Chapter 7 – Chap 7

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Jack asked as we both stared at Chris in complete shock

“Chr…Chris?” I struggled to say as I stood there, so baffled that uttering her name was all I could do, I couldn’t even muster the will to move.

For a second I even doubted if the creature I had in front of me was actually her. A layer of brown fur now covered all her body from top to bottom. Her fingernails had become sahrp, pointed claws. I looked at her mouth, had her teeth always been that sharp? No, I was sure they hadn’t. And remember the snake-like eyes she had for a second after roaring at the demon dog? Well, they were back, and they were permanent this time.

“Good morning, mates…”

“Chris, Is that you?” I asked

“I think so…”

“Sorry for swearing, but seriously, what are you!? First that crazy roar and now this! ” Jack said

“Yeah, I thought that too! Maybe this is a consequence of the roar? Or pherhaps the roar was a prelude to the transformation or something…I do recall having a pretty wierd dream last night, I was in an endless, black void with a voice whispering to my ear. I couldn’t move or talk or anything, I could only listen to the whispers, and then I woke up and I now look like this! I’m just as confused as you are!” she replied

” What did the whispering voice say?” I asked

” I don’t remember, it’s just a dream. Probably just incoherent gibberish.”

“Is it just me or is there something moving behind you?” Jack asked

“Oh, that’s just my…tail, that I now apparently have.” Chris said after turning arround to show us her new furry tail.

“Hey, do you hear that? It sound like, someone crying…” she pointed out

Chris then ran to the bungalow area and pounced on a kid that had stolen bread from a little boy, scaring all the kids who saw her, who all ran away and hid inside and/or behind the bungalows, all but the toddler whose bread had been stolen and, of course, the thief who had been attacked by Chris.

“GIVE HIM HIS BREAD BACK!” she angrily ordered the kid, who didn’t speak English , so he did not obey, so Chris just took the bread from his hand and gave it back to the toddler. The little boy didn’t cry or run away, but instead split his bread in two and gave one half to Chris

“Oh,tank you! But I can’t accept it little one, keep it for yourself, you have to grow!”

And thus Chris returned to our side, as if nothing had happened.

“Wow” Jack and I said in unison

A few hours later, we were at the mountain, hiding behind a ledge, why? Well, it wasn’t because we were being hunted down, quite the contrary, we were the ones trying to catch someone this time.

“Um…Not that I’m complaining or anything, but… is there any particular reason you’re standing on all fours,Chris?” Jack asked

“What? Oh, I hadn’t even noticed, my body did it automatically! I know it’s wierd but…I find it pretty comfortable now !”

“Shhhh! Sorry to interrupt, but he’s here, be quiet!” I said

“Alright…Get set….Now!”

It took a few seconds for James to realise what had happened, to realise Chris had pounced him and now he was on the ground with Chris sitting on him and staring at him menacingly.

“Well done, good girl! You deserve a treat! ” Jack said to Chris while stroking her head as if she was his pet.

“No treats, thanks! You’re much tastier…” Chris joked

“I take it back, I take it back! Please don’t eat me, I’m too young, smart and handsome to die!” Jack replied

“Come on, guys! Stop joking arround and focus on our…prey.” I said

“I swear, once I tell the adults, you freaks are gonna be so dead!” James said

“Be careful with the words you choose,buddy! Our friend Chris over here’s been dying to find out what assholes taste like!” Jack warned him

“You should be worried, then…” Chris said to Jack with a smirk

“Ha ha, very funny…Anyway… Hello, James. Sorry, is that your real name or is it just another one of your LIES?” I asked James feeling angry and betrayed

“Look, if you’re doing this for information, you’ve caught the wrong person, they don’t tell us cult kids much, they only use us to lure horned children like you and that’s it.”

“Yeah,right… Are we really gonna belive what this guy says? You’ve literally just pointed out he lied to you,Peter!” Jack said

Chris growled at James, showing him her teeth

“Okay, fine! I’ll tell you what little stuff I know! The horned kids imprisoned in the cave are killed shortly afterwards, but I don’t know how or why. Oh, and the cult’s founder was apperntly a dude name Dane, but that was many years ago, he’s long dead. And that’s all I know, I swear! If you want more information, you could go to the temple up there…”

“Yeah, we could go to the temple!” I suggested

“What if it’s a trap?” Jack asked

“Just to make sure…James is coming with us.”

“WHAT?” James complained wich was followed by Chris’s giggle

And so, we all started going up the mountain, with Chris dragging James along with her mouth, having a tight grip on his shirt.

“She behaves like…” Jack said

“Like a dog…”I added

“Holy shit…you don’t think she’ll turn into a second demon dog, do you?” Jack asked frightened

“We don’t know yet, it’s a possibility though…”

We broke into the temple, thankfully, no one else seemed to be there. The place was filled with bookshelves and tables. And old-looking book sat on an old-looking, wooden table. I picked it up.

DEMONS, MONSTERS AND CREATURES FROM THIS WORLD AND BEYOND by Dane

The book was a collection of illustrations that depicted various bizarre creatures that would feel right at home in a fantasy game, except they were real, one illustration confirmed it, the demon dog…the exact same beast that we encountered in the cavern, was depicted in this crazy bestiary.

We moved to another room, and found a pentagram surrounded by candles, at the centre of the pentagram was a sheet of paper in the same style as the pages in the book, it depicted a huge horned creature, similar to the dog, but this one seemed even bigger, and humanoid… Surrounding the pentagram was a series of triangles, circles and squares, arranged as if they were writings.

“What are those?” Chris asked

“The cult’s secret language.” James replied

“Do you speak it?” I asked

“A little…” he answered

James then began reciting what was written on the walls in that secret code, and Chris flinched.

“What’s wrong, Chris?”

“I’m not sure…But it felt as if James’s words…hurt me…”

James grinned and continued to recite the mysterious texts, causing Chris to fall to her knees and scream in agony.

“UGH…STOP…IT!” she begged, but James didn’t stop.

I engaged in a fist fight with him, but he continued to speak. Chris’s screams slowly transitioned from your typicall girly screams into animalistic noises.

“STOP IT!” Jack demanded

He tackled James, knocking him to the ground and finally making him stop. But Chris did not calm down, she stared at James with those creepy new eyes of hers, growling like an animal. After that, she jumped at James and bit his neck with the ferocity of a lion. She did not come to her senses until she felt the taste of blood and flesh in her mouth, she then realised she was now sitting on a corpse…