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Highway to Hell
It had been a while since I made it to Hell. Actually, it'd been a little over a year! Angel became my dad officially after about 3 months though-- it was odd, but he was so good to me. He bought me lots of stuff, like an oral stim toy!
Auntie Charlie & Tía Vaggie are super nice too! They like to take me shopping for clothes, and Charlie even let me teach her more sign language for when I go nonverbal. Vaggie taught me shorthand for some phrases, which Daddy learned in case it happened when they weren't around.
Alastor took a while to warm up to. But once we figured out he was probably autistic too, it made it a lot easier to talk to him! Helped Dad too, and now they can talk without arguing! Or, at least, not as much as before. And the others-- Nifty & Husk. Husk is nice, but kinda grumpy. Al told me he died when he was older, and Husk told me he fought in a war, so I learned that he was likely just lonely. Now, when I come down to the lobby waiting for Dad, he'll give me juice or something while I draw.
Nifty doesn't talk much. I think it's because she's afraid to accidentally misgender me, but when we do hang out, it's so fun! She's kinda hyper too, so as long as I don't make too big of a mess, she's okay with me being jumpy and all that.
I didn't realize how much I loved them until I needed them most.
"Hey kid." Husk greeted me in his same gruff voice as always. We had established a sort of routine-- we say 'Hi', sit in silence until one of us makes a comment, then I greet Daddy when he gets back. But it wasn't Angel I was waiting for today. Alastor had some Overlord junk to take care of, so I was waiting for him so we could cook dinner together! We were supposed to be having venison and asparagus and mashed potatoes, so I was really excited.
"Hey Husk?" He glanced towards me while drinking from the yucky-smelling bottle. "D'you know when Al's s'posed to be back? I wanna know if Dad can take me out to the park before."
"Don't know. He's making dinner though, so he'd better fuckin be back soon." I went back to painting after that-- I didn't know how to respond. The trees looked nice in the lines! But they were kind of plain.
Charlie walked by.
"Aunt Charlie?" She quickly turned back, a grin on her face that was even bigger than usual. "Can ya help real quick?"
"Sure," she chirped happily. "But I can only help for a few minutes. Vaggie said she might have a new guest for the hotel!"
"Cool!" I hoped it'd be someone my age. It was nice having so many people around for me, no question! But it was different than having online friends to talk to. More personal. "Um, what colors should I make the trees? Feels kinda boring with all that brown."
She stayed there for a little bit, and helped me make a pretty fall scene. Lots of warm colors, but the sunrise made it even more calming.
"It looks great!" I was gonna thank her, but her phone rang before I could get the words out. Whatever it was, it made Charlie super happy.
"Husk! Nifty!" Husk barely looked up from his cards, but Nifty dashed in like Sonic on crack.
"Yes ma'am!" Her little salute and squeaky voice made me smile-- she was always so cute!
"Let's get things in place! Our visitor is gonna be here soon & from what Vaggie told me, she's really genuinely interested in redemption."
"Sucks to be her then." Charlie deflated a bit, and I glared at him-- it wasn't nice to say. He shrugged, but he did mumble something that sounded a little like 'Sorry'.
"Well, I think that if she's genuinely interested, then that means there's hope yet!" Charlie perked back up, and hugged me. It was gentle though, so it wasn't too much.
"Yeah!" Nifty chimed in. "It'll be nice to have a lady around the place! No offense-- just kind of boring here with all these guys."
Nifty ran off to do some last-minute straightening up, and Husk wiped off the bar.
"Hey Charlie?" I followed her into her 'office', which was just the study off the kitchen.
"What's up, Chancey?"
"What's the lady like? The one showing up?" I put my paints back on one of the shelves, keeping it out of the way, and sat the painting on top to dry.
"Well, Vaggie didn't tell me much, but we can learn more when we meet her." She jolted, then spun towards me. "You don't have to greet her right away!"
"No, it's okay! I just wanna know what she's like so I have an idea of what to expect!" Charlie sighed, then nodded as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
"I gotcha. Well, she gave her name & age, but she's not sure why she's in Hell, so she might be scared." I nodded back-- I didn't die, but showing up in Hell was scary for me too.
"What's she like?"
"Her name is Corinne."
Bile rose in my throat, and my hearing went fuzzy. That name brought back so many memories-- none of them particularly happy.
Time for service, dear!
A good little girl doesn't play in the dirt!
You brat! That's it-- no dinner for you. You can eat when you learn respect!
Oh, my God, please bless me so I may create for you the child you deserve.
My daughter, you were given this form for a reason-- don't disrespect Him by believing those worldly lies!
Don't worry, my second Chance. It'll only hurt for a little bit, then you'll be cleansed of these terrible thoughts!
" Chancey! " Once Charlie shouted, I came back to my senses. I didn't realize I was on the floor or that I was crying until she was squeezing me in her arms. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" I couldn't talk: my throat was so tight, I could barely breathe. My hands were shaky as I tried to sign, the words making my eyes fill with more tears.
That's my mom's name.
Charlie gasped, and held me even tighter. I didn't usually like sudden hugs, but the need for emotional comfort was enough to make me ignore the sensory discomfort.
"It might not be her." Charlie's voice was shaky. I felt bad for upsetting her. "But you don't have to meet Cor- her . I'll call Angel, and you can wait until you feel ready to see, okay?" I didn't think I'd ever be ready, but I didn't want to make her more upset. So, I shook my head.
Dad came down in a frenzy, his clothes all messy-- like he'd just gotten out of bed.
"Are you okay Pumpkin?" He sounded even more panicked than Charlie, and his hug was as desperate as his words. "Daddy's here, I'm not gonna let anything happen." I buried my face in his coat, hoping the smell of his perfume would make the taste of vomit in the back of my mouth go away.
"They're almost here-- if you wanna hide, then you should probably hurry upstairs now." Charlie looked out the door like she was seeing if the coast was clear.
"Chancey, can you move?" I focused on the perfume, how the fabric of his coat felt soft against my palms.
"Yea." My voice sounded croaky, strained. Dad just hugged me tighter. He carried me out of the room & hurried up to his room. It smelled good, and it was warm. Fat Nuggets was laying on the bed, and immediately snuggled up to my side. He would've made a good therapy pet.
"Can you tell me what's wrong?" A fresh wave of tears swelled, rolling down my cheeks for a minute before I wiped them away. I walked over to his vanity, and grabbed the pad of sticky notes. The pen trembled, but I quickly realized it wasn't the pen shaking-- it was my hand. "Breathe, baby, just breathe." I tried my best to listen, and it did help. A little bit. His hands on my back and shoulder did better at keeping me grounded as the words flowed out onto the page.
New guest has my mom's name. Triggered me.
"Oh no. Baby, I'm so sorry." He carried me over to his bed. It was always so soft, and it smelled like him. Made me calm down a little. Still couldn't talk though-- it felt like I was being choked out. Hard to breathe. Dad must've noticed, because he handed me a glass of water. It wasn't cold, but it was cool enough that it made my throat a little less tight.
I laid in the bed for a little bit while Dad was in the shower. Nugs curled up next to me, sniffing at my face. He was soft & warm. Good for grounding.
"You feeling okay, kiddo?" I looked up & saw Angel walking out of the bathroom. He was still a little flat from his shower, but he & his clothes weren't damp.
I shrugged as I sat up, still having a hard time finding the words. My jaw wasn't set, but the muscles felt tight. I was afraid I might cry again if I tried talking. He walked back over & ruffled my hair while his other arms buttoned his clean shirt. It was a pretty salmon one, kinda like the little dots under his eyes.
"It's okay to be upset, Chance."
You simply must ignore the pain.
I whimpered at the sound of Mom's voice in my head-- I'd gotten used to the nickname from others, but the thought of her made my mind & heart race.
"Chancey?" Daddy looked down at me, concerned. There was a legal pad with notes scribbled on it next to his bed-- I flipped it to a clean page before writing.
Please don't call me Chance. Not now. Mom called me that a lot. Makes me anxious.
His eyes scanned across the message quickly, before widening as he realized why.
"Okay, pumpkin. Just take it easy for now." Next to where the notepad was, a small bottle was next to it. He grabbed it as he pulled me onto his lap, and popped it open. "You want some?" He dabbed the liquid onto his wrist before airing it out a bit, and holding it up for me to smell.
It was his perfume. Or at least, a travel-sized one.
"Please." Even after the water, my voice sounded gross. Still, it made Dad happy to see me somewhat verbal again. He put a little on my wrists, behind my ears, and poured some on my hands so I could put it on my neck myself.
We sat there for a while, just relaxing & playing with Fat Nuggets. But when the piggy trotted down his steps to the pet bed, Dad decided it was time to move around.
"You wanna grab your stuff from downstairs & camp out here until we get things sorted out?" I nodded, and walked towards the door. Just getting my painting & something to bite. The thought of running into her made my stomach roll, but I wanted to bite something really bad-- and I was worried it would be too rough for my stim toys. Sharp teeth looked cool, but could be a real pain.
I ran down the stairs, hoping to avoid people. I felt bad being upset around them. I knocked on Charlie's office door when I made it to the lobby. She answered quickly, but stayed calm-- she knew being too happy could make me anxious.
"Hey," Charlie greeted me softly. "Feel a little better?" It took a few seconds, but I found my words.
"A little, but not really." She gave me a sad smile, then pet my head. It felt nice, almost grounding. "Are there any snacks? Al's not back yet, and I'm hungry." It was mostly true, but I wasn't really hungry-- I just wanted to bite something without Dad getting worried about my pica acting up again.
"Something crunchy?" I nodded. "Well, how about some pretzel rods & peanut butter?" I nodded again, holding my stuffed rabbit tight against my chest. Grabbing a plastic baggie & a small plastic container, she handed me the food. "Don't worry, Chancey-- I don't think it's her. She seems really anxious and polite. Just in case though, you can look at a picture later." The thought of seeing her again made my heart beat like crazy, but knowing she couldn't touch me helped calm me down-- just a little bit. I hugged her leg, then ran across the lobby to hand Angel the food.
"Oh," I said, remembering my drink. "I left my juice on the bar counter. Be right up." Dad nodded, then began up the steps slowly. I turned back, walking down the stairs towards Husk's station-- he was asleep on the counter below the bar, drool puddling underneath his mouth. It was gross, but it made me giggle. He reminded me of a cartoon, but one of those old 1930s ones where the characters could still smoke & drink.
"... and now we're back to the lobby. Again, we're still getting things off the ground, but we hope to have things in better condition as we gather more attention & more guests."
Vaggie was talking to someone--
" I'm surprised you don't have more already! It's a lovely hotel. "
Bile rose in my throat, and my hands started shaking like crazy. I knew that voice so well, it hurt my heart.
The glass shattered as it hit the floor, sending orange juice all over the carpet. Husk woke up, but that wasn't what made me jump.
"Are you-" The woman stopped & looked at my panic-stricken face in shock. Her hair was darker, covering most of her body. With the white streaks along her face and arms, she looked like a skunk-- but from the looks of her face & slim body, she was more like a weasel.
" Chancey? "
Chancey~
Chancey!
Chancey, darling, time for morning service!
Chancey, quit sniveling-- it's not that loud.
It'll all be over soon, honey. No more indecent thoughts clouding your pure mind.
"Baby girl?" I winced-- I shouldn't have done that. She knew I heard her & acted happy to see me. "I missed you so much! We were looking for you for so long--!"
She went in for a hug, but it felt wrong-- it wasn't kind like Angel's. It was harsh, cold. It felt like an act. I didn't want it. I squirmed away & dashed towards Tía Vaggie. She looked confused, but I could tell by the look in her eye she was worried too.
"I'm so sorry." I looked up. Mom never apologized, unless--
"Chancey, darling, you don't need to cling to this nice lady. Come over to Mother & give her some space." There it is . She always apologized for what I did, more afraid of others than concerned about her own child's happiness.
"Don't worry about it, Miss Corinne." I didn't flinch at her name, but my hands wouldn't stop shaking. "Chancey showed up here right after they fell-- they got attached to all of us. It's alright. Chancey reminds me why I don't dislike the idea of having kids." Her gentle pat on my head helped a little, but Mom's stare was making me feel a little sick.
"I'm glad my daughter is comfortable with you," she spoke evenly. "However, she is a young lady, and shouldn't be running to adults for help & comfort every time she's unsettled."
" They. "
All three adults' heads turned to look at me. It made me want to cry & hide until they left, but I was tired.
"I'm not a girl. Or a boy."
" Young lady. " Her scolding voice hinted at the anger she felt-- an anger that usually left me bruised or trembling for days. "Stop spitting out that nonsense & come here now. "
The silence was deafening.
"... no ."
I felt myself pushed back & thought she'd ran towards us, but I quickly realized that Vaggie was ushering me behind her.
Mom looked like even more of a monster than she'd been. Intense golden eyes surrounded by black fur, a scowl decorated with sharp teeth-- even her obsessively maintained nails had become massive claws that looked like they could slice through my cheek and into the bone if she hit me. I closed my eyes & tried not to cry, failing as a few drops rolled down my hot cheeks and a sob slipped out.
" Quit sniveling, you brat . " Despite my fear of disobeying her, I couldn't stop myself from crying.
"Ma'am, please calm down." Vaggie's main spear was up, poised to strike if Corinne came too close. "You have no reason to be angry at Chancey."
"Yes I do!" She barked the words out loudly, and my legs felt shaky. "The disrespectful little nuisance never listens to me. I'd expect her to realize my lessons had some truth, but no- my second chance is in Hell too!"
"I'm here because you drove me here!" I choked down the lump in my throat & even though my vision was blurry with tears, I stepped aside to look at my mother in all of her monstrous glory. "I stole that book & did a spell that took me here. And I'm glad I did, because I've been happier for the past year than I'd been in the past decade I'd been stuck with you!"
Obsidian black claws dug into the flesh of my cheek as Mom held my face in place. Her other arm quickly grabbed Vaggie's spear and pulled the moth-like demon towards her. Her long dog-like leg kicked Vaggie away and into the wall. I tried to turn towards her, but Mom's hand held my face too tightly.
"See what happens when you make trouble? You hurt others. Now do the right thing and-"
" Paws off the kid, you furry fuckface! "
The butt of a rifle hit Mom's temple with enough force to the ground-- and a gloved hand pulled me into a familiar fluffy chest.
"Are you okay Pumpkin?"
Tears flooded my cheeks as I heard my dad's-- my actual dad-- quiet accented voice. I burrowed into Angel's chest for a sense of safety.
"You godless faggot. Put my daughter down." I twitched at her cruel words, but Dad's laughter made me stop.
"Wow! You weren't kidding kiddo-- you said she was mean, but Christ! You're a real shitty piece of work, toots. No wonder you're in the same cesspool as the rest of us heathens ." Dad always knew how to shoot back at mean comments, but the angry growl he got in response made me wonder if he should have done that.
"I'm here for redemption! As far as I can tell, you're only here to show disrespect to our merciful creator & get a free room for your lies!"
"Meh, you're not completely wrong. I'll admit, I came here just for the free rent."
I didn't realize until Dad stood me next to Husk that he'd been walking away from my mom. He shut the side door behind him & walked back out into the lobby.
"Difference is, once Chancey came into my life, I actually became a better person. And they're happier, because I accept them, unlike you, ya useless cow. So do everyone a favor & go get on your knees to suck off another teat, why don'tcha?"
It made me sad that the first time that Husk held me with an expression that wasn't apathetic was now-- and he looked so sad & angry. He was fluffy and warm like Dad though, which gave me a little comfort. After a minute of crashing and clattering, I was getting really overwhelmed. I think Husker knew, because he knelt down & held me below the bar's counter, wrapping his arms around my head to cover my ears. He was growling defensively, but his chest rumbled like a purr, keeping me grounded.
" What's going on!? " I knew that was Charlie's voice, but it was muffled by Husk's arms & he wouldn't let me up to see. They told me what happened later, trying to help me process things.
"What's wrong is that when I was trying to get to my daughter, this- this- spic ," Corinne yelled, pointing at Vaggie, "tried to attack me for getting to my daughter! Then this walking craft-shop whore hit me in the head with a gun!" Charlie's first instinct was to try to calm down Corinne, but one word in particular stuck out in her mind.
"... you're Chancey's mom." She nodded, almost frantic.
"Yes! I just want my daughter back-"
"You're no longer welcome here, ma'am."
A frigid silence covered the room.
"... what the hell did you just say to me?" It had been obvious from the start that Corinne hadn't been in her full demon form, but she was certainly channeling that energy. Regardless, Charlie straightened up.
"Chancey was a guest long before you made it here, and considering what they told us about you, I doubt you feel the remorse necessary to be redeemed. Also, I don't take guests attacking my girlfriend lightly."
"Ha!" Despite her revulsion, Corinne couldn't help the laugh that escaped her mouth. "No wonder Chancey hasn't made it to the Silver City! This is a den of criminals & blasphemers-- it's hopeless for you to try to fix things. Chancey, however, is my second Chance! Let me fix her, and I'll bring you enough sinners for you to twist in her stead!"
"No. Angel is Chancey's legal guardian, and as the Princess of Hell ," Charlie added angrily, "you are not welcome at this establishment. If you don't leave now, I will use force to remove you from the premises."
Faster than anyone could see, Charlie was thrown across the room and into the wall, hitting the drywall with a dissatisfying crunch.
"Puta! Leave my lover alone!"
"Oh, go blow it out your burrito hole, you dyke."
Vaggie managed a glancing blow against Corrine's arm, but it had the side effect of further angering the badger demon, who used that rage to hit Vaggie square in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her & the young woman into the couch mere feet from Charlie.
"Hey! Leave us alone, you twat-faced bitch!" Angel pulled out his gun, but he froze upon seeing her jump over the bar counter.
"Ah!" I felt the collar of my shirt being pulled away after Husk was thrown onto his back. He struggled with my mom, trying to keep her away, but she smashed a full wine bottle against his face, loosening his grip enough to pull me away & into her chest. The coarse fur stung my neck, and I squirmed until I felt her claw press against my neck.
"Put. Chancey. Down. " I had never seen Dad so angry-- not even during my first interview. The little pink dots under his eyes twitched before the skin moved back. They were more eyes. Cool.
"Let me leave with my daughter, or I'll take us both out. I'm not leaving without her."
"I'm the one with a gun & eight eyes to snipe you down with. You're really not in the position to be making demands here."
"You're the one with an unpredictable machine gun-" she paused briefly to press her nail against my skin, and I knew from the wet feeling that she'd drawn blood- "and who also has an attachment to Chancey. Now move , if you actually care about her."
" I'm afraid that's not going to happen, dear!"
The familiar sound of radio static brought tears to my eyes-- this time, of relief. Alastor strode next to Angel, his ever-present smile clearly strained and his eyebrows drawn.
"A red clown? What is this, Broadway in Hell? No, couldn't be with those foul yellow teeth."
" Hahaha, you are quite the jokester, miss! However, I don't think now's the time to joke. If you'd be so kind as to set Chancey down, I'd be ever so grateful!"
"No," my mom said flatly. Her grip tightened on me, and the wince made Alastor even more irritated.
" Hoho, madam! I think you misunderstood!"
The red-toned lobby was suddenly flooded with static, prickling at my skin like Mom's fur-- but oddly enough, more comforting. Odd symbols in glowing magenta periodically sprang up, and the sound of hissing and popping kept ringing in my ears. In the center of it all was Alastor. His gray skin looked much more gaunt, his hands like talons, but most notably was his burning red eyes, pupils like radio dials.
" İ̶̬͔͙̘̝͙̪͓̻̙̯̻̈̃̽̓̒ ̵̢̥̂̉́̈́̊̓͋͗̾͑͜w̴̛̙̫̐̆̋̿̇̆̽̈́̕a̷̛̛̲̩̾̓̓̄͐́̃s̶̢̺̪̳̠̼̞͓̥̗̽̎̏̎͛̈́͋ͅn̸̻̤̹͓͑͗̑͐̃̒͘'̵̢̨͔̞̭̹̬̊͌t̵̢̟̼̝̬͚̉̉͗͊̊̏̅̒̕̕͘͠ ̸̱̦̝̗̜͔̘͙̙̓̒͒͠a̵͔̫̥̩̞̮̣͍̎̽̆̾̆̄̅̆͜͝s̸̨̯͚̤͒̑͋̉͐̾̽̑͐͘͜k̵̨̦̜̯̫̓̆̊̈͋ͅì̵̩n̶̡̻̮̘̳̪̄̐͑̎̐̕͜g̷̣͖̲̜̱͊.̸̢͕͊ "
I must've blacked out, because the next thing I remembered was waking up on the loveseat in the lobby. It took a second, but I immediately darted up in panic. I didn't see anyone around, but I knew from the bandage on my neck that it hadn't been a dream. Husk wasn't behind the bar either, which made me worry even more.
" Hello dearie! Nice of you to join us! "
Alastor's voice blaring out as I ran into the dining room made me stumble a bit in panic, but Charlie caught me.
"Chancey! I'm so glad you're alright-- how are you?" I couldn't answer her question. Not yet, at least.
"Pumpkin?" My head swung towards the side door, where Dad was standing with a large bandage on his cheek. My heart lurched, and I started to cry, and like the child Mom always mocked me as being, I ran into my Dad's arms and cried. I couldn't tell you how long I cried, but by the end of it, my face was covered. Hair, snot, and tears-- and of course, my eyes were puffy & my throat sore from wailing like a banshee that had stubbed its toe. Dad, despite all of that, held me as he ate, not wanting Al's yummy food to go to waste. I couldn't blame him-- I was starving too.
Once he noticed I'd stopped sniveling, Dad took me over to the main restroom in the lobby & helped me wipe off my face.
" 'm sorry." Angel looked bewildered, then smug.
"I knew you took my perfume, you little stinker!" He tried tickling me, but it didn't work. His smile faded, then turned into something more genuine. "Chancey. Look at me." I did, and even though my eyes were still puffy, I could see the resolution in his face.
"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. You're not in the wrong here-- she was." I tried looking away, but one of his hands gently lifted my chin up to look at him. "I love you, kiddo. And I would never hurt you like that. And if I ever do, I give you permission to beat the shit out of me."
He pulled me into a hug-- one over his shoulder, since I'd been sitting on the counter. It was really nice, and tears started to prickle my eyes again.
"Now, let's cheer up-- she's gone. Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead, or what have ya."
"... is she really dead?"
"Dunno." I pulled away, hoping he'd been joking again, but he had the same look I did. "After Chuckles showed up & turned up the vaporwave, all I saw was him setting you on the couch. Then I passed the fuck out. I think he didn't want us to see what he did with her."
"... can we go eat?" I didn't wanna think about what Al did to her. I wanted to move on.
" 'Course we can, kiddo." He carried me back to the dining room & set me down on the floor.
Wordlessly, I went over to Charlie to give her a hug, then one to Vaggie too.
"Sorry you got hurt because of me. And that you lost your chance to redeem someone."
"Chancey, there's no way she would've been redeemed. She's not really a good person-- not like you are."
"Besides," Vaggie chimed in, "I wasn't joking when I said I like you-- I've got no issue defending you, pollito. " She booped my nose, making me giggle a bit.
After that, I walked over to Husk. I didn't hug him though-- he wasn't a hugger.
"Thank you for making sure I was safe." He huffed at that.
"She got ahold of you-- it was a fan-fucking-tastic job I did." The sound of my pigtails rustling got his attention.
"You only let go because she smashed a full wine bottle across your face. I'm surprised you didn't break your nose. You tried really hard, and I'm grateful. Thank you, Husk." He stared at me for a second, then turned away to take a swig of something spicy but sweet-smelling, mumbling 'don't mention it' before drinking.
" Are you alright, my dear? " Alastor noticed me walking into the kitchen, and watched me as I walked right up to him. " ... Chancey, may I h- "
He interrupted himself with a choke as I hugged him. I knew he was touch-averse, but I didn't want him to see me crying & I wanted to show him I appreciated him helping.
"Thank you. She scares me. I don't want her to come back." He stayed as still as stone for a few moments, then gently, his hand came to rest up my head, patting it softly.
" ... don't mention it, my dear." After one more tense up to really get the hug feeling in, I let go-- he seemed really uncomfortable.
"Um, Al?"
" Yes? "
"Since I didn't get to help this time, can we make dinner together another night? I wanna cook with you." He chuckled softly, then ruffled my hair.
" I don't see why not. Just smile, darling-- you're never fully dressed without one."
And so I did.
"... hey Al?"
" Hm? "
"Could I have some food? I kind of accidentally slept & cried through it."
" Haha, of course! I saved a plate just for you, mon fille. "
I knew then that my new family would be there for me, through thick and thin.
Jeffery's newly formed tail idly swung back and forth across the ground as he paced around the shack.
Where the hell is she? His legs were so much shorter as a demon, so after a few minutes of pacing, he sat down & bounced his leg in anxiety.
Corinne should've been back ages ago.
A knock sounded at the shack's door, and his ears perked up.
" Jeffery? "
"Cor! Are you okay?" He went to turn the doorknob-
" No, don't. " His hand still on the knob, his head turned up.
"What's wrong, honey?"
" I found Chancey. " His heart jumped into his throat.
"That- that's great," he stuttered. "Where is she?"
"That's the problem." She sighed before continuing. "She's with some bigshot-- this guy called the Radio Demon. He's really strong and… I'm afraid, Jeffery." If she was afraid of him, then Jeffery knew damn well to be afraid of this guy-- he was afraid of his wife, even in life, but now she was a powerhouse. If this 'Radio Demon' was really that strong, then their hope was all but lost.
"... then let's forget it." The silence he received was deafening, but he decided to keep going. "I love our daughter, but if he's as strong as you say, then maybe he can take better care of her than we can. We just… we have to hope she's as devout as we taught her to be."
" ... no wonder you're a weasel . "
The shack door swung open, flinging him back against the wall of the flimsy structure. Rather than his wife, a tall lithe figure clad in red with a gruesome golden-toothed smile strode through the doorway.
" I presume you're Jeffery, the spineless whelp? " Unsheathing his own claws, Jeffery stood up, hackles raised.
"Who the hell are you? Where's my wife?"
" Not to worry, I can answer both questions! My name is Alastor, but I'm most commonly known as the Radio Demon!" Jeffery stilled-- that's who Corinne was talking about, the bigshot.
"Where the hell is--"
" You're so impatient! I haven't even answered your second question!"
Seemingly out of nowhere, a microphone appeared, an eye carved into the diaphragm. With a wave of the staff, Corrine appeared, bloodied & her fur matted.
"Cori! Are you okay-!?" He ran forward, going to embrace his wife… only for her to dissolve into static within his hands.
" Don't worry, she's quite secure where I put her! "
"What the hell did you do with my family," Jeffery snarled. "Where is she? Where's Chancey? Why are you--"
" I see where Chancey gets their inquisitivity from! So many questions for such a small creature! " He chuckled & adjusted his monocle, relishing in his anxiety and grief. " As for your other questions… let me see if I c̷͙̬̖͗̿̏a̵̤̖͈͑̒͊͘n̸̗̾͗̇ ̷̳̰̮̙̮̇̂h̶̼̹͉̎͝ͅȇ̴̼̪̬̺̩̈́͛̂̃l̷̦̯̟̩̋̃̔̚͜͝p̸͓̩̹̌̽̿ ̷̪͆͊͜͝y̴̞̫̝̝̭͂͐̒õ̸̡̯̎̚u̴͚̚ ̵̧͙͎̌͐͌͜u̷̡̔n̸͕̼̎̈d̶̫͂̌̿e̷̬̬͙̟̬͒̔̑r̸͉̅̏̀̚͠s̶͎͆t̶̢͓̩̉̃̔̓͑͜ä̴̳̞́͊n̴̟͈͒̂͋͘d̴̙͓̅̈́͒͝ ."
A sound like nails on chalkboard overlayed with a roaring waterfall followed, and Jeffery fell to his knees in pain-- it was so loud and intense, he thought he would pass out. But before his eyes closed, he looked up to Alastor's face, that haunting smile still fixed upon his writhing form.
.
Some time had passed, but Jeffery had no idea how long-- wherever he was dark & blank, almost like an abyss. He stood up, head fuzzy but body light, and looked around.
"J… Jeff…" It was faint, but Corinne's voice resounded in his ears. Narrowing his eyes, he managed to spot his wife's body laying on the ground, chest rising & falling slowly.
"Cori!" He sprinted over, then knelt by her side, seeing her bruised face covered with tear stains. "Are you okay? What did that bastard do to you?"
"He got you too?" Her voice was strained, weak-- whatever happened took a hell of a lot of energy out of her.
"Yeah, I guess so-- where's Chancey, what happened?"
A fresh wave of tears followed a sob bursting out of Corinne's mouth.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I just wanted to make things better."
"Honey, you're not making sense."
"She will in a moment though, old sport! " Jeffery flinched at the sound of Alastor's voice echoing against the walls of this odd place they'd found themselves.
"The hell did you do to my wife, you son of a bitch!?" Silence followed for a moment, then the deafening sound from earlier followed again.
" I'd appreciate if you left my mother out of this, sir-- because unlike Chancey, I had the fortune of being raised by a very good one."
"What are you talking about?" Jeffery knew what the Radio Demon had been hinting towards, but played dumb. There was no way he knew about--
" Daddy? Mommy hit me again-- can't you ask her to stop? It hurts so much."
Jeffery spun around, ignoring his wife's cries.
"Chancey! Where are you baby, Dad's here for you!"
" Don't waste your breath; this is merely a recording. Taken from your own memories nonetheless!"
"What are you-?"
" You see, my microphone is an extension of myself, and grants me quite the influence over the magic found in Hell. It also allows me to access other dimensions-- like the one you're in."
"... quit lying! Where's my daughter!?" Alastor's cackling laugh rang out once more.
" You fool-- you never had a daughter. You had a child, but you didn't bother to care for them. Now I will. And unlike you, I won't harm them for sport. I'm a murderer, not a monster." Jeffery felt a chill wrack his whole body at the nonchalant admission.
The sound of howling in the distance caught his attention-- they sounded like wolves, but there were none to be seen.
" I wasn't joking when I said not to waste your breath. "
Dozens of, if not a hundred, hellhounds slowly approached, eyeing Jeffery with a look of bloodlust that made him want to die without having to endure being mauled by those horrible beasts.
"Y̵̯͕͕̮͆͐̓ȏ̵̥̲̜͉̟̇̈́̔͛̚ũ̷͔̲'̷̨͎̘̈́̓̾̊ͅͅr̷͎̯͕͎̰̲̣̓͒̈́̃͘͜é̷̤͈̹̲̥̖̞̀͂̏͘͠ ̶̧̮͖̃͗̌͒g̸̛͇̞͉̏̓͌̓̾͑͝o̷͚̣͓͓̟͐͛̄̓i̴̯̘̾n̵͚͕̰̦͗̔͗̽̚͠g̸͔̾̇̀̋͊͆͑͝ ̶̨̞͍̳̙̖̜̏̆̏͘t̵̛͇̬̜̥̆͛̍̌̆o̸̧̨̘̪̳͉̓ͅ ̶̧̨̎̽̔̉͛̚n̷̩̭̪̖̓e̴̪̟͙͂̎̓e̸̙͈̟͑͑͊͊̎͝ḑ̴̣̭̂͜ͅ ̵͍͆̀͝ī̸̱͒̽̄͆̀t̵̛̠̩͔͇̄̾̃̓̕ ̴̹͈̯̗̭̦͕̞̌̒̄̓f̸̬̘͍̯͖̾̑͌́̒̚̚͜o̶̭̭̒̏r̸̢̢̭̰̪͍̥̊͂͛ͅ ̷̰̼̮̮̻̒͊̎͛̒̕t̷̯̚͝ͅḥ̵̝̫̪͈̰̰͘e̴̡͙͚̞͎̬͌̾̃͌̕̕ ̵̲̆h̴̟͍̮͎̳̤̩͆̋̓ú̴̖̝͈̜̫̞̤̩͂n̶̨̲̼̘̦̬͆̃̑̃͆̃͘͝t̸͕̖̙͛̉͝.̸̲̬͉̮̺̊̊̊̈́̓͑̆͝"