TARTERUS - HELL

FOUR.

Interdiu/dies 1

DAYTIME—DAY ONE

'Time to get up Miss Ruby,' tinny voice said. Bedding automatically rolled back, leaving me no choice but to scramble out, with me shivering all over. I squealed because I thought I was dying. When I checked my arms there were bumps all over them. I was smoking with every breath because mists were coming out of my mouth and nose. My poor limbs were aching all over. Cara dashed into the room and saw me shaking. She immediately told tin head to turn up the heat. A few minutes later I stopped shaking as warm air flowed over me. I let out a huge sigh.

'Your shower is on and I will help you bathe Miss Ruby.'

'Eek,' I squeaked. 'You'll what?'

'Help you bathe and dress.'

'I don't think so,' I said a bit more forcefully. 'Just leave my duds on the bed and I will do it. Thank you for the offer.' Also, I was trying to get over my short nap, although the real sun was shining and then I remembered I was on Earth with its short days and nights. My poor brain between waking up and shaking and this short nap, it was still undecided as to whether to go back to sleep. Tinny kinda made it hard because every time I pulled up the covers, they folded back again. I sat swearing at them until I saw a shimmering face of Pa as he gazed down at me.

'Daughter, there is no reason for you to say those words.' Pa's voice sounded a bit harsh.

'But Pa, I'm still tired. This nap wasn't long enough.' I moaned to the shadowy face.

'You will have to put up with the different sleep patterns until you come home.' A light breeze was felt as it swept across my face and Pa's face disappeared.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief because he said when I came home again, so I wasn't stuck on Earth forever with my Ma. My waiting also was extra slow. No way was Cara or anyone else gonna see me in the nude. Pa would have a pink fit if I showed my nude body to anyone and Cara would be black cinders for even suggesting it. After she asked a million zillion times about my clothes, she placed everything on my bed and left the room. As I gingerly walked into the large shower stall a round fluffy thing was on a pole and it lit up. A metallic voice asked me if I wanted warm, hot or cold water, I pressed hot, it then asked if I wanted my hair washed and then it frightened the crap outa me as the pole bent at a ninety degree angle, and the fluffy thing began to fill with shampoo. I stepped further into the stall and the water turned on and the fluffy wheel began to whiz around. It not only did that it moved up and as the water wet my head the wheel began to wash my hair. It was super gentle. Next minute a screen lit up on the wall and a human figure showed how I needed to be for fluffy to clean me. I followed the instructions and when it finished, I was clean. Vents opened and warm air dried me all over. It even dried between my toes and in my secret spot between my legs that Pa explained one day was where babies would come out. He was blushing redder than usual when he told me. He even showed both of us pictures about the reproductive system of men and women. Red and I later had a little play with each other until stick figure caught us. Pa yelled at us and told us never to do that again, boy was he angry. When he told me about me having monthly things happen, I was not to be afraid. He was redder than I had ever seen, even when about babies. When Pa told me about havin babies, I couldn't get it outa my head. I plucked up courage and said, 'Pa how come I would have babies like humans?' Pa kinda looked sad at me and said, 'My dear you have been made to appear human, so that you can experience life and love and birth like others. You will meet someone who will be compatible to share a life with you and you will have the joy of having children of your own.' Pa kissed my cheek. He never told me about when older I would be a force in all the Universes, everywhere would be touched by my nature. I had to find out the hard way, but that is another story for another time and place. Pa wasn't overly happy when I wrote that bit. He let it go, but he went away and burnt a couple of demons that annoyed him. It got me wondering about how Pa knew about my older self. Or was it something he and Grandpa decided on centuries ago before I was born?