Hell Hounds

*THIRD TIMES THE CHARM... 3RD AND FINAL REWRITE OF THIS STORY! PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS IF YOU LIKE IT!*

Nyki

On the inside, well... I’d like to say I’m calm, cool, and collected. But in reality, I’m a boiling pot of rage mere seconds from bubbling over! You can’t tell though because on the outside, I’m the typical shy, meek, timid girl. Essentially invisible. The girl no one ever really sees if you know what I mean.

No, seriously. Dull and boring, that’s me. I can’t afford new clothes, instead I’m left to wear hand-me-downs well if the clothes can even be considered as such. The clothes are leftovers, abandoned by foster kids who came and went before me. Sigh. My hair is the kind of brown no one ever describes in books. My skin is so pale one might think I’m sickly which is in direct contrast to my big, bright blue eyes which I’ve been told is a color of blue no one has ever seen before.

I’m average in both weight (maybe a bit thinner than others due to whichever foster family I’m living with and whether or not they feel inclined to feed me) and height. At 5’4 I blend in with any crowd. Hell, I practically disappeared in the sea of students at my high school.

Oh, high school. What more can I say than, yay? Currently I attend a high school in Chicago’s inner-city. If I’m lucky enough to graduate from this place I will be one of two-thousand seniors to do so this year! Fingers crossed that I get to though I won’t being holding my breath with the way the current ‘Rentals’ treat me. Yeah, it’s one of those situations.

Don’t worry, I’m used to it. In the last fifteen years of being in the system, I think I’ve only ever been in one foster home where the guardians actually cared about my wellbeing. But whatever, like I said, I’m used to shitty adults treating me like well, shit. Anyway... I’m fine (I’m not).

At this moment I’m leaning against the counter at Mel’s Diner. It’s not just my job but my escape from home life, my safe haven. It’s the one place I can breathe without the fear of waiting for the next blow to come. Mickey just asked if I could close tonight which means I’ll be out past my ridiculous 10:00pm curfew, yeah, even on Friday night my curfew is in play.

So, I arrive home an hour later than I normally would have. I was not expecting chaos to erupt as soon as I walked through the side door and into the kitchen because I had called the guardians and told them I would be home after closing. Susan had even thanked me for letting her know and that coming home at eleven o’clock instead was fine. But I knew better because when it comes to my life nothing is ever just ‘fine’!

The moment the side door clicks shut, I know something’s wrong. Susan and her husband Rob are sitting at their shabby, worn-looking kitchen table; their glassy stares locked on me. I stop mid-step, frozen like a deer caught in headlights. “Uh,” is the only word I get out before Rob is on his feet, snarling incoherent words as he charges towards me.

I glance over to where Susan is standing; her arms crossed over her small chest. She glares at me as though I’m worthless, a piece of trash stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

My attention is pulled to Rob once more as he gets in my face shouting, demanding to know where I’ve been. His breath stinks of whiskey and cigarettes, and I have to force myself not to gag as his spittle flies onto my cheeks and chin.

Glancing towards Susan because I cling to hope that doesn’t exist for me. I silently plead with her to explain. She could save me from being beaten if she’d just tell him I called. That she knew! Instead of speaking up for me, she gives me a scowl. The cold-hearted bitch!

With a small sigh, I cross my arms over my chest and try to explain. ‘Trying’ being the key word. “I called,” I say as calmly as I can. “I spoke to Susan and told her I had to close for Mickey. She said it was okay...” Rob looks at Susan and to my admonishment the bitch shakes her head no in denial!

Un-fucking-believable. “She’s lying!” I blurt out stupidly. Not even a second later pain bursts across my face. My head snaps to one side. Lifting my hand, I press it against the corner of my mouth. Blood. The metallic taste trickles past my lips and onto my tongue, grimace. The asshole just backhanded me!

“You dare accuse your mother of lying!” Rob roars as his fist flies towards my face. With my head swimming from the punch I just took I’m not quick enough to protect myself from his next blow to my stomach. Grunt.

“There are rules in this house Goddammit!”

BAM!

My temple takes the next hit. I drop to my knees as stars erupt behind my closed eyes. I should have stayed on my feet though because now his work boot slams against my chest.

With a half grunt, half moan I fall to the cold, ugly tile floor as the air has been violently forced out of my body. The next kick is to my ribs. I curl in on myself (feeling helpless) into the fetal position in an attempt to protect what I can of my body.

The final blow before I’m dragged into darkness is to my temple once more. And then nothing.

I’m not sure how long I’m out for but when I open my eyes, I know I’m not in the foster home. “How’d I get outside?” I mumble curiously as I take in my surroundings. Though I guess the more important question would be; where am I? Because even though I’m obviously outside, I’m definitely not in the suburbs.

The air feels different, and everything has a sort of haze hovering over it from the ground to the rocks and mountains in the far distance. The earth looks dry and dust swirls as the wind whips past me. Looking down at my feet, I see I’m standing on a dirt road. It’s strange but the wind at my back feels like it’s pushing me, urging me to follow along the dusty path.

A wrought-iron gate suddenly appears before me. Inching closer towards the intimidating looking gate that looks tall enough to touch the heavens I realize that at 17 years old, I, Nyki Drake am teetering on the edge of death. I am at the gates of the Underworld! A sound of something growling catches my ear, and I turn my head to see what type of creature could growl in such a way as to cause my body to freeze up in ice-cold fear.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Something is moving closer to where I stand. Each step echoes like thunder around me and I shiver. A massive black paw emerges from the dusty haze followed by another. I follow the flames of fire licking up the front powerful legs of the creature only to find myself gasping and attempting to step back, away from the ginormous, three headed beast!

With each step the beast takes forward, I try to take a step backwards. But living up to the expectations of my foster parents (worthless, clumsy little fool as Rob liked to tell me quite often), I trip and fall to the ground with an oomph. The creature looms above me snarling, growling, and sneering.

It’s pitch-black body alight in flames. Its eyes glow blood red. The name of the creature pops into my head as I stare up at it with wide, horrified eyes: Cerberus!