Grail of sin Chapter 8
Moths to the light.
"Greeti—" Lucifer attempted to say. But, the door slammed shut in his face before he could even complete a word. He stood there, bewildered, but with a dawning realization that the man at the door was not some common sinner.
The door suddenly opened again. "Are you the pizza delivery man?" Zefriel asked.
"No, I am lord Lu—" Lucifer tried to explain. But, once again, the door was slammed in his face before he could finish.
Lucifer could hear voices and general merriment in the Lobby of the hotel, It seemed like the occupants were having a celebration of some sort.
"Vaggie, there is some short, blonde man, in a ridiculous costume, at the door." Lucifer could hear the man say through the door.
Suddenly the lobby fell silent. Not a word or sound could be heard.
"Oh…SHIT! It's dad!" Lucifer heard his daughter, Charlie, yell. "Oh shit, shit shit. He's here early!"
Lucifer's expression showed severe annoyance as he realized who the man that stood before him might be.
"Estúpido idiota, that's her father, Lucifer!" Vaggie was heard shouting.
"Yes, I thought as much." Zefriel replied.
Lucifer turned around and sat on the porch stairs as he removed his top hat and ruffled his own hair with a loud sigh.
"Stay here, I will go talk to him!" Charlie could be heard through the door.
"Heeeeeeeeeeey dad! So nice to see you. I didn't expect you to come unannounced." Charlie said as she exited the door and quickly closed it behind herself, leaning onto it.
Lucifer was silent. He was simply staring up at the night sky towards the greatest source of light, Heaven itself.
"Dad…I…I can explain." Charlie said as she approached cautiously. She was not afraid of her father, but of the pain she might cause him by saying the wrong words.
"You did exactly what I told you not to do…didn't you?" asked Lucifer.
"Y…Yes." Charlie said meekly.
"Charlie…why?" Lucifer asked, his voice sounded exhausted.
Charlie was silent, holding herself, trying to think how she might best express herself.
"Why?!" Lucifer asked again, louder.
"I wanted to prevent a war breaking out between the two kingdoms. I did…what I could." she said.
"Charlie, we are not weak!" Lucifer yelled as he got up to face Charlie. " We can win a war against Heaven if they attack us again! We don't need to fear them anymore! "
"Dad, this isn't about winning or losing a war. This is about the suffering it would cause regardless of who would win. I…I don't want more people to get hurt!" Charlie yelled back. "Even…if they are angels."
Charlie's words seemed to have struck a chord with Lucifer as he stared at her with a surprised look on his face. He had finally realized that her kind nature forced her hand. He turned his back to her for a moment, thinking to himself. "Charlie…you are thinking with your heart…not your head " he said after a moment passed.
Charlie stared at her fathers back with deep worry. She feared that any second he could just sprout his wings and fly off…never to return. But, to great relief, her fears were unjustified.
"Did you make any binding deals with them? Did they have you sign anything?" Lucifer asked, his voice still upset.
"Y…yes." Charlie said. "It was a holy co—".
"Let me see it." Lucifer said, interrupting her sentence, as he turned with his hand outstretched.
"It's inside." Charlie said softly. "Dad, come inside. Let's talk about this."
Lucifer is silent.
"Dad, please!" Charlie pleaded.
Lucifer took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Alright. Let's talk about this inside…"
Lucifer and Charlie walked through the lobby, towards the Common room. The party mood previously present had vanished, giving way to an eerie silence. Lucifer stopped for a brief moment to look at the rest of the party seated at the bar, his eyes striking Zefriel's as they stared at each other for a brief moment.
"Is that the angel that snuck into hell with Emily a few days ago?" Lucifer asked Charlie. "Zefriel was it?"
"Y…yes. He is the one who is assigned to protect me from future exorcist attacks. And to help out with the hotel." Charlie said.
"Charlie I highly doubt that is why he is here…" Lucifer said as he proceeded inside the common room and sat down on the couch.
"Dad, he has already helped out so much!" Charlie protested as she sat down on the chair opposite Lucifer.
"Oh yeah? Like what?" He asked.
"He helped out with Alastor and Inspired me to make a new plan for the whole hotel!" Charlie said enthusiastically. "In fact, we are starting first thing tomorrow and I'm really excited about it!"
"I'm sorry? What help did you need with Alastor?" Lucifer asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh…he…lost his cane the other day and…Zefriel was the one that found it…" Charlie said with a nervous smile.
"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight." Lucifer said.
"But dad, forget about that, we have a new plan!" Charlie yelled with a smile.
"Charlie, I would love to hear it but first thing's first, I want to see what you signed." Lucifer said.
"Oh, right!" Charlie said. "Razzle!"
Razzle, Charlie's personal hellborn servant, quickly flew into the room.
"Razzle, please go get the compact I signed. It's in my office in the right drawer." Charlie asked politely.
Razzle gave her a respectful bow and flew off as fast as he could."
"Now, dad. About the new plan!" Charlie said enthusiastically.
Vaggie sat with the rest of the group at the bar, waiting for Charlie to have her talk. They saw little Razzle fly into the room then back out.
"We should be in there." Zefriel said.
"Probably not a good idea." Husk said. "You, least of all."
"He's right." Vaggie said. "If it was anyone else I wouldn't hesitate to back her up, but her father is the one exception."
"He could harm her." Zefriel said.
"Lucifer? Ain't no way he would!" Angel Dust said.
Razzle quickly flew down the stairs and back into the common room.
"Stay here." Zefriel said as he got up and began walking towards the door.
"Hey, no!" Vaggie said as she ran in front of him to block him. "We are NOT interrupting them unless we get called."
"Does he frighten you?" Zefriel asked Vaggie.
Vaggie was surprised by that question. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked with a scorn. "He is not a threat to his own daughter!"
"You think so?" Zefriel asked. "I don't think you know him well enough."
"NO! Dad, please stop!" Charlie could be heard yelling, just as Vaggie was about to rebuke Zefriel's comment.
The timing sent a shiver down Vaggie's spine. "Oh god, was I wrong?!" she thought to herself.
All it took was a second of hesitation on her part for Zefriel to run past her. She regained her composure and quickly followed him, fearing the worst. Charlie's screams could still be heard as Zefriel jumped and kicked the door open. He landed in a ready combat position, quickly followed by Vaggie who did the same.
"We may have overreacted." Vaggie said as she dropped her guard and pinched the bridge of her nose.
Zefriel dropped his guarded stance as Husk and Angel Dust entered the room as well. They stood in silence, confused by the sight before him.
"Dad please stop, give it back!" Charlie yelled as she chased Lucifer. He seemed to be holding the holy compact in his hands while keeping the large circular table, at the center of the room, in between them.
"Charlie, I'm doing this for your own good!" Lucifer yelled as he attempted to tear the compact in half.
"No you don't understand, I need that!" Charlie yelled in response.
"Alright, time to get serious!" Lucifer said, unable to tear the compact with his hands. He snapped his fingers and a flame materialized in his hand.
"NOOO!" Charlie yelled as she sought to catch Lucifer by leaping over the table.
Seeing her attempt, he quickly sprouted his wings and rose above Charlie, just as she was about to grab him. She slid off the table and landed on the ground with a loud grunt of pain.
"Dammit what the hell is this thing made of!?" Lucifer yelled as his flames had no effect whatsoever on the compact he held. He quickly bit into the compact, hoping that his sharp teeth could finally tear it in half. However, his teeth did nothing to the compact, only managing to stretch out the paper before It returned to its original shape when he let go. He persisted until he felt a sudden, painful poke in his rear.
"Dad, I said stop. Give it back!" Charlie yelled, armed with a poking rod she snatched from the fireplace. She poked him repeatedly in his rear, trying to force him to come back down to the ground, but to no avail. Charlie had finally had enough and resorted to something she had never imagined she would have to do. She rotated the poking stick and hooked Lucifer by his pants, pulling as hard as she could.
Lucifer let out a loud yelp, surprised by the sudden intrusive sensation between his rear cheeks, and plummeted to the ground, landing right on top of Charlie. They both rolled around the ground, groaning from the impact, but Charlie was the first to regain herself."Aha!" she yelled as she snatched the compact that had fallen onto the ground.
She quickly rose to her feet, folded up the compact and placed it in her bra before quickly buttoning up her shirt again. She was breathing heavily as she stared at Lucifer with a frown, almost daring him to try again.
Lucifer sat on the ground, staring at his daughter with an unamused expression. "Alright. You win this round, Charlie." He said as he got back up and dusted himself off. He looked over at Zefriel and walked up to him. "So, you are the gorilla they sent to shadow my daughter." he said as he saw the smashed door.
"I am." Zefriel said, seeming to ignore Lucifer's insult.
"Dad, be nice! He is not a gorilla! This is Zefriel, he is the archangel that is meant to protect me." Charlie said.
"Riiiiiiiiiiiight." Lucifer said. "Might we have a few words? In private."
"Certainly. My office is open 24/7." Zefriel said with a faint, eager smile.
"Lead the way." Lucifer said, deadly serious.
"Dad, please. Don't cause trouble!" Charlie said with a concerned look on her face.
"Not to worry Charlie, I would just like a friendly introduction with our new…archangel friend." Lucifer said.
"But—" Charlie tried to protest.
"Charlie, I think it's a wonderful idea. It will be a great opportunity to alleviate your dear fathers fears as to my intentions here. Right this way." Zefriel said as he walked past Husk and Angel Dust, out of the room.
As Lucifer followed, Charlie and Vaggie exchanged a tense look, showing ample concern.
Zefriel and Lucifer entered the office and closed the door behind them.
"Dammit, why didn't I make a contingency plan for dad coming early and unannounced!" Charlie asked herself as she paced outside the office door.
"Don't worry Charlie, it will be alright." Vaggie said in a comforting voice. "Your father's unlikely to try and hurt Zef. At worst your father might use his 'demon voice' to try and scare him,...or something."
Vaggie's words greatly concerned Charlie. She approached the door and placed her ear on it, yet she could barely hear anything. Inside, Lucifer stood near the door, while Zefriel had made himself comfortable by leaning his rear on the front of his desk.
"So. We finally meet in person. I always imagined it would have been a lot more…dramatic." Zefriel said.
"Yeeeeeah, everyone always expects me to be dancing around with a pitchfork in hand." Lucifer said with slight humor in his voice." But, to the point, why are you here?"
"I lost a game of 'Rock, paper, scissors' and was so tasked with this assignment. Feel my pain." Zefriel said.
"Hah. Sarcastic and arrogant as many angels are." Lucifer said. He remained silent for a moment before asking the same question again, with a much more serious tone. "Why are you here?"
Zefriel hesitated for a moment before answering. "I have been sent here to ensure that your daughter is successful in her mission and to protect her from harm. In that, I imagine our goals align…or am I wrong?"
"And who would you be protecting her from, If I may know?" Lucifer asked.
"Vengeful angels and ambitious demons." Zefriel replied.
"Ahh…what foresight your prince must have. Avis was it?" Lucifer asked, studying Zefriel's body language intently.
"Indeed." Zefriel replied.
"Tell me about him." Lucifer said.
"No. I don't think I will." Zefriel replied.
"I see. Well, I guess it doesn't matter. All I know about you is that you terrified my daughter and frankly, I do not care to know more." Lucifer said. "I want you to pack your bags and leave my domain by tomorrow morning.
"I would love to leave. But unfortunately my lord's orders were clear. I am not budging." Zefriel said calmly.
"I am trying to be nice." Lucifer said.
"Must be quite the labor." Zefriel retorted with a light chuckle.
"I have dealt with many angels over the millenia, and there isn't a single one I liked." Lucifer added.
Charlie, ear still glued to the door, was unable to hear anything other than her father's muffled voice.
"I am well versed in our mutual history." Zefriel said.
"So you will understand why I cannot allow an agent of Heaven to be in her vicinity. I will not have a dagger held at her throat." Lucifer said.
"Lucifer, I am earnest in my mission to help her. Had my lord or I wished her any harm, we would have had ample opportunity to strike already." Zefriel said calmly.
"Is that so?" Lucifer growled with a demonic voice. He approached Zefriel, an eerie darkness seemed to consume their surroundings, bending the light in a very unnatural fashion.
Zefriel seemed to be standing on a tiny island where light still dwelled, surrounded by an endless ocean of darkness, on which waters Lucifer stood.
"Yes. And you can spare the theatrics, I am not some medieval peasant girl. You and I are both Initiated. " Zefriel replied. "There is nothing you can do to frighten me."
"You truly are an archangel, with your arrogance and bravado." Lucifer retorted. "That would not help you here in Hell."
"Arrogance and bravado? No. I simply know who I am…and who you are. But you have yet to truly learn of me." Zefriel said calmly. "Besides, I know you are in a considerably weakened state."
His words seemed to surprise Lucifer for a brief movement.
"It would be very unwise for us to fight…at present, would you not agree?" Zefriel stated.
"I will not be talked down to, in my own damn kingdom." Lucifer growled. From the darkness crawled out apparitions, seemingly made entirely of shadow. They carried the ragged appearance of what one might once have called human. Some clambered to their ethereal feet, while others remained crawling on the ground as though unable to stand, but all were eerily silent. They slowly approached Zefriel, but their staggered walk was interrupted by a chain around each and every one of their necks. Their grasping hands stopped just an arms length away from Zefriel. "You do not understand what forces you are meddling with. Never forget, I am the king of Hell."
A blinding light flashed in the room for the briefest of moments. The apparitions began to burn away like leaves in a fire while the ocean of darkness like a parchment of paper, leaving no trace that they had ever existed.
"You are the king of nothing!" Zefriel roared in an ethereal voice, red jets of flame roaring from his eyes. "You are a squatter in the Lord's domain. Even here you are not immune to Heaven's fury!"
Lucifer didn't seem at all concerned, only anger filled his eyes.
"Or have you forgotten the time Azrael and his forces brought you to your knees after you unleashed your demons on Earth?" Zefriel said, venom in his words. "What do you think has changed since then? Do you honestly believe that you are in a position to issue threats to an archangel backed by all of Heaven's fury?"
"Why you little…!" Lucifer yelled as he began to unsheathe his cane, revealing a distinctive shine of a sharp blade.
Suddenly the door opened as Charlie landed on the floor with a thud. She looked around in a panic to see nothing out of the ordinary, just Zefriel and Lucifer standing in the middle of the room. Vaggie entered the room and helped Charlie up.
"Dad!" Charlie yelled.
"It's all quite alright dear. Zefriel was just leaving." Lucifer said.
Zefriel remained silent, eyes narrowed in anger.
"No, dad! Come with me!" Charlie yelled as she grabbed Lucifer by the hand and pulled him out of the room.
"Charlie what in the blazes…" Lucifer protested, as he pulled his hand free.
"I need to talk to you, right now!" Charlie insisted as she pulled her father away by the elbow towards the end of the hallway, entering a separate room and closing the door behind them.
"You ok? Vaggie asked as she saw Zefriels hands shaking.
"Peachy." Zefriel replied.
"Was he actually afraid of Lucifer?" Vaggie thought to herself as she studied Zefriel. "Or…"
"Charlie, there had better be a good explanation as to why you dragged me in here!" Lucifer said in a stern voice.
"Dad, please listen to me. I want Zefriel to remain here at the hotel. I do not want you to do anything to change that." Charlie said.
"Charlie I will not allow it! He is an ag—" Lucifer
"An agent of Heaven, yes I know." Charlie interrupted. "That is exactly why I want him here."
"Charlie, why in Hell's bells would you want him around?" Lucifer asked.
"The compact that I wanted to show you compels him to speak only the truth to me." I do not believe I am in any imminent danger." Charlie said.
"Compels him to speak the truth?" Lucifer said with a raised eyebrow.
"You didn't even try to read it before you tried to tear it apart, did you?" Charlie asked as she pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Dad. I want to slowly draw information from him. For that I need him to remain here."
"Well…we could just tie him up—" Lucifer tried to say.
"No, dad! You can't force the truth out of him. I intend to do this delicately. So please, just trust me on this. OK?"
Lucifer was quiet for a minute, thinking to himself.
"Charlie, do you understand the danger he could be to you?" Lucifer asked.
"Yes I understand the potential, but it's a risk I am willing to take. We need to learn more about what's going on in heaven, what they are planning, and for that, he is the key." Charlie said. "If anything changes I will contact you. But for now, please rest easy and trust my judgment."
"A…alright Charlie…" Lucifer seemed to struggle to utter the words.
"Thanks dad!" Charlie said happily.
"But, could I please see the compact before I leave?" Lucifer asked.
"Only if you promise not to try and damage it." Charlie said.
"Charlie, …I promise." Lucifer said.
"Alright, here." Charlie said as she pulled it out of her shirt.
Lucifer took it into his hand and unfolded it. He did not attempt any more mischief with it, instead reading it intently this time. He seemed to read it twice before flipping it over to see if there was any writing on the back. He even examined the edges of the paper one by one to make sure there were no hidden tricks in writing, he was not the lord of hell for being a fool he often told himself.
"Ok Charlie it seems straightforward, but always remember that he can lie to you in any other way other than the spoken word." Lucifer said.
"Yes, Vaggie pointed that out as well, and I noticed that too." Charlie said.
"Alright. Well…maybe I should have read it first, earlier. I'm…sorry, Charlie." Lucifer said.
Charlie's only response was a hug and smile before they exited the room, together.
Lucifer walked up to Zefriel. "My daughter has convinced me to allow you to stay at the hotel. But mark my words. If any harm comes to her…I will find you personally responsible."
"I understand." Zefriel said after being silent for a moment.
"Good. Now, Vaggie. I would like to have a word with you, right now!" Lucifer said as he pulled Vaggie away by the elbow towards the end of the hallway, entering the same room once again, and closing the door behind them.
"Well. That went better than expected." Zefriel said.
Charlie didn't respond, only forcing out a nervous smile. Vaggie and Lucifer were in the room for several minutes before they reemerged.
"Alright, Vaggie. I will leave it in your capable hands." Lucifer said as he walked over to Charlie.
"Yes, sir. You can count on me." Vaggie replied.
"Well, Charle my dear, it's been a pleasure. I wanted to come by tonight to strategize our first meeting with the angels but It's clearly no longer necessary." Lucifer said as he made his way down the stairs towards the lobby.
"What? You're leaving already?! But dad, you still haven't heard of my new plan!" Charlie protested as she followed her father.
"And I don't need to." Lucifer said as he stopped in front of the door and turned towards his daughter. "Charlie, I'm sure whatever you came up with is a brilliant idea. Just let me know if you need anything from me and I will be more than happy to help. In the meantime, I have urgent business to attend to with the other arch demons."
"O…ok. I understand." Charlie said as she leaned in and hugged her father. "Oh, I have an idea! How about we meet up tomorrow for lunch at the Blood and Bones cafe!? Just the two of us? It would be a great opportunity for me to explain what I have in mind!"
"Charlie, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I will be there." Lucifer said with a smile.
Charlie opened the door for her father to reveal a short sinner holding a tower of pizza boxes.
"Aha, perfect timing." Lucifer said as he walked past the pizza delivery man, grabbing the top pizza of the stack. "I will see you soon my dear. Remember, call me if you need anything."
Lucifer sprouted his wings and shot into the night sky.
Late next morning, Charlie and her friends had assembled at the hotel entrance gate. Angel Dust and Husk were busy setting up blank billboards on the fence, pointing to the entrance, while Niffty was carrying paint buckets from inside the hotel.
"Vaggie, are you ready?" Charlie asked.
"Yes, I've already planned a search route." Vaggie said as looked at a map in hand. "I will phone you If I find anyone." Vaggie then folded up the map and placed it in her back pocket before spreading her wings.
"Seeing you spread your wings never gets old." Charlie said as she kissed Vaggie on her lips. "Good luck!"
Vaggie gave her a casual salute with a smile and flew off, on her way into the city.
"Alright guys, let's get to work." Charlie said to the rest of her assembled party as she turned around." We need to make sure that newcomers know this is a safe zone in Hell!" Charlie said to the rest of her party.
Vaggie flew at breakneck speed down the sixteenth street that day. Two hours had already passed and she had found no one that struck her as being a new denizen of hell. All seemed to go about their usual business in Hell. As she flew, several sinners on the ground had spotted her and fled inside in fear, believing an exorcist had returned.
"I guess that's one thing I can rely on. If someone doesn't show fear when they see my wings, it might mean that they arrived after the last Extermination. They probably wouldn't know what Exorcists are."
Vaggie continued her search for hours more. She flew over the park, the Industrial Zone, Cannibal Town, the Entertainment District and found nothing of interest in any of the zones.
"Dammit, still nothing." Vaggie thought to herself as she landed on a building to rest. "There has to be an easier way. I need to think like someone who just landed in hell." She sat down on the ledge and unpacked some trail mix she brought with herself. "Where would I go if I just landed?" Vaggie thought to herself as she ate. "...wait a minute. The Embassy!" she thought as she stood up and looked at Heaven's embassy in the middle of the city. "Newcomers might be attracted to it like moths to the light. It's the only place that can be seen from all over the city and doesn't look…Hellish."
She quickly finished her snack and once again spread her wings and took off. She made her way towards the Embassy District and began patrolling the area. All she saw were the usual sinners up to no god. Killing one another, fornicating in public with random fights here and there. She once again landed on a building and surveyed the street below her. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Dammit! Still nothing." Vaggie thought to herself. "It's been seven hours and I haven't found a single sinner that might be a newcomer." Vaggie looked at the embassy, wondering if her intuition was wrong. "Maybe newcomers don't yet know it's Heaven's embassy, so they would not be attracted to it?"
She looked up at Heaven itself, shining bright in an otherwise dark sky. "Querido Dios, please let me find someone! I don't want to go home empty handed!" She said as she spread her wings and flew off, once more.
She circled the embassy for another two hours. The streets had become almost barren as she had frightened off many of the sinners that walked the streets. A single sight of her wings would send them running into the nearest buildings in a panic. One sinner even threw himself through a shop display as a means of escaping his perceived angelic predator. She landed on the same building she had already visited with a grunt of frustration, it was getting late.
Her phone began to ring. She could see it was Charlie, but Vaggie was apprehensive to answer. She didn't want to hear the disappointment in Charlie's voice. But, she also didn't want to have her worry so she took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Vaggie! How is It going? Have you had any luck?" Charlie asked.
Before Vaggie had a chance to speak, she heard a distant scream of a girl. She looked for the source and spotted a sinner running frantically, seeming to be frightened by everything she saw. She quickly ran across the street towards the embassy.
"I'll call you back in a few." Vaggie said as she cut the line to Charlie.
She observed the sinner hit the embassy wall before quickly following it to the entrance. She grabbed the door handles and pulled at them furiously, but they wouldn't budge. Vaggie was close enough to be able to make out the shape of the sinner. It seemed to be some sort of anthropomorphic bird with black feathers.
"Please, open! Help!" the bird sinner yelled as she looked up at the tall building.
Vaggie could hear the voice of the creature and figured it to be a young female. "Looks like patience pays off." she thought.
A grotesque sinner approached the girl, causing her to let out a panicked scream. She stumbled backwards, away from the grotesque being, before darting away from the embassy door.
She ran, without looking back, around the embassy corner while Vaggie gave chase in flight.
As Vaggie turned the corner, she saw the girl run and hide under a bench on the pavement.
Vaggie landed nearby and approached cautiously, able to hear prayers and supplications coming from under the bench.
"Please god, let me wake up from this nightmare!" the girl whispered "Dear lord Christ, please save me. Please please please!"
"Hello?" Vaggie said as she approached and retracted her wings. She lowered herself on one knee to finally take a closer look at the sinner before her. The girl hiding under the bench locked eyes with Vaggie. She had the unmistakable features of a raven bird and Vaggie could see the utter terror in her yellow eyes.
"Well well well. Seems like there is a two for one special today." a voice came from behind Vaggie.
"Fuck off." Vaggie said as she got up. The grotesque sinner had followed the girl.
The sinner let out a sadistic grin before swinging his fist at Vaggie without warning.
Vaggie had never lowered her guard and so had no difficulty dodging the incoming strike.
Without hesitation, Vaggie stepped on his thigh and coiled her leg around the sinner's exposed arm.
In one fluid motion she pulled her full body weight backwards, landing her palms on the pavement and using the momentum she created to propel her assailant with her legs. The grotesque sinner was sent flying face first into the embassy wall, his head shattered on impact and splattering all over, killing him instantly.
"I doubt the embassy wall counts as an angelic weapon." Vaggie thought to herself with a smirk "At least now I'm sure I had used that move correctly when sparing with Zef."
Vaggie once again walked over to the bench and bent over to speak to the girl who squeaked in fear at the sight of her. "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm an angel and I want to help you."
"No! Stay away from me!" the girl yelled.
Vaggie spread her wings again. "See? Angel wings. I want to take you to someplace safe." she said as she offered her hand to the sinner.
"NO! Get away from me, demon! Real angels have pure white wings!" the girl yelled.
Vaggie sighed. "...Sure they do. Alright, look. I'm going to give you some time to calm down. I will be standing over there near the corner. Come see me when you want to talk." she said as she began to walk away from the bench.
Before Vaggie could walk away, she was startled by a loud screech of tires from behind her. She quickly turned to see a car drifting around the embassy corner at breakneck speed, as fast as its engine would allow, heading straight down the road. To Vaggie's shock, the girl tried to make a run for it. She got up from under the bench and darted across the street in an attempt to reach the alley on the other side. The driver, seeing the girl cross the road made no attempt to avoid her, instead veering right at her, hitting her at full speed as she fled. Vaggie could only look on in horror as the girl was mangled on the hood of the car, landing on the pavement with a stomach churning crack of bones and flesh.
"Fuck yeah, bonus points!" yelled the driver as his passengers cheered on, swerving around the corner and out of sight.
"Malditos perros!" Vaggie yelled as she ran to the girl, only to find her completely unresponsive. She was dead. "Fuck, this is going to take a while." Vaggie thought to herself.
Hours passed before the girl reopened her eyes with a fright, staring up at the night sky.
She was lying flat on the pavement, confused, realizing her body had somehow healed from the injuries she had suffered at the hand of the speeding driver.
She looked around to see Vaggie, casually sitting cross legged, on the edge of the same bench she had hidden under, busy speaking to someone on her phone.
"Oh, you're awake." Vaggie said as she realized the girl moved. "Charlie, she's awake, I'll call you back." Vaggie spoke on the phone before putting it away.
As Vaggie stood up, the girl realized that the corpse of the grotesque sinner had moved. He was now kneeling with his head bashed through the middle of the bench. The girl looked at the grizzly sight in horror.
"He woke up before you and wanted a rematch." Vaggie said with a smile. "Don't worry, it may look bad but sinners regenerate in hours."
"W…what happened to me?" the girl asked Vaggie, still terrified.
"You were run over by a car after you tried to run across the street." Vaggie replied. "It took you a few hours to put yourself back together."
"No! I mean where am I? What is this place?" the girl yelled.
"Oh, right. Hate to break it to you but you are dead, and this is Hell." Vaggie said.
"I…I'm dead?!" the girl said as her eyes widened in shock "Oh my god…I really am in Hell…to suffer forever…"
"No, you are not yet lost forever, I want to help you." Vaggie said as she spread her wings again. "It's still possible to get to Heaven, even if you were sent to Hell first. But to do that you must change what caused you to end up here in the first place."
The girl remained dead silent staring at Vaggie's wings.
"There is a new place that might be able to help you and I would like to take you there." Vaggie said as she gently offered her hand to help the girl stand.
The girl was apprehensive for a while, but finally acquiesced and took Veggies hand as she slowly stood up.
"My name is Vaggie. What's yours?" Vaggie asked.
"Sa—Raven. My name is Raven." the girl said.
"Raven? Alright. Let's go." Vaggie replied with a smile.
End of chapter 8