Charlie groaned as she lay on the ground, relishing its softness. Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the blue expanse above. Glancing downward, she noticed the lush green grass beneath her. Looking around, the sight of trees and the sun took her by surprise even more.
"I'm...on Earth?" she asked herself, bewildered.
Charlie had only heard of Earth through stories from her parents. But how had she arrived here? Rising to her feet, she began to explore the tranquil surroundings. Her walk led her to a town, smaller than Pentagram City, yet it seemed welcoming. Approaching the town, Charlie saw a sign revealing its name.
"Welcome to Superbia Town."
"Superbia?" Charlie inquired, puzzled.
She continued her walk until she reached the town. No one seemed to notice her, yet Charlie was taken aback by the town's appearance. There were no crimes, fights, or wrongdoings. She was aware that Earth had its laws, but this was beyond her expectations. Her walk resumed until she came across two teenagers conversing.
"Come on, Eric! You promised!"
"I know! But I've been waiting for this for a long time, Ashley."
"Fine! I'll find someone else to take me!"
Ashley stormed off, leaving Eric to sigh. He then went his own way, with Charlie observing.
"Dad always mentioned humans were different," Charlie reminded herself.
"Excuse me."
Turning around, she noticed the girl approaching her.
"I haven't seen you before. Are you new here?" Ashley inquired.
"Yes, I've just arrived," Charlie responded, noting the girl's scrutinizing gaze.
"Why are you dressed like a bellhop?" Ashley questioned.
"I manage a hotel. I'm... um... on vacation?" Charlie replied, uncertain if Ashley would accept her true identity as a demon.
Additionally, she's having trouble recalling how she arrived. The human girl appears to believe her.
"Cool. I'm Ashley, Ashley Carman," She said, extending her hand.
"Charlotte, but you can call me Charlie," She replied, shaking Ashley's hand.
"Charlie? Huh, I've never met a girl who goes by a guy's name," Ashley remarked before shrugging.
"So, what did your friend promise you?" Charlie inquired.
"A few days ago, Eric said he'd take me to the shore to buy the new plushies that were released today. But of course, he decided to hang out at the comic book store instead. Stupid moron," Ashley grumbled.
"Plushies?" Charlie questioned.
"Yeah. Want to come along?" Ashley asked, hopeful.
Charlie was still uncertain about the situation but chose to go along.
"Sure, I don't have any plans," She said, eliciting a smile from Ashley.
"Great! Come on, you'll love the plushies!" Ashley exclaimed, grabbing Charlie and pulling her down the street, much to the she-demon's surprise.
Eric noticed the two and was taken aback that Ashley had found someone to accompany her. It was evident that the girl was new and unaware of what she was getting herself into.
"And now there's another person I need to save," He muttered, following them.
A bit later,
Charlie was astonished to see the multitude of plushies in the store. Some were adorable, and a couple even resembled Razzle and Dazzle, oddly enough.
Ashley elaborated on the plushies, sharing their origins and identities. She picked up a new plushie and presented it to Charlie.
"This one's named Lucifer. He's a mischievous goat who often plays tricks and causes trouble for his friends. Yet, his cuteness usually lets him off the hook," Ashley explained.
'Hmm, reminds me a bit of my dad,' Charlie mused silently.
"And this one?" Charlie inquired, gesturing towards a plushie crowned with a halo.
"That's Michael, his twin. He's often busy thwarting his brother's schemes and rectifying the chaos he causes. He's quite popular for that reason," Ashley responded.
Charlie blinked, the name 'Michael' striking a chord of familiarity.
"So, which one will you choose?" Ashley queried.
"I'm not sure I can afford any. I'm a little short on cash," Charlie admitted, her cheeks tinted with a blush.
Primarily because she doubted Earth would accept hell's currency, Ashley smiled and offered her the Lucifer goat plush while picking up the Michael one.
"They're actually giving them away for free. They had a surplus and decided to offer them to those who couldn't afford one. I already own a Lucifer goat plush," Ashley explained with a smile.
Charlie gazed at the goat plush and returned the smile.
"Thank you," she responded.
Afterward, Ashley gave her a tour of the town, sharing bits of its history she knew.
"So, why is this place called Pride Town?" Charlie inquired.
"Huh?" Ashley responded, puzzled.
"Superbia means pride in Latin. I'm familiar with it because my dad taught me," Charlie explained.
"Wow, I didn't think anyone still knew Latin. Many say it's a dead language," Ashley remarked.
Charlie gave a sheepish smile, unsure of how to respond. Ashley just shrugged and returned the smile.
"That's pretty cool! How much did your dad teach you?" she asked.
"Quite a bit, actually," Charlie replied, proceeding to share the words she knew.
Ashley listened intently and attempted a few words herself. With Charlie's guidance, they continued their walk, oblivious to Eric trailing them. He was taken aback by the new girl's knowledge of Latin and even began to sprinkle in a few words himself.
Their stroll led them to a church, where Charlie suddenly felt ill and nearly collapsed.
"Charlie?" Ashley exclaimed, alarmed by her sudden pallor.
'What's happening? Why do I feel so ill?' Charlie wondered, struggling to remain upright.
"Ashley."
The girl looked up to see the head priest approaching, noticing Charlie's struggle to remain upright.
"Who is this? And is she alright?" He inquired.
"This is Charlie. She's new here. And I think she's okay; she was fine just a moment ago," Ashley responded, attending to Charlie.
"I'm sorry, did you say her name was Charlie?" The Head Priest asked.
"Yes. She mentioned her full name is Charlotte, but she prefers to be called Charlie," Ashley explained, remembering the story Charlie had shared with her.
"I see," The Head Priest remarked before turning to Charlie.
"Are you alright, my child?" He asked, gently touching her arm.
Charlie felt a burning sensation on her arm but suppressed a cry of pain by biting her lip.
"I'll... be... alright," She managed to say, enduring the pain.
"I better take her home," Ashley decided, receiving a nod from the head priest.
Ashley lifted Charlie, carrying her away from the church, which, unbeknownst to them, alleviated Charlie's discomfort with each step they took. Eventually, Ashley brought her to her house, setting Charlie down on the steps.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, I've never had that happen before," Charlie said, feeling the sickness recede.
"It was strange; it was as if the church thought you were a demon or something," Ashley said, unaware that she had inadvertently spoken the truth.
"Do you believe in them?" Charlie inquired.
"Well, I've never encountered one, so I can't say for certain if I believe all that is said about them," Ashley replied.
"And let's hope we never do."
They both looked up to see Eric approaching them.
"Eric? What are you doing here?" Ashley questioned.
"I saw you whisk that girl away. I had a strong hunch you were going to bombard her mind with plushies," Eric remarked.
"Come on, Eric. I'm not that terrible," Ashley protested.
Eric stepped forward and placed his hand on Charlie's forehead.
"Hmm, slightly warm, but she doesn't seem ill," He observed, recalling the incident at the church.
"Surprised your makeup is holding up," he added.
That reminded Charlie of something crucial. Hellborns were meant to assume a human form when coming to Earth, yet she had been parading in her true form!
"Yeah, the makeup is water-resistant, the best you can find. It doesn't come off easily," Charlie replied, her voice tinged with nervousness.
"Really? Wow," Ashley responded.
Eric nodded, taking her word for it.
"Do you have a place to stay tonight?" He inquired.
"Um..." Charlie hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.
"She mentioned earlier that she's out of money, so she can stay with me," Ashley interjected.
"Are you sure?" Eric questioned.
"Come on, you know your parents want you to find a girlfriend. If you bring Charlie home, they'll think you've finally found one!" Ashley reasoned.
"Actually, I'm bisexual," Charlie interjected, catching them off guard.
"You're what?" Eric asked, taken aback.
"Bisexual. I'm attracted to both genders. Plus, I'm already in a relationship with another girl," Charlie revealed, leaving them even more astonished.
"Wow!" exclaimed Ashley, surprised.
"Well, I guess that's good," Eric remarked with a sigh.
"What do you mean?" inquired Charlie.
"Like Ashley mentioned, my parents want me to find a girlfriend. They thought Ashley and I would be a good match, but we're just better as friends," explained Eric.
"Yeah, Eric's a nice guy, but not really my type," Ashley chimed in.
Eric just rolled his eyes, unfazed by the comment. Ashley then placed her hand on Charlie's shoulder, offering a reassuring smile.
"Come on, you adore my parents," She coaxed, seemingly eager to lead her inside.
"Sure," Charlie agreed, standing up.
"Um, see you later?" She ventured to Eric.
"Sure," He replied, extending his hand.
Charlie took it, shaking hands while pondering when she might make it home.
Apologies for ending the first chapter here, but I reached a point where I didn't wish to continue further.
From the title of the story, it's clear that Charlie finds herself on Earth, her memory of arriving there hazy. Although she had heard tales of Earth, this was her first actual visit. She quickly encounters two humans who will become her companions. Their appearances are not yet defined, so you're invited to envision them as you see fit.
This marks the beginning of the story, with Charlie's new acquaintances still oblivious to her true identity. Currently, there are no antagonists, and I'm considering introducing more characters as the narrative progresses, but that will require additional time.
