- The Hidden World, Part 0
-

akeranzu
- November 24th, 2005
"I know what I saw!" his voice was hushed and hard to hear.
"I know what a dog looks like and it was not a dog!"
"Listen Devin I know what you think you saw, but there is no such animal. You had to have seen a dog." Alex tried to reason with is distraught friend, but he had never seen Devin like this.
"You will see when we get there, it was a dog. Probably had a Halloween costume on or something" The car made a left turn down a nearly empty street.
"What do you mean "When we get there"?" Devin tensed up as he asked.
"We are not going back there, it will be there. It lives there, it is like its territory." His voice had taken on an almost hysterical tone.
"Just calm down. See here we are." The car turned down an ally and stopped. The head lights cast an eerie light down the path between the two buildings."See everything is normal and no demon monster is lurking down there. I will show you." Ales opened his door and stepped out before Devin could act.
In fact Devin was totally unaware of Ales getting out. His eyes locked on a patch of darkness that defied the glow from the head lights. It was the thing, he knew it. It was looking right at him, he could feel it burrowing into his head. It wanted him, he had gotten away and that wouldn't do.
"What? No wait you fool it will kill you!" Devin called out as Alex came into view. He had started to move when it happened.
"See what did I tell you? Nothing here to be worried about. Huh?" Alex turned and caught sight of movement. He may have had a moment to realize that the hunched figure was nothing like a dog, but as the creature buried its teeth into his neck he probably forgot. It was still had to see, as if staring at it caused it to shift in color and substance, except the eyes. Cold yellow and apparently permanently open. Even now as it tore the throat out of Alex it looked directly at Devin.
He screamed. He threw himself across the seat and closed the door. With not one single thought for Alex he threw the car into reverse and drove half a block before righting the car and speeding off.
The next day he awoke in the hospital. In his panic he had failed to notice the semi until it side swiped him. He could not remember what had happened but he knew it could not be good. His right arm and leg were in casts and his whole body ached.
"Well it looks like you finally awake. Had us worried for awhile, but I knew you would pull through." The nurse opened the curtains allowing the sun in.
"Where am I?" Devin's voice was raspy from lack of water.
"Now don't worry your little head. You are in St. James hospital and a good thing too. Any farther away and you would not have made it." She was a short and round lady, with a voice of an angel.
"I have to talk to the police." His voice cracked on police. "I need some water to."
"The police? Yes they will have their turn, but first you have a visitor." She busied herself around the room as she spoke, getting some water for Devin. He was sipping it as she opened the door.
"Who is it? No one knew I was here, or there I mean." He followed her as she walked away from the door and closed the curtains.
"I did buddy. You almost ruined everything." Alex stepped into sight as the last beam of sunlight was blocked. "Yes indeedy, could have screwed up the whole damn thing. What were you thinking driving away like that?" He crossed the room and stood by the end of the bed.
"I thought you were dead? The thing bit your neck and I saw blood. How did you escape?" Devin was dazed by the appearance of his friend.
"Oh you saw blood alright and I didn't escape. No I am not really Alex." The skin on Alex's forehead began to split, allowing a little trickle of black fluid to escape."I just needed his skin to get close enough to finish the job!"
The skin fell away as the hunched creature leapt from the empty husk that had been Alex."Yes now we have the skin we need to get close to our real target." The nurse turned around and met Devin's stare. Her eyes black and cold, a hideously long grin crossing her face from ear to ear. As the light faded from Devin's eyes she laughed, and the creature began to don its new form.