I had learned a lot about mankind while surfing. I couldn’t help myself. I was drawn to Earth - the people, the landscape, the mystery of it all. I felt a connection. Perhaps I did have human blood in me. I had never known my mother and Father always ignored my questions when I asked about her. So far, my attempts to research online for any information on her had failed.
Before I made my way down the hall, I composed myself for my next “training session” with Father. Stephanie had a great sense of humor, even if she didn’t know it. I listened to my heartbeat and breathed deeply. I thought of my breathing exercises Blick had taught me in an effort to stay calm during the torture. I looked at my blurry reflection in one of the filing cabinets. We had no mirrors anywhere in Hell. Silently I thanked Blick for the martial art techniques he had taught me. I could tell my arms and shoulders were more muscular. For that matter, my whole body was more defined. I hadn’t tested my strength yet, but I knew I was getting stronger. When I sparred with Blick, I imagined I was Sarah Connor in the movie
The Terminator
, looking toned and ready for action. I sighed. Even though Blick was trying to condition my body more, I knew mentally I still struggled. Standing up to my father wasn’t something I could face yet.
I considered texting Blick. Maybe he was right. Would Father beat me unconscious this time? Would I be worth saving if Blick got to me in time? Was there a way we could escape and leave this place forever? I let out another sigh and placed my iPhone on the desk. It was too late. I’d just have to explain that to Blick later.
As I made my way through the winding maze of halls towards the exit, I thought about how Father acts during these sessions. He's very positive and optimistic. He talks on and on about his schemes for revenge. He must think the motivational speeches keep me focused. But the pain is what keeps me focused, as long as I can stay in front of it and not let it overwhelm me.
Father hasn’t thought of anything big in the last few thousand years. Usually his schemes are obvious things like accelerating global warming or releasing our colony of fire-breathing dragons onto Earth. Something G would not allow to happen. I don’t know how, but the House of G always knows what’s going on down here. That doesn’t deter Father however. He keeps scheming and plotting his next move. It’s just sad.
I have told Blick many times that the chip Father carries around on his shoulder is really unhealthy. “I realize it sucks to be a fallen angel and not welcomed anymore in the House of G, but get over it. Life goes on.” He’s the only one with whom I can share my opinions about my family. I can’t tell my online friends the whole story. Anyways, we spend most of the time chatting about an actor who plays a vampire in a TV show. It’s a fun distraction to reality. I quickly deflect any personal questions if they come up. My online friends on Earth don’t want to know about my problems.
***
Loyal Workers
As I approached the main entrance to the winery, I heard a growl to my right side and saw a flash of fur appeared before me. The smell of dead skunk hit my nostrils.
“Hello, my lady.”
Pulling the flap of my collar over my nose, I stepped back to adjust my balance and save what oxygen I had left before I fainted from the smell. Father’s hellhounds reeked to high heaven, an odor I realized Blick did not share. “Don’t jump out at me like that, Cedric. Why aren’t you guarding the main gates?”
“We’re on heightened alert today. Do you have your badge?”
I hesitated, remembering I had left it in on the desk with my iPhone. “Can you just call Father? He’s expecting me.”
“You realize in this organization we have security measures in place for a reason, my lady. The House of G would love nothing more than to know our secrets. Besides that, if His Highness sees another error on my attendance reports…” His voice trailed off and I recognized the fear in his eyes. He also knew of Father’s disciplinary techniques. Father starved his ‘mutts’ regularly to keep them ‘engaged,’ as he called it. Actually, it kept them obnoxiously polite, extremely moody, and ready to do Father’s bidding.
“Yes, Cedric. I understand. Shall I go back for it? But I don’t want to be late for my meeting. Hey, why are you green today?”
Annoyed with my questions as I tried to stall entering the winery, the hellhound’s fur bristled. “We were helping His Highness with some pigment placement for the new line.”
I frowned when I heard the title the hellhounds used for Father, at his request of course. His Highness, like he was some sort of royalty. What a joke! “Is he hoping to find a new hair dye for Leprechauns? I mean with that color and your natural black roots, I can see…”
“What? No, my lady. For the new line of products, the wines, he’s searching for the perfect color so he dyed us.”
I stared at him, puzzled, trying to ignore the ‘My Lady’ term. “We?” I asked.
“Wally and me. He dyed us earlier this morning and Wally got a snoot full of it. He’ll be out for hours. His Highness is working on resolving the colors this morning before the guests arrive.”
Another one of Father’s lame-brain ideas, going into the wine business. With a wine that was green? What was Father thinking? I searched the gravel path running alongside the front entrance of the winery and spotted Wally passed out under a holly bush. I hadn’t noticed him at first because he blended quite well with the emerald green leaves on the shrub. “Father doesn’t know how lucky he is to have such loyal workers, Cedric.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Stop calling me ‘my lady.’ Look, why don’t I go get my badge while you catch a quick bath?” I fanned myself with the right lapel of my jacket.
“That won’t be necessary.” Cedric bared his rotten teeth at me and blocked my path.
Finally, I thought. I’ll get to practice some of what Blick had shown me. “Bring it on,” I taunted. At the same moment, I felt a blast of pain centered on my neck.
“Took you long enough, Wally,” Cedric growled. “His Highness wants her unharmed, remember? I hope you didn’t put too many volts in her with that stun gun. Oh, watch it, she’s gonna fall.”
***
Another Session
“She seems to be waking up, your Highness.”
As I gained consciousness, I heard Cedric’s voice and felt my arms tied to the chair I sat in. I opened my eyes, but a gauzelike hood obscured my vision. I could only make out a few shadowy figures. Father? Stephanie? Instantly, I regretted leaving my iPhone behind.
“You can bet your vacation is cancelled now,” I heard my sister hiss in my ear.
Father asked in a reasonable tone, “Why can’t you learn to respect me? Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
“Kill her. We don’t need her.” Stephanie’s voice came from behind me. She was pacing around the chair. I could barely see her figure out of the corner of my eye. She hit my injured shoulder and pain blazed down my arm.
“In good time,” Father replied.
“What did you tell him? Father, whatever she says, it’s not true.” I spoke to shadows through the hood.
“Ah yes, your sister told me everything. I should have known. Cedric, remove the hood,” Father said.
The hellhound’s paws thumped across the floor as he approached me. His movements beat in time with the pain radiating in my shoulder. The stench of skunk hit me again.
I felt a tug at my neck, and the hood slid free. Father and Stephanie stood laughing before me. Their ‘snake faces’ were already showing. When demons get excited, our true nature comes forth. And today, Father and Stephanie looked like two giant green reptiles dressed in their Sunday best. I found it ironic that they wanted to appear human when they both hated the human race vehemently.
As I realized we were in the tasting room that led to a courtyard on the bottom floor of the winery, it dawned on me that I had yet to see my own ‘snake face.’ Maybe I wasn't a demon like them? I let the thought drift away and prepared for the session.
Full length glass windows surrounded the tasting room. I could see across to the courtyard. The guests mingled under vibrant fire red blossoms of the Japanese maple trees as they examined Father’s new wines.
“Shall I bring them in, your Highness?” Cedric asked.
“Yes, that will be fine,” Father replied. “Line them up here. Stephanie, will you grab that gun on the table there, and the bottle of wine?”
She held a gun that was the size Dirty Harry would carry as she handed Father an opened bottle of wine. Cedric returned with two figures who I thought were Father’s guests. Instead, they were humans. He shoved them to the floor in front of my chair and made them kneel before me.
“Father, what are you doing?” I asked, struggling against my restraints. He ignored me.
He glanced over at Stephanie. She responded by digging her fingers into my shoulder, separating my arm from the socket.
I drew strength from the renewed pain ripping through my shoulder and arm. I directed my anger at Father. “Stop this game, Father! Stop it!”
Instantly he appeared in my face. He slapped me so hard my teeth rattled. “Shut up, you little wench. You started this, do you hear me?” His forked tongue hit me in the face. “A fan of mankind indeed?! I’ll show you.” He paused for a moment as his hot breath repeatedly stung my face. Then he stood and regained his composure. “Do you not recognize your friends? They are some of the new arrivals, who mysteriously found their way up river again, instead of staying with us? Any idea how that happened?”
“I’m not in charge of new arrivals, remember? Ask her.”
Father smiled at me. His long fangs fell over his lips. The green snake pattern on his skin covered all the visible parts of his body. He motioned to Stephanie and said, “Go ahead.”
She responded by walking behind one of the humans, raising the gun to the back of his head, and squeezing the trigger. The gun exploded and the man slumped to the floor.
“Nooo,” I gritted my teeth.
“Who helped you?”
“No one,” I spat.
A second gunshot rang out. I watched the female fall to the floor. Blood spurted from the wound in her head. Nausea surged in the pit of my stomach and I fought against my restraints. The wooden chair bounced from one side to the other, holding me secure.
“You don’t have to tell me who helped you. I know,” Father replied.
I froze.
***
A Fine Batch
“Stephanie,” Father called.
Again, my sister yanked my arm. More pain surged through me. I screamed in agony. “No, no!” I shrieked. Then I heard the doors to the courtyard open and saw Blick enter. His massive height and stature filled the room. Silver highlights like sparks off a firecracker twinkled amid his black fur. He seemed to be glowing a bright green. As he walked into the room, he transformed from the hellhound I knew and loved into a demon.
The pain from my shoulder was affecting my level of concentration. I struggled to stay conscious. I pulled a portion of my lower lip into my mouth and bit down hard. The blood washed over my tongue and I swallowed down the liquid. The new injury reinvigorated me. I blinked my eyes a few times to grasp what I was seeing.
Father reached out and took Blick’s newly formed hand, shaking it. “I’m so glad you’re on the right side, son. Your demon look suits you well and I can understand you now.” Father laughed. “I never gave you a chance. Had I known you were one of us… You will help us show her, yes? Stephanie, give him a glass and pour the wine.”
Blick smiled at Stephanie as she scoffed at him and handed him the filled glass. He drank the liquid. “A fine batch, your Highness.”
“Yes, I do think so myself. Let’s pour her a drink as well. I’ll add just a little something to it.” I watched dumbfounded as Father bit into his hand. He raised his arm. Droplets of blood splashed into the glass. “As I told you earlier, wait for me to make a toast. Then give it to her. Her death will be quick and painless. I have to attend to my guests. Do you mind?”
“Of course not, your Highness.” Blick took the wine from Father.
“Stephanie, Cedric, shall we?” With Stephanie on his left arm, Father opened the doors leading to the courtyard with much pomp and circumstance. Cedric followed.
“No, no, no. Don’t, don’t do this.” I yelled at Blick and wrestled with the wooden chair, hoping to break free.
I heard cheering and applause in the tasting room. Father’s voice rang out as he began his speech. “My guests, I apologize for the delay. Thank you for coming. Today, I would like to present a new wine. The color may seem startling for a wine, but the taste is quite delicious. If my plans come to fruition, I will create many blends from this one. I have selected all of you to be a part of this special project my youngest daughter, Stephanie, will lead. Let us toast to my favorite child.”
In response to his order, Blick pinched my nose shut and forced the liquid in my mouth. The mixture burned as it coursed down my throat. Blick whispered in my ear, “You’ll be okay. I’m going to get you out of here,” and vanished into thin air. I stared blankly at the space he had occupied.
Son of a bitch, he’s gone. What am I going to do?
I wanted to steady my thoughts, but I couldn’t. The pain had control of me. I couldn’t focus enough to reach out to Blick telepathically. It was useless.