38 Days Left Until Extermination...
Alastor had ordered Anna to help clean up his cabin while he had to errands for the hotel. Anna dusted the dust off of the fireplace mantel as well as some of photo frames and hunting trophies that there sitting on it. Then she started to sweeping and mopping the floor brushing up some of the dirt and dried mud sweeping it into the dust pan then took it outside and dumped it.
As she walked back inside, Anna sat down on Alastor's bed for a little break. Suddenly, her hell phone began buzzing. Anna looked at the screen to see a text from Vox.
"Is the deal still on?" It read. "I haven't heard anything in days..."
Anna sighed and texted back. "It's still on. But, I still don't have the staff yet."
Then, in the corner of the room, she noticed a large chest and put her phone away.
Anna walked over to a chest, and kneeled down on to the floor opening it. Inside, it was cluttered with junk and strange things as well as dust. She started reaching into it taking things out. An old radio, a couple of tarot cards, a strange voodoo spellbook, and...
Oh good lord, a shrunken head?!
Anna cringed and tossed it aside, then continued digging through the chest. She pulled out an old photo of Alastor ,when he was alive, with his mother. She flipped it to the back to see it dated 1916 and with their names on the back "Rose and Alastor" high school graduation. Then she pulled out several old newspaper articles. One read: "Bayou Killer At Large!" Missing couple's bodies found dismembered in a gator filled swamp!
Another: "Bayou Killer Strikes Again!" Husband found dead in home hacked to pieces with an axe. Then Anna noticed something as another paper fell out from the article. "Bayou Killer Caught!" The killer was caught by the police dogs as they gave chase. But, he was struck down by an unfortunate hunting accident. He has been identified as Alastor Hazbin, a local in New Orleans, and was an radio host.
Anna paused at Alastor's name, looking at it again. Hazbin? Strange, that was the hotel's name. Anna placed the papers in a stack then reached in and she pulled out a voo doo doll that looked like Vaggie. It had a pin that was stuck in it. She wondered if these things actually work. Anna pulled the pin out of it and turned the doll around and stuck it in the dolls rear.
In the hotel's lobby, Vaggie was arguing with something at Alastor who standing in front of her with an amused smile on his face. Suddenly, she let out a loud scream in pain. Alastor raised an eye in question.
"Are you alright, darling?"
Vaggie yelped as she rubbed her butt. "Something struck my butt!" She turned and glared at Alastor. He stared at her with an innocent look on his face shrugging his hands.
"Don't look at me. I didn't do it."
"If you didn't, then who did? I don't see anyone else in the room!" She shouted. Alastor narrowed his eyes, thinking. He turned around and walked away.
"Pardon me, my dear. I must go check on something!" He called out. Then Alastor phased into the shadows leaving the lobby, heading straight to his room.
Anna frowned seeing nothing happened to the doll once she stuck the pin in it. She tossed it aside and it landed on the floor. She stood up, looking around the room some more until a faint static was heard, which sounded like snoring. She turned her head towards the sound and began to follow it heading down a large hallway then stopped in front of a door. She opened it revealing a dimly lit red room and stepped inside.
Her eyes widened in surprise, seeing Alastor's microphone resting on a stand, right in front of her. Anna walked over to it and took it off from the stand. It surprisingly felt light in her hands. Finally, she had it, Alastor's mic! Now, all she had to do was call Vox and he can break her contract with Alastor!
As Anna turned around, about to leave, she heard a very loud voice of someone shouting, furiously. Anna turned around and her eyes widened in shock and horror at what she was witnessing in front of her.
There was a tall white man with black hair, who was clearly drunk, wearing a white shirt with dark pants and suspenders and black shoes, Alastor's father. In front of him was Alastor's mother who was pleading and begging at him to stop. The man struck her very hard knocking her down.
"Stop!" a child's voice shouted.
Anna saw a boy who appeared to no younger than nine or ten run at the mama grabbing his arm, to stop him, it was Alastor. Alastor's father glared at him with cold eyes and grabbed Alastor by his hair dragging him towards a room. Alastor screamed and kicked trying to get free until his father roughly pulled him close then slapped him and tossed him into the room, landing hard on the floor. The door clicked as Alastor's father locked it.
"You dare disobey me, boy!?" Alastor's father hollered.
Alastor scurried back away from him but he was cornered as his back met with the wall. He stared at his father, who advance over towards him, in fear as he held his cheek now beginning to redden. Alastor's father reached for the belt of his pants, removing it, holding it at his side. Anna backed up away from him, feeling intimidated by him.
"Father, please no!" Alastor screamed.
Anna continued to watch as the two were locked in a room while Alastor's mother screamed at the end of the door, pounding on it. Alastor's father raised his belt, Alastor flinched as he did. His father began whipping and beating him violently with it.
"Papa, stop!" Alastor screamed. "I didn't do anything wrong! All I did was create a small fire with my hands!"
"I'm going to beat the devil out of you, boy!" His father roared. "There will be no devil's magic in my house. It's bad enough that witch has it. But, you're cursed as well!"
"Mama! Help!" Alastor screamed. His mother was still trying to open the door, crying, hearing her son's helpless cry from the other end.
"John, let him be! He's just a boy! He's our son!" She cried. "Stop!"
"He ain't no son of mine!" His father shouted.
The beating continued for what seemed like hours until his father finally stopped. Alastor was covered in deep lashing that cut through his clothes. His father left unlocking the door, shoving his mother aside heading outside probably to drink some more. Rose, immediately ran inside over towards Alastor. He sniffed feeling the sting from his cuts. His mother turned her head to see her husband was nearby and he wasn't then turned back towards her son. She took his arms and a blue glow came out from her hands as she moved all over his body. The cuts slowly began to heal up, that would forever remain scars.
"I don't see why we have to put up with him!" Alastor spatted.
"Never mind him." His mother said as she continued to clean up Alastor. "You shouldn't have stepped in."
"He didn't have to hit you!" Alastor frowned as he crossed his arms.
"None of that now, Mon petite," His mother smiled, cupping Alastor's chin making him look at her. "Your mama can handle herself just fine. You need to look after yourself, ya hear?"
"Yes, mama." Alastor pouted.
"Now, chin up and smile! Your never fully dressed without one!" She smiled and poked Alastor in the chest and started to tickle him. Alastor laughed trying to break free.
"Mama, stop!"
A series of flashbacks appeared one after another of Alastor's past.
One, of him crying and holding his mother as she was dying in his arms. Another, appeared as Alastor stood in front of a body of his first victim that was lying on the floor, it was his father, dead. Alastor completely covered in blood while holding a knife with a deranged look in his eyes and a frozen smile on his face. Then, another showed Alastor at his job at the radio station trying to tell his ideas to his boss only to be denied.
"With someone of your "background," your better off where you're at." He said with his nose in the air. Alastor glared as he watched him walk away. Mysteriously, his boss ended up dead as he was found the very next day covered with stab wounds. Surprisingly, as well, Alastor was made head of the station as he got a high promotion of his late boss.
Then the scene faded, as gun shots were heard. Anna saw Alastor run as he was covered in scrapes and a large bite on his hand as he held it as he ran. He was being followed by dogs as they chased him. Her eyes widened as she saw one dog tackle him to the ground and was now biting him followed by the others as they started to maul Alastor. A nearby hunter who had saw the incident shot off a few rounds, scaring off the dogs. He approached Alastor to find him barely alive and breathing completely covered in gashes and bites as some of his flesh was ripped off. The hunter raised his gun aiming it Alastor's head and fired. Anna gasped as she stepped away but she bumped into something behind her.
Suddenly, a pair of hands slammed on her shoulders as she was roughly turned around. A familiar pair of blood red eyes stared back at hers angrily.
"A-Alastor!" Anna stammered, nervously. She clutched his staff her hands, terrified. Alastor looked down seeing his staff in her hands. He had a scary demonic grin across his face, as it twitched, staring down at her in rage.
"You little thief...!" He said, as loud static emitted from him. Anna flinched as the static pierced through her eardrums.
"After everything I've done for you and this is how you repay me?!" He screeched. More static emitted from him even louder.
Anna stepped away from him, still hold on the staff in her hands. Alastor followed Anna matching her steps.
"I wasn't going to-"
She was interrupted by Alastor as he made a haunting and wicked laugh. "You really are a bad liar. Why else would you be in here if you weren't going to take my staff? Hmm?" Alastor said, dangerously, inching closer towards her. Anna said nothing as she stared up at him, shaking.
Without even thinking, Anna raised the staff above her head.
"Back off or I'll smash it!" She screamed. Alastor froze. "I-I mean it! I will do it!"
Alastor backed away. He raised his hands. "Now, darling, don't do anything stupid. Just give it back to me before you hurt yourself." Anna frowned, looking at the staff then back over towards the radio demon.
She raised the mic and slammed the end on the ground. Alastor's eyes widened. Black tentacles trapped him as they wrapped around him. Wasting not a minute, Anna ran out of the room, with the staff in her hands. She heard Alastor scream angrily which only made her run faster. She ran last Charlie and Vaggie in the lobby.
" Anna, where are you going?!" Charlie called out. But, Anna ignored her and continued running.
It all became a blur as her mind went empty until she she was that she was far away from the hotel and was now in the city. She gasped as she tried to catch her breath. Anna felt her hands and knees began to shake. She looked down at the staff in her hands. She did it! She had really done it!
Anna pulled out her hell phone and dialed Vox's number. It ringed before she heard the TV demon's voice on the other end.
"I've got the staff." Anna said.
"Good work, my dear! I'll be over in a few minutes, just wait until I get there!"
As Anna waited for Vox's limo to pull up. An overwhelming guilt began to eat at her, twisting her guts. She looked down at the microphone in her hands. She shook her head.
"What am I doing?" Anna muttered. "This is wrong..."
"That's very true, you little theif!" A voice replied as it answered her. Anna squealed ans jumped looking down at the staff in her hands to see a red eye looking back at her.
"Did you just talk?!" She shouted in disbelief.
"I don't see anyone else around here do you?!" Alastor's microphone said, sarcastically as it rolled it's eye.
Anna stared dumbfounded. "But? How?"
"I'm a living part of Alastor! If anything happens to me, he'll die!" Anna's eyes widened. Vox didn't say anything about this!
Then Anna heard the sound of a car pull up, and looked up to see Vox as he opened the car door.
"V-Vox..." She backed away, nervously.
He noticed Alastor's staff in her hands and made a scary grin, which send shivers down Anna's spine.
"Hey, you got the staff! Good for you!" He boomed as he laughed. "I wish I could have see the look on bambi's face as you took it from him! Now, handed it over and I'll keep my end of the deal!" He grinned holding out his hand.
"Vox, y-you see...I changed my mind. The deals off." Anna said. Anna froze as she heard him made a chilling laugh.
"Oh, I wasn't asking, my dear." He smirked. Anna screamed felt arms grab her and blindfolded her as Valentino and Velvet pulled her into the limo. The limo sped off, Vox laughing evilly as it did, heading towards his Studio.
Several bags of groceries fell onto the concrete sidewalk, as Niffty and Baxter saw the whole incident. The two looked at each other and quickly ran, frantically heading back towards the hotel.