The phrase 'there's a special place in Hell for people like you' couldn't have been more true. Michael was showing me around, letting me see how awful Hell was. Not all of it was terrible but the majority was. Even the people were rotten and revolting. There was no red hue to anything, like people expected. I only ever saw fire coming from lighters; lots of people were smoking along the streets. A woman was pushing a stroller with nothing in it, staring blankly ahead with glossy eyes.
Michael held open a door for me and I stepped inside. The building was all black with shiny countertops and fancy computer chairs sitting behind the desk. A woman, no, a demon, sat in one of the chairs, clicking a pen as if she were nervous. When the door opened and we stepped inside, she shot up and looked right at us.
Were the black eyes ever going to be less frightening?
Her lips spread into a smile and I leaned into Michael a bit. "It's been a while, Michael."
"Having a heart beat makes me busy." He said. His tone was cheery and smooth but his eyes were dark. He obviously didn't care for demons much. Or this one in particular.
The demon turned her head to look at me. "New play toy?"
"Janine, I just came here to go to my apartment."
She sighed heavily and handed over a solid black key with the number 6 written in white ink. "Fine."
He didn't even offer a 'thanks' as he put a hand to the small of my back and pushed me toward the elevator. Clearly he didn't want to be there any longer. Michael stuck the key in then pressed the number 6. The elevator music, or muzak, was playing overhead.
"Does everyone around here know you?" I asked, trying to break the silence. A million questions were buzzing around in my head and I was dying to know everything. Hell was a different place for me. A new world. Quite possibly my new home.
He nodded, his eyes starting down at the floor. "Either they know me or they know of me."
"Word travels fast."
"Time moves differently here than on Earth. We've only been gone a few minutes of Earth time."
My eyes widened. Just a few minutes? It was hard to wrap my head around the idea.
"Anyone down here who gets turned does it within a day or so. Because you're still alive, yours goes off of Earth's time."
"How many demons are there?"
"Thousands. New people arrive here daily and the numbers are increasing. When my father finds someone he likes, he turns them and gives them special treatment. When he finds someone he doesn't like, they get punished worse than everyone else."
"What does that say about me then? He doesn't care about me and he's pissed at you."
"I guess that makes you lucky." He said as the elevator opened up to a large living room. It was almost identical to Michael's apartment on Earth except there wasn't a homey feeling to it. It was dark and sad and it reminded me of Michael when he was around his father.
"When I got old enough, I moved out from my father's home and found my own place. Not hard to do when people know me here."
"Is there money or some sort of currency?"
He shook his head. "You get more based on what you did back on Earth. The worst people on Earth are the most liked here."
"That's sad." The girls and I would have been the lowest of the lows in Hell. They were kind, caring girls who did nothing wrong. Though I wasn't a fate, I wasn't a bad person.
He nodded.
"Do people know what you do on Earth?"
"No, and I like it that way."
I walked to the large windows on the far wall. They led out to the street where people were walking around, some crying, some staring blankly ahead. It was odd. Everything I knew was backwards now. Hell wasn't some glamorous place but it wasn't nearly as bad as it was talked about. Though I suppose that's because I was a demon and Michael was... well Michael.
Michael walked up to me and stared out the windows. "I'm sorry if I'm being so harsh. This isn't my favorite place to be."
"I'm sorry you had to come here because of me." Michael had made it clear he didn't want to listen to his father. He didn't want to give in and spend the rest of forever in Hell. I didn't blame him. And it was selfish of me to expect him to show up in Hell and talk to his father on my behalf.
"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I just let you suffer?" Hearing him say 'boyfriend' sent butterflies flying around inside my stomach. Yet I was still sad and hopeless.
I sat down on the ledge of the window, stretching my legs out in front of me. Michael sat down beside me, clearly sensing my mood.
"What happens if he doesn't change me back?" The thought of my life never going back to normal made my chest hurt. I wanted to see the girls again. I wanted to go shopping with Nona and running with Morta. I wanted to fight with them and laugh and watch stupid movies. I wanted my normal, human life back.
Michael hesitated before he spoke. "You stay here. Permanently."
I nodded. I already knew that was the answer yet hearing it, repeatedly, was still a surprise each time. It still hurt more and more each time.
Michael pulled me into his arms and let me cry, holding me tightly and securely in his arms. "I won't let him do that to you, Destiny. I promise."
His promise didn't mean nearly as much as it used to. He had good intentions but his father was stubborn. He wouldn't just fix me because Michael asked him to. He wouldn't do it out of the kindness of his heart. No matter what he did, he couldn't change the inevitable.
Sooner or later, I was going to die.
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Edited 1/9/19