Psychics Heart

CH.0

Slipping into an open donut shop, the moon hung high in the starless sky. The clouds covering a good quarter as feet carry to the front counter.

The figure at the counter eyes the donuts before them as an elderly woman slips from the back a soft tired smile upon her wrinkled features.

“Hello dear, need anything?” She asks her small eyes watching the figure as their gloved hand goes over the glass.

“No thank you. Just looking…” They wheezed through jagged teeth looking over each donut, out of the corner of their eye the elderly lady nods her head before slipping back into the back room through an open doorway. Every so often her face would peek from around the corner keeping an eye on them as they stand in thought.

After a few moments the woman comes back to the counter, leaning against it she asks with slight irritation cloaking her words.

“I’m sorry but we are about to close for the night could you please choose something? If not I must start putting these away.” The figure nods head downcast as she pushes off the counter. Pointing a finger to the glass she follows. “So sprinkled with chocolate?”

“Yes please…” The figure responds as she gets out the last two donuts, putting them in a bag, and handing them over.

“That’ll be 5.89, cash or credit?” For a moment the figure stands there eyes glued to the floor as they take the small bag of donuts. “Cash or credit?” She repeats in hopes that they just didn’t hear her. Suddenly a wave of dread rushed over her body as the figure let out an irritated groan. “Sir?” The gurgled groan that falls from the figure's chapped lips makes the woman take a few steps back.

“Hungry…” Suddenly the donuts are being scarfed down, pieces falling to the floor as the figure's fingers elongate and distort. Nearly biting themselves off the creature lifts its head, dead pale eyes hit the woman as she scrambles backward. “Still Hungry!” They leap onto the counter clear tar dripping from their open maw.

Eyes wide, blood pumping she shoots towards the back as fast as her legs would move. Reaching the freezer she flings it open, throwing herself inside before slamming the door behind her. Holding a small button closed as the creature slams against the door repeatedly. Distorted garbled voice moaning over and over again.

“Hungry!” With tears rolling down her now cold form she prays to everything in hopes to survive this horrendous night.

    As morning draws near a dark-haired man walks the streets, frayed grey temples and tired eyes, he drags his feet against the concrete. Stepping into his favorite Donut shop he waits for the usual cheery voice of Mrs. Haversham to meet him but after a few moments only silence seems to stay.

“Rosie? It’s Arthur everything okay back there?” Arthur responds with a slight British draw, stepping around the counter, his deep smokey eyes spotting a hunched figure, elongated arms draw open against the door.

“Hungry…”

“Oh my… What a predicament.” The creature, clothes torn and stretched turns its head to look at Arthur. “Don’t get any ideas old boy, but I believe you have a friend of mine trapped in there.” Without warning a voice proclaims through the freezer.

“Arthur Get out of here boy!” The creature bangs against the frame making her squeak and throw something, probably a box of dough back. Turning its attention back to me it drops an elongated arm onto the floor, inches from Arthur’s foot. Backing up, its gangly fingers stretch to match the distance. Without a moment to think it over Arthur lifts his foot, slamming it down quickly against the fingers as they get a little bit too close for his liking.

“Rosie dear could you plug your ears for a few minutes! This is gonna get ugly!” He proclaims, jumping back as the creature draws its hand back.

“Alright!” Came the quick response as the creature turned its full attention to him. With one last gurgled repeat its hand shots forward to strike Arthur. Jumping to the right the creature's nails catch the back of his long coat, tearing the fabric between its claws. 

“My favorite coat!” A deep voice growls out as Arthur slips from the coat, eyes a soft golden glow, the sound of bones rattling seems to catch the creature's attention. Arthur all but lets out a burst of laughter as ever so slowly from the shadows a cracked dog skull comes to life. Lower jaw missing, a glowing purple luminescent tongue drips onto the floor. The following bones draw into place as the creature seems to watch entranced by the forming.

“Well hello love, took you long enough to come to my aid.” Arthur jokes as the rattling of bones envelope the room. Feeling the cold roughness of bone against his neck Arthur shakes his head. Motioning with his hand to the creature. "An insatiable hag." Hollow growls its sharp eyes bore into the hags as it draws its hand back dragging the coat along the floor.

"Sorry about that, I didn't think it would actually try to strike you." Hollow whispers against his throat before sliding away to stand between them. The Hag now pulls from its trance groans and swipes a hand at Hollow's form, fingers digging between the bones. As it tries to find some hold, but as each finger wrapped around a bone it would phase out.

Agitation danced across the hag's features as it fruitlessly drew its claws over Hollows' spines, gripping at empty space as Arthur snuck around it. Reaching the freezer door he opens it slowly.

“Mrs. Rosie? Come along and please for all you pray for keep your eyes closed.” He demands taking Mrs. Rosie’s outstretched arm, and ever so carefully leading her out of the freezer. Without a peep they sneak around the back as Hollow’s bones bury themselves into the Hags body, their wheezing form becoming slower as beads of dark blood slide across the floor. Passing a puddle of the aforementioned liquid it takes all Arthur’s strength to keep Mrs. Rosie from slipping as she collides against his side.

“Sorry, dear.” She sighs out keeping a tight grip on his arm as they make their way to the back door.

“Rosie would you allow me to get your keys from your pocket?” She nods as Arthur reaches into her left pants pocket. Removing a set of brass keys he flips through them quickly as a low gargled hiss reaches them.

“Food!” Cursing under his breath Arthur slams his shoulder against the back door nearly tossing Rosie onto the concrete floor as he whirls around. Slamming his body against the door as a set of bones bury themselves around his body. The dark luminescent blood drips from the cracks as Arthur slides onto the ground with a breath of relief.

“Are you two alright?” Arthur nods chuckling slightly as the bones disappear leaving behind nothing in its wake.

“Mrs. Rosie? You can open your eyes now.” Arthur says with a slight smile as she sits up, opening her eyes. Immediately she stands up eyeing Arthur up and down before eyeing the bent up and broken door.

“What was that thing?” Questioning with a wave of her hand towards the door as Arthur stands he shrugs and puts his hands into his pockets a chill rolling up his spine as she opens the door. Revealing a surprisingly only scattered kitchen, no sign that the assailant was ever there. Well except for the large dents on the freezer door that is.

“Hollow…” Arthur grumbles as a soft snicker reaches his mind. Rosie runs her fingertips over the dents before turning to Arthur who at this point is leaned against the entrance door frame.

“Go wait out front Arthur I’ll meet you out there in a few minutes.” He nods doing so as Rosie starts cleaning up a bit. Stepping outside Arthur feels another chill roll down his spine followed closely by the normal sense of dread as he waits patiently.

“They're here.” Hollow’s voice comes out in a deep throaty growl, alarming in all sense of the term as Arthur looks around with him, keeping his head planted. Quickly he spots the figure, hidden partially by overgrowth the sharp eyes were trained on him.

“Do you think we have a chance?” Arthur mumbles sighing before turning and walking away from the building. The figure is quick to follow as Arthur goes from fast walking to full-out sprinting. The figure surprisingly keeping up at his heels.

“Duck!” As those words dripped into my mind a sharp sting ripped through Arthur’s side causing him to stagger and hit the edge of the closest building. Cursing under his breath, he lifts his hand at the figure who ducks and proceeds to barrel into Arthur knocking him off his feet and into an alleyway.

“Hollow-” Arthur croaks out as the figure goes to throw a punch, missing by only inches as a shot rang out. Hollow fades into view barreling its skull into the figure, knocking them off Arthur and into the wall across from them. Pulling himself to sit against the wall Arthur looks over to see a man about late-twenties holding a gun, a bewildered look on his features. “Well… this is gonna be fun.” With that exhaustion hits Arthur like an oncoming freight train. The world blacking out within seconds.