I had been foolish and I was going to die for the second time. As much as I wished I could put more to my story, that was really kind of the sum it. Apart from a few years scraping out a meagre existence in Hell, and whatever had taken place in my life before it (which I didn't feel too inclined to count, given that I remembered literally nothing of it, apart from my very unconventional name), there wasn't much to tell, and there wouldn't be much to remember, in the life of Seledra Savin.
The knowledge of that fact did not prevent me from running for my life, however, despite knowing that it was most likely a futile gesture. The reason for this was simple; you had to be either the bravest or most broken soul down here - usually a combination of both - to simply stand and wait for death when the Exorcists poured out of the sky. Despite at least five years of relative hardship (people tended to lose track here), I was neither.
Feeling the beat of wings coming from behind me, I canted right into what I hoped was a street that would offer more cover or concealment than the one I had just vacated.
I found the exact opposite. A dead-end alley.
I heard the Exorcist touch down behind me with a sense of finality. Unable to contain myself any longer, I wheezed a ragged sob and whirled around, getting ready to beg for my life.
'Wai-' Was all I managed before the damn thing jabbed the handle end of its spear into my left eye.
The result was spectacularly disgusting. My eyeball pretty much exploded. Blood, tears, and some kind of gritty fluid oozed down my cheek in copious amounts.
Gasping in agony, I reeled backwards, my left hand clutching the ruined socket and my right scrabbling for a hold on the brick wall. Another flash of pain flared up on that hand, and as I fell back on my butt, two of my fingers, pinky and ring, by the looks of it, landed on the ground in front of my remaining eye.
I briefly wondered if there would be a life after this life. It seemed more likely that I would just... end... here. The thought used to terrify me, but I was in too much pain to care at the moment, and I simply sunk to the ground, closed my eyes, and waited to find out.
And waited.
And waited.
Wondering if the Exorcist was cruel enough to be toying with me, I opened my eye and found myself staring at the Princess of Hell.
Charlie Morningstar stood over me with her arms protectively raised to either side.
'STOP! KILLING! MY! PEOPLE!' She shrieked.
'You are not permitted to interfere!' The Exorcist hissed, raising its spear.
'I don't care. I'm donewatching you slaughter them.'
The Exorcist paused, seeming to genuinely not know what to say or do. Then, it cocked its haloed head to the side, as if hearing something that I found inaudible, and lifted off. Around me, I could hear the beat of wings as a multitude of others began heading back upwards. It seemed the annual extermination was over.
Something about that unhesitant departure scared me more than anything. Anything else would have killed me first, or at least told me how lucky I was, but it just... left. Its mission was accomplished, who knows how many people were dead by its hand, I was permanently disfigured, and I knew without a doubt that it wouldn't lose any sleep over it. In fact I would probably be lucky if it's memory of our little encounter lasted the night.
Ms. Morningstar hung her head, her arms dropping to her sides. She seemed incredibly defeated, and I wondered if she would get in trouble for saving me.
Almost forgetting the pain for a moment, I reached to tap her shoulder, hoping to... what? Comfort her? Ask her for help? Unfortunately, the gesture brought my mutilated right hand into view of my remaining eye, and I began to hyperventilate as a fresh wave of pain hit.
Reminded of my presence, she turned, picked me up, and began carrying me bridal style out of the alley in one fluid motion.
'I... I-I'll get... blood on your coat...' I weakly protested before passing out.
I opened my eye. I was lying on a bed with red sheets. Of all things, it was the color of the sheets that banished the temporary bliss of unawareness the recently awakened tend to experience. I reached up to touch where my left eye had been, wincing at the sight of my hand, which, although bandaged, was still covered in dried blood and marrow. Lightly touching where the eye would have been, I found a gauze covering fixed to the wound. The slight motion made me aware of another fact. I was being held by someone.
Lightly removing the pale, crimson-clad arms wrapped around my midsection, I swung my legs over the edge, and, after successfully fighting off a fit of nausea and disorientation, stood. I walked over to the window. I was quite high up, and I could see the evidence of the recent extermination, mainly in the form of fires and smoke pillars.
I turned around and regarded the figure on the bed. She was tall, slender, and rosy-cheeked, with double ponytailed blond hair and was dressed in archaic red formal attire. She also appeared to have been crying quite heavily, and if the several opened medical kits and surgical scissors lying on the floor around the bed were any indication, she had been the one to treat me.
Deciding not to wake her, I examined my surroundings. Glancing out the large wall window again, I determined that, apart from the Heaven Embassy, I was in the tallest building visible.
Grabbing some bandages from one of the kits in case I tore a vein or something, I headed downstairs.
A pair of motion sensor lights flicked on, and I was standing in a fairly conventional kitchen with a dining room to the side. There was light blinking on the phone answering machine, and I headed to the sink grab a glass of water.
As I was filling the glass from the tap, I heard a mono-tonal beep. Glancing to my right, I saw with mild surprise that the phone was about to play its message without my input. I considered leaving - whatever the caller was phoning about, it was none of my business. Before I could, a voice I didn't recognize spoke in a weary tone.
'Hey, Charlie. I know this time is hard for you, but please listen to what I have to say. You can't pull the same stunt you pulled last year. I understand your anger. Or, OK, maybe I don't. Not knowing when she will find her way to you, or you to her, would be hard under normal circumstances. But the fact that she could of already been killed by those bastard Exorcists must be too much to bear. You... and me, just have to keep faith that life isn't that cruel. You need to remember that while she might have already been murdered, it's equally possible she hasn't died her first death and isn't even down here yet. We've looked all over this place every year, and there was never any new arrival named Seledra. And... I don't know... I know it goes against what we know, but... isn't it possible she's up there rather than down here, or will be when the time comes? You are the most caring, compassionate person I have ever had the privilege to know, and for your other half to wind up in Hell seems... uncharacteristic. For her at least. Even though we don't know what she's like. And if that's the case... well, maybe you could never be together, but... you once told me that if you just knew she was safe and happy, that might be enough. If she did see the Pearly Gates, wouldn't you be happy for her? I know after all these years you must be close to giving up hope, or, Hell forbid, already have, but... just do what you've done since you were told about her. Imagine you two together, happy, and remember that its still possible to get that ending.'
A long pause.
'Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble again, Char. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, you know I am. And I always will be. Just remember. No interfering with the extermination! It's barbaric, and it's evil, but it's part of our life, and until you get some guests for that hotel of yours it's not in our power to change it. Bye, Charlie. Be safe.'
The message ended.
'I don't suppose they're talking about a different Seledra...' I mused. Definitely an unusual name for a coincidence, but, whatever the caller had been talking about, I couldn't see how little-old-me could factor in...
I heard a sound like something shattering behind me. I turned around and saw the Princess of Hell standing over a shattered mug and pool of steaming liquid, presumably coffee.
'Yo- you're name is Seladra?' She asked in a small, trembling voice, sounding equal-parts cautiously hopeful and scared.
'Yes. Is tha-' Was all I managed to get out before Ms. Morningstar passed out.
I cursed and managed to reach her in time to prevent her head from hitting the ground too hard. I considered calling the number on the machine, but didn't feel like explaining whatever was going on to whoever might answer.
Picking up the ruby-clad royal, I carried her back upstairs and laid her on the bed.
'When you wake up, you're going to have to explain some stuff to me.' I whispered. With that, I turned off the light and left to explore more of my surroundings.