S M I L E

Chapter 4: Awakening

Cassio was stunned staring at the dogs body in front of her, his face patched up and replaced with the deer skull that had been hung from the staircase. It was barely sewn over with random articles of fabric, faux fur replaced the once droopy ears with now raised wired ears. Her eyes were alert as the tail of Asha slowly lifted on it's own, something she knows should not be able to happen as Asha is Dead. Even the man could not help but be curious.
    "My... now that is peculiar.." his smirk grew more as Asha started attempting to stand up barely a second passed before the sound of retching ripped from the dogs throat, an inky iron smelling liquid spilled from her jaws staining the already bloody counter more. And before either of them could think of reacting her jaws snapped towards the man with a harsh clack.
    He stumbled back slightly avoiding the entourage of fangs and claws as she hoisted her own body off the counter attempting to attack him repeatedly that is until Cassio finally stepped forward and yanked the dead dog into her arms a sob racking her body. Not a thought of fear was left as overjoyed happiness spilled over her emotions ecstatic to have back her best friend back but what had not been expected was a stabbing pain to erupt from her stomach as what almost seemed to be a.. Glitch? Of some sort pierced through her flesh from her beloved dog.
    "Shit," the man mumbled as swiftly he grabbed her up pulling the dog away in order to check over Cassio's injured abdomen. His hands jerked back as Asha attacked once more and Cassio screamed in agony. As screams ripped from her throat the sound of glass shattering could be heard from a few rooms away causing the man to grab the two close and cover their mouths with his gloved hands.    
    There stood a creature towering over them all, its face bone and its body dark. Dripping from its maw was the same yellow ooze of the smiling creatures, and yet even as the scent of burnt skin wafted from it, the creature did not drop it.
    Slowly two eyes rolled into place as it stared them down before it turned and lumbered out of the back door it's body forcing the closed door to break from it's hinges. There, right out of the door, it stood upon its hind legs and opened its maw wide, before snapping at a floating smile ripping it from the air before slowly its jaws tore into the creature dropping acidic gore over the dirt as its own throat burned away leaving tendrils of flesh hanging down as quickly they intertwined once more fixing its throat as the acid drips.
    Slowly the man pulled Cassio and Asha up focused now upon the wound drenching Cassios shirt. His motions were more gentle than before almost acutely aware that a wound like this could mean the death of the small human in his hands. Quick as possible his hands scrambled clumsily for the same sewing kit the child used seconds before his fingers easily threading the needle and driving it into the flesh of her abdomen, over and over without hesitation nor second thought.
    It took seconds, maybe even minutes to close the wound even as her body racked with sobs, loud and tear stained cries of pain. And for this moment, for this singular moment asha could only stare as if confused almost. Her eyes once bright now dull and grayed over as they watch her beloved owner be sewn up by the man she had before seen as a threat and even now she sees him as such. But how may a simple mutt help her human more than a human can?
    So she sits, her ears perked and body twitching into uneven angles. Her muzzle would distort, its fur seemingly disappearing at moments revealing the bone once more below the skin. Other times it would seem almost as if her ribs would twist incorrectly causing her spine to entangle grotesquely. And yet she sits silent as a mouse waiting, and as the child she loves so dear is finally laid down gently she moves and drags her now pale tongue over her humans equally pale cheek an apology in her wake.
    Her eyes were open, dizzily staring at the ceiling as the bleeding slows, the mans hands soft as he takes off his gloves to carefully put fabric as bandages over her lower stomach as not even this happy house of hers has bandages big enough to cover the stitching. No longer does she scream from the pain as now shock sets in once more, stealing her thoughts into a mindless staring.
    Without much thought into it she slowly grabbed at her abdomen curious as to why she could no longer feel it even as the blood coated her finger tips and left them reeking of iron.
    "What.. what is- oh.. Oh my god.." her voice was a murmur of pain as she stared at her hand her dull eyes widening as the shock once again subsiding into pure unbridled pain taking over her emotions driving her to sob once more before blood coated her lips instead of her finger tips this time. It wasn't much just a small bit as she had bitten her tongue while sobbing causing her own blood to fill her mouth, and quickly her sobs turned to coughing as she attempted to clear her throat of the cascading blood in her mouth.
    "Oh my, do sit up now young dear. It is not well for a lady to choke on her own blood!" his hands carefully lifted her so she could sit up and cough up all of the fluid staining her shirt more and more leaving not a flower on her once light shirt uncrimsoned. Her tears stain her cheeks more drawing lines down her face almost unseen against her skin.
    "What is happening.. Why is this happening," her voice shook and held a gravel to it from the sobs beforehand. The question lingered between her and the man before her eyes looked up at him fully her gaze searching his face almost for any familiarity. "..who are you?.. How- no- why? Are you here," she finally asks him for the first time her voice scratchy and jumping every few words.
    "Well little darling you may call me Mr.Balloon your newest most loyal friend!" his smile was wide unnaturally so, his teeth purely white like the people she would see on her fathers magazines. Slowly he took her hand placing a kiss on the back of it, "And you young miss? What is your name hm?"
    Her gaze went wide as her body naturally jerked back from his grasp, a fear in her mind screaming to avoid his touch perhaps due to her fathers teachings of stranger danger. "..Cassio," she muttered regardless holding her hand to her chest.
    "Cassio? How peculiar of a name, how lovely," he gave a small laugh amused at her reaction. "Needn't worry too much, i am here to help is all," his hand gave a small pet to her head almost as one would their dog without much if not any malice behind the touch. And yet her gaze never wavers from him.
    He opens his mouth to speak once more but another sound comes, this time from near the stairs so his breath comes out in a slightly annoyed sound. "Five seconds, all i need. Why must so many interrupt." he looked towards the spot, his eyes bemused as somethings head looks down the stairs.
    Its head split open slowly revealing millions of eyes within its skull as slowly a click could be heard. "Sweety? Are you there?" its voice asked, mimicking a woman Cassio had heard before. A neighbor perhaps? Its mouth clicked closed again as it stepped down another step with an elongated arm, not a paw, a humanoid arm.
    "Come out, lets go home," the click was heard once more before it spoke, the voice it used imperfect, its head finally turned to them... Its face below the skin was almost like a humanoid skull, its bones littered with eyes as small as a spiders as the skin that had once covered it had more humanoid like eyes. And as it spotted them the very skull seemed to crack open perfectly into a side split mouth. Fangs littering the inner skull filled with muscle and parts of indigested human skin.
    "Well now.. I do believe it is best we leave," Mr balloons smile faltered as he forced Cassio to her feet ushering her towards the back door as another step down was taken by the creature.
    "Don't leave me" it spoke using the same voice as before, only its torso was seen before it took another step down, "Help me," its voice glitched once more before it finally stopped moving slowly its body slammed against the railing as it began running its back legs twisted unnaturally. "NO PLEASE PLEASE," it screamed sounding much more human.
    Mr Balloon hadn't given a second of thought as his hands dragged the small girl out of the house avoiding the snapping jaws of the creature as its body swung around corners slamming its side into the corner of the kitchen island. "IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS," it screamed mimicking the neighbor perfectly now much more natural before its screams were cut off.
    "ASHA," Cassio screamed as her dog had gotten onto the creatures back, ripping at its skin ravaging its body as if she had been a starving mutt and in doing so the creature began screaming attempting to snap its head around to attack the dog. However the muscles in its neck would tense unable to turn in such a way causing distress to build in its screams as its body tipped to its side in a wild flurried attempt of escape, in doing so a scream came from the mutt as she was tossed from its back.
    Another scream of fear left Cassio's lips as Mr Balloon held her back to avoid more injuries between her and the mangy dog she loves so dearly. Even despite the scream of pain Asha had rolled back to her paws gurgling groans leaving her stained lips as black blood oozed from behind her teeth, it dripped steadily from her chin falling from her fur like slime and yet her eyes stayed locked onto the creature as it stalked backwards away from them all now.
    A low growl emerged from its split skull before it turned and took off over the fence that had separated the yards from one another, it's screams and words pleading for help growing distant.
    "My... seems you are useful for one thing mutt," Mr balloon's eyes cast down to Asha distaste still evident in his gaze regardless of the indifferent words he spoke. Regardless Asha made her way back to Cassio's side slowly her paws stumbling as if exhaustion overtaking the body she had been regiven.
    "Asha.. oh my puppy.." Cassio's words were guilt ridden as her hands lifted the dog, cradling her so lovingly almost motherly despite how young she is. The tear streaks grew more prominent as Cassio's body shook with terrified soft cries her panic growing from the recent events breaking down over her mind.
    "Oh my, now now young lady let's not cry." Mr balloon attempted, but his words fell on deaf ears as the child remained quietly sobbing over the stress, "Now this is not quite what i had hoped would happen.." a low sigh left his lips. Carefully his arms lifted her small figure from the ground cradling her much like a princess as he made his way towards the house once more wishing to keep her away from his fellow smiles.
"Now my dear, why must you cry? Are you not happy that you have lived as far as you have so far?" his smile was sickly sweet just as his words were as well, almost dripping with a honey like tone to them. "You have done very well and this is simply your first day, how splendid is it not?" amused he gave a chuckle keeping her against his chest sweetly, comforting her from the woes of her day.
"Why... why is this happening...?" a soft sob left her once more as her body curled against him more, one of her hands holding tightly to the black suit he wore, the other on her dog.
    "For reasons a young lady such as yourself should not worry of," his voice was a hum as he made his way towards her living room slowly taking a seat where her father once would always sit, his arms around her sweetly mimicking a father she never had. The sobs turned to sniffles, the sniffles to a soft snore as she had fallen into sleep amid his arms.

((Well we meet againnn, hello hello dear readers! Welcome to the sleep deprived chapter of which has been in the works for the last uhhhh- week?- well regardless! I made sure to reach almost 2000 words this time! <333 have funnnn))