Dieter Pushed open the door to his home. His dark hair ran slick with rain water, the heavy mass of wet hair weighing his whole head down. Before he even had time to put his umbrella and briefcase away a small child ran and leapt up at him. “Daddy, your home!” Dropping his things Dieter caught his eight year old son. The small child was almost a replica of his mother in face and attitude. It was a wonder Dieter had managed to trap her, she was far too good for him.
“It would appear so. Dieter, your late.” Melinda, his wife stepped out from the living room. Her long black hair was tied back and up, obviously she was busy coking dinner, she only wore it like that when she did so.
“Sorry, I had to work late at the lab, we're close to a break through”
“Of course you did, you always do, that's why I started cooking late.” Dieter put his son down, the child's eyes still gleaming with joy at his fathers return. Dieter hated that he had to be away from his family so much, and his son often cried that he didn't get to see his dad, but when he was home he tried his best. Dieter tried to move towards his wife, but the child hanging on his leg wouldn't let him go. “Well, seeing as your busy for now I'll get back to cooking, dinner will be ready in half an hour.”
“Aw, don't go, I haven't seen you all day.”
“And you won't see me for a little while longer, now just play with Matthias and make sure your ready.” Melinda turned and walked away, leaving Dieter with his son. Lifting up his son Dieter walked him to the living room.
“Daddy, what did you do at work today?” Dieter smiled as he carried his son. The child was always curious about his work, even if Dieter couldn't explain what he did fully, he too enjoyed telling his son tales.
“We're making new variants of a known creature, if all goes well we may create creatures that can give organs to people easily.” What Dieter actually meant was that he was on a team that was modifying bacterial cells, so under the right induction they would change into other types of cell, and count be implemented into humans. Such work was top secret, and the general public had no idea people like him were working on it, but telling his son such simple facts couldn't cause any trouble.
“So it's like a magic animal, that hands out free stuff so people can be better?”
“Pretty much, seems like I have a little scientist on my hands.” Matthias beamed up at his dad. He had his mother's kindness and sheer morality, but he had his father's lust for knowledge. If he could the child would learn the world, but he'd feel ashamed at what he'd have to do whilst doing so. “When your older I'll tell you more about my work, but for now I'm guessing you have some homework to do?”
“I already did it daddy, and I got my results from last weeks homework, I got an A+”.
“My little genius, keep going like this and you'll be great one day.” Dieter answered his child's smile with his own. He was so proud of him. “Now I need to set some stuff up, and pack my stuff away, run along Matty.”
Melinda called out to Dieter as he finished packing his work files away. She shouted for him to come out to the garden. Walking through his house, Dieter was caught by his son again. “Daddy, come see, mom has a surprise.” Following the small child, Dieter was led to the garden, only to be greeted by a brilliant statue made of pure marble, depicting him and his wife standing before the altar. The green marble stood out against the sunset, the autumn leaves of his trees.
“You did this in one day?”
“Of course, it is our anniversary, and this took a lot of planning. Did you get me a present?” Dieter faltered, he had completely forgotten, his work had overtaken him, and he could not put off government contracts like the ones he had. But before he could speak the man was cut off by his son.”
“Daddy, what's that shimmer over there?” Matthias was point past the statue into the setting sun, Dieter could see nothing there, not even heat haze, which is what he presumed his son meant. “There's something huge there.”
“There's no...” Dieter was interrupted by the smashing of the marble statue before him. Something completely unseen had blown it apart. Impossible. His son screamed, and all Dieter saw was a huge spurt of blood exploding from his wife's back. She fell down, dead, her form bleeding into the green earth. “MELINDA” His son's screams ended with his head being torn from it's body. Dieter fell to his knees, not knowing what was happening, not caring how it happened, or why, his mind too full from the sheer concept of his wife's and son's death.
It was only for a few seconds before he felt something hit him, tearing through his flesh and bone, ripping him apart.
