Devil's Little Plaything

Prologue

"Run, Anti! Run and don't look back!" Were my mother's last words as she was dragged away by the vicious hunters, my father laying motionless on the ground with a large wound in his leg. I was in shock, sweat and blood trickling down my body. She called me again as she fought the chains being attached to her arms. "Please, Anti! Just run!" I turned and saw two hunters approaching me with cattle prods. I shrieked and backed away, I could no longer see my mother, just the dirty truck that the hunters were driving. I spun around and took off through the forest, ignoring my aching and wounded legs as I dodged low hanging branches and twigs that fell from trees. I heard the hunters shouting and cursing, my friends screaming and crying as they tried to escape. Gunfire began to fill my ears, they were getting closer.

I skidded into a clearing and into the path of a suited man. He was tall, taller than me with silky black hair. "Hello." He cooed, grabbing my ripped t shirt and lifting me from the ground. I struggled weakly, my sweaty hands gripping his. "Trying to run away from my hunters, are you?" I froze with fear, my worried eyes met with his. "L-let me go!" I managed to squeak, still trying to fight his grip. He chuckled quietly. "No chance, a demon of your condition? You're worth a lot of money." I heard quickened footsteps, I turned my head and saw the hunters that had been chasing me. "Please...sir, let me go." I begged, my body shaking like a leaf. "Don't damage him, just leash and muzzle. I want him in my office in an hour." The suited man ordered, throwing me into the grasp of the hunters. "Help! Help me!" I screamed, kicking and punching as they wrestled a heavy chain around my neck. "No one will help you now, little demon." The suited man said with a smile. I continued to scream and resist as a metallic mask was put over my face, forcing my mouth closed. "Good, now get him back to base. I want a better look at him there."

Those last words from my mother still haunted me. It played on my mind over and over. The man who I met that evening was called Mark Fischbach. He was the leader of a group of hunters, but why are they capturing demons? I tugged weakly against the chain around my neck, it's rusty surface grating into my skin. I was sat on an old wooden stall in the corner of a dirty room, my ankles were secured to the legs with black leather cuffs and my wrists were bound with metal chains. I rocked on the stall, the chains rattled loudly, the stall toppled over and crashed to the floor. My ankles had slipped through the cuffs, allowing me to stand. "I need to get out of here." I ran to the door, the leash dragging behind me. I fumbled with the door handle with my cuffed hands to no avail, it was locked. Light headed from anxiety, I drew away and looked around for a key. "There has to be a way out of here." I kept repeating to myself, rummaging around the old boxes and crates. "Come on, come on." Books and pens fell out of the boxes as I pushed them around. The door swung open, I leapt out of the way and behind the door. "What the? I thought Mark said his demon was in here." The door shut. "Phew." I sighed, trying the door again, luckily whoever it was had left it ajar. I stepped out into a cold, quiet corridor. It looked like I was in some kind of warehouse.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I leapt back, there was another demon trapped in a cage to the left of me. "I-I" "get over here before someone sees you." He whispered. I scooted over, the demon was much taller than me, with big strong muscles and silky black hair. "How did you escape?" He quizzed, looking around. "I was in that room, I managed to get free." I whispered back. He nodded, "maybe you could get me out of here. I think the hunters are coming back soon though, hurry." I gestured to my cuffed hands. "Ah, let me take a look at that." He stuck a clawed hand through the bars and began picking at the lock. Moments later, the cuffs fell to the floor. "Wow, thank you." I smiled. "Pleasure, now please get me out of this cage." He replied. I wrenched at the lock, it wasn't very strong, it was old and rusted. In no time, it had loosened and I was able to open the door. "Thank you, friend." The demon smiled, shaking my hand. "I'm Darkiplier, and you are?" "Anti." I smiled. "Well then Anti, we best get moving before the hunters see us." He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the corridor.