#group 10

an improvised fanfic by Group 10 @frenchtoastbuzzbuzz, @fern-daysss, @kloudien and @floofmoon

organised by @sfth-improvised-fic

Summary: Alice-Laura crosses out another spell in her book. Nothing's working. How is she supposed to bring her father back?

Word Count: 867

Read on Ao3 here

For group 10 of the improv fic, @fern-daysss @frenchtoastbuzzbuzz @floofmoon

organised by @sfth-improvised-fic

2980 words

Read on Ao3 here

---

‘I will not let you stalk these halls’, the lone schoolmaster bravely called 

‘you shall not terrorise this town or grow your hell’s bells within these walls’

The devil laughed, the devil grinned, a sound that made his temple wince

‘Don’t you know you’re soon to fall? Then my own trumpets shall mock you all?’

‘Don’t you know it’s a dangerous game? To try and best what you cannot tame?’

A small smile tugged at the corner of Alice-Laura's mouth as she read the bedtime story. Call it childish maybe but it always seemed to help her relax in moments of crisis or stress. Her father  had always read to her, almost every night, when she was small. In fact, Alice-Laura wasn't even sure where he had gotten it from, the book seemed to have been with their family for as long as she could remember.

Tears blurred her vision as she tried to read on. ‘Oh dad…’ she sniffled, ‘I don’t know what to do..’

***

‘John David?’

Maureen really wasn't sure what to do, John David had fallen silent and she was unsure whether she should reach out to him, to press more on what reasons he may have for being down here.

‘I know it might be hard to talk about…’ she started, ‘but surely.. surely you know that you are free from judgement here, I certainly can’t judge, I’ve killed like 20 people..’ She winced as she trailed off at the end there, maybe reminding someone that you’re a serial killer is not the best way to get them to open up, but she’s trying her best.

‘It.. its not that’

John David sighed, wringing his hands as he tried to get the words out.

‘I’ve just.. Never really told anybody about this’, he looked up at Maureen, ’I mean really nobody, I’ve not even let myself think about it for prolonged periods of time’.

Maureen tried to nod understandingly.

‘I mean… the truth is I don’t even remember what happened fully, not really’, there was a bitter edge to John David’s voice, one that hinted at past sorrows and deep regrets.

He turned away from Maureen once again, shifting his eyes to gaze out over the fires and brimstones of Hell.

‘I guess there truly is no place more suited for this story than here though..’ he let out a feeble chuckle.

He plopped down on the ground, and Maureen followed suit, shuffling forwards slightly.

‘When I was a teen, not much older than Alice is now, I was incredibly fascinated by Satanism, I was introduced to it by a friend of mine, Drefan and my brother Braen. They were a part of a larger group of teens, a couple years older than I, who all practised Satanism.’ John David paused, giving Maureen time to process the information.

‘Drefan introduced me to his group, they called themselves the ‘Order of Datura’’ He laughed again, ‘God it seems so childish now, but they had books, filled with runes and incantations, they had camaraderie and a level of understanding with one another than drew me in’. 

John David paused again, this time looking out over the boiling seas of hellfire with a mournful smile.

‘And I wanted that, to be a part of something’.

His mournful smile suddenly fell to a resentful scowl and Maureen almost flinched at the whiplash of emotion.

‘They used my desire to be included. They used me to conduct their rituals. It started out small, I was to fetch an ingredient or two, then I was to help lay them out, soon I was drawing the runes and before I knew it they were making marks on me, on my skin’. He seemed to shudder in remembrance. ‘By the time I realised that I was to be their sacrificial lamb I was already bound to the chopping block, ready for the slaughter’.

John David faltered, brows furrowing as he tried to conjure up the next sentence.

‘They tied me up I know for sure, and they made markings on my body…’ he rolled up his sleeve, turning his arm over to give Maureen a better view of his forearm, revealing jagged scars that curled in the shape of familiar runes.

He let out a frustrated sigh, ‘Yet I can never quite remember what happened that night. I remember passing out from the pain and when I came to.. the room was empty. My friend, Drefan, his body lay mere centimetres away from me and the state he was in is an image I could never scrub from my mind’. A pained look crossed his face. ‘In that moment I didn’t know what to do, I was only sixteen and my friend lay dead in front of me. So I did the only thing that made sense to me in that situation and I ran’.

He pulled back down his sleeve and turned away from Maureen.

‘I ran away from it all and hoped that I could just leave it all behind’. His voice became choked with emotion as he spoke once more, ‘but I guess it had to catch up to me eventually’.

There was a pause, now that John David had finished his story. A silence filled with grief as much as it was with regret and anger. Maureen was reeling, not having expected such a horrific story, but unphased enough by her own experiences to ask what was weighing on her mind.

‘Do you think you killed him?’

John David’s head whipped around.

‘Your friend- Drefan, I mean’.

‘I don’t know’. Came John David’s response. ‘I feel like I would know in my soul if I had done such a thing but I really don’t know’.

‘It’s just… if you had just been a pawn, their ‘sacrificial lamb’ as you said.. Then you were the victim, you should have no reason to be trapped down here’.

‘I know’ sighed John David, ‘and that’s what worries me.’

Maureen looked him over, he was a man defeated by strife yet she was certain of his character and couldn't quite believe that he could have done something deserving of eternal damnation. Suddenly a thought struck her mind.

‘Do you remember what the ritual was for?’

John David raised an exquisite eyebrow, ‘I’m not entirely sure but I believe they were trying to exchange me, or my blood or soul or something like that in return for something else…’

‘Wait- sorry, say that again? The bit about exchanging something of yours?’ She clarified. 

John David was confused as to where Maureen was going with this but repeated himself anyways, ‘I think they wanted to exchange my blood or soul for-’

‘That’s probably it!’ Maureen exclaimed, cutting him off by accident. John David just tilted his head, perplexed at Maureen's newfound excitement. 

‘What’s ‘it’?’ He questioned.

‘A soul, your soul- that's what ties people to heaven or hell and maybe if they were trying to exchange your soul for something else, if the Order of Datura got what they wanted but you managed to keep your soul in that moment, then that means when you died Satan dragged you down to hell as repayment for whatever they took!’

‘That’s... possible’, for the first time since he’d arrived in hell that day John David started to feel a kindling of hope burning in his chest.

‘Maybe if we can find out what they took, and return it, your soul will no longer be tied to hell?’

John David all but grinned. ‘That might just work!’ Jumping onto his feet with a newfound determination he waved over the ferryman who was just coming into dock.

Turning back to Maureen he beamed with anticipation, ‘Let’s go find Beelzebubette and ask if she knows what they took all those years ago!’.

***

Teatime and then bedtime went by and still Alice-Laura found herself slumped over her books in the bathroom. She found it easiest to work here where she could lock the rest of the world out and focus on her texts. Not to mention the mirror in here was clearly some sort of odd window to the other side. The incredibly upsetting experience of seeing her recently deceased father screaming through the mirror just a few days prior was still very fresh in her mind.

Two quiet knocks on the bathroom door pulled her out of her thoughts.

‘Alice… when will you come out?’ the very small voice of her younger brother questioned from the other side of the door. Following but slightly more muffled came, ‘I’m sorry we had an argue earlier… I miss spending time with you, you’ve spent forever in the bathroom since dad went away again…’

Alice-Laura bit her lip, careful not to let Jimmy hear the wobble in her voice.

‘I know Jimmy I’m sorry, but I think I’m almost finished..’ Lies. ‘Just a little longer then it will be back to normal again, yeah?’ More lies. ‘Okay… nighty night then’ Jimmy replied.

Alice-Laura waited until his shuffled footsteps faded away before hanging her head in her hands and collapsing in sobs.

No matter how much she lied and wished it was true. Nothing would ever return to normal. Not anymore. Not if she went through with what the devil asked of her.

She’d been trying for hours and yet nothing in any of her books explained why her dad was being taken to hell, nor what she could do to get him back and keep her own soul at the same time.

‘Your time is running out…’ a faint voice whispered in her head. Alice-Laura shot up, looking around frantically before realising who had spoken.

‘Please…’ she begged, ‘I don’t understand why it has to be this way’.

She could almost sense the devil’s irritation before he even spoke.

‘It’s really not hard to understand-eh…’ he muttered in annoyance. ‘Since you want to return his soul to the living realm your soul must be exchanged in place. Surely you understand this buttercup?’

‘But why mine? Why not someone else’s? Even an animal-?’

The devil’s voice boomed in her head, ‘No!’, she flinched at the loudness. ‘The Datura ritual requires a blood relative- oh whatever I really do not have time for this!’

Alice-Laura perked up, ‘Wait what ritual-’ but before she could even finish her sentence she felt his presence vacate her mind.

Datura?

Wasn't that a flower? Grabbing one of her books on various nature-related rituals she flipped to the index, scanning the names under ‘D’ until- there! ‘Datura’, written in red ink right under a couple other rituals she’d already tried with Daisies and Daffodils. She flipped backwards in the book until she reached the right page. Her eyes widened, how had she not noticed this before? The page was incredibly detailed, in fact it looked like someone had been writing in the margins.

Reading over both the book’s original text and the handwritten notes, two key phrases caught her eyes; ‘common names include; hell’s bells or devil’s trumpets’ and hastily scribbled next to the title of the page ‘used in the exchange ritual’.

Alice-Laura mentally reprimanded herself for not checking these pages out earlier, she’d skipped over them initially since Datura weren't native to England but clearly that’d been a huge oversight. Not to mention, now that she thought about it, she remembered helping weed out the Datura from their garden. Dad hated the sight of them so she and Jimmy would always have fun getting to cut them back.

Now.. why did those common names for the plant stick out to her so much? 

‘Hell’s bells’ and ‘devil’s trumpets’.

Where had she heard that before? It felt shockingly familiar… her eyes wandered until they caught sight of her old storybook.

Oh.

***

‘Just a minute please!’ Beelzebubette’s shrill voice called from within her office. John David and Maureen stood waiting on the other side. He let out a sigh of relief as Beelzebubette’s door finally swung open. They entered her office and the door slammed shut behind them.

They felt Beelzebubette’s gaze on them as they approached her desk.

‘Maureen… and John David. Again.’ Her voice carried a tired and somewhat exasperated tone.

‘Yes hello..’ John David replied, echoed by Maureen's ‘Hi again’.

‘What can I do for you this time? Do you need to speak to the devil again? Because I’m afraid you won’t find yourself in such luck as the last two times’, she asked, muttering the last part.

‘Uh no actually-’ John David started, ‘We wanted to ask you about- wait what do you mean I won’t have the same luck?’.

Beelzebubette just waved her hand in dismissal. ‘Never mind that, what did you want to ask me?’

Slightly unsure now but still desiring answers he started to explain his situation, with Maureen coming in at times to explain her theory on why his soul is trapped in hell.

‘Hmm..’ Beelzebubette sat pondering. ‘Well I suppose it is bizarre that you returned here once again even after I cleared your name…’

‘Right? That’s what I said!’ Maureen exclaimed.

Beelzebubette was quiet for a moment before turning to meet John David’s eye with a grave expression that made his stomach flip and his small flame of hope flicker.

‘If we assume that this is the truth of what transpired that day. Then it is of great importance that you find this object they supposedly took, and fast. I can help you by looking into previous missing items of importance in hell, but that will take time.’

John David didn’t like the sound of that.

‘Is there any particular reason for the time pressure?’

Beelzebubette sighed, ‘I’m not really supposed to tell you this… but since you’ve died three times now your soul is much more permanently tied with hell, therefore, if you wish to return to the land of the living you will either need to exchange your soul for this object, or…’

Beelzebubette’s eyes seem almost pitying for a moment before returning to their natural apathy.

‘Someone of your same blood must give their soul in place’.

John David’s heart plummeted.

‘As I’m sure you’ll now realise, that would mean-’

‘Alice!’ He gasped in horror at the prospect of his daughter being stuck down here.

‘But surely she’d have to agree to something like that? The devil cannot just take her right?’

Beelzebubette’s stoney exterior once again softened to one of gentle sympathy and the next words that left her lips turned his stomach cold.

‘I’m afraid she’s already agreed’.

***

Alice-Laura cannot believe how blind she’d been. The answer had been in front of her all along! She can’t believe it’d taken her this long to put it all together. Compiling the information from her satanic books, her childhood bedtime story and the scribbled notes whose handwriting was far too similar to her father’s for it to be a coincidence, she had started to form an idea of what happened.

Her dad had somehow been a part of the ‘Datura’ flower ritual, which seemed to be used in order to exchange things between the land of the living and hell, although which part she was unsure of. She had also not quite figured out why that meant his soul was trapped in hell, but she was confident she could figure it out with time.

Additionally, it seemed that a large portion of her bedtime story had been written by her dad. Although the handwriting was different, older, when compared directly next to the handwriting in the nature book it was obvious that it was written by the same person.

Therefore she wondered if the ritual could somehow be reversed… or revoked? Alike how the schoolmaster had managed to use his words and wits to stop the devil from destroying his town… maybe the story held the final clue to fixing all of this!

Abruptly her thoughts were interrupted by a cry of- ‘Alice!’

She whipped around, half-expecting to see her mum at the door but instead the voice came from the mirror… her dad!

She scrambled to get up, resting her hands on the sink as she peered into the mirror. There was nothing for a moment until suddenly her reflection warped and in its place was the pale reflection of her dad.

‘Alice, I can’t hear or see you so I don’t know if you’re getting this. But please. Please. Do not sacrifice your soul for me.’

She gripped the sinkbowl, how could he ask her to do that? To just let him die?

‘There is another way… but it requires an object, one that you have to find’

She steeled herself, she had already done so much, she would not stop until she brought her dad back, whatever object it was, she’d find it.

‘I can’t explain everything now, but I was involved in a ritual where they exchanged my soul for that object, if you can find the object then you can exchange it in return for my soul’

God… Alice-Laura didn’t want to think about what that meant her dad had been though…

‘I’m sorry to have to ask this of you my darling…’ He faded away and there was quiet muttering for a moment, as if he was talking to someone else before he appeared again, ‘We’ve been trying to figure out what the object might be and so far the only missing item of importance from hell that fits the timeline of events is a small necklace with carnelian engravings, I know that's not much to go off but it’s all we’ve got…’ his voice started to fade again, ‘I’m sorry my darling, I wish I had more time, I love you so mu…’.

And just like that he was gone, her reflection appearing once again in the mirror.

Group 10 in the improv fic challenge!!!

Group 10: @fern-daysss @frenchtoastbuzzbuzz @kloudien

organised by @sfth-improvised-fic

Chapter 4:

Alice-Laura rushed out of the bathroom and across the hall to her little brother’s room.

There was no time to waste.

She flung the door of the bedroom open and stormed into Jimmy sitting cross legged on the floor, staring at his iPad, playing some kind of game with a bunch of bright colours involved. Upon Alice-Laura’s entrance he looked up from the screen and shouted “Alice! You can’t come into my room! I haven’t said it’s ok for you to come in!” Alice-Laura groaned and snapped “Jimmy this is REALLY serious I need to get daddy back and to do so I need a necklace that I’m pretty sure you ha-” Jimmy stood up, making the iPad clatter down onto the floor and interrupted Alice-Laura. “Lissssyyyyy!!! Get out! Or I’ll tell mummy!” he whined and stomped his foot.  Alice-Laura let out a sigh of frustration and hurried out of Jimmy’s room, slamming the door behind her. It would be quicker to conform to Jimmy’s silly rules than not, and then having to waste even more time arguing with her mum.

Time was running out.

She took a deep breath and knocked onto Jimmy’s door. A small pause. “Who?” asked Jimmy’s voice from inside the bedroom. “Your sister Alice, Jimmy. May I come in please?” replied Alice-Laura in the sweetest tone she could muster. “Okay, come in,” came Jimmy’s answer and Alice-Laura immediately swung open the door and went over to her little brother. “Hey,” she said and rested her hand on Jimmy’s shoulder as his gaze did not leave the iPad as she came in for the second time. Jimmy shoved her hand off and mumbled “what!” his eyes still glued to the screen. Sighing, Alice-Laura swiftly grabbed the iPad out of Jimmy’s grip.

There was no time to waste.

Immediately Jimmy looked up at Alice-Laura and screamed, “HEY! Give iPad back!”  Raising the iPad over her head, Alice-Laura looked down at Jimmy and said sternly, “Jimmy, you will get iPad back if you can tell me where that necklace that Uncle Braen gave you is, like for your birthday last year or something? Please tell me you remember?” During this, Jimmy listened, eyes fixed on the iPad, mouth agape. As Alice-Laura finished he replied, “ummm, yeah Uncle Braen gave me neck -a- lace… uhhhh I think its… in the drawer there?” he gestured over to the drawer on the other side of the room. “Alright, thanks, that wasn’t so hard now was it?” said Alice-Laura, dropping the iPad into Jimmy’s awaiting hands, mumbling to herself that she was thankful that he was being cooperative for once. She leaped over to the drawer and yanked it open. It was a mess.

Broken crayons, scrunched up paper, sticks from outside, stones presumably from the beach, random metal trinkets? And what on earth is that? Christ on a bike Jimmy, your drawer is not a garbage bin!

After a thorough rummage, she saw something that would resemble a necklace and picked it up to look at it more closely. It was a simple piece of jewellery: a plain silver chain accompanied by a round, blood red carnelian pendant. However, after further inspection, Alice-Laura saw that there was a pentagram, and some other smaller symbols intricately carved into the gemstone. Suddenly a quiet, yet somehow booming voice entered her head.

MY PENDANT, WHERE IS IT? DID SOMEONE TAKE IT? IT’S GONE! THOSE THAT HAVE TAKEN IT MUST PAY!

Immediately Alice-Laura dropped the necklace back into the drawer in shock. After composing herself again she thought,

Well, there’s no doubting this is the right thing I’m looking for then.

Grabbing one of the scrap papers in the drawer, she carefully wrapped the necklace into it, avoiding having to touch it. This worked well.

Thank goodness no devil voices in my head if I pick it up like this.

She shoved the small package into her pocket and raced to the bathroom.

Wait

If she had to get the necklace to hell, she would have to create another portal, but she couldn’t trust Jimmy to go down to dad with the necklace, it was too risky. What if something went wrong? But then she would have to go. But then who would make the portal? Jimmy can’t of course. Then who?

I’m going to have to ask mum for help, I didn’t want to involve her, but I guess I have no choice…

Alice-Laura spun around and leaped down the stairs and into the kitchen where she could hear her mum talking. She burst in and her mum looked at her, phone at her ear. Before Alice-Laura could speak, her mum mouthed “one moment” and held up her finger. “Yes, tomorrow would be good, it’s a hazard you know? Thank you very much. Good day.” finished her mum and then turned her attention to her daughter. “Who was that?” asked Alice-Laura. “Oh, I was just calling a carpenter, you know the stairs at the front porch a slightly broken so they need to be fixed before someone like Jimmy has an accident…. Anyway, what is it dear?” Alice-Laura paused, trying to think of how she would formulate this request, then eventually exclaimed, “Ok so mum uh, I know how to get dad back, all I have to do is to give something to him in hell and he will be fine! All I ask is if you can get me and dad back out from hell once I get to him. Its easy! I’ll tell you what to do so don’t worry!” and put on the biggest smile she could and hoped her tone was reassuring. Her mum thought for a second then replied, “of course dear, explain to me exactly what I have to do?” Turning around, Alice-Laura answered, “I’ll explain in the bathroom, come!”

***

Maureen placed her hand on John’s shoulder. He let out a defeated sigh. “Well at least there is some chance she can get both of you back safely?” said Maureen, hoping she could lighten John’s mood. Shoving her hand off, John put his head into his hands and cried, “This is all just some big mess. What have I gotten myself into? What have I gotten her into? My daughter could die and it’s all my fucking fault,” Maureen stuffed her hands into her pockets unsure what to do and noticed Beelzebubette had been staring at them the whole time. They made eye contact. “Uhm, do you want a hell-crisp?” she asked and offered a red plastic bag full of black crips at them. John looked up and mumbled, “sure” grabbing a crisp and popped it into his mouth. It burned his tongue, but he didn’t care, it was the least of his worries. Maureen shook her head as she was offered one too and Beelzebubette retracted her arm, reclined in her chair and put her feet up on her desk.

“You did what you could John. You told her what she can do and then we can hope she follows through. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best. We will just pray that they can get the necklace down here to us.” said Maureen firmly and gripped John’s shoulder again. John sighed and agreed “yeah I guess you’re right Maure-”

“Wait - wait a moment who’s coming? I swear to Satan if it’s that little brat of yours again John I’m going to punch a hole through this desk and quit my job,” interrupted Beelzebubette, knocking over a cup as she swung her legs off the desk, her attention completely directed at John.

“No, I think it might be his daughter this time Betty,” answered Maureen, and Beelzebubette’s eyes snapped from her to John as he nodded in agreement.

“Well thank fuck for that,” said Beelzebubette and relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief, spearing a hell-crisp with one of her sharp, crimson nails, popping it into her mouth.

“Anyway John, if your daughter is coming with the necklace, we should be there to receive her, let’s go to the ferryman now because I can see he is on his way over here,” said Maureen and with that, her and John bid all their “goodbye’s” and “see you later probably’s” to Beelzebubette and walked towards the river.

“G’day, where in hell can I take you’s today?” greeted the Ferryman as Maureen and John boarded the ghostly boat. “Hello Mr. Ferryman, we actually need to go back to the ‘landing point’ for all the new souls who are being dropped off here, we are expecting someone you see,” answered Maureen and the Ferryman gave them a thumbs up. “Just give me a sec,” he said, “need to turn the boat around then,” He got up and detached the motor from the front of the boat, attaching it onto the back instead. After taking his seat, he looked back at the passengers and said, “alrighty! Off we go,”

***

“Yeah, so after I’ve gone in for about, let’s say twenty minutes? Then say this incantation and if everything has gone to plan, me and dad will reappear right here in the pentagram.” finished Alice-Laura, pointing at a certain passage in “the satanic rituals”. Her mum gave a small sigh and replied, “Alright honey, I trust you, just - just be safe ok,” she reached out and ruffled Alice-Laura’s hair. Smiling, she said, “Don’t worry mum, I’ll be back in a jiffy,” and went to stand in the middle of the pentagram.

***

John paced around his imaginary circle for what felt to be the umpteenth time and groaned.

All my fucking fault, she is going to get herself killed because of my STUPID actions. Oh Alice-Laura, what have I gotten us into?

Maureen stood by the river, talking with the ferryman.

“So, if you could, it would be lovely if you can hang around here because if things go as they should, we will need a ride back to Satan’s quarters soon,” asked Maureen and quickly glanced back at John who seemed to be mutating into a puddle of depression: she sighed. The Ferryman pulled out a sheet of paper and said, “hmm well I can probably stay here for a little longer, I’m a little ahead of schedule so I’m sure I can wait until I start my rounds again,” Thanking him, Maureen walked back over to John and hesitated before asking in a small voice, “John…um… are you… alright? Can - can I help?” John’s head snapped up to look at Maureen and he hissed, “No I’m not fucking alright, what makes YOU think ANY of this could POSSIBLY be alright. My daughter is up there, with barely any leads as to WHAT she is doing, RISKING her life for my IDIOTIC actions. All my fault… all my fucking fault…. JUST LEAVE ME ALONE OK!” He buried his head into his hands. Maureen took a step back, a little shocked by John’s sudden outburst, but surprised herself even more as she ended up approaching him again and said in an even smaller voice, “John…. please…. it’s not…it’s not your fault…. just... just have faith in your daughter…she will find the necklace,” John looked up at Maureen again, and surprised her for the third time by standing quickly up and hugged her tightly.  “Sorry Maureen… I just… overwhelming... worried… I don’t know-” began John, but Maureen cut him off, “its ok - I understand,” and returned the hug.

THUMP!

“Ow,” said Alice-Laura as she found herself on the hard stone floor of hell. John and Maureen immediately looked over and as soon as they realized who it was, they quickly rushed to her. Maureen felt like she ran fast but John overtook her in an instant, scooping Alice-Laura up, shouting “ALICE!” and she replied with an equally ecstatic “DAD!”

After a brief reunion, John let his daughter go and started to ask, “so do, do you, you got the um-”

“Yes, I’ve got the necklace dad!” answered Alice-Laura and pulled out the package out of her pocket. John kissed her on the head, grabbed her hand and beckoned her over to the awaiting Ferryman.

Eventually, they reached Beelzebubette’s office once again, and before John even knocked onto the secretary’s door, they heard her voice saying, “Just fucking come in, John, Maureen whichever or how many you are, at this point I don’t give a damn,” John opened the door to see Beelzebubette with her feet still propped up on the desk, the cup she had dropped earlier still on the floor, her mascara was smudged and there was a distinct smell of cigarettes in the room. “You got the necklace I assume?” said Beelzebubette, her eyes not leaving the pen that she was twirling in one hand. It spun out of control and flew across the room. Fuck. “Yes! We got the necklace and - um… are you good?” began John the concern growing in his tone the longer he looked at the secretary. “I’m fine it’s just been a rough day…so much rescheduling work to do, didn’t have time for lunch and I’ve cracked one of my best nails and bla bla…,” she sighed heavily and finally looked up at them, “well give me the necklace and I’ll talk to the big man and see what I can do,” John gave Alice-Laura a little nudge and she hesitantly shuffled over to Beelzebubette: she had never seen hell before, let alone the ones that lived there. It had always been Jimmy that went down. So she was bound to being a little nervous. Well I guess there is a first time for everything. She held her breathe as she dropped the packaged necklace onto Beelzebubette’s desk and almost squeaked as the secretary briefly shook her hand saying, “hello deary, you must be John’s daughter, nice to meet you,” As the group waited for Beelzebubette to return, they all jumped as a great booming sound came suddenly from the room in which the secretary was supposedly talking to the “big man”. The great booming sound was then accompanied by a smaller higher pitch sound, which they figured was Beelzebubette talking. Another huge boom, followed by some chatter. Eventually the secretary emerged from the room and said, panting a little, “the boss man said yea! You can get home now - but he is NOT in a good mood goddamn. I could barely understand what he was saying but it was something about his distant cousin turning dead souls into parts of a train instead of directing them here to hell instead or something silly like that,” John pranced over to Beelzebubette and exclaimed, “thank you so much for all your help! Could never have done it without you.” Glancing down at her watch, Alice-Laura mentioned, “right dad, if mum is on schedule, we should be transported back into the living world in about two minutes!”

***

Looking at the big analog clock on the wall, Alice-Laura’s mum reread the passage of the book in her head again. There should be no way it messes up. It was almost time, just one more minute, she could do this. Thirty seconds Twenty seconds Ten Five Four Three Two One She raised her hand and said the incantation as loudly and clearly as she could. CRACK! Alice-Laura, clutching onto her dad, looking like she was holding on for dear life, and John smiling, staring at his wife, appeared in the middle of the pentagram. Later that evening after dinner, after most of the food had been cleared up, John looked out the window and saw the beginning of what seemed to be a beautiful sunset. He turned to his family, “I should take a walk, I need to feel the fresh air again, its like it gets worse and worse every time I get put back into that horrid place,” he said, and with a sigh, he walked out the door. “Wait DAD THE STAIR’S ARE STILL BR-” began Alice-Laura.

CRASH!

….

for @grishaversebigbang mini bang 2021 ! all the love to my amazing gang, who supported me through many an idea change ! please go support their INCREDIBLE art pieces as well.

@juliettecai [x]

@pinapleleeart [x]

summary:

tamar and tolya’s rules were simple:

1. remember their training.

2. stick together.

3. survive, whatever it took.

number 3 never proved an issue, as long as they followed number 2.