Chapter One-hundred Fifteen: Monster Baby

Chapter 115

Monster Baby

Tristan, Deimos, Celeste, and Jaxon arrived at the entrance to Swan View Lake Park. Tristan wore a black Italian-cut suit, light blue pressed shirt, dark blue tie, and a black trench coat over it, and black wingtip Oxfords on his feet. Deimos wore a Saturday the 14th t-shirt, a denim jacket, a bullet belt, torn jeans, and cowboy boots. Jaxon wore a dark gray snakeskin print shirt with the buttons undone to expose his dragon chest tattoo, tight black leather pants, Chelsea boots, and a leather jacket. Celeste wore her catsuit.

Tristan unbuttoned his coat to withdraw his pocket watch. He popped it open to look at the time.

Tristan: “We’re in time. Let’s go.”

He slid his watch back in and buttoned his coat back up.

They walked down the path to venture through the park.

Deimos: “Where is the auditorium?”

Celeste went to the park’s map stand, dragging her forefinger across the map.

Celeste: “We walk over a bridge, past a skate ramp, then a wading pool, and a playground, and then we get to the auditorium.”

She nodded.

Jaxon: “Let’s do this!”

He said with a glint of determination.

They walked over an arch bridge, looking at the lake with the weeping willows and the swans. Tristan wanted to admire the beautiful view, but the issue he, his boyfriend, and his friends had to tackle was more important. They ventured down the path, walking past the skate ramp where teenagers used it.

Celeste: “I really need to break out my old skateboard.”

She said as she watched the boys skate up the ramp and do tricks. Jaxon put his arm around her.

Jaxon: “I’d love to see you do some skating tricks, babe!”

They kissed.

Celeste: “Hehehehehehe, if I can find my skateboard. It’s been years.”

She laughed.

Deimos glanced at Jaxon.

Deimos: “Do you know how to use a skateboard, Jaxon?”

Jaxon: “Yeah, of course!”

He laughed and shifted his eyes to Celeste, eager to impress her. Celeste grinned at him, and Deimos raised an eyebrow dubiously.

They continued down the path, going past the wading pool in the park. It was a small, shallow in-ground pool with a whale sculpture in the center spouting water. Tristan glared indignantly at it.

Tristan: “I always hated those wading pools… They’re a cesspool and breeding grounds for disease.”

He groused. Deimos put his arm around Tristan.

Deimos: “Tristan, your delicate skin will not have those festering on you!”

He said doggedly.

Tristan shivered.

Celeste: “They’re for kids… and kids… shit and piss in them. It’s just a giant toilet.”

She said evenly. Tristan cupped his mouth and coughed.

Deimos: “Jaxon is gonna get sick, Celeste.”

He drawled.

Jaxon: “Me get sick? More like you get sick!”

He laughed. Celeste pointed to the pool of some grandmother lifting a child out of the pool where he dropped poop in.

Celeste: “That one dropped some turds in.”

She laughed.

Jaxon: “Ohh, that’s nasty!”

He groused and laughed.

Deimos: “You puke at everything, Jax. No offense, but I thought Tristan was bad, but you take the cake.”

He said dryly.

Jaxon: “Me?!”

He pouted indignantly.

Deimos: “Yeah, Jaxon! You!”

Tristan: “Don’t discuss cake now, please.”

He waved his hand.

Tristan: “How do you watch horror movies without getting sick? I can’t watch them at all!”

He exclaimed.

Jaxon: “I dunno? ‘Cause it’s awesome and it’s not real?”

He shrugged and laughed.

Tristan: “God, we get exposed to enough real stuff, don’t we?”

He waved his hand. Jaxon pulled a face.

Jaxon: “Yeah, horror movies have nothing on our real life.”

Celeste: “I find them stupid.”

Deimos: “Why?”

Celeste: “It’s unrealistic. Dolls can’t kill people.”

Deimos: “It’s a movie, Celeste.”

He rolled his eyes.

Jaxon: “Um, we literally face killer balloons, walls, and trees, Celeste! Oh, and those creepy, ugly muscle girls Dougal makes! Aren’t those dolls?”

He laughed.

Celeste: “Eh, touché. We don’t make it stupid, though. We make it kickass.”

She drawled and punched her palm.

Jaxon: “That’s right!”

He grinned and punched his palm.

Tristan: “Now it makes sense why Jaxon goes with Deimos to these movies, Celeste. We both hate them.”

Celeste: “You’re scared! I find them stupid.”

She shrugged. Jaxon shrugged.

Jaxon: “Eh, each to their own.”

They ventured down the path and to the playground. There were a ton of kids and parents there. The playground had swings, playground climbers, monkey bars, seesaws, merry-go-rounds, and two clowns were at the park making balloon sculptures for the kids. The clowns spotted the four and approached them. Tristan froze in his tracks. What do they want from us? He wondered. He told himself to act normally.

The two clowns grabbed Jaxon and Tristan and tickled their sides. Tristan gasped.

Tristan: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!”

He squirmed against the clown as the clown tickled his sides.

Clown: “Cootchie-coo!”

He chuckled.

Jaxon: “HA HA AH AH AHA AHAHH HEY! HAHAH AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

He rasped and squirmed with Tristan.

Clown: “Tickle, tickle, pretty boys!”

The clowns then tickled under their arms.

Tristan: “WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!”

He wailed and writhed against the clown’s grasp.

Jaxon: “HAHAH AH AHA HA AH HOHOHOHOHO HO NOHOHOHOHOOHOHOHOHOHOHO!”

He screamed and squirmed with red-hot fury.

Celeste knelt and was going to take off Jaxon’s boots to help tickle him, but Deimos delivered a roundhouse kick to the clown tickling Tristan and a spinning back kick to the clown tickling Jaxon, knocking the two off the men, rendering them unconscious.

Deimos: “Don’t fucking touch them!”

He hissed. Deimos knelt to Tristan. Tristan panted and placed his hand over his chest to catch his breath. He removed his glasses to clean them.

Jaxon: “I HATE clowns.”

He pouted and panted. Tristan put his glasses back on and heaved a deep sigh.

Tristan: “Likewise.”

Tristan froze.

Tristan: “Oh no!”

He scrambled to his feet.

Tristan: “We have to go! That was a trap set by Ichiro to stall us!”

He said quickly and ran down the path. Deimos’ eyes widened, and he followed Tristan.

Jaxon: “SHIT! ICHIRO!”

He fumed and took Celeste’s hand, running with them.

~

Ichiro sat in the front row of the audience. He wore a trench coat and a fedora over his suit and looked at the time on his watch. Hiroto and Mayumi were in the seats on the stage as Laura delivered a speech.

Laura: “Forcing a woman to abort her baby is wrong! What Hiroto and I did that night was no mistake! He told me he loved me and he would give me whatever I wanted. I am keeping my baby! He will give me child support!”

Hiroto bowed his head in shame.

Tristan, Deimos, Jaxon, and Celeste arrived. Tristan’s jaw dropped. Hiroto was to deliver his speech first, he thought.

Tristan: “PUTAIN!”

He exclaimed.

Tristan: “ICHIRO!”

He rasped.

Jaxon: “ITCHI-CUNT!”

He spat.

Ichiro heard them and had to act. He withdrew a gun from his coat and discreetly pointed it at Laura and fired, shooting the needle into her neck, injecting her. Laura winced as she cupped her neck, pulling the needle out and dropping it to the floor.

Laura: “What was that?!”

Ichiro smirked and looked around to see the four rushing down the path to the stage.

Jaxon: “Shit! We’re too late!”

Laura started convulsing on the stage. The others on the stage eyed her, and people in the audience gazed at her, confused. Her eyes bulged out of her head, and her mouth grew larger, gaping loudly, letting out a guttural sound. Hiroto and Mayumi sat on stage in horror as Laura started turning into a grotesque monster. Laura’s skin stretched and ripped off as she expanded. She burst, throwing her skin behind Hiroto and Mayumi as the two screamed and Mayumi clutched Hiroto.

Standing on stage was a ten-foot-tall blob with eight crying and screaming purple baby heads with large mouths and horrifying, soulless black eyes. The crowd erupted into a panicked frenzy. They screamed and scrambled, knocking over chairs and crawling over each other to escape the horror before them.

Jaxon: “Holy shit!”

He gaped at the crying and screaming monstrosity. Tristan grabbed the other three and formed an ice arch bridge to get to the stage.

Tristan: “Come on!”

Celeste rushed across and slid down the bridge. Jaxon slid down with her. Deimos grabbed Tristan, holding him as he slid down with Jaxon and Celeste.

The monster turned to Hiroto and Mayumi, crying loudly and giggling as it slid to them, leaving behind a dark purple residue as it moved. Hiroto held Mayumi close as he screamed in horror as the grotesque creature slid toward them.

Monster: “Dada! Ahahahahahah!”

Mayumi let out a terrified scream. The creature sprouted out stubby, slimy, purple hands and arms to crawl to them. It grabbed Hiroto’s legs, pulling him to it.

Monster: “Dada!”

Tristan: “GET AWAY!”

He formed an ice axe and swung it, cutting off the monster’s arms clean. The monster let out a ghastly wail, collapsing before Hiroto and Mayumi. Jaxon gasped and rushed over to the commotion.

Jaxon: “OH, SHIT!”

He rushed over to help them.

Hiroto: “Jiro?!”

He grabbed them to help them up as the monster slid toward them.

Jaxon: “Come on!”

He ordered. Ichiro turned to Jaxon and rolled his eyes. Always there to help, Jiro, he thought, and sat back.

Celeste walloped the monster away with a tree she yanked out of the ground, sending it back.

Celeste: “I got ya covered, Jax!”

The monster wailed and crawled to her, vomiting a black, tarry substance. Celeste jumped out of the way and gasped when the slime melted the floor.

~

Jaxon led his parents through the chaotic crowds of people running around like headless chickens. He led them to the road and down a backstreet away from the chaos.

Jaxon: “Get out of here!”

He panted, waving his arms at them and hailing a cab.

Hiroto: “Why are you doing this, Jiro?!”

He asked sharply.

Mayumi: “Come on, Hiroto!”

She hissed, grabbing his arm to get into the cab.

Jaxon: “Oh, thanks for saving us, Jaxon. You’re welcome!”

He hollered dryly, imitating their voices.

Jaxon saw Celeste leap out and run away from the monster vomiting. Jaxon rushed back to them.

Tristan used his powers to freeze the vomit. He then formed icicles and shot them at the creature. It turned to him and vomited at Tristan.

Deimos: “TRISTAN!”

He shrieked and jumped, grabbing him away as the vomit landed on Deimos’ leg, burning through his jeans and seeing his skin. His skin started to bubble and oozed and festered with blood and pus. Deimos gnashed his teeth in pain as a purple glow surrounded him.

Tristan: “Deimos!”

He cried and cupped his mouth. Jaxon scurried to him and knelt.

Tristan: “Please, Jaxon! He’s been burnt by that thing!”

He sobbed. Jaxon nodded and helped Deimos heal him.

Jaxon: “I gotcha, man!”

A magenta glow surrounded them as they worked in unison to heal Deimos.

The creature slid toward them. Tristan glared hatefully at it and shot his hand out, forming an iceberg to drop on the creature, crushing it. The creature slid out from under the iceberg and laughed.

Tristan: “You goddamn thing!”

He hissed. As it slid towards them, Celeste threw a car at it. The creature wailed as it drew back. Celeste raised an eyebrow.

Celeste: “I’ll cover you! Heal Deimos!”

She ordered.

Tristan: “Thanks, Celeste! That thing is clearly immune to ice, but I noticed it was affected by the car!”

He hollered.

Celeste: “Yeah…”

Her voice trailed off.

Jaxon and Deimos fully healed him. Deimos let out a sigh of relief and was exhausted.

The creature hastily slid up to them, grabbing Jaxon’s legs and dragging him away from Deimos. Jaxon yelled out as he was pulled away.

Tristan: “JAXON!”

He screamed.

Monster: “Big bruva! Hahahahahahaa!”

Jaxon shuddered and recoiled in horror and disgust.

Jaxon: “GET OFF ME!”

He rasped, punching it in the face, getting slime on his hands. The monster’s faces formed into one, forming a gaping mouth about to eat him. Jaxon gasped in horror, and his heart hammered in his chest as his panic soared.

Jaxon: “CELESTE! TRISTAN!”

He hollered out for them.

Tristan: “JAXON!”

He cried.

Celeste shrieked, snaked her IMI Desert Eagle out of her holster, and fired at it.

Celeste: “DIE, MOTHERFUCKER!”

She bellowed as she fired rounds at it. The monster released Jaxon and wailed, drawing away. Jaxon slid his ass back and panted. Tristan wrapped his arms around Jaxon.

Jaxon: “It’s okay, man, I’m okay!”

He assured him, hugging him back and patting his back. Deimos reached up and patted Jaxon’s back.

Deimos: “Thanks, Jaxon…”

He whispered.

Celeste kept firing at it until she ran out of bullets. She pursed her lips. She checked her utility belt for more and found none but came across tiny bombs inside with a tube detonator. The monster wailed and slid toward her.

Celeste: “Come get me, fucker!”

She blew a raspberry at it and ran to a car. She punched through the window, tossed all the bombs inside, and carried the car over her head. She threw the car at the creature, where it hit and slammed it against a tree. The monster let out a loud cry.

Celeste rushed to Jaxon, Tristan, and Deimos, huddling them close.

Celeste: “I’m blowing this fucker up! Form an ice shield, Tristan!”

Tristan: “Of course!”

Celeste held up the tube and pressed the button.

Celeste: “Beep, bitch!”

As the car on top of the monster exploded, Tristan spread his hands out, forming a thick dome of ice over them, and Celeste held them close as debris from the car, monster, trees, chairs, and the stage flew out, hitting against the shield. Tristan gnashed his teeth as he used all of his might to keep the shield stable.

When the wails went silent, Tristan shattered his shield, and shards of snow and ice fell on top of them. Tristan brushed them off himself. Deimos rose to hold Tristan protectively.

There was a blaze where the car and the monster were, shattered into pieces of bleeding entrails and bones scattered around the area. Surrounding shop windows had their windows blown out, and pieces of debris were scattered across the roads. Severed limbs and pieces of flesh, and blood were strewn all over the place.

Celeste: “Are you okay, Jax?”

She asked him as she caressed his arms.

Jaxon: “Yeah, thanks to you, babe.”

He held her back and kissed her. She kissed him back.

They heard clapping and footsteps approaching them. Ichiro stood before them, clapping.

Ichiro: “My green queen, how you always look so pristine, after you split spleens. My green queen, you are my dream, and we would make a great team. You make everything sheen, my beautiful, lovely green queen…”

He reddened and licked his lips. Celeste embraced herself with discomfort. Jaxon stood in front of her, glaring at him.

Jaxon: “ICHIRO!”

Tristan: “YOU!”

He rasped.

Ichiro: “You and Jiro performed well, Mr. Trémaux. Bravo! This could have been avoided if Jiro stepped up to distract people from our father’s many, many, MANY mistakes!”

He growled as he ranted and bared his teeth. Jaxon glared at him.

Jaxon: “It’s not my job or my problem to do that!”

He hissed at him.

Ichiro: “I realize this now, Jiro. This is why I took care of it.”

He smiled.

Ichiro: “I love playing with my little brother and his friends. Is that a crime?”

He laughed.

Tristan: “You will pay for this, Ichiro! It’s not JUST this! It’s EVERYTHING! I will expose you! DO NOT CROSS ME!”

He roared at him. Ichiro rolled his eyes.

Ichiro: “You don’t scare me, Tristan. I did all this today because I know how you operate. You failed, Tristan. You and Jiro will always fail, and that’s not touching on your lazy wannabe rockstar boyfriend.”

He sneered at Deimos, who glared back at him and stood before Tristan protectively. Tristan narrowed his eyes at him.

Jaxon: “YOU’RE a failure, Ichiro!”

He glared at him.

Tristan: “Leave him out of this! Leave them all out of this! I said I would drop the case!”

He snapped. Ichiro pressed his middle finger and forefinger against his forehead and shook his head. He threw his arms up and grinned.

Ichiro: “Silly Tristan. It was never about the case. I like to play with my baby brother and his lawyer. Seeing MY green queen slaughter those pieces of filth is a bonus.”

He said loftily and folded his arms over his chest.

Jaxon: “She’s yet to slaughter the filthiest one: YOU!”

He glared at Ichiro. Ichiro looked unfazed.

Tristan: “None of these people deserved this, Ichiro, especially not Kristen! My nephew saw everything! She was kind to us all and never did anything to try to sabotage anyone!”

He cried. Jaxon nodded and glared at Ichiro. He raised his eyebrows.

Ichiro: “Oh, leaving the other purple nitwit out, are we, Tristan? What changed?”

He smirked. Tristan glared at him with hatred. Ichiro nodded, catching on.

Ichiro: “Oh, you knew she laced Celeste’s sweet tea with sleeping powder?”

He grinned and leaned over. Jaxon gaped at Ichiro, wondering how he knew that. Celeste whimpered and looked away, feeling the hurt and the wound reopen. Jaxon wrapped his arm around Celeste, holding her close to him, glaring at him. Celeste leaned into his chest.

Ichiro: “I know. I watched Celeste sleep and felt her beautiful legs and feet.”

He bit his bottom lip. Deimos growled at him. Celeste gasped and embraced herself.

Jaxon: “YOU FUCKING MONSTER!”

He barked at him, standing in front of Celeste with his fists up.

Tristan: “You dirty, sleazy bastard!”

He rasped, forming an ice sword. Deimos stood before Tristan, putting his fists up.

Ichiro: “This was fun, Jiro, but MY green queen stole the show. We’ll be in touch. Sayonara, otouto-kun.”

He pressed a button in his ear and teleported away.

Tristan hung his head, shattering his sword, and looked at the damage and casualties. Celeste leaned into Jaxon’s chest and closed her eyes.

Jaxon: “Don’t worry, babe, one day I’m going to kill him!”

He huffed, holding Celeste close and stroking her hair. Celeste smiled as he stroked her.

~

At Celeste and Jaxon’s house, Deimos and Celeste were in the living room playing video games. Tristan sat on the back patio alone, smoking and reading a book. Jaxon came out onto the patio with him, sipping on his cola.

Jaxon: “Why are you out here alone?”

He asked. Tristan raised his head and smiled at him.

Tristan: “I like to be alone.”

He said gently to him.

Tristan: “Is something on your mind?”

He placed a bookmark in his book and closed it.

Jaxon: “Is something on YOUR mind?”

He challenged him. Tristan raised an eyebrow at him and then smiled sadly.

Tristan: “Hehehehe, you and I have that in common, don’t we, Jaxon?”

He removed his glasses to rub his eyes.

Tristan: “You heard what I told Ichiro and connected the dots, didn’t you?”

He put his glasses back on and leaned into his seat. Jaxon’s eyes widened.

Tristan: “We have more in common than you think…”

He muttered and drew a long breath.

Jaxon: “Like what?”

He pressed him. Tristan pursed his lips.

Tristan: “Helping people… even when it annoys us is one.”

He began.

Tristan: “Trying to please others even when the other party is constantly dissatisfied.”

He twisted his mouth.

Tristan: “Crazy, obsessive exes.”

He said as his voice trailed off.

Tristan: “...who are obsessed with trash media.”

He continued and laughed.

Tristan: “Chelsea…”

He hung his head.

Jaxon: “Yeah… we do have a lot in common.”

He frowned and hung his head. Tristan reached out and put his hand on his arm.

Tristan: “I understand, Jaxon. It’s… nice to not feel alone in this.”

He said with hurt and inhaled sharply. Jaxon nodded and put his hand on his shoulder.

Jaxon: “Nah man, you’re not alone!”

He assured him.

Tristan: “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what Chelsea did to me before, and for snapping at you. I told you I know how it felt to withhold stuff due to… shame. It’s not that I did anything with her… It’s just… a time I’d rather forget, and I thought… or wanted to think she grew past that, but I kept ignoring my intuition, allowing my personal feelings to cloud my judgement.”

He wagged his head, explaining with strain, and sighed.

Jaxon: “...What did she do to you before?”

He asked him. Tristan cleared his throat.

Tristan: “Okay, at the time, Deimos was dating Ivy, but Ivy and I had feelings for each other, and she and Deimos were not in a good spot. We went to Seashell Cove. Josh was abusing her as he always has, and she would always pop up wanting me to do this or that for her, save her from this, though it wasn’t a lamoris, it was more like being stuck in quicksand, and other things.”

He pursed his lips.

Tristan: “Ivy did lose her temper with her and viciously attacked her, so we were going to leave. I told Chelsea to leave Josh, and she told me she would.”

He drew a breath and continued.

Tristan: “Anyway, she tried to kiss me and I pulled back, saying I don’t see her as anything more than a friend. Needless to say, she stayed with Josh. We hadn’t kept in touch until recently.”

He concluded. Jaxon gaped at him.

Jaxon: “Holy shit… so she did the EXACT SAME thing to you before?”

He twisted his mouth.

Jaxon: “Did she drug Ivy, too?”

He asked with bitterness in his tone. Tristan twisted his mouth.

Tristan: “Perhaps this is what caused Ivy to attack her. She read her mind and attacked her. Celeste can’t read minds. Something to think about.”

He said with a hint of irritation. Jaxon frowned. Of course, he thought.

Tristan: “I am sorry she did that to Celeste. If I weren’t already so upset, I would have caught on. It’s uncharacteristic of Celeste to sleep this much.”

He hung his head in shame.

Jaxon: “I should have caught on, too…”

He bowed his head.

Tristan: “No one is faulting you, Jaxon. I’m only telling you I know how you feel… You overlook those red flags because you feel sorry for her. She was only going to leave Josh to chase you. I should have known. She dated him for seven years and did not attempt to leave him. She was waiting for a man to do it for her. It’s tragic when you think about it. She was waiting for someone to save her, but sometimes you can’t depend on others; you have to save yourself. You didn’t wait for someone to save you from Noriko; I didn’t wait for someone to save me from Ivy.”

He explained and drew a long breath.

Jaxon: “I don’t feel sorry for her anymore. She was another Ivy…”

He frowned.

Jaxon: “She could have saved herself, but she didn’t. She doomed herself and could have gotten us killed.”

He shook his head. Tristan inhaled sharply.

Tristan: “I agree with you. A part of me feels bad for not feeling sorry for her, but my logical side is telling me that she drugged my friend to get my other friend in bed, and she doesn’t deserve my sympathy.”

He laughed bitterly. Jaxon glowered and nodded in agreement.

Tristan: “I feel… foolish now? But Kristen is different. I know she crushed on you, but she never drugged anyone or tried to kiss you or leave her duties. She saved my nephew. And we couldn’t go to her funeral because Christian didn’t want you or me there!”

He added, laughing a hollow laugh. Jaxon paused and nodded.

Jaxon: “Yeah, she died saving him… while Chelsea died confessing her ‘love’ for me…”

He laughed a hollow laugh.

Tristan: “In front of Celeste, too.”

He shook his head.

Tristan: “Kristen never crushed on me ever. I don’t know. I’m usually onto this nonsense, but I fell back and I’m paying for it.”

He twisted his mouth.

Jaxon: “Dude, you gotta stop blaming yourself for stuff that isn’t your fault.”

He assured him.

Tristan: “Thank you, Jaxon. As do you.”

He nodded and smiled a bit. Jaxon smiled a bit.

Then he paused.

Tristan: “Do you recall when Chelsea turned into that thing and how she brutally killed Josh, killed Arnie, and almost killed Celeste? Hitting me was accidental, but do you recall those?”

He asked him.

Tristan: “And the creature never hurt you?”

He added. Jaxon paused when it dawned on him.

Jaxon: “Huh… that monster never attacked me…”

He pondered.

Jaxon: “What are you saying?”

He asked. Tristan folded his hands over and leaned back.

Tristan: “I wonder how much of Chelsea’s human consciousness was left in that thing.”

He confessed.

Tristan: “You assume they turn into monsters and that is that, they become feral, uncontrollable creatures, but that monster… still brutally murdered Josh, killed Arnie, almost killed Celeste, and never hurt you. It’s as if she were still there.”

He added with a hint of fear in his eyes. Jaxon froze, feeling sick to his stomach.

Jaxon: “...Are you telling me they’re still alive?!”

He swallowed hard.

Jaxon: “...That baby monster called me its brother…”

He added. Tristan nodded.

Tristan: “Yes, and it called your father ‘Dada’, so yes, I’m implying that a part of their human consciousness remains after they become those things.”

He drew a long breath and froze again. Jaxon shuddered.

Tristan: “Speaking of which…, do you recall how it formed eight faces in that blob mass?”

He sat up as his heart hammered in his chest. Jaxon nodded.

Jaxon: “Why eight faces?”

He asked.

Tristan: “Because if she had lived, she would have given birth to octuplets.”

Jaxon froze.

Jaxon: “Jesus Christ!”

He shuddered, too stunned for words.

Tristan: “I don’t know what to think of this.”

He leaned back, gazed at the stars, and saw a shooting star. Jaxon gazed up at the stars with him.

Tristan: “Just nice to talk to you and not feel so alone.”

He said to Jaxon with a smile. Jaxon smiled back at him.

Jaxon: “Same here, man!”

He smiled and nodded.