Perspective
“Daddy you look so pretty!” Scream hung off his arm, clinging to the black fabric of the suit sleeve.
“Handsome, darling. Your father looks handsome.”
“No, he looks pretty.” She disagreed.
“Thank you, princess.” Eddie smiled as he very lovingly pried her off of his arm and Phage off of his leg.
It was date night, their first real date night in months. Tonight was about Eddie and Venom and nothing else. Everything else was taken care of for the next several hours so they could enjoy some well deserved grown up time. Needless to say, the kids were a little bummed out to be left behind at home for the night but both Eddie and Venom were confident that they’d be okay.
Flash and Felicia had things totally covered here so they’d be able to enjoy themselves without worry (unlike with some other wall crawling babysitters they had). Sleeper was even already upstairs in bed.
Tonight was going to be perfect.
.
.
.
Sleeper woke up from the feeling of being watched and he was right- his big brother Carnage was looking at him through the crib bars. He grinned and made a happy sound. He loved seeing his big brother because seeing his big brother always meant something fun was going to happen. Carnage picked him up and now they were leaving- see? Fun!
His other siblings were waiting at the front door and that meant that there was definitely about to be an adventure. Sleeper loved adventures! Especially adventures with his siblings because they were always fun. Adventures with Mama and Papa were fun too just not always as fun because sometimes it was just going to the store or something and he would fall asleep and how exciting can an adventure be if you fall asleep in the middle of it?
“They said they were going ‘down the street’. They’ll be easy to find!” Agony was explaining something to others.
Agony had to be right about whatever she was saying, his big sister knew everything and was always right. She was the smartest in the world except for maybe Papa.
“But what if Uncle Flash finds out?” Phage said back.
“Well he won’t find out, we’ll be right back!” Agony said it like it was obvious.
Where were they going? And why wasn’t Uncle Flash coming too?
Agony pulled the front door open and the cool air from outside spilled onto all of them.
Oh, they were going out! Out where?
As they got further from the house it got darker and everything started looking meaner and scarier. Bushes and trees suddenly weren’t bushes and trees anymore, they were shadowy demons that wanted to eat him and his brothers and sisters. The only good shadow was Papa and Papa wasn’t here to keep them safe. Fearful of what the shrubbery monsters wanted to do to them Sleeper tucked his face into Carnage’s shoulder and whimpered.
“It’s okay Sleeper, see?” Lasher put his hand on top of Sleeper’s head.
Lasher clicked on a flashlight and illuminated the hedges across the street and that’s all they were- hedges. Boring ones that didn’t even have any flowers or anything. Nothing to be scared of. But Sleeper hoped Lasher would keep the flashlight turned on just in case.
Sleeper reached for Lasher who took Sleeper in his arms while one of his extending whips held the flashlight. His big brothers and sisters were talking about something but he didn’t exactly know what. He did get the feeling that they were not supposed to be doing what they were doing. He’d never been outside the house without a grown up before! He wasn’t sure if Agony, Lasher, Phage and Scream were close to being grown ups but Carnage definitely had to be at least almost one. Carnage could even reach on top of the kitchen counter without using any tendrils and if that didn’t make you a grown up Sleeper didn’t know what did. As long as Carnage was there everything would be fine.
They were getting even further away from the house now, Sleeper couldn’t even see it anymore. Nothing looked familiar but Agony was still leading the way confidently. A motorcycle growled down the street and Sleeper perked up excitedly- motorcycle sounds meant Mama was home! But the motorcycle kept going and he thinks maybe it was the wrong color to have been Mama. He hasn’t seen Mama or Papa since before bedtime, he missed them a lot. He slumped a little dejectedly in Lasher’s grasp. He was having lots of fun with his siblings especially now that Lasher had turned the flashlight on but he hasn’t seen Mama and Papa in...he didn’t even know how long. Maybe its been months! Or years! He was starting to get very sad about it and whimpered again.
“What’s wrong Sleeper?” Phage asked but none of them were really expecting an answer.
“Mamama.” Sleeper sniffled.
“He misses Daddy!” Scream understood his sadness.
“That’s why were going to spy on them!” Phage supplied helpfully.
“Not spying! Just...checking.” Agony clarified but the look on everyone else’s faces said that it was definitely spying.
They kept walking until they turned a corner and the rows of houses turned into little shops. Most of them had the lights inside turned off but eventually there was a shop with all the lights on and inside were tables with fancy white cloths and candles on them. They went to places like this sometimes but not as fancy- like the place where Aunt Anne splashed water on that fat stranger.
“There they are!” Scream pressed her fingertip to the glass and Agony pulled her down onto the sidewalk.
Sleeper followed his sister’s pointing over the small sea of white clothed tables with boring looking strangers sat at them eating boring looking food until he saw who she was gesturing to.
It was Mama!
Mama and Papa were here! But why would they want to come somewhere so boring? Everyone here was sitting still and using forks and talking quietly. Boring! Sleeper would save them from this boring place that they definitely didn’t agree to come to on their own. They were being forced to be here and he was going to rescue them and bring them home!
“MAMA!” He focused on making his voice as loud as he could possibly make it.
It must have worked because everyone looked and his siblings looked very shocked at his volume.
Mama and Papa were getting up from their table and they looked so surprised! He was the best rescuer!
“What’s happening? What are you doing here?” Mama had to be really happy to see them to talk that fast.
“It’s okay, we’ve been behind ‘em the whole time.”
That was Uncle Flash’s voice. Uncle Flash was behind them and he was the best at being sneaky!
Sleeper was excited to see Uncle Flash too but he needed to hug Mama and Papa right now- Uncle Flash could get his hug after.