Damned if I do | Damned trilogy #1

Chapter Six: Wren

So, I was going to Hell. Literally for once, as opposed to all the times Harmony and I had said it about one of our jokes. Because what was agreeing to go to Hell? I mean that was everyone's usual Friday, wasn't it?

Drake and the devilbums followed me back to our house. Well, I say followed. Kyle ran ahead, plastering himself against the door as though he couldn't wait to go inside.

"Mum! Dad!" I called as I walked in, narrowly avoiding being run over by Kyle in his excitement to run inside and investigate things.

"What?" Dad called and Mum replied, "In here."

I had no idea how to even begin to broach this. But sitting down seemed like a good start. "Can you guys come to the living room, please?"

"Don't try having a family meeting without me," Tilly called, because of course the whole family was home, then I heard her thundering down the stairs. The thundering stopped and I heard her say, "Oh, my."

I looked up and saw she was staring at Drake. So much so, she hadn't noticed the devilbums until Ignacio snuffled up the stairs to sniff her.

"Oh, my God! What is that?" Tilly screamed.

"What? What's wrong?" Mum asked as she came running in.

Dad wasn't far behind her. All three of them were standing at the edges of the living room and staring between Drake and the devilbums. Truman stood patiently by Drake's leg. Ignacio was still sniffling about suspiciously. And Kyle was investigating everything, mostly with his tongue.

"Guys, this is Drake," I started. "He and his mum used to live next door."

Mum waved absently. Dad's jaw dropped. And Tilly had pulled herself together enough to bat her eyelashes at him.

"And...these are Truman, Ignacio and Kyle..." I continued, pointing to each of them.

Another absent wave. Some more slack-jaw. And a little fright.

"Can we all sit down?" I asked. "Drake has a...favour to ask you guys."

"A favour?" Dad asked as the three of them did much like I'd recently done, and auto-piloted their way to sitting down.

I nodded. "Yeah. So, funny story. Drake needs me to pop down to Hell for the weekend."

I watched all three of them look to at least one devilbum.

"Hell?" Dad asked.

"For the weekend?" Mum added.

I motioned for Drake to sit and also sat. "Yeah. See, the thing is Drake's dad is – like – the real devil and–"

There was a clattering noise above me.

"Kyle!" Drake hissed with a forced chuckle.

Mum, Dad, Tilly and I all followed his gaze and I saw Kyle swinging upside down on the chandelier with a big goofy smile on his read, leathery face. As much as Ignacio freaked me out, Kyle was like a puppy I just wanted to look after.

When I looked back to Drake, he chuckled roughly. "Excuse him. Even Hell hasn't found a way to beat the optimism out of him."

"Oh no." Kyle shook his head, his bat ears flapping madly. "They tried."

"Sir, should we get on with it?" Truman asked.

I didn't wonder where Ignacio was. I was afraid to see what he was up to.

Drake cleared his head and edged forwards on his seat, towards my parents. "Look, I know this is all rather unorthodox–"

Truman cleared his throat. "Religion, sir."