Demon Wind

6

Hellhound had finally made it out of the empty building. Having done a complete inspection of the inside several times he had discovered a vent in the old cooler that became exposed when the compressor unit had been removed. There was a round piece of metal in the three foot diameter pipe, and the pipe was six feet off the ground, but after a few attempts, Hellhound had succeeded in knocking out the piece of metal and slithering down the short length of pipe to the outside world. After landing on the ground he looked up at the exit. Without any interior illumination, the pipe was just as dark as it must have been when plugged.

This being his first time on the mortal plane, Hellhound's senses were inundated by so many stimuli, that he was rooted in place for several minutes. In the depths of Hell, he still saw with his eyes and heard with his ears and smelled with his nose, so those were not the senses that he found overpowering. It was the feel of the loose gravel upon the blacktop, the slight kiss of the air as it moves across his coat, the feel of the sun kissing his flesh. There was little tactile sensation to be had in Hell, especially for a lesser demon such as him. His eyes rolled back in his head from the sensation, a small line of drool escaped his mouth. He could easily get used to this place. In order fot that to happen though, he must complete his mission and kill the mortal.

With great stealth he made it to the front of the truck. No one really paid any attention to a dog running free. The motor of the contraption his quarry ran was loud enough that Hellhound did not have to worry too much about being making a lot of noise.

Hellhound found it quieter next to the truck than expected. He thought the mortal he sought was on the side next to the road, but his nose was telling him different. There was a faint smell of his quarry coming from inside the vehicle. Perhaps he was in there seeking reprieve from the heat. The demon quickly calculated the running distance it would need in order to crash through the side window and kill the human. Though it was the spawn of Hell, Hellhound was forced to obey the laws of nature while on the mortal plain. Swiftly and with great purpose Hellhound scurried back towards the building by which it was recently hidden. When it had covered the distance needed, hellhound spun and ran towards the truck at top speed. Inside it grew almost giddy. How much praise would he garner by being the one to end the mortal's life and drag his soul to the lowest depths of Hell?

Leaping at the exact right moment, the demon crashed through the window with ease. It was surprised to find the passenger seat empty. Floyd snapped fully awake by the sound of the window being reduced to shards. His mind went blank and all he could do was stare at the bloody visage of the dog that inexplicably stood next to him. Floyd found the hate filled eyes of this demon dog. Instantly he felt like his very soul was on fire. He knew then that this was no normal dog. The blood draining from his face, Floyd was raising his hand to make the sign of the cross when it attacked.

Hellhound moved with such speed and rage that Floyd could not even make a sound of panic. It grabbed the man's throat quickly and ripped it out. Swallowing its prize whole, the life quickly vanished from his eyes. Hellhound let out a long, angry howl, confused as to where its prey had gone. His nose never lied, and this compartment was filled with the scent of the human. Standing on the truck seat, he took in deep samples of the air through his nose. There were two distinct smells within the truck, the fresh smell of death and the smell of the human he needed to kill. Hellhound's nose led him to a garment that was lying on the seat next to him. He put his nose closer and immediately understood that this was the source of the smell. Rage bubbled up from within Hellhound and he took out his frustration on the garment before turning back to the body.

When he was finished shredding both the shirt and the man, Hellhound suddenly grew conscious of the fact that he was exposed. The vehicle in which he found himself was beside one of the busiest parts of town. He dared not be seen, but he still had to find the mortal that had eluded him. He took a few furtive looks around the area immediately outside of the vehicle's windows. He failed to locate his quarry. A feeling of defeat came over him as he leapt back out the window and darted for the rear of the building.