It was an ordinary night shift at The Devil's Top Hat strip club and bar. The usual shady individuals were watching the performances while becoming inebriated, the lights where low, and the music was pulsing. However, on this particular night, someone out of place entered the establishment. His gray sweatshirt had its hood pulled over his face, concealing his identity. The dim lights made it harder to see who he was, causing me to become very curious. I suppose he is no stranger than the people that frequent this dark corner of Salusbury Road. The stranger sat at one of the back tables, completely covered in shadow. It seemed like he knew just how to position himself so that not a single feature was seen of his face. There was nothing I could do at the moment but wait until my shift was over and if he was still there I would see what he was doing here. I almost thought he was another twenty-something girl here for the show, he had a very feminine figure but he had a distinctly male stride, like he was used to being the center of attention. His clothes were designer and new, which meant he had money to spare. He certainly didn't act like any bender I have ever seen in my long years.
The DJ started up another song and introduced me and my co-worker, and we strode out from behind the curtains onto the stage. The crowd exploded into cheers and applause, drowning out the music. I was dressed in a classic black suit that has had the legs replaced with Velcro and the buttons of the shirt and coat with snap on ones. My partner was dressed in an outfit similar to mine but with a long red coat reaching down to his knees, matching the color of his hair which reached his shoulder. His glasses were held onto his head by a thin chain; at each end is a tiny silver skull.
The music started to pick up and all of a sudden we both rip our clothes off at the same moment, revealing matching blue speedos studded with sequins. Fifteen minutes later our act was over and we were back stage getting changed, the stranger was nowhere to be seen.
"Great work, Mike." one of the back stage workers said. Sometimes I come in on my day off and work there for a little extra money
"Thanks." I said back, carrying my costume to my locker. I left out the side door into the alley, the cool night air felt nice compared to the heat from the club. To my left cars were creeping passed, probably on their way home or some other late-night errand, and my right leads to the Paddington Cemetery. The grave keeper is allowing me to live in one of the crypts. It's not like he has a choice, he was the one dancing with me not even thirty minutes ago. His name is Grell Sutcliff. He was someone I knew from a long time ago, so it seemed easier this way.
I turn to my right and find the stranger blocking my path. Something about him seems familiar, almost like something from my past. Something that I can't quite remember... JUSTIN BIEBER! I remember now. His kind are rare, but not as rare as you would think. A lot of celebrities are demons, Justin Bieber, Johnny Depp, even Taylor Swift. Unlike regular demons, they feed on the attention they get from their fans; the attention itself is not enough to sustain them though. It's the little bits of soul that they pour into their attention that nourishes their demon idols. They're like parasites feeding on the weak-willed, consuming their souls until all that is left is a shell of what they were. Essentially they become the perfect minions, performing tasks that their masters would prefer not to do themselves.
"It's nice to see you again, Claude. All though you do look a bit different than I remember." He said, removing the hood covering his face. His light hair was the most visible thing in the alley, almost like it was creating its own dull light.
"I don't go by Claude anymore, it's Michael. You have some nerve after showing yourself after what happened in Venice. That young boys soul was mine, but you got your hooks into him and by the time I notice it was gone. I carefully prepared him for over thirteen years." I said, growing more irritated every second.
"Oh, Claude. You don't scare me; word around town is that you're not exactly demon anymore." He said, a smirk spreading across his face. "Yes, I can see there's only a spark of demon left in your soul, you've become human for the most part. You're weak."
"What did you come for?" The sounds of the street drifting in to fill the silence. I asked again, with a little force. "What did you come for?"
"Oh, relax. I only came to warn you."
"Warn me about what?" I can see him visibly tense up. Not knowing what to expect I ready myself to fight.
"The great one is rising. Once more we will rule, and our empire will be mighty." And with that he lunged.