Chapter 3

Snow crunched underfoot as the townspeople moved about their business. The light falling snow stood stark against the darkening clouds high overhead. A storm was coming. The news estimated it would hit an hour or half an hour before noon. The estimate gave some people enough time to complete several necessary tasks then return home to shelter. Stores were prepped for the early closing. After all, despite the numerous homes nearby, few workers lived within those districts the were mere minutes of the small town's main street and shopping district. The courthouse, which stood as the government seat as well, rang a large dong to warn residents to prepare for the worst. The loud sound, however, fell on deaf ears. Snowstorms were common in the winter months and most residents had lived here for years and generations. No tourists were visiting the mountains due to snowstorm warnings in the valley below.

A pair of gloves scooped up snow and expertly formed it into a snowball. With a gleeful smirk, the boy hurled the ball. A yelp of pain escaped a small girl's mouth as the ball made contact. The snow flaked away to reveal the small rock hidden within the ball's center. Laughter followed the girl hitting the snow-covered ground as the boy's friends enjoyed watching her tumble. School had been dismissed early today due to the storm warnings. While most residents ignored the warnings, the school officials did not want any trouble to happen while on their watch. Thus, all children were released with the order to return home and stay with their families. This bunch of friends had decided to have a little fun before following orders.

"Absolutely pathetic!"

"I can't believe she fell due to that little pebble."

"That was a nice shot, bro! High five!"

"I know right! I got her right on the head! If she had turned a little later, I would have hit her cheek."

"Too bad, really. Maybe some color would make her look prettier."

"Prettier? How could that slob look prettier?"

The boys and girls continued their remorseless taunts and jokes. Releasing a small sneeze, the brown haired, brown eyed girl slowly stumbled to her feet. Cold hands, pale skin left bare to the chilly environment, desperately pulled her ragged coat tighter. A glimmer of anger sparked in her brown eyes. One hand quickly seized the rock. Without a second thought, ignoring the instilled wisdom that came from experience, she hurled the rock back at the group. The boy who had thrown the rock dove out of the way. It struck another child in the chest. Outraged cries escaped multiple mouths. Quickly the group started to encircle the smaller, half-starved child. Now experience kicked in, causing the girl to bolt for the last opening that she had available. If the group caught her, they would pound on her for daring to stand up for herself.

Snow, rocks, and anything else the group could lift were hurled after her fleeing form. The boys shouted for her stay still while the girls called her a miserable coward. However, one against ten were terrible odds. This was especially true considering all of them were healthy and strong, taken care of by their families. This young girl had no one to care for her. She had been found abandoned in the snow a few years earlier with faint memories of her dead parents and a description of her uncle and aunt. However, the fresh wounds and healed scars indicated that her legal guardians were unwilling to play their roles. The police had arrested them and sent them to prison, leaving their niece in the hands of the foster care system. From one home to another she had been tossed without a care for her mental or physical wellbeing. This town had finally taken her in as a communal responsibility. It was meant to show how caring and friendly the town was and attract more tourists and workers.

The truth was much simpler: No one cared.

Diving through a hole in a tall, wooden fence, the girl made her way towards the only place she had to live in. It was a shabby room in a run-down, cheaply priced motel. This was given to her upon moving into town. Every week someone different was meant to bring her food, though most forgot to do so. The townsfolk even had different names for the child, as her uncle and aunt hadn't bothered to keep her birth certificate or any other form of identification. The children chasing after her simply referred to her as "wretch" or "scum" or "lowlife". Tears of fear sparked in those dull, brown eyes. This winter had been a harsh one despite the current moment being in the early part of the season. The motel owner would yell at her if she came home sporting more injuries. She would even strike the girl herself if the child was bleeding all over her poorly cleaned floors. All the child could do was simply run.

A rock struck the house wall to her right, forcing her to duck. With a yelp, she slipped on a patch of ice and stumbled. A bruise gained four days prior smarted back to life as she landed heavily on her left shoulder. The momentum sent her legs up over her head in a dizzying roll. A cry of pain escaped her lips as she was slammed into another house wall. A couple of the boys chasing her laughed as they began to catch up. They may have been healthier than her but she was far faster. A low growl escaped her throat. Normally the girl would curl up and beg for mercy. Today she decided to fight back. It meant a fiercer beating in the end, however, she no longer really cared. No one wanted her around them. No one loved her or wanted to care for her.

It was time she finally fought for herself or died trying.

With a grunt, she hit the cobblestoned ground. The group's de facto male leader had just landed the finishing punch to her left cheek. New, dark bruises were starting to appear all over her battered body while the fresh ones were still bright red. Blood seeped from her split lip. Her right eye was starting to swell after she had been thrown into several neatly stacked bins. The other members of the group still stood in a half circle. While the girls were too pristine and pretty to be engaging in such horrendous acts, they did their part in keeping her trapped. The boys were the ones to toss her around and throw the punches. If any adults had passed by, none had bothered to stop the group or look further into the situation. A weak cough escaped her bruised chest and ribs as the girl started to rise. Growling angrily, the lead boy kicked her in the exposed left side. It successfully slammed her into the corner where the house wall met the cobblestone path. With that, the girl decided to give up and lay there.

"Maybe this will remind you of your place, scum," one of the girls spat.

Brown eyes opened the tiniest bit before a croaked response came out, "F*** you."

"That's it, you worthless lowlife," the leader growled.

He seized her ragged jacket and started hauling her down the road. Desperately the girl wriggled, kicked at him, and dug her chipped nails into his wrists. The group of children followed their leader like silent shadows. The sky was growing darker as the storm approached the town. One could estimate about an hour before it would hit full force. The light snow had already increased to large, heavy flakes. Two boys pulled a chain link fence apart where an animal or something had torn a hole. The girl was hauled through unceremoniously, leaving long scratches across her back.

"You are nothing but a worthless, unwanted orphan. No one here wants you. Now why don't you spare us of your presence and get out," the lead boy growled.

With that, he pushed her away from him. Hardened snow of the manmade bank broke as her body hit it. Brown eyes widened with horror as one of the town's largest hills was revealed below her. Several of the children had faces of surprise and guilt as she disappeared from sight. The world became a blur of snow, dark gray sky, and brief glimpses of houses and trees as she rolled down the hill. Her brown eyes closed as buried rock knocked her sideways. She had rolled down enough things to know it was better to tuck her limbs in than to try and stop the rolling action. Momentum could very easily be enough to break her weakened limbs. At least the motel would be only a fifteen-minute walk from the hill's base.

Her ears heard what sounded like a gunshot or loud blast. It didn't sound like thunder, but it was loud. A bright light swept past her, or she passed it. The air around her went from freezing cold to very hot in a matter of seconds. Her body felt snow turn into something much harder as she continued to roll unceremoniously in whatever direction she was going. Her roll was stopped abruptly by running into a hard, solid surface. A cry of pain escaped her mouth something pushed too hard on one of her ribs. The firm surface of the object and the momentum of her roll overwhelmed her body, causing the rib bone to break.

The world was nothing but a blur as she struggled to open her eyes and make of the sudden environmental changes. She had somehow ended up at the edge of a dark town. The grass on the other side of the road was a dark, unwelcoming green. The streets were grimy. The air had indeed become hot, so hot that only water marks indicated where she had been previously. Her ragged jacket and clothes were already starting to dry. However, it was the sky that drew her attention the most. It had turned dark, blood red with a bright red shape etched into it. Somehow instinct knew that she didn't belong in this world. Her body, however, refused to move. Exhaustion and pain weighed her down and made it difficult to think of anything other than simply giving up. The hot air meant she wouldn't freeze to death in a snowstorm, so lying there for a bit didn't seem like a bad idea. With that thought, the young girl succumbed to the darkness creeping at the edge of her vision.

Hard-soled shoes walking down the concrete path roused her. A staticky hum filled her ears and caused goosebumps to rise. The dark, powerful presence filled her body with sheer terror. Brown eyes opened as something hand-shaped touched her left arm. A slightly transparent shadow floated above her and had a look of concern etched on its empty features. She frowned weakly, wondering why this thing seemed concerned. At that moment, stepping around a dumpster situated near her head, came a tall figure dressed in red. White and black accented his nice suit while his hard-soled, black shoes stopped his forward movement. A large, wide smile which revealed many sharp teeth slowly died. Red eyes stared down at her with superiority then confusion then concern. His red and black hair grew upward into what looked like ears, despite her being able to see a human ear on the left side of his head. Between these ear-like projections grew two small, black antlers. His long staff tipped with a red speaker landed on the hard ground with a thud. The sudden movement and sound were enough to startle the child into flinching.

Pain, all consuming, shot from her bruises, cuts, and broken rib. The child whimpered in pain, as her body was still too weak to do anything more. Tears of pain and fear filled her eyes as the tall man came closer. Gingerly the floating shadow pushed her away from the wall and the bent pipe. It was this same pipe that had broken her rib and trapped her there. Long nailed, red and black fingers gingerly greeted her as the man knelt down beside her body. A small smile was still on his face, though it had grown dark with emotion she couldn't read. His fingers deftly moved clothing and searched her body for each and every injury. His eyes narrowed as he noted the scars that told of a long history. As one hand moved away from her head, her crimson blood stood starkly against the palm of his black glove.

As the man analyzed his palm, eyes glazed as he got lost in thought, the girl whimpered, "Please, sir, don't…don't hurt me."

Those red eyes snapped down to her scared expression. His smile grew once more, a forced happiness trying to desperately hide the murderous and dark expression that betrayed his thoughts. His voice echoed around her, "I would never dream of harming one such as yourself, my little deary." Her ears perked at the sound. It was like the radio host that came through the motel's very old radio – filled with crackles and static and distortion. His hands slipped around her shoulders and under her legs. As he lifted her up and started walking, he said, "So much for obeying orders. I'll get in trouble for this for sure. However, I know my dear Charlie and Vagatha will want to see you."

Brown eyes rose to his face as the shadow wrapped around the pair. The radio staff had disappeared from sight. While the murderous tinge still filled the man's features, the young child could sense that his words were true. He wanted to harm other people. For the time being, she was safe. She drew in a shaky breath, causing the man holding her to draw her shoulders further into his body. Safe. That was a word this child had not thought of for a very long time. She couldn't understand how a very dangerous man brought such a profound thought to her mind. It didn't make sense. Yet every instinct in her body declared that she was safe.

She pressed her cheek into his chest and whispered, "Where are we going?"

The man chuckled, "Why, to the Hazbin Hotel! The one safe place in all of Hell for someone like you!" He tilted his head and smiled larger, "The name is Alastor, my little dear. Some here call me the Radio Demon. Others simply refer to me as Prince or your majesty. Tell me now: What is your name?"