Monsters

1 - The crowd

I used to be afraid of the dark because I thought the monsters would get me. Then one day I thought to myself, maybe not all the monsters are bad.
-Unknown

The building where we took the monsters to fight was no secret hideaway or an underground arena where only certain people could get inside. No, not even close. Everyone knew about the monsters and the fights that they were in almost every night. It was an old factory that had been refurbished and made new in the middle of town. No one missed a fight. The sound of enraged beasts snapping at each other and people roaring from the crowds was hard to miss. I guess you could say that's how I was drawn to the arena. Although, it wasn't the building itself that had drawn me there that particular evening. It was the monsters I had seen walking into the side door. Things that I had only seen in my worst nightmares. These monsters fascinated me though. How could I be afraid of such creatures that were now so real to me? That's been a while ago now. I've come every night for ten years now and watch these creatures fight. It's hard to say whether or not they really want to be fighting or not.

"Fantasy!" Someone shouted beside me and broke me from my trance. I flinched at the shrill noise and looked to my side at my best friend.

"What?" I said in a harsh tone.

"Can we go now? The fight isn't even worth watching anymore," Grey told me. I looked at her in astonishment. The fight was just getting started. I looked down into the arena once more. They were just about to take the chains of off Terror and an enraged Hades was snapping at the handlers that were holding him back. I've been waiting to see this matchup for months. Filling the request box with endless papers.

"No way! I've been waiting for these two to fight for months now. You can leave, but I'm staying," I told her. Grey rolled her eyes at me.

"Why do you like this stuff so much anyways? I mean seriously?" She questioned me.

"How couldn't you? I mean where else are you going to see these monsters?"

"It's cruel,"

"It's life,"

Grey looked at me in shock, but it was true. The monsters lived to fight, and once they couldn't they were killed. They didn't get a second chance like a dog or cat. Monsters weren't pets. I had been told that by my parents on multiple occasions. Grey got out of her seat and waved goodbye. I waved back and directed my attention back to the arena where the two monsters were being unleashed. The two monsters collided together with immense strength. Out of them, Terror was the biggest, but Hades was smarter. Hades stood in the center of the ring in a defensive stance. Feet apart and head down. His cold crystal eyes were focused on his opponent that was charging at him. Terror smashed his curled horns at Hades's head but at the last second Hades clamped his mouth down on Terror's right horn and with a sickening sound, ripped the horn off his head. Terror recoiled back and roared in pain. I felt like I was falling off the edge of my seat. I had never seen Hades do that in any of his fights. After two more rounds Hades was declared the winner. Terror's handlers snapped the chain leash on his oversized collar and tugged him out of the ring. Hades on the other hand, wasn't quite finished fighting yet. When his handlers came to retrieve him he lashed out and about bit the handler's hand off.

"Muzzle it!" One shouted. I stood from my seat and watched as they shoved a muzzle on Hades. The handlers grabbed the chained leashes that were now attached at his collar and the top of the muzzle. They dragged Hades out of the ring who was howling and trying to claw at the four handlers that were in front of him. Everyone in the crowd eventually left and I walked to the back to find my brother. I guess that's another reason why the monsters interested me so much. My older brother worked with them. He was one of the best handlers and he took his job with pride. I walked past some other handlers that were taking a break and eating a late supper.