That night, my friends and I ventured out into the darkness to play some games. We were all just out of high school so we weren't kids anymore, but we still enjoyed a good game of hide and seek or tag. There really wasn't much else to do this late. Although it was dangerous, that was part of the fun. We usually played in the better part of town anyway. You never heard of someone getting kidnapped in town square.
We met at the square and chatted for a bit on the benches. There was Elizabeth, Ceron, Maddy, and I today. Sometimes there were more of us, and sometimes less. Elizabeth was from a well-off family and wasn't allowed to come out here. She often had to sneak away to see us, mostly because the town was dangerous but also because her parents described us as 'low class'. She was actually quite a good person despite her parents. Ceron was a friend from high school, his parents owned a meat shop in town. We were similar in that we both worked in a family business. Maddy had a tragic past, beginning life on the street and falling victim to prostitution rings in the area, but she pulled her way up and was now living with her boyfriend. I wasn't extremely close with any of them, but I cared for them all dearly.
There wasn't much to catch up on, because nothing really happened here. I told them about the creature I had seen the other night. None of them believed me though. They told me it was either a statue or a hallucination. I laughed it off, but knew something was up with whatever I saw. We finished the conversation and decided to play. Maddy was the first to count, and everyone else ran away to hide. The rule was simple, you couldn't leave the town square. It was a large area and held many secret hiding places.
We had fun playing for a while. A few hours passed us by and the town square became a ghost town. Where there were a few scattered people when we began, it was now empty. That was when we knew the play time was over. We said goodbye and parted ways. Ceron and I lived in the same direction, so we left together.
The two of us chatted about nothing in particular. He told me he believed me when I spoke of the demon I saw. I was glad at least one person didn't think I was crazy. When we reached his parents shop I said goodbye and continued on my way home. The moon above was nearly full, but was waning. I sighed at the coldness of the dark. When I did, I could barely see my breath. It was chilly indeed. I hurried home to return to warmth.
As I was walking, I stopped in front of an alley when something caught my eye. It was a cage on the back of a carriage, but what was inside made me catch my breath. It was full of young girls. The dim lantern on the carriage let me see all I needed. I almost walked away too terrified to approach. What if I tried to help them but was caught myself? I agonized trying to decide what I should do. They hardly noticed me. Some were distraught and others were accepting. Such was the life of a girl captured on the street. Yet, did I want to risk my own freedom at the chance to save others? Before I made my decision, a man walked around the carriage to the back. He noticed me standing at the end of the alley. I stood there, frozen with fear.
"Hey you!" he shouts at me from afar.
I knew that was my queue to get out of there as fast as possible. Unfortunately my fight or flight response didn't respond in time, because I only got a few feet before he caught up to me and grabbed me by the jacket.
"You're not going anywhere," he said maniacally.
I tried to break free and rip off my coat but he just put his grip on my arm. It was useless fighting back, this man was much larger and stronger than me. I tried to get a good look at him were I need to report him to the police. He was wearing a top hat and a suit, not uncommon at all. He has black hair with sideburns and a monocle on one eye, but his face was otherwise nondescript. There was no way I would be able to find him again. I dared not think of what my fate would be if I landed in that cage with the others.
As he approached the cage with me in tow, he reached into his pocket to grab the key for it. That would be my only chance to escape. So I did the only thing I knew how, and kicked him where it hurt. He grunted and grabbed the area but I apparently didn't kick hard enough. Instead of falling to the ground like I assume he would, be dropped the keys and threw me to the ground.
"How dare you!" he screamed at me.
My body hit the pavement but thankfully my clothes protected me from most of the impact. In one swift motion he pulled me from the ground, this time staring into my eyes and putting a hand to my neck. He squeezed, and it got much harder to breathe. I'd never been put in a chokehold before but it was not fun. I tried to do anything to hurt him but my arms just flailed at him. I nearly gave up, when a thud came from behind me.
The man looked past me as if what ever dared to interrupt him would face his wrath. When he saw what it was though, his eyes widened and he let go of me. I fell over onto the brick road and gasped. I nearly had the life knocked out of me but my only thought was to run. Whatever surprised this man is almost certainly worse than him. I turn around just to get a glance before I ran off, but what I saw froze me. It was the demon I had saw only nights ago. But this... wasn't a demon.
The man backed away slowly and sounded to be begging for his life. My only focus was what stood before my vision. This was a man, but a man who was part demon. He wore only pants, and his bare torso and arms showed muscles bulging larger than I had ever seen. On his chest and arms glowed tunic tattoos that matched his eyes, or what should have been his eyes. A black cloth covered them, and whatever was beneath was unhuman. His hair was as black as the night sky with the top in a large ponytail and the rest fell down his chest. His face was chisled and handsome but attached to it were long thin pointy ears and gigantic thick horns that curved. Behind him, bony wings with small holes and tatters trailed him. His feet were instead hooves, and above them, the legs were fur. He towered over the man and any human I'd ever met. He must have been at least six and a half feet tall.
He follows the man as he tries to run, but the man doesn't make it far. The demon pays no mind to me or the other girls, but simply gives me a look too long to call a glance. I stare at him only in shock and wonder in return. What I had seen the other night was no dream or delusion, because he stood before me. I watch as he grabs the man brutally, all while he tries to say anything to save his life. As this goes on, I pick up the keys the man left so carelessly on the ground. My hands shook as I attempted to put the key into the lock, but eventually it gave. It swung open with a creak and I looked over the girls inside. I thought back to Maddy. This was once her life, young and terrified and abused. A horrible life it must have been.
The girls run free, a few of them thanking me. Some were my age, and others much younger. It saddened me what had become of this town but I could do nothing about it. As I was about to follow the girls and return home myself, I look back at the two. The demon holds the man up by the neck, similar to what happened to me moments ago. Except to hold someone in the air was quite a scary sight. I watch as the man tries to save himself again, but his efforts are fruitless against the being in front of him. He squeezes, until he can squeeze no more. The mans neck bursts and blood sprays everywhere. I gasp and hold my hand to my mouth. As I'd imagined, what had shocked the man indeed was much more dangerous. Or rather, was he the good guy in this scenario?
The blood and guts spilled onto the road, and I began backing away. It truth I was happy the man received what he deserved, but the sight was frightening. The most violence I had seen in my life was a man hitting a woman, never a man getting his neck obliterated. The demon stares for a moment at the body and then turns his head and torso around. He looks directly at me. Blood covered his chest and face and dripped down leaving a trail of red in its place.
I trembled with a bit of fear at his gaze, but he didn't look like he wanted to hurt me. I gaze into the green orbs that seem to pierce my soul and become entranced by them. This man saved my life. He looks at me a moment more and before he could leave, I say, "Thanks."
He only narrows his eyebrows in return. His wings spread out to an enormous length and he jumps into the air, his wings flapping and carrying him off and into the night. As he goes, I begin returning home. It was only a few streets away, and I would be home before I knew it.