The Ballad of a Buried Beast

Chapter 13.

I could feel Jason's eyes widen as he backed into the counter.

"Guys-, wha--what the fuck--what is-?" his hand looked for something to grab onto as Malo's static rose to a frightening volume, "Turn the fuck around! -WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"

Gabriel and Sam turned around following Jason's shouting, and soon their eyes widened as they began to do the same.

"Holy fucking SHIT!"

"-Is Jack a furry-?"

"-DOES THAT LOOK LIKE A FUCKING SUIT, SAM?!"

Malo stepped over the coffee table, almost tripping over as she approached the wall. Her chest was racing, rushing air in and out as she began to hyperventilate. Something was about to happen, something bad.

"KNIFE, -KNIFE!"

Jason hopped the bar and reached for the knife holder, but I blocked him before he could touch them.

"JACK, GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY-"

"It's okay! It's okay! Calm down--calm DOWN-"

I was pushed aside by Gabriel as he rushed between the both of us and grabbed one. Jason did the same, pushing me away as he grabbed two and threw one to Sam.

"We're fucking DOING THIS?"

"FUCK ELSE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO-?!"

Malo was behind the television, her claws digging into its corners as it flew between channels in a blur. Her eyes were widened and wild, darting between the three like an animal who'd been cornered. I felt my eyes widen as a few lights began to flicker and buzz around the house.

"WAIT-WAIT-WAIT!" I shoved myself past them all as quickly as I could and got in front of Malo, my arms waving in a sign of nonaggression as they all erupted into sporadic shouting.

"JACK, THE FUCK ARE YOU DO-"

"GET BACK HERE JACK!"

"THERE'S A FUCKING DEMON BEHIND YOU, MAN!"

"No! No, it's--IT'S OKAY!" I felt my back press against the shifting television, and I glanced up to find Malo's face unmoved from where it'd been. From where they were all standing, this must've seemed straight out of a horror movie.

"MAYBE'S IT'S GOT JACK?!"

"FUCK, IS HE POSSESSED-?"

"-ARE WE GONNA HAVE TO FUCKING KILL JACK?!"

The final frantic remark came from Gabriel, and I felt my heart echo throughout the house as the TV suddenly turned off.

"No-no, Gabriel-!" I looked between him and Malo, her eyes suddenly locked onto him, "Take that back, man--please!--TAKE THAT BACK RIGHT FUCKING NOW!"

"What-?"

The lights went out, and the group began to shout in panic as a low, guttural growl began to brew in the shadows.

"DOOR, -DOOR!" Jason shot for the door, but just as he was about to pull the knob a heavy hand slammed against the wood and stopped him. The sudden impact was enough to startle him, but the prowling white eyes that followed in the dark were what made him tremble onto the floor and pray.

"Sweet God, sweet God, sweet God-..." he stammered, his voice just barely audible above the breath of the approaching beast. "Sweet God deliver me, sweet God deliver me, Sweet GoD DELIVER ME-!"the knife clattered out of his shaking hands as he bowed his head and continued. "GOD ALMIGHTY SAVE-"