Molly ran her finger around the locket that she always wore, tracing her name on it. A lump rose in her throat as the familiar ridges and bumps in the sloppy workmanship tickled the inside of her palm as she wrapped her hand around the jewelry, holding it close to her heart. Words couldn't describe how lonely she felt, even in the masses of Heaven, because here there was no Anthony, here, her second half was gone.
When they were younger, Molly and Anthony used to be so identical that their father had branded Anthony with a spider on his left shoulder and Molly with one on her right shoulder. She would often cry after the branding was first done, as sensitive as the skin there was, and whenever that did happen, their mother would hold both of them close and tell them that no matter what, Molly had Anthony and Anthony had Molly. And no matter what the circumstances, they could count one each other. The one good thing about growing up in the mafia was the lesson that Molly had learned; Family comes first.
Then why, Molly thought in front of her brother's grave that didn't even merit a proper funeral according to Arackniss, did you leave? You promised, Anthony, you promised.
And now, years after both her and Anthony's death, she still couldn't help but feel as though a part of her was missing, had gone missing the day that the boy with the soft heart had died.
In all of her thoughts, she didn't see the oversized egg rolling to her until it was too late and has almost cracked against her thigh. Looking around the alley where she had been sitting, confused, Molly leaned down and picked up the egg, turning it around in her hands to see if there was any cracks. But to her surprise, two black eyes blinked back at her.
"Gee!" it exclaimed. "You must be an angel like the ones that Zeus hired to shine his feet!"
She stared. "Zeus? What- where are you from?"
It grinned wide and began bouncing up and down. "From Hell!"
The world stopped for Molly as she stared breathlessly at the egg. "F-from Hell?" she asked, her voice unbearingly soft like it always got when she got excited. Something Anthony would always tease me for, she thought to herself.
The egg nodded eagerly, looking so adorable that Molly couldn't help but believe that if something from Hell could be so unthreatening, then maybe Anthony was safe. Maybe he's still alive. Before she could interrogate the egg, further, two angels ran into the alley, one of them who Molly recognized.
"Emily?" She asked, standing up carefully to greet the Seraphim who had been a constant friend to Molly. The egg wriggled out of her grasp and ran to the other angel who Molly had never seen before, who clapped with excitement. "Is everything okay?"
Emily gave her a relieved look. "Thank God you found the Egg Boi, Molly."
"Er yes," the other angel said awkwardly, the Egg Boi next to him. "Thank you."
"Is it yours then?" Molly asked suspiciously.
The angel bared its fangs nervously. "Yes, I suppose you could say it that way."
Molly narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. Despite her small stature, she could be intimidating when she wanted to, thanks to the many times she had been placed in charge of interrogations by her dad. "Then you're from Hell?"
The angel froze. "I - ummm, I dont-"
Emily stopped him and turned to Molly pleadingly. "I'll explain everything. I promise. But before that, do you have anywhere safe that we can go?"
Molly studied her friend closely then sighed. "Follow me."
***
15 minutes later, Molly rubbed her eyes. "So let me get this straight? There are exterminations in Hell annually to control the population and only Sera knew about it - never liked her - and they got changed to 6 months. This hotel built for redeeming sinners somehow go mixed up in a war with the exorcists and Sir Pentious here died during the battle and somehow appeared in Heaven as an angel?"
Emily nodded, playing with Molly's cat. "Yeah, that's about it."
Molly stared at her for a second and then shrugged, turning to her small kitchen. "Anyone want a hot chocolate?" Emily flashed a thumbs up, refusing to part with the cat.
"Uh, me please!" Sir Pentious raised his hand from where he was looking at the cat curiously. "What is this delightfully feline creature's name?"
Molly grinned, pulling out a silver packet from one of the dusty cabinets.. Heaven might be fake, but at least the cocoa is good, she thought to herself. "Her name is Misty!" She called back, remembering when she had first adopted the cat.
It was only 2 days after she had arrived in Heaven, lost and delusional, still believing that she could find Anthony in the golden crowds. Wandering hopelessly, she had stumbled upon a small animal shelter. When she walked in, not knowing what to expect, her eye went first to a small, malnourished kitty in the corner, huddled in a cramped cage. It's black eyes peeked at her from swaths of light gray fur. Despite all the chaos her mind was in, she couldn't help but adopt the small pet, and Misty had gotten her through most of her lows. It reminded her of a happier time, before...
"Well," Molly pronounced to end her thoughts, giving both Emily and Sir Pentious their coffees. "Here are your hot chocolates!"
"Thank you very much," Sir Pentious said, warming his hands on the mug. "Heaven is awfully cold compared to Hell. And um Molly, I was wondering if you perhaps know anyone named Angel Dust?" At her raised eyebrow, he rushed to explain: "It's just that in Hell, one of my very dear acquaintances, Angel Dust, looks quite a bit like you."
"Oh!" Emily clapped her hands. "Are you talking about the porn star? Charlie showed him as an example for why sinners should be redeemed."
A porn star? Molly cleared her throat. "No, I don't know anyone named Angel Dust."
"Oh." Sir Pentious looked down, a disappointed look on his face. He patted his Egg Boi absentmindedly, lost in thought.
Why would he expect me to know a sinner, anyway? Molly wondered to herself. She watched as the snake brought the mug to his mouth and slurped loudly, making her laugh. She glanced at Emily, and was surprised to see her with a downcast expression on her face. "What's wrong?"
Emily looked up and immediately smiled. "Oh! It's nothing really, I just..." She sighed. "I wish I could tell Charlie about Sir Pentious being redeemed. I want her to know that her plan worked! She deserves to know all the difference she's made!"
Charlie? "You mean...Princess Charlotte? Of Hell?" Molly asked, tilting her head with confusion. The Egg Boi stumbled over to Misty and buried its face in her fur. The cat meowed in confusion and batted a paw at him.
"Yes, well, technically she is from Hell, but she's a good person!" Emily said earnestly. "She cared about souls, just like me! In fact, I think she cares more than Sera." She spat out the name like it was venom.
"It's true." Sir Pentious said. "She always saw the best in people...in me especially." He took off his hat and held it to his chest, looking regretful. "I came to her hotel to spy. She could've kicked me out, but she welcomed me in. She treated me and my Eggs like family. Her and the other residents... are my best friends." He finished, his eyes watering.
Molly's heart twisted with pain. She knew what it was like to lose her best friend. And she knew what it was like to have family in Hell. How many times had she wanted to go down to Hell, to see her brothers and father again? Maybe I can help Sir Pentious and visit them at the same time...She pondered silently. We just need someone to open a portal for us...someone gullible, who doesn't ask questions. "That's it!" She said enthusiastically.
Sir Pentious and Emily glanced up, surprised. They had been trying to get the Egg Boi to let go of Misty. "What is it?" Emily asked her, hugging the egg to her chest.
Molly grinned at them, feeling the adrenaline rush that she used to feel when she and Anthony rode motorcycles together.
"I know who can help us get to Hell."
A/N: Please leave comments... it really helps motivate us :)
The story on Ao3 has been receiving comments, but not on Wattpad. It would really be amazing if we had some feedback on both platforms!
