Black Dogs

It had been a slow night for a purse-snatcher like Gary, he had not been able to find one decent purse, and he also could not find too many women or girls out that night. There had been a story early that week about three women that had been found dead, Gary knew all about them, the women had fought to keep their purses but they lost the fight with Gary’s knife. Now, he was regretting killing the women because the streets were empty except for the homeless, the police and those that considered themselves brave. Gary needed to find one decent purse before he went home.

Gary wandered, trying to find a woman that looked like she had some money on her; he went into the park and grinned. He found her, a little slip of a woman in a nice dress and jewelry that shined in the moonlight, the only problem was the big black dog that walked beside. He jogged behind her, he wanted to present himself a friendly stranger, and then he could grab the purse and get away.

“Hey, you sure you should be walking out tonight?” Gary asked when he was right next to her and her purse.

“I’m fine, once I can get back on the right trail, are you sure you should be out here?” the woman asked, a playful smile on her bright red lips as her red hair moved in soft wind.

The dog on the other side of her, looked back, it growled at Gary and made Gary stop his first reach for the purse. That was when Gary got a good look at the black dog; it was big, like a great dane, and had shaggy black hair but it was the eyes that scared Gary. The dog’s eyes were red, like two hot coals, and it felt like they were boring into him.

“Your dog is interesting.” Gary said after he tried to swallow his fear.

“He’s not mine, he showed up when I got turned around, it is a bit funny though.”

“What do you mean?”

“He reminds me of the black shuck; the devil dog that kills the men that see it but protects lost women and children. He found me when I got turned around and he’s been leading me somewhere.”

She must have been making it up, he had never heard of it before, and he would have heard of it from his monster-obsessed grandfather if it was real. Gary shook his head, trying to clear his head; he had to focus on her purse and how to get it. That was when he noticed that the dog was gone, he could not see it, and he was alone with the woman and her purse.

“Black shuck, eh?” Gary asked, reaching for her purse.

The woman was oblivious as she kept walking, her eyes looking forward, as if she did not have a care in the world.

“My mother always told me that the Black Shuck kills everyone that sees it but that it will guide lost women and children back to the right path.” She said, her high heeled shoes clicking against the pavement.

“Oh really?” Gary asked before he grabbed her purse and started running away.

“Hey, stop!” the woman yelled and she tried to run but her high heels prevented her from chasing him.

Gary just laughed as he ran off, he was going to get away again, he would just go through the trees in the park and then he would be home free. The cops never came near the park, even after Gary killed the three women, this was perfect. That was until he heard the growl right behind him, he looked back and almost screamed, running behind him was the big black dog and it was catching up fast. Gary tried to breath but he could not suck the air in as he ran out of the trees and into the street, he was too busy looking behind him and watching the dog that he did not look at the road, or the car that was coming towards him.

Gary only noticed the car when it was too late; after he felt it hit him, after hearing his bones crunch and the car horn blaring in his ear. He felt his body hit the ground again. Gary could not breathe as his head turned limply towards the park and he saw the woman and the dog again. The woman smiled, her red lips seemed even brighter than before, as she leaned down and she pets the dog with the red eyes.

“The Black Shuck; a devil dog, kills everyone that see it but protects women and children.” The woman said, somehow Gary was able to hear it from so far away.

The last thing that Gary saw before he died was the woman walking away and the dog following her.

“D-devil dog.” Gary stuttered with his last breath as he remembered that devil dogs was another name for hell hounds; his grandfather had told him that only a witch could summon a hell hound.