The screams and sounds of resistance stopped almost as quickly as they had started. Denis tilted his head, pointing his ear in the direction of the traffic jam. If not for the low growls and barks of the hellhounds, the night would have been completely still.

Denis’ eyes met with one car, which was still rocking back and forth violently. On the rear window, Denis could only imagine one of those “Don’t come-a knocking” signs posted for any on-lookers to see; but instead of the humorous sign, blood was splattered against the glass.

When the car finally stopped rocking, Denis peered into the driver’s side window of the car. At first he only saw blackness, but as the time passed by slowly, a pair of red angry eyes rose from behind the door. The head housing the two read eyes was hidden within the darkness of the vehicle’s interior, but the eyes glowed like two miniature headlights. A chill ran through Denis’ body when the demonic orbs met his human eyes. From deep within his mind, he could hear the angered snarling of the demon hound that watched him intently.


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“What the hell is he doing? Why doesn’t he just fuckin blow the shit outta those things?” David pressed himself up against the glass, pointing and gesturing at Denis.

“Never attack until you know what you are attacking, David.” Jon spoke softly, pushing himself away from the glass. “We need to get everybody away from the windows.”

David knocked on the glass door, getting Denis’ attention. With his forefinger and thumb, he made the gesture of a handgun firing in the direction of the devil pooches. Denis ignored him and David turned away from the door to talk to Jon.

“So fearless leader, what’s the plan?” But when David turned, Jon was gone.

“He went to find the store manager, mumbling something about keeping clear of the windows.” Andria spoke up.

“What should we do?” David’s voice remained calm, though the beads of sweat on his forehead and the look of worry on his face said otherwise.

“Hope that Denis is just as impressive as Mark.” Andria turned away from the door to join Jon in the dining section with the manager of the small diner.

David pressed himself back up against the glass, a hopeful look replacing his worried expression. “You better know what you’re doing.”


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The first of the hellhounds started its approach towards Denis, blood streaming from its mouth. A glow of red intensified within its eyes, the dark red illumination giving the beast an even more ferocious look. As it walked, its claws dug an inch into the rock solid concrete and its hind leg muscles flared up with each step. A low growl emitted from the beasts ripped and torn throat.

As the creature grew closer to Denis, its mouth opened wide, causing it to bear jagged stained teeth. Denis pulled the gun on his left from its holster and aimed it an inch in front of the hellhound, firing off a warning shot. The hellhound, though, was no more warned than he was even more pissed off.

“Back off puppy.” Denis whispered to himself.

A bark, loud and ferocious, came from the monster, directed towards Denis. Denis fired off another shit, this time closer to the hellhound. Again the only reaction was that of growing anger.

“…Or not.” Denis turned swiftly on his heels and pushed against the glass door behind him and slipped inside the diner.


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David pushed himself away from the glass door as Denis burst through, his hand stilled clasped tight around the guns handle. As he backed up towards the dining area unknowingly, David’s eyes never left Denis, who was frantically pulling at a large newspaper dispenser.

“David! Drag in a table!” Denis barked as he pressed the portable newspaper stand against the glass door, which covered the door only halfway.

David ran off to the dining room section, his voice barking off orders in the back as he gathered patrons and employees to drag several tables out to the main hall. Dishes and silverware crashed and clanged against the floor as the tables were moved from their original spots.

“Push them tight against the door!” Denis snapped another order before running off to the smoking section of the Diner, where he knew yet another entrance would need to be blocked off.


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Jon pushed himself up against the dining area’s window, his eyes scanning the area for the hell beasts that threatened the diner beforehand. Broken down cars, torn body parts, and shattered glass was all that littered the outside street and parking lot. Jon’s eyes squinted as they searched harder in the dark, his ears even trying to pick up the sound of their angered growls.

“Jon, come on!” Andria’s voice came from the kitchen door, where her head poked out and her hand waved him in.

Jon peeled himself away from the window, stammering over the mess left from the unscheduled redecoration the quartet had initiated.

“They’re not out there… something’s wrong.” Jon pushed passed Andria and moved into the kitchen to where some of the waiters had gathered.

Denis pressed himself hard against the last table, listening as the stack of tables and chairs seemed to settle themselves into place against the back door. Taking a heaving breath, he moved himself back into the main lounge. Moving up to the barricade, he ducked down slightly to peer through a small opening left between two tables. His eyes scanned outside, but found nothing besides the dismay left behind by the hellhounds.

“Nobody home.” He snarled, pushing himself away from the barricade. Frowning, unsure of where the hellhounds could have gone to, he made his way to the kitchen, where the few patrons and employees had gathered together.


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“So what exactly is going on here?” A waiter asked, turning his attention to Jon, David, and Andria, who stood together at the kitchen door.

The trio pushed themselves away from the door, their nervous gazes turning to the waiter. “Well, umm…”

“Go ahead, tell them Andria. We do need to start building up our army, so we might as well start here.” Denis spoke as he pushed through the kitchen door.

“Wait, army? What are you talking about?” The waiter’s look turned to mass confusion.

“That’s right. The four of us need to put together an army to fight against the armies of heaven and hell, which have already started their scouts of our homelands.” Denis spoke dryly.

The waiter laughed, as did the rest of the wait and cook staff. “You’re kidding right? Two places which most probably don’t even exist have formed armies to take over our planet?”

Denis smiled. “You catch on quick.”

“Seriously, what the fuck is going on here? What the fuck were those things outside? Why the hell did they eat those people?” The waiter seemed to grow agitated.

“Hey chico, we gave you the answer, you just refuse to accept it.” David stepped forward to help Denis, his foot stamping on the ground when he began to speak.

“You gave me a shit-story about demons taking over the world. Your fantasy land may work for you, but some of us want the fucking, honest to god truth!”

Denis snickered, hearing honest and god in the same sentence seeming humorous to him. “The honest to ‘god’ truth, my friend, is that…”