The Savages

Chapter 11: Night Terrors and Fragmented Memories

"No!" Kasperskies' ear-piercing scream tore through the sound of grunting men and connecting body parts. "Help! Don't let them take me!"

Clarence spun his upper body half-way around, firmly gripping the severed head of a humanoid demon in one hand. Black ichor dripped like blotches of ink from its detached veins, painting the story of its own demise into the dirty ground.

"Let him go!" Rebel yelled, brutally shoving demons out of his path left right and centre. "Kasp, hold on! I'm coming!"

Edgar swung down from a tree nearby, landing in a crouch with one hand splayed out in front of him. The other rested behind him, clutching a silver bullet soaked with blood. "Rebel, no! You don't know what you're dealing with!"

Dropping the bullet, he dashed to his younger brother's side as fast as his legs would allow, pushing himself to the limit. Both he and Tully seized Rebel by either arm, trying with all their might to hold him back. He put up a tough fight, almost succeeding in breaking free from their grasp on one occasion.

Clarence, Stephen and Shannon all teamed up together, punching and kicking the group of demons threatening to take them hostage. Their combined strength was no match for what stood in the shadows, intently watching them like a predator eyeing its prey.

The Great Demon uprooted a row of trees with just two hands, hurling them through the air as if they were weightless. Edgar hastily scrambled out of the way, narrowly avoiding being hit by an oversized beech tree sent crashing into the ground, ripping up dirt in its short path.

"Hey, dead eyes!" Rebel called out, attracting the demon's curious gaze. "Take this!"

He threw one hand out in front of him, blasting the demon in a spiralling inferno. An accomplished smile made its way to his face, only to be short-lived when the demon emerged from the flames unscathed.

"You missed," Clarence sighed, tight-lipped. "Maybe you should leave this one to the rest of us."

Rebel shook his head defiantly, throwing flame after flame at the approaching demon. None of his attempts to wound the supernatural being landed a hit, blazing past its head and into the trees behind its tall, misshapen body.

"There is nothing else you can do, clones," the monster laughed, showing three rows of sharp teeth. It had no eyes or nose, giving it the appearance of something found within a child's nightmare. Only, this wasn't a nightmare, and the henchmen digging their metal claws into Kasperskies' forearms weren't figments of someone's imagination. "We have won."

Clarence clenched his jaw, grounding his teeth so hard together he thought they might shatter. He was in front of the demon the very next second, throwing strong bursts of magical energy at its featureless face.

The demon vanished, substituted by a tall, brooding man wearing his short black hair in a low faded mohawk. His slanted piercing blue eyes rested on Clarence's face, alight with twisted humour he struggled to see through.

"Who are you, and what do you want with my brother?" He spat through his teeth, balling his hands into fists.

"My name is David Anderson," he smirked, scratching the partial beard on his oval face. Any trace of human expression was difficult to see amongst all the black, expertly hidden with years of practice. "As for what I want? That would be you guys. All of you."

"Clarence!" Kasperskies screamed out, his voice beginning to sound hoarse and dry. "Call Teemu! Please, hurry!"

As Clarence reached for his phone, all of the four remaining demons vanished into thin air with a burst of black flames, taking his brother with them.