THE JOURNEY TO ARCADIA
Tre’s eyelids slid open. His mind raced at the sound of an unknown noise emanating from outside of his window. Well aware of the need for silence he slid off his bed and reached for the ever present bat that always lay against his bed. Tre’s caution saved him from making a mistake as he cautiously opened his door to peer outside into the hallway he recognized the shape of his beloved pal Blue. Blue his 5 year old black lab German shepherd mix wagged his tail and cocked his head inquisitively at the sight of his master. Tre chuckled to himself softly as he realized the noise he had heard was Blue running back and forth in the hall. Tre stopped chuckling as he heard the noise again but louder this time as if the noise was coming from the room above his, his mother’s room! Tre gripped his bat even tighter as he abandoned all caution as he sprinted up the flight of stairs and blasted into the room adrenaline pumping, ears pounding. Tre noticed that not for the first time his vision altered and became sharper, but what surprised him was the fact that he could see in the pitch black darkness in the room. That’s when he heard it that’s when he heard the crunching of bones the squishing, squelching noise of someone or something tearing into human flesh. As he turned the corner tears sprang to his eyes as he saw the gruesome sight in front of him. The beast he saw couldn’t be described as an animal, maybe a great mixture of animals but nothing came to mind. Tre held back a startled cry as he fought the urge to break down and cry. Then he felt a wet nose press against his leg. Tre stiffened at the feel dreading that whatever the beast eating his mom and brothers was it wasn’t alone. He looked down as slowly as possible and was so relieved that the nose belonged to blue and not a second beast the he sighed before he could catch himself. The beast heard the sigh and whipped around to face him showing its hate filled blood red eyes. A loud rumbling noise was heard as the creature from hell crawled off the bed and stalked towards Tre. Tre found the energy and motivation to turn and run when the creature open its mouth and hissed showing its gleaming red fangs. The creature emanated death for all who were foolish enough to incur its wrath but it was the smell that drove Tre to run. The creature smelled like rotten corpses. Tre ran down the stairs not to the front door and into the night but to the garage where he knew his mother had hidden a gun, a P99 to be exact. The creature flew down the stairs after him cackling in sheer delight at the thrill of a live and active victim. The woman was delicious but something told the creature that this boy would be taste so much better his blood so much sweeter but at the same time as the creature stared at the back of the boy it was hunting it couldn’t help shake the feeling of imminent death an instinctive fear of this boy is what kept the creature from outright attacking him. The creature was also acutely aware that running alongside the boy was a dog and that was which the creature decide to strike first but ended horribly wrong because before the creature could fastened its teeth to the back of the dogs soft fleshy neck it received a tremendous shock that sent it hurtling into the wall dazed and tasting blood but its own blood. Tre had turned around just in time to see the hell spawn lunge at blue and quicker than he could think he swung the bat as hard as he could at the creatures unprotected and exposed head. He felt the connection as the metal bat struck something equally hard but was surprised when the bat continued the full arc of his swing as the bat met more air than Tre had expected it would. Fearing that the beast would try to take out his dog he picked Blue up in his arms and continued to run.
“God your heavy Blue if we survive this you’re going on a diet “said Tre jokingly
Blue whimpered sadly at the idea of less food in his bowl but panted happily at the thought of more playing fetch and running around.
Tre was almost at the door when a force slammed into his back sending him sprawling to the ground Blue and the bat flying out of his hands and reach. The creature being infuriated beyond belief had overridden its own self-preservation instinct and had tackled the man who had caused it such injury and humiliation and tried tearing into the flesh of his back with its fangs when a pair of smaller duller pair of fangs bit deep into its throat penetrating skin. Thick black ooze ran down the wounds staining the floor black and making Blue gag and spit up giant black globs of goo. Tre turned and saw that the creature was changing shape turning into something human looking but much larger and bigger than the biggest bodybuilder in the world. It grabbed Tre by the front of his shirt and hoisted him at least six feet into the air before slamming him down hard into the floor cracking tiles and Tre was pretty sure all of his ribs. The creature was about to step on the tiny defenseless boy but yet again the sense of dread blasted into the creature and for the first times in its life this creature was afraid, afraid of this little boy no older than 17. Then it felt the same penetrating bite from the same annoying little mutt that had kept it from killing its victim the creature kicked backwards and sent the little pup sailing into the closet door cracking the door and breaking the dog’s hind legs. Blue yelped in pain and Tre barely conscious heard his dog yelp in pain. His eyes snap open as he hears his beloved friend whimper and cry out in pain as the monster seems to grow in size till its heads touching the ceiling.
