Marlay LeapTall and the Demon Beasts

I will never forget the night it happened. It was a freezing, snowy night, and I was relaxing upstairs with a drink, a good book and huddled comfortably under my electric blanket. My faithful ferret, Roxx, was curled up under the blanket where he had burrowed earlier in the evening.

Suddenly there was a loud crashing bang outside my window. I sprang to my feet and listened. I could feel there was something bad very near me. Quietly, I crept downstairs, trying to be as silent as I possibly could. As I looked around, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Suddenly I heard the bang again, but this time it was much louder and I knew it was coming from the kitchen door. Something was trying to get in the house!

Summoning my courage, I grabbed a flashlight from the top of the china cupboard and walked cautiously into the kitchen. Carefully, I reached over and picked up a meat cleaver from off the counter where I had cut my homemade soap earlier in the evening. All the house lights where off inside but I had left the porch light burning. Through the curtain, I could see movement and shadows that wavered against the window shade.

I might have met my end right there, if not for Roxx, who had followed me downstairs. As I was stepping carefully, one foot at a time toward the door, he jumped on my bare foot and bit my toe, as ferrets are famous for doing. Startled, I screamed and did a frantic "ferret shuffle" sideways so I wouldn't step on my little friend. At the same time, Roxx let out a very loud and scared "Dook Dook!" and immediately pooed on the floor. I automatically sighed since pooing seemed to be his favorite activity even when he wasn't scared.

Then, I felt something touch my leg. I jumped quickly to the side again, just in time to get away from whatever it was. I turned my flashlight and in front of me, was the intruder and I gasped in horror. Lurking there in my kitchen, bathed in the ambient glow of my flashlight, was a long gooey black appendage. It appeared to be a huge, quivering, shapeless blob and it resembled a tentacle. I could see where it had entered through the keyhole in the kitchen door and it snaked across my floor. The smell was hideous and the thing was as ugly as a shriveled worm.

"Damn!" I cried. "What is that thing?" I knew it my heart this was not going to be good. Not good at all.

Roxx sprang at the thing trying to bite it. At the same moment, I wielded the cleaver, chopping off the end of the black gooey looking monster. Squirting something wet and sticky over my feet, the arm-like tentacle whipped backwards toward the door. Emboldened by the effect of the meat cleaver, I chased it down and chopped it into little pieces before it could escape. The remainder seemed to slurp through the keyhole to the outside. Suddenly, it was gone.

I stood there quietly, listening at the door but I could not hear anything. Possibly, since I had apparently hurt it pretty badly, it had departed. I hoped that was the case, anyway. Even so, I could not bring myself to look out the window to see. Nevertheless, I thought to myself, "What was that thing?"

I turned to go back upstairs. Calling softly for Roxx, I squeaked his special toy that I always kept in my pocket. Normally, he would come running at the sound. I heard nothing. Thinking perhaps, he had raced back upstairs when I screamed, I swiftly ran up the steps, but I couldn't find Roxx anywhere. I set the flashlight and the cleaver down on my nightstand, dropping to my knees to look under my bed. Again nothing. Roxx was nowhere to be found.

Now more than a bit worried, I was troubled that perhaps that monster downstairs had done something to Roxx. Quickly, I ran back down to the kitchen, turning on all the lights as I went. There was nothing in the kitchen but smears of something black that was sticking to every surface in the kitchen. There were remnants of oily black gobs all over the floor from whatever that thing was that had come through my keyhole.

Still, I saw no evidence of Roxx. I continued to call his name and squeaking the toy, but I heard not a sound out of my ferret. Tears started to run down my face, convinced that thing, that monster, had somehow gotten Roxx when he was on the floor. I leaned up against the kitchen door, my hands over my face.

All of a sudden, I felt a movement along my side. That monstrosity was back! I practically ran backwards as a new tentacle came through the keyhole. I reached for the meat cleaver then belatedly realized I had left it upstairs. I turned and ran, however the thing chased me with lightning speed. I knew if it trapped me, I might not survive. I had to fight if I wanted to stay alive.

Running into the den, I grabbed one of my father's umbrellas from its stand near the arched doorway. Unfortunately, the monster had learned quickly from its earlier encounter and managed to weave and twist away from the sharp point. Then it managed to knock the umbrella out of my hand. Reaching behind me, I grabbed my grandpa's blunderbuss that hung over the fireplace and I used it as a club, but it was to no avail, for the blows did not seem to harm it.

In desperation, I dodged the monster and raced back into the kitchen. Diving into the pantry, I slammed and locked the door. Hurriedly, I looked for anything I could use as a weapon. Up on a shelf sat a full bottle of Jack Daniel whiskey. Next to it laid a barnburner, one of those huge lighter things dad used to start the fireplace burning. I grabbed both and turned to face the door.

For long seconds, I heard not a single sound and it was as quiet as the graveyard next door. Then, a loud crash against the door and a crack appeared in the center. The monster crashed against it again, the crack slowly but surely becoming wider.

In amazement, I watched in fear when it started to ooze its way into the pantry. I quickly poured the whiskey on the tentacle and then lit it with the barnburner. It immediately flashed into flames, screeching as it hurled itself out of the little room.

Feeling I had nothing more to lose, I opened the door and chased it, continuing to pour more of the whiskey, and lighting it as fast as I could. When it got to the door, it stopped. It was though the monster had decided to make a stand.

As I stood there in shock, I helplessly watched as a dozen more tentacles poured through that little keyhole. They kept coming in as if they were made of slimy black oil. The now roiling tentacles were followed by a ghastly looking body that reeked of evil and death. All I could see where its huge, green glowing eyes. As I stood there flabbergasted, it just kept coming, propelling itself as though it moved by pouring itself across the floor.

I quickly backed up against the wall, yet I knew I would certainly soon be dead since I no longer had a place to run or hide.

Suddenly a strange figure crashed through the den window and leapt between the monster and me! He was tall, dark, and broad shouldered with long golden blonde hair tied in a ponytail. His face was kind yet filled with fierce sweet blue eyes. He carried a backpack on his back and he emitted great strength, power, and steadfastness. He was dressed entirely in black, except for his large ornate silver sword. I could see strange symbols and writing had been engraved on it. I seemed to perceive this all in one swift instant.

"Watch out!" the man cried, and quick as a panther he jumped in and stunned the creature with a powerful blow from his blade. Without pause, he scooped the thing into a large black bag and tied it shut with a deft twist, mumbling strange words as he did so.

"How did you do that?!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

"This is one of hell's demon beasts," he replied. "One good blow with my special sword and the things are helpless. The black bag will contain it until I can return it from whence it came. A magic spell holds the demon immobile inside the bag."

"But how did you find it? How did you know it was here?" I asked, staring at the shapeless mass that no longer seemed to be moving.

"That is the hard part," said the stranger. "I have to be summoned by a great wizard. You have powerful friends." He smiled at me gently.

Thanking him for saving my life, my mind suddenly became overwhelmed at what had transpired just moments before his opportune arrival. Finally, I was able to ask him his name.

"I am Marlay LeapTall, and I have been hunting demon beasts all my life. The demon beast master, Kotra, has become angry and has let many of these beasts loose on the world. It is my job, along with others, to keep humankind safe." He grinned at me. "I am a demon hunter and one of the best."

Suddenly, out of the backpack, popped Roxx, headfirst. "Roxx, I cried. Where have you been? Why are you in there?" Roxx dooked at me softly and readily stepped into my waiting arms. My tears wet his fur, but he didn't seem to mind, giving me feather like kisses as I hugged him close to my face.

"Like I said, smiled Marlay. "You have powerful friends. Roxx, as you call him, is one of the last great wizards. All the ferrets in this world are. They can always tell when one of these lesser beasts is around and your Roxx called to me in my mind. I came as quickly as I could through the shadow lines that divide your world from mine."

As I hugged my sweet ferret close to me, marveling that Roxx was a wizard of all things, Marlay continued to speak. "You live here alone with Roxx. There is nothing important to hold you here. Why don't you and Roxx join me in my quest and we will make the world safe from their rotting, monstrous evil!"

Now that I knew the truth, how could I say no? I joined Marley that night and my life has never been the same. I learned how to spot the lesser demon beasts with the help of Roxx. The three of us have defeated thousands of the evil creatures and the world is a much safer place.

I even earned my own magic silver sword.