Chapter Two : Go to Hell
October 13th 2009
Grace stumbled into her darkened apartment dropping her purse off on the messy floor as she entered. She turned slamming the door and locking all three of the doors locks. She took her coat off throwing it off towards the sofa before she blindly reached for the light-switch.
She rolled her eyes seeing no sign of her roommate. That was just her luck, she had only gone out to the bar tonight, because Maggie had drug her along. They hadn't even been there for a full hour before Maggie promptly ditched her for the first guy that flirted with her.
She frowned a little startled as she heard a noise towards the back of her apartment. It sounded like something heavy dropping and slamming down against the wood floors. She went over to her purse fishing through it until she found her keys. She fumbled through the keys and key chains finally locating her pepper spray canister.
She began to move towards the back of the apartment remaining on high alert as she spoke her voice clearly showing fear. "Maggie...Is that you?"
She heard nothing in response. She moved through the darkened apartment jumping at the slightest creak of the floor boards. She let out a shaky sigh speaking again. "Whoever is in here. I have pepper spray...and I know self defense. I'm really good at it...so you know ...don't try anything. I've already called the police."
Grace closed her eyes flinching for a moment, anxiety bubbling over deep in her gut. She hadn't called the police and she was bluffing. She may have pepper spray but she sucked at self defense. She had taken a self defense class with a coworker from the coffeehouse. She had failed miserably. She couldn't fight anything or anyone off with out tripping over her own two feet.
She reached her closed bedroom door letting out an uneasy breath as she reached for the door knob. She turned it opening the door and letting out a sharp gasp as she spotted a darkened figure moving towards her.
She didn't even have time to think before she moved the pepper spray container up letting it go off in the intruders face.
"Oh bloody hell...that hurt !" She heard a male voice cry out before she reached over feeling along the wall, turning on a light-switch.
She let out another gasp as she saw just who the voice belonged to. A familiar man in an expensive black suit was bent over rubbing his eyes cursing under his breath.
He reached over pulling a flask out of his suit-jacket and taking a swig before he looked up at her. She hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen her. Her hair was still a curly mess though it was a bit longer, she had gained a little weight. She looked healthier than she had been, her hips had rounded out a little over the past two years giving her more of a womanly figure.
He spoke as he rubbed his stinging eyes "Nice to see you too darling."
Crowley, it was him. He looked exactly the same as he had two years ago. Crowley was the last person she wanted to ever see again. Here he was though standing in the middle of her bedroom.
Though it did make her a little happy to see that he was still making pained noises rubbing his eyes with one hand as he took gulps from his flask with the other hand.
She stepped back so tempted to run. She knew that her two years were coming to a close, but she had held out the hope that he would forget their deal, or maybe even no longer be interested in coming to collect her.
She had had spent the past two years doing tons and tons of research, trying to see if there was a loophole of some sort. Anything to get her out of this deal, but she had found nothing.
Grace swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke not helping but to scold him. "Well that teaches you to wonder around in people's locked dark apartments when they aren't at home."
"I guess I should have known. I mean I do recall that the last time I saw you, you slapped me." Crowley responded.
"Excuse me...I slapped you because you assaulted me with your tongue." She blurted out her cheeks flushing as she remembered that kiss on that darkened crossroads.
It hadn't been her first kiss, but it had definitely been her most intense. She probably would have actually even enjoyed it if she hadn't been selling her soul to him. She frowned uncomfortable that she was actually admitting that to herself.
Crowley huffed not responding to her comment before he finally stood up looking at her. "Did you really think you could move all the way across the state to Atlanta, and I wouldn't find you ?"
She frowned not saying anything in response before he spoke again. "I need to use your sink ?"
She stepped aside rolling her eyes as she let him out of the room. She watched him go into the bathroom and rush over to the sink. She watched him attempt to flush his bloodshot eyes for a moment before she stepped away from the bathroom door.
She looked down the hall wondering if she could slip away before he realized she was gone. She didn't have time to even take a step before he spoke not looking away from the sink. "Don't even think about running. I have a way to find you no matter where you go."
She let out an anxious sigh before she left the hallway going to her bedroom.
Grace sat on the edge of her bed unsure of where to go or what to do. She let her eyes scan the room wondering if there was anything that she could hit him over the head with. Something to knock him out.
She had a feeling that doing that wouldn't be a smart move on her behalf. It would more than likely just piss him off. And she hadn't exactly been trying to get on his good-side so far, spraying him with pepper spray and all.
She didn't have time to really think of a good defense strategy since he came into the bedroom a few minutes later. He spoke clinching his eyes closed for a moment before opening them. "You need to pack. I'll give you twenty five minutes at the most."
"Pack ?" She exclaimed standing up wishing that she hadn't dropped the pepper spray on the dresser by the bedroom door.
"Yes pack. It's time to come with me. Two years ago today we made our deal." Crowley responded as he shoved his flask back in his suit-jacket.
Grace let out a huff crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
He rolled his eyes as he looked at her. "Have I not held up my end of the deal ? I happen to know that your sister has been in perfectly good health since our little deal. Exceptional health in fact, not even a headache or a common cold. She just celebrated her sixteenth birthday last month am I right ?"
She kept her arms crossed not saying nothing in response. He spoke up again. "So I kept my end of the deal, it's time for you to keep yours."
"I can't go with you. I have work, and...I'm taking classes. I have a life. Friends and family. I can't just pick up and go off with you." She attempted to argue with him.
"Not anymore. That life is over. Now pack." He stated growing a little irritated with her.
He watched her stand in one place not budging as she gave him an icy look. He spoke again sighing. "Or don't pack. I don't really care if you come with nothing but the clothes on your back. We're leaving in..."
Crowley paused pulling out a pocket watch before he spoke continuing his sentence. "Twenty minutes. Now come on. I'd suggest you pack plenty of clothes and personal care items, I'm not going to supply you with anything."
She let out a frustrated sigh as she watched him turn and leave the room. She didn't have much of a choice. She had a feeling that he wasn't going to give up. She couldn't run from him because he was probably blocking the front door, She couldn't go out a window considering she was on the sixth floor and her buildings fire escape was broken. She had nothing heavy enough to knock him out with. She was screwed.
She reluctantly pulled out the two biggest suitcases she owned before she began to stuff them with everything in her closet and dresser. She shoved a photo album, her laptop, three pairs of shoes, her jewelery box, and her makeup and brushes before she zipped the overstuffed suitcases.
She pulled her bags out to the living room glaring as Crowley made no attempt to help her with the heavy bags. He bent over picking up her purse before he shoved it towards her.
"Ready ?" He asked giving her no time to respond as he snapped his fingers.
Grace let out a shaky breath blinking a few times as they suddenly appeared in the backseat of a shiny black suv.
She scooted far away up against the door as she glanced over at Crowley. He had pulled his flask out once again and was now taking a leisurely sip from it. He glanced over at her sighing. "Your luggage is in the trunk."
She let out an anxious breath as she remembered something...her cell phone was in her purse. She reached into her purse locating the cell before she frantically felt amongst the buttons.
She did her best to blindly dial 911, but wasn't able to complete this action before Crowley snatched her purse out of her lap.
He rolled his eyes as he fished through the purse locating her phone. She let out a gasp as he rolled down his window and chucked her cellphone out the window. The phone breaking as it hit the cement.
"What the fuck was that ?" She asked snatching her purse back from him before he had the chance to dump all her belongings out the window.
He shrugged ignoring the death glare that she currently shooting at him. "It's no use calling for help, darling. This will all be easier for you if you work with me and not against me. We're on the same team."
"Screw you buddy." She exclaimed before he grabbed her wrist clinching it a little roughly.
She let out a pained noise as she felt a harsh burning sensation on her wrist. He let go of her wrist before she drew it up to her chest holding it tightly with her other hand. "Ouch that freaking hurt. What the hell was that ?"
"Such lovely language you have ducky... Look at it this way. Going through a little pain was a better option than letting a hound drag you to hell whilst ripping your body to shreds." Crowley responded ignoring the fact that she was still rubbing her wrist and flinching.
He frowned as he felt a tinge of sympathy for her and a bit of guilt for causing her such pain...sympathy….guilt, where did that come from ?
He shook his head trying to knock the foreign emotions out of his mind.
Grace widened her eyes terror building up within her. "I'm in hell ?"
Crowley smirked as he let out an amused chuckle. "Hell ?... No far from it. You're in upstate New York right now in route to my...well our current home."
She let out an anxious breath as she tried not to panic. "Am I...dead..."
"Well that depends on how you perceive the idea of being dead." He responded as he shoved his flask back into his suit-jacket.
She threw herself over at him hitting, scratching, punching, as she screamed. "You asshole! What did you do to me !?. I'm going to kill you !"
He let out an annoyed huff not wanting to use his full strength to shove her off. It would only hurt her if he did that. He pushed her away holding her down against her seat as she shook completely enraged below him. "Calm down."
She glared up at him wanting nothing more than to rip his head off. He gave her a darkened almost sinister look. "Do you want me to make this way worse than it could be for you ? Because trust me I know more ways than you can even begin to imagine, to make this so horrible for you."
"Worse than being dead ?" She spat out struggling against his grip.
He rolled his eyes not wanting to have to make this threat but it didn't seem that he had much of a choice. "Remember Gracie, I hold your contract. I cured your sister and I can take it right back if I want to. I don't want to have to do that though. I know you want your sister to have a long happy life and she will as long as you own up to your end of our contract."
She felt bile rise in her throat at the thought of her sister getting sick again. The tumors reappearing in Holly's body, killing her.
She silently nodded her head not wanting to give him the satisfaction of her speaking.
He moved back into his own seat as he took a glance up at the demon who was currently driving. He couldn't talk about his plans here.
It was too dangerous for any of the demons serving under him to overhear what he was planning on doing.
He glanced over at Grace to see that she was still shaking though he wasn't sure if it was out of anger or fear. She was staring out the window. He could see her reflection against the window she was glaring.
He let out a sigh reaching for his flask again. This was going to be a long ride.
As soon as they reached the house, which was actually more of a mansion really, Grace unwillingly allowed herself to be pulled out of the car by Crowley.
She frowned as they passed at least three large men that had to be guards She couldn't help but to be confused as she noticed that the house and the outer gates were covered with strange symbols. Surely these symbols couldn't be visible to the human eye.
Crowley kept a tight grip on her arm a they entered the house. He looked to a large guard who was standing near the grand staircase. "Take her things upstairs to the bedroom."
She let him drag her into a study before he flicked his wrist locking the door tightly behind them. He finally let go of her arm as he spoke. "Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about."
She reluctantly took a seat on a gray leather couch as she watched him make his way over to the liquor cabinet.
Crowley spoke to her keeping his back to her as he poured liquor into two heavy crystal glasses. "The apocalypse is coming."
"The apocalypse ? As in the apocalypse. The end of the world ?" She asked her throat tightening up.
"That's the one." He remarked as he turned to her.
She frowned as he handed her one of the crystal glasses. He spoke noticing that she was staring at the glass like he was handing her a glass of poison instead of a glass of aged fine whiskey. "Come on now. You'll like it."
She took it taking a drink against her better judgment. It wasn't like he could do much more to her. If she was in-fact really already dead. She assumed she was after all isn't that what was supposed to happen when her two years were up.
"I want to stop it. In fact I need to stop it. Once Lucifer wipes out humanity ,demons , which means you and me, are next." Crowley stated as he took a drink from his own glass.
"I'm not a demon. I'm not even sure if I'm really dead. I mean I feel alive and I'm breathing and I'm right here...not out of my body floating off somewhere." Grace replied sounding somewhat insulted that he had placed him and her in the same group.
He rolled his eyes taking another drink. "Well you aren't much of a demon, but that whole painful business with your wrist in the car kind of did the trick. Me laying claim to your soul. You're dead and you're a demon, get use to it."
"Why am I still here in my body if I'm so dead ?" She asked trying to reason with him. She couldn't really be dead. It just wasn't possible.
Then again selling her soul on those crossroads two years ago wasn't supposed to be possible either. And Crowley snapping his fingers back in Atlanta and making them reappear in a car in upstate New York, that shouldn't be possible either. Here she was though.
Crowley sighed not wanting to get into this at the moment. Maybe letting a hellhound drag her away would have been easier. Then if he'd allowed that of course he would have had to make the trip down to hell and make up some excuse to bring her back up here with him.
"Because you kept your meatsuit. I didn't want to bother with making you find a new one." He replied as he took a seat behind his desk.
She frowned at him as she took another drink trying not to flinch as the liquid burned in her mouth. "Meatsuit ?"
"Your body." He answered placing his glass down on the desk.
He kept silent for a moment watching her let it all sink in. She spoke up a few tears beginning to work their ways out of the corners of her eyes. "I'm really dead ?"
He stood up from his desk making his way over to her before he pulled a silk handkerchief out of his pocket. He held it out to her as he spoke. "Afraid so."
She refused to take the handkerchief from him as she spoke. "So you really killed me ?"
"Yes, Don't you remember attacking me in the car earlier over this whole being dead thing." He replied placing the handkerchief back in his pocket.
She glared up at him tempted to throw the drink she holding in his face. She did her best to wipe her tears away with her hand before she spat out. "Go to hell."
"Already been there, darling." He responded as he went back over to his desk.
He ignored the fact that she was still glaring at him as he spoke. "Now back to our deal. I suppose we'll have to go over your contract."
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