The Demon’s Puppy

“Do it, now!” Karen hissed. I held in a whimper.

“B-but I don’t want to! C-can we please do something else?” I begged.

Karen flipped her blond hair over her shoulder and let out a snobbish laugh. “Do you think I care if you don’t want to?”

I looked over to her kinder twin, Keven, with pleading eyes. But he only looked away. As did Madelin. I bit my lip, looking down at the object in my hands. It was an inhaler. Belonging to one of the kids in our class. Karen’s twisted mind thought it’d be funny if we stole it... and broke it. But I didn’t want to do it. He could have an asthma attack and die!

I didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. Karen had ruled over my life ever since I moved to that horrible school. She roped me in with sweet words. She told me how nice I looked, how much she wanted to be my friend. When I first arrived, she even took the time to show me around and guide me to every class, even though she wasn’t in most of them. I was a bit behind, and she took the time to tutor me. She invited me to hang out with her after school. I thought I had found a genuine friend, but alas, the universe was playing yet another cruel prank on me. She spread rumors about me being gay, being in gangs, being a prostitute... if you could think of a bad rumor, it was probably said about me.

Pretty soon, people avoided me like the plague, leaving me with no other option than to join her friend group. It was okay at first, but then Karen started making me run errands for her. Get her some water, tell so-and-so this, make sure to carry hair ties with me, and other menial tasks.

When she saw I never said no, she began to give me more laborious and dangerous work. Like bullying that guy Lucifer. I never physically hurt him. It would break all my morals for me to hurt someone. I knew what it felt, and I never wanted to inflict pain on anyone else.

I didn't do anything too terrible to him, but I never helped him either. It felt terrible to sit there and watch them torment him, but I could never do anything about it, or else their harsh treatment would turn to me. The worst part was when they cut his skin, and they laughed the whole time. I wanted to help him so badly, but the look Jack gave me when I stepped forward was enough to make me freeze on the spot.

Then Lucifer left, leaving Karen bored and in search of someone new to torment. I could only do as she said in hopes she would keep her preying glare away from me.

“Hurry up!” Karen demanded.

Guilt stabbing into my heart, I dropped the large dictionary onto the inhaler that laid on the ground. There was a sickening crunch as the book landed, announcing the end of the inhaler.

Jack snorted. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” He turned away with Karen, both of them laughing. Keven and Madelin were quick to follow, fake smiles plastered on their faces. I exhaled deeply, trying to control my emotions. I turned to the opposite end of the road, where the pharmacy was.

I marched over, not caring what would happen to me in the end. I walked in, avoiding eye contact with every single person I passed. Making my way to the counter, I looked up shyly at the person behind the counter.

“U-um... do you sell inhalers?” I asked in a small voice.

The lady behind the counter smile. She was pretty. Much prettier than Karen. “Of course sweetie. What’re you looking for? Red, blue...?”

I thought back to the inhaler. “Uh, blue, please.”

While she went to the back, I fished my wallet from my bag. It was nearly empty. I had spent most of my money on Karen and her stupid clique. The lady came back with a white bag in hand.

“Here you go, sweetie. That’ll be fifty dollars and ten cents,” she said cheerily. I almost winced at the large number. I gave her three twenties, the last of my money. She gave me my change and the bag with the inhaler. With a sigh, I put both into my bag.

Slinging it onto my shoulder, I walked out of the pharmacy. With all my money gone, I couldn’t buy anything for dinner. The orphanage worker who “cared” for me, Ms. Martha, told me I had to buy my own meals, because I was 17 and should be able to provide for myself. But my part-time job barely paid me enough to buy an apple, let alone an entire meal. It took me six months to save up those three twenties.

I walked back to the orphanage slowly, not wanting to go back. No one really wanted me there. They made that clear by making my room unfinished basement, with nothing but a blanket and a pillow.

Outside of the orphanage gate, I pushed open one of the large doors. I only had one foot in before I heard low growling. I paused and looked around. It was getting dark, so the shadows cast by the gate posts were very long. I stared at them for a second, thinking I was crazy, but then I saw them. Two red, glowing eyes. Staring at me from the shadows.

I stumbled back, falling onto my butt. A shadowy wisp of a dog jumped from the shadows, lunged at me.

After that... nothing but darkness