Storm heard an oink sound and turned his gaze to see Fat Nuggets staring at him with innocent eyes and a sweet smile.
"Hey little buddy where did you come from?" He cooed.
He bent down to pet the adorable butterball's head, "Where's your parents, are they around?"
Fat Nuggets frowned; he felt his cold heart break. He couldn't leave this poor sweet thing alone, he picked up the piglet and held him like a baby.
"Tell you what, how about I take care of you until your parents come back?" Storm offered.
Fat Nuggets smiled and nuzzled into his denim shirt, he chuckled,
"I'll take that as a yes?"
Fat Nuggets oinked in agreement, Storm opened his door and once January caught sight of the piglet, her blue eyes lit up with joy, like a child who's meeting their new friend. He gently placed him on the bed, hopefully she won't get to excited and accidentally hurt him.
"Hey, I just realized I didn't get your name. For now, how about I call you Bud, sound good?"
Fat Nuggets smiled, looks like he's found a new temporary dad,
"Hi Bud, I'm Storm and this is January. January this is Bud, or until I can figure out your real name," He introduced.
Before Fat Nuggets could react, January pounced on him and started licking his face and ears. 'Hi new best friend, I've just met you and I love you!' she thought. The piglet didn't share the same enthusiasm she did, he's probably thinking she wants to eat him. He struggled to get away and ran towards Storm. Seeing Fat Nuggets slightly scared confused January, she tilted her head and gave a look that said, 'what did I do daddy?'
He chuckled, "Bud maybe overwhelmed by your wild welcome, try and take it easy okay?"
He was interrupted by his stomach growling; he hasn't eaten anything since breakfast. He wondered if dinner was ready.
"You guys want some food?" Storm asked.
Fat Nuggets and January oinked and chirped happily,
"Alright, let's see what they got here," Storm said.
Meanwhile downstairs, Husk was telling Vaggie, and Charlie about what Storm said to him earlier.
"So, let me get this straight, he thinks he's dreaming, and the hotel will help wake him up?" Vaggie asked.
Husk nodded, "If you don't believe me, ask him yourself, just be really careful how you approach him. I've seen new sinners with this kind of dream mentality, and once they find out they can't wake up, it doesn't end well."
Charlies heard of situations like this, most of the time this phase passes and they accept that they're in hell and make the best of it. However, this case seemed a lot more severe. It wasn't uncommon, but it's rare, demons deep into this mentality won't remember who they were or their life before. They will deny their dead for a good while and will continue to keep wondering why they can't wake up. It's sad, but once they realize their dead, like Husk said, it won't end well.
"What should I say to him then?" Charlie asked.
"Just ask him simple basic question's, like if he remembers his family or friends, avoid asking how he died. He won't believe you," Husk said.
"Well at some point he'll have to come to terms with where he is," Vaggie said.
"Hey, I'm right here," Storm said.
They turned to Storm with Fat Nuggets and January at his side, Charlie instantly changed the awkward topic. She hoped he didn't hear all of it, but he probably did.
"Hey Storm, I see little January's met Fat Nuggets," Charlie smiled.
He raised a confused brow, "Who's Fat Nuggets?"
She giggled, "This little pink cutie, he belongs to Angel Dust."
He turned to see January lovingly purring and rubbing herself against him, and he seemed to be enjoying it.
He chuckled, "That explains a lot."
"Speaking of Angel Dust, where is he?" Vaggie asked.
"Who cares he's probably out sucking some dick," Husk said.
Charlie frowned, why did he have to do this? She wished he could better himself, but if she knew why he did his job, she'd have a better understanding.
"Anyway, is there anything you need?" Charlie asked.
"Well, I was wondering about dinner," Storm said.
Before anyone could answer his question, Alastor rang out from the kitchen,
"Dinner is ready!"
"It's about damn time I'm starving," Husk said.
Alastor poked his head out,
"Would you girls be darlings and set the dinner table, and Husker would you mind helping them?"
Husk rolled his eyes, "Whatever."
"Anything you need me to do?" Storm asks.
"You may alert the hotel dinner is served," Alastor said.
"You got it dude," Storm said.
He walked into the main lobby and clasped his hands over his mouth and shouted,
"Dinners ready!"
He then felt something rush past his legs, he glanced down to see Nifty innocently smiling at him. She must be happy to know that there's a new man staying at the hotel. She jumped up and hugged him which caught him off guard,
"Hi, I'm Nifty you must be the famous snow demon!"
He gently held her, "Hey Nifty I'm Storm."
She smiled flirtingly, "Wow, your super cute, are you single!?"
He chuckled, "At the moment."
Her large one eye lit up with excitement, "Want to be my boyfriend?!"
He blushed and nervously laughed before Alastor cut in,
"Nifty my dear let's not scare the poor boy,"
She pouted, "No fun."
He put her down and headed to the table. Why does Alastor have to always ruin her fun, all she wants is a boyfriend. Is that too much to ask?
"Don't mind Nifty, she's just a little love starved is all," Alastor said.
"So, I noticed," Storm said.
"That reminds me, I've haven't got your name," Alastor said.
"I'm Storm," He says.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Storm, I'm Alastor the famous radio demon,"
"Why do they call you the radio demon?" He asks.
"It's a long and beautiful story, but that's for another time," Alastor smirks.
They headed into the dining room where everyone including Fat Nuggets and January got some delicious chicken cacciatore. Everyone happily munched away, except Storm, it's not that it doesn't look great; it's just too hot. Storm being colder than ice and being ultra-sensitive to heat, the last thing he needs is to burn his mouth. Charlie glanced up from her bowl with concern,
"What's wrong Storm, do you not like it?"
He blushed, "It's not that, since I've gained these ice powers, I'm prone to getting burnt."
"Is there anyway you can cool it down?" Vaggie asked.
"I'll try," He said.
Storm gently placed his fingers near the steam and flinched, he's not touching it, but he can still feel how hot it is. His fingers unleashed tiny snow flurries that engulfed the steam until it disappeared. Curious, Storm gently tapped the bowl to see if it was still hot, and it wasn't. It was nice and warm; he took his spoon and took a delicious bite with a smile.
"Is it okay now?" Charlie asked.
He nodded, "Yeah, I can handle the warmth just fine."
"Do you not like the heat or something?" Vaggie asked.
"I think its more the heat doesn't like me, before I came here, I stayed at a motel, and when I tried to take a hot shower, I literally burnt my hand, but the weird and awesome thing is that I have some sort of healing ability," Storm said.
"How did you cure your dreaded burn?" Alastor asked.
"I just touched it and it was like snowflakes were kissing my bruise away and my hand was good as new. I guess anything can happen in a dream," Storm said.
The table fell into awkward silence, Charlie wanted to know more about his dream theory, but she also didn't want to come off too strong and freak him out by telling him the truth. Not like he would believe her.
She smiled, "So Storm, Husk told me and Vaggie that you think the hotel is a way to help you wake up from a dream that you think your having, what do you mean by that?"
"Well, when you said on the news about this place helping other demons out, I figure it must be some kind of way to snap your subconscious back to reality," He explained.
"Interesting analysis, what makes you think this hotel will bring you back to life, how do you know you aren't dead?" Alastor asks.
"Because if I'm dead my life would be flashing before my eyes and my body would be shutting down, not sitting here talking to all of you eating chicken cacciatore, for all I know I could be in a coma laying in a hospital bed and my minds keeping me from going into a vegetative state by playing this interesting, disembodied dream," Storm explains taking a bite of his food.
They all stared at him like he was crazy, then again, he's a newbie what can they expect?
"What does the hotel have anything to do with your, so called dream?" Vaggie asks.
"The hotel seems like a safe space for your brain waves to calm down and wake up, when your distracted by the chaos outside, it's hard for you to think clearly, but in a positive and quiet place like this, your mind will start to develop the ability to wake up," Storm explains.
"Are you saying your in a coma lucid dream?" Charlie asks.
He nods, "Yep, it's the only thing that makes sense."
In a way Charlie could understand where Storm was coming from, she didn't blame him, if she was in his shoes, she'd probably think the same thing.
"Well, if your in a dream, do you remember who you are?" Charlie asks.
Storm blushed, he didn't think about that, what should he say?
He shook his head, "I don't remember much, but I've been hearing voices."
"What kind of voices?" Alastor asks.
"I don't know who they are, but they sound familiar," Storm says.
"Are they nice?" Charlie asks.
"No, they yell at me every time I try to, enjoy some adult entertainment," Storm blushes.
"Are they your friends, or your parents?" Nifty asks.
"They sounded like angry parents," Storm explains.
"Do you know if you have any parents or friends?" Charlie asks.
He shrugged, "I don't remember much of my life."
"What do you remember?" Husk asks.
"I remember simple things like, the sky's blue, or in this case red, water's wet, the grass is green, stuff like that. I know my sexual orientation, my gender, age, and my name but that's it, not much else," Storm said.
"Hmmm, I see, since you've been here, have you gained any sort of memories of your past?" Alastor asks.
"Yesterday, I had this weird dream where I was walking on a frozen lake, I couldn't see myself, but I heard myself talking and when the lake started breaking, I got away safely but I fell in. I managed to swim back up, but I was so cold and weak, I couldn't stay up and fell to the bottom, and then I woke up," Storm explains.
If he can't remember his past life, but he's having dreams of familiar memories; something must be coming back to him.
"Let me ask you something Storm, if you had a dream like that, what do you think it means?" Charlie asks.
"I don't know," He says.
"Do you think that maybe you've died and can't remember anything?" Charlie asks.
Husk gave her an annoyed look that red 'seriously, I thought I said don't ask him that'! Storm stared at her confused,
"I don't think so,"
"Do you think Hell or Heaven exists?"
"I consider myself an agnostic, so I don't know, but if I'm in Hell, where's all the brimstone or where's the devil, you know? If I'm dead, your dead, everyone sitting at this table is dead why are we talking and eating? Why is my heart beating, and all that; like I said before, I think we're all in a dream together and this place serves as a sanctuary for you to wake up safely," Storm explains.
Everyone had this look that was mixed with disbelief and interest, just when everyone thought Charlie's idea of a demon being redeemed wasn't crazy enough, this takes the cake. After dinner, Charlie and Vaggie were talking about what to do about Storm's condition. They couldn't believe what they heard, Husk was right, Storm must have brain damage from the fall down here.
"He can't be serious!" Vaggie said.
"He sounded like he meant it, what are we going to do?" Charlie said.
"He has to be redeemed to stay here, we aren't a boarding home," Vaggie said.
"Vaggie we can't let him wonder the streets in this condition, just think of what would happen to him if we did," Charlie says.
She's right, there's no way Storm would survive in this dream theory state, then again, he survived his first two days, but still Charlie couldn't bring herself to kick him out.
"If I can intrude, Storm's reaction to being sent to Hell, is actually quite normal. I've seen this behavior many times amongst new sinners, it's entertaining to see them wonder around confused of where they are and who they were before," Alastor says.
"We've been trying to figure out what to do, and we really don't know," Charlie said.
"Don't do anything, memories will start to come back to him, at first it'll be simple things such as, where he grew up and who his family is. Eventually all these little memories will lead up to how he died and how ended up here," He explains.
"When will that be?" Vaggie asks.
"Who knows, it could be a week, a few days, months, years or never; but when he does receive all his memories from when he was alive, it'll be a wonderful feeling at first, but when he remembers what he did to get down here and how he died, it won't feel so great anymore. In fact, I've heard of other demons throwing themselves to the exterminators, simply because they just couldn't live with the guilt of being in Hell," He explains.
Charlie felt her stomach drop, she felt bad for Storm, he seemed like a good guy, she really wanted to help him, but how can she do that when he doesn't know what he's done to be sent here. Either way she won't give up no matter what.
End of chapter 12; this one took me a while to write, mainly because I wanted to keep Storm's theory of why he can't wake up as simple as possible. Hopefully, I made it easy to understand. Anyway, will his memories come back, or will he be doomed to wonder why he can't wake up; only time will tell and do the rest.