Chapter 2

I switch on the lights inside Tom's, the bulbs flicker a bit before holding steady. The old fluorescent lights give off a deep hum as we make our way to the back office.

This kitchen is surprisingly clean, you'd think it would be mess given how it looks outside.

I make it to the door and turn the knob. It was locked.

"Tch. We'll need to find another way in or break down the door."

From inside the room I hear some shuffling and footsteps, the door clearly wasn't soundproof.

"Isaac, is that you?"

"It's me Tom mind opening up?"

The locks click and the door opens up a crack to reveal a sandy haired man with a slightly crooked nose and a stubbly square chin.

"Thank God, it really is you."

Capitol G, you can hear it in his voice.

With a sigh of relief Tom steps back and lets us in.

"Who's that you're lugging in with you?"

"Dave, met him on my way here, he's got a sprained ankle. I did a quick wrap and he's most likely a little woozy from the painkillers."

Tom shakes his head as he drags his hand across his face stopping at his chin.

"Always bringing trouble my way aren't you? Alright, seat him down."

I set Dave onto the big recliner behind the desk. He was more or less about to pass out.

"You'll be safe here, don't worry"

"No . . . Nowhere is sa-safe, nowhere . . ."

"He's right you know."

Dave passes out and I turn to see Tom holding his Remington 870 Pump-action shotgun. Tom looked shaken, his left hand trembling as he grasped his cross pendant. Thomas Trymman Moore always looked liked a man cut from stone, but whatever happened today had shaken him to bits. His sunken eyes told me how bad it was, but I needed to hear it.

“What happened?”

Letting out a breathe Tom closed his eyes seeming to gather strength as he took a breathe back in.

“It was like every other morning, I sat down at my desk to go through the bills and orders. The work day started and my staff started coming in, I got a few calls from some of them saying roadblocks were being set up by the police. Half hour later the radio started broadcasting for everyone to stay indoors and to hide. Most of my staff had family so I closed up shop and told them to go home. I stayed behind to clean up.”

“And then?”

Tom’s face scrunches up as he recalls the morning.

“Howling, that was the most distinct sound. But there was much more; screams, roars, screeches, growls. It sounded like someone had lit a fire at the zoo during a school trip. It was an abominable amount of noise, I stayed in my office since, just listening to the radio.”

“Was there any useful information?”

“There was one last broadcast informing citizens to abandon their vehicles and to either leave the city or buckle down in the nearest secure building.”

Hope everyone’s okay, wait, my messages!

I reach into my pocket for my cell and found nothing but lint. I must have dropped it on the way here, shit.

“I need to head back out Tom, keep an eye on Dave for me?”

“You’re crazy if you think I’ll let you back out there. Who know’s what creatures are roaming the streets!”

“Don’t worry, I just dropped my phone outside. I won’t be too far out.”

Not waiting for an answer I drop my backpack and leave with just the revolver. I sneak out the backdoor and start carefully searching the ground for my phone. Backtracking the path I took to get to Tom’s I manage to find my cell at the alley where I found Dave. Here we are, shit, dead battery. I’ll need to get it charged back at Tom’s. As I turn to leave a shadowy figure appeared in the corner of my eye. I instantly train my revolver onto it. It was a small creature, about the size of a racoon. It resembled a pitbull but with short gray fur, overly thick limbs and some sort of hump. The most eye catching part was its saber toothed maw, two giant fangs, serrated like a saw. After a few seconds the creature smiled and started to chortle.

“Kehehehe. You’re the first human I’ve met who hasn’t run off or tried to kill me on sight. Amusing.”

THAT THING CAN TALK?!

“Why thank you . . . I think.”

The strange Pitbull finally stopped laughing and gave off a deep sigh.

“I do hope you can continue to amuse me some more before you die. You humans are such fragile creatures. I’ll give you 10 seconds before I begin the hunt.”

Finishing its sentence, the Pitbull simply stood there and started counting down.

“Te - *BANG!*”

I fired a shot straight between its eyes, and I watched the bullet pancake itself across the forehead and fall off. There was small hole where blood began to pool, but that was all. What the fuck?

“Kehehe, nine, eight . . .”

I run, as fast as my legs can carry me heading for the fire escape across the street. I leap for the ladder and just managed to grab it before I began to haul myself up revolver still in hand.

“Four, three, two, one, Kehehehe IT’S TIME TO HUNT!”

I scrambled up the fire escape making it to the third floor when I see the Pitbull run literally right through a car. one second the car was whole the next there was a gaping hole in it’s side as if someone fired a large cannonball through it. I saw the Pitbull land a bit aways from the alley staring at me.

“Oh, you’re the first to climb up. Interesting, rather amusing, kehehehe. But that won’t stop me”

The Pitbull let’s out a toothy grin and runs at the wall opposite from the fire escape. I feel cold sweat drench my back as my stomach clenched up with a warning of danger. I book it up the stairs taking two steps at a time. The Pitbull leapt at the opposite wall and jumped off it to land onto the fire escape that was 14 feet off the ground. You have got to be fucking kidding me. I kept running and knocking anything on the windowsills down behind me to atleast try to slow it out.

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“Hahaha! Very enjoyable! Yes, entertain me some more human!”

The Pitbull running up the stairs simply crushed or knocked aside the obstacles as if they were made from air, but at least it slowed down. I finally reached the top, Someone had turned it into their own little getaway with a giant sandbox, poolside lounge chairs, a trampoline and a giant umbrella. I think I have plan. I run towards the trampoline rip off it’s protective netting and push it to the corner of the roof. Knowing there wasn’t much time left I grab the giant umbrella and place it over the trampoline hiding it from view. I then stacked the lounge chairs in front of it and stood on top staring at the fire escape. The Pitbull just reaches the roof as I get ready.

“Hey, short and ugly, I never caught your name!”

“Hmph. You dare to speak to me with such vulgar words and tone? You sour my mood.”

Guess I’m not getting his name, no matter. He’s prideful and clearly can’t stand insults

“Oh I’m sorry, do you prefer stubby and stupid? How about Hunchback? Oh I know! Mr. Hyde maybe?

“I know not everything you are stating but your tone is clearly one of disrespect! I’ve enough of your chatter, it is time to end this”

The Pitbull charged at me with speed faster than it seemed capable of. I fire off one shot at its head right before it leaped. I threw myself at the sandbox and watched the disaster unfold. The Pitbull had blinked when I shot it’s face so it didn’t have to time to change it’s trajectory. It flew straight through the umbrella and bounced right off the trampoline sending it flying off a 12 floor apartment.

*CRUNCH*

“Take that you smug poodle”

I push myself out of the sandbox and dust off before trekking my way back to ground floor. I head back to Tom's with caution.

What kind of creature was that? Clearly a canine yet it could speak perfect english. No guttural sounds or such. Does that mean it has similar vocal cords to us? *Sigh*, I should have inspected the body.

Musing to myself I arrive at Tom's restaurant. Tom walks out of the alley and waves at me.Suddenly freezing up his eyes open up as wide as two saucers

"Run you idiot!"

Hearing the danger in his voice I book it towards the alley, but not before I turn to see that stupid Pitbull bounding from car to car chasing after me.

You have got to be shitting me!

"YOU WILL NOT ESCAPE!"

It makes one final leap right towards me when I hear one loud crack of gunfire go off.

*BANG*

The Pitbull was sent flying backwards into a street lamp. Tom runs up and pumps another shot into the chamber. The Pitbull pops back up utterly unaffected by the fact that it is missing half its chest.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *click*

Tom was breathing heavily now, staring at the headless body.

“Thanks, nice shooting by the way.”

“God almighty, It’s still moving . . .”

My head snaps back to see the mess of meat slowly pulling back together. The head reshaping itself from the bits of meat and bone. The Pitbull stands back up as the last bits of skin creep up its limbs to plant themselves onto The Pitbull’s face. It let open a wide toothy grin and stared back at us.

“Not bad. Not bad at all, Kehehe. That was very entertaining indeed, do either of you gentlemen have anything left? Or shall I put an end to this now?”

Bloody Hell, as Tom here will probably put it. I guess we’re all out of options.

“Any chance you’ve got more shots left?”

I whisper to Tom as we start to back up into the alleyway.

“I got one shot left . . . But that ain’t going to do us any good.”

The Pitbull casually approached, matching us step for step. It looked extremely smug, I didn’t like that.

There has to be something we can do! There has to be

We finally back into the wall at the end of alley. With nothing but two shots left in my gun and one slug in Tom’s the situation seemed hopeless. Finally the Pitbull stopped with a pleased look on it’s face. Stupid smug faced overgrown dog, If I had a freaking grenade I’d shove it right down it’s throat. As I thought that Tom’s backdoor flung open and Dave fell out, bringing down a 14 inch long meat cleaver right onto the Pitbull’s hump.

*CRACK*

*ROAR*

Letting out a roar of pain the Pitbull staggered forward before it turned its baleful eyes onto Dave. It leapt at Dave, turning it’s back to us and revealing the damage done. The hump was cut open and inside I could see a black crystal like lustre, clearly it was cracked.

That’s it!

“Shoot the hump!!”

I line up my gun as quickly as humanly possible and fired my last two rounds into the open wound. Tom fired his shot a fraction of a second after me. The crystal shattered right as the Pitbull bit into Dave’s leg, and the Pitbull slowly melted into a pool of coal black sludge.

“We got him, haha! Hell yeah!”

“WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE ISAAC!”

I snap my mouth shut and freeze up. Tom looks at me, smiles and starts to chuckle softly.

“But yes, ‘Hell’ yeah indeed . . .”

I smile back. Dave starts groaning and suddenly starts convulsing rapidly. I run over and pin him down to see what’s wrong. His left leg was torn apart from just that one bite, the thigh bone was bitten right through and only a scrap of flesh still attached Dave to it. Tom runs over and sees the gaping wound, shock visible on his face. The coal black sludge from the Pitbull had seeped into the opening, his leg was turning into an unhealthy shade of yellow then into purple and finally dripping black sludge. Tom ran back inside saying something about the medkit in the backroom. By the time he came back out Dave’s body looked like a giant bruise and he started puking out more sludge, then he died.

~~~~~~~~~~

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Also I've been using 2000 word minimum per chapter as my post point. I'll probably slow down on posts in the future but I plan to keep this as a thing. I'll know the impact of this plan sooner or later but please enjoy more of my writing!

Peace, Kilsikon7