, breath ragged, heart pounding. Suddenly, the path opened into a huge cavern.
The monster appeared behind them, bigger than before, eyes glowing like burning coals.
Cale looked around and spotted sharp rocks scattered on the floor. An idea hit him.
He grabbed one and hurled it at the creature's glowing eye.
The monster screamed, stumbling back.
Mark charged, grabbing a long, broken branch.
"Now, Cale!" Mark yelled.
Cale picked up another rock and threw it at the second eye.
The monster roared, thrashing wildly. Tentacles smashed into the walls, breaking pieces off.
Mark swung the branch, hitting a tentacle and cutting through thick, slimy skin.
The monster howled in pain, staggering backward toward the cave's edge.
Suddenly, the ground beneath it cracked and gave way. The monster fell, roaring as it disappeared into darkness below.
Cale and Mark collapsed on the wet floor, gasping for breath, covered in slime and dirt but alive.
Mark looked at Cale and smiled weakly, "We did it…"
Cole blinked, looking down at the weird glowing red thing underneath them. "Why is there a weird glowing red thing under us?" he asked, confused.
Mark frowned. "Huh?"
Suddenly, the ground cracked beneath their feet and they both tumbled down, falling through the red glow.
Mark hit the floor hard and looked around, rubbing his head. He saw people — lots of them. But they looked different, not like anyone he'd ever seen before.
He glanced up — the place they'd been just seconds ago was gone. The gate they came through was now closed tight.
The people around him moved slowly, their eyes distant and strange. Mark swallowed hard.
"Uhm, Cole?" he called out. "Cole!"
But Cole was nowhere to be found.
Mark jumped up and started running, searching every corner, yelling Cole's name.
Meanwhile, Cole...
Cole was somewhere else. It looked like a city, but dark and weird. The buildings were old and rusty, like they'd been abandoned for years. It wasn't like any city in 2025, the year he knew.
He clutched his teddy bear tighter, his small legs moving fast on cracked sidewalks.
Then, a woman appeared out of nowhere. She looked kind but her eyes were sharp.
"Ooh, what's a child like you doing here, all alone?" she asked, her voice soft but with something hidden beneath.
Cole blinked. "I—I came here through a red thing."
The woman smiled, but then suddenly slapped Cole's head lightly.
"Dear, are you from another realm?" she said with a knowing look.
Cole counted on his fingers, confused. "Eh? I'm six... I'm six years old."
"Mhm," she nodded slowly. "So, dear, how exactly did you get here?"
Cole tried to remember, "I... I can remember a red…"
The woman whispered to herself, eyes narrowing, "I should take him to Child Services."
Cole frowned. He didn't know what that meant, but he felt like maybe he shouldn't trust her.