Domestic animals of Hell

It was night in the city of Shallowriver. The birds had stopped chirping and had gone to rest but the people of Shallowriver had not- they will but not yet. To them, the day was still young and full of life.

Maggie, a teenage blonde walked out of a jewelry store holding hands with Dale her boyfriend.

"What should we do now, Dale?" She asked Dale.

"I don't know. You should be going home." Dale replied. "Your parents might have found out that you are not in bed."

She smiled. "C'mon, Dale. My parents can't find out, I'm a perfect deceiver." She replied. "So what's next?"

"I don't know, Mag. I don't feel alright about this."

Maggie held his hands. " You don't need to be." She replied. " Follow me." She led him to the corner of a building. It was dark and Dale could feel something was wrong.

She kissed Dale and he kissed her back. They made out in that dark corner.

Suddenly, they heard growls - growls like that of a wolf.

" Who's there?" Maggie asked.

The growl grew louder . Dale held Maggie's hand.

" Let's go." He told her. They turned back to go but where blocked by a dog with eight eyes and a serpent as a tail.

The beast attacked and pounced on Maggie. The beast didn't harm her, instead it went after Dale who was running away.

Dale ran with all his strength going deep into the dark side of the corner. He continued till he got to the ending where a wall was. He was now scared than ever. He could hear the growls behind him but there was no way to escape, this was his last moment. He knew that nothing could stop the beast from eating him up.

"C'mon, let's try it." Jake pleaded with the others. "A pet would be very useful."

"No, we don't need a pet." Ella protested.

Max got up with his laptop in hand. "What she meant was that we don't need two pets." Then he walked away heading to his room.

"Ha ha ha, very funny." Jake sarcastically yelled at him. Then he faced Ella.

"No," She got up and went to her room also.

Max slowly opened his eyes for he was sleeping. What he saw was Jake and Ella looking down at him.

"Wake up, sleepy head. We have a case."

"Can't we get to it by dawn?" He asked.

"No." Jake replied. " We need to get moving now if we wish to reach there on time.

Max begrudgingly got up from bed and went to get dressed after which he went to the garage where he met Ella and Jake standing close to the car, an SSC tuatara model. It was the world's fastest car.

"What took you so long?" Jake asked.

"Cause I was busy applying my cosmetics." He replied as he opened the boot and dropped his baggage in it.

Ella entered the car and sat on the driver's seat.

"Do you know how I got this car?" She proudly asked the boys as they got into the car.

"Awww. You've told us like a thousand times."

"Well, there's nothing wrong if you hear it one more time." Ella said. "Cause a beauty like this can't be gotten for free."

"Ella, would you start the car, please?"

Ella started the engine and within minutes, they were on their way to Shallowriver.

Magog walked the halls of the kingdom of Northern Hell. She had been summoned by Gog her brother. She entered the throne room where she met Gog seated on his throne.

"You are back, brother?" She asked him.

"As you can see, I came back victorious."

"As in victorious, you mean you've annihilated the Shadow Vale and the human world is next?"

" No, but if you had agreed to help me, I would have achieved a lot."

" Brother, I told you. I don't actually care about you and your crazy crusade."

" The Magog I know was a brave warrior, commander of Hell's army. You were my envy then." Gog said. " But now, there's nothing to say about you."

" Well, you can say it like this; Magog, the once brave warrior and commander of Hell who now does nothing but sleep."

" Hmm."

" Why did you summon me, Gog?"

" There is something I want you to do."

Magog turned back and started walking towards the door.

" Stop! It's something you would like to do."

She turned back. " And what would that be?"

Ella, Max and Jake entered the Shallowriver police station.

"Detective Pikachu and this is my Partner Agent Senseless."

Max wasn't happy with that name but he kept his cool.

Ella introduced herself and Max to the policewoman at the counter.

" We are here to investigate the murder of Dale Lexington." Ella said.

" Oh, it has attracted the Feds." The policewoman said with a fine British accent.

She got up and told the Detectives to follow her. They entered the autopsy room where she disclosed the body from it's drawer.

A lady dressed in a labcoat enterd the autopsy room.

"Who are these?" She asked the cop.

"They are Feds." The cop replied.

"And so? You have no right to be here." She told the cop. "This is office. Yours is at the counter."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't let this repeat itself, please." She told the cop who then left afterwards.

Then she faced the Hunters. "Who did you say you are again?"

" I'm Detective Pikachu and this is my Partner Agent Senseless." Ella answered.

The lady shook hands with the hunters. "I'm Hannah Seville. It's a pleasure meeting you."

"Same." Ella replied. Then she faced the cold body of Dale Lexington. "What happened to him?"

" We can't really say for sure but the evidence implies that he was attacked by a dog."

" But?" Max asked.

Hannah uncovered the other parts of the body. It was terrible and Max felt like throwing up.

" I think I'm gonna throw up." Then He left there for the toilet.

" Is he always like that?" Hannah asked jokingly.

"He's new to this. He will get used to it with time." Ella replied. "So who was with him on the night of the attack."

"His girlfriend, Maggie Roberts." Hannah answered.

" Thanks." Ella said before leaving to go get Max.

Ella, Jake and Max were going through some books in order to find something that might give them a clue about what they were dealing with.

Jake was clearly exhausted by the task. " Can't we just find a simpler way?"

" No, Jacob, please do your homework." Ella replied.

" Or you can do a small run to the groceries store for us?"

Jake took his Jacket and a credit card. " No, problemo." Then he left.

Jake moved his shopping tray, going round the mall and picking items he needed. Suddenly the lights in the mall flickered. At first, Jake thought it was nothing but went it happened continuously, He had to tell himself something was wrong.

Jake could hear growls behind him. Fear gripped him and his heart beat became faster that moment. As he was about turning back, someone jumped on him therby pushing him out of the way allowing the monster that had jumped to crash into the items on the shelf.

Jake looked at his hero. It was a lady.

"Let's go, now." The lady said to him as they ran through the back door exit.

Jake breathing heavily rested his palms on his knees.

"Thank you." He said to the girl.

"You are welcome." She replied. "What was that thing?"

"I don't know. Didn't get a clos look."

"I'm Dana. I work with the animals service." She told him.

"And I'm Detective Jerry Baker. I work with the FBI." Jake said rather proudly.

" Uhhh." Max yawned tiredly. " Jake was right, this is boring."

" Really? Cause I thought that this is the kind of thing you guys do in school."

" You speak as if you haven't been to one."

Ella was silent. She ignores him and pretended to be focused on the book she was reading.

" So you didn't go to school? Why?" Max asked. " I mean, it's normal for kids to go to school."

" Well, I wasn't cut out to be normal. As you can see my life isn't."

Ella replied. " I wished that I would be allowed to go to high school but my Dad was against it."

" Let me guess, he said it was fo your own good?"

" Yes."

" You could have lived a normal life instead of this."

" This is the life I chose, Max. Let it be."

" You chose or they chose for you?"

Ella was about replying when she saw something being shown on the T.V screen. A newscaster was talking about the famous mall in Shallowriver.

"Is that not the mall Jake went to?" She asked Max who then turned back to see what she was talking about.

"I think so." He replied.

Ella got up and took her jacket. Max also got up but she stopped him.

"You can't go." Ella said to him." Stay here and continue searching."

"So you expect me to stay here reading boring books?"

" Okay, to make it easier, why don't you visit Maggie and see what info you can get from her."

" Better!"

Ella reached the mall and was relieved to find out that everyone was okay but where was Jake? She was getting worried when she heard Jake call her name from behind.

" I thought you were dead." She said.

" I would have been if she hadn't been there on time to save me." Jake replied pointing to Dana

Dana shook hands with Ella. " Dana Stallone, I work with animals service."

" Really? I'm Detective Pikachu." Ella introduced herself.

" Pikachu? That's a weird name."

"Speaking about weird, are you related to the actor Sylvester Stallone?"

"No." She replied. " I came here on a visit but since this is an animal problem, I think the FBI would need the help of the National Animal service."

" I don't think we need your help." Ella replied.

Jake drew Ella aside to talk to her

"We might need her help."

"Really? You are buying this?"

"We can't take down that animal alone."

"But that animal is not her regular day kind of animal."

Jake sighed. "But she might be useful still."

"Okay, but I still don't trust her."

"You don't have to."

Max knocked on the door of the Roberts home. The neighborhood was quiet and calm. It made Max wonder if anybody lived there.

A blonde lady probably in her early fourties opened the door.

"Agent Senseless." Max said as he showed the lady his badge. " Is this the Roberts home?"

" Yes of course, I'm Mrs Roberts."

" I'm here to speak to Maggie Roberts, your daughter."

" Is it about the incident with her boyfriend?" She asked. " What was his name again?"

" Dale Lexington." He replied. " I would like to see your daughter."

" She's not in. I sent her to her aunt's place. She kept on rambling nonesense."

Max became curious. " Like what?"

" You wouldn't believe, she's just going through the trauma of losing her boyfriend."

" Please, it might help with the investigation."

She sighed . " She kept on saying that the dog that attacked her was a dog with eight eyes and long sharp teeth."

A dog with eight eyes sounded familiar to Max.

" Thank you."

On his way back to the motel, Max put a call through to Ella.

Ella was walking with both Jake and Dana when her phone ringed. She excused herself and went ahead before she answered it.

"Max, what's up?" Ella asked.

" Is Jake okay?" He asked her.

" Yeah, he is, apparently."

"What creature is shaped like a dog and has eight eyes?"

"I don't know."

"I could have sworn that I've come across something like this."

"Hold on, let me ask Jake." Then she called Jake and he responded. Then she told him to come meet her.

Jake left Dana and ran to Ella."What's wrong?"

"Have you ever heard of a creature that has the shape of a dog and has eight eyes."

"That should be a hellhound."

"Hellhound?"

"Yeah, the domestic animals of Hell. Myths says that these beasts were created by the sins of men but."

" But what?"

" It was just the devil trying to be creative but did a bad job." Jake replied. " Is that what we are dealing with?"

" I think so."

" No wonder I was attacked."

" I'm lost here."

" You see, hellhounds have grown to hate Hunters."

" So it attacks whenever it sees one." Then she sighed. " Is there anyway to kill one?"

" Yeah, any weapon dipped in holy oil will do."

" How'd you know all these things?"

" Through doing my homework." He smiled and went back to Dana.

Ella put a call through to Max. " It's a hellhound."

" So those things exist?" Max asked looking surprised. " So how do we kill it?"

" With a weapon dipped in holy oil." She replied. " And I don't have any idea on how to get one."

Max was standing in front of a church. He looked at it and smiled. " I have a plan."

"What plan?"

"I'll call you back " then he ended the call.

Max stepped into the church. He looked round to make sure no one was watching. Then he walked to the altar where a huge cross with a statue of Jesus hanged on it.

He searched the tray on the altar table for holy oil and he found it in a jar.

The he looked up at the cross." Can I borrow this oil?" He asked as if the statue could speak.

"Oh, thanks, I will make good use of it." Then he left with the glass jar of holy oil.

Magog entered the throne room where her brother was seated.

" Sister, how's the mission going?" He asked her.

Magog picked up a spear and threw it at her brother. Luckily for Gog, he was able to move out of the way before the spear reached him. The spear flew into his throne and got stuck.

" What's that for?" He asked his sister.

" You didn't tell me that she's pregnant."

" Sorry, I skipped that part out."

" For reasons best known to me." He answered. " Do you know her location?"

" Yes I do, but the hunters are on her trail."

" Then get them out of her trail." Gog replied. " That's what the old you would do."

" Well, I'm not that old me anymore."

" Why?"

Magog stared directly at him. " I will get your dog and that's all." Then she walked away.

" Max, where did you get this holy oil?" Ella asked Max when she saw the jar of oil.

Max sat up on his bed. "I took it from a church."

"You stole it?"

"No I didn't, I told the bigman before I took it."

Jake entered the motel room and met them.

"Have you done it?"

"Yes. My blood spilled all over the city."

"Wait, what?" Max was confused.

"I told Jake to put little of his blood in strategic places. So the hellhound would smell and it will lead it to us."

" So we are gonna fight a hellhound here? In a motel that doesn't belong to us?."

" I never really thought of that." Ella said.

Then the door flew out of its position in the doorway. A dog with eight eyes stepped in.

" Is this a hellhound? It's ugly. Satan really did a bad job."

The dog jumped on the table where the jar was and the table broke but the jar didn't.

Ella drew her bow and released an arrow which broke on contact with the dog's skin.

The dog turned and went after Ella who then ran to the toilet and locked the door. The dog was outside trying to break in.

Max and Jake hid under their beds.

" Pssst." Max signaled Jake and he responded.

" You distract the dog while I get the jar of oil." Max told Jake.

"No, why don't I go get the jar while you distract the dog."

"Why do I have to be the one?"

"Same here,"

"Darn!" Max muttered. "Alright, I'll go."

Max crept out of his hiding place for unnoticed by the dog for she was still busy teearing down the toilet door.

"Alright, here goes nothing." He jumped on the dog. The dog shook itself with all might and it sent max crashing into the doorway. The dog left the toilet and went after Max.

As the dog was about pouncing on him, Jake threw his spear whose tip he had dipped in holy oil. Itpierced the beast making it drop on its own pool of blood.

"Whoa! That was awesome!" Jake exclaimed.

Ella came out of the toilet and Max stood up.

"We need to burn it." Max said as he collected the jar of holy oil from Jake. "It's still alive."

"You will do no such thing!" A voice came from behind.

The hunter turned back to see who it was. It was Dana standing there.

" This is the beast that has been killing people." Jake tried to explain.

" I know," she replied as her face changed to that of Magog.

" Magog?" They exclaimed.

Max picked his sword and advances at her but flung max towards a wall by just waving her hand.

" I'm no here to battle you, hunters. I just want the hellhound."

" Over our dead body." Ella replied.

" Since that's the way you want it." She shrugged and waved her hand and again it flung but Jake and Ella at the wall. The she walked to the injured hellhound.

Max stood up feeling angry. " You are not taking that dog."

" Who will stop me?" She asked. " You?"

Max stretched his arm and lightning bolts flew out of it. The bolts sent her flying through the wall into the next room which was empty.

Max picked up the jar and poured it on the dog . He lit a matchstick and dropped it in the dog.

The dog exploded but nothing was burnt and pieces of the dog were nowhere to be found. The dog dis integrated into nothing.

On their way home, Ella asked Max how he was doing.

"I'm doing fine." He replied.

Ella's hands were on the wheel.

"My father was a hunter— one of THE THREE. He knew letting me go to school would put everything and everyone in danger. He took his time to train me."

"Where is he now?" Jake asked.

"He went on a mission with the others and didn't come back. None of them did."

"I'm sorry." Max said.

"It's okay, Campbell died honourably." She smiled.

Campbell? Is it a coincidence or is there something his mom didn't tell him?

"Did you hear of anybody named Abigail?"

"Abigail Ratchford?" Ella asked.

"Yeah?"

"I read of her in my dad's diary. She was listed among the guardians."

"Guardians? What is their task?"

"I didn't read further to know more but it should still at home."

Max wondered what the guardians was all about and more importantly, why was his mother named as one of them?

He needed answers and he was going to get them.