I turned my head to look at where “Daddy” was, and I had to admit, it really did look like him. They were getting better at this. But I was wise to them. So I pretended to take their bait and walked over to him. And then, just when he was looking at me with that dopey face and his obvious fake tears, I clenched my fist and let him have it as hard as I could.
I’m not sure why, but Mommy always said that if I ever had to fight a man, especially one bigger than me, I should hit him in the crotch. Well, it worked. “Daddy” crumpled to the floor like a sack of turnips. “This isn’t real,” I said. “Last time there were ponies. And that was nice, until you tied me to five of them and had them pull me apart. But I don’t believe you this time. You can’t fool me. Just get the torture over with.”
The dwarf in the group looked surprised. Boris, I think his name was. How did I know that? No matter. “That’s not very healthy thinking, young lady. No one’s going to torture anyone, little girl.”
I rolled my eyes. “No silly voices,” I said. “I don’t like it when you do silly voices.”
“What silly voice?” Burin asked. I thought I heard the man with the beard chuckle at the question.
I rolled my eyes again. “Look, if you’re not going to get it on with, I’m going into the other room. Come bother me when you’re ready to stop playing these stupid games.”
As I went to the door furthest from me, I heard the bearded man speak up. “Yes, that is Terry’s child, alright,” he said with a laugh. We’d see who was laughing when I shaved that stupid beard off of his dumb demon face.
They were so stupid they didn’t notice me grabbing a weapon as I entered the bedroom. So, weapon in hand, I waited in the next room, just by the door, where I listened, because I knew one of them would say something that would reveal the truth.
I heard “Daddy” groan. It sounded like they were helping him up to a chair. “Are you okay?” the bearded man asked.
“”Good news,” he replied with a wheeze. “The body is complete.”
“Good to hear,” one of the women asked. “But more importantly, are you okay?”
“I don’t know.” There was pain in “Daddy’s” voice. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t solve this problem by shooting it or feeding it.”
“I’ll talk with her,” the woman said.
The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I don’t know why, but I found myself terrified at the thought of facing her. It was almost like facing a giant spider or a poisonous snake. As pretty as she was, she was dangerous. That much was certain, even if I didn’t know why I thought that.
So I did the only thing I could think of. I dove under the bed, weapon in hand. A few moments later, I heard the door creak open and saw her walk in. For a moment, I was curious how she could even walk in those shoes. The heel had to be six inches long, but I quickly recovered my wits.
“Go away,” I said. “I have a broom.”
“What?” the woman asked, sounding totally disinterested. “Did you say something?” She had to be lying. Didn’t she? “I’m just here,” she continued, “because this is my bedroom and I wanted a little privacy to fondly my beautiful wife for a few minutes before I have to get going.”
She was definitely lying. “I’m not scared of you. And you’re not my mom.”
“You know,” she said, a twinkle of laughter in her voice, “you should really be careful under there. That’s the den of a vicious monster.”
“Don’t think I’m so stupid that I…” but I didn’t finish the sentence, because I felt something brush up against my leg. So I darted out from under the bed and ran to the nearest corner of the room, holding my broom out defensively against the monster and the woman, who was laughing at me. Her laugh was clear, like a bell. Much different than the laughs the demons had made before.
But that was just another part of their trick.
“What do you want?” I asked. “You guys usually get bored and start torturing me by now.”
“Are you sure you fixed her?” came the voice of the bearded man standing in the doorway. “She’s acting just like he did when we first met him.”
The woman looked over at him. “On my home world, we have a saying about apples and trees that I suspect applies here.”
The word “apples” reminded me just how long it had been since I had eaten. The demons hadn’t really fed me, and when they did, it always turned to something gross to make me throw up. But I was so hungry that I was willing to risk it if they offered me food. I just wasn’t sure how to ask for something.
I didn’t have to ask. My stomach made a noise on its own. The woman laughed. “Greta, dear, our guest seems to be hungry. Grab her something to eat? Something sweet if we have it.”
A few moments later, the big scary woman with only one arm and way too many teeth came in, holding a plate with some kind of bread on it. The bread was covered in white powder and sliced berries. “Will this do?” she asked.
“Blini?” the woman asked. “Yes, I think that will do nicely.” She took the plate and took a bite of the meal. “See?” she said after swallowing her bite. “It’s safe to eat, if you want some.” She held out the plate to me.
My hunger got the best of my caution and I snatched the plate from her. I sniffed at the food, then took a bite. It was super sweet and amazingly delicious. The demons had never fed me something like this before.
“It seems she likes it,” the bearded man – Gregor, I think his name was? – said.
“So it would seem,” the younger woman said. “But it would be rude not to ask. What do you think, Emily?”
“I…” I wasn’t sure what to say. If I said I liked it, they would take it away. That’s how they did things. “It’s missing something. Something bitter, I think?” I said.
Gregor laughed. “I know just the thing. I will be right back.”
He returned a couple minutes later holding a mug. Steam was rising from the top. He set it on the ground near me and stepped back, allowing me to grab it with no one close by. I did so and looked at it. The liquid was dark, almost black, and it smelled terrible. Yet, at the same time, something was telling me to taste it. So I gave it a sip.
“What do you think?” the woman repeated.
“It’s… disgusting,” I said. But for some reason, I drank more. First a sip, then a gulp. “I don’t know why I can’t stop drinking it,” I admitted. As I drank it, I felt better. Much better, and more awake.
“I’ll have to discuss caffeine addiction with your father,” the woman said.
Gregor left, but the two women stood there quietly while I ate and drank. After several minutes, I spoke up again. “Who are you supposed to be, anyway? Usually you pretend to be my mother or father. Or Toby. Or sometimes, even the man who… who…” I couldn’t talk about him anymore.
“The man who killed you?” the woman asked. I nodded. “Typhon Lee,” she said. Her voice was angry as she said it. And the other woman, Greta, made a sound like a wolf growling at the sound of the words.
Suddenly, my head began to hurt a little. I saw flashes, images of things that had happened, or at least, things they wanted me to think had happened. But even knowing they weren’t real, I couldn’t help myself. I began to cry. “Bekkin…” was all I said.
“That confirms it,” the woman said. “You do have some of his memories, after all.” Who did she mean? “Tell me, since you’re in a place to have a look inside his head. Is there any rational explanation for why he shot that tree and offered it cake?”
I tried to think, but my mind only showed flashes and images. But one image was very clear. I saw a big chocolate cake covered in frosting. “You have cake!” I accused. “And you brought me this instead?!”
“That’s basically cake,” the woman said. She sounded a bit offended. “And it’s covered in fruit and powdered sugar.”
“But there’s no frosting,” I said. “Which means this really is Hell.” I then proceeded to pout. The woman just let me, saying nothing for several minutes. “So, are you going to kill me, or what?” I asked, finally.
The woman shrugged. “I wasn’t particularly planning on it. But I’m pretty sure you’re grounded for punching your dad in the dick.”
“That’s not Daddy,” I said. She looked dubious. “Look, this is how it works. I wake up. ‘Daddy’ is there. He tells me I’m safe, but then he turns into a monster and he hurts me until I give up. Then he kills me. And then I wake up again and he’s there to tell me I’m safe. It’s a loop de loop. And I’m tired of doing it.”
She looked concerned. “So Typhon really did condemn you to the Abyss?”
“You mean here? Isn’t this hell?”
The dwarf walked into the room. “Well, actually,” Boris said, “there’s a difference between Hell and the Abyss. Hell is where devils live, and is a place of extreme order. If you were there, they’d break you so they could make you into one of them, a perfect soldier or servant for their grand army. In the Abyss, they’re a lot less organized. Their base urges define them. They’d break you over and over just because it amuses them. And then, of course, there’s Abaddon, home of the daemons. They’d just destroy your soul because they hate everything.”
Satisfied he’d explained everything, the dwarf nodded and left. The woman was shaking her head. “Sorry. He means well,” she apologized.
“He seems nice,” I said. Then I saw an image and couldn’t stop laughing. “He blew up. But he was okay. Wait, what does blorbleglorp mean?”
“No idea. I don’t speak the language of water elementals. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I think it has something to do with torches.”
The woman snorted. “Yeah, that would fit.”
Curiosity seized me. Carefully, I peered under the bed. “Come out, mister demon. I’m ready for whatever game you’re playing.” A small creature crawled out from under the bed. It was so cute! “KITTY!” I said, forgetting myself as I snatched up the cat and hugged it tightly to my chest.
“Do you know her name?” the woman asked me patiently.
I thought for a moment. “Nova? No, that’s not right.” I squeezed the cat. “Usually when you squeeze toys like this, they say something.”
“Think harder. You know the answer.”
I tried to focus on the cat. “She… can turn into stuff?” Then it came to me. I held up the cat, looking it straight in the face. “Blurblegrapble!” I said.
The cat blinked in surprise and looked at the woman. “It’s the wrong language, but it’s the right word,” she said.
I KNEW IT. “You CAN talk!” I said, hugging the cat to me. I then held her out again. “Hi. I’m Emily,” I said.
“Hello, Emily,” the cat responded. “You may call me Nebula.”
“Nice to meet you, Nebula,” I answered. Mom always told me it was important to return politeness when someone showed it to you. “I’m having trouble remembering who the lady over there is. Can you help me?”
“Her name is Lyriana,” Nebula answered. “She is my human. I keep an eye on her because she is always getting into trouble.” The cat seemed to be teasing the woman, but I could tell that the cat loved her.
“Life’s no fun if you don’t get into a little trouble,” Lyriana answered, pouting. I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the childish expression she made while doing it.
I sighed. “Hello, Lyriana,” I said. “Part of me thinks that you’re okay, but that part of me has lied to me before.” I looked her in the eyes. There was a tear in one of hers. “You’re very pretty,” I said, not sure why. “I want to grow up to be pretty like my mom, but I’m just me.”
The woman smiled at me. “I wouldn’t worry about that too much, Emily. I suspect that you’re going to grow up to be very pretty. In fact, maybe Greta can teach you how to be better at fighting with that broom. You’re going to need it to keep the boys away.” She laughed. “Not too far away, of course. Letting them get a little close is half the fun.”
She was talking about grown up stuff. But she seemed to mean it. “I miss my mom,” I said.
“I know how that feels, kiddo. I miss my mom, too.”
“Where is your mom?”
“On another world, fighting to try to protect my people from monsters from the sky. Would you like to see what she looks like?”
I considered it. “Yes, please.”
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object. With a quick flick of her wrist, it opened up, revealing some kind of mirror or something. An image flashed through my mind. “I’ve seen one of those before. But there were a lot of naked people in the mirror.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Interesting,” was all she said. She touched the mirror and a picture of a beautiful woman in shining armor appeared. The knight lady was holding a really big sword that looked like two swords stuck together by the tips of their handles.
“She’s very pretty,” I said. “How did she get that scar on her eye?”
“There was a war, when she was younger than I am now. She fought against an entire army and won.” I could tell she was exaggerating, but there was pride in Lyriana’s voice. She touched the screen and another image appeared. “This is my dad.”
I couldn’t see much more than his face, but he seemed kind, considering the happy grin on his face. “How did you meet my ‘dad’?” I asked.
“We found him and the dwarf in a ditch on the side of the road.”
“Dwarf?” I thought for a second. Oh! “Boris, you mean?”
She laughed. “Close enough.”
“Do you like my dad?”
“Between you and me,” she said, leaning in to whisper, “sometimes he makes me want to kill him.”
“Mom used to say that too. So, you’re friends?”
She tilted her head as she thought about it. “You know, I guess you could say that, more or less.”
I sighed. “So this isn’t real. Mom says he doesn’t have any friends. Except her, I guess, but only because she made him kidnap her.” I looked at Lyriana’s shoes. “So, are you going to stab me with those?”
“What?” She looked at her feet. “No. But I can take them off if it would make you more comfortable.” She didn’t even wait for my answer and quickly removed the boots.
Curious, I took the boots and tried putting them on. They were a little big for my feet, but not too big. Still, they were weird, and hard to walk in. Lyriana had to catch me to keep me from falling. “Are you going to make me walk in them? Is that the torture this time?” I tried standing again. “Ow. That hurts worse than the lava. How do you walk in those?”
“You have to practice,” she said. “But the way it makes your butt look is worth it.” Why would someone want their butt to look good? Was that more adult stuff? “I remember butts… and a gun?”
There was a knock at the door and Lyriana went to go talk to Gregor. “Will push ups help little girl feel better? Not a lot, maybe a hundred or so,” he whispered.
There was a pained look on Lyriana’s face. “Gregor…” she said.
“What? It makes me feel better.” He leaned in and whispered quieter. “We have to make progress soon, or Terry may do something stupid. Burin has been talking to him and he hasn’t said anything mean this whole time.”
Lyriana nodded. “Tell him that it will be fine, but it’s going to take time. She needs time to deal with the things that happened to her. He’s waited this long already, and now she’s here, safe. Time is something he has, for once.”
“I will tell him. Please, give this to girl.”
Lyriana returned and presented something to me. It was some kind of charm made from black feathers tied with some string. “Do you know what this is?” she asked me.
“It seems… familiar? I remember… talking fancy, I think? ‘Dost thou givest me thine feathers?’” It was so silly I almost laughed. “But it’s pretty,” I said. “A lot of the stuff in my head doesn’t make sense. There’s a lot of anger and sad. But not my sad. Like I’m dreaming. Do you feel that way sometimes, Miss Lyriana?”
She nodded. “Sometimes. Every time I think about what’s happening back home.”
That wasn’t right. “But… you can do things. Why can’t you just fly home and be with your mom and dad?”
The dwarf, Boris, came in. “Actually,” he said. “To understand that, you have to understand spell levels.” He pulled out a cup and a bucket. “This cup is a second level spell. If magic is water, you need enough water to fill this cup to cast the spell. This bucket is a third level spell, so even though it’ll hold dozens of cups, you need that much water inside before you can cast it. A third level spell is like a pond. And a fourth level spell is like a lake.” He continued on for several minutes. It was incredibly interesting, and when he was done, I understood.
“So traveling that far away takes more water than is in the whole ocean?”
“Right.”
“But you think she can get there?”
“One day,” Lyriana cut in. “My daddy already can, so I’m hoping I’ll be just as strong.”
“I see,” I said. “Thanks for explaining things, Mister Boris.”
“It’s Burin,” he said.
“Oh, sorry. Thanks Mister Boris Burin.”
The big woman walked him to the door, and then laughed. She called over Lyriana, who went to go look as well. She then giggled and motioned for me to come look.
I was afraid, but my curiosity got the better of me and I crept over to look. At first, I saw Gregor. He was standing there looking sternly at something, and shouting orders. “You have only done seven. You must go faster if you plan to get the full hundred!” I looked at where he was looking, and there was “Dad”, struggling terribly to do pushups. The whole thing was so absurd that I couldn’t help myself. I laughed so hard that it startled me. Lyriana looked at me and laughed too, making me laugh again. And then Burin started laughing, and that sound made me laugh so hard that I almost peed myself.
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