The Hellbeast King by Stephanie Hudson
Red Riding Hood
“Are you freaking bat shit crazy? He will eat her alive if you send her out like that!” This was said by what seemed like the only rational mind I had met in this whole place, and that had been five seconds ago. And as it happened, I found myself agreeing with this statement and I didn’t even know who the hell this Cerberus guy was!
No, all I had learned was nothing but insanity since that strange jester had dragged me into this part of the club. A place that seemed to be where all the acts were getting ready, like some tented dressing room that was situated next to the stage. One that was on a higher platform, so it put the opening at the same height, no doubt for ease for the performers.
It was also at this point that I felt as if there were only two possible explanations for the situation I found myself in. One was that I had unknowingly snuck into some secret cult whose only criteria for new members was, like my new friend had said, to be bat shit crazy. The second was a little more radical if that could be believed, as I could have been been sucked into another dimension where demons and other creepy shit was real.
Naturally, I was praying for the first option.
Although, thinking about it, I suppose there were other options, as though everyone here was sucking in some poisoned gas making them crazy. Or I had been drugged and was therefore the only crazy one seeing stuff that wasn’t real in a very realistic costume party. So, there it was, my top four explanations, and all of them off the back of having ten minutes to think whilst I was forced into a costume that had been thrown at me. One I had no choice to put on as they gave me only two choices… I put it on myself, or they put it on me.
Needless to say, I stepped behind the curtain and changed quicker than Superman in a damn phonebooth! Anything to save me from having their freakish hands on me. Painted girls with small horns that were red skinned, wearing little else leaving very little to the imagination. Dwarfs that looked ready for battle and demonic musicians that looked like they were waiting for the go ahead. Of course, after the strangely handsome jester had marched me up the steps and tossed me through the striped curtain, it didn’t take long before he was barking an order. Now saying only one thing, and this was after taking one look at my flaming mass of curls that rained down my back.
“Red Riding Hood.” Then, with a nod of his head, he was gone. Which was why I soon found myself wearing a ridiculous costume that made me feel as if I was being catapulted into some gothic fairy tale. An old child’s fable I could only hope didn’t end with me being eaten by the wolf like dear old granny. Although, one glance down at myself now, and I was more worried about being ravished by that wolf before being eaten! Jesus, but I had never worn something so provocative and sexual before, and that was all thanks to the corseted part of the dress. At the very least, I was thankful for the white shirt beneath it, even if the puffy little sleeves kept falling from my shoulders.
As for the skirt, it was flowing red silk that twirled around my legs like liquid. It was also decorated with black-velvet Fleur De Lis entwined in a thorny vine around the hem, and matched the torn black stockings I had been made to wear. This made it look as if the wolf had already had a go at trying to catch me and nearly come close. The only part of the outfit I admittedly had been excited about seeing, had been the red ballet shoes. Even sat putting them on again made me suck in a deep breath, as if just tying the ribbons around my ankles centred me somehow. As if this was just all another show I was to perform. Just another stage. Just another play.
I could do this.
But then, the moment I stepped back out and was handed the thick, red-velvet hooded cloak to put on, I couldn’t help but lose some of the bravery I had got from the shoes. I swallowed hard, having no choice but to tie the thick black ribbon around the base of my neck, and purposely trying to contain all my hair in the hood to hide myself better. Something that didn’t give me much confidence when a woman with unusual orange coloured hair stepped inside and, after taking one look at me, shook her head.
“Pencil dick has finally lost his mind,” she said the moment she saw me, continuing to shake her cute head to herself. For the first time I was also faced with someone who had a kind smile for me, one that was painted orange like her bright hair and framed by a piercing on either side of her cheeks, like two metal dimples. She also had a bar running through the bridge of her nose, but surprisingly none at her ears. The choppy hair style suited her, even with the sharp cut of a fringe high up on her forehead, about an inch from the hairline.
She was short but full of big curves that she most definitely knew how to work, as she seemed to have this confidence and swagger about her. She also had makeup on that reminded me of some 50’s pin up girl, with thick eyeliner over her hazel eyes that had flecks of amber in them. This matched her style, as she wore tight black capris, with a thick red belt high on her waist that her black and red striped top was tucked into. High-heel open-toe red shoes completed the look, along with a bandana she wore around her head.
“What’s your name, chickadee?” she asked in a kind tone.
“Ella,” I answered honestly without thinking, and also hoping that she might appreciate my honesty.
“Alright, Ella, I am Smidge and I have to say, I have no idea how it is even possible for you to have made it this far, but you get that you ain’t in Kansas anymore, right?” At this I almost choked out my answer,
“Erh, yeah… scrap that and make it a hell yeah.” She scoffed at this and said,
“Well, you would be right with the hell part, sugar.” In all honesty, I didn’t think I had been called so many nicknames in my life and in such a small space of time too. Something that only continued when the jester walked back in and said,
“Oh yeah, Cookie, now that is what I am talking about… now this is going to be oh so perfect!” This was when the one called Smidge (which it had to be said, was a name I had never heard before) said,
“Oh, but of course, you’re the dickhead to have thought of this!” He smirked down at her before winking, and then with a gothic looking staff in hand, he jerked it up before catching it again and used it to point to the dancing girls,
“Right, bitches, I have a new act for you. This delightfully scented human cookie is Little Red Riding Hood, and you tits are the wolves. Now, go and use the costumes from last week’s performance of the wolf who cried demon granny and make it work… chop, chop,” he said, clapping his hands together after swinging his cane under his arm. It was one that was carved out of dark red wood, with a twisted vine design that curled around the demon’s skull at the top. Its curled horns made up the handle and with its mouth open, its fangs held a clear crystal ball in place.
It was at this point that the orange haired girl stomped her foot and asked if he was bat shit crazy.
“Oh, come on, Smidge, as if I could pass up an opportunity like this,” he said with an evil grin.
“He will fucking kill you this time, idiot!” she argued, making me shudder. However, he didn’t look worried, not in the slightest. In fact, he looked almost gleeful as if he couldn’t wait for something… like serving me up to the big bad wolf on a platter!
“Oh, sweetheart, have I told you recently just how much I love it when you and that big, beautiful ass of yours worries for me.” At this she rolled her eyes and shook her head, muttering something about him dreaming.
“You’re a dead man walking, Marcus,” she said trying again, and letting me know his name this time. At this he stepped closer to her, his gaze heating up before tapping her on her cute, pierced nose before saying,
“No, he won’t… besides, you don’t know what I know.”
She cocked out her curvy behind and put a hand to her hip.
“Yeah, and what’s that, asswipe?” she snapped, as it was clear these two didn’t exactly see eye to eye but there was still something between them… something both were hiding. I could tell. Because there was something in the way his eyes would glow slightly whenever she challenged him. Something he liked… a lot. Well, that was if the mischievous glint in them said anything. This was when he got in close and took hold of her chin before whispering,
“He is going to like this human, and when I say like, I mean… to death… you and your delectable big ass, can trust me on that, peaches.” I gulped, whereas Smidge dropped her sassy guard enough to lean in a little closer, making his intense blue gaze heat up in a way that once again turned his eyes crimson. Then, the sound of a bell could be heard, and it was enough of a distraction to remind him that he obviously had a job to do. Which was why he pinched her chin hard and yanked her to his lips before kissing her quick and saying,
“That’s my cue, Peach!” Then he let her go and she growled in annoyance as if he had just played her in some kind of way, making her mutter,
“Jerk!” Then she turned to me and said,
“Men can be such assholes, don’t you think?!” I gave her a slight look of shock before nodding quickly. Because, well, he most definitely wasn’t on my nice guy list. Not seeing as the creepy handsome guy was about to force me on stage as some punishment for being caught in here. Naturally, she wasn’t going to get an argument from me.
“Of course, you do, I bet it was one of the jackasses that got you mixed up in all this, right?” I gave her wince and told her,
“Not really no, but if it helps, this Cerberus guy doesn’t sound like he is going to like me much,” I said being brave and hoping that it wouldn’t backfire. At this she sighed and replied,
“You might be right about that, Ella girl. I don’t know what Marcus was thinking.”
“Marcus… that’s the jester’s name, right?” I asked, wondering why I was even bothering and not just trying to run away as fast as my eighteen-year-old legs could carry me.
“He’s not really a jester, although he certainly acts the clown. No, he’s a Seeker, and a cocky one at that seeing as he’s one of the most powerful, hence assholeism to its fullest. Anyway, no reason you should get your pretty head bitten off because of that biggest bag of the douches… let me go and see what I can do about getting you out of here before Jared gets a glimpse of your forbidden candy,” she replied, giving me a lot in all of that to think about, having only understood half of it!
Although, the part I focused on the most was what made me grab her hand and say,
“Oh my god, you’re going to help me?!”
“Of course, I was human once too, you know,” she said with a smile.
“Er, I don’t want to offend but isn’t this acting all a bit much… I mean, big kudos for everyone’s commitment to being in character and all…” At this she burst out laughing, pulling me by the cap over towards the main way onto the stage and pulled back the curtain. Then she said,
“Does that look like acting to you, sugar?” she said, nodding to what was no longer a stage but in fact an electrified fight ring. One that now held dwarves all dressed in what I gathered was the seven deadly sins with a definite twist. Some were even wearing heels and feathers and would struct their stuff across the ring, holding out their weapons to the creature at the centre. At first I would have said it was nothing but make-believe, guys in costumes like the rest of this place but then this was when the impossible started to happen.
That cute long-haired creature with its big eyes and stretch of rounded teeth, who stood about as tall as the man that was no doubt inside him, started to open his mouth. At first, I thought the guy was going to pop out and start acting out the fight.
But no.
Actually, make that a big fucking no!
“Oh shit!” I shouted, as two demonic hands started to claw their way out of the now baggy skin of the creature, as if his skeleton was breaking free. Then, once nothing was left of the once fluffy white creature, it was discarded on the floor like a used fur rug, making me gasp,
“Hhhow… is this… possible?” I muttered the question, unable to take my eyes from the sight of the monster that had just crawled out of the body of a giant teddy bear.
“Time to light ‘em up boys!” Marcus said, swinging a different staff over his head this time and making it crash down like thunder on the floor. A massive switch was then flipped, one that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Frankenstein’s monster making lab!
The moment this was down, the whole ring turned into an electrified fence to keep the fighters inside, something I admittedly was thankful of considering this nightmare just turned deadly real!
The fight had begun, and I felt sick in seconds as the skeletal monster, still with bits of flesh hanging from its bones, started to roar down at the seven fighters. It now stood easily at seven feet high and when they started to charge at him, he ripped out two of his own rib bones, now using them as weapons. This was when I felt myself starting to sway, coving my mouth after uttering,
“Oh my God!”
I had just found my proof. It was all real. I knew that now, as I was forced to realise that my nightmare was true… this place… it wasn’t just make believe. It wasn’t some freakish party or some fantasy land where people could lose themselves for a night. No, it was real…
Very fucking real!
“Oh, trust me, sweetie, there is only one God in charge here, and if he takes one look at you dressed like that, it won’t be a heavenly ending, but one of a very different kind.” I shot her fearful eyes and then grabbed her to me, and said in panic,
“Please help me. I didn’t mean to come here! I followed someone… my… oh God, my cousin is out there somewhere!” I confessed, knowing that I had no choice because this girl might possibly be my only way of getting out of here alive, and if that was true, then I needed to try and get her to help me save Fae too.
Her eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in question, before she voiced it,
“I have a bad feeling I am going to regret asking this but, who exactly is your cousin?” I swallowed hard, looked back out at the fight of demons, and with a silent prayer added, I told her,
“Amelia Draven.” This was when her reaction surprised me as now, it wasn’t my eyes that had suddenly grown fearful. Then, she looked back out with me and said one thing that told me that my cousin was most definitely no stranger to this world like I’d hoped…
“Oh, fuck… A Draven.”