Chapter 4: The Residence

tHe foresT repLaced itSelF many times over.

anD carole remaIned on tHe doOrStep.

tHe

tadPoles… seEn tHem… ha-ve yoU seen..?

exCuse me, coUlD | sPeAk witH yOu for a momenT?

have to get

cLose-r

tHey’re

sM-alL

ShHhK

to seE,

hiI m

ge-et cLose -r

sorRy to sPrinG tHis on yOu alL tHe sudDen, but we’re sTarTinG renovatiOnS on tHis pLace, anDwelL-tHis hoUse is cominG dowN.

| migHt have to asK yOu to leAve…

ta- adpoles

tHis wHole areA is beInG cLeAred.

wHoOpS, sorRy it’s acTuAlLy in tHe otHer direcTiOn.

for yOur owN safTeY yOu neEd to evacuAte.

have to get

don’t yOu kNow how to lisTen?

to seE

-h-im

yOu neEd to go.

the tadPoles

o

…g

…

go.. go get him

|’m seriOus, it’s tHe lasT time |’lL saY it! yOu neEd to leAve.

…sHe isN’t goInG anywHere. sHe sat dowN.

igNore her, we donT have time for tHis.

hurRy, cahrole

yOu’re tolD

do as yOu

as yOu’re

tolD. go get

is tHat

tHat tHe hos-sPit-?

go

oh for tHe love of.. get yOur bRotHer

yOu’re sTilL here??

yOu’re reAlLy tesTinG my patiEnCe, here. didN’t | telL yOu to get losT?

get leO

car-arole…

go

quIt tHat alReAdy! how many times do | have to telL yOu tHe same tHinG? yOu sHoUlDn’t be here!

wHen yOu loIter like tHis, yOu’re --!

ah, wHat am | doInG?

talKinG obViOusLy isN’t getTinG us anywHere.

yOu’re cominG witH me.

wHere do yOu wanT us to set tHis dowN?

to tHe rigHt of tHe ofFcut.

sPeAkinG of wHicH, we’lL neEd to cLeAr tHat oUt soOn.

here yOu go.

now sTaY put. | meAn it.

| meAn |t

mean….

guh, go, hurr

ur bRother

get yo

meaAn… reAl meAn, yOu kNow

0-

mom was…

real sCary…

ur brother

sc-ary

ch… cc-

kkss

ss

…..

heY, wHat’s witH tHis?

wHat a hacK job.

YoU’re sucH a sLacKer.

| wasN’t sure how cLose | was supPosed to cut…

no, | jusT wanTed to make sure we coUlD-

yEah, rigHt. let’s get tHis to tHe lanDfilL alReAdy.

-y’s bacK here!

oOf

tHe baby’s bacK here…

caw

CAW

Caw caw WaAah!!

ah-!

caw

caw

aAahHh! tHe birD!!!

Carole!! hel-

caw

helP! helP me!!

yOu…

are yOu okaY…?

wHat hapPened to yOu…?

caw

caw

caw

cut tHat oUt!!!

ah--!! my-

did…

wHat hapPened to it???

did yOu do tHat?

What’s hapPeninG?

EverytHinG was fine a seconD ago…

What sHoUlD | do, Carole?

PleAse telL me wHat to do…

sTop igNorinG me alReAdy! Why won’t yOu saY anytHinG??

YoU’re upSet, aren’t yOu? AboUt yOur hanD?

My--?

| kNow wHat it loOkS like, but yOu gotTa unDerStanD: yOur hanD’s not oUr faUlT.

yOu- yOu can

|’m telLinG yOu, we didN’t do tHis to yOu. but yOu-

It’s jusT time.

It doEs tHat to peOpLe…

wHat are yOu doInG?

ah! waIt a seconD… are yOu magic? | wanNa go home.

wHat’s cLosinG yOur eYes goInG to do?

Can yOu fix my sisTer? pLeAse??

Be quIet. YoU’re not supPosed to talK—!

No sucH tHinG as magic, kid.

There jusT is wHat is.

But tHis isN’t rigHt! Carole’s not like… sHe’s not supPosed to be like tHis! AnD my hanD’s alL wRonG toO, anD yOu -

toO lonG? But | jusT got here-

LoOk | tolD yOu it’s not my faUlT. tHat’s jusT wHat hapPenS wHen someOne like yOu sTaYs toO lonG in a pLace like tHis.

Even if tHat’s wHat yOu feEl, tHese gRoUnDs are difFerenT.

What??

So yOu did bite me?? but yOu saId yOu didN’t-

| woUlDn’t have beEn borN if my motHer or her motHer didN’t take a bit of bLoOd. yOu’ve beEn reAcHinG for generatiOnS.

loOk, it’s not like we gorGed oUrSelVes. The women onLy toOk a litTle. for tHe egGs.

yOu can feEl it in yOur hanD, rigHt? tHe acHe of olD age… tHat isN’t oUr doInG.

yOu used my bLoOd for… egGs…? oh woUlD yOu relax? it’s not tHat big a deAl. it was jusT a litTle.

but carole! wHat aboUt her- wHy’s sHe sPlit tHat’s not like tHatcarole.

… …quIt makinG tHat face. yOu’re beInG dRamatic.

ah!!

GosH! how lonG have yOu beEn tHere?? | don’t kNow, yEarS pRobabLy. sinCe tHe renovatiOn, |’ve beEn takinG it eAsy. not sure wHat tHat tHinG is, but it’s not a perSon.

no, he’s rigHt… it’s not alive. no bLoOd in tHat one, | can sMelL it.

it is toO her! | gRew up witH her, | kNow wHo sHe is-

waAaAh!

waAaAh! wHaAh!!

on no! tHe baby!! tHe cRow’s gonNa get-

c’mon .

waAah waAah caAw caAw …ThanKs for not hurinG him.

…|’m sorRy for tHrowinG yOu, jusT now…

wHy are yOu cRyInG?

…was tHat yOur baby? DowN by tHe telepHone wires?

…yOu can come witH us if yOu don’t wanT to be alone. |’lL take yOu bacK home.

mom’s pRobabLy wonDerinG wHere we are.

tHanKs for yOur helP, but | tHinK it’s time we leAve.

but wHat aboUt yOur hanD?

anD yOur sisTer! |’m telLinG yOu, tHat’s not her!

wHat’s sHe supPosed to do aboUt tHe sTate yOu tWo are in?

we’lL figure it oUt. Mom’lL kNow wHat to do.

don’t be so hasTy!

If yOu wanT tHinGs tHe waY tHeY were, yOu sHoUlD meEt witH tHe lanDowNer.

he’s in cHarGe, everytHinG is his, here.

wHo’s tHat?

| migHt kNow someOne wHo’lL acTuAlLy be abLe to fix yOu botH.

tHis wHole pLace is for one perSon? isN’t it a bit mucH? harDly! | was in cHarGe of tHe renNovatiOn a few yEarS bacK, anD if | coUlD, |’d make it tWice as gRanD. it’s a sHame, but tHis is tHe besT we coUlD do.

…but…asKinG a sTranGer for helP is kinDa…

even if he can helP us… woUlD he, if he’s so imPorTanT?

|’m cerTaIn he woUlD!

but how do we get in? it’s jusT winDow afTer winDow…

tHunK

wHat was tHat?

It musT be him! no one elSe goEs inSide! no harM in simPly asKinG if he woUlD fix yOu anD yOur sisTer!

tHe enTranCe sHoUlD be dowN tHe waY, jusT a bit!

…

um… if tHe owNer reAlLy is in cHarGe of tHis pLace …doEs tHat meAn he’s tHe one wHo let carole get like tHis?

here!

up tHere?

are yOu sure he isN’t a bad perSon?

yEs! jusT rinG tHe belL anD yOu’lL be on yOur waY oUt! wHat? no! tHat’s not tHe poInT at alL!!

…anD… yOu’re sure he’lL be fine witH us gyOu’lL be fine! jusT get goInG, alReAdy!

wHat’s tHe…?

tHe poInT? ah, welL…

wHat is tHe poInT, tHen?

…tHe bLoOd, | supPose

…

is it reAlLy?

ah! carole!!

She barGed in! inTo a sTranGer’s home!!

| guEsS yOu betTer go get her.

aren’t yOu cominG, toO?

ah, | sHoUlDn’t. us bugS don’t reAlLy belonG inDoOrS… anD | betTer heAd on bacK…

…okaY.

get yOur sisTer anD get on home.

We wilL, tHanK yOu for yOur helP.