Wet Dog Smell

There it stood before me on its stubby legs. It had the head of a black dog, with deep dark brown eyes and a long snout, sneering down at the pair. It must have stood at six and a half feet, with the stubby legs only making up for half a foot. Its body was sleek and black, the arms and torso bulging with muscle. Its clawed hands gripped a sign post, some cement stuck to the bottom. I glanced down to his feet, which were half webbed.

It growled at us, dark eyes bearing down. Then took a step forth, its gaze never leaving us.

I hadn't had much of a chance to run when the boy who led me here suddenly took my hand and took off, dragging me behind him. The beast made a snarling bark before charging after us, sign post waving back and forth, threatening to take some poor pedestrians head off. They all moved out of the way, shouting about a mad man wielding a stop sign. It was more than a mad man, it was a mad man-dog!

I turned away from it, not wanting to stare any longer at such a horrid creation while stumbling over my own feet, trying to keep up with this track runner. I could hear it stomping behind us, barking and snarling. Snow flew around, and as it closed in I smelled an odd citrus scent mixed with the smell of rotten eggs.

"I...I don't even know...your...name!" I called after the guy.

"Cornel" he said back, not once turning around. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to see the monster. Plus, he seemed focused on something else ahead. "We have to be quick...have to...before it's too late."

I frowned at him. Before I could ask, he swung a hard right with me in tow. I heard the monster stop before continuing after us, along with a car horn. What am I doing?! Why am I not running! Helene, run!

"Too...late...for what!?"

I didn't get an answer. I couldn't get a good look at his face, to even see his expression. I couldn't see how panicked he was. I did see the little points at the top of his head, however.

The dog-man kept right on our tail, growling and frothing at the mouth. It's jaws gnashed, trying to get a bite out of our flesh. The thought made me green, though that could have been the smell of the dog-man's breath. My stomach lurched with every breath, every time I smelt it. That, and the mix of juiced oranges covering it's hide.

Cornel made a grab for a piece of trash here and there as we ran, tossing the rubbish straight at the dog-man's face. A couple times he scored a shot down the gullet, causing it to pause and cough it up.

We must have gone by another block before he stopped at an alley. Cornel turned to peer into the dark, it was then I noticed the sun was setting. It was getting late, I knew that my foster family was going to call me missing, that I'd run away. My reputation made sure of that. He ripped my attention from the sun to himself by grasping my hand, an urgent look about him.

"Down that alley, find the kid. Get him out of here, far from here! Long Island. Got it?" I struggled to respond, and he shook my shoulders. "Got it?!"

I nodded, not knowing how else to answer. He gave one stiff nod back, pushed something cool into my hand and ran past me...straight for the monster. I saw a gleam in my hand, a pointed gleaming object with my hand around a hilt. I knew what it was, but I was about to wait around and find out why he had given it to me.

I debated running, running far to get away. Get out of this situation, forget all about this. But...he had mentioned a kid. That thing was after the kid, wasn't it? I couldn't just leave the kid...

So I walked into the alley.

Ignoring the sound of a scuffle back down the road, I narrowed my eyes to peer through the shadows of buildings, trying to see this kid he meant. A trash can wobbled and fell halfway down the alley, past a dumpster. Why was Cornel looking for a kid...he wasn't with social services. That much was obvious. They didn't carry around bronze knives.

I paused, gripping tight around the cool object. Looking down I saw what it was. A knife. Or it looked like a knife. It's color was bronze, and it's shape didn't resemble any knife I'd ever seen. I held on tight, lest I need it.

"Kid? You there?" No response came, but there was a whimper. "L-Listen..." Getting low to my knees I crawled along, stopping on the other side of a dumpster.

"That...uh, that dog man, thing, it's after you isn't it?"

I couldn't see the kid. But he shuffled on his side. I was sure it was the same boy from before, the one I had seen from the window. I heard a shake against the dumpster, he must have been shivering in the cold.

"...My name's Helene. What's yours?" After a long silence, the boys answer came quiet in the cold wind.

"Tetsu..."

I glanced back hearing a loud crash out on the street. The air felt tense but I did my best to remain calm through all that was happening.

"All right, Tetsu? There's another boy out there, my age. He wants to help. He's fighting that...that-"

"The dog?!" I noted the panic.

"Yes, the dog man. If we want to help him, we have to do what he says. Told me to get you to Long Island. Do you...do you know why?" I sure didn't know. Maybe he did.

Peeking around the dumpster I saw him. A little Asian kid, fear all over his face. I noted what I could currently see.

Dirty blonde hair, light hazel eyes. From what I could see of his shirt, it was torn in places, stained in others. There was remains of a jumper in his lap, and his hair and shoulders were powdered in snow. He was far younger than me, at least twelve to my fifteen. He was in bad shape. I felt sorry for the kid, having been chased by that monster. And just to end up in the cold, alone.

A car wheel bounced past the alley. The fight was getting closer. We had to get out of here, now.

Tetsu shook his head. So, he didn't know. I was stumped, but that was what Cornel had said. Long Island...and he was out there. Fighting that thing. I stood up, startling Tetsu. Putting out my hand, I waved him to hurry up.

He took it and I started for the other end of the alley, hoping to find us a way out this way. Lucky us, there was one.

We quickened our pace while trying to be quiet. The sounds of fighting grew distant, a couple of police ran by the exit of the alleyway. Waiting for them to pass, I ran out with him following behind.

Tetsu was silent the whole way, both of us glancing back.

"Do you know what it is?" He gave me a confused stare. "That monster." He shook his head. That did not make it any easier.

A sigh left me. Pedestrians ran by us, shoving past, cars went by, even an ambulance...I dared to look back, to where the people were running from.

And there I saw it. I froze, the boy looked back and froze as well. Someone screamed as they ran past.

The dog-man had finished with Cornel. A dented stop sign, tossing an unconscious officer aside.

"Run."

But neither of us could move. It took a step in our direction, drool dripping from its pulled back lips.

"Run!" I never realized it was me screaming. I had been frozen in terror myself. Pulling as if both our lives depended on it, because they did.

I heard it roar after us, chilling down my spine. My hand gripped the knife tight to my chest, my backpack bouncing with every step.

We sped right past a car, nearly being hit. Yet the car braked and slid right by us, hitting a fire hydrant that sprayed out water across the footpath. I watched the monster sprint through the water, only to slip through it straight into a parked truck. Out of the side of the truck spilled cartons of milk. It was a sight to behold but not one I was willing to stay for.

Chasing us through the city, the dog-man was relentless. Somehow it never caught up, constantly slipping on fruit or tripping in cars. Even a pigeon flew into one of its eyes!

But nothing seemed to slow the dog man down. I held tight onto the kids hand as we rounded a corner, hearing the scraping of claws to asphalt as the dog-man slid right past the corner down the road. It struggled to catch it's footing once again to give chase.

Tetsu yelped suddenly, tripping on a bump in the path. I went down with him, crying out. In the corner of my eye the dog-man was leaping for us...and it sailed right over us, slamming hard into the concrete. It groaned, shaking it's head. I got Tetsu back to his feet, pulling him with soon as he was up. We had to get away while we had the chance, while it was down. We got plenty of distance between the beast and us...but it would catch up. I knew that in the back of my mind.

Buildings turned to trees, the road growing less busy. I had been following every possible sign to get to where we needed to go.

But of course, our luck had to run out eventually. My chest heaved and ached from running what must have been a mile. Tet didn't look any better, leaning against a tree. Long Island, it couldn't be that much farther right? I took a wheezing breath, reaching to a tree to catch my breath.

And there it was. Stomping over, not far behind now. Covered in fruit juices, it's right side of its head dusted with feathers and drenched all over in water. My nose wrinkled at the smell from here. I reached out and grabbed Tetsu by the collar, pulling him with me into the trees. The dog-man wasn't far behind as its howl ripped through the air.

"I...I can't keep going! My legs! They hurt!"

Against my better judgement and my legs begging me to keep running, I instead took a knee. Testu jumped on quick. I felt something warm trickle down my arm and that's when I realized that the boy was more than a mess. He was hurt.

Hoisting him up I sprang back into my sprint, ducking branches and jumping roots. It kept getting closer and closer.

I glanced back, completely missing my downfall. Literally my downfall, as I fell over a tree root. We went down hard, Tetsu crying out as he rolled off from me. My knee and foot hit the ground hard, I cried out in pain. My face met the snow-covered dirt, caking my face in white.

The dog man slowed to a slow walk, huffing and panting before us. My hand tightened on the knife I still had, somehow managing to keep a hold of it this whole time. But...the dog-man stepped over me, moving for the boy.

"Finally...your scent drives my hunger. Now you will satisfy it, god blood."

God blood? What on Earth was this beast of a person talking about? The boy was frozen in fear, whimpering. I couldn't let him down.

It took all my willpower to keep myself from toppling over, getting back to my feet. My ankle did not look right, but it didn't matter. That thing was about to eat the kid. Limping forth, I twirled the knife to hold it downwards...and drove it right into the beasts back with what strength I had left.

It roared in pain, twisting back an arm to slam right into me. I saw a flash in front of me, then I felt weightless. I slammed into a tree, a searing pain shooting up my back. The dog-man snarled back, shaking its head as if stunned. I blinked, everything seemed to be a blur now.

"Stay out of this! I know your scent. But it will not stop me from having you join this half-blood. You too will become my din-" There was a wet thud. It's words caught in its throat, a gurgle, before a loud howl emitted from its snout, a hand reaching to its back.

It spun and thrashed, that'd when I saw what caused such pain; an arrow. A shadowed figure in the treeline stood not too far off...followed by two others soon after. One armed with a spear and another limping into view, with furred leggings and their legs an odd shape.

My vision was hazy as I watched them charge, the dog-man roaring back in challenge. That's when my vision chose to black out.