November

The first chapter.

The place was packing heat. Every grocery bag, every aisle, every slight movement of a customer, it all triggered me. I was on edge, that’s the way I was. Always alert, never relaxed. People thought I was on drugs, but I’m no human, my temptations were a lot worse than a few needles and some stuff you inject to feel good. Oh no, my life was far more complex.

As a creature that dined in hell, breathed in hell and existed entirely and solely in hell, it was hard. It was just hard. It wasn’t easy adapting to everything earth had to offer, and it was just as difficult understanding that some of the things hell had to offer simply do not exist here. There are no public mutilations, but there are acts of sodomy. There isn’t that much hate and power greed, but it still exists.

There’s also something else. Something I’ve never seen. Something I’ve never felt. And even though we’re all half imps, and half humans, I’ll never understand it. It’s called by the humans as ‘love’, and it’s said in all sorts of connotations. People throw it around, yet I’ve seen only few humans who really meant it. They looked into each other eyes and something was there. It was like they promised they’ll never murder or even stab one another, ever.

And that’s something. It is.

“Chris!” The holler pierced through my searing red ears, I looked up and saw a human with the largest unpleased face I’ve ever seen. His beard was very unusual and his eyes were as red as I was back in my hell skin. I looked like a normal human here, I’ve been told I’m ugly and I’ve been told I’m handsome. Frankly? Who cares. I’m not here to make friends, nor am I here to understand that thing they call ‘love’. I’m here to repent for everything wrong I did in hell. Everything my brothers set me up to do, every rite of passage, every stupid prisoner I tortured.

“What in the hell’s wrong with you? Are ya blind? I’ve been waiting here for ages, put the damn groceries through already!” The human was furious, and I understood him at the time. His years aren’t that long on this planet, and I’m holding him back.

I pass on his groceries and the cash register makes the noise that confirms everything is clear. I smile, even though I don’t want to, and nod at him. He looks angry, and his hands just grab the groceries without even glancing at me. I’m alright with that.

“Chris, time’s up. Your turn to close up here tonight.” Melissa, my boss, says into my ear. It rings and hurts a bit, since my hearing seems to be a lot sharper than that of the humans. But it’s alright as well, I don’t mind. As long as there’s no danger, I don’t mind just about anything.

Darkness. I feel it.

I don’t mean some voodoo magic, I literally can’t see anything. The lights just disappeared.

“F*****g s**t! Worst thing that could’ve happened, on Valentine’s day! Rick’ll throw me a new one for this.” Erica said angrily. “It’s alright Er, we’ll fix this. Danny!!!” Boy, could Melissa scream. She was so soft a moment ago with Erica, how does she do that? How does she switch from being so soft and nice to something that resembles the creatures in hell?

Some stuff I’ll never get. I started shaking.

My ears twitched a bit, this didn’t feel right. I don’t know why this would feel wrong, these things happen. But it just felt like it might be something worse than the electricity going out.

“It’s alright folks, ol’ Dan’s got this one. This ‘er is why I get my greens at the end of every month.” 

“You mean weed?” Erica quipped.
“What? Why would you say that? I don’t smoke. I don’t ever, I don’t.” The room went quiet for a moment. “You’re a b***h.” Danny added quietly, and hesitantly.

“What? Danny, f**k you too. This is all your fault, aren’t you supposed to be the god damn mechanic or some s**t?”
“Relax everyone, this isn’t the way to go about this. Danny, go fix this. Erica, calm down, it’ll be alright, Rick will understand. And Chris?”

I looked up, I couldn’t see where Melissa was, but I knew she was close from the pitch of her voice. “Stop making that noise.”
I don’t get it for a few solid moments, until I realize I was tapping my foot from the nervousness. I really don’t want to use my flame tonight, I really, really, don’t.

A sudden chill crept through me, and the air I breathed through me seemed a bit colder for a moment. It’s reasonable though, the storm outside pushed hard against the ceiling of the small supermarket.

“What’s going on? Is this going to get fixed? Why can’t we go out!?” One of the customers was starting to panic, which was not at all good. I got up.

“Why aren’t these god damn doors opening!?” She started screaming, her sobs in between attempts to break open the automatic doors. “Madam, I’m sorry, but you probably won’t be able to break through the doors. They’re reinforced with steel and bulletproof glass.”

“F**K YOU! I want to see my baby.” She sobbed harder, and I just sighed. I knew there’s no rational with a woman this emotional, so I just waited.

A loud thump went through everyone’s ears, and I immediately got erect. The chilly feeling was gone, so I assume it’s nothing important.

“Chris, get down there. Check on Dan.” Melissa said. I’m not the only male human (as per their thoughts) here, but I guess I’m the closest with Melissa. Everyone else seems to back away from her, for some reason.

“On it.” I said, my feet already making their way into the electricity basement. The room felt dramatically colder, and the chill crept through my spine slowly as I took an extra step down. I got in.

Pitch dark, the whole place was so dark I really debated lighting a fire for just a single second. If Dan were to see it, I could say I just lit a match. Seemed to be a good idea. Unless…

The chill came back. I can’t show my face here. This isn’t natural.

I creep slowly, “Dan?” I whisper. My voice almost breaks from the tension the air holds, this is either the mother of all coincidences, or this is what I think it is.

The air crackles, I take a step back. A small familiar groan reaches my ears and I realize it’s Dan; and he’s in pain. I have to rise up my flame, even if it’s just to light something up so I could see. I grab the nearest cardboard box and try my best to conceal my fingers as I light up the box. It blazes a bit too much, and I already feel the pinch in the back of my head; but I get to see what’s before me.

The red that covers Dan’s body is nothing, the huge gaping hole inside his stomach is just as much and the sight of his crushed limbs pains me, but it’s not what crushed and twisted my being into alertness. It’s his face, completely frozen, in an expression of terror and tears. Dan’s completely dead, and before he was killed, he saw something so terrifying it probably made his heart stop.

“So, figure it out yet?”

I turn back swiftly and take a leap back, hovering for a moment over the deceased. I almost glance down again, but know better. The voice though, the voice doesn’t match…

I look up, and see Melissa.