Page 99 of Five to Love Him

While it said it, the IT thing slithered into the vat, moving like a snail would, only faster. I could see it left small traces of soil in its wake so maybe that was what it was, soil and bones and hunger.

The noises from inside the vat were dimmed, but we could all hear the man in there trying to scream through the duct tape while a thing made of death and darkness started eating. I hoped he’d heard that it planned on eating him for a long time.

***

The hive was silent on the way back up the stairs, but I got the sense that a weight had been lifted off them.

“What now?” Xander asked when the basement door fell shut.

“The Dazzle,” my hive said, looking at Coral.

Coral shrugged. “I put up a sign. We can close every now and then.”

In the dim light, wearing all black, I finally made the connection.

“Coral, are you—about a year ago, did you come here, meet a human in the foyer, and pretend to be a student?”

He cocked his head. “What? No. I don’t think I’ve ever come here. It’s nice though, big windows, clean floors, creepy monster in the basement. All the things one wants in a school.”

“You thought he was Tate’s mystery man,” my hive said. “That would have been a funny coincidence.” “Tate is Leo’s friend, and he met a strange man dressed all in black and tipping generously at the cafeteria. Tate says he wore guyliner.”

“Your friend met someone wearing a black coat here?” the blond hive asked.

“Oh, you told them about the coat, hive? Yeah, that’s what Tate said at any rate. Guy just vanished though.”

Two of the blond hivelings chuckled. “Did he?”

Before I could ask them about that, Farrow waved his hand like a conductor.

“Well, since you are all here and have shown one of St. Auguste’s own such support, may I invite you all to supper at the cafeteria? We even serve brine water there, Coral.”

“I could eat a big salad,” Xander said, and my stomach growled as if on cue.

“Well, this settles it. Come, my darlings, let St. Auguste nourish your body much as we do our students’ minds.”

“You’re such a weird old sack, Headprincipal Farr,” Conrad said and put an arm around Farrow’s shoulders.

Everyone started following Farrow and Conrad to the cafeteria, but my hive slowed, let the others overtake us.

“We can take you home if you prefer? We can cook for you.”

“You want that?” I asked, catching sight of their faces. They seemed brighter now, as if someone had lit a million tiny candles under their skin.

“We…are not sure.”

I smiled. “You like cozy, right? The other hive is coming. I bet it’s going to be cozy, and the food is pretty good too. If I’m hungry, then so are you.”

A few of them nodded. “Then we’ll go.”

“Let’s. Oh, hive?”

“Yes?”

“I think you were wrong. About how saying I love you makes it less strong. I think the words are like seeds. The more you plant, the more flowers grow from them.” I picked one of them to hug and kiss, because I was just human, and could only love them with one.

After hesitating, they kissed me back, closing around me in a hive hug I knew I would cherish forever. They were sore now, I knew that, but if they allowed it, I would do what I could to make them heal and be themself again.

“We love you too,” they said, speaking from four mouths.

The fifth was busy kissing me. The fifth was mine to love.