The Angels from Hell

Lilea

Upon waking the next morning, Lilea was momentarily disorientated by all the light filling the room without a discernible source, but this feeling was quickly replaced by a familiar sense of fitful anxiety. Had she slept too long? Was someone expecting them to be cleaning downstairs? Would they be fired or worse discovered to be infiltrators? She jumped up from the bed, desperately smoothing out the crinkles in her clothes. Lilea picked up the two backpacks that Ala had dropped on the floor and tipped their entire contents onto her bed. Inside there was Lilea's old outfit, too formal for any cleaner as well as a white blouse, a broad straw hat, black sneakers with white undersoles, a crimson strappy purse and a dark ankle length skirt. Lilea held the hat and sneakers in her hands. Surely Bezilda had chosen these items with some care. She had been angry with Ala for sure, but this was an important quest. This was the kind of thing that brought praise and admiration, that earnt people a self portrait in the demon hall of fame and perhaps something even more valuable.

Aware that Ala was still unconscious, Lilea quickly changed into the blouse and skirt. The blouse was a little big, but no one would notice once she had her apron on. She replaced the broach that had the surveillance device in it back onto the shirt. The real problem was going to be tomorrow. Surely no one would take her seriously if she wore the same clothes a day apart. In her old position, she had a wide range of clothing to choose from that became increasingly fashionable as her rank rose. What would the rank of a cleaner earn her? There was a knock on the door and Lilea rushed to Ala's bed and roughly pulled the pillow from under her head. Ala opened her eyes groggily and surveyed the room incomprehensively but at the sound of another round of knocking, she sat up. Lilea approached the door and, hissing at Ala to stand and make herself presentable, pulled it open. Outside was Rylan in his embroidered apron accompanied by an annoyed looking Lethe, his blonde hair and suit, perfectly arranged. Rylan smiled, gesturing to Lilea before bending his head respectfully at Lethe. Just as before, Lilea emotions threatening to burst out of her at the sight of Rylan, making her want to run or hide. He didn't seem to recognise her at all. She tried focussing on Lethe.

"So there you are," said Lethe in a clipped manner. "Having a nice lie in this morning, I see. I have been instructed to give you these." Lethe thrust two strange devices at Lilea that looked like bulkier versions of the sleek monitor that she used to have. When she flicked her finger across it, the screen revealed a neatly organised screen where a number of tasks had been outlined.

"If there are any emergencies you need to do," Lethe said, looking down at Lilea with a condescending expression, "you will receive notifications. We only expect the best here but of course if Deleon chose you I am sure you capable." He stared bemusedly at Ala's freshly awoken appearance and with a self-important nod of his head, strutted from the room. Rylan followed behind him.

"Flatten out your clothes," Lilea snapped at Ala, thrusting the second device into her hands. "This is a schedule monitor," she said slowly, "you turn it on..."

"I know about monitors," Ala lit the screen up and scrolled through her pages. "Never had one this nice before though," she said, sounding a little impressed. "Ours were never handheld."

"I'm sure."

"I think we should at least pretend to follow our schedules for now until we get to know the place," Ala started, "and then we can try and find..."

"I think I should organise the plans since I know more about this area than you do," Lilea butted in.

"I never knew you were a cleaner."

"I wasn't." Lilea said quickly, "I just know more about...I was the one talking to the manager and so..."

"My mistake." Now that it was morning, a defiant tone had crept back into Ala's voice that had been somewhat quelled when she had first arrived in heaven. "What would you have us do."