Amelie followed lustre within the maze of corridors and random doors and entryways, to a very spacious red brick room.
The walls were brick but the floors were made out of a hard reddish brown clay.
There was a rather enthusiastic fire, within a metal grated fireplace and the light from the fireplace gave the room an unusual blood red hue.
There was a small framed bed that was somewhere in between a twin and a full. It looked cheap and not very sturdy, but when she went to recline upon it it was possibly the most comfortable bed she had ever slept upon.
There was a picnic like table, the wooden kind you would see in a ordinary park, but this bench like table was painted the same color as the red clay floor.
The rest of the room is rather sparse.
The most beautiful and prominent thing in the room was the fireplace as far as furniture, there was only a rather scratched up side table that was on the other side of the room on a far right corner where the bed was situated alongside the brick wall.
" No, it's not much to look at it is it Lustre?
Hey, I'm not complaining, at least it's warm and I can come and go as I please, so at least I'm not a prisoner here.
I've got to count my blessings you know."
Lustere decided to lay a little too close to the fire but he looked at her with worry in his eyes.
" I don't know if you can understand me but I've always had this belief that dogs understand a little bit more than we think they do.
I feel that you can understand me a lot better than most dogs, am i right?"
Lustere's ears perked up and his eyes took on a warm understanding quality.
" Yeah, that's what I thought.
You seem more intelligent than the other hellhounds then again I haven't really gotten to know any of the others.
Anyhow, I really don't want to be in here, The room is nice and all that, but how does he expect me to sleep while all of that is going on out there?
I mean he's screaming,bloody murder, I don't know how far away I am but boy his screams really do carry. Maybe it's just the ambience in here, but egads he's loud.
You want to know the worst thing, I kind of had a crush on him,you know that guy out there.
I mean I wasn't in love with him or anything, I just thought he was kind of sweet and a nice guy in general and it just seems kind of unfair and not to mention uncalled for a good guy like him to suffer the way he is right now.
I'm not attached to him and I don't have any emotional connections to him but I feel kind of guilty and I think it's a shame that somebody like him has to get his soul torn apart by huge hooks that materialize out of nowhere.
It just doesn't seem right and maybe I'm the one that's wrong. I mean for all I know he might be a horrible human being. I don't know him. I only knew him for like an hour or so I have no idea what kind of person he is but as you know, I'm not supposed to interfere with his work. There's consequences you know and he told me that if I interfered I would have to be the one to do the job and have to finish him off and I don't really want to do that,so that's why I'm in here.
I don't know if this makes any sense to you, but hopefully it does".
Lustre's eyes appeared to be glowing red but it was merely the fire reflecting in his eyes.
Amelie went over to pet Lustere and she he even gave him a belly rub which he seemed to deeply appreciate.
Amelie kissed the top of his head, she then stood up and went to her bed but before she could get comfortable under the covers, she sensed something was slightly off.
Lustre was gone but there was a strange shadow that hugged the bottom of the wall.
It her took a few seconds to realize that the shadow was actually the figure of a man, a man, who apparently appeared to be completely unclothed.
Besides the fact that he was naked, He was undoubtedly rather good looking in a angular, sharp and austere sort of way.
He had a long face, a rather majestically chiseled chin, harsh cheek bones, He had noble eyes, his nose curled downward in a crooked fashion like the beak of an eagle.
His physique appeared to be rather thin but nonetheless, extremely muscular.
"I'm sorry. This usually happens whenever I change back. It's highly inconvenient so i didn't mean to frighten you.
Oh my this is terribly embarrassing".
The man had a well refined accent, British and silky but also touchy and rough with frustration.
He had a hushed voice that either made him sound like he was highly annoyed or he was darkly lamenting about something.
" So let me get this straight,you can change from a hellhound to a human?"
" Well technically I'm part human or I was before I came here.
Yet as you know This place has a strange way of draining you of all your humanity but yes I can change but only temporarily and to be perfectly honest, I don't change very often".
"Yeah i can see why.
So are all the other hellhounds like you?
I mean were they human before?"
" Oh heavens no, the rest were mere stray dogs, shelter dogs some of them, You know rescues. none of them had a homes before they came here. Some of them were starving and wandering alleyways looking for a meal in random trash cans.
Some of them were even near death but he brought them here and so far all of them have lived long and happy lives.
After all, isn't that what every dog desires is to serve their master for all eternity?"
" I suppose so yes but why did the master bring you here specifically?"
" Well, I'm glad you asked yet naturally I was a shapeshifter but I wasn't one of the good kind. I was one of those shapeshifters that you find in the woods, You know the skinny kind,they walk on all fours like a dog but their legs are too long for their body.
Oh yes skinwalker is what it's called, that's what I was.
You see every skinwalker has a curse they can transform into anything they desire but the more they transform the less human they become.
The master told me he could take that curse away from me, He said that if I lost my humanity I would be able to transform freely back and forth but it didn't quite turn out that way.
I lost my humanity so that much was true but for some reason I got stuck in between my dog form and my skinwalker form, So I became a really weird looking hellhound.
It's complicated but when you kissed me I changed back So maybe It's a lot simpler than I thought."
" What it sounds like to me is that the master tricked you."
" Oh no! you mustn't say that.
The master is a honest fellow for the most part and he keeps his promises, in fact, he promised me that he would find a way for me to transform without any problems."
" So you actually believe that a tall demonic guy in leather with pins in his face that tortures people for fun is going to to keep his promise to you?"
" Yes of course, is there something wrong with that?"
" Yes, there are several things that are wrong with that number. one is, he is a demon who lives in a literal realm of hell. Number two, doesn't it bother you that He feeds you human flesh?
I mean, did you realize that he goes out of his way to rob some poor human soul so that you guys can have a decent meal.
He doesn't just go shopping and swing by the meat department and throw a slab of meat at you. He goes out to who knows where wherever humans are and he picks out a human for the mere purpose of feeding them to his dogs.
That literally makes him a predator.
I mean seriously what does he do, does he look at the human race and say oh what a beautiful array of human flesh oh yes that one looks tasty, I'll bring him home for my dogs,they'll have fun with him?
That's sick, you get it.
The guy is sick."
" You know that's actually quite funny because That didn't seem to bother you when you came here. It didn't seem bother you when you had to bring a fresh soul to him.
It also didn't bother you when he told you to come into this room while he brutally tortures some guy you think you like out there.
So I really don't see the problem.
Another thing is you knew before you got here that he'd be torturing and tormenting people.
You didn't look that surprised when huge hooks came out of nowhere to tear that guy apart.
So who's the one that's crazy here?"
He smiled contently like a lion would at a lamb that was wandering too close to his den.
"Good point. All good points. You're right i did agree to come here and work for him. It's not as if i was coherced into coming here, i wanted to come here and so here I am".
"Yes well in that case I am happy you are here. It's nice to have someone around that isn't partially dead both physically and emotionally.
I'm not complaining at all, the master a is great guy, he takes care of us all but his hands are kind of cold and he isn't warm and loving like you are."
" Yes, I understand.
He's not exactly a friendly sort of guy and he is kind of dead inside if I may add.
So I get it but what I don't get is how can you serve him if you know what he's capable of?"
" Don't you see? because I know what he's capable of, that is the reason I trust him.
He keeps us all safe, He always knows what's best and he always has an exclamation and a reason for doing the things he does.
You are just going to have to learn to trust him. It will be better for you if you do."
" Maybe I don't know what he's capable of and maybe that's why I don't trust him just yet."
"Oh you will with time, everyone does eventually. There's a certain rhythm, a order, a certain routine within this realm, He keeps the order and he keeps this realm at peace because of his wisdom and great power.
You need to respect that, If you don't you may end up like me, stuck between two forms between what's right and wrong, between two worlds immortality and humanity.
You mustn't live like that.
It wouldn't be right for you.
The master told me the reason I got stuck was because I didn't accept my new life here.
He said that eventually the problem would solve itself the longer I stayed here.
It just would take time and eventually I will be able to control how I change and what I change into.
It will happen. I just have to be patient".
" I don't know if I should hug you or I should pity you because you sound super endearing, but at the same time you sound super delusional.
I mean you sound really genuine and you sound like you really believe that that monster out there can grant you all your desires".
" You thought the same thing, That's why you came here in the first place.
He's not a monster and he's not a demon. and no this is not hell At least it isn't for everybody and I'll have you know that For some people like me it is heavenly place.
Don't you see? I'm happy here.
Just look at this place,beautifully crafted,there's endless terrain to explore, there's free food and I don't even have to pay rent.
I literally do nothing except stare at the master all day and watch over him and he allows me to stay here.
I sit at his feet day after day, I'm practically just a lazy lump but he still feeds me everyday.
He doesn't measure the amount of effort I put in to everyday to determine whether or not I get fed that day, He is very generous and giving.
He takes care of me and he'll take care of you too".
Amelie decided that it was best not to argue with him anymore since his heart was very much set on the fact that her employer was above all reproach.
Amelie, however noticed there was a tablecloth that had been spread out on the picnic table bench and a top the white linen tablecloth. there was a sumptuous meal set out before it.
What was strange to her was that none of that had been there before.
"I'm I'm not going to lie. I am highly suspicious of that food that is on that table right now.
I mean where the hell did that come from?
Does he have a grocery store or something?
How is the food made in a place like?
I mean I think I saw this in a movie one time where there was this great feast that was laid out and it had appeared out of nowhere and it turned out to be the enchanted flesh of the previous victims that had come to that horrible place".
"My you have a vivid imagination.
This place isn't devoid of life, Food can be grown and harvested here,you know that?"
" No, I don't know and that's what worries me.
The food is harvested from what, dead corpses on sticks stuck out in a field somewhere?"
" No that would be disgusting.
There are fields, trees, bushes, farms even where animals are kept.
It's not just natural, it's organic which is something that somebody like you should appreciate."
"I don't know. I think I've lost my appetite. I'm more tired than anything else."
" Then yet again, the master is right, you should get some rest, maybe you can eat something later. Now if you'd excuse me, i need to put on some proper clothes."
Amelie just glared at him.
"I'd really prefer it, if you gave me some privacy, perhaps you could turn around for a few moments".
"Fine. I'll try to get some rest or something along those lines. Although i doubt if I'll be able to sleep a wink but at least I can try."
She then slid under the covers and turned around to face the wall so as give him privacy.
"How about that hug now?"
She heard a silky hushed voice usher from behind her.
"No I'd rather not, I'd rather get some sleep if you don't mind".
"Oh come on you're not going to sleep with all that racket going on out there."
"That's besides the point Lustre.
I don't feel like giving anyone hug right.
I'm just not in the mood".
Unfortunately that did very little to discourage him as He proceeded to spoon her warmly and a little too affectionately.
Amelie practically flew out of bed and hopped onto the clay flooring.
" I understand that previously you used to be a dog and I know dogs like to cuddle but now you are a man and I do not want a man in my bed.
If you want to know the last man that was in bed with me was a horrible wretched human being in fact, he was a monster.
So I would prefer to sleep alone, thank you".
" Do you think I'm a monster Just like you think the master is?
Is that what you're trying to say to me?"
" No no, not at all. I don't think you're a monster. I don't think any of the other hellhounds are monsters either and as scary as the master is, I don't really think he's a monster either to be honest.
I just want to be touched, that's all".
"Alright then yet what of this other man? Did he mistreat you?"
" Did he mistreat me? Wow! that's a real a understatement.
He used to lock me in the house, preferably in a room and when he came home, He'd beat the living daylights out of me, What's even worse is that man was my husband."
" I'm sorry. I really I do apologize. I had no idea.
You must think me highly ill mannnered and inappropriate. Honestly, I wasn't meaning to get fresh, My intention was to give you comfort and make you more comfortable here, so hopefully you'll stay here forever I hope.
I'm sorry, that sounds very deceptive and very weird.
Look I was a dog, a dog hybrid to be exact but nonetheless a kind of dog and dogs are very forward and direct, they they like to cuddle and be your best friend.
So what I'm trying to say is that by doing what I just did, I was doing that as a friend,not as a weird type of predator.
Does that make sense to you?"
" Yes it makes perfect sense.
You're a little bit rusty when it comes to talking to girls, aren't you?"
He chuckled.
" Yes can you tell? Is it really that obvious? I mean I come in here and I'm completely unclothed out of nowhere mind you and then I just hop on the bed like I have no idea how women work.
I haven't been around any kind of woman, at least not any kind of woman that was even remotely human for really long time.
So naturally I came on a little too strong and I'm sorry."
" It's okay, but what I don't understand is if you truly lost all your humanity how do you seem so human right now?"
"That's a good question. I don't really know if i can awnser that, at least not completely. I think the human in us never truly dies, it fades and gradually peels away like old skin but then there's the bit about your soul, nothing can truly erase that human nature from your soul. You'll always keep a tiny piece of it wherever you go, in your heart.
The master he was human once, he pretends he's forgotten about it but he remembers and secretly I think he holds onto to those ancient memories of his life before this one.
I don't believe he's ever let go of his humanity to be honest.
He likes to pretend he's evil. I think it's adorable don't you?"
"Yeah sure.
Whatever you say".