Blood on the knife

Ch 1

Chapter 1

Cole raked his honey eyes down the dark alley way. A few houses on either side dripped light like acid on the his tawny red backpack and mousy brown hair. He sneered at the light that illumenated his pale skin and round freckled face. The face of a child, an innocent, a face to be despised. Cole ducked from the windows of his neighbors in their fine little rooms with their fine little china exhibited to tempt boys like him to throw rocks. No faces peered out of those windows for it was almost eleven. All the normal folks were safe in bed unaware of the chubby boy slinking past their pampered guard dogs and down through the alley to the darkness beyond.

Cole glanced around once more and caught the brown and white pattern of Miss Riley's dog, Peaches. She was a prissy little cocker spanial but that probably came in the breed description. Her wrinkly face was looking into his own. He couldn't see the deep unattractive grooves that lined Peaches's face nore the dull fuzz around her messed up muzzle but her eyes were just gleaming from where she lounged on the porch and he mouth was getting ready to bark. He hissed at the little b***h dog sending her up and off her feet yelping into the next room.

Damn it.

His last thought before he ran. Miss Riley's porch light went on but by the time the attractive blonde had reached the door Cole was gone. He had hit the end of the street fanning into a wide circle. The metal sign gleamed unreadable in the street lamp. "Dead end." Cole smiled and adjusted his pack. Past the light of the street was a whole new and fantastic world. The ground sunk under his feet where the moles had been digging tunnels. He skipped over them quickly so his weight wouldn't push him farther. "One of these days I'm gonna loose all this fat." He huphed. The trail he was on had turned and now the trees about him were closing in like the demons were whielding a blanket of protection over their loyal subject.

The darkness was becoming more absolute, forcing the pale boy to stop and fumble through his backpack. Inside wasthe equipment for his initiation into the dark world. six red candles uncapped and ready for use, chalk and a diagram to show him the paths he must draw for the summoning, a lighter, flashlight and the most important ingreedent to his plan, but that was not carried in the bag. He pulled out the flashlight now and scanned the area. He could just hear the squeak of bats overhead and hoped he wouldn't have to meet up with them.

Through the beam he could see the trail forking. One way led to a steep decline with a creek going under the trail and the other was a rather level incline with a curve hiding the rest of the trail. He knew if he followed the second it was all uphill but the first was his destination. The light peered down into the deep decline bringing a whistle of appreciation to his lips. He knelt once more and dug out the side walk chalk. All he had was a white half stick the length of his hand. Nerveously he dusted the chalk across his palms and down his fingers until they had a faint glow all their own. He'd never done that before, but he'd never gone down this slope alone before and the idea of cotten mouths didn't fill him with glee. Lugging his back pack once more, Cole began his tricky descent. He was half way down before he lost his footing. Instinctivly his hands went back to catch him but the chalk worked against him. Without the friction of his flesh on rock he kept sliding. A squeal of terror filled the air before he came to a smooth stop at the foot of the decline. The stars were sharp and beautiful that night with the silver disk of the moon hearding them close like chicks to their mother. Silently he prayed that his demon masters had not heard his fear and stood up.

First he flashed the water, black under his light. Nothing sinister seemed to be slithering past the inky rocks or the new layed ashfalt. Cole kicked at the black pebbley surface to see the rocks spatter under his boot. "Useless." He mumbled moving away from the unstable ashfalt and toward the white washed rocks. They all bunched together like paperclips on a magnet. All the crystiline surfaces either flat or angled slightly. Cole eyeballed the distance between rock to rock, building a path in his head before trying it in real life. He only had one shot to do this right or he would fall in the water and might not get back up. Over and over again he watched himself jumping nimbly like some of the crazy parcour guys at school. Finally his feet moved.

The execution was not as good as fantasy but it ment little to Cole as long as he got across. The slap of thigh high reeds greeted his galliant attempt. "Hell yeah! Take that Mother Nature!" Cole screamed into the uninterested sky before plowing off through the reeds. The occasional snag of thorns on his clothing couldn't distract him this time. Finally he saw the skeletal remains of a half a*s attempt at a tent braced right before a slab of concrete. It was the marker for his destination.

Cole dropped to one knee and began his work. The chalk felt like a traitor in his hand but he still used its gravely properties to execute his shakey circles and symbols. He had no way to measure distance and was no artist but when he stood up to admire his work he had to admit it was pretty awesome. Next he drew the candles from the bag. Setting them on each of the six demonic symbols. Beads of sweat pooled down his forehead as he meticulously lit each one before setting himself within the main circle.

This is it Cole, all the elements are in place. You can really do it this time!

Excitement like cold ants down his skin made him jumpy. He breathed deep then pulled out the main ingreedent to his manic plot. The knife was smooth and ebbany handled with black trim. Embossened on the blade itself there ran the creatures of his dreams. Wolves, true beautiful wolves. Cole ran a finger down the blunt end of the blade, imagining their howls for him to wake them.

His honey brown eyes glanced down at his watch and then up at the moon. "Midnight. Full Moon. The symbols are set, the candles are lit. It's time." Cole knelt as if in prayer holding his knife like an offering to the silver moonlight. "I call upon the demons of the Hunt. The demons of the Howl. The demons of breath, and skin and blood. The demon of the Wolf." His mouth moved upon its own accord, speaking tongues to the darkness around him as he cut his shirt to ribbons down his arms. The smooth pale skin gleamed in the moonlight. "Take me, spirits of the night. Feed on the flesh and blood of your servent!" The knife dug like cold redempiton into his arm. He forced it down, slitting the artery until it bled like a river. "Use my offering as you wish in return for your power!" The same procedure was executed on the other arm. Now he lay kneeling and ragged. His blood dripping down on the chalky swirls below.

Suddenly teeth long and sharp as razors ripped through his shoulder and chest. Instinctivly he threw his shoulder in his attackers cheek but only earned an irritated growl. The demons had come! Cole looked up into bright yellow eyes and sharp gleaming fangs. The wolf braced it's legs on his thigh and shook his head violantly. One paw collided with his groin and the other digging into his hip. Cole felt himself thrown back as another fearsome demon pinned him. Neither attacked his bleeding arms but ripped into his legs and shoulders. He could almost hear human laughter echoing from their carnal growls.

"Why!" Cole screamed through a sparting of blood. "Help!" His squeak was miniscule and dead on the ears of the wolves but they stopped their attack. Cole was losing his ability to stay awake. The loss of blood had sapped him off his will. Faintly he wondered what his mother would say when he she called him for school in the morning. Would she call the police? Of course.

"Get up." One demon snapped hauling Cole to a sitting position from the back of the neck. The one who'd spoken, a male by the sound of it was glaring into Cole's honey colored eyes. "You said we could use your offering any way we wanted."

"Foolish mortal, calling us forward." The other wolf, a female, cackled. "Now we have you and you have two seconds to make this look interesting." The female licked her lips and eyed him darkly.

"One..."

"Better run dog boy."

Cole needed no other encouragement. Dizzily he found his feet and staggered blindly through the reeds. His feet knew the trail but he couldn't keep his feet. red and white lights were flashing across his vision blinding him. The world was spinning, becoming liquid under his heels. Finally he fell, the splash of freezing cold water knocking him semi-conscience. Bright light filled his eyes and then he was gone.

Author's Note

Talk to me about characters. What's your initial reaction to Cole?

Reviews

[EurasianFlavour]

He seems like a foolish troublemaker who is getting himself into something he doesn't fully understand. Maybe he is trying to prove a point or is training to gain power so he doesn't feel so overlooked or disrespected for being young. I think if he survives this (as I'm sure he will) he would not have learned his lesson and continue to meddle with dark magic and demons.

[Revera Love]

Now that's the stuff I'm wanting to hear! Nice prediction mon amie. I hope I hear from you again :)