149.
Clyde his name was Clyde, and he was apparently the devil, or a Devil, or had been the devil? Clarissa wasn't clear on that point yet. Demurra had managed to get inside and upon hearing the plan immediately wasn't a fan.
"You can't break into hell."
"Yes I can, I used to run the place I can easily get back in, its not hard, hell its probably easier to get in than get out, something I'm sure you're aware of." Clyde had thankfully calmed down his incessant chatter.
"No Clarissa you can't let this creature take you there, its not a place anyone should go to." Demurra seemed visibly afraid at the mere mention of hell.
"She's just concerned because she can't come with you."
"Wait you can't come with me Demurra?" Clarissa felt the twinge of fear through her entire being.
"When a demon stops being a demon they break their bond to hell, she can't return lest she become a demon again, where as you as a human you're connected to both heaven and hell so no worry of you becoming a demon." Clyde sounded so upbeat in his horrible news.
"Don't do this Clarissa please I'm begging you."
"If she doesn't do this creature then the world will forever be lost, you know this, someone has to do it, and so we bid you adieu." Clarissa didn't want to go to hell, let alone in the company of a devil the devil whoever Clyde was, but he was right. And so she gave a big hug and kiss to Demurra and descended further into the bowels of the night club.
The stairs changed gradually, from human construction to some kind of stone formed, the walls too. By the time they reached a door simply labeled "hell" the walls looked to be made of flesh. Clyde stopped at the door for a bit, he pulled out a comically large key ring with over a hundred keys and tried several before finding the one that worked. It was almost laughable to Clarissa the absurdity of hell being in a night club locked behind a door. Clyde held the door open, but it was apparent he was not coming with her.
"You're not coming either?"
"Took me a long time to get out of hell, I am not one to just go back inside, but don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine."
"By myself."
"By yourself, against the US army, your former boss, and the denizens of hell."
"Oh no pressure there."
"None whatsover, I mean if you fail you'll only be trapped in hell while the world ends." Clyde slammed the door behind her and Clarissa thought for just a moment how only a few years ago she was a college student looking for work. Oh the places you end up.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Friday, November 22, 2019
Knock Two Times If It's A Trap
148.
It was the only building standing in a town that had burnt to the ground. Demurra said she felt nothing from the location, not a person, not a thing, completely blank, it scared her a bit. Clarissa had her bow out for what good it would do. The building itself looked like a former nightclub or current the sign in front was still flashing despite no way for power to actually get to it.
"Satan's Alley." The sign said, seemed a little on the nose for a trap. The door was made of what looked like Onyx, just a full black glass look with no door handle, or obvious door bell. Clarissa walked cautiously up to it and knocked. Clarissa wondered for a moment if the sound had even carried until the door was thrown open and a short man in a tweed suit was there.
"Who are you? Why are you knocking, who sent you, why didn't you answer my question, are you with the government, did the president send you, did anyone send you, why aren't you answering?" Clarissa had barely been able to process his statements before he grabbed her arm and yanked her inside the door slamming shut behind her separating her from Demurra.
****
"Colonel Dunkley." It was hard to get used to the new title, he had never gotten that high prior, but he liked hearing it.
"Yes Lieutenant?" The young man had felt like a new assistant, he was certainly more amenable than Clarissa had been, and less traitorous to his country like she had been.
"We have breached the plane."
"As I said we could excellent Lieutenant inform the General I'll assemble our unit and we'll prepare for descent."
"Right away sir." Gilbert knew once they accomplished their goal everyone would understand why he did what he did. He was sad that Doris was dead, but what he could accomplish would be better for everyone eventually, eventually. They just had to do one more tiny thing, break into hell.
****
"You're a very rude person you know that." Clarissa had barely been able to get in a word edge wise to the man who was named Clive or Clyde, he said his name so fast she couldn't make it out.
"I haven't been able to."
"I mean I'm trying to help you, and you just aren't listening or letting me talk." They had traveled past the closed nightclub part of "Satan's alley" and now were making their way to the back. Clarissa didn't even know why she kept following Clive or Clyde when all he did was insult her.
"Help me what you've only drug me around through this weird nightclub."
"Help you break into hell."
"I uhh what why?"
"TO SAVE THE WORLD STOP INTERRUPTING!"
It was the only building standing in a town that had burnt to the ground. Demurra said she felt nothing from the location, not a person, not a thing, completely blank, it scared her a bit. Clarissa had her bow out for what good it would do. The building itself looked like a former nightclub or current the sign in front was still flashing despite no way for power to actually get to it.
"Satan's Alley." The sign said, seemed a little on the nose for a trap. The door was made of what looked like Onyx, just a full black glass look with no door handle, or obvious door bell. Clarissa walked cautiously up to it and knocked. Clarissa wondered for a moment if the sound had even carried until the door was thrown open and a short man in a tweed suit was there.
"Who are you? Why are you knocking, who sent you, why didn't you answer my question, are you with the government, did the president send you, did anyone send you, why aren't you answering?" Clarissa had barely been able to process his statements before he grabbed her arm and yanked her inside the door slamming shut behind her separating her from Demurra.
****
"Colonel Dunkley." It was hard to get used to the new title, he had never gotten that high prior, but he liked hearing it.
"Yes Lieutenant?" The young man had felt like a new assistant, he was certainly more amenable than Clarissa had been, and less traitorous to his country like she had been.
"We have breached the plane."
"As I said we could excellent Lieutenant inform the General I'll assemble our unit and we'll prepare for descent."
"Right away sir." Gilbert knew once they accomplished their goal everyone would understand why he did what he did. He was sad that Doris was dead, but what he could accomplish would be better for everyone eventually, eventually. They just had to do one more tiny thing, break into hell.
****
"You're a very rude person you know that." Clarissa had barely been able to get in a word edge wise to the man who was named Clive or Clyde, he said his name so fast she couldn't make it out.
"I haven't been able to."
"I mean I'm trying to help you, and you just aren't listening or letting me talk." They had traveled past the closed nightclub part of "Satan's alley" and now were making their way to the back. Clarissa didn't even know why she kept following Clive or Clyde when all he did was insult her.
"Help me what you've only drug me around through this weird nightclub."
"Help you break into hell."
"I uhh what why?"
"TO SAVE THE WORLD STOP INTERRUPTING!"
Friday, November 15, 2019
Everyone Needs Someone, Sometimes
147.
The family was thankful they wouldn't be eaten. Clarissa and Demurra had helped them on their way with Demurra telling them the most likely place they could get to that wouldn't get them killed. Clarissa kept wondering where the military is in all of this. They started this war and now people were getting hurt and they were no where to be found. Demurra and Clarissa moved on from the family and back to Ellensburgh. Clarissa just wanted to gather some things to help them going forward. Demurra assured her Gilbert had basically given up his home and office no longer caring about what happened in our world, he had become consumed by his hunt in the Fey.
Ellensburgh had become a war zone. Buildings were on fire, creatures were roaming the streets and country side. Demurra was able to get them in and out of most areas without trouble, but everywhere around her Clarissa felt like the world had lost its damn mind. There were no police or military anywhere. People had been left to fend against literal monsters and hadn't done at all ok.
"The whole world is like this?"
"Yes and worse people are turning on each other now that the facade of society has been cast aside." They had gotten to the Exterminators office, it looked like the army had ransacked it for things Gilbert wanted, but they had left a lot of things Clarissa could use behind. The wards that protected the building kept the monsters at bay for the most part.
"We're not coming out of this are we?"
"You as a species or you and me? Because you and me are fine." Demurra gave her a hug and a kiss on the nose and Clarissa blushed.
"I mean humanity."
"Yeah you're fucked."
"Cla rissssssaaaa Shipley." Santinni would choose to arrive in the middle of the apocalypse. His suit and hat were uniform white today.
"Demon." Demurra had her fist alight with fire, Santinni seemed amused by it.
"A for mer de mon? Hooooowwwww delightful, but I am not here for you, here for Cla risssssa."
"I didn't start this Santinni."
"Natttttt urally, but your sponsor did, and thus here I am." Clarissa tensed up, she knew the Warden had the power to literally trap the Devil and she was far below that level of anything.
"So what do you want me to do?" Santinni smiled, his teeth were black and the smile creeped her out.
"Obvi ous llllllllly stop it."
"Stop what? The world's gone mad Santinni."
"It's gooooooing mad, but if someone was capable of doing something, it can be..... stopped. If you just had a little..... nudge." He presented a card and put it on Doris's former desk. And then he was gone. Demurra spit as he left.
"I hate that guy."
"What the hell is this?" Clarissa had the card up and on it was just an address.
"A trap most likely, but yes we're leaving I don't have to read your mind to know the answer."
The family was thankful they wouldn't be eaten. Clarissa and Demurra had helped them on their way with Demurra telling them the most likely place they could get to that wouldn't get them killed. Clarissa kept wondering where the military is in all of this. They started this war and now people were getting hurt and they were no where to be found. Demurra and Clarissa moved on from the family and back to Ellensburgh. Clarissa just wanted to gather some things to help them going forward. Demurra assured her Gilbert had basically given up his home and office no longer caring about what happened in our world, he had become consumed by his hunt in the Fey.
Ellensburgh had become a war zone. Buildings were on fire, creatures were roaming the streets and country side. Demurra was able to get them in and out of most areas without trouble, but everywhere around her Clarissa felt like the world had lost its damn mind. There were no police or military anywhere. People had been left to fend against literal monsters and hadn't done at all ok.
"The whole world is like this?"
"Yes and worse people are turning on each other now that the facade of society has been cast aside." They had gotten to the Exterminators office, it looked like the army had ransacked it for things Gilbert wanted, but they had left a lot of things Clarissa could use behind. The wards that protected the building kept the monsters at bay for the most part.
"We're not coming out of this are we?"
"You as a species or you and me? Because you and me are fine." Demurra gave her a hug and a kiss on the nose and Clarissa blushed.
"I mean humanity."
"Yeah you're fucked."
"Cla rissssssaaaa Shipley." Santinni would choose to arrive in the middle of the apocalypse. His suit and hat were uniform white today.
"Demon." Demurra had her fist alight with fire, Santinni seemed amused by it.
"A for mer de mon? Hooooowwwww delightful, but I am not here for you, here for Cla risssssa."
"I didn't start this Santinni."
"Natttttt urally, but your sponsor did, and thus here I am." Clarissa tensed up, she knew the Warden had the power to literally trap the Devil and she was far below that level of anything.
"So what do you want me to do?" Santinni smiled, his teeth were black and the smile creeped her out.
"Obvi ous llllllllly stop it."
"Stop what? The world's gone mad Santinni."
"It's gooooooing mad, but if someone was capable of doing something, it can be..... stopped. If you just had a little..... nudge." He presented a card and put it on Doris's former desk. And then he was gone. Demurra spit as he left.
"I hate that guy."
"What the hell is this?" Clarissa had the card up and on it was just an address.
"A trap most likely, but yes we're leaving I don't have to read your mind to know the answer."
Friday, November 8, 2019
The New World
146.
"Nothing remains in one place for long." Demurra had been looking for Clarissa for a week, to find out she'd been in the Fey with Gilbert and the US military scared her.
"Is this a result of what's going on in the Fey?"
"Among other things, Gilbert didn't just betray you, he betrayed the whole community, he's taken extermination to its logical conclusion I guess, wipe us all out. They came for me, but sadly for them I didn't go quietly." Demurra held Clarissa's hand while she drove, places they passed looked like a war zone.
"So supernatural creatures are striking back I take it?"
"Yes the polite fiction of humanity only being an issue when something steps out of line is over. Humanity broke the unwritten truce and now all hell and heaven is breaking loose the world over." Clarissa shook her head, it was like a bad dream come to life.
"So what do we do now?"
"Fight I guess, who or what I haven't a clue, I've been trying to make it on my own while looking for you, but beyond that I haven't an idea Clarissa, I haven't felt this lost since I wasn't a demon anymore." Clarissa didn't need to be able to read minds or emotions to know that her and Demurra were lost. The new world was a horrifying place, where the only people they could rely on were each other, but for how long? How long until Gilbert and the government would come for them too.
"At least we have each other right?" Demurra smiled at that, and almost smashed her car into a person in the middle of the road screaming for help. Demurra wanted to drive around him, but she could see Clarissa already out of the car.
"What's going on?"
"Monsters horrifying monsters are attacking my family." Demurra got out and brought up a fist of flame and smashed the man right in the face. Clarissa was horrified at first, thinking her girlfriend had lost her mind, but the man's face melted away like a shell and whatever was underneath was revealed.
"Or you're the monster and you're trying to trick passerby's into your nest."
"How many more of them?"
"Five, they have some poor family trapped there and before you say it yes we'll help, Clarissa its cute you forget I can read your mind, but even if I couldn't I could tell by your face you want to help them, its who you are."
"It used to be who Gilbert was too."
"Maybe, but I think the man you think he is, and the man he actually was are vastly different people." Clarissa didn't push the issue, she wanted to save the family, it was the one thing that could make her feel normal, in a world that felt like it was going insane, and that would be enough.
"Nothing remains in one place for long." Demurra had been looking for Clarissa for a week, to find out she'd been in the Fey with Gilbert and the US military scared her.
"Is this a result of what's going on in the Fey?"
"Among other things, Gilbert didn't just betray you, he betrayed the whole community, he's taken extermination to its logical conclusion I guess, wipe us all out. They came for me, but sadly for them I didn't go quietly." Demurra held Clarissa's hand while she drove, places they passed looked like a war zone.
"So supernatural creatures are striking back I take it?"
"Yes the polite fiction of humanity only being an issue when something steps out of line is over. Humanity broke the unwritten truce and now all hell and heaven is breaking loose the world over." Clarissa shook her head, it was like a bad dream come to life.
"So what do we do now?"
"Fight I guess, who or what I haven't a clue, I've been trying to make it on my own while looking for you, but beyond that I haven't an idea Clarissa, I haven't felt this lost since I wasn't a demon anymore." Clarissa didn't need to be able to read minds or emotions to know that her and Demurra were lost. The new world was a horrifying place, where the only people they could rely on were each other, but for how long? How long until Gilbert and the government would come for them too.
"At least we have each other right?" Demurra smiled at that, and almost smashed her car into a person in the middle of the road screaming for help. Demurra wanted to drive around him, but she could see Clarissa already out of the car.
"What's going on?"
"Monsters horrifying monsters are attacking my family." Demurra got out and brought up a fist of flame and smashed the man right in the face. Clarissa was horrified at first, thinking her girlfriend had lost her mind, but the man's face melted away like a shell and whatever was underneath was revealed.
"Or you're the monster and you're trying to trick passerby's into your nest."
"How many more of them?"
"Five, they have some poor family trapped there and before you say it yes we'll help, Clarissa its cute you forget I can read your mind, but even if I couldn't I could tell by your face you want to help them, its who you are."
"It used to be who Gilbert was too."
"Maybe, but I think the man you think he is, and the man he actually was are vastly different people." Clarissa didn't push the issue, she wanted to save the family, it was the one thing that could make her feel normal, in a world that felt like it was going insane, and that would be enough.
Friday, November 1, 2019
Betrayal Most Foul
145.
When bad things start happening they always feel like it comes faster then you can process. Gilbert wasn't back with the US military long before things steam rolled out of control. Doris was arrested, brought to the fey and executed. Clarissa didn't know how or why this happened. She had escaped with the elves herself and was living in seclusion when the news came. She didn't want to believe it at first, but the elves were allowed to recover her body. The claim was she had attempted to escape and was killed, but Clarissa didn't buy that, and her heart hurt from the loss of Doris and Gilbert. Clarissa felt like she was losing the only family she had. All the while things were getting worse and worse for the fey and the elves.
Day by day lead by Gilbert the US military was able to digger deeper and deeper into the fey. Changes were immediate, wildlife started to become wilder more untamed and uncontrollable. The seasons also seemingly rotated at will. One day a hundred degrees, the next flash frozen. The Shaleche informed Clarissa this was a sign of the damage man was doing to the Fey. The elves weren't reacting well to the random weather and wildlife. Since Clarissa had been with them, she'd seen their forces down by half, and things were looking pretty dire.
"We can't fight the US military, we can't stay here." Clarissa was trying desperately to get the elves to leave, it felt like her comments were falling on deaf ears.
"This is our home Clarissa, I will not be chased out by men from my home."
"Then you will die Shaleche as will your family and friends, they are dying." The elf leader looked at Clarissa with a bit of sadness and anger.
"You can always leave."
"Then I will, I will not throw my life away on a pointless quest against a superior force, there is nothing to be gained from this." Clarissa left the Shaleche's tent, Rolf was there waiting for her, but she pushed him off.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from here Rolf, I will not die with your people." He ran after her.
"We aren't going to die Clarissa, there has to be a way."
"Well I hope you find it, I'm leaving while its still an opportunity."
"You're just like the rest of your people then Clarissa, we will remember this!" Clarissa left the elf encampment. She knew it wouldn't matter if they remembered it, they would all be dead soon enough. Clarissa made her way out of the fey. The elves had shown her how earlier as a last resort, and she felt at this point things were pretty far into the last resort.
Clarissa emerged somewhere back in what she considered "The real" world. But everything felt off, she was in a field of twisted thorn vines, like she'd seen in the fey, and when she looked to the sky that too looked like the fey. She thought for a moment she hadn't actually gotten out of the fey, except she had cell service again. Clarissa called Demurra in a panic.
"What's going on here?"
"The world has gone nuts Clarissa, I'll be buy soon to get you." Clarissa hung up her phone and fell to the ground, things had gone bad in the fey, and now they would only get worse everywhere else. And in the back of her mind she felt she'd failed to stop it.
When bad things start happening they always feel like it comes faster then you can process. Gilbert wasn't back with the US military long before things steam rolled out of control. Doris was arrested, brought to the fey and executed. Clarissa didn't know how or why this happened. She had escaped with the elves herself and was living in seclusion when the news came. She didn't want to believe it at first, but the elves were allowed to recover her body. The claim was she had attempted to escape and was killed, but Clarissa didn't buy that, and her heart hurt from the loss of Doris and Gilbert. Clarissa felt like she was losing the only family she had. All the while things were getting worse and worse for the fey and the elves.
Day by day lead by Gilbert the US military was able to digger deeper and deeper into the fey. Changes were immediate, wildlife started to become wilder more untamed and uncontrollable. The seasons also seemingly rotated at will. One day a hundred degrees, the next flash frozen. The Shaleche informed Clarissa this was a sign of the damage man was doing to the Fey. The elves weren't reacting well to the random weather and wildlife. Since Clarissa had been with them, she'd seen their forces down by half, and things were looking pretty dire.
"We can't fight the US military, we can't stay here." Clarissa was trying desperately to get the elves to leave, it felt like her comments were falling on deaf ears.
"This is our home Clarissa, I will not be chased out by men from my home."
"Then you will die Shaleche as will your family and friends, they are dying." The elf leader looked at Clarissa with a bit of sadness and anger.
"You can always leave."
"Then I will, I will not throw my life away on a pointless quest against a superior force, there is nothing to be gained from this." Clarissa left the Shaleche's tent, Rolf was there waiting for her, but she pushed him off.
"Where are you going?"
"Away from here Rolf, I will not die with your people." He ran after her.
"We aren't going to die Clarissa, there has to be a way."
"Well I hope you find it, I'm leaving while its still an opportunity."
"You're just like the rest of your people then Clarissa, we will remember this!" Clarissa left the elf encampment. She knew it wouldn't matter if they remembered it, they would all be dead soon enough. Clarissa made her way out of the fey. The elves had shown her how earlier as a last resort, and she felt at this point things were pretty far into the last resort.
Clarissa emerged somewhere back in what she considered "The real" world. But everything felt off, she was in a field of twisted thorn vines, like she'd seen in the fey, and when she looked to the sky that too looked like the fey. She thought for a moment she hadn't actually gotten out of the fey, except she had cell service again. Clarissa called Demurra in a panic.
"What's going on here?"
"The world has gone nuts Clarissa, I'll be buy soon to get you." Clarissa hung up her phone and fell to the ground, things had gone bad in the fey, and now they would only get worse everywhere else. And in the back of her mind she felt she'd failed to stop it.
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