Hawk Point *ON HOLD*

Chapter Seventeen: Reflection of the Moon

To Cif, the stars are glittering and glowing brighter than usual, a scatter of silver dust in the inky darkness of the night sky. The moon smiles down at her, oblivious to the upcoming disaster, and everything is outlined in a silver lining. It is very quiet and serene, like the calm before the storm.

Dustin's gaze is locked on something invisible to her own eyes, and he stares into the distance with a fierce intensity.  Cif follows his line of vision and her lips tug downwards; there is nothing there but trees and shadows.

Then one shadow detaches itself from the others, an indistinguishable shape that resembles a deformed human. Cif can feel her pulse jump in her throat and she instinctively reaches for Dustin's arm, her nails digging into his skin.

He is still and tense, like a coiled spring about to be set off. He pry's Cif's fingers off of his arm and slowly brings himself to his feet. A second, sinister shadow appears behind the first one.

"What is that?"  Cif asks through her teeth. Her eyes are locked on the shadow, unable to look away as it swirls in non-existent wind. 

" Daemones," Dustin replies harshly, "Demons." He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his phone.  The backlight illuminates his face, basking it in an incandescent glow.

"D-demons?"  Cif stammers, feeling the blood in her veins turn to ice water, "You can't be serious! And you're on your phone? Now?"

"Cif..." There is a warning note to Dustin's voice, and he glances up from the screen. The light casts dramatic shadows over his face, exaggerating his sharp cheekbones and reflecting off his eyes. There is something in those eyes when they turn to her, a mixture of dark hunger and fierce determination that resembles the eyes of a hungry lion who has spotted its prey. "You need to get out of here," he says, "They're after you."

"And how exactly do you know that?"

A low growl rattles through the air and Dustin shoves his phone back into his pocket hastily, casting his face back into darkness. "Cif, later." Without tearing his gaze away from the demons, he gives Cif's arm a rough shove, "Go." The word is hissed through his teeth, a quiet but urgent whisper.

"I'm not going without you," she says in retort, her tone matching his, "Those are demons Dustin. They're dangerous."

"They're stupid too," Dustin replies, "And not to be compared to Joe Klinsey. He's a demon who can think, but these ones are only mindless monsters," He turns to face her, "What are you waiting for? Are you some sort of idiot? Run!"

Cif opens her mouth to reply but is cut off by a yowling screech. The first demon springs over the tracks, fingers curved like claws, the stench of wine and blood trailing behind it. Cif's feet moves and she stumbles back and out of the demon's reach. It crouches into a ball, a few feet away from where Cif is standing. Dustin is yelling something, his hand reaching for her, his fingers wrapping themselves around her wrist, but she is immobile.

Run.

But she can't.

"Flesh..." The garbled words hisses through the demon's teeth, low and almost indistinguishable,  "Tasty flesh, to eat, oh to eat. Savory flesh, tasty flesh..."

The second, smaller demon steps onto the tracks and joins in, chanting darkly: "Flesh to eat, tasty flesh..."

Dustin's face fills her vision, his eyes narrowed and his mouth moving. His hand had moved from her wrist and is now gripping her shoulder.

"---HAVE TO GET OUT!" Cif finches as his voice makes its way to her ears, like a radio that had just found signal. He pushes her away and she somehow gains control of her legs as she turns and bolts, running along the train tracks.