Demon Chapter 2 - End of Normality

Chapter 2! Finally! Took ages but I'm still, very slowly, going. Ah well, feels good to have this chapter done. Feel like my vision for this story is much clearer.

End of Normality

                Edwin was running down roads he didn’t recognise. He didn’t know where his apartment was, and he didn’t know where the school was. All he knew was it was dark, nobody was around, and he had to keep running.

                Then he came to a sudden stop as he rounded a corner and came face to face with the object of his fear. Somehow it was there, right in front of him, like it defied all logic. The gigantic beast-like monster with glowing eyes and teeth that assured death. He took a step back, but it was too late; it immediately jumped on him, mouth wide open. No miracle occurred this time, no invisible wall to stop it. He felt the unnatural sensation of teeth sinking into his chest as a horrible sound filled the air all around him… A familiar sound…

                His eyes snapped open as he realised he was in his room, and the familiar sound was his alarm clock. It was just a dream…. A dream… He tried to slow his breathing to calm himself down. The demon hadn’t been a dream. He all too clearly remembered the night before. He had almost died, and…. Beatrix was there. Beatrix? What the hell…. He knew what had happened but he had no idea what had happened. He knew that the demon hadn’t followed him back, however. That part was the nightmare that had plagued him for most the night. He had run, as fast as he could. And, somehow, he had ended up on a familiar road, and managed to make his way home.

                The alarm stopped and he was jolted from his thoughts. He looked over to it. It had automatically gone into snooze mode, which meant it would start off again in 10 minutes. He sighed, annoyed and tired. He decided to turn it off at the plug.

                Before he knew it, he was in the bathroom, brushing his teeth to get ready for school. Should I even be going to school after last night? Should even leave the apartment? Beatrix will be looking for me, for sure…. But then shouldn’t I be looking for her? She has some explaining to do… But then… Do I want to get involved in whatever that was?

                He decided he would go, and he would try to get some answers from Beatrix. He should find out all he can. Better to know what’s going on than not know. It wouldn’t mean he had to get involved. But he really didn’t like the thought of a monster like that coming after him again. Beatrix had actually fought it. Tired…. Damnit. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, but he got himself ready for school anyway, fighting the urge to return to bed; made a lot easier with the thought that nightmares would likely be all that awaited him.

*

                “Hey, what’s wrong? Did you see a demon or something?” came a familiar voice, snapping Edwin from his reverie. He turned to see Arthur, a humorous smile on his face.

                “….Demon? What are you talking about?” Edwin asked. Does he know something?

                “Well you’re pretty quiet today. And if that frown is anything to go by, you don’t seem like you’re in a good mood” Arthur replied.

                Edwin sighed. “I’m just tired. Didn’t get much sleep.” He answered. Arthur had told him that story about demons the day before… the same day he’d seen that… monster. Was it a demon? Are they real?

                “That story you told me yesterday…. Where did you come across such a… strange rumour?” Edwin asked, now suspicious.

                “You might be surprised but… If there’s a rumour, then I’m the guy to know it! I know all the popular rumours around this school. As for where it originally came from… No idea. Maybe you should ask Mel?” Arthur replied, nodding in the direction of the red-haired girl. Mel, huh? Well I can’t really just go up to her and ask her about demons. I’ll wait. I’ll find out from Beatrix….

                “Hey, what do you know about Beatrix, from the boxing club?” Edwin asked.

                “Beatrix? She’s the head of the boxing club right? I hear she’s mean to be suuuuper tough. I doubt she’s a strong as people say she is though” he answered nonchalantly. You’d be surprised Edwin found himself thinking.

*

                Before Edwin knew it, it was already time for the first break of the day. Just like before, Arthur had already vanished. Edwin decided to go outside and take a look around the school campus, hoping that he wasn’t going to get into a fight again. He didn’t get tripped up this time, as he left the school building. After walking for a while, however, he realised that Tom was following him. He was alone this time. He can’t seriously be looking for another fight, can he? Edwin decided to get this encounter done with. He turned around to face Tom.

                “Come to make fun of me for yesterday?” Edwin started, hoping to get it over with.

                Tom laughed. “Must have felt pretty embarrassing losing so easily right?” he laughed a bit more, then looked around awkwardly. “Well, I guess I should tell you… Not that I didn’t enjoy it but… It’s not that embarrassing. She spars with everyone that joins the club. She says she wants to find out just how good everyone is so she can train them better.” He stared at the floor, as if recalling a painful memory.

                “Well I doubt she knocks all of them out.” Edwin replied. “She said that I managed to surprise her with my last attack, and that’s why she ended up knocking me out by reflex.”

                A smile crept onto Tom’s face. “She must get surprised quite a lot then…” he said. Then they both laughed. Perhaps she surprisingly clumsy. Or she just likes knocking people unconscious.

                Then Tom went silent, his eyes narrowed at Edwin. “Attar is still a stupid name” he said, seemingly not wanting to accidently get along with Edwin.

                “Yeah, well” Edwin replied. “I’d rather have a stupid name than be stupid.”

                Tom looked confused for a minute as he worked out what Edwin meant. “Fuck you” he replied then walked off, looking angry. I don’t think we’ll ever be best friends, but we might not end up enemies after all.

                Then something caught his eye. Something had flown by, and now hovered there, high in the air. It wasn’t a bird, and it was too large to be an insect. It looked a dark red colour, and glowed unnaturally. He’d seen something similar before…. His mind went back…. To long before the night just past. He’d seen strange-looking creatures in every city he’d lived in, as far back as he could remember. He’d just convinced himself that he was seeing things. They were only ever small things, and he’d only seen them for a split second, but after last night, and what he was seeing right then, perhaps they’d all been real.

                “You can see it, right?” came a familiar voice. He jumped in surprise. Beatrix stood there, looking as happy-go-lucky as she had been the day before, as if last night had never happened.

                “Don’t worry, those ones are harmless. They’re called Emnats, they’re like pests. They just fly around and feast on human emotions. Not like that one that attacked ya last night. That one was after your flesh.”

Edwin was still frozen in place. This can’t be happening…. Then… it’s all real!? “What… exactly….” The words wouldn’t come to him. Beatrix frowned.

                “Look” she said. “Dontcha worry about it for now. I’ve got boxing practice tonight again, but why don’t you wait for me, and afterwards I’ll explain everything?”

                Edwin just nodded, looking up at the… demon? once more. It flew away suddenly. He turned back to Beatrix. She looked worried for him. “Right” he said. “After school, yeah. I’ll be there.”

*

                The rest of the school day passed by uneventfully. Edwin waited for Beatrix, although after a while he got bored and went inside to watch the boxing club practice. They worked hard. It had been a long time since Edwin had pushed himself like they were doing. He started to think that maybe he should join them after all; it would help him get into better shape. His embarrassing loss to Beatrix had made him realise how weak he was as well.

Practice ended, and one by one the club left; Tom did a good job of ignoring Edwin’s presence, and then it was just Edwin and Beatrix.

                “So” Beatrix started. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what you saw last night” she said. The atmosphere in the room had suddenly changed. She seemed deadly serious. Almost frightening. Edwin gulped.

                “Alright” he answered. “I was trying to get home when I saw that… figure… in the distance. I couldn’t make out what it was at first. As it moved past a couple walking down the road, one of them screamed, then the other yelled out, then they went quiet. All I could see was the shadowy figure as it set its glowing eyes on me….. Then I ran, and it ran after me. Cars drove past but no one seemed to notice what was going on, like they couldn’t see it.” He paused to measure Beatrix’s reaction. She nodded, but past that he couldn’t tell what she might be thinking. “Somehow I made it to the school, managed to climb over the wall, but that thing just came straight through the wall. And that’s when you appeared.”

                She nodded again, this time seemingly to herself. She looked down and seemed to be thinking. The silence grew until Edwin couldn’t bear it anymore.

                “What was that thing? And what are you?” he asked, plainly, simply.

                Her eyes locked onto his. Edwin unconsciously took a step back. She seemed dangerous. Might she just kill me to get rid of the problem? He wondered. Then she sighed and smiled.

                “Well I guess there’s no helping it is there? Alright I’ll tell ya what you want to know” she said, putting him at ease. “Although ya might not like it.”

                However, at that moment, the sound of a ringtone interrupted them. It was some high-pitched, upbeat song that sounded like it came straight from a children’s TV show. However, Beatrix looked shocked and frightened. She took out her phone and answered it. Her expression grew grimmer as she listened to whoever was on the other end.

                “Vincent Street? Yeah won’t take me long to get there” she said, then hung up and put her phone away. “Sorry Edwin” she said “Our chat will have to wait” and then she ran to the door.

                “Wait!” Edwin called, but to no use. She immediately opened the door and ran off.

                Edwin froze, weighing his options. He needed answers. However, from the look of her face from that phone call, could it possibly be another one of those monsters?

                “Damnit” Edwin said out loud to no one in particular. “Who am I kidding?” His curiosity was too overwhelming. He also ran outside, to follow her. Once again, even though it wasn’t night-time it was dark outside already. Edwin caught a glimpse of Beatrix in the distance, running towards the entrance gate of the school grounds. She was fast. Edwin gave chase.

                She really was fast. When Edwin reached the school entrance, she had already crossed the road and he only just saw her go around a corner. By the time he made it to that corner, she was nowhere to be seen. However, this time, Edwin’s phone had been fully charged before going to school. He took out his phone and checked the map. Vincent Street. It wasn’t too far from the school. He followed the map and made his way there.

                He was just one street away when he heard a scream. Something bad was definitely happening. He paused for a second, remembering the night before. Despite his fear, he still wanted to know what these monsters were, and his curiosity overrode his fear this time. He ran to his destination, and as he turned the final corner, the scene came into view.

                The first thing he noticed was a horrible smell; the metallic smell of blood. Even in the dark he could see puddles of blood on the floor. To his horror he also saw what he recognised as pieces of… people. A shout and a flash of light brought his attention to the ensuing chaos. It looked like people were fighting in the street. Edwin closed the distance, and he realised that it wasn’t people fighting people. There were people clad in dark clothing that looked like military clothes. They were fighting what at first looked like naked people, however as Edwin got closer he realised they couldn’t be human. They were unnaturally pale, and they lacked eyes, noses, and hair. The only thing on their faces were mouths; unnaturally wide mouths spreading past the limits of a normal human’s mouth, almost snake-like; except lined with sharp fangs. They jumped at the people fighting them, snapping their mouths all the while as if trying to take a bite. The ones fighting them worked together, backing away and dodging their attacks while slashing at them with weapons that Edwin couldn’t make out in the dark. Another flash brought his attention to a familiar figure. He could make out Beatrix, punching at the creatures. Every time she connected there was a flash and a creature was sent sprawling to the floor.

                “What’s going on out here?” came a voice. Edwin turned to see someone coming out of their house; an elderly man, probably curious from all the noise. He looked about in confusion. “What are you up to over there?” he shouted. He didn’t seem panicked, or scared. Edwin recalled Arthur’s story, as well as the fact that no one had showed any signs of seeing the monster that had attacked him the night before. Normal people can’t see them. All this man would be able to see would be people fighting nothing. He’d probably think they were crazy. Then Edwin’s heart skipped a beat. He would be able to see the blood, and body parts, that littered the street. If he looked around for long enough.

               

                Edwin rushed over in his direction, thinking up a reason for the man to go back inside. “Hey!” he called, getting the man’s attention. “They seem dangerous. Maybe you should go back inside. I’ll call the police” Edwin said.

                That’s when he saw it. One of the creatures; the human-like faceless, pale, creatures. It was running towards the old man. Edwin’s feet led him, without any thought to guide him. He rushed towards the creature, intent on protecting the man, who shouted in surprise at Edwin’s sudden movement. They were about to collide. Edwin jumped for it, hoping to grab it around the midsection and take it to the floor. The only one that ended up on the floor, however, was him. There was no collision. He went straight through the creature, as if it wasn’t even there. He rushed back to his feet, but the yell and scream he heard told him it was too late. He slowly turned, not wanting to see the sight that waited for him, but knew that he had to.

                Just a few yards away from him the creature tore apart the man with its mouth, as if trying to satisfy some insatiable desire. Edwin just stood there, eyes glued to the scene. The man was definitely already dead. There was nothing he could do. Then the creature suddenly stopped and turned its head to Edwin. It moved away from the bloody mess that used to be a living person and made its way towards him. Edwin took a step back, but as if taking that as a signal the monster pounced at him, mouth open wide, aiming for his face.

                Edwin fell onto his back with the creature on top of him. His desperately held the creature at bay, one hand on its head and one on its chest, trying to push it away. Then he felt a strange sensation. Like sand slipping through his fingers, the creature pushed through his hands as if they weren’t there, its wide, open mouth aiming for his face. Fear welled up inside him, threatening to burst, and in desperation he managed to pull his feet in underneath the creature and kick it off him. He sprang to his feet and the creature was jumping at him again. He put out his hands and managed to hold it at bay by grabbing its shoulders as it tried to bite wildly towards him. Then he felt that familiar sensation, like sand slipping through his hands, and he watched in horror as his hands started to sink into the creature once more and its dangerously fanged mouth came closer. He felt fear choking him, filling his entire chest, every muscle in his body felt weak and cold and useless as the creature came closer. However, that fear gave rise to desperation; he desperately wanted to survive. Then some bestial rage rose within him. His fear turned to anger at this creature, this creature that had just killed a defenceless man in front of him; this creature that was going to kill him, while he couldn’t do a thing to stop it. As rage consumed him he didn’t even notice that his hands had stopped sinking through the creature. He pulled one hand away and recklessly grabbed the creature by the face, his thumb in the creature’s mouth, cutting against its teeth. He pushed it back and pulled his other hand free from its shoulder, then with that hand grabbed it by the lower mouth, receiving more cuts as the creature tried to close its mouth on his fingers. He held strong though, pulling it to each side, bringing its jaw wide open. He pulled and pulled, knowing that either he or the creature would die. He didn’t feel cold and weak anymore. His body felt like it was on fire, like his blood was burning throughout his entire body, as he pulled as hard as he could, then there was a loud, sickening crunch, and all resistance disappeared; the creature’s head and jaw were pulled in opposite directions further than should be possible, and the creature went limp.  The creature fell to the floor, with Edwin stood over it, looking down, breathing heavily.

                “Who are you?” someone shouted. Edwin looked up. He was surrounded by people wearing black clothes. They reminded Edwin of what black ops military would wear. He instinctively brought his hands up in a martial arts stance that his father had taught him long ago, getting ready to defend himself. He could see now that they were carrying black weapons; what looked like long knives and even crossbows.

                “Edwin?” came a familiar voice, as Beatrix pushed her way through them. They quickly backed away from her.

                Edwin relaxed. “They’re with you?” he asked shakily. She nodded. “Can you ask them to lower their weapons?” he asked. Crossbows were pointed at him, carefully aimed. Beatrix, however, looked at Edwin warily. She looked down at the body of the creature that had attacked him, then back to Edwin.

                “Is there something ya haven’t told me, Edwin?” she asked, confusing him. He shook his head.

                “Like what? I’m the one who doesn’t know what’s going on.” He answered.

                She still seemed wary, however. “Normal people can’t kill demons” she answered. Demons…. The word echoed in Edwin’s head. So Arthur’s rumour was true. Demons are real. And this is what they look like. He looked down at the… demon.

                “You’re going to have to come with us.” Beatrix said, interrupting Edwin’s thoughts. The people surrounding him still had their weapons aimed at him, ready to make a move. Suddenly he felt like he’d done something wrong. Going with them didn’t seem ideal, but he clearly didn’t have a choice.