Demonic | Murder Drones Humans Demons AU

How To Summon Demons 101

The early morning light filtered through the dense canopy, casting long, dappled shadows on the forest floor. The air was cool and crisp, tinged with the scent of pine and damp earth. Lavey County, usually so peaceful at this hour, felt different today—charged with an undercurrent of something dark, something dangerous.

Uzi Doorman wasn’t supposed to be here. Then again, when did she ever do what she was supposed to?

She darted between the trees, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. Her legs burned with the effort, but she didn’t dare slow down. The forest, which had always been a place of quiet refuge, now seemed alive with menace, every rustling leaf and snapping twig sending spikes of fear through her chest.

Don’t look back. Just keep running.

But Uzi couldn’t resist. She risked a glance over her shoulder, and her blood ran cold.

It was still there. The bear—huge, hulking, and utterly horrifying—was gaining on her. It moved with a terrifying grace, its massive form weaving between the trees as though they were nothing more than tall blades of grass. In the dim light, all Uzi could see were flashes of its mottled skin, fur glistening with morning dew, and the gleam of teeth—so many teeth.

"Shit, shit, shit," she hissed, forcing her legs to pump faster, though she knew it was futile. The animal was faster, stronger, and far more at home in these woods than she ever could be.

The ground beneath her feet was uneven, littered with roots and fallen branches, and Uzi cursed herself for not being more careful. She was so focused on the predator that she didn’t see the thick tree root jutting up from the path ahead.

Her foot caught, and she was airborne. The world spun, a chaotic blur of green and brown, before she slammed into the ground, the impact knocking the air from her lungs. Pain shot through her as she tumbled down a small incline, her backpack spilling open, contents scattering.

Uzi lay there for a moment, dazed, blinking up at the canopy above. The bear’s roar, a deep, guttural sound that rattled the very trees, snapped her back to reality. She scrambled to her feet, every muscle screaming in protest, and looked up.

The beast loomed above her, its grotesque form blocking out the weak morning light. It stood on its hind legs, easily ten feet tall, and let out another bone-shaking roar, its jaws opening wide enough to swallow her whole.

This is it, she thought, heart hammering in her chest. This is how I die.

But then, from the corner of her eye, Uzi saw something move. A blur of dark red shot out from the trees, colliding with the animal. The impact was so forceful that the beast staggered back, crashing into the underbrush with a thunderous roar of surprise.

For a split second, Uzi just stared, stunned, before her survival instincts kicked back in. She fumbled for her phone, fingers trembling as she pulled up the camera app. She raised it, trying to get a shot of whatever the hell had just saved her, but her hands were shaking too much.

Dammit, Uzi. Focus.

She steadied herself, but just as she pressed the button, the creature let out a low, threatening growl. Uzi’s heart skipped a beat. She looked at her screen and cursed under her breath.

The camera was flipped. All she’d managed to capture was a blurry selfie, her own panicked expression staring back at her.

“Oh, goddammit!” she spat, stuffing the phone back into her pocket. She glanced up just in time to see the bear being dragged, thrashing and howling, back into the forest by its attacker. Whatever it was, it was fast, strong, and... not natural.