Bughuul's realm extended beyond just the few rooms the former deputy had been allowed to see. It was a strange place. Not completely nightmarish, but not pleasant enough for the man to be comfortable. He likened it to a more fucked up version of Wonderland. He was a thirty-six year old heavily traumatized Alice and Bughuul was a frightening White Rabbit.
God, he wished that he'd never gone down this rabbit hole.
There was no source of light, and yet their surroundings looked as if they were illuminated by moonlight. They were walking on a stone bridge that was riddled with cracks and small holes, but the man somehow knew it wouldn't collapse. There was a cavern underneath the bridge. He didn't even want to know how deep it was. (Oh God, what if something was down there?) Across from them was a pale gray mountain, and in its center was a waterfall. It had no source that the man could see. The frothing water seemed to appear out of thin air before it cascaded down into a pool at the bottom. It was a beautiful sight, he had to admit. Hopefully it wouldn't suddenly turn into blood or whatever.
Bughuul held his left hand tightly. The contact could be mistaken as romantic by an onlooker, but the man knew the grip was more of a leash than a comfort. Not that he had any intentions of running. Who knew what weird, omnivorous shit resided here? Besides, Bughuul could easily catch him.
The demon's strong thumb pressed painfully against the empty space where his fingers should have been. He hadn't had much time to focus on his injury. After that homicidal kid Zach chopped them off, he and the rest of the Collins' had to hide from him, then flee their burning home, and then Bughuul snatched him up. He realized after some time that there wasn't much feeling in Bughuul's realm, unless the demon willed it. He often forgot about about his still unhealed wound unless Bughuul payed attention to it.
I could fix it if you so desired.
His head snapped back over to his captor. Bughuul's gaze was directed toward the waterfall, as if the suggestion was nothing to him.
"You can do that?" he asked, incredulous. Bughuul having the power to heal seemed impossible. The deity could only destroy as far as the human was concerned.
Bughuul turned to look at him. The inhuman face still unsettled him, but it had become familiar. Yes, I could do so easily. However…
Of course there was a catch. "What do you want?"
Hmm...not much, I believe. I do wish, though, that you would be more…
Damn it, the creature was teasing him. He tried in vain to pull his hand free. It was only a half-hearted attempt. "What is it?" he demanded impatiently.
He could tell Bughuul was amused by all this. We've been together for some time now. Would it be too much to ask that you stop being so resistant toward me and all I can show you? Give you? You should know by now that you are not going anywhere. Why are you still dreaming of the day you can return to your lonely, mundane life in the mortal realm? Your place is here, by my side.
"Y-You've gotta be kidding me," he stammered. He felt a mix of outrage and disbelief. Bughuul knew damn well that he wanted nothing the demon had to offer, and he never would.
I assure you that I do not jest. Just give in to me, do as I say, and I could give you more than you have ever dreamed of!
"I'm not one of those little kids you can trick!" he snapped. "I'm not going to fall for your promises of candy and puppies! Anything that comes from you can't be any good."
If Bughuul had normal eyes, he would probably be rolling them. He pulled on his pet's hand and they started to walk again.
You will think on it. An order, not a request.
"Yeah, right," he muttered. It would be a dark day if he ever even considered giving in completely to this demon.
The bridge lead to a meadow that was filled with frosty grass and small, pale flowers. They made no noise as they crunched under the pair's feet. Like the waterfall, it was a peaceful area.
I let the children come here to play sometimes. Their games often include reenacting their sacrifice to me.
Okay, that peace was now gone.
It would do you good to spend time with them. You must overcome this aversion you have to them. They will not hurt you unless I order it. Furthermore, they are very curious about you.
Oh, goody, the murder kids wanted to see him. And what the hell did Bughuul mean they wouldn't hurt him unless ordered? Was Bughuul planning on having them come after his already traumatized ass?
"Let's just keep walking," he grumbled. He didn't want to think about any of this right now. Or ever.
Thankfully, Bughuul obliged.
X
"What did you do to Zach Collins?"
He wasn't sure why he asked it. They were seated on the couch, with Bughuul's arm around the former deputy's shoulders. The contact wasn't welcomed, but it was tolerated. He had taken a few semesters of French in college, and he was flipping through an English to French dictionary in hopes of remembering some of it. Doing anything "artsy" seemed to please Bughuul, and the man was happy for any distraction. He had no idea why Courtney's dead son popped into his head within a sea of French verbs.
Did you not see for yourself? The demon sounded annoyed, obviously still bitter at the memory of his lost meal.
Indeed he did. He flinched at the memory of the poor kid disintegrating before the man's and his family's eyes.
I like to devour souls slowly. They last longer and I stay fuller. But that boy was little more than a snack. He was not fit to keep around.
He couldn't help but be angry at that. He knew Zach before Bughuul's influence overcame him. He was a typical, rascal of a little boy. He didn't deserve what happened to him.
Why do you ask? There was something dangerous in Bughuul's tone.
He fidgeted nervously, causing the deity's grip on him to tighten. "I don't know, really, I just -"
I think you do know. Bughuul roughly grabbed his chin and turned the man's head toward the creature. Tell me. Now.
He realized that he did know why he was thinking about Zach. It was not knowledge he wanted to share with Bughuul, but he knew from experience that the demon had many, often painful, ways of getting what he wanted. "I...I was thinking about his mother," he confessed. "And Dylan. I thought they would want to know what happened to him."
I see. And perhaps they do wonder about that boy's fate. But tell me, why is it any of your concern? You are never going to be around to tell them.
The man could tell that he'd crossed some sort of line. He wasn't completely sure why, but Bughuul was angry at him.
You were close to that woman, yes? And the other boy?
"Well, yeah, I was helping them-"
We both know it was more than that. I watched you while you were with them -
"Wait, what? I figured you were around somewhere, but don't tell me it was constant surveillance from you."
Human, you do recall that I see and move in images of myself, yes? I have been watching you for years.
"All that time? Like, as long as I've been investigating you?"
A heavy sigh. Yes. Now -
"Hold on. Did-did you see anything...weird? I mean I'm no different than any other guy-"
I saw nothing different than what I have seen your kind do for millenia. Even so, I only watched to see what your next move would be concerning my territory.
"Oh...alright then."
It was silent for a few moments.
The issue, my pet, is that you are still fantasizing about leaving me. Did we not discuss this mere days ago?
Bughuul knew that he had no way of keeping track of time here, but that was beside the point. "I didn't spend much time with them, but I love Dylan and Courtney like my own family. I'll never stop wanting to go back to them."
He anticipated the onslaught of pain in his skull. He knew going against Bughuul's will would bring this on, but he didn't care. Holding onto hope was going to get him through this. He wanted to see Courtney's beautiful face and kiss her soft lips again. He wanted to make sure Dylan was safe and happy. He would, he had too, one day.
It took a moment to notice that his head was resting against Bughuul's chest. The demon was trying to "comfort" him after giving him a killer migraine. The man had studied plenty of manipulation tactics while on the force. He wasn't going to fall for this false care, ever.
Give it time. I'll win your devotion, yet. You will see that the attention of a god is better than what any woman can offer you.
X
He gulped nervously as he surveyed the children in front of him. Bughuul was making good on his promise of forcing the man spend time with these little ghouls. The demon's hand was a firm pressure on his back.
He was oddly reminded of that time a blind date showed him pictures of her five kids. Was Bughuul going to pressure him into being their new step-daddy?
You are ridiculous.
He knew two of them already: Ashley Oswalt and Stephanie Stevenson. Ashley smiled shyly at him while Stephanie looked bored to tears. How strange to see the little girl here, after thinking she was dead and gone for so long, after seeing what became of her family. Did Bughuul select them to taunt him, or because he was familiar with the girls?
He recognized the boy from the Pool Party video, and there was another small blond who he couldn't place. They looked at him curiously. How long had it been since they were able to interact with an adult human?
Bughuul inclined his head toward the small group, having a silent conversation. The man wondered if they felt just as awkward as he did.
"Hello, Deputy," Ashley said after a moment.
"Ashley," he greeted. Okay, that was plenty of quality time, right?
He could practically feel Bughuul's exasperation. Come now. You are not the type to cower before mere children, are you?
Normal children, no. Creepy ghost kids who killed their families for the sake of a supposed deity that no one had ever heard of? That was pushing it.
The children are not as they once were, as you might imagine. They are utterly devoted to me, and my feedings have drained them of energy and spirit. But they are not completely gone. You should be kind to them while they still last.
...Was Bughuul trying to guilt-trip him now?
No. I am merely letting you know what to expect. Now enough of this stalling.
He cried out when Bughuul suddenly disappeared. Was that asshole honestly heaving him alone here?
Behave.
He felt Bughuul's presence fade. Yup, he was all by himself with the murder kids. What was he supposed to do here? Give them advice on dating and how to get into college?
He cried out when Stephanie reached out and grasped his sleeve. Her companions laughed. Sadistic little-
"I saw you at my house," she said, "after I made my movie."
"Oh really?" His voice came out a bit strangled.
She finally grinned. "Yeah, me and Mr. Boogie watched while you cut my family down and took pictures and all that. He said he was really proud of me."
"Yeah, I'll bet..." His stomach churned as he recalled that day. The flurry of excitement at the station, driving up to the horrifying scene, clearing the area, the mad search for the lost little girl, the investigation that went nowhere. Life was so much simpler then.
"I wish that you had left them up longer. Mr. Boogie thought they made great decorations."
Yup, time for a change of subject. He turned to the blond boy. "So...what's your name?"
"Stephan," he replied. Judging by his accent, he was from Eastern Europe. "Mr. Boogie said that he showed you my film."
The former deputy recognized the kid then. The images of a mother, father, and their two sons having a picnic in the woods played in his head. Everything was normal until the scene changed and the family, sans one son, were tied together on the ground. They screamed as a pack of thin wolves closed in on them. The man desperately wished he had been able to look away from what followed.
"Yeah, I-I've seen all your films," he admitted.
"What was your favorite part of mine?" Ashley demanded, excited. He thought he had made his stance on how seeing Ellison Oswlat and his family being slaughtered made him feel the last time they met, but Ashley was conveniently forgetting that.
"Uh -"
Before he knew it, he had four dead children grasping onto his arms and demanding to know the man's thought on their familial sacrifice. And "It was all good" was evidently not a good answer.
Somehow, he was going to get Bughuul for this.
X
Later, when Bughuul finally returned and shooed the kids away, the deputy was so relieved.
"What took you so long?" he groaned. "This may be the first time I'm actually happy to see you." That earned him a hard pinch on the cheek.
I was preoccupied. New prey moved into one of the many homes that escaped your fire. I was planting the seeds for my next offering.
He gritted his jaw. He should have gotten to whichever house that was sooner. He should be out there helping people instead of being stuck with this demon.
Oh, calm yourself. I think you will like this girl. She is quite skilled with a bow and arrow and keeps prattling on about those Sherlock Holmes stories.
"Sounds like a great kid," he said. "Too bad you're going to ruin that. How big is the family?"
Including her parents, an older and younger brother. The mother enjoys alcohol frequently and neglects her bickering children. This should not take very long.
He nodded. He wished that he could warn the family somehow, but he couldn't. It killed him to admit it, but he knew he was powerless as long as he was trapped here. Those people were doomed.
I am glad you are finally seeing it my way. Tell me, how was your time with the children?
"They're trying to turn me into a film critic," he sighed. "They all wanted to hear me praise every minute of their films. They're taking too much after you."
And did you?
"Oh yeah, it was all 'Nice work with the blood splatter' and 'Your sister looked like she pissed herself'!"
You will learn to appreciate it more with time. I think this was a good start.
He frowned. "I could never -"
I think you will. In fact, I know a perfect way to change your mind.
"What are you talking about?" What did the demon have in mind now?
You will see. For now, why don't we go for another walk outside, hmm?
X
"Why did you bring me here?" he asked nervously. Dread was filling every inch of him.
Bughuul held his wrist tightly as they stood in the threshold of the mortal realm. Just behind them was Bughuul's strange abode, and no more than an inch in front of them was a little girl's bedroom. There was typical stuff: a color scheme of light blue, clothes and textbooks and games scattered everywhere, a few boy band posters. In one corner there was a large bookshelf packed full of novels and comics. A bow and arrow set hung proudly on the opposite wall. The top of the bookshelf was covered with trophies of varying sizes and color.
We're here to watch.
"...That's really creepy."
Hush.
There was the sound of thudding footsteps before the bedroom door was flung open and the targeted girl entered. "Leave me alone, Josh!" she yelled before slamming it shut and running to her bed. She covered her head with a pillow and let out a frustrated scream. Her long brown hair fanned out behind her. She couldn't have been more than twelve years old.
Someone knocked loudly on the door a few moments later. "Amelia Prescott! What do you think you're doing?" The woman's voice was as slurred as it was loud.
The girl lifted her head long enough to tell her mother to go away before curling back up. The woman continued her racket only for a few more moments before giving up and leaving.
It is always easier when the family is already fractured. When they are too attached to one another, it becomes a bit more difficult. It is not hard to bring out my chosen child's potential, though.
He realized he was watching the last normal, sane minutes of this poor girl's existence. She was so full of life, and that life was going to be used to feed this demon.
"Please..." He barley realized that he'd even said the word out loud.
Bughuul laughed at him. You know that nothing will stop me, Deputy. With a snap of his fingers, they were back in the room that the man had, at some point, came to recognize as his. Bughuul pushed him down on the couch. Wait here. I will come back when I get everything in order. With that, the creature was gone again.
He could do nothing but wait to see whatever horrors Bughuul was planning.
X
He must have dozed, off because the next thing he knew, Bughuul was shaking him awake.
Come along. My plan is about to be set in motion. You were always curious as to how I went about this, yes?
He gulped nervously as he stood and followed the deity. He wanted to know how Bughuul hunted so he could stop the monster, not take field notes.
They returned to the doorway between the two worlds. There was a little girl with black braids and overall shorts waiting for them. The man could see Amelia sleeping in bed.
Bughuul nodded, and his ghostly minion skipped into the bedroom and went to the bed.
Luring them in is a delicate process. Some of my children are more talented at it than others.
Amelia woke with a start. She let out a little cry when she spotted the other girl. "W-Who are you?" she demanded.
The girl laughed. "Hi there! My name is Jackie. What's yours?"
"...Amelia. What are you doing in my room. Are you one of Josh's or Dean's friends?"
"This used to be my house."
"Used to be? Then what are you doing here?"
"Mr. Boogie wanted us to be friends!"
"What? Who is that?"
"You'll see. He really likes you! Here, I have a picture of him."
The former deputy turned his head from the scene. "She seems like a smart kid. Why isn't she more suspicious of a stranger in her room in the middle of the night?"
I can sense loneliness in her. All lonely children will latch onto the first companion they find. And I can have a rather calming effect on children, if I wish so.
"Is that why they don't run screaming at the first sight of you?"
Humans have such a limited perception of beauty. Some children do run, but I know how to make them stay. It is akin to how one soothes an animal before wringing its neck.
"Do you want to play Hide and Seek? I have some friends who would love to meet you!"
"But what if my parents hear?"
"They won't, don't worry."
The children giggled and smiled and left the room to play their game.
That...didn't seem like much. "Is that it? The ghost kids just hang out with them for awhile and then it's familicide time?"
I told you, Jackie is acting as a lure. Soon enough they will show her their films. She will become malleable in my hands. She will love me when it comes time to reveal myself. She will do whatever I command.
"Wait, didn't I break your camera?"
That earned him a headache. I had another.
He turned back to the empty room. He wished with his everything that he could stop this. He dedicated his life to stopping Bughuul after the Oswalts died, and now he was stuck watching on the sidelines. He felt more helpless than ever.
Silly human.