"What the hell. . ." Jacko glided his fingers along the deep scars in the concrete walls. He now knew for a fact he was dealing with daemon, and deadly ones to boot. The logical part of him knew it was time to leave, but the other took these claw marks as a message. These things were deadly, and he needed to find their weakness or else there was no hope. "Here goes nothing. . ."

He tip-toed further down the cold, hard stairs, the air growing more fetid and stale the deeper he went. Even through his scarf he felt his stomach turn in disgust. When he reached the bottom, Jacko swiveled his head left and right, two entryways leading into total blackness.

He got out his walkie-talkie and whispered into it. "Raccoon to Woodpecker, do you copy?"

"Still here. . .in the tree. No sentries. What's up?"

"I got two routs. Left and right. Your a girl. I hear they have, like, supernatural intuition or something. Which way should I go?"

"Dude, both ways are probably equally dangerous. Just pick either one."

"This is life or death, Mari!"

"Fine, fine! Go left."

"Why left?"

"Because you're more likely to chose right, right? So pick the left."

"Damn, good point! Alright I'm going right. Raccoon over and out."

Mari rolled her eyes. "Jeez, he's so gullible--" She stopped and squinted into the distance, holding onto the branch to make sure she was seeing right. "Oh crap. . ."

Jacko inched his way further through the impenetrable darkness, his dim light only revealing arms reach in front of him. If something were lurking to his sides, he couldn't even see it. But his growing uneasiness turned to curiosity when he made out the outline of a shelf, and upon it, a row of jars filled with a murky, dark liquid. He bounded forward, shining the light directly on a jar and pushing his face close to get a better look.

He quickly regretted it.

Jacko flew back, letting out a yelp before clamping his hands over his mouth and listening closely. He heard no movement, and sighed in relief.

"Raccoon to Woodpecker. . .I found some--"

"Jacko, get out of there. Now."

"Huh?" He checked his watch and raised a brow. "I still have five minutes? What's the matt--"

"They're here." She said with a shaky voice. "Coming in from the woods. A whole group of thirteen." She stared at the daemon pack in horror, a coven of deformed, animal-like hybrid creatures that lumbered from the cornfields and towards the shed. "Jacko, listen to me. You need to leave. Like, right this second."

He had to take deep breaths to control his anxiety, like he always did. And it worked. "Mari. . .I found there babies."

"Jacko forget that! Get the hell out of--" She sucked in a breath and froze. One of the daemon stopped, grunting as if signalling the others to stop, too. They froze like a deer that sensed danger. One of the daemon, a twisted parody of an alligator-headed ape beast, lifted it's scaley snout into the air and sniffed deeply. It's eyes widened, and it's face twisted into an enraged snarl.

It knew they were there.

"J-Jacko. . .it can smell me. . .I-I--"

"Get out of there." He commanded, "I'll be out in a hot minute. I need to get these pictures. Once I do--"

"No, Jacko! This isn't the time for your heroics--"

"Once I do," he continued before she could finish, "I'll find an alternative escape route. You need to get out of there for now. I'll meet you back at my place."

"Dammit, Argh! Fine!" She began down the tree, her clothes catching and tearing on the branches. "If you die. . .I'm going to--"

"Kill me? Don't worry. If I die, then who's going to stop the demons?" Before she could protest, he flicked off the walkie-talkie and moved again closer to the jars. "Now, smile for the camera you disgusting little babies."

Snap, snap!

He took shots of each and every jar, catching the photos as they ejecting from the camera. In the low light, he shook the pictures, bringing them close to eye the quality. They were just as uncanny as they were when looking with the naked eye. The underdeveloped daemons resembled large human fetuses, but that's where the resemblances ended. Each jar contained a daemon with a different oddity. One had a massive horn protruding from it's forehead and a two sets of fleshy claws. Another had a gaping mouth that expanded into it's stomach so the thing resembled an undercooked donut. One of them didn't even look alive; nothing more than a bloated glob of innards and gore stuffed into a jar of preservatives. But despite their grotesque nature, Jacko knew what he was looking at.

A daemon breeding ground.

After getting the shots he needed, he pocketed the photos and spun around, satisfied. "Okay, that's that. Time to get the hell out of here. . ." He retraced his steps, heading out towards the door he'd entered through and reaching the base of the stairs.But he stopped suddenly with a cold fear.

Footsteps thundered heavily just above his head, with a terrifying urgency. Jacko could here the snarls and barks of wild animals on a prey's scent. Panic rose in his gut, but he pushed it down and thought rationally.

I need to get out. I can't go back the way I came, and the demon breeding room is a dead end. The stomping grew louder, and Jacko's nerves became even more pressured. Mari said there were thirteen. A coven. It's daylight so either the rest won't be active or. . .

He looked towards the path he hadn't yet taken, the sounds the daemon's right outside the cellar door.

The Gate isn't open right now, and the daemon upstairs are a scouting party.

Without a seconds hesitation - without even weighing the risks and rewards - he ran into that room. The sound of the daemon descending the stairs only fueling his will to survive.

*

Mari sat on the front step of Jacko's old home, a house left to ruin - rotting away like the "guardian" who lived within. She bit her thumbnail, drumming her thigh and looking up and down the road continuously. She checked her watch and rocked back and forth.

"We're the hell is he--"

"Wha'? He left school? God dammit. . ." Mari twisted around to the familiar voice and scowled. The woman slammed open the door, stepping out onto the steps in nothing but a stained tank top and lingerie. She drunkenly limped onto the step past Mari, looking up and down the street quickly before shrugging and turning back inside.

Rage boiled in Mari's gut and she bursted out. "Why don't you go and look for him you meth head!"

For a second, she turned around, as if she heard the words hurled at her. Unfortunately, it was probably the after effects of the booze and drugs from the night before. It'd be ironic if she of all people were among the few that could see her. As it was now, Jacko was the only one who could see past the veil.

The walkie-talkie buzzed at her hip, and in a messy haste, she grabbed it and raised it to her face. "Jacko! Are you there!"

There was silence, save for the continuous static she heard. Then a low snarl, and something in an old, dark language she'd heard many times, and it still scent pains through her skull.

"Having fun with the mortal, eh? I'm surprised you haven't devoured him yet--"

She whipped the device through the air, leaving it cracked and broken in the street. Mari folded her knees to her chest and squeezed her head. "I don't need to eat to live. I'll never eat!"

"You'll never eat? I know you were planning on dieting, but I didn't know it was that strict." She looked to her side, her expression blank as Jacko climbed over the stair railing and nearly cracked his rump."Y-you made it out?"

"No, I died back there. You're talking to my ghost." He bent down and flicked her on the forehead. "Stupid."

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Again, he nearly busted his rump. "Damn, Mari. Have some faith. I knew what I was doing."

"You dumbass! What the hell took you so long?"

He dug into his pocket and whipped out the photos he took. "This. This is why I risked my life. Check it out." Mari took the photos and filed through them, her face tightening.

"There building an--"

"Army," he finished for her, "Yeah, I came to the same conclusion, too. Or at least, their trying to. Doesn't look like all of them are. . .well. . .battle ready."

"No, they are ready." She looked hard at the daemon fetus that appeared dead; nothing but guts in a jar. "Just because they look dead, doesn't mean they are. The daemon's with the least form are the strongest." She pointed at the horned creature. "See that one? It looks sort of like a baby rhinoceros, right?"

"Eh, I was thinkin' an unborn unicorn."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You see how it 'resembles' an animal that exist on earth? That's because it was bred here, using that animals or something like it's blood." She flipped to the Donut daemon and the pile of guts. "These two aren't from here. They're from the world beyond the Gate, or even worse, the daemon realm itself."

"Hold up! Back up! The world beyond the Gate? You mean it isn't just a portal to hell?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. You think you're - we're - the only ones in the universe? On the other side of the Gate, there's a world sort of like ours, and even farther down the rabbit hole is what I guess you can consider "Hell".  Although it isn't, like, fire and brimstone and stuff."

"Aha. . .wait!" He pointed at her dramatically, "there's another world? Like ours?"

"That's what I just--" She squeezed the bridge of her nose, "yes. But it isn't exactly like ours. The people might be humans, but the world is entirely different. Different countries, kingdoms, continents, history, you name it."

"Wanna go?"

"You're an idiot, Jacko." She through her arm over his shoulder and put her forehead against his. "But, you're my idiot."

"Gee, thanks, 'friend'." They both laughed, a life that wouldn't have been shared if Jacko hadn't thought to head through the right door. The door that took him through the daemons feeding chamber, and out through an underground tunnel. Remembering the scatters bones that littered the floor and hunks of guts lining the walls, he knew more than ever he was facing a threat that only he could see.

And one only he could stop. Well, him and Mari, that is.

"JACKO!" Boomed a thundering voice. He craned his neck, taking in the form of his mother standing in the doorway. His lips tightened and he stood erect. A film of sweat lined his brow. "Why's your school calling me, talkin' about how you ran out in the middle of class!?"

"Ma, I can explain--"

"And what were you just doing just now!? Did that asshole Daniel give you something?"

"I'm not on drugs, ma. I was talking to Mari--"

"Why am I asking you this dumb questions. I forgot about your condition. It's because of all those damn parties Daniel took me on before I had you born."

A spike of hurt wedged itself in his chest, but he was used to it. Just like everyone else, his mother, who was supposed be on his side, thought he was mentally challenged.

"Ma. . .I'm just trying to--"

A loud smack rang out through the air, and Jacko found himself silent, his face stinging and eyes burning.

"Don't interrupt me. Get inside. Daniel's hungry and I'm tired."

He lowered his gaze, his face hot and eyes burning. He hated it when his mother hit him. It was worse than Daniel's - his mother's boyfriends - punches. Every time her hand struck his face, he felt the little bit of his mother's love die like a fly being crushed. He tried to shrug of everyone else's opinions about him off, but when it came to his mother - the woman who was suppose to give him unconditional love - he just couldn't. As hard as he tried, her beratement left a seed of doubt in his heart like a parasite, and it was eating him away the more he endured it.

"Jacko--"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mari."

"Stop talking to yourself! I don't want our guest coming over later to think my sons a fricken' retard." He trudged inside, the door closing behind him. Mari stood on the steps, staring blankly into the front door. Deep down, she felt it was her fault his life was so horrible. If she hadn't entered it that day, she was sure he would be happy. He wouldn't need to hide his hurt behind the fake smile and endearing words. She held a hand to her chest and whispered.

"Sorry. . ."