#prompt:demon

Day 18-Demon

Other Stories

The Beast

Stephen desperately crawled under a truck as quickly as he could. Anything to escape that thing chasing him.

"Come out, come out little Hatt," It crooned. Its voice, an ear-aching shriek of twisting metal. "You know you can't run forever." The words were spoken in a mock soothing toon. 

Stephen stared at the beast from under the trucks. it vaguely took the shape of an engine, but one twisted and warped. Its smokebox was blank, a jagged hole stretched across, twisting and moving to form a jagged mouth. Within the maw a deep red glow could be seen, as if its boiler contained molten metal. Two burning holes were positioned inches above its maw, forming beady, hate-filled eyes. Every turn of its twisted and bent wheels screeched against corroded siderods. Flames licked through holes in the boiler, occasionally setting the beast on fire without it seeming to notice.

It stopped right beside the truck Stephen was hiding under and breathed deeply. Stephen held his breath, desperately hoping it couldn't sense him.

"I do hope," it spoke, "that you know hiding will do you no good." It slowly, ominously rolled forward, leaving the rails behind it glowing and twisted from the heat. "I have waited so many years for this. It is nothing personal, you understand." It purred, a grinding harsh sound that set Stephen's teeth on edge. "But you're dear Grandfather must be punished."

Stephen slowly began crawling towards the other end of the siding slowly, hoping to put some distance between him and the creature.

"I'm rather afraid you're just caught in the middle in this case." It paused its movements and Stephen froze and hoped the shaking trucks were enough to hide him. It slowly started forward again. "It is his fault you're here you know. I was once a normal engine you know. A proud North Western engine even, brought to help out during the war. I pushed the others hard, but they needed it."

The beast paused again, looking at a few trucks down the line from Stephen. 

CRUNCH

The trucks and Stephen stared in horror as the beast chewed the remains of the shattered truck before slowly, deliberately swallowing it.

"Ah, not what I was looking for, but filling nonetheless." The engine rolled forward again, but it took a long moment before Stephen found the courage to move.

"Yes, it is true I was harder on the island's engines than they were used to, but we were at war. Every extra truck they carried brought supplies to our troops, every coach of soldiers brought death to the enemy, and every van of medical supplies saved soldiers. I did what was needed, pushing the sheltered fools to their limits for our country, and what was my thanks?"

The engine chuckled, a dark broken sound akin to shattered glass. "I was sent away. Told my behavior was intolerable when everything I did was for the cause. When I was doing what the fool Hatt wouldn't do."

CRUNCH

Another truck disappeared within the beast's jaws. "That order signed my death sentence. The fools they gave me to didn't watch my water gauge, despite my warnings. It cost them their lives, and now I am stuck as this. Haunting the rails I once ruled. Hearing your screams from within my boiler will not even bring Hatt a tenth the pain I have felt...but It will have to do."

The beast reached the end of the sidings, and slowly began to reverse back along the trucks. "I must say I am surprised though. I fully expected the trucks to sell you out. Especially when their frames are on the line."

CRUNCH

A van gave a strangled cry as it was tore in half between the beast's jaws.

"We do not ally with Demons such as you." An old truck cried, and the others yelled their agreement.

Because I ended a few of your brethren." The beast, if anything, sounded amused. "Do you not regularly dash yourselves to bits for your own amusement?"

"Because you are an abomination, and have no place in this world."

The beast chuckled, "on that we agree."

Stephen crawls slowly out from under the last truck, hoping...

"Ah there you are, little morsel." Stephen turned and saw the beast was at the other end of the siding, its grin stretching from edge to edge, and suddenly understood it had known where he was the entire time. It was toying with him.

"Now far be it from me to speak so much of my mistreatment, without giving you a chance. At the end of that alleyway behind lies the docks, and freedom. If you escape me, I'll leave you be. I'll even give you a head start, just to make it fair. To the count of ten.

Stephen turned and sprinted for the alleyway.

"One."

The trucks roared encouragement.

"Two"

He shot into the alleyway.

"Three"

The alleyway was between two warehouses, long and narrow, with barely enough clearance for the tracks running through it.

"Four"

Stephen ran faster then he ever had before.

"Five"

As he ran he looked for doorways or anywhere to hide.

"Six"

There were none.

"Seven"

He pushed himself even faster.

"Eight."

It wasn't going to matter

"Nine"

 He wasn't even halfway yet.

"Ten"

He heard the shriek of metal as the beast pushed off, racing down the sidings. It reached the start of the alley in seconds, whistling tauntingly as it did.

Its puffing echoed down the alley. Quickly overwhelming the sound of Stephen gasping for air, as it raced towards him. Stephen dove to the side, hoping that maybe it would miss and buy him a few seconds

CLANG

The beast rocked back from the impact, dazed. Stephen looked up to see a wall of blue in front of him, a large golden number one shining in the dying light.

"Run Stephen!" Thomas whistled, and he rolled forward, charging the Beast with a whistle.

"YOU!" The beast roared.

Stephen took off like a jackrabbit, the sound of the engine and beast clashing ringing off the walls.

"How dare you stop me! You know what the Hatts cost me, Caomhnóir." 

Crash

"I know what you cost yourself. Stephen had nothing to do with it. How dare you harm a child!"

CLANG

"Its the only way to make Hatt pay, and I will do it, even if I have to go through you to do it!"

BANG

The tank engine fought valiantly, but he was outmatched, the beast was far larger, and the smaller engine was slowly but surely pushed back.

CRASH

As Stephen reached the other end of the alley, he heard the beast scream, "NO! He is mine!"

Thomas activated his lamps and the beast recoiled as golden light spilled over it, but its rage was stronger still. It leapt forward with a strangled scream.

CRASH!

Stephen dove to the side as he heard the sound of metal screeching along the rails. Thomas screeched past, tilting to the side, falling to the ground with a muffled boom as he topped over.

The beast emerged from the alley. Dark oil ran from its eye holes and maw, its buffers dented in, and across its front the metal was glowing, dripping and melting as if hit by a great heat. Stephen was vaguely aware of the dock workers running towards him in the distance

"I'll kill you!" it snarled, "I'll Kill You!" Its voice was rough and coarse, as if it had been burned. "I'll rip you to pieces, tear your crew to shreds in front of you!"

Stephen hesitated, knowing there was nothing he could do but loathe to leave the engine that had saved him.

The beast turned its burning eyes on him, "but only after you've seen me devour him, and know for all the Lady's power, you couldn't save him." Its tone was mocking and hateful.

Thomas's eyes opened, the iris completely golden. He smirked, "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."

'Oh?" The best said smugly.

SLAM!

The beast was thrown forward as a massive blur of blue slammed into it from behind. He gave a whistle of alarm, which was instantly drowned out by a deep whistle of war.

The beast tried to push back, "get off of me!" It shrieked, but Gordon pushed him forward with a growl, past Stephen, past Thomas.

The beast surged back but he was against a foe every bit as powerful as himself, and it only caused him to slip as the mighty express engine pushed him onto the pier.

"NO! NO! I will not be denied like this!" It roared in rage, digging in its wheels. But the Pacific would not be denied. Foot by foot, inch by inch, he shoved the beast towards the end of the pier, and the waiting sea. 

It fought, snarled, cursed, and screamed. It melted the rails beneath it, and spit molten steel, but still number four's wheels turned ever forward.

Even the buffers at the end proved no match for the pacific's strength, splintering apart as the beast was shoved through them.

As the beast began inch over the edge, he snarled a threat, "this will not end me. I'll still be there waiting."

Gordon never spoke.