Warn: [ horror, stocking, assault, death, animal harm ]

Prompt: Write about the most dangerous purchase you could possibly make

submitted to r/WritingPrompts by u/alan_wade

-----

The boy was never really great with others, he could never really understand them. His parents tried their best but nothing really worked.

He was distant and hollow.

It all changed at 16, he received a puppy. A small golden retriever. No matter what, the dog loved him. Regardless of what he did it was always excited to see him, and wanted to play.

The dog was much simpler than humans, yet it always had that Joy, it would always play, lick, and cuddle. And that was enough for the boy

He was happy.

But everything needs money, especially taking care of a dog. Food, shelter, vet bills. He was not the most social, or the best at teamwork, but he was good at his job. And over a decade-long career he had built quite a comfortable life.

He had a nice two-story house with a large fenced in front yard for the dog to play in. A doggie door led into the kitchen, where expensive specialty dog food lay, formulated for extended Health.

he was happy.

one night he awoke, the dog was not at his side on the bed. He heard barking coming from outside the open window. Looking out, he sees the dog on the other side of the fence in the road. He had dug a hole under the fence.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

along the road zooms a car, luckily it lay on the opposite side of the road from the dog. He was about to turn to go outside when he saw the car swerve into the oncoming lane.

a thunk, a crack, a yowl of pain and echoing laughter from a car. Frenzied footsteps. sputtering breaths laying in his tender hands. No tears came that night, and only one more smile ever would come again.

six letters, only six letters. This was his third week of searching through the town looking for that license plate. And today he found it. He kept his distance and slowly followed the car home. It went to the fancy neighborhood, houses that cost far more than he could ever afford, a mansion.

he was nothing if not patient, weeks of surveillance figured out who it was, the son of a wealthy influential man. There were guards for the house, they worked in 6 hours shifts, and he had no opening.

so he waited longer, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into desperation.

it was a form post, and online ritual to summon a demon. He drew the symbols in chalk, lit the candles, ran the blade against his hand, and said the magic words.

nothing happened.

he ran the blade again and said the words.

nothing.

carefully recited words became screams and pleas. Small light cuts became ragged deep stabs.

The knife is twisted off path as it cuts though the hand and scrapes off of bone. The Voice grows horse as Maddened screams Escape over and over again.

there's blood, so much blood, too much blood. The man's Vision begins to go dark. There is no Grand demon, no fire and brimstone, Just the darkness creeping in, and the Darkness Whispers to him.

"Everything has a price, what are you willing to pay?"

his lips barely tremble, his voice barely a whisper. One word escapes. "Anything".

his eyes open. He is standing, his own blood soaking the knife in his hand. The rich man's son lays there sleeping. His face content.

The blade is raised above the man's head, and swings down. Piercing the throat. Then up and down over and over again. Blood curdling screams echo.

Tiny feet pattering, the door is opened. The man sees the face of a child peering in. A younger sister, scarred with visions of her older brother dying.

...

The man rots alone in his cell, he will never be released.

Every purchase has its price, some big, some small. but none quite so great, as the suffering of a man, who's days are monotonous and empty, and nights are plagued with the same dream, of a young girl with a knife, and a beloved dog, tearing into his flesh in tandem.

He is distant and Hollow.