by GoozX and T5
"Dinner is ready!"
Sam was greeted by Mick's voice as he entered the apartment complex. He could not tell exactly what floor Mick was on, but it had to be the second or third. His voice was too loud to be any higher.
Sam stepped onto the huge spiral staircase to the second floor. He slowly walked up, and upon reaching the top, he noticed many of the others entering Apartment 203.
Just outside the door, Li'l Jo ate from a small bowl. He purred as Sam passed, finally used to the young man's scent.
The gang was sitting around a huge old wood table. Mick brought out a few different plates.
"Uh, I hope you guys don't mind rice and beans." Mick cracked a smile, having forgotten to mention to everyone his limited knowledge in the culinary arts. "I also made some hot dogs and stuff."
Sam took a seat at the table. For the first time in a while, he almost had the feeling of being in a family.
The evening was settling down, and the gang tried to make their living quarters at least civilized. The need for a shopping spree to find furniture that suited everyone was a fact. Although some of the rooms had been furnished, some rooms were only used for storage.
Naecken settled for a leftover bed and some curtains, saying that he would fix things later, but right now he needed a walk.
Sneaking through the shadows of unlit streets, he managed to get to the outskirts of the town. He walked along the gravel road toward a hill. The view would be great from the top.
A feeling of loss came over him as he wished he could just fly up there instead of having to walk all the way. He could probably jump that distance, though.
A short run, and he flexed his legs and managed to jump over the hill and into a small vegetable garden on the far side of the hill.
Covered with dirt and carrots, he caught a glimpse of a huge dog looking at him in surprise. A few seconds later it began barking.
Naecken decided to jump back again when he heard a voice behind him. It was a little girl. "Hey, mister. Don't steal, or you will end up in Hell!"
"Eh? I didn't mean to..."
"Oh? You mean you're poor and have no food?" The dog kept on barking but had the sense to keep away.
"No. I'm just trying to get to the top of this hill."
"Oh... you look strange."
"Get away from her!" a deep voice bellowed from behind. The sound of a shotgun loading made Naecken turn around to see the aggressor. "Get away from my daughter!" a thick-bearded, middle-aged man said.
"I mean no harm. I just want to get to the top of this hill. I missed and accidentally landed in your garden. Look, I can fix it and be on my way." He bent down and started to repair the damage he had made to the rows of carrots that had been displaced.
The man looked at him in surprise. "Uh... look, man, if you need food, just take a few. I have some water over in the well there. But keep your hands where I can see them."
Naecken decided to make his visit here short, so he grabbed a few carrots and jumped again, this time landing on the spot he had aimed at.
Below, the bearded man looked to the top with his mouth open.
Naecken meditated for an hour and enjoyed the scenery. The surf hitting the reefs further out was soothing, and the cicadas sawing made him feel sleepy. Hearing voices coming closer, he then decided that his little outing was over and jumped down to the gravel road, creating a huge skidmark in the road.
Later on that evening, he went to his room and went to sleep.
Sam decided to try to make friends with the dark mysterious guy, and so knocked on Naecken's door. When no reply came, he carefully opened the door to see if he was asleep, only to find a pile of carrots on the bed, and Naecken asleep on the floor.