• It was eighty five degrees on board and rising, the air conditioner was broken and the sun beat in the widows as a one gear bicycle sped past. The tour bus was slowly making its way on the crowded downtown streets; they had been riding for twenty minutes and could still see the hotel. There was much grumbling, only interrupted by the reassurances of the driver that the traffic was only the midday rush and that they would be out of it in no time.

    “Okay,” a short brunette stood after another minute, pulling her duffel bag from the rack above her and headed for the bus doors, “Since it would be faster to walk, I’d rather do that.” Her angry brown eyes looked to her friends as she heard them speak up.

    “Beckah,” This brunette was taller, slimmer, “We’ll be moving faster once we get out of the traffic, sit down.” She frowned at the window, it was obvious she was upset at the pace but didn’t want to walk through the traffic, no matter how still it was.

    “Girls,” Tom had always been the mediator, tall and lanky, but good with words, most of the time, “Beckah has a point, Tasha, and this is what the traffic is like all over this city. Besides, it would be more fun to walk.” He stood up and held out his hand to take the bag from his shorter friend. She frowned at him and hoisted the bag higher on her shoulders.

    “Please sit down!” the driver’s heavy accent scolded them over the intercom as the bus lurched from its short burst of movement. Tasha stood, still frowning but gestured that she would follow her companions.

    After a few moments of protest and Beckah’s threats of destroying the vehicle, the driver let them off in the hardly moving traffic. Only moments passed as the lanky and the short friends celebrated their freedom to use their limbs before they heard screams of terror. They turned around to see creatures appearing to climb all over and sniff at the windows of the bus.

    The creatures were almost dog-like, but for the bones, horns and flames protruding from their skin. Tasha, brave as she was at times didn’t look back for the looks on her friends faces said she wouldn’t like what she saw. She walked hastily past them, her green eyes begging them to follow her quickly, as other panicked people ran by screaming.

    Just as the other two were about to join Tasha, one of the creatures lifted its head and sniffed the air in their direction. It called out, a screeching roar, and leapt at the two left behind. Trained reflexes moved her as the creature came down on them. The girl dropped her duffel bag at the same time pulled free the blade from inside her walking cane. She had brought it along; the tour had included a hike. Beckah ran up the back of a car to keep it above the people running by as the creature put out its claws for the attack. She heard her friends calling out, but had no time to hesitate now, everything in slow motion.

    Just as the beast was coming down on her blade someone grabbed her around the middle, pulling her out of the way. A shot rang out as the creature flew back and knocked into the tour bus, setting it on fire. The captive looked up to yell at her supposed rescuer only to stop, her words not to the top of her throat yet. The one that had moved her stood at least six foot tall, heavily muscled in the best way. He looked down at her with crystal blue eyes peeking out from under snow white hair.

    “You know, his legs were longer than your blade,” He spoke, a sly grin on his lips, and his voice heavy with sarcasm and scolding. He slid the large black pistol he had shot the creature with into a holster on his back, and she couldn’t speak as he carried her back to her friend and bag. Beckah could only stare at him when he set her down on her feet. He seemed confused by her silence, then turned back toward the creatures with a chuckle.

    “Beckah,” suddenly there was a hand waving in front of her face, “earth to Beckah come in!” The hand belonged to the taller of her green eyed friends. She shook her head to take in her scenery and sighed disappointingly as the hot tour bus was empty, parked outside a restraunt.

    “You wanna go eat or what?” Tasha giggled as her friend came out of her day dream.

    “Yeah, yeah,” She got up and stomped her way off of the bus, not before looking out the back window. She stopped, to look again; she thought she had seen a flamed horn. She watched for a moment, then she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity and followed the others into the air conditioned café, thinking some cool air and water would cure her.


    It watched from under the bus, as the three walked inside. Quickly the flaming creature dashed down the alleyway and over rooftops to tell its master of his prey.