Rain drops pelted the back of her black hoodie, she’d not been prepared. Of course, her grandma had told her before she’d left for school. But that was nearly half a day ago. Rain wasn’t her weakness, school was.

Each and every day was hell. A little rain would not make that much of a difference. Soggy cloths over the continued bully if she’d taken the bus. Of course as she watched it cruse past she could see both her favorite people.

Penny Thistle and Maggy Rich , both watching her sulk through the rain. “Why did they care so much?” She grumbled to herself, fixing the hood so it didn’t let the cool rain explode across her forehead.

She wasn’t like those girls, formed and followed closely by all the boys. Her hair wasn’t long and beautiful flowing down her back. Well it had been before she’d pissed off her older brother and he’d shaved it partially in her sleep.

She’d been one of them till that happened. One of the bullies, now she’d become an outsider.

A low growl made her break from her thoughts, her heart starting to beat a mile a minute as she came face to face with a giant black thing. It’s face was a white plate mask that looked stone or ceramic. Two very large white tusks reaching to the sky on either side of the mask. A wild boar looking monster the size of a full bus. It’s red tongue shot out the masks center muzzle and clipped her right shoulder deeply cutting past cloths into flesh.

A gasp as she was quickly tossed away by the force of the blow. Rolling to a stop at the streets edge. None of the cars skirted to a halt, a few pedestrians down the street looked her way. But just kept on moving.

Pain ripping across her shoulder as she tried to stand up. Her vision starting to blur as the cars lights got brighter for a split second. The beast hung over her with its tongue licking at her horrified face. Then a spray of warmth covered her body, as she lost consciousness.

A fan cutting the air like the sound of a clipper woke her up with a startle. Quickly she glanced around the barely light living room. Day old Chinese white containers littered the coffee table, a few empty beer bottles, some of alcohol she’d never seen before still half full.

Some blonde haired woman tucked neatly in on the old couch with a old looking blanket. Shuffling to her right made her look toward a small single kitchen. Wincing as she stood up, her whole right shoulder wrapped in some sort of cloth bandage. The whole hoddie arm and shirt beneath gone from the bandage edge to her fingers. Her caramel skin tone reflecting flashes from the still on tv.

“Sorry I didn’t get there fast enough. It nearly finished the job” A female voice whispered as dirty blonde haired girl in a long pink night shirt came from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn. “I figured you’d be hungry after that near death experience… all we had was popcorn..”

The girl shrugged her shoulders and nodded toward a hallway she hadn’t even noticed. Taking the hint she followed after her. The house was clearly not kept well, this girl didn’t seem to mind it much though.

“I’m Kasey… this is my moms trailer. Sorry she’s not much of a cleaner these days” The girl held out her hand as they entered a small bedroom off to the right halfway down the long hallway.

“I’m Jaylin…” Her voice was low.

For a few more minutes nobody said anything. Kasey sat down on her bed that was just a mattress and box spring on the floor. While Jaylin just took in the well kept room.

A small dresser, an old warped white vanity with a fairly new looking mirror. Her bed covered in stuffed animals, even though she could tell the girl was older then herself. So many questions raced through her mind, but as she opened her mouth nothing came out.

“If you wanna just chill out for a bit I understand…. It’s a lot. Minus my whole life crap as well.” She gave her a forced smile and patted the bed beside her. “ After near death sleep over?” Kasey giggled a bit to herself but it didn’t make Jaylin any less anxious.

“Did you see the monster?” She questioned in a low voice, her words barely above a whisper. She could hardly speak, lip quivering even after the words came out.

“Are you sure you want to bark up that tree right now?” Kasey gave her a questioning glacé and sighed long and exaggerated. “So you don’t want to wait then?”

Instead of words she just shook her head no. Which made Kasey turn on the bed towards her, nearly knocking over the fresh bag of popcorn. Which smelled delightful even though the house smelled of mildew and must.

“We call them devours…. They are low level demons. They eat normie souls. “ She took a second before she gave a weak smile. “Once you’ve been cut by one…. You turn into one”

When the words left her mouth Jaylin crumbled to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Kasey sighed again and stood up. Closing the gap between them and rubbing her back.

“Not everyone becomes a monster…. Those of us who fight them and protect the normies. We all have a little monster inside us” Kasey tried to sound hopeful. “I’ll take you to Master Ken tomorrow. Maybe he will be able to help you transition like us. For now rest.”

Kasey gripped her around the waist and tossed her without exerting any effort. She landed on the bed and continued to sob. After a while the sobbing was replaced with low snores, then Kasey followed suit.

Riding in a junky rusted out old ford truck hadn’t been the highlight of the next day. Yet when they showed up at a little kid’s dojo for karate. Jaylin felt hopeless, this clearly wasn’t happening.

Master Ken was a retired cop/ dojo instructor. He stood towering over the girls, muscles toned enough that most people knew he ment business. Yet when he spoke it was soft slow and comforting.

“She’s been tagged” Kasey blurted out as they stepped into the small office in the back of the dojo.

“So why bring her here?” His left eyebrow flexed at her question.

“Stop acting like you didn’t find me in the gutter near death. I saved her. So save her” Kasey huffed, tossing her hands up in mock defeat.

“She’ll have to go into the pit. You think she can survive?” Ken looked Jaylin up and down for a second, shaking his head in disappointment. “I don’t think she’s strong enough..”

“If she’s not. I’ll finish her myself…” Kasey gave her a quick smile before Ken sighed.

“Fine. Get her tied up.” He grumbled tossing his hands in the air.

Tied up meant just that. She was bound hands behind her back tightly, then her eyes covered with a dark cloth. She’d only seen the pit for a second before darkness, fear gripped at her causing her mouth to dry up completely.

“Be weary of the devour you see.” Kens words drifted away as she felt her body being slowly dropped into the abyss by a pulley that squeaked till her face found the dirt.

It felt like hours before anything changed. Air started to blow on the back of her neck, making the hairs stand up. A harsh roar scaring the pee out of her as it echoed up the pit. She could hear foot falls starting circle around her.

“I can hear you” She hissed. “This is a sick joke. What kind of crap is this!”

Fear hung on her body like a shroud, the footfalls didn’t stop. Still whatever it was circled back and fourth around her.

“This isn’t a joke mortal. You’ve been tagged to be devoured!” A gruff proud voice called out from the dark as the footsteps stopped. “I’m here to convert your soul.”

“Convert my soul?” She questioned, rolling to her right side a bit, trying to release her wrists from the bindings. “If I can get free I can fight” Her own thoughts were more brave then her body. Because she didn’t move or tussle with the bindings.

“You can’t fight this. You don’t possess the will.” The voice chuckled a bit. “Just lay there and accept your fate girl”

“Jaylin! You can do this!” Kasey’s words called through the darkness.

“I’ll kill you” She hissed, starting to fight against the ropes. Feeling them starting to cut into her wrist.

“Your welcome to try princess “ The proud voice called, letting a yawn escape him. “You have twenty four hours before you become one of us. I’d hurry it up”.

The laughter faded away as she felt a large paw against her back. The weight of it just hanging above her wrists caused excruciating pain and discomfort across her wrists and arms.

“I can end you at any point. You might want to start fighting “ The voice spoke again gruffly.

The paw pushed hard against her back and right before she felt a snap of her wrist or arms. The rope broke. In full panic she rolled to the left, quickly hoping to her feet and pulling off the blindfold. Blood started to run from the cuts the rope made into her wrists, but she could see nothing except a small circle of light from above.

Until the beast mask caught the light. A fearsome set of red eyes hung behind the white ceramic lions muzzle. A smile on its face as it’s white ceramic paws met the light beam next. Claws hung died in a blood red color, fear had already started to swell up within her. This monster would either be her death, or her salvation.

“Are you done already?” The lion demon questioned, going back to circling her.

She watched its claws dragging in the blackness. Then she struck, without warning she leapt at the beast. Her fist connecting to the solid mask. Pain erupted across her fist as it made contact, the lion burst out in laughter. Shaking it’s huge head back and fourth, sitting back and looking at her.

“Your fiesty princess “ He continued to bellow open laughter. “I like that about you. But it won’t be enough “

Before the lion could move, she’d run again. Feet making no noise on the blackness of the eternal plains. Jumping ito the air, she kicked out her leg. Harder then she’d ever done in those boring classes as a child. Sending it straight into the center of the lions mask. A crack echoed around the masks center and it started to fall away.

Until in front of her stood an exact replica of herself. The full mask of the lion crumpled on the floor.

“You have earned my power, use it wisely princess. Not all who do this are good” Without a word she was swept upward with a crazy force. Landing outside the pit in a coughing fit. Pain hanging on every surface of her body, blood leaking from a few surfaces.

“You did well kid” Ken’s voice called from behind her.

Kasey ran up to her side and started to look over her wounds. Like she’d somehow gotten a degree in medicine.

“It had been a long time coming, but now I felt I can truely call myself the slayer of monsters” Jaylin collapsed on the hard wooden floor.