without even glancing our way.
“It’s okay; we’ll just hide inside the car. You should get out of here,” I said, looking at Martin, my voice strained from the pain.
“You’re right, I should,” he said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but nodded in agreement. “I won’t, though.” He was leaning forward to help us back to our feet when a deafening roar shook the cars along the road, shattering their windows. The monsters had caught up with us.
Chapter 12
A row of demons flocked behind the concrete barrier dividing the parkway, close enough that I could make out the blood splattered on their fur. Hundreds of unblinking, demonic eyes glared at us. The monsters growled and snarled but made no attempt to leap over the barrier.
The pain in my leg dissipated as my heart beat faster and faster, using the last of my adrenaline reserves. Karla squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed my hand. She made the sign of the cross as she muttered a prayer, interrupted only by her whimpering. I crossed myself, as well, but couldn’t pray. My mind was blanked out from fear. Martin slowly rose from his crouch, facing the demons. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his breathing became labored. His hands shook like a tree’s leaves against a stiff breeze.
A bear-like creature at the front of the demonic swarm stood on its hind legs. The beast measured at least twelve feet from the ground to the tip of the imposing antlers sticking out of its head, towering above its brethren. It pointed its snout to the sky and made a guttural howl that flared up its dark-red mane. A series of distant howls and roars answered his call, all of them coming from within the city.
The demon dropped its front paws onto the concrete barrier. I gasped. Martin took a step back. Karla kept praying, squeezing her eyes shut. The monstrous bear stared at us with its three fiery eyes, the third one right in the middle of its forehead. I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare breathe. The demon scraped its long black claws on the concrete while the other monsters kept an eerie silence. After a few endless seconds, the creature turned around and… strolled away. The hundreds of bright red orbs in front of us blinked out as the rest of the demons followed their leader.
Martin and I gawked at the retreating monsters until they disappeared behind the trees bordering the parkway. I swallowed the giant knot in my throat and exhaled the breath I’d been holding in. Martin sat in the pavement and rubbed his face with both hands, as if he were trying to wake up from a nightmare. I lightly tapped Karla’s cheek.
“Hey. Karla. Lala! Open your eyes. I think we’re okay.” A brief, nervous chuckle escaped my chest. “I think they’re gone.”
She opened her eyes and stared at me for a second, unwilling to believe me, but finally ventured to look in the direction in which the demons had left. She turned back to me, and I smiled, my eyes clouding up. We burst into tears as we hugged each other.
“But how?” Karla asked once her sobbing ceased.
“I don’t know—they just left.” I looked at Martin.
“Whatever it was, we should get going,” Martin said as he stood up. “Just in case they change their minds.”
***
We walked in silence for at least half an hour, finding little more than shattered timber and brick piles along the way—all that remained of the beautiful suburban homes destroyed during the earthquake. I peered into the gutted interior of the few houses left standing, expecting a cluster of demonic eyes to return my stare. None of us brought up the subject of the demons’ unexplainable retreat again, as if it would shatter the miracle that had saved our lives. I only knew that whatever happened back there, it was clear that these were no mindless monsters.
Martin walked a few steps ahead of Karla and me. He stomped on the broken pavement with his black boots, every stride full of confidence, but clearly didn’t have much of a plan. We pretty much
“It’s okay; we’ll just hide inside the car. You should get out of here,” I said, looking at Martin, my voice strained from the pain.
“You’re right, I should,” he said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but nodded in agreement. “I won’t, though.” He was leaning forward to help us back to our feet when a deafening roar shook the cars along the road, shattering their windows. The monsters had caught up with us.
Chapter 12
A row of demons flocked behind the concrete barrier dividing the parkway, close enough that I could make out the blood splattered on their fur. Hundreds of unblinking, demonic eyes glared at us. The monsters growled and snarled but made no attempt to leap over the barrier.
The pain in my leg dissipated as my heart beat faster and faster, using the last of my adrenaline reserves. Karla squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed my hand. She made the sign of the cross as she muttered a prayer, interrupted only by her whimpering. I crossed myself, as well, but couldn’t pray. My mind was blanked out from fear. Martin slowly rose from his crouch, facing the demons. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his breathing became labored. His hands shook like a tree’s leaves against a stiff breeze.
A bear-like creature at the front of the demonic swarm stood on its hind legs. The beast measured at least twelve feet from the ground to the tip of the imposing antlers sticking out of its head, towering above its brethren. It pointed its snout to the sky and made a guttural howl that flared up its dark-red mane. A series of distant howls and roars answered his call, all of them coming from within the city.
The demon dropped its front paws onto the concrete barrier. I gasped. Martin took a step back. Karla kept praying, squeezing her eyes shut. The monstrous bear stared at us with its three fiery eyes, the third one right in the middle of its forehead. I didn’t dare move, didn’t dare breathe. The demon scraped its long black claws on the concrete while the other monsters kept an eerie silence. After a few endless seconds, the creature turned around and… strolled away. The hundreds of bright red orbs in front of us blinked out as the rest of the demons followed their leader.
Martin and I gawked at the retreating monsters until they disappeared behind the trees bordering the parkway. I swallowed the giant knot in my throat and exhaled the breath I’d been holding in. Martin sat in the pavement and rubbed his face with both hands, as if he were trying to wake up from a nightmare. I lightly tapped Karla’s cheek.
“Hey. Karla. Lala! Open your eyes. I think we’re okay.” A brief, nervous chuckle escaped my chest. “I think they’re gone.”
She opened her eyes and stared at me for a second, unwilling to believe me, but finally ventured to look in the direction in which the demons had left. She turned back to me, and I smiled, my eyes clouding up. We burst into tears as we hugged each other.
“But how?” Karla asked once her sobbing ceased.
“I don’t know—they just left.” I looked at Martin.
“Whatever it was, we should get going,” Martin said as he stood up. “Just in case they change their minds.”
***
We walked in silence for at least half an hour, finding little more than shattered timber and brick piles along the way—all that remained of the beautiful suburban homes destroyed during the earthquake. I peered into the gutted interior of the few houses left standing, expecting a cluster of demonic eyes to return my stare. None of us brought up the subject of the demons’ unexplainable retreat again, as if it would shatter the miracle that had saved our lives. I only knew that whatever happened back there, it was clear that these were no mindless monsters.
Martin walked a few steps ahead of Karla and me. He stomped on the broken pavement with his black boots, every stride full of confidence, but clearly didn’t have much of a plan. We pretty much
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