Bughuul was not sure why he brought the meddling human into his realm.

He had gone to that cheap motel he knew the man was staying at with every intention to kill him. This human had been a thorn in his side for some time now. With every home this worm destroyed, that was one less meal for Bughuul. (And he was always so very hungry.) Bughuul hoped to scare the man off. Humans always ran when they laid eyes upon him, and Bughuul loved the delicious taste of their fear. The deputy had many pictures of Bughuul. It was easy to find him and show him what he was dealing with. The man was thinking off breaking Bughuul's many chains. It would have been funny if it wasn't so irritating.

The deputy was not a child, nor had he watched Bughuul's marvelous film collection. He was not under his power as much as the children were. However, the fool was aware, and he provided Bughuul with many portals. He unknowingly gave Bughuul strength, and he was going to use it.

The human was running with what should have been the latest sacrifice to him. Bughuul raged at the thought. He did so love the trouble his children went through to create art for him, and this man ruined what could have been a fabulous show. Not only that, but he broke that wonderful camera that had captured so much art. Bughuul had no qualms about taking his rage out on that boy. He was given plenty of time to complete his task. His soul was not as satisfying as it could have been, but it would keep Bughuul sated for some time.

The man was surprised to see the ham radio Bughuul placed in his room. (That prying professor had already been dispatched by his daughter. Her soul tasted so sweet). It distracted him long enough for Bughuul to catch him by surprise. Humans always felt so fragile under his cold hands. The feeling always made his mouth water. What a shame he could no longer bite.

Of course, the deputy screamed and kicked and tried to get away. Bughuul savored the sound. What a fitting end for this pest.

He was reaching for the man's neck when he suddenly went limp. Bughuul paused. The human had actually fainted. Bughuul felt the sides of is face twitch in an attempt to smile. Where was this man's bravado now? He could overcome a group of his ghostly minions but he was nothing when faced with the god himself. It would be so easy to end the man now. One quick movemnt could lead to a broken neck. Afterwards, Bughuul could use his innards to decorate the room. His escaped prey would have to come in after the man if he took too long. Bughuul could record their reactions and then give them the same treatment.

As he took another look at the man's face, Bughuul found himself hesitating. He was strangely content to stand there and hold the man up and simply...look at him. He often held his children to feed or keep them some escaping. Sometimes he would even offer a soft touch to offer them a false comfort. It was something that had to be done. Bughuul usually only enjoyed contact with a human if it was to cause harm, but having the deputy in his grasp was – was – he wasn't sure he had a word for it. Satisfying, was the best he could come up with.

The urge to maim was gone. Bughuul wasn't sure what to do now. What he did know was that he couldn't just leave the man here to run away again. He still had to be punished somehow.

Bughuul laughed quietly to himself as he looked around the room. There were a few pictures of him alongside well-worn maps. The deputy put his hard-learned skills into finding Bughuul. He was almost flattered.

It was easier than Bughuul anticipated to pull the man into his realm. Bughuul didn't hold him elegantly. He clutched the limp man to his chest like his girl children had done in the past with their rag dolls. A few small, decaying faces poked around the corner. Bughuul knew they were all frightened of him, rightfully so, but they had never seen him bring an adult here before. He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. They scattered like roaches. The group that was with him at the farmhouse were staying out of his sight for the time being, lest they face his wrath like their would-be brother.

Bughuul carried the man off to his preferred room. It was decorated to his tastes: large, dark and the walls were covered with his children's art. There were old paintings from Babylon, crude drawings from the Middle Ages, gramophone records from a few centuries ago, and gritty film constantly playing. All forever new and fresh here.

Bughuul thought about dropping the man to the hard marble floor and watching him from a nearby high-back chair. Wouldn't that make a sight? The human waking in an unfamiliar place only to see a dark and capacious god watching him from what could be a throne?

Instead, Bughuul walked over to a long couch and laid down on his side. The human was clutched to his chest tightly. The human squirmed, uncomfortable in his sleep. Bughuul's arm would leave a bruise. His face twitched at the thought.

There was a mirror across from them. Bughuul had no desire to see his own reflection. He had looked the same for thousands of years. He now studied the image of the pair of them in the polished glass. The contrast between them was ridiculous. The human's skin was peachy and flush with red blood. His dark hair was nothing extraordinary. His mouth hung slightly open in a comical way. Bughuul's gray pallor and dark hair stood out against the man. Bughuul's human-like shape helped him catch his prey, but he was really nothing like them. The sight of the man's open mouth brought Bughuul's attention to his own sealed one. It was something he had gotten used to long ago, though the memory and the indignity still stung. Oh the things he could do with his mouth…

He still didn't know what to do with the human. As long as he was in this realm, Bughuul could do whatever he wanted to him. He could drain him slowly like he did his children, or he could keep him in his current state forever. Perhaps Bughuul would keep him trapped here for a number of years. He could keep the man strapped to this very couch, watching every film he had in his collection over and over and over again. He could pull out every child drawing he had and explain the story behind it. The man would squirm, he would cry and complain, he would insult and spit. But he would remain here. He would be Bughuul's. Yes, the deputy could make a fun plaything. He would be out of Bughuul's way and he would make many more chains to replenish the one this man destroyed. Maybe he would make the man help. Maybe Bughuul would get bored and dispose of the human before then. Either way, Bughuul had much fun ahead of him.

The deputy began to stir in his arms. Show time.