The creature slowly creeped towards me with obvious excitement, indicative by the malicious grin on its face, before something impossible happened, or more specifically, SOMEONE, impossible happened. Before my eyes and brain could formulate an explanation, a man appeared between the creature and I, and I don’t mean someone ran between us, no, someone just appeared from seemingly thin air. A blonde man wearing trendy ripped blue jeans and a black duster jacket stood before me facing the monstrous entity.
The creature paused for just a moment, before making a statement to the blonde stranger. “How did you,” it began to say apprehensively, before its grin soon returned. No matter, just more meat, it concluded before continuing its advance. I swear I heard the man softly laugh to himself, before he reached up to grab some kind of silver necklace he was wearing, and then swiftly rip it off. The moment the stranger tore his silver chain off, the creature recoiled back in fear so quickly that it almost tripped over itself, having to use its oversized clawed hand to catch the ground briefly upon its descent. As the man took one slow and casual step forward, the monster took three steps back almost whimpering, before it composed itself nervously.
I assume you didn’t understand the gravity of your foolish course of action until this very moment, the man said while moving forward, with the creature matching every step he took towards it with, with at least two steps back.
IMPOSSIBLE, the beast roared in panicked fury, those energy signatures, it can’t be…it’s impossible, the monster continued saying as it lowered itself into a defensive posture.
First off, the stranger began, nothing is impossible you simple creature. Second, you’re allowing the fear of this revelation to grip you to this very spot, instead of wisely absconding in order to try and save your vile existence, the man concluded while now visibly clenching his fists.
What are you, the beast inquired more calmly now, seemingly accepting this new scenario, and speaking in a manner that suggested it had not in fact used up all of its tricks yet? I’m not exactly sure, the man said in response to the creature’s query, many have theories about my origin, but nobody seems to know for certain. Wait, the creature began before it started laughing out loud, with its deeply course and malevolent voice echoing through the surrounding area, like a hatefully boisterous foghorn. The sound of its laughter was so invasively intense, that it seemed to violently shake both my mind and organs with some kind of dreadfully offensive sonic vibration.
You’re here to play the hero, the Tall Dogman said as its laughter died down to a low chuckle, how divine. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting to be the one being hunted, not at all, let alone being so overwhelmingly outmatched, the monster said while raising its long arms up towards the stranger in a non-threatening defensive gesture. I hope you don’t mind if I try and defend myself, the beast said as it looked past the man, tilting its head sideways towards another point of interest…towards me!
As the creature arched its spine backwards, raising its head towards the sky with closed eyes, the man visibly tensed up, before turning back to face me. He looked right into my soul with his beautiful blue eyes, eyes that were rapidly transitioning from a deep ocean blue, into fierce glowing yellow orbs. IT WAS HIM, the man from dream last night!
HERE, the stranger yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts and into the present dire situation quickly progressing all around me. PUT IT ON, he instructed me as he threw his silver necklace in my direction, my fingers barely snagging it out of thin air, where I then wasted no time in fashioning it around my own neck. It will keep you hidden, he began, before an ear-splitting howl drowned out his voice, with the creatures yowling cry carrying a heavy static intimation within the unnatural sound. After he turned away from me, the man raised his left arm towards the pale Dogman, before the revolver the beast was standing above soared into his outstretched hand, where he then pointed the same arm back towards me without even glancing, somehow sending the chrome firearm inches next to my feet.
As I picked the revolver up off the grass, where it landed just off the wide path of the paved trail, I began to notice something wrong with the fog. All around the creature, who had just finished its alien preternatural cry, pockets of random mist began erratically coalescing inward on themselves, as if about half-a-dozen points of origin spherically came to life arbitrarily around the Dogmans howl, and then started imploding within their own existence. This continued on for about twenty seconds, until the writhing balls of mist suddenly and quickly expanded outward all at once in every direction, like hot breath on the coldest of days. After the pockets of fog blasted outwards, shapes started coming into focus, shapes that were at first a blurry haze, until their hidden forms were quickly proliferated into existence. The same abstract static background noise that was carried within the undertone of the Dogmans howl, grew in volume with the anomalies in the mist, until the sound completely and suddenly disappeared, as the horrible lifeforms within, took their first abominable steps into our world. \
Some kind of dogs, was my first initial thought after seeing the new creatures enter our plain of existence. It seemed that whatever accursed static sound I was hearing, was simply an otherworldly frequency, acting as some sort of vibrational medium, allowing these entities to travel at an interdimensional level. Dogs was not a proper description either, I thought as my eyes began hurting from all the squinting I had to perform, trying to see the new monsters from an obscured distance. No, more like fur-less Hellhounds. They appeared to be smaller quadrupedal versions of the Tall Dogman who summoned them, even having the same pale skin and fierce burning orange eyes.
Jennifer, the blonde stranger said calmly, are you wearing the charm yet, is it around your neck?
Yes, I muttered softly, as the echo of my voice made all six of the Hellhounds turn their glowing eyes in my direction, like they had absolutely no idea of my presence, until I alerted them to it.
Good, now as quietly as possible, Im going to need you to run away, the stranger said as he raised both of his arms out, making dozens of large rocks lift off the ground, and float almost motionlessly around him. Now would be a good time, he said snapping me out of my fear locked mind, as I began slowly moving backwards.
To the right little one, through the river and over to the dead man’s weapons, the water will help wash away your scent, the voice inside me stated.
I wasted no time in following my new orders, running down and to the right of the hill, that led straight into the river. I managed one small glance back before descending, seeing the subordinate beasts all run vaguely towards my direction in unison. The stranger moved his outstretched arms forward, propelling softball sized rocks into the pack of charging Hellhounds. A dissonance of whines and growls pierced the quiet morning air, as the flying stones ripped three of the little bastards apart, while viscously wounding a fourth. I dared not take a second glance back as I made my way through the river, tripping over slick river stones twice, before finally making it across. I used all fours climbing up the river’s embankment, before finally cresting the top, only stopping when I heard a loud splashing sound behind me, which was quickly followed by two more. I turned around cautiously, before witnessing the two remaining beasts search frantically whilst sniffing the air, seemingly paused in the middle of the river until they could pick up a scent. It was apparent that the hounds couldn’t see me directly thanks to the stranger’s silver charm, so I had to assume their only means of tracking me, were by sound and smell.
I nervously looked around the immediate area, scanning the forest ahead until I finally saw what I was so desperately searching for. A circle of splattered crimson lay about fifty feet ahead of me, no doubt where the brave pawn shop employee met his unsavory demise. Now I had a plan, and it was time to set it in motion.
I slowly bent down to pick up a large rock I saw on the ground, carefully lifting it up so as not to rustle any leaves or break any twigs and alert them to my location. I took a slow and careful aim, setting my sights to a distant point off to the right, towards a rocky riverbank about sixty or so feet away. I can tell they have picked up on my scent by the sporadic flailing of their nostrils, so attempting to throw the rock back across the river in an attempt to lure them away, would most likely be futile. After silently moving myself into an optimal throwing position, I pitched the large stone with all my strength towards them, watching it sail away silently through the air, and land almost perfectly on its intended mark.
The creatures wasted no time sprinting towards the sound, feverishly pawing and sniffing at the rock I threw for clues to my whereabouts. Before they could formulate an idea towards the direction of the rock’s origins, I ran like I had NEVER ran before!
I sprinted with the anxious adrenaline that comes with true survival horror, not daring to look back as I heard the tumultuous sounds of the beasts in frenzied pursuit of their prey…in pursuit of me! I had nanoseconds to come up with a remedial plan for my continued existence, as I closed the distance between the dead man’s weapons and myself. The creatures were much faster than I foolishly anticipated, and my plan to load the shotgun before they reached me was eviscerated quicker than my dwindling courage.
Two shells left little one, use them wisely, the voice said, already answering my internal question of “did the shotgun have any ammo left”.
I saw the shotgun lying on the ground next to a tree, with what little remained of the pawn shop employee, as the hounds began catching up to me to me all too quickly. I pulled out the revolver I previously holstered as I reached the tree, and simultaneously dropped beside the shotgun, braced my back against the tree for support and took IMMEDIATE aim. With the first Hellhound a mere fifteen feet away and closing that distance impossibly fast, I fired all three remaining silver rounds. The first shot went wide and to the right, as the last two rounds found their mark within the demon’s head and chest.
As I grabbed the shotgun and quickly looked back up, the second beast had just started its leaping attack at my face. With maybe a second to spare, I roll-jumped out of the way just as the Hellhounds face connected violently with the base of the tree, making a God-awful clacking sound as skull impacted wood hard. With one slight shake of its head and sniff of the air, the beast had recovered and quickly found me…but I was ready!
Smiling at the monster behind the aimed shotgun, I let a wholly destructive blast of three-inched –twelve-gauged buckshot go directly into the creatures stupid snarling face, as said face disappeared into a chunky blackish vapor, that decorated the surrounding foliage in front of me. Without hesitation I grabbed the ammunition strap that lay in a pile of gore, no doubt what used to be the poor man’s chest, and loaded the shotgun fully, even chambering a shell in it so I could load more, making damn sure it was filled to the brim. After I fastened the remaining bandolier of shells to my own chest, I began running back towards the stranger, to end this hunt here and now!
As I made it back to the river’s edge, I saw the stranger engaged in fierce combat with the Dogman. Well, that’s not entirely true. I mean they WERE fighting, it was just entirely one-sided, with the stranger almost toying with the creature, the same way a cat would play with a wounded bird, or slow mouse. The monstrous entity had cauterized slash marks all over its body, along with similar large incisions that looked as if parts of the creature’s flesh had been surgically removed with almost impossible expertise…like parts of the monster’s flesh, had never existed in the first place.
After just a few more moments of watching their battle unfold, the origin of the creature’s unusual wounds became apparent. As the stranger stood grinning at the exhausted and now panting Dogman, I noticed two Gladius style short swords in each of the stranger’s hands. The blade in his right hand was a brilliantly benevolent looking white steel, that slightly glowed and seemed to discharge an exceptionally positive aura, that I could only describe as righteous. The other hand gripped a blade identical in size and shape, but with an obsidian black steel, in which a seething dark hatred surged off the blade, like hot malevolent steam.
After a fleeting moment of recuperation, the tall pale Dogman, charged at the stranger with such impressive speed, that all I really saw were blurry tracers of the monster, as it repeatedly attacked the man in vain. With every failed strike at the man with its oversized claws, the stranger would easily perry away, before slicing the creature with one of his supernormal blades.
Whenever the white seraphic steel made contact with the beast, it would burn the monster as if the gleaming ivory metal was as hot as the sun, instantly sealing the wound from bleeding with its intense heat. However, as I saw the black stygian metal cut the monster, it appeared that wherever the blade touched, the flesh just stopped existing, like it could make any organic material disappear from the fabric of our reality entirely!
As the monster used its phenomenal speed to try and find an opening, I saw the stranger forcefully slide the two blades across one another, causing dark purple sparks to shoot out in a spread pattern, burning whatever they touched. As the dark purple sparks forced the monster into a painful retreat, it seemingly abandoned its defensive posturing and composed itself once again for some kind of desperate plea, or final foreboding message.
The Dogman began smiling at the stranger, as it then straightened its back upright to appear more formal, and then began to speak.
I have accepted my fate sir, I am in no way a match for you, the creature said reluctantly. Even my speed, which is my apex attribute, cannot fully contest with your own, for you indeed are quite the hybrid anomaly stranger! “No, I have no hope in beating you directly,” the monster said while lowering itself into an offensive stance, which went against its seemingly defeated words, making the stranger keep his guard up. Perhaps I cannot defeat you, but I believe I CAN defeat your mission little hero, the creature said while bearing its fangs in a disturbingly demonic ear-to-ear grin, as it then turned its head, in MY direction!
Although I couldn’t hear it, as I turned my attention to the stranger, seeking some kind of advice or explanation, I saw him mouth the word “FUCK” right before the monster began a frenetic charge in my direction. Before the entirety of my attention was pulled towards the rampaging demon in front of me, I saw the stranger merge his contrasting short swords into one another, causing a flash of dark purple light, before my entire viewpoint became crowded with the sprinting beast in front of me.
The shotgun would most definitely not be enough, I thought panicking, but I was NOT going down without a fight, so I readied the weapon and awaited my encroaching fate. I fired one shot, then another, barely making the creature flinch. As I pulled back the shotguns pump again to reload, I heard an electric rushing sound, like kinetic energy surfing on a massive tidal wave. As I pushed the pump-action forward, completing the chambering process, the monster’s upper torso went soaring off its abdomen as a large bolt of purple lightning cut the beast clean in half!
As soon as I finished glancing back and forth at both severed ends of the creature, a blur of motion quickly appeared and then stopped before me, causing me to take shaky aim once again. Sorry, fucker was quicker than I anticipated, the man said while holding his hands up in a non-threatening gesture, with one arm now holding a long sword with a glowing purple blade, replacing its shorter predecessors. The stranger casually waved his other arm, making a white glowing rune appear that hovered in the air briefly, before he thrust the blade inside of it, making them both vanish right in front of me. It was like he had his very own pocket dimension to hide things in, the same way a normal person would rent a storage unit.
That was way to close, I never should have toyed around with it so long like an arrogant fool…I’m sorry, the man said to me. “Are you alright,” he then asked me in genuine concern?
I tried to formulate words for a few moments, before just giving up and running into his arms crying, thanking him with the raw emotion of my pouring tears instead of words. It’s alright, it’s alright the man said softly reassuring and comforting me, you’re okay now Jennifer, he continued saying while stroking the back of my long hair.
It can’t hurt you now, everything is going to be, RAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, the stranger was abruptly cut-off by the enraged battle cry of the creature, as its severed upper body went flying towards us with violent killing intent! As I gazed into those burning orange cinders of eyes coming at me, the man chose to cover me with his own body for protection, rather than save himself. Just as we were both to meet rabid fang and claw, the large oak tree in front of us came crashing down on the leaping beast, crushing its entire body to pulp, save for its head.
The first thing I noticed after the conveniently felled oak, was the stranger’s gaze facing upward, with his mouth seemingly agape in awe. There was a shadowed silhouette barely visible above us, with the morning sun breaking the ocean of mist at the exact same moment, irradiating the contour of the floating shape just enough to make out a humanoid form with colossal wings. As the figure disappeared within the radiant light and flowing mist above us, I heard the wheezing breath of the dying monster.
Without giving myself time to think, let alone process whatever the hell just happened, I grabbed the shotgun and unloaded all five remaining shells into the Dogman’s stupid Dogface, until I heard the click of an empty chamber, and saw the sight of a blackened bloody stump, where a monstrous canine head used to be! After my ammunition was depleted, I began smashing the pieces of gore that used to be its head with the back of the shotgun, screaming and cursing. I not only let out the anger of almost being killed but allowed a lifetime of pent-up rage to pour out with every smash of the gun and curse of the tongue.
The stranger let me be, until I finally dropped to my knees exhausted, letting the gun fall to the earth beside me. As I got back to my feet, I saw the stranger nod upwards, towards the direction the winged shadow had dispersed from, seeming to acknowledge an ethereal statement or order, that I had not even heard myself. “Well, you just keep on surprising me Jenn,” he said while offering me a warm and safe looking smile.
What IS all of this? HOW, is all of this? I mean…WHY, I continued stammering on, until the man casually held up one of his open hands to calmly silence me.
All in good time, he answered while taking off his jacket and wrapping it around me. Let’s get out of here before all the gunfire and commotion brings the blues here, the last thing I need right now is to deal with THAT headache.
Um, yeah for sure, I said forcing a nervous but welcomed laugh out. We should probably find a more round-about way, I suggest, both main entrances will be swarming with authorities by now for sure.
Don’t worry Jenn, my friend, I happen to know a very effective shortcut, he said smirking, before pulling out some kind of golden rectangular object covered in strange sigils. A golden blade not much bigger than a pocketknife, sprung out from one end of the shiny box like a switchblade, before he plunged the knife into thin air, and traced a large circle. As he began drawing the circle, it left a line of golden energy in the air until its completion, where he then withdrew the blade and stood back. There was now a floating circle composed of this beautiful yellowish-golden energy, something I would have certainly deemed impossible only a mere hour ago…but not anymore.
Here I thought you were just some incredibly powerful psychic this whole time, but apparently you are so much more than even THAT, the man said glancing back at me with a look of joyful excitement.
What am I, I asked the man curiously, but straight to the point, no longer able to suppress the smile that was manifesting upon my face, the kind of child-like grin that comes from being mere inches away from the unknown, from all the answers you ever asked God or the universe being put literally right in front of you.
The man turned to the luminescent circle he created, and softly blew on it, like a patient child blowing out their birthday candles. As the stranger blew air into the circle, the background image of the forest we stood in faded away, being replaced by an elaborate manor sitting on top of a mountain, within a DIFFERENT forest, and for all I knew, in a different world entirely!
Ladies first, the man said while gesturing out his arm and bowing at me to go through, in a comically over the top butler fashion, like one would see in older movies.
Um…is it safe, I asked a bit nervously?
Of course, of course he answered while straightening back up and offering his hand to me.
Let’s walk through together my friend, no more surprises, and if there ever are, we shall meet them concurrently. No more facing the unknown threats of the universe, or any other, by yourself. No, from here on out, we shall meet them together. Tell me Jennifer, have you ever heard of a being called “An Angelic”, he asked me as I took his hand and followed him into another world.