Chapter 3: Hellhound Spellbound

If you'd told me yesterday that I'd be sprinting through campus with a metal pipe in one hand and the apocalypse on my heels, I would've laughed and asked what you'd been smoking. But here I was, doing exactly that, with Stephanie right beside me and the world literally going to hell around us.

We burst out of the dorm and into the open, the harsh light of the swirling sky casting an eerie glow over everything. The once-familiar campus now looked like something out of a nightmare. The ground was littered with debris, and fires raged in the distance. But it was the creatures that really made my blood run cold. The hellhounds were everywhere, their glowing red eyes cutting through the chaos as they prowled and hunted, while other, more monstrous things lumbered through the streets, their hulking forms blotting out the light.

As I observed three of those flying monstrosities flying over a burning building, I was snapped out of my thoughts by a shout next me.

"George, this way!" Stephanie shouted, pulling me toward a side path that led to the gym.

I followed, my heart pounding in my chest. The gym was close, just a few buildings away, but with everything that was happening, it felt like it was miles out of reach. My mind raced, trying to process everything that was going on. There was no way this was real. It had to be some kind of twisted dream, or maybe I'd finally snapped after one too many late-night gaming sessions.

But the burning in my lungs and the fear clawing at my gut told me otherwise. This was real, and if we didn't get to safety soon, we were going to be monster chow.

We rounded a corner, skidding to a stop as a massive creature lumbered into our path. It was humanoid, but grotesquely deformed, with jagged, bony protrusions jutting out from its back and limbs. Its skin was a sickly gray, and its eyes… its eyes were nothing but empty, black voids. It let out a guttural snarl, its mouth opening wide to reveal rows of jagged teeth.

"Holy shit," I muttered, my grip tightening on the metal pipe. "What the hell is that?"

"Not something I want to stick around to find out!" Stephanie replied, her voice edged with panic.

We backtracked, darting into a narrow alleyway that ran behind one of the buildings. The creature lumbered after us, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground. I didn't dare look back, I just ran, my mind focused on one thing: getting to the gym.

The alley was narrow and littered with garbage and broken furniture, making it hard to navigate at full speed. We weaved around obstacles, ducking under low-hanging fire escapes and hopping over discarded textbooks that had been strewn across the ground in the chaos.

We emerged from the alley, breathless but still alive, and sprinted across the final stretch of campus that separated us from the gym. The building loomed ahead, its doors mercifully still intact. If we could just make it inside…

A sudden, blood-curdling howl cut through the air, sending a jolt of terror down my spine. I whipped my head around just in time to see a pack of hellhounds barreling toward us, their eyes glowing with a predatory hunger.

"Run!" I shouted, my voice cracking as the adrenaline surged through my veins.

We bolted for the gym, pushing our bodies to the limit as the hellhounds closed in. My legs burned with every step, and I could hear Stephanie's ragged breathing beside me. But we couldn't stop. Not now. Not with those things on our tail.

The gym doors were just a few yards away now. I could see the thick, metal handles gleaming in the strange light. Almost there… almost..

A hellhound lunged at us from the side, its massive jaws snapping shut onto Stephanie's leg. She let out a painful scream as the teeth tore through flesh and into bone. Before I could blink she was suddenly dragged across the marble linoleum floor and disappeared into the darkness. Her cries for help echoed through the halls.

"Heeeeelp! It fucking hurts! Help me god!"

I heard a loud crunch and then a wet squelch. Her cries of pain were silenced in an instant, pools of blood spread in my direction and its crimson reflection cast itself onto every shiny surface.

My mind froze in shock as the once cute volunteer was now a hell hounds chow. And soon it would come for me. I gripped onto the metal pipe, my hands trembling with fear. I stood ready to strike at the soonest sight of movement. I nearly jumped out of my skin as a large woman with wild grey hair came roaring through the halls and pushed me into the gym.

The hellhound rounded the corner and skid across the floor, its claws desperately trying to find purchase and failing miserably. The old lady rolled to the side and allowed me to get up. She scrambled to her feet and ran for the mop next to her. She grabbed it and readied it for a strike. That's when I noticed her gaze wasn't on me but on the hellhound coming through the doorway. With one clean strike she slammed it against its neck and made it fall to its knees.

I swung the metal pipe, more out of instinct than anything else, and connected with the creature's head. The impact sent a shockwave up my arms, but the hellhound barely flinched, its glowing eyes locking onto me with a fury that made my blood run cold.

"Charge! Now!" I yelled, grabbing the old lady's arm and practically throwing her toward the doors.

We hit the hound hard, slamming it and sending it tumbling outside. I didn't waste any time, I threw my weight against the doors, slamming them shut just as the first hellhound got back on its feet. The creature crashed into the door with a ferocious snarl, the impact reverberating through the metal.

The old lady and I pressed our backs against the doors, struggling to catch our breath as the hellhounds clawed and howled on the other side. The heavy wood and metal seemed to hold, but I could feel the vibrations through my back with each hit.

"Please… tell me… this thing… is locked tight," The old lady panted, her voice shaking.

"I think so," I replied, not sounding nearly as confident as I'd hoped. "It's the gym. They've got to have good locks, right?"

We both stared at the doors, as if willing them to hold. After what felt like an eternity, the pounding began to subside. The hellhounds let out a few more frustrated snarls, but eventually, the noise faded, leaving us in a tense, suffocating silence.

The old lady slumped to the floor, her back still against the door. "I can't believe… we made it."

"Yeah," I said, sliding down to sit next to her. "Me neither."

It took me longer than I would care to admit but it soon dawned on me who the old lady was.

"Mrs. Bancroft?"

The old lady gave me an affirmative nod and wiped sweat from her brow.

"Sure am kid. Wait a sec, didn't I have you in my ecology class?"

It finally all clicked, the fiery eyes, the wild grey hair that almost seemed to have a life of its own. This was indeed my old ecology teacher.

"Marcy Bancroft, man I haven't seen you since freshman year."

My little reunion was cut short by a loud squeal coming from behind the doors. The doors shook as the creature tried yet again to push them open.

For a few moments, we just sat there, breathing heavily and trying to process what had just happened. The gym was dark, with only a few emergency lights casting eerie shadows across the large, empty space. The silence was oppressive, making every sound, even our breathing, seem deafening.

After a while, I managed to catch my breath and get my thoughts in order. "We can't stay here forever. We need to find a way to secure this place better. Those things… they'll be back."

Marcy nodded, still trying to steady her breathing. "You're right. But how? We barely made it in here. And what if those creatures find another way in?"

I didn't have an answer. My mind was racing with possibilities, but none of them seemed good enough. The gym was large, with multiple entrances and exits, and I knew there was no way we could cover all of them on our own. We needed more people, more help. But who? And where would we find them?

As I mulled over our options, I caught sight of a flickering light in one of the hallways leading off the main gym floor. It was faint, but it was definitely there. And it wasn't coming from an emergency light, it looked more like… a flashlight?

"Did you see that?" I asked, nudging Marcy and pointing toward the hallway.

She looked up, frowning. "What is it?"

"Over there. I think someone else might be here."

We both got to our feet, our exhaustion temporarily forgotten. Moving cautiously, we made our way toward the source of the light, keeping our footsteps as quiet as possible. The hallway was long and narrow, lined with lockers and sports equipment. The flickering light was coming from around a corner, just out of sight.

I tightened my grip on the metal pipe, my heart pounding in my chest as we approached. There was no telling who, or what, was around that corner. But we couldn't afford to take any chances. If it was another survivor, we needed them. If it was something else… well, we'd deal with that when we got there.

We reached the corner, and I held up a hand to signal Marcy to stop. I peeked around the corner, my muscles tensed, ready to swing the pipe at the first sign of danger.

What I saw made me blink in surprise.

There, sitting on a bench with a flashlight propped up against the wall, was a young woman. She was dressed in a torn black hoodie, ripped jeans, and combat boots. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and her face was smudged with dirt and grime. She looked exhausted, but alert, her eyes darting around the hallway as if she was expecting trouble at any moment.

"Hey," I said cautiously, stepping out from behind the corner and holding up my hands to show I wasn't a threat. "Are you okay?"

The woman jumped, her eyes widening as she scrambled to her feet. "Who the hell are you?"

I quickly held up the metal pipe, waving it slightly in what I hoped was a non-threatening manner. "Easy! We're just trying to survive, like you."

She eyed me warily, her gaze shifting to Marcy as she stepped out from behind me. "I'm George, this is Marcy," I continued, trying to sound as calm and reassuring as possible. "We're just trying to find a safe place."

The young woman tilted her head in confusion before a knowing smirk grew in the corner of her black lips.

"Nana?"

Marcy shifted her head to side and then chuckled under her breath.

"Raven! Ah, thank god!"

Marcy and Raven quickly bridged the gap between them and embraced in a deep hug. The poignant moment lasted a little too long for my liking so I gave a soft cough.

"A-hem, not to rush you or anything but we really needed to go. Like now!"

Raven moved away from her grandmother and looked me up and down in an instant. I swear I saw her smirk for second before letting her face relax.

"I'm Raven," she finally said, her voice hoarse. "I've been hiding out here since the whole sky went nuts. You two the only ones here?"

"Yeah," Marcy replied, her voice softer. "We just got here, too. We're trying to figure out how to secure the place."

Raven nodded slowly, her shoulders relaxing just a bit. "Smart move. Those things out there… they're not normal. We need to make sure this place holds, or we're done for."

I couldn't help but notice the edge in her voice, a mix of fear and determination that mirrored exactly how I felt. There was something about Raven, maybe it was the way she was still standing, alert, ready to fight, despite everything that had happened, that made me feel like I'd just found an invaluable ally.

"Yeah, no kidding," I said, trying to lighten the mood with a small, nervous smile. "I've got a feeling that 'normal' is about to take a long vacation."

Raven gave me a look that was halfway between a smirk and a grimace, then nodded again. "You're probably right. So, what's the plan, fearless leader?"

The question caught me off guard. Leader? Me? I'd been the guy who couldn't lead a group project in school without having a minor panic attack, and now I was supposed to figure out how to keep us all alive? But there wasn't time to dwell on that. The truth was, whether I liked it or not, I was in this position, and there were people counting on me.

"Well, first things first," I said, doing my best to sound confident. "We need to make sure this place is secure. The doors need to be reinforced, and we should probably find a way to block off the windows too. We don't know how strong those things are or what else might be out there."

"Agreed," Raven said, already looking around the hallway, assessing the situation. "There's some sports equipment back here, nets, mats, stuff like that. We could use it to cover the windows, maybe block off some of the smaller entrances."

I nodded, glad that she was already thinking ahead. "Good idea. Marcy, think you can help with that?"

Marcy, who had been quiet up until now, perked up at the mention of her name. "Yeah, I can do that. I'll start gathering what we need."

"Perfect," I said, feeling a small spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we could pull this off. "Raven, can you show her where everything is? I'll start checking the doors, make sure they're locked tight."

Raven nodded and led Marcy down the hallway toward the equipment room. I watched them go, feeling a strange mix of relief and anxiety. It was clear that Raven was tough, probably tougher than I was, but at least she had her tough as nails grandmother to help her.

I watched as her hips swayed when she walked, the natural curves joined to a perfect ass just begging to be set free from their tight confines. I shook my head and made a mental note to talk to her more, find out what her story was. After all, if we were going to survive this, we needed to trust each other.

I made my way back to the main gym entrance, checking the heavy metal doors we'd slammed shut just minutes earlier. They were sturdy, but I knew that wouldn't be enough if those hellhounds decided to make another attempt to get inside. We needed something to reinforce them, something to make sure they didn't budge, no matter what.

As I examined the doors, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Raven approaching, her expression serious.

"Find anything useful?" I asked.

"Yeah, there's a lot of stuff back there we can use. Nana's already gathering the smaller stuff. But I found something else, too." She held up a crowbar, a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. "Figured this might come in handy."

I couldn't help but grin. "You're right about that. Let's use it to wedge the doors shut. If anything tries to get in, they'll have to work a lot harder for it."

We set to work, using the crowbar to reinforce the doors, jamming it into place to keep them secure. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than nothing. As we worked, I found myself sneaking glances at Raven, trying to figure her out. She was different from anyone I'd met before, tough, sure, but also focused, determined. I had a feeling she'd been through some serious stuff, but there was no time to dig into that now.

"Do you think there are others?" Raven asked suddenly, her voice breaking through my thoughts.

"Others?" I repeated, not sure what she meant.

"Survivors," she clarified, her gaze locking onto mine. "People like us. Do you think there are more out there?"

I hadn't really thought about it, but her question hit me like a ton of bricks. Of course, there had to be others. We couldn't be the only ones left. But the idea of venturing out to find them, of leaving the relative safety of the gym… it was terrifying.

"Maybe," I said cautiously. "I mean, we can't be the only ones who had the sense to get to cover. But it's dangerous out there, and right now, our priority has to be securing this place. Once we know we're safe, then we can start thinking about finding others."

Raven seemed to consider that for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. You're right. But we can't stay here forever."

"I know," I agreed. "But we'll figure it out. One step at a time."

We worked in silence for a while, securing the last of the doors and windows, making sure there were no weak spots. The gym was big, bigger than I remembered, actually, and it was taking longer than I'd hoped. But we were making progress, and that was something.

By the time we finished, Marcy had joined us, her arms full of the sports equipment she'd managed to scrounge up. We used the mats and nets to cover the windows, blocking out the strange, ominous light from outside. It wasn't much, but it made the gym feel a little more secure, a little more like a fortress.

"There," I said, stepping back to admire our handiwork. "That should hold for a while."

"Let's hope so," Raven muttered, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

For a brief moment, I allowed myself to relax, to breathe. We'd done it, we'd made it through the first wave, and we were still standing. It was a small victory, but it was a victory nonetheless.

But then, as if the universe was determined to remind me that things were far from over, there was a sudden, loud crash from somewhere outside the gym. The sound echoed through the empty halls, sending a jolt of fear straight through me.

"What was that?" Marcy asked, her voice trembling.

I exchanged a worried glance with Raven. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

"We should check it out," I said, my earlier confidence slipping away.

Raven nodded, already moving toward the door. "I'll go. You two stay here and make sure nothing else gets in."

"No way," I said, surprising myself with the firmness in my voice. "We stick together. If something's out there, we're going to face it as a group."

Raven hesitated, then nodded again, respecting my decision. We gathered our makeshift weapons and headed toward the source of the noise, moving as quietly as possible.

As we approached the door, the crashing sound grew louder, more insistent. My heart was in my throat, and I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. Whatever was out there, it was trying to get in, and it wasn't going to stop until it did.

We reached the door and paused, listening. The sound was coming from the back of the gym, near the loading dock where deliveries were made. I motioned for Marcy and Raven to follow me, and we moved as one, creeping down the hallway toward the noise.

The closer we got, the clearer it became, something was ramming against the metal doors of the loading dock, slamming into them with a force that made the entire wall shudder. The noise was deafening, like a battering ram pounding against a castle gate.

We rounded the corner and came face-to-face with the source of the noise. My breath caught in my throat as I saw what was causing the commotion.

A hellhound. But not just any hellhound, this one was massive, easily twice the size of the others we'd seen. Its fur was matted and black, its eyes glowing with an intense, malevolent fire. It was throwing its entire body against the doors, trying to break them down, its snarls reverberating through the air.

"Holy shit," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the noise.

Raven gripped her crowbar tighter, her face set in grim determination. "We can't let that thing get in. If it does, we're screwed."

She was right, of course. But how the hell were we supposed to stop something like that? The metal doors were holding for now, but it was only a matter of time before they gave way. We had to do something, and fast.

I scanned the area, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan. There had to be something we could use, some way to take it down before it broke through. But all I could see were empty walls and old sports equipment, not exactly the kind of arsenal you needed to fight off a monster from hell.

And then I saw it, a fire extinguisher mounted on the wall just a few feet away. It wasn't much, but it was something. I had no idea if it would actually work, but it was worth a shot.

"Marcy, grab that fire extinguisher," I said, pointing to it. "Raven, when Marcy gets it, you and I are going to distract that thing. We need to slow it down, give Marcy a clear shot."

Raven nodded, her eyes narrowing with determination. "Got it."

Marcy moved quickly, crossing the distance to the fire extinguisher in just a few strides. She yanked it off the wall and hefted it in her hands, her expression a mix of fear and focus.

"Okay, I've got it," Marcy whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

"Good," I replied, forcing a calmness into my tone that I didn't really feel. "Raven and I will get its attention. When I say 'now,' spray it with everything you've got."

Marcy nodded, gripping the extinguisher tightly.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to do. This was crazy, absolutely insane, but we didn't have a choice. That hellhound was going to get through the doors any second, and when it did, we'd all be dead if we didn't act.

"Hey, you ugly mutt!" I shouted, stepping out from behind the corner and waving the metal pipe above my head like a lunatic. "Yeah, you! Over here!"

The hellhound froze mid-ram, its glowing eyes locking onto me with a malevolence that sent a shiver down my spine. For a moment, I thought maybe I'd made a huge mistake, no, scratch that, I knew I had. But there was no turning back now.

"Come on!" I yelled, taking a few steps back, trying to lure it away from the door. "Come and get me, you overgrown, flea-bitten…"

Before I could finish, the hellhound let out a bone-chilling roar and charged straight at me, its claws tearing up the ground as it ran.

"Now!" I screamed, diving to the side just as the creature lunged.

Marcy didn't hesitate. She squeezed the handle of the extinguisher, sending a powerful blast of white foam directly into the hellhound's face. The creature reared back, snarling and shaking its head, blinded by the thick cloud of suppressant.

"Keep going, Nana!" Raven shouted, rushing forward with her crowbar raised.

I scrambled to my feet, grabbing the metal pipe from where it had fallen, and joined Raven in attacking the hellhound. We swung with everything we had, landing blow after blow on its side and head. The beast howled in fury, trying to swipe at us with its massive claws, but it was disoriented, struggling to shake off the foam that clung to its eyes and nose.

For a few seconds, it felt like we had the upper hand. The hellhound was stumbling, its attacks growing weaker and more erratic. But then it let out another deafening roar, this one filled with rage, and charged at us with renewed fury.

"Move!" I shouted, barely dodging its massive jaws as it snapped at us.

Raven swung her crowbar, hitting it squarely on the snout. The hellhound snarled in pain, but it didn't stop. It turned its attention to her, its eyes blazing with hate, and lunged.

"No!" I yelled, leaping forward and swinging the pipe with all my strength.

The pipe connected with the side of the hellhound's head with a sickening crunch. The creature let out a final, agonized roar before collapsing to the ground, its massive body convulsing for a few moments before finally going still.

We stood there, panting, staring at the fallen beast in disbelief. The gym was eerily silent, the only sound our ragged breathing and the faint hiss of the fire extinguisher as Marcy released the last of the foam.

"We… we did it," Marcy whispered, her voice shaking.

"Yeah," I said, swallowing hard as I stared down at the hellhound. "We did."

Raven knelt beside the creature, pressing two fingers to its side as if checking for a pulse. After a moment, she stood up and looked at me, a grim smile on her face.

"It's dead," she said simply.

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, my body finally starting to relax. "Thank God."

For a few moments, none of us said anything. We were all too busy catching our breath, processing what had just happened. It was only when the reality of the situation started to sink in that I finally spoke again.

"We need to get rid of this thing," I said, my voice steady despite the adrenaline still coursing through me. "We can't leave it here. If there are more of them out there, the last thing we want is for them to know where we are."

Raven nodded in agreement. "We'll drag it out the back and get rid of it. But we have to be careful. There might be more of them nearby."

Marcy looked pale, but she didn't argue. "Okay. Let's do it."

It took all three of us to move the hellhound's massive body, but eventually, we managed to drag it to the back exit of the gym. The adrenaline from the fight was starting to wear off, leaving me feeling exhausted and more than a little sore, but I pushed through, knowing we had to finish this.

We dumped the body outside, far enough from the gym that it wouldn't be an immediate threat if more of those creatures showed up. Then we quickly retreated back inside, slamming the door shut behind us.

As we leaned against the door, finally allowing ourselves to breathe, I looked at Raven and Marcy, feeling a strange sense of pride. We'd faced down a monster straight out of a nightmare, and we'd survived. Maybe, just maybe, we could get through this after all.

"So… what now?" Marcy asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Now," I said, trying to inject some humor into my voice, "we get some rest, and then we figure out our next move. We can't stay here forever, but for now, this place is as safe as it's going to get."

Raven nodded, her usual guarded expression softening just a bit. "Agreed. But George… good call back there. We'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

I felt a flush of embarrassment and pride at the same time. "Thanks, but it was all of us. We did it together."

Raven gave me a small, approving smile, and for a moment, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I wasn't completely out of my depth.

As we settled in for the night, the gym still felt eerie and too quiet, but there was a small sense of safety knowing we had each other's backs. The night would be long, and the world outside was still in chaos, but for now, we had a plan and a place to rest. And that was more than most people had right now.

The apocalypse had just begun, and things were only going to get harder from here. But we were alive, and that was enough for tonight.