Chapter 5 Face To Face

The stream of coffee drip sizzled violently.

"Hey," Maximilian said, catching his brother's attention. "Let that finish.  It makes for a much better cup."

Lucky listened to his little brother and returned the coffee pot to catching the premium blend.  He sat next to him at the kitchen counter, feeling like they'd just entered one of the local cafes and chose the bar stool instead of the chair.  Their smiles that early in the morning were undeniable.

"Candace will be here later." Max said, fidgeting with a sugar packet.  Lucky noticed his shaky hands but the morning surprise of his brother on the door step sealed his lips.

"How is she?"

"Since mom left dad, uh," Max thought, his eyes on the dripping coffee maker. "Her work is like yours, unsure but pays well." He looked around the room.  The open floor plan of his brother's home is nice, spacious yet too far away for his taste.  Lucky, thrilled, continued giving his brother room to be himself.

"She's quiet. We help dad the best we can." Max grinned slyly at the thought of their father. "Your help is always welcomed." Max said, holding onto the sugar packet tightly.  He gets up and goes into the kitchen where Lucky stops him. "I'm home remember?  It's dad you have to worry about." He said, pouring two cups of coffee.

"I can drink this stuff all day." Max confessed as he lowered a mug onto the counter next to his brother.

"That why your hands—" Lucky stopped his sentence short of completion. Max finished emptying sugar into his mug, he stirred it, sipped the coffee and cleared his throat.

"My therapist calls it anxiety. Plain and simple while I call it a love, like you, for too much caffeine. Thinking about babe,"

Max catches himself and cuts off his own thoughts.

"I thought it was caffeine." Lucky said, sliding his mug closer to himself but not picking it up.

"It is." Maximilian lied.

Lucky nodded favorably to him. "Keep it like that." Lucky commanded for his little brother to do, who returned Lucky's nod with a satisfying agreement of his own.

"Let's go." Lucky smiled brightly.

"The walk here was long. I think I'll take your place on the couch. The full moon was the other night."

" Awe man, you're missing out. Tackling fowl that actually fly never hurt anybody."

Max laughed at his brother's comment.

"Candace will be here to help you chase that stuff. I'm on the couch."

Lucky grinned widely at his brother, knowing what his answer would be.

"I'm glad you came Max." Lucky said, leaving his untouched cup of coffee on the counter and standing, still impressed with how much his brother had grown.

"Keep the door locked. Ok."

"Ok." Max said.

"And the windows shut. Check the thermostat anytime you need to."

"Ok." Max said, listening diligently to Lucky's list of things to do.

"You're at home but the dark still cones quick so whatever it is, do it before nightfall.  Never trust a phase of the moon." Lucky said. "And what time is Candace supposed to get here?" He asked.

"Before you get back." Max answered.

Lucky nodded, agreeing with the time.

"The house is yours. Ok, Maximilian."

"You know I still hate it when you use my whole name. You sound like you know who." Max chided, sipping his coffee.

Lucky didn't smile.

"Ok, Maximilian." Lucky said again.

"Ok. Ok. Quit stuttering. I heard you the first time, Lucky." Max said, putting the coffee cup down and standing, giving his brother a hug.

"I'm glad to be here." Max said, squeezing his brother.

"I'm glad that you are here." Lucky said, letting him go.

"The couch is mine. Pick a bed." Lucky grinned.

"Whatever." Max smiled, releasing him.

"Call me for anything." Lucky said, halfway out the door. "One more thing." Said Lucky, more serious now than a minute ago.

"I know. The woods are closed." Max said.

"Right." Lucky answered. "See you when I get back." And closed the door.

Immediately, Maximilian, was not taking any chances in his brother's house, in their home town of Darteret, early in the morning, he almost ran to the door and locked it.  He stood there and wondered if his brother heard the mechanism latch for surely there wasn't enough time for him to get to the car without hearing the door knob being secured.  After catching his breath, he ran to all of the windows in the house and unlocked them and then for his own knowledge, locked them.  Any curtain that was draped open with smallest of separation was shut.  Every room that had blinds in it was made sure to be dark. No one was looking in or getting in. Candace was hours away and so was Lucky. Max knew to not trust nature. If particles could invade the body via coughing, he knew what else in nature could also hurt him and bear, deer antlers, nor venom came to mind. He wrapped his nervous hands around the warm mug and sipped the coffee, feeling like he was trapped inside a North Carolina Winter, and Spring has just begun. The cool temps meant nothing to him. They were always the opposite of that Autumn night at the river when that thing grabbed him and knocked him unconscious. The feeling of damp massive clumps of fur and the smell of salt water, pine, and rot remained fresh in mind as well as the sounds it made.  The grunts and growling.  It's panting mouth wide open close to his face, heating it with it's hot stinking breath. It's hands. It's arms, were powerful.  There was no getting away from the death trap that walked and ran upright like humans. Everyday Max could feel the beast holding on without the thought of letting him go.

He sat down the half empty cup and looked around the house one more time before grabbing the throw blanket Lucky kept on the couch and covered himself with it. He knew that the cape he just put on didn't make a super hero out of him. After all of the years the have passed, with him pacing back and forth, his mind running wild, he knew that of all things on Earth, superheroes were not one of them but that big hairy creatures that eat little boys and girls, existed, and even with his big brother out to get them. They probably will continue to do so.