Ethan woke up sore. He was leaned up against a brick wall. He tried thinking back to what happened. Then the pain shot up his right leg. He remembered. He noticed that his leg was bent backwards. Bone was sticking through the pants. He nearly vomited at the sight. He looked around for something support the weight. He found a metal bar two feet away and used that to stand up.
Ethan's first plan of action was to find a way out of the alley without getting spotted. He heard the scuttering of claws on pavement and quickly stumbled to the shadows. He pulled out his pistol and checked the magazine. Five bullets. Crap... Ethan thought to himself. He peeked around the corner and saw demons sniffing around. They had his scent and were looking thoroughly for him. One told the others that Ethan was still alive and still around. He ducked his head back and began to hyperventilate. He tried to control his breath, but nothing was helping. He was going to die, alone and vulnerable. He had been given a crash course in demon fighting and when time came to actually use that information, he failed. He listened. The sound of the demons' footsteps was getting closer. He sat completely still as the demons crawled ever closer, not even daring to breath. Suddenly, there wasn't any sound. No footsteps, no breathing, no claws. A demon's fingers wrapped around the corner of the dumpster, inches from Ethan's face. He prayed that he wouldn't be seen. Then Ethan saw a jaw curling around the corner. Finally an eye socket opened and revealed a yellow eye staring directly at Ethan.
Suddenly a bullet pierced that eye, going completely through and exiting out the other side of the head. Ethan pushed himself away from the corner as the body collapsed. Someone shouted "Run!" in the distance. Ethan did his best to stumble to the end of the alley. He heard more shots. Three more in quick succession. They sounded like 50 Caliber rounds.
He finally reached the end of the alley and collapsed. He could no longer run or walk. He couldn't even crawl. A giant hand came from nowhere to cover his mouth. He looked up to see a pair of yellow eyes staring down at him. A demon had him in a strong grasp. Ethan saw the demon motion for him to be silent. The monstrous thing picked him up and draped him over his shoulder. He began to take long silent strides and picked up speed down the street. Curses in its' natural tongue erupted from far behind him. He took an immediate left and ducked down a hole into the sewer system.
A slim figure with a sniper rifle stepped out from the shadows on the walls. "You're safe in our hands. I know you couldn't trust my friend as far as you could throw him, but you're going to have to go by my word. He saved my life." Ethan looked at the figure and his mouth dropped.
"Who are you?" He asked.
The figure dropped her hood. Blonde hair shined in the dim light. Green eyes stared with determination at Ethan. "Bethany Michaels. Just call me Beth. It's all I can get him to say," motioning to the demon.
Ethan nodded and said "Uh-huh...So how did you two meet?"
Beth looked at the demon and chuckled. "I was snooping around nearby the market to get some supplies and saw him digging around in the trash. He was hungry. He looked much skinnier than the other demons I had seen. That made me think he was mistreated. I still took caution around him. I yelled at him and he turned around. He began to lunge at me and I started firing at him," indicating the sniper rifle in her hands. "He took one round to the shoulder and continued. He just leapt over me. His attention was directed at the two demons that had snuck up on me while I communicated with him. He chased them off and came to see if I was alright. He tried to talk to me. He motioned to the cut on my arm I got while digging in the trash by the mall, totally ignoring that he still had a hole in his shoulder. I told him I was fine and got to work taking care of his shoulder. We've been watching each others' backs ever since."
Ethan looked at the demon. He still didn't trust the creature. He didn't know what made this girl trust the ugly brute, but human-to-human, he trusted her. "I still don't trust it, but we need to get out of the streets. Do you have somewhere we can hide?"
Beth glared at Ethan, "Yes. We do. Follow us." She nodded at the demon. "It has a name, you know."
"Charge," the creature gurgled out followed with what Ethan could only guess was a smile. They made an odd pair, but they worked. After what seemed like hours, they made it to a small clearing in the sewer pipes. It was through a hole in the wall. When they got through, Charge covered the hole with a piece of concrete.
"We're safe here. Haven't been discovered for months." Beth scanned the shelves on the wall for something to put in their stomachs. She found a Twinkie and tossed it at Ethan. "Here. Eat it." She found a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich and handed it to Charge. He looked at Beth, shook his head and passed it back to her. "No, You eat it tonight. I ate last night." He looked at the sandwich and back at Beth. A whimper sounded deep in his throat and Beth said, "I know. We'll be alright. We can go for a food run tomorrow." He ate the sandwich and curled up by the wall. Ethan sat down and leaned up against a pillar. Beth laid down on Charge's belly and said "Goodnight, boy. See you in the morning." Ethan was aghast at what happened next. The demon put a protective arm around Beth. He thought he'd seen he impossible. A monster and human acting like sister and brother. He rolled his eyes and laid down.
Ethan heard a gurgle and looked up at the demon. It was motioning for him to lay down next to him. Ethan, suddenly cold, nodded and crawled over to the creature. Perhaps he isn't that bad after all... Ethan put his head on Charge's shoulder and fell almost immediately to sleep from the warmth of the creature's body.
Ethan's first plan of action was to find a way out of the alley without getting spotted. He heard the scuttering of claws on pavement and quickly stumbled to the shadows. He pulled out his pistol and checked the magazine. Five bullets. Crap... Ethan thought to himself. He peeked around the corner and saw demons sniffing around. They had his scent and were looking thoroughly for him. One told the others that Ethan was still alive and still around. He ducked his head back and began to hyperventilate. He tried to control his breath, but nothing was helping. He was going to die, alone and vulnerable. He had been given a crash course in demon fighting and when time came to actually use that information, he failed. He listened. The sound of the demons' footsteps was getting closer. He sat completely still as the demons crawled ever closer, not even daring to breath. Suddenly, there wasn't any sound. No footsteps, no breathing, no claws. A demon's fingers wrapped around the corner of the dumpster, inches from Ethan's face. He prayed that he wouldn't be seen. Then Ethan saw a jaw curling around the corner. Finally an eye socket opened and revealed a yellow eye staring directly at Ethan.
Suddenly a bullet pierced that eye, going completely through and exiting out the other side of the head. Ethan pushed himself away from the corner as the body collapsed. Someone shouted "Run!" in the distance. Ethan did his best to stumble to the end of the alley. He heard more shots. Three more in quick succession. They sounded like 50 Caliber rounds.
He finally reached the end of the alley and collapsed. He could no longer run or walk. He couldn't even crawl. A giant hand came from nowhere to cover his mouth. He looked up to see a pair of yellow eyes staring down at him. A demon had him in a strong grasp. Ethan saw the demon motion for him to be silent. The monstrous thing picked him up and draped him over his shoulder. He began to take long silent strides and picked up speed down the street. Curses in its' natural tongue erupted from far behind him. He took an immediate left and ducked down a hole into the sewer system.
A slim figure with a sniper rifle stepped out from the shadows on the walls. "You're safe in our hands. I know you couldn't trust my friend as far as you could throw him, but you're going to have to go by my word. He saved my life." Ethan looked at the figure and his mouth dropped.
"Who are you?" He asked.
The figure dropped her hood. Blonde hair shined in the dim light. Green eyes stared with determination at Ethan. "Bethany Michaels. Just call me Beth. It's all I can get him to say," motioning to the demon.
Ethan nodded and said "Uh-huh...So how did you two meet?"
Beth looked at the demon and chuckled. "I was snooping around nearby the market to get some supplies and saw him digging around in the trash. He was hungry. He looked much skinnier than the other demons I had seen. That made me think he was mistreated. I still took caution around him. I yelled at him and he turned around. He began to lunge at me and I started firing at him," indicating the sniper rifle in her hands. "He took one round to the shoulder and continued. He just leapt over me. His attention was directed at the two demons that had snuck up on me while I communicated with him. He chased them off and came to see if I was alright. He tried to talk to me. He motioned to the cut on my arm I got while digging in the trash by the mall, totally ignoring that he still had a hole in his shoulder. I told him I was fine and got to work taking care of his shoulder. We've been watching each others' backs ever since."
Ethan looked at the demon. He still didn't trust the creature. He didn't know what made this girl trust the ugly brute, but human-to-human, he trusted her. "I still don't trust it, but we need to get out of the streets. Do you have somewhere we can hide?"
Beth glared at Ethan, "Yes. We do. Follow us." She nodded at the demon. "It has a name, you know."
"Charge," the creature gurgled out followed with what Ethan could only guess was a smile. They made an odd pair, but they worked. After what seemed like hours, they made it to a small clearing in the sewer pipes. It was through a hole in the wall. When they got through, Charge covered the hole with a piece of concrete.
"We're safe here. Haven't been discovered for months." Beth scanned the shelves on the wall for something to put in their stomachs. She found a Twinkie and tossed it at Ethan. "Here. Eat it." She found a half eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich and handed it to Charge. He looked at Beth, shook his head and passed it back to her. "No, You eat it tonight. I ate last night." He looked at the sandwich and back at Beth. A whimper sounded deep in his throat and Beth said, "I know. We'll be alright. We can go for a food run tomorrow." He ate the sandwich and curled up by the wall. Ethan sat down and leaned up against a pillar. Beth laid down on Charge's belly and said "Goodnight, boy. See you in the morning." Ethan was aghast at what happened next. The demon put a protective arm around Beth. He thought he'd seen he impossible. A monster and human acting like sister and brother. He rolled his eyes and laid down.
Ethan heard a gurgle and looked up at the demon. It was motioning for him to lay down next to him. Ethan, suddenly cold, nodded and crawled over to the creature. Perhaps he isn't that bad after all... Ethan put his head on Charge's shoulder and fell almost immediately to sleep from the warmth of the creature's body.
