Chapter Text
The forest was silent. The last leaves had fallen off the trees, dappling the ground in hues of yellow and red and orange. The squirrels and bears had hidden away, the birds off to the south for warmer weather. The beginnings of winter had begun to settle over Eastridge’s woods.
A dark shape prowled between the trees. Yellow eyes darted about, analyzing the tremble of every leaf, the slightest shake of each branch. The quills along its spine shivered as its back arched, stooping low to sniff the ground for any remnants of a trail. Nothing.
It was getting tired of this nothing. This… quiet.
Its partner followed at its side. A larger figure, bulkier, knuckles buckling against the dirt with every step. The first creature glanced up at the other, shaking its head. The other let out a huff, the air visible in the cold, before it looked away and continued forward. The first followed.
Both of them were hardly juveniles. Young, at least for Veldigun. Their minds were scattered, mostly animal instinct, with the slightest sentience from toddlers and children the two had snagged from the streets. With this sentience, they had given each other titles; neither were sure which child’s memory they’d gotten it from. The first was Clyde. The other was Winfrey.
Winfrey had paused for a moment, eyes locked onto a nearby tree. Clyde followed its gaze. On the bark of the tree was a bright orange line, drawn horizontally across it. Neither knew what it was, or what it was for, but from stalking through the woods, they recognized it. The neighborhood was nearby. Sniffing the air, Clyde caught wind of car exhaust.
It was getting to that time of year again. Perhaps they could grab a few children to eat again. Clyde’s tail flicked, signaling its partner to follow, and the two padded off towards the town of Eastridge.
It was midnight when Clyde’s paws met the concrete sidewalk. It had put back on the costume it stole; it store it in a den just outside of the neighborhood when not in use. Now, as it watched the last few people walk up and down the streets, it didn’t quite crave the children it usually targeted on Halloween. It craved a larger quarry.
There. Two humans. Not dressed up for the holiday, but not quite looking the same as the adults, carrying strange fabrics. Teenagers, Clyde assumed. It stalked down the sidewalk, on the opposite side of the streetlights, listening. Waiting.
—
“…So what’d you get from Mrs. Harrison’s house?” Devin grabbed the pillowcase from Cole before he could respond, making him glare. Devin looked inside, letting out a laugh.
“Holy shit dude. That’s like… 20 dollars worth of candy.” He handed back the pillowcase. “Lucky.”
Cole shrugged, slinging the pillowcase over his shoulder. “It’s almost 12:30, no one’s out here with their kids anymore, so she gave what she had to me. Take notes.”
The two continued walking. Their plan was simple; snag leftover candy from any houses with their lights on, and then go back to Devin’s place with their stash. Quick and easy. Cole’s head turned to the sidewalk across from them, pointing at a figure and stepping back. His eyes were wide. “Holy shit, bobcat.”
Devin looked to where Cole was pointing, stepping back as well. The figure was… weird. Not quite the shape of a bobcat. It walked on all fours, eyes trained on the pair. “That’s not a bobcat, dumbass, it’s got a tail. What the fuck-?”
And then it stood onto two legs, slouched. Human-like.
Cole immediately dropped his bag and bolted. Devin sputtered for a moment, reaching to grab Cole’s pillowcase and sprinting right behind. “Cole!”
“Fuck that! Fuck this! Leave the candy dude!” Cole shouted back.
A shriek. Cole didn’t get a response. He muttered under his breath, “Oh my god, oh my god, holy shit,” running so hard his lungs burned and he couldn’t feel his feet anymore. He heard something behind him— didn’t dare to look back— like galloping, like the clicking of a dog’s claws against laminated floors.
He tripped as he tried to run across the street, practically launching himself from the curb into the asphalt. The breath was knocked out of him, gasping, tumbling and then coughing as he landed on his side. He groaned. He could feel the scuff of his hands, the first layer of skin tarnished by the street. He scrambled to try and get up, getting to his feet, moving forward—
Something snagged his hood. He gasped, and then yelped, falling onto his back. And then he was being dragged, fast. He thrashed, trying to get whatever got his hood off, but he shrieked as his lower back hit the curb and bounced him up to the sidewalk. A sharp turn sent him careening, drifting into the corner of a brick wall as he was taken down an alley. He heard a crackling sound. Blood on the concrete passed him by, right under him. He could feel it against the back of his hoodie.
And then everything stopped.
Cole fought to get up, but whatever had his hoodie brought him down again. After a second, he glanced up, panting hard. His eyes went wide in terror.
There, above him, was something he only heard of in campfire stories. Something moms told their kids about so they didn’t get kidnapped on Halloween. Something he didn’t believe was real. It glared at him, and then turned back to what it was holding; Devin, neck snapped and head hanging limply.
Cole opened his mouth to scream, but the demon’s tail un-lodged from his hood and wrapped firmly around his neck. It stung like fire, like a thousand wasps attacking all at once. Cole reached for the tail, but his hands immediately drew back, the same feeling prickling against his sore palms. Tears streamed down his face.
He didn’t even see the demon consume Devin’s mind, but when he looked up, he saw something considerably worse. One, the demon was eating Devin’s body, tearing into flesh. Two, there was a figure beside it, one Cole didn’t recognize. It stared him down like a cat to a mouse. A clawed hand met his face, and then it all went dark.
—
Clyde ate fast. It had to, so that way it could get out before the cops came. Its tail unwound from the boy’s neck as Winfrey consumed his mind, allowing its partner to have its fill as well. A successful hunt. Winfrey let out a grateful trill as it began to eat, the skin around its mouth pulling back to reveal teeth, before sinking into flesh. Clyde let out a noise in return— a giggle. It found that it liked laughing, so it did it often. That was its favorite trait it got from humans.
When the two had their fill, Clyde lifted up the lid to a nearby dumpster, allowing Winfrey to toss the remains in. Perhaps the local wildlife would eat the rest. The pair then made their way out, traveling through the alleys until they found a backyard fence, jumping it to traverse the yards of the neighborhood. It didn’t take long for them to reach the forest’s edge, running for their den.
When they arrived, it was nearing morning. The sun threatened to peek over the horizon, and Clyde could tell that its partner was weary. It led Winfrey inside, the larger Veldigun letting out a small rumble of tired acknowledgment. Inside, it paced in a few circles before lying down, huffing. Clyde followed, settling next to it, nuzzling the other’s shoulder with its forehead. Winfrey lifted its paw, pulling its partner closer in return, and Clyde laughed. Winfrey smiled. The sound made it feel… safe.
Its eyes fell shut, holding its partner close. Clyde’s tail curled around them both, its eyes closing as well. For now, they were safe. For now.