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Beauty and the Devil
Chapter 9: You, Me, and the Devil Makes Three

“Nothing hurts more than trying your absolute best and still not being good enough.” -r.h.

This chapter is dedicated to over on deviantart.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to you and your kind words. This is a little late but I hope you did well on your exams. I’m rooting for you!

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Your heart leaps up into your throat and fear courses through every fiber of your being. You feel eyes on your back, watching you from within the devil’s house.

“I wouldn’t if I were you. They know you’re here,” The voice echoes. “And they’d be tickled pink if you go skipping through the woods to grandma’s house.”

Your body trembles with every lightning strike of your heartbeat. You spin on your feet, eyes shooting down the dim hall you just ran down, searching. You know that voice. While it doesn’t belong to your dad, you recognize it as the voice of your mysterious savior.

“And who are ‘they’?” You question.

“Look for yourself.”

Hesitant to leave your back unguarded to the depths of the house, you slowly turn and glance outside. Your heart seems so cease beating in your chest. Your lungs start to scream for air that you unintentionally deny them. The only thing keeping you from falling to the floor is your death grip on the door handle. You knew they were still out there, but you didn’t imagine anything like this. They’re just standing there, watching you with an insatiable hunger in their corrupted red eyes. Just within the boarder of the dark woods, the monsters that had chased you down twice, now sit. Waiting. You feel like a fish in a bowl being watched by starving cats.

The floorboards creaking brakes the silence of the mansion. You can hear claws lightly scrape against the worn wood. Movement from one of the doorways in the hall gains your focus. Upon seeing what was causing the noise you relax slightly at a familiar face. The white dog walks, making it’s way down the hallway towards you. Around its neck is a large gleaming red gem encased in silver. In the terror and darkness of the night before you must have missed it. You had thought that for sure it ended up as monster chow. Maybe it sensed that thing in the basement and snuck away to safety.

“They’re demons and-”

A shrek leaves your lips right before your leg shoots out and kicks the dog sending it falling to the ground. You don’t know where to go. Outside the monsters are waiting to devour you. Inside lies the beast that you saw in the basement and who knows what else. And right before you is a dog. A talking dog. Dogs don’t talk. Is this just another monstrous creature in the form of a dog? Your mind seems unable to comprehend everything all at once.

“Come on baby,” The dog shakes the dust of itself after it stands back up. It’s blue eyes then look up to you like you’re the one that’s not normal in this whole nightmare. “Don’t be that way. You should be more grateful since I helped you and your old man get out of the basement.”

Your brain seems to forget how to properly form words. “H-how...you talk…”

“All the shit you saw last night and I’m the weird one?”

He does have a point, even though it should be impossible for him to voice it. Since arriving in this hell the dog was the only one that actually helped you. He led you to your dad and, apparently, even helped the two of you escape. If he wanted to eat you then he would have tried to do so by now. And really, out of everything, monsters and beasts, a talking dog is the easier one to actually believe. Plus he seems to know more about this place then anyone. You remember the bed in that one room you had checked. It was covered in his fur which means he’s been here for quite some time and he’s still alive. Dog or not maybe he can help you find your dad and get out of this nightmare in one piece.

“Okay then dog,” You do your best to hide the quiver that still lingers in your voice. “What are those things?”

“They’re gluten demons. Fat bastards will eat anything and I can promise that they’d love to sink their teeth into you,” He explains looking rather bored. “They’re usually in packs and are no smarter than the average flea bag.”

“Like you?”

“Me? Average? I can think of a few ways to change your mind, but you’re probably not into the fluffy type.”

“If they’re so dead set on having me for lunch why don’t they try? Last night they chased me here but, like now, never left the woods.”

“Brains aren’t exactly their strong suit but they know better then to leave the woods. They’re too scared to.”

Your gut twists at his words and something doesn’t seem right. Those things, the gluten demons, are big, fast and deadly. It makes you wonder. For them to be so afraid that they won’t leave the woods….

“...And what is it that they’re so afraid of?” You wonder if it’s a question you even want answered. Although you have a thought.

“They’re scared to run into-”

“Dante.” A dark piercing voice calls out through the shadows of the devil’s house. And like a bad dream you just can’t seem to wake up from, there it is. The creature you fear the most and dreaded running into stands on the second floor balcony overlooking the room. Its soul stealing eyes pierce into your frightened ones. Unmoving, unfeeling. Its neon blue eyes are void of everything, emotionless. They remind you of glaciers. Cold and leaves you shivering with fear.

“You always have been the life of the party, Vergil.” The dog says casually, like there isn’t some horrid monster demon glaring down at him. The same horrid monster demon that you know just from looking at it could easily kill anything it wishes.

Its piercing eyes move from the dog to lock back onto your frozen form. “Let her leave and run to her death if she insists on being so foolish.”

“Didn’t anyone tell you that you’re supposed to be nice to the ladies.”

You don’t hear the dog’s comment. You can only hear your frantic heart beating in your ears. Your body is shaking, trembling with complete horror of the creature before you. Your legs try to buckle and give out but somehow you manage to fight their desire to see you hit the floor and remain standing.

The dog had said that the things outside in the woods were demons. If that’s true and they are demons then surely this terrifying creature is the devil itself. You can find no other fitting words to describe it. Your dad had been correct, though you wonder if he knew just how on the mark he had been. This truly is, without a doubt, the devil’s house.

A thought occurs to you. Your dad had called this place the devil’s house. Which can only mean that he also had a run in with this very creature. The dog had said the ones in the woods weren’t smart, so the chances of them being the ones that had locked your dad in the basement are next to zero. Plus they don’t leave the woods. On top of it it had been this monstrous nightmare that you had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting when you tried to save your dad. It locked you in the basement as well. Even after the two of you had escaped, while you didn’t dare to look, you could feel it’s gaze on you as the two of you fled in your dad’s car.

It was the one that locked your dad up the first time so what are the chances of it knowing where he is now? Did it lock him up again? If so then where, why and will it even tell you? You don’t want to draw even more of its attention to you, but if you don’t then you may never get the answers you need. If you ask, and it does lead to your dad then the two of you can finally go home and wake up from this nightmare. The question is, can you find the courage to ask.

You have this. What’s the worst that could happen from asking? ...right….stupid question. Is it worth the gamble? There’s no guarantee it even knows where your dad is and opening your mouth may very well lead to your own death. It has yet to kill you and you don’t really want to give it a reason to do so. If you say something, anything, then that could be enough of a reason for it to kill you right here and now.

You can feel tears streak down your cheeks. You’re beyond terrified out of your damn mind. You don’t know what to do or where to go or how to get help. One thing is crystal clear however. You need to find your dad. He was in bad shape and that was before the car crash. Time is not on your side. You cannot fail him.

You open your mouth just to close it again. Trembling hands grip the door tighter until your knuckles turn a ghostly white. Unable to tear your eyes away from the devil above that continues to stare into what feels like your very soul. You bite your lip hard enough for it to bleed. The pain brings a bit of clarity. It distracts you from your fear just enough. Taking a deep shaky breath you keep your gaze locked with the monster’s.

“T-there was a man with me. My dad.” Your voice quivers with each word that you force past your lips, threatening to break. “H-he was badly hurt. Pl-please, I n-need to find him. Ple-lease.”

Something shifts in the devil’s icy glare. Anger, annoyance, disgust. You find yourself unable to withstand the intensity within its gaze and shift your focus to the elegantly crafted railing in front of its legs. Your own legs are begging, pleading with you to just let them give out already, but you hold firm. Something in your gut tells you that if you collapse now, if you show any more weakness than you already have, then it will all be over and all of this will have been for nothing.

The silence becomes deafening. If it weren’t for the fact that you can still see its unmoving legs you would have thought it had left the room entirely. Your lungs start to scream for air and you wonder when had you held your breath.

“You want to save him?” Its voice is just as foreboding as the first time. Like a lightning strike of petrifying icy terror straight to your heart. “You can’t even save yourself.”

The world melts away around you. You don’t notice the dog by your feet or the hungry eyes on your back belonging to the demons in the woods. Hell, you don’t even notice the the devil turn its back on you and disappear back into the depths of the house. Eyes wide with heartstopping fear its words sink in. Whether it knows where your dad is or not, it will not tell.

Its right isn’t it? You came here with the hopes of finding your dad and rescuing him so the two of you can go back home together. You had been so scared of failing him, of losing him to. You already have though haven’t you? Even if you do find him then the reality of the situation is, you wouldn’t be able to get out of this hellish nightmare.

Your legs finally give out as you hit the floor but you no longer care. Heavy tears run down your cold face offering the briefest of warmth before chilling over in the bitter air. Your first attempt at rescue had ended up a literal wreck. That crash had only hurt your dad even worse. Even if you manage to find him again then what’s the point? Getting past the gluten demons is impossible. Hell, you had a car before and they still caught up to you and nearly ended your life. It’s only luck that you survived and ended up in the one place they dare not go. Whether it was good or bad luck remains unclear.

As much as you hate to admit it, the devil creature is right. You can’t rescue your dad from this hell if you can’t even get out yourself.

Description
Beauty and the Devil
Chapter 9: You, Me, and the Devil Makes Three

“Nothing hurts more than trying your absolute best and still not being good enough.” -r.h.

This chapter is dedicated to over on deviantart.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to you and your kind words. This is a little late but I hope you did well on your exams. I’m rooting for you!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Your heart leaps up into your throat and fear courses through every fiber of your being. You feel eyes on your back, watching you from within the devil’s house.

“I wouldn’t if I were you. They know you’re here,” The voice echoes. “And they’d be tickled pink if you go skipping through the woods to grandma’s house.”

Your body trembles with every lightning strike of your heartbeat. You spin on your feet, eyes shooting down the dim hall you just ran down, searching. You know that voice. While it doesn’t belong to your dad, you recognize it as the voice of your mysterious savior.

“And who are ‘they’?” You question.

“Look for yourself.”

Hesitant to leave your back unguarded to the depths of the house, you slowly turn and glance outside. Your heart seems so cease beating in your chest. Your lungs start to scream for air that you unintentionally deny them. The only thing keeping you from falling to the floor is your death grip on the door handle. You knew they were still out there, but you didn’t imagine anything like this. They’re just standing there, watching you with an insatiable hunger in their corrupted red eyes. Just within the boarder of the dark woods, the monsters that had chased you down twice, now sit. Waiting. You feel like a fish in a bowl being watched by starving cats.

The floorboards creaking brakes the silence of the mansion. You can hear claws lightly scrape against the worn wood. Movement from one of the doorways in the hall gains your focus. Upon seeing what was causing the noise you relax slightly at a familiar face. The white dog walks, making it’s way down the hallway towards you. Around its neck is a large gleaming red gem encased in silver. In the terror and darkness of the night before you must have missed it. You had thought that for sure it ended up as monster chow. Maybe it sensed that thing in the basement and snuck away to safety.

“They’re demons and-”

A shrek leaves your lips right before your leg shoots out and kicks the dog sending it falling to the ground. You don’t know where to go. Outside the monsters are waiting to devour you. Inside lies the beast that you saw in the basement and who knows what else. And right before you is a dog. A talking dog. Dogs don’t talk. Is this just another monstrous creature in the form of a dog? Your mind seems unable to comprehend everything all at once.

“Come on baby,” The dog shakes the dust of itself after it stands back up. It’s blue eyes then look up to you like you’re the one that’s not normal in this whole nightmare. “Don’t be that way. You should be more grateful since I helped you and your old man get out of the basement.”

Your brain seems to forget how to properly form words. “H-how...you talk…”

“All the shit you saw last night and I’m the weird one?”

He does have a point, even though it should be impossible for him to voice it. Since arriving in this hell the dog was the only one that actually helped you. He led you to your dad and, apparently, even helped the two of you escape. If he wanted to eat you then he would have tried to do so by now. And really, out of everything, monsters and beasts, a talking dog is the easier one to actually believe. Plus he seems to know more about this place then anyone. You remember the bed in that one room you had checked. It was covered in his fur which means he’s been here for quite some time and he’s still alive. Dog or not maybe he can help you find your dad and get out of this nightmare in one piece.

“Okay then dog,” You do your best to hide the quiver that still lingers in your voice. “What are those things?”

“They’re gluten demons. Fat bastards will eat anything and I can promise that they’d love to sink their teeth into you,” He explains looking rather bored. “They’re usually in packs and are no smarter than the average flea bag.”

“Like you?”

“Me? Average? I can think of a few ways to change your mind, but you’re probably not into the fluffy type.”

“If they’re so dead set on having me for lunch why don’t they try? Last night they chased me here but, like now, never left the woods.”

“Brains aren’t exactly their strong suit but they know better then to leave the woods. They’re too scared to.”

Your gut twists at his words and something doesn’t seem right. Those things, the gluten demons, are big, fast and deadly. It makes you wonder. For them to be so afraid that they won’t leave the woods….

“...And what is it that they’re so afraid of?” You wonder if it’s a question you even want answered. Although you have a thought.

“They’re scared to run into-”

“Dante.” A dark piercing voice calls out through the shadows of the devil’s house. And like a bad dream you just can’t seem to wake up from, there it is. The creature you fear the most and dreaded running into stands on the second floor balcony overlooking the room. Its soul stealing eyes pierce into your frightened ones. Unmoving, unfeeling. Its neon blue eyes are void of everything, emotionless. They remind you of glaciers. Cold and leaves you shivering with fear.

“You always have been the life of the party, Vergil.” The dog says casually, like there isn’t some horrid monster demon glaring down at him. The same horrid monster demon that you know just from looking at it could easily kill anything it wishes.

Its piercing eyes move from the dog to lock back onto your frozen form. “Let her leave and run to her death if she insists on being so foolish.”

“Didn’t anyone tell you that you’re supposed to be nice to the ladies.”

You don’t hear the dog’s comment. You can only hear your frantic heart beating in your ears. Your body is shaking, trembling with complete horror of the creature before you. Your legs try to buckle and give out but somehow you manage to fight their desire to see you hit the floor and remain standing.

The dog had said that the things outside in the woods were demons. If that’s true and they are demons then surely this terrifying creature is the devil itself. You can find no other fitting words to describe it. Your dad had been correct, though you wonder if he knew just how on the mark he had been. This truly is, without a doubt, the devil’s house.

A thought occurs to you. Your dad had called this place the devil’s house. Which can only mean that he also had a run in with this very creature. The dog had said the ones in the woods weren’t smart, so the chances of them being the ones that had locked your dad in the basement are next to zero. Plus they don’t leave the woods. On top of it it had been this monstrous nightmare that you had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting when you tried to save your dad. It locked you in the basement as well. Even after the two of you had escaped, while you didn’t dare to look, you could feel it’s gaze on you as the two of you fled in your dad’s car.

It was the one that locked your dad up the first time so what are the chances of it knowing where he is now? Did it lock him up again? If so then where, why and will it even tell you? You don’t want to draw even more of its attention to you, but if you don’t then you may never get the answers you need. If you ask, and it does lead to your dad then the two of you can finally go home and wake up from this nightmare. The question is, can you find the courage to ask.

You have this. What’s the worst that could happen from asking? ...right….stupid question. Is it worth the gamble? There’s no guarantee it even knows where your dad is and opening your mouth may very well lead to your own death. It has yet to kill you and you don’t really want to give it a reason to do so. If you say something, anything, then that could be enough of a reason for it to kill you right here and now.

You can feel tears streak down your cheeks. You’re beyond terrified out of your damn mind. You don’t know what to do or where to go or how to get help. One thing is crystal clear however. You need to find your dad. He was in bad shape and that was before the car crash. Time is not on your side. You cannot fail him.

You open your mouth just to close it again. Trembling hands grip the door tighter until your knuckles turn a ghostly white. Unable to tear your eyes away from the devil above that continues to stare into what feels like your very soul. You bite your lip hard enough for it to bleed. The pain brings a bit of clarity. It distracts you from your fear just enough. Taking a deep shaky breath you keep your gaze locked with the monster’s.

“T-there was a man with me. My dad.” Your voice quivers with each word that you force past your lips, threatening to break. “H-he was badly hurt. Pl-please, I n-need to find him. Ple-lease.”

Something shifts in the devil’s icy glare. Anger, annoyance, disgust. You find yourself unable to withstand the intensity within its gaze and shift your focus to the elegantly crafted railing in front of its legs. Your own legs are begging, pleading with you to just let them give out already, but you hold firm. Something in your gut tells you that if you collapse now, if you show any more weakness than you already have, then it will all be over and all of this will have been for nothing.

The silence becomes deafening. If it weren’t for the fact that you can still see its unmoving legs you would have thought it had left the room entirely. Your lungs start to scream for air and you wonder when had you held your breath.

“You want to save him?” Its voice is just as foreboding as the first time. Like a lightning strike of petrifying icy terror straight to your heart. “You can’t even save yourself.”

The world melts away around you. You don’t notice the dog by your feet or the hungry eyes on your back belonging to the demons in the woods. Hell, you don’t even notice the the devil turn its back on you and disappear back into the depths of the house. Eyes wide with heartstopping fear its words sink in. Whether it knows where your dad is or not, it will not tell.

Its right isn’t it? You came here with the hopes of finding your dad and rescuing him so the two of you can go back home together. You had been so scared of failing him, of losing him to. You already have though haven’t you? Even if you do find him then the reality of the situation is, you wouldn’t be able to get out of this hellish nightmare.

Your legs finally give out as you hit the floor but you no longer care. Heavy tears run down your cold face offering the briefest of warmth before chilling over in the bitter air. Your first attempt at rescue had ended up a literal wreck. That crash had only hurt your dad even worse. Even if you manage to find him again then what’s the point? Getting past the gluten demons is impossible. Hell, you had a car before and they still caught up to you and nearly ended your life. It’s only luck that you survived and ended up in the one place they dare not go. Whether it was good or bad luck remains unclear.

As much as you hate to admit it, the devil creature is right. You can’t rescue your dad from this hell if you can’t even get out yourself.