Rolando froze as his cell phone started to ring. He removed the purple crystal from my gaze, snapping me out of the trance. The restraining discomfort feeling around my neck returned. I shook, gasping for breath, holding onto the chandelier metal for dear life.
He retrieved his phone and held it to his ear. "Hello?"
His eyes widened, "Yes, my Lord, what can I do? No, I didn't kill the human, I was about to, though…"
I glanced around with worry. Was he about to send a powerful being to finish the job? And wasn't Leviathan supposed to be a two-headed female?
"Yes, she is from another world…you want me to…"
He looked at me and a sinister grin appeared on his face. "Oohohoho, that should be fun! Of course, sir, she'll be ready for you. No, no other human knows our plan…of course, I'll keep in touch. Goodbye, sir."
He hung up and hovered over to me.
"I have some unexpected news for you, lucky mortal girl!"
Whatever it was, it didn't sound good at all.
"That was my boss, Lord Leviathan. Since you're not from this world, he's considering transferring your soul to Envy when you die!"
"WHAT?!" I gasped. "T-that's impossible! I was supposed to go back to my own world!"
"That was a possibility…though not a good one compared to you going to Pride."
"But all Sinners are supposed to go to Pride!" I countered, shaking, trying not to move too much. "Though I-I'm not really a Sinner, so I should at least go to Heaven…"
Rolando scoffed and hovered behind me. "Originally, you'd probably be in Pride right now. But with your connection to a universe beyond this one, Leviathan thinks you could be a great asset to him. He's counting on your soul making it through. And I'll get to feast on your flesh and your mind no matter what…and get a good bounty from him if this works out. Sounds like a great deal to me!"
"N-no, no…!"
Rolando gripped the rope around my neck slightly, making me look into his eyes. He spoke in his low creepy voice.
"Besides, if you're not a Sinner by now…you will be when I'm done with you."
I couldn't believe it. By a stroke of hellish luck, or unluck, I was stuck with Rolando again.
"Of course," he added, moving to the side, "Leviathan wants to see if you're ready for Hell in three days. If someone so passively delicious can shift into one ruthless and without mercy."
"No, that will never…"
Rolando gripped my bound hands. "I've broken you good thus far. There's much potential in you, more depths to uncover." He briefly poked at my forehead. "I can turn the bravest men into shriveling saps and make the most innocent fall to their knees in despair. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. All you humans reek with regrets and wither in your weaknesses…and you are all equally delicious to me. If you want to survive long enough, I'd suggest you be on your best behavior. You'll be my best hotel assistant for now. No running away, no telling others about demons and Hell…and you'll let me uncover each and every thought in that little noggin of yours."
He ran a claw along my cheek. "Are we clear, dear?"
I nodded, whimpering.
He untied my hands and removed the noose from my neck. He carried me over his shoulder, chuckling darkly as we headed back to my room.
0 0 0
To my dismay, I was still in the dim hotel room when I woke up later the next morning. I felt a sting on my left arm and looked down. One noticeable scratch, made from last night. Day One.
I had no idea what Rolando was preparing me for, but my nervousness was much worse than before.
A purple and black hotel uniform was folded for me on my bedside table. I put it on and glanced in a dusty mirror. My shirt was dark purple with small pockets up on top and a small gold star logo to the left. Below that was a long black skirt that went slightly past my knees. I also had black socks and black pointed shoes.
I guess I was now his assistant, whether I liked it or not.
I got dressed and slowly opened the door. No sign of anybody. Submitting to my stomach, I headed to the dining hall for breakfast. Same old one star waffle and water. Thankfully, I was alone with only a few other people around.
I got another text from Rolando: "Meet me at the front desk."
I finished breakfast and headed over. Human Rolando, wearing his red and gray hotel uniform and golden sunglasses, showed off his creepy wide grin and waved me over.
"Good morning, my dear!" he called. "I need your help for a moment."
I almost couldn't believe that this professionally dressed gentleman just tried to kill me last night.
He mentioned for me to take a seat.
"Do you mind if you help work at the front desk for a couple of hours? I need to go around and…"
He winked, "…take care of some of my guests."
"I-I don't know what…"
"Hey, it's easy," he explained. He pulled open a drawer which revealed several sets of keys on loops and a few crime scene photos. Before I could reach them, Rolando scooped up the photos and pocketed them. He smirked as if to say, "nice try."
I muttered, "I could still tell them that the ghost is you…"
Rolando just smiled, unfazed. "Do you really think that our guests would believe the words of some new assistant over that of their hospitable manager?"
I froze in defeat. There was no getting around this guy.
"That's what I thought!"
Rolando mentioned to the big boxy computer. A screen showed up, showing the rooms. A list appeared with names and room numbers.
"All you need to do is greet the guests and give them the keys to their rooms. There is a list of names on the computer and some on this piece of paper here."
I sat with a gulp as a family of four entered the lobby.
Rolando patted me on the shoulder. "Hey, perfect timing! I'll be back in a few hours or so to check on things. Good luck dear, and don't forget the motto!"
Rolando vanished into the shadows.
With a deep breath, I spoke the motto.
"W-welcome to the One Star Wonder, where it's a wonder we still have that star. How may I help you today?"
On and on it went. Some guests came and others left. It wasn't too bad…some people were nice, others not so much. I could see why Rolando had a distaste for pompous Hollywood folk as they looked at me like I was a slob in a circus costume.
Rolando eventually came back after I finished checking in a couple of people. "Not bad for your first day! You can head on over and get some lunch!"
I didn't want to think how many people had fallen victim to this guy while I played hotel host.
0 0 0
After I finished lunch, Rolando called me over again. The hunch-backed bell-hopper wandered over and held a black video camera on a stand.
"I just need one more thing from you and we'll be all set," Rolando mentioned.
"What is it?" I asked.
He mentioned for me to stand beside him. "We're gonna make a little commercial to help promote the One Star Wonder!"
"Oh! Uh…how do I…"
"You look perfect, my dear. Just follow my lead."
Brushing aside the weirdness, we practiced our lines in front of the camera. I thought the front desk job and the commercial seemed innocent enough.
Then I remembered that with more guests coming in, Rolando could feed off more people.
Then the camera was rolling, and I had to play along.
"Welcome to the One Star Wonder…!" Rolando began.
"…where it's a wonder we still have that star!" I finished.
"I'm Rolando and here is my… 'Helluva' assistant! Want a place to stay at, but can't afford a regular hotel?"
"…and you don't trust motels? Visit this convenient place in the middle!" I recited.
The camera moved to show the lobby, dining hall and rooms. The bell-hopper also briefly stepped in front of the camera, wearing his red outfit.
"Toledo the Igor is our bellhop," Rolando explained. "He'll gladly help carry your suitcases to your rooms and help show you around. Don't mind the drool."
I added, "Here we have our dining hall where you'll enjoy a wide arrangement of our specialty drinks and meals. Spaghetti and meatballs, hamburgers, star waffles, water…that's pretty much it. And don't forget to check out our private swimming pool."
Rolando sat at the desk, eyes shifting, "By the way, some say this place is haunted, so…keep your eyes peeled for the local ghost!"
The One Star logo appeared on screen.
"The One Star Wonder…Be A Star and Enjoy Your Stay!" we both finished.
The video ended and Rolando sent it out. "Fantastic work!" he said to me. "Business should be much better thanks to you. You can head on back to your room and stay out of trouble."
I yawned and headed back.
"Oh, I forgot," he added. He mentioned to a cart full of cleaning supplies and a pair of rubber gloves. "If you see anything…bloody, feel free to clean it up. Wouldn't want to freak out our guests too much, do we?"
I headed over to the cart. Already I thought I saw an ominous red stain near the bottom of the worn red wallpaper.
"Didn't you already have a cleaning lady?" I asked.
"Well, we did," Rolando shrugged. "But she saw me when she wasn't supposed to, so I had to…heheheh…"
Another victim of Rolando's. Yikes!
'I might as well say goodbye to proper sleep,' I thought sadly.
"Your help is very much appreciated!" Rolando called to me.
Trying not to throw up, I scrubbed the areas along the halls and in some of the rooms, Rolando's laughter echoing in my head.
0 0 0
As the sun began to set, I was able to head back to my room. I stayed in there for a while, reading, and looking around the corners. No Rolando.
"I'm not scared of you," I declared, trying to feel brave. "You're just a fictional character. I.M.P. will be here any minute!"
No answer.
If this was a test of fear, I was going to conquer it. At least I could pretend that nothing was wrong.
Nothing new appeared on my phone, just a couple of disturbing videos on the ENVE app. He had been stalking me since I first came in…and other Envian demons were commenting on his videos!
Usually, I loved taking pictures and being on video, but not like this.
No sign of Rolando anywhere. He wasn't even at the front desk in his human disguise. There was some other human there obliviously doing his work.
I tried typing in every phone number I could remember. I even typed in random numbers. Absolutely nothing worked. The only person I could call was Rolando.
I didn't even want to imagine how twisted the technology was where he was from.
In a spur of courage, I raced to the red double exit doors. Locked.
No sign of any other doors or open windows. I was completely trapped. I carried a knife around with me, despite knowing it was useless.
I finally had another spaghetti and meatball dinner, floated in the pool for a while, then headed back to my room. Night came and the day was practically over.
'Well if Rolando was planning anything evil, he certainly wasted one full day. Maybe he's forgotten about me and is off haunting the other guests.'
I yawned in my black bikini and headed back to my room.
I wandered around the halls to where my door was.
But something was off. There was no 042 number on it. I tried to put the key in, but the door stayed shut.
I decided to head back to the lobby…
…but I ended up in more dim hallways. I was lost in a labyrinth.
I saw Rolando's glowing eyes lock onto mine. He crept closer and closer until…
"Hey, ugly! Go back to Hell!"
It was the sound of Blitzo's voice in the distance. Millie was with him!
"What the…?"
Rolando whirled around just in time to see Blitzo fire a wooden arrow into Rolando's chest. Rolando hissed in anger, ripped it out and disappeared.
I sighed in relief. "You were wrong, Rolando! I knew they would be here!"
"Time to put this cum-jockey in Hell behind bars!" Blitzo declared. He and Millie raced off.
"Get back here, you little shits!" Rolando bellowed. He zoomed forward in shadow form, then paused to glance back at me.
An intense silence.
I spotted Blitzo not too far away. "So long, Rolando."
I began to race toward the imps, but Rolando's shadow carried me to my room. The door opened and he plopped me down onto the bed.
"You will stay here while I take care of those imps."
"Not for long," I declared. "I already know what happens next. They'll defeat you."
Rolando merely growled and slammed the door. I pulled on it, but it wouldn't budge. I took deep breaths. I knew someone from I.M.P. would come back and save the day.
0 0 0
"So, you figured it out, have you?"
Rolando's distorted voice echoed through the hallway as Blitzo and Millie got into fighting stances. He stood in his human disguise, hands behind his back, then briefly vanished.
"A bit out of your depth, aren't you little ones?" Rolando grinned. His features shifted in the dark, eyes glowing yellow and fin-like white hair appearing.
The imps ran for their lives as the lightbulbs burst above them. Rolando laughed as he chased them as a slithering shadow with red eyes.
"Damn our tiny fucking legs!" Blitzo yelled, breathing heavily. More lights burst into shattered pieces. Rolando chased them and morphed into black goo.
"You know my secret…" he hissed.
He grabbed onto Blitzo's leg, making him collapse to the floor.
Millie reached out to Blitzo but was caught in a chokehold by the shadowy Rolando.
"I guess you gotta die like all the reeeessssttt!" Rolando screeched.
He lifted Blitzo up with an invisible force and shoved him through several walls. Blitzo banged his head against a column and groaned on the floor of the pool area. He coughed and gasped, slowly sitting up and wincing.
A hand with three claws gripped the wall. Rolando came out from among the pipes, grinning in his dark suit and red and yellow pointed sunglasses.
"Oh, this is fun!" Rolando mused in his distorted voice.
Rolando leapt forward and kicked Blitzo down. His foot was on Blitzo's head, and he laughed.
Millie responded by swinging her leg and kicking Rolando hard into the wall.
"Atta, girl, Mils!" Blitzo praised, raising a fist. Millie smiled.
Rolando's eyes glowed from under the surface of the water.
"No, thatta bitch!" Rolando roared, leaping out of the water. He bent his body in a wide arch before turning around to attack. Rolando kneed Blitzo in the chin and sent Millie down with a kick as she tried to attack.
Blitzo avoided Rolando's attack as Rolando grabbed Millie's foot and swung her around. He grabbed hold of Blitzo as well and tossed them both into the pool. He grinned above them as they fell through the water.
As quick as a shark, Rolando rushed at the imps underwater. He headbutted Millie into a nearby pool wall and she winced at the impact. He flipped, then turned Millie around, slamming her against the pool floor. He held onto Millie and raced at full speed toward Blitzo. Rolando then leapt out of the water, holding onto the imps' feet and slammed them against the floor. They both cried out.
Rolando laughed evilly as he paced back and forth.
"You call yourselves assassins?" he mocked. An invisible force shattered the light bulbs overhead and knocked the imps back.
Cocking his head, Rolando hovered off the ground and spoke in an eerie voice.
"Eenie…meenie…miny…"
Blitzo and Millie looked up with terrified looks.
"…mo!" Rolando finished, his eyes widening as he stared at Blitzo.
He zoomed toward Blitzo, intending to possess him…
…then he thought, 'I have a better idea!'
In one swift motion, Rolando gripped Blitzo's arms from behind and bit hard into his neck.
"ARRUUUAAHH!"
"BLITZ!" cried Millie.
Black blood spurted from the imp's neck.
"Get away from him!" Millie shouted.
Rolando licked his lips before he rushed at Millie. Blitzo groaned in pain, rolling on the floor. "Get him, Mils!" he wheezed.
Millie and Rolando shared several attacks, blocking punches and exchanging kicks. For a moment, Millie gained the upper hand, knocking him back and punching him repeatedly in the face. She shoved him away and raced toward Blitzo.
"Did you get him?"
"I think so…"
"I think…I know how to defeat him! Throw him in the water and kick my Ghostfucker device in. He'll be a fried fish in no time…"
Millie spotted the device near the pool.
"Hurry before he possesses us!"
Millie nodded and raced back toward Rolando.
But Rolando had already left the spot he was at before.
"Looking for this thing?"
Millie paused and spotted Rolando lifting up the device with telekinesis.
He smirked. "You do know I can read both of your thoughts, right? How else would I have created my illusions in the first place?"
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the device toward the wall, destroying it with a crash and a flash of electricity and sparks.
"Oops."
Blitzo and Millie looked on in horror. The imps moved back as Rolando strolled forward, towering over them.
He pointed at Blitzo. "You know, I figured that I could toy with your mind for a while and taunt your lowborn hick friend. But then I thought, 'why not weaken you first?'"
Rolando rushed at Blitzo again and pressed his foot into his throat. Blitzo coughed and gasped for breath.
"With a weakened body, your mind is practically mine for the taking," Rolando smirked.
Millie slammed into Rolando, but he soon shoved her aside. The two rivals fought for several minutes. She slammed him into the walls and floor, punched him multiple times and claimed his taunts had no effect on her.
"Your words don't mean shit to me!" Millie declared. "Blitzo and I can handle this!"
"You sure about that?"
Rolando appeared to flee from her, but soon rushed into Blitzo's head. He gleefully saw all of his tragic traumas, from his dad hitting him to his mother's death, to Stolas breaking up with him, to the arguments with his sister and Fizzarolli and Verosika.
Blitzo's eyes turned blank yellow. Millie braced herself to attack her possessed friend.
"I know you're in there, Blitz. He hasn't weakened you that much. I'll knock that comrover out of you and we'll defeat him toget…"
To Millie's shock and horror, Rolando seeped out of Blitzo, grabbed him and leaped sideways into the pool. Blitzo struggled to lift himself to the surface.
"Oh no you don't, asshole!" Millie hollered. She dove into the water, wrapped her arm around Blitzo and swam up as fast as she could. They both breached to the surface, catching their breath.
The hairs stood up on Millie's neck.
"Oh shit, it's a…"
She was cut off by a hand grabbing her leg and dragging her toward the bottom. She was shoved into the wall, barely having time to react. She swam forward with all her might, Blitzo reaching out to her with his hand.
Rolando grabbed hold of Blitzo and slammed him hard against the pool floor once last time.
Millie hoisted Blitzo in her arms and kicked upward to the surface. She gasped for breath and lifted Blitzo out of the water. She climbed onto the floor and bent down to look at Blitzo.
"Blitz! Sir! Stay with me, please, you've got this…"
"Mils…" he groaned. Black blood poured slowly from his neck.
She gasped.
"Come on, come on, don't give up…" Millie begged.
"You…can handle this…" Blitzo wheezed. Millie's hands shook as his head flopped to the side.
"No…no, no, NO, Blitz!" She shook him.
He remained motionless.
'Please let this be an illusion…this…this can't be happening…'
"This is no illusion, my dear," Rolando purred from behind. "This is the reality of your defeat."
Millie whirled around and snarled at him with razor sharp teeth and crimson red eyes.
"I'LL KILL YOU…FISH FACED BASTARD!"
She blindly threw punches which he blocked.
Rolando licked his lips. "Your anger and grief is utterly INTOXICATING! I don't even need to be inside your head to feel it!"
"I can still defeat you!"
Rolando moved from side to side, dodging her attacks. He chuckled when he saw she was getting worn out. He slid over and pinned her against a pillar.
"What would your parents think of you now? How disappointed they would be to find that their daughter let her assassin boss die!"
Milie fumed. "I don't regret it! I joined I.M.P. and I found a place I could call home. I don't care what you say about me, I'll defeat you alone if I have to!"
"Go ahead," said Rolando. "I'd like to see you try as I'm feeding off your despair right now!"
He stepped back, arms out. Millie cursed to herself that she didn't have her knife with her.
Millie glanced toward the door and began to run.
"Running away like a coward, are we?" Rolando called. "Not so tough now, are you?"
Millie was almost out of the room.
"What are you gonna tell your coworkers back in Hell?"
Millie yelped and skidded to a stop just as Rolando appeared in front of her. He lifted up Millie with his powers and slammed her into another pillar. She slid to the floor.
Millie groaned and spotted Blitzo's corpse off to the side. She stood up in a fighting stance on shaking legs.
Rolando strolled forward. "Look at you, you're nothing but a brute and still no match for me! It's so pleasing to see you cry."
Millie wiped tears from her eyes.
"Think you can still handle this? You all alone?"
Normally she would easily…she was the finest warrior in I.M.P.
But with her boss now dead…
'I…I can't…he's gone, I can't do this…'
Millie couldn't hide her true thoughts…and Rolando knew it, too.
Rolando smirked. "So here's to the end of Bethany Ghostfucker and the lowborn hick!"
Before she could blink, Rolando rushed at her with his jaws open wide and she screamed.
0 0 0
Loona and Moxxie arrived at the One Star Wonder lobby, looking around.
"They've got to be here somewhere," Moxxie said. "Let's hurry, I still got to figure out those numbers!"
Loona sniffed the air. "There's a great evil here…he's right over…"
"Hello!" called Rolando in his human form. "How can I help you?"
"We're looking for our boss and our other coworker," said Moxxie.
Rolando grinned and pulled out two photos. "Do these two individuals ring a bell?"
Moxxie and Loona's faces turned pale.
"N-no, what happened? What is this?!" cried Moxxie.
"W-what the fuck?" Loona barked. "What did you do?! Is this some sort of prank?"
"It's no prank, little ones…" Rolando's features shifted into his demonic form with glowing eyes. "It's the beginning of your doom!"
Loona and Moxxie's terrified screams were enough for Rolando.
"I can't wait to enjoy my feast tonight!"
In Rolando's hands were four new crime scene photos. One showed Blitzo dead on the floor surrounded by his black blood. Another showed a motionless Millie with a gaping hole in her chest. Moxxie's body had been torn in half with his arms separated. And poor Loona was now a beheaded corpse.
Rolando cackled in victory as lightning flashed outside.
0 0 0
The door to my room slowly opened as I was curled up in bed.
"Blitz?" I asked, standing up and moving toward the door.
I only saw Rolando's grinning demon face as he held up the gruesome photos of the dead I.M.P. members for me to see. His fingers and clothes were stained with black demon blood.
I stepped back in sheer shock. "No! No, no, no! That's not supposed to happen! You're supposed to be electrocuted dead in the pool!"
Rolando laughed evilly again. "Well obviously, I killed them. I told you that I.M.P. would be defeated…"
He chuckled again, "I'm just surprised I actually got my victory!"
Tears came to my eyes. "Surely this has got to be a trick! An illusion!"
Rolando grinned and shook his head.
I thought for a moment…the unexpected deaths of I.M.P., how Leviathan appeared to be male instead of a two-headed female…how Rolando had survived…
I realized in horror that I was in a parallel Helluva-verse.
I barely gasped before Rolando rushed toward my head in liquid form…and I soon collapsed.
0 0 0
The next moment, I found myself bound to a worn seat in rusted chains. I was in an old worn movie theater with ripped maroon-red seats, large eye designs on the walls, coral within the seats and a large old screen with a projector. It was the same theater that Blitzo had gotten trapped in during the episode! I strained and struggled but it was no use.
I felt a cold pressure and flinched as Rolando flowed out of my chest and swirled around me. He was surrounded by water with bubbles that appeared to glow. In one swift motion, he ran his long yellow tongue up my neck. I whimpered.
"Caught you off-guard didn't I, dear?" he grinned.
He flew through the room in dark shadowy liquid and manifested next to me with his feet propped up and his arm around my shoulder.
"Should be an interesting titillator of a show!" He held a bag of popcorn in his hand. "You have a treasure-trove of traumas waiting for me to tap into!"
The curtains parted and the round spinning "3, 2, 1," appeared on the green-tinted screen.
A fast-paced frenzy of scenes flashed past my eyes. Snippets of various fears and phobias. One of the worst ones was being forced from my mother's womb, struggling for breath in a bright cold place.
And then, of course, I saw myself fall through the portal, standing before the hotel and seeing Rolando grinning at the side of my bed.
Just then Rolando looked down and saw a series of buttons. They were labeled with "Rewind" and "Fast-Forward" symbols with numbers next to them, plus a button with an infinity symbol on it.
"Huh? The fuck is this, I wonder?" Rolando said, hovering a finger over the buttons.
He pressed the "Rewind" button with a one next to it.
The scenes shifted and I saw flashes of a different time. It appeared to be in the 1960s. I saw myself chugging down a bottle of some alcoholic drink. Her arms looked feminine.
To my horror, I saw the woman begin choking from the first-person perspective from some kind of overdose. Her world spun with vivid colors and abruptly turned black. She had died alone.
What was even worse than the death scene was a strange, almost distant sense of familiarity. Like it had happened before, and I didn't realize it.
Rolando scoffed, then laughed out loud. "Well, that was quite interesting."
He pressed another button and then more scenes appeared. This one was me but as a male, fighting in some kind of battle. I gasped and flinched as I saw the enemy soldier stab the former me in the stomach.
Rolando giddily pressed more buttons, and I screamed in desperation. All kinds of traumatic memories and strange scenes appeared before me, all feeling as real as my current life: me as a boy being assaulted and killed by a towering man, me a woman with dark skin being married off to an older man, me falling to the ground from a building, me being dragged to a stake to be burned in the forest, me as a slave worker in the hot sun, me dying from illnesses as my past family members watched…
…then me as various species of animals being devoured by predators in many parts of the world. When Rolando pressed the "Fast-Forward" buttons, I saw myself as strange alien beings flying through the air, arguing with others, seeing loved ones die, watching my children get taken…
"Holy shit!" Rolando declared. "How many fucking lives have you had?!"
I flinched and yelled as I saw what appeared to be long black bugs crawling up my legs and onto my chest.
I screamed and sobbed, begging for him to stop.
"A million flaws, a million unlearned lessons and yet you still come back for more?!" Rolando pondered. "Identity after identity lost and forgotten. I bet you don't even know your true self, do you?"
He was right about that.
He stroked my chin with his finger. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you? I guess in a way you were right about your universe. And I thought the Sinners in Hell had it rough!"
Rolando then pressed the infinity button, and the screen shifted to black. Before me appeared a very peculiar scene. I couldn't see any arms or hands…I only saw myself as ethereal light. I saw black holes devouring planets and me looking over planet Earth, worried about its future.
And then I saw a council of etheric elder beings made of light, standing before me at a round transparent table. They wore medallions and long white glowing robes, reminding me of gurus or Greek philosophers. A holographic bubble appeared, showing various scenes of lives on Earth. I also appeared to be with a group of souls, going over roles and blueprints of our future human bodies.
I gasped. This was me as a soul planning for my lives on Earth!
"Are these beings…judging you?" Rolando inquired with a smirk.
Judging me? It was hard to tell since they didn't have faces. In the ether, everything was supposedly unconditional divine love, and telepathy was the method of communication.
"I…I came from a realm of perfection…"
Rolando scoffed at me. "Perfection? There is no realm that is perfect. You really think that a place which forces souls to go to Earth is worthy of perfection? A place where you agree to take on fake harmful human roles in the hopes of learning some long-forgotten lessons?"
"B-but I chose my lives on Earth!"
"Did you, though? Or was it your so-called Source God? Or by elite aliens? If you think that souls are perfect, why do they keep coming back to Earth to face their lessons and new traumas to get passed onto the next life? Your shadows outnumber you a million to one. Even after thousands of mortal years, you can't seem to get it right!"
"B-because Source is perfect and always evolving and we are all one and the same!"
Rolando shrugged. "Well, if that's the case, you're destined to incarnate and be a failure forever! Your eternal energy God doesn't seem to care about your lives…only its own evolution. Your 'perfect' spirit realms are only temporary before your so called 'spirit guides' force you to come back!"
Surely that wasn't the case…right?
"The Ascended Masters…"
"Are also part of the game, the Matrix. You souls test yourselves constantly, thinking you can see through separation and duality. But you get fooled each time…you succumb to fear and war and brutality against one another, never seeing the divine in every being. You're left with more regrets, more unfulfilled soul plans. Your Earth will cast you humans off and you'll have nowhere else to go. Your alien supervisors will be disappointed in all the versions of you…"
"SHUT UP!"
"…who knows how they'll manipulate you next? And even if you 'merge with the Source' and complete your incarnations, it'll send your soul off to begin the cycle again. There's no real rest in the afterlife. Face it, your soul may be eternal, but you're in an ETERNAL TRAP!"
I gasped.
"But…my families…"
"…don't care about you! They disappear at their death and then disappear at your birth again! Think of how many people you've disappointed: your many parents, spouses, children, friends. So many families becoming dust at the end. Your guides don't care, the universe doesn't care! They only care to evolve themselves, and ditto to those who can't ascend fast enough…!"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MY DIMENSION!"
"But now I know all about you," he mused, saying my real name.
I was left sobbing and shaking in my seat. Rolando bit into my neck and licked up my blood, groaning softly in pleasure.
"Oh yes, that's the stuff. Pure utter helplessness." He faced me. "I can see into your eyes and we both know you're done for."
He leaned in and began to brush his tongue against my lips. He gently pressed his claws into my cheeks and my mouth opened. His tongue went right in, exploring along my tongue and moving along the top and sides. My face turned red, and I grunted. It felt wet, warm and incredibly weird…but somehow pleasantly stimulating after all I had felt. He trailed teasingly along my teeth before he pulled back.
I gasped, opening my eyes. "W-what the hell was that?"
"A little thank you for allowing me into your head."
"Y-you're a sicko!"
"But so are you," he mentioned. "Don't try to lie to me inside your own mind. I know you found some sick enjoyment in that."
I lowered my head, glancing off to the side.
He slowly began to hover backward.
"It might seem strange being possessed for the first time, but just try to relax and enjoy the show."
"You can't possess me!" I cried. "I'm not from your world!"
"But you're not in your world, are you?"
"W-what are you going to make me do?"
"You'll see," he answered darkly. He morphed into liquid and water spilled and splashed into the seats and aisles. A dark fog obscured the screen, making it hard to see. His cackles echoed through the space as I felt my eyes close…
0 0 0
ENVE:
Radical-Rolando posted a new video:
The video showed me hovering in the air, eyes blank with an evil grin.
"Most of the time I kill humans, but it turns out possession can be just as fun. I'm breaking this one down to make it easier for Leviathan if he meets her. Heh, I'd still do this even if I wasn't ordered to! I'm gonna love this tasty morsel!"
Envious-Karen: Ronaldo's gone off the deep end! Now he not only plays with his food but has fallen in love with it!
Glimmering Glam: His methods are nothing! Me and my sister's siren songs and sexy sways have lured male demons and humans alike to their doom. Works wonders in our shows!
Glamorous Glim: We don't need to possess anyone…all we need are our fabulous looks!
Seviathan-The-Man: No one can beat this heart-stopper!
Helsa-Alpha-Bitch: Apparently Charlie's ex-Exorcist lover can!
Glamorous Glim: Oooh shit!
Seviathan-The-Man: Seriously, what does she see in that exiled angel? She barely shows her emotions and isn't even royal!
Helsa-Alpha-Bitch: If I had my own resort, Charlie's little Hazbin Hotel would turn into another One Star Wonder dump, LOL!
Radical-Rolando: Don't diss my haunting lair. Its tacky appearance works wonders in unsettling mortals who wander in.
Helsa-Alpha-Bitch: "Helsa's Hella Resort": Sinners and low Hellborn need not apply!
Envious-Karen: Hey, Helsa, I'll take you up on your hotel.
Helsa-Alpha-Bitch: If I had it, it would be up in Pride…most convenient that way…would surely rival Charlie's.
Envious-Karen: And put Ronaldo's motel to shame!
Radical-Rolando: I wouldn't dream of inviting stupid mis-spellers, anyway. And my place has tasty mortals in it. Have fun wallowing in your envy!