"Man the battle stations! It's coming!" A shrill cry rang out in the night at the military post. Men scrambled to get to their posts, any inkling of sleep rapidly vanishing as reality dawned. Rifles were cocked, submachine guns hastily loaded, and a weird contraption with a bulbous base was brought out. They waited with bated breath, all staring intently into the night, imagining the woes and horrors that would follow. A slight rustling noise was heard from the eastern side; an overzealous private sprayed his entire clip in that direction, only to be rewarded with a yelp from a dying fox. A sergeant harshly reprimanded the young lad, who hung his head in shame. Nary a sound was heard after that; everything had gone deathly silent. The nighttime sounds had disappeared as all the creatures instinctively felt the presence of a terrifying predator in their midst.

 Amber red eyes encased in white flames glowed somewhere deep inside the forest as a figure confidently stalked forward. The putrid smell of burning leaves and sulfur trailed in its wake. A strangely high-pitched giggle escaped its lips as it neared the encampment, the smell of fearful humans making its mouth water. It took a tentative sniff at the air, and the transformation began. Layers of skin peeled off its body like an onion under a scalpel. As soon as the transformation ended the resulting figure vanished without a trace.

Whispers broke out in the ranks as the men tired of waiting tensely. A stern look from the commanding officer was enough to quell the apprehension. A quiet sobbing was heard in the ranks; it was so silent that had it not been for the pin-drop silence preceding it, it wouldn't have been audible. The men looked around puzzled.

"Here." One of the captains had identified the source of the sound. The men cleared a way as the commanding officer strode forward to what looked like a huddled figure of a little child. The CO removed his cap and scratched at his head, clearly confused. He looked around at his men, desperate for any explanation, but none were forthcoming. They stared back with blank expressions. Finally mustering some courage, The older man asked tentatively.

"Child, who are you, and why are you here?" There was no answer: the shoulders of the tiny figure just heaved with sobs. He knelt an inch away from the child and placed a gentle hand on its arms as he attempted to pry them open. The child gave in and raised its face to look at the man. Instead of a teary-eyed face, a sneer was plastered over the child's face. The CO stumbled backward as the child opened its mouth to bare its obsidian black pointy teeth. 

"Hell-spawn!" The CO spat through gritted teeth as he attempted to release his sidearm, but it was too late. The figure moved with preternatural speed, and metallic claws flashed. One moment, the older man was attempting to free his weapon, and in the next, he was clutching at his neck, desperately trying to stem the blood flow. It was futile, and soon his eyes dimmed, lifeless. There was a stunned silence, followed by a cacophony of sounds as every weapon was discharged simultaneously. The demon wove through the rows of men in a blur, leaving corpses in its wake. The captain, who had first found it, rushed toward the bulbous contraption. He desperately fiddled with the control panel, attempting to ready the firing mechanisms. The machine sounded like the ignition of airplane engines, indicating that it was ready for use.

A sinister smile flashed across the captain's face as he took aim. The smile froze as he perceived the scene before him. Not a single man was left standing: blood and guts were splayed everywhere. It looked like a scene from the worst nightmares a man could have. An insidious chuckle, followed by a sharp stinging pain was felt. The captain gurgled as blood sprouted from his neck and entered his trachea, choking him. He soon followed his comrades as the demon sat cross-legged, licking its claws like a cat satisfied with itself.