MSSS - Dance with the Devil

Dance with the Devil
by VanishingPoint

What happened that night happened for a reason. I couldn't help it, no one could. It was meant to happen like everything else in this world, all set on Fate's comic rollercoaster known as life. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, dealing with something I knew almost nothing about. Maybe my experience can set an example and teach others not to make my mistake, but some will still just dismiss it as shenanigans. Whatever the case, I hope you will learn to think about what about to do before going through with it, and always watch your step in the game of life.
It was a slow week at the New Jersey State Police station in Mercer County, right outside of Trenton. The veteran cops were glad nothing was happening, the rookies were yearning for some action, and the rest of us just didn't seem to give a #. I came in from patrol and noticed a newspaper on one of the desks. Towards the bottom of the front page was an article entitled "Jersey Devil sighting near county line.". A smile immediately hit my face(if I had known then what I do now, it probably wouldn't have). Chief Rockatansky came in and saw me glancing at it.

"Yep. Some crazy bastard's at it again. I pray to God these morons will start to lay off the booze some day."
"What makes you think this guy's so crazy? My grandfather saw the Devil when he was a kid."
"The whole thing's bull#, son. It all started decades ago when another crazy bastard saw a bat and was scared #less. Since then everyone who wants some publicity has been saying they've seen the Devil all across the state. I wouldn't care so much if they didn't call and report it here, but it's a real pain in the ass."

I let out a soft chuckle and with that he left the room. When I was a kid, my grandfather always used to tell me about the time he saw the devil in the woods, gliding above the treetops and screaming like a banshee. I never questioned the fact that he saw something, but as I grew older and older the Jersey Devil seemed to become more and more a piece of fantasy. Maybe the chief was right, maybe it was just a bat. A person's memory can be distorted as years pass, but I still believe he saw something.
Two days later I had the night shift. Things were still slow around the station, until we got the call. The chief bursted out of his office, a cloud of cigar smoke followed him. I was lounging around with the rest of the bunch, just minding my own business. The chief came in, his face red with anger. "I just got a call from another Jersey Devil psycho. It's some old bag who says the damn thing's in her yard prancing around. I called animal control but they won't be here for another hour. I need one of you to go down to see what this is and straighten this lady out." The rookie, Jenkins, decided he was up for it. He grabbed his hat and head out in his cruiser. No less than twenty minutes later, dispatch picked up a distress signal. It was so loud we had heard it from the next room. The chief got out of his chair and headed for the door. I ran outside and stopped him at his car.

"Don't try and stop me, something's happened and I've got to see what's up."
"I'm coming with you."
"I can handle this myself, no need for two officers."
"You can't just go out on your own, he called for backup and I think he's going to need more than just one person."
"Fine goddammit, get in the damn car but don't do anything stupid. For all we know this lady could've hacked him up with an chainsaw."

Little did I know by getting in that squad car I had made the biggest mistake of my life. We didn't expect to see what we did, and I don't think anything could have prepared us. In all the chief's years on the force, I knew he had seen some pretty grizzly scenes. Most of which were far more horrific than what we arrived at. But the fact that the perpetrator in this case wasn't even human, let alone a known species, is what scared the living # out of us from the minute we pulled into the driveway of the old lady's house in the middle of the darkest woods in the county.
Back at the station the chief looked as if this was just another case. But as we pulled up to the house, I could see the fear in his eyes. It took us a little while, but we finally summoned enough courage to get out of the car. We walked slowly towards the door. I knocked and we waited. Nothing. I knocked again. Still nothing. The chief pulled out his flashlight(as well as his pistol) and headed around the house towards the backyard. I pulled my gun out and followed behind him. The chief went around the corner of the house, I was a short distance behind him. I was about to turn around the corner when I heard the chief shout "JESUS CHRIST!!!" at the top of his lungs. At the end of his flashlight beam lay the unconcious body of Jenkins, I immediately ran up and checked his pulse. It was there, Thank God. I called the EMS while the chief checked his injuries. On his head was a large bruise, and three large claw marks were on his chest, his shirt nearly ripped to shreads. The chief stopped dead in his tracks, shivering with fear. He knew what had happened, he knew before we even got out of the car. I could see it in his eyes, all this time he knew but just tried to dismiss it by making jokes about it and pretending it didn't exist. Seconds later, the most high-pitched, gut-wrenching shriek either of us had ever heard filled the air. The winged beast known to the public as the Jersey Devil swooped down, coming right at us. I stood frozen in my tracks, too scared to move. The Devil soared right at me until I saw its fiery red eyes, then ascended back up into the sky. I looked and the chief was already hauling ass back to the car, the Devil shrieked again. I bolted back alongside the house, when I felt the red-hot claws of the Jersey Devil wrap around my neck and sink into my throat. I fell down in agony, as I watched the demon swoop over me. I knew this was the end as I lay on the grass, blacking out just as I saw the flashing lights of the ambulance on the road.

Very good...mayhaps you should think about making ti longer, tho. I like it.

DE

i like it. luckily your character told the story before the devil got him.

Posterd by worldwatcher

i like it. luckily your character told the story before the devil got him.

I didn't really mean to make it like that, I wanted to write it as if he was telling the story from the afterlife. But whatever works is cool.

good story, VanishingPoint. I agree with DE in that it could have been a bit longer, as I was just getting into it when it was over. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the story


well done

regards
flc