The first words to spring to mind were mangled cat.
Ruby squinted through the unrelenting rain at the creature, and for a moment, it stared back. It’s muddy yellow eyes were large and round, and glowing in the evening dusk.
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was large enough to be a dog, yet its features were distinctly feline. Clumps of fur were missing from its twisted torso and bones jutted out at odd angles, as though someone had pulled the poor animal apart and rebuilt it using the most basic of instructions.
Ruby’s heart pounded in her chest. What was it? Curiosity buzzed about within her like a trapped insect. She stretched a hand into the rain, her fingertips inching out towards the wiry-looking fur. Maybe it was friendly.
No sooner had she thought this, than the creature sank flat to the cobbles
Ruby froze mid-reach. An instinctual tingle shivered through her, squeezing her muscles. Its yellow orbs settled on her approaching hand, and as its lips rolled back in a silent snarl, she noticed its teeth. More teeth, she thought, than the average cat.
It’s lips continued to stretch, contorting beyond what was cat-like. Distorting all normal perception.
Ruby withdrew her hand. She pulled back in slow motion, a soft undercurrent of fear oozing through her as she watched the creature. A restlessness crept into her blood. Her hand gravitated towards her jacket pocket, to the comforting weight of the flick knife, and then stopped.
The sound of the persistent rain was like white noise in her stuck mind. Licking her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut. Opened them, and as they returned to the smiling cat, they widened. No, smiling didn’t do it justice. It was full on grinning at her.
In that moment, the eerie grin slipped from its face, vanishing as fast as it had appeared. As if it had never happened.
Ruby skin prickled. It was time to go. She turned to leave, just as, from the corner of her vision, she saw it spring.
Panic. Her feet slipped on the gleaming cobblestones, their surfaces slick and wet. She toppled forward, scrambling to retain purchase. Her eyes darted from corner to corner, searching for the cat.
That was when she heard it. Claws against stone.
Pushing down off the ground, she launched forward with a new urgency, sprinting off down the idle street that twisted up, heading towards a cluster of rustic bungalows.
It was one thing to run from danger, to run for your life. It was another thing entirely to flee from a thing without quite knowing why. Ruby was running from a cat. That was definitely a first for her. She liked cats. What she did know, however, was that she wanted to be as far away from this thing as she could get.
Ruby’s feet pounded the puddle riddled pavements, sending explosions of water erupting around her as she ran. She sucked in breath after ragged breath, the chill catching on the back of her throat with each gasp. She couldn’t hear the creature, didn’t know where it was. She dared not look behind her.
She skidded around the approaching bend, taking the right turn, and slipped down between two of the houses. Her previous unease was replaced by thrill as some forgotten part of her relished the change of pace, the mystery of her situation.
Her child self had possessed a wonderful knack for finding trouble, often in the most unexpected of places. Now an adult, the only thing that had changed was that these days, Ruby often found it on purpose. What that said about her, she knew not. Only that she was meant for more than the tedium of the average nine to five.
Her footsteps echoed around her, the sounds magnified tenfold within the enclosed passageway. She knew this village and its secrets inside out. Maybe she could lose the cat if she --
A sharp blow to the middle of her back cut her musing dead. Ruby gasped, its impact pushing her forward. She stumbled, and as instinct kicked, she reached out, grabbing at the passageway wall beside her.
Her palm dragged across the stone as she caught herself, its rough surface biting into her palms. Her body reeling, she glanced up, and jolt shot through her.
The animal was blocking her path. Its sinister silhouette, with its misshapen edges, was unmistakable.
A strong gust rolled down the cobbled passageway, throwing cold rain against her back. Ruby shivered and shrunk into her jacket, hiding her neck from the spray. If she stopped running, what was the worst it could do to her?
Soggy ribbons of unnatural red hair tumbled out of her hood, the damp strands sticking to the side of her face as they fell free. Thinking about it rationally, Ruby knew that if she allowed it to get close enough, it’s teeth alone could cause some real damage.
Stomach churning, she squinted past the cat. The hazy glow of the corner shop winked at her from the other side of the passageway, an odd guiding light in the middle of the murk. People. Of course, she needed to surround herself with people.
Breathing in through her nose, Ruby Peyton steeled herself. She would charge at it and catch it off guard. Then, she would vault straight over it’s head and make a break for the store.
But as her eyes fell back upon the cat, she started. Her hand flew back to her jacket pocket in alarm.
She hadn’t seen it move. Hadn’t even registered its presence, yet there it was, once again, almost close enough to stretch out and touch. It’s twisted body was pressed flat to the floor, yellow eyes fixed on her.
Barely pausing for breath, the animal bared its teeth in a silent hiss. Then, to her horror, it sprang at her again.
Ruby screwed her eyes shut, a reflex action. A breathy scream escaped from her lips, her whole body tensing for the painful impact.
The moment her hand had closed around the handle, reflex had given way to instinct. That instinct demanded that she fight back.
Blind, Ruby tugged the flick knife from her pocket. She yanked the small blade vertical and then, as part of the same jerking movement, slashed out at the air in front of her.
Her heart sank at the pathetic display. Knife or not, she was not a badass.
When she felt the blade connect, she almost dropped the knife. A terrible hissing swung off the left. A warm dampness, a contrast to the icy rain, spattered her fingers.
Ruby’s eyes flew open. Heart pounding in her throat, she searched passageway, looking left and right, frantic in her spinning.
She stopped and breathed out. Gone.
The knife slipped from her fingers, clattering to the ground. Dark speckles dotted the stones at her feet. She’d hit it.
Numb, Ruby lifted her hand and studied her fingers. Black.
Her sluggish mind twitched, coming back to life. Her thoughts began to race. She’d really hit it, and it’s blood was… black?
Heart pounding, bringing with it the euphoric sensation of being alive, Ruby gazed down the passage towards the hazy lights of civilisation. The cat-shaped thing was gone. And now, like it or not, she would never know its secrets.
***
Enjoyed this sample? There's more coming soon... watch this space!
Ruby squinted through the unrelenting rain at the creature, and for a moment, it stared back. It’s muddy yellow eyes were large and round, and glowing in the evening dusk.
She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was large enough to be a dog, yet its features were distinctly feline. Clumps of fur were missing from its twisted torso and bones jutted out at odd angles, as though someone had pulled the poor animal apart and rebuilt it using the most basic of instructions.
Ruby’s heart pounded in her chest. What was it? Curiosity buzzed about within her like a trapped insect. She stretched a hand into the rain, her fingertips inching out towards the wiry-looking fur. Maybe it was friendly.
No sooner had she thought this, than the creature sank flat to the cobbles
Ruby froze mid-reach. An instinctual tingle shivered through her, squeezing her muscles. Its yellow orbs settled on her approaching hand, and as its lips rolled back in a silent snarl, she noticed its teeth. More teeth, she thought, than the average cat.
It’s lips continued to stretch, contorting beyond what was cat-like. Distorting all normal perception.
Ruby withdrew her hand. She pulled back in slow motion, a soft undercurrent of fear oozing through her as she watched the creature. A restlessness crept into her blood. Her hand gravitated towards her jacket pocket, to the comforting weight of the flick knife, and then stopped.
The sound of the persistent rain was like white noise in her stuck mind. Licking her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut. Opened them, and as they returned to the smiling cat, they widened. No, smiling didn’t do it justice. It was full on grinning at her.
In that moment, the eerie grin slipped from its face, vanishing as fast as it had appeared. As if it had never happened.
Ruby skin prickled. It was time to go. She turned to leave, just as, from the corner of her vision, she saw it spring.
Panic. Her feet slipped on the gleaming cobblestones, their surfaces slick and wet. She toppled forward, scrambling to retain purchase. Her eyes darted from corner to corner, searching for the cat.
That was when she heard it. Claws against stone.
Pushing down off the ground, she launched forward with a new urgency, sprinting off down the idle street that twisted up, heading towards a cluster of rustic bungalows.
It was one thing to run from danger, to run for your life. It was another thing entirely to flee from a thing without quite knowing why. Ruby was running from a cat. That was definitely a first for her. She liked cats. What she did know, however, was that she wanted to be as far away from this thing as she could get.
Ruby’s feet pounded the puddle riddled pavements, sending explosions of water erupting around her as she ran. She sucked in breath after ragged breath, the chill catching on the back of her throat with each gasp. She couldn’t hear the creature, didn’t know where it was. She dared not look behind her.
She skidded around the approaching bend, taking the right turn, and slipped down between two of the houses. Her previous unease was replaced by thrill as some forgotten part of her relished the change of pace, the mystery of her situation.
Her child self had possessed a wonderful knack for finding trouble, often in the most unexpected of places. Now an adult, the only thing that had changed was that these days, Ruby often found it on purpose. What that said about her, she knew not. Only that she was meant for more than the tedium of the average nine to five.
Her footsteps echoed around her, the sounds magnified tenfold within the enclosed passageway. She knew this village and its secrets inside out. Maybe she could lose the cat if she --
A sharp blow to the middle of her back cut her musing dead. Ruby gasped, its impact pushing her forward. She stumbled, and as instinct kicked, she reached out, grabbing at the passageway wall beside her.
Her palm dragged across the stone as she caught herself, its rough surface biting into her palms. Her body reeling, she glanced up, and jolt shot through her.
The animal was blocking her path. Its sinister silhouette, with its misshapen edges, was unmistakable.
A strong gust rolled down the cobbled passageway, throwing cold rain against her back. Ruby shivered and shrunk into her jacket, hiding her neck from the spray. If she stopped running, what was the worst it could do to her?
Soggy ribbons of unnatural red hair tumbled out of her hood, the damp strands sticking to the side of her face as they fell free. Thinking about it rationally, Ruby knew that if she allowed it to get close enough, it’s teeth alone could cause some real damage.
Stomach churning, she squinted past the cat. The hazy glow of the corner shop winked at her from the other side of the passageway, an odd guiding light in the middle of the murk. People. Of course, she needed to surround herself with people.
Breathing in through her nose, Ruby Peyton steeled herself. She would charge at it and catch it off guard. Then, she would vault straight over it’s head and make a break for the store.
But as her eyes fell back upon the cat, she started. Her hand flew back to her jacket pocket in alarm.
She hadn’t seen it move. Hadn’t even registered its presence, yet there it was, once again, almost close enough to stretch out and touch. It’s twisted body was pressed flat to the floor, yellow eyes fixed on her.
Barely pausing for breath, the animal bared its teeth in a silent hiss. Then, to her horror, it sprang at her again.
Ruby screwed her eyes shut, a reflex action. A breathy scream escaped from her lips, her whole body tensing for the painful impact.
The moment her hand had closed around the handle, reflex had given way to instinct. That instinct demanded that she fight back.
Blind, Ruby tugged the flick knife from her pocket. She yanked the small blade vertical and then, as part of the same jerking movement, slashed out at the air in front of her.
Her heart sank at the pathetic display. Knife or not, she was not a badass.
When she felt the blade connect, she almost dropped the knife. A terrible hissing swung off the left. A warm dampness, a contrast to the icy rain, spattered her fingers.
Ruby’s eyes flew open. Heart pounding in her throat, she searched passageway, looking left and right, frantic in her spinning.
She stopped and breathed out. Gone.
The knife slipped from her fingers, clattering to the ground. Dark speckles dotted the stones at her feet. She’d hit it.
Numb, Ruby lifted her hand and studied her fingers. Black.
Her sluggish mind twitched, coming back to life. Her thoughts began to race. She’d really hit it, and it’s blood was… black?
Heart pounding, bringing with it the euphoric sensation of being alive, Ruby gazed down the passage towards the hazy lights of civilisation. The cat-shaped thing was gone. And now, like it or not, she would never know its secrets.
***
Enjoyed this sample? There's more coming soon... watch this space!
When restless Demon Drayvex stumbles across a human girl with a powerful demonic pendant, he makes stealing it from her his number one goal. But the stone does not wish to be stolen from its human owner. In fact, it seems to be perfectly content being dear old Grandma's necklace. Game on.
Living in quaint little Crichton is City girl Ruby's idea of hell. But when a silver-tongued stranger takes an interest in her mundane country life, she gets far more than a sympathetic ear. Drawn into the world of demons, darkness and deceit, Ruby may well get the adventure she craves after all. Hell has a name... but it's not Crichton.
Living in quaint little Crichton is City girl Ruby's idea of hell. But when a silver-tongued stranger takes an interest in her mundane country life, she gets far more than a sympathetic ear. Drawn into the world of demons, darkness and deceit, Ruby may well get the adventure she craves after all. Hell has a name... but it's not Crichton.
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