How I Disappear

Chapter 5: Zero

          "So what is it?" asked Saleos, examining the silver amulet.

          "I didn't ask." replied Abaddon, running his dagger along the whetstone.

          Abaddon had been in town for three days now, and the fact that he had only killed one man was very psychologically draining for him. The door of his bedroom already had many fine dents on which he had thrown his knife.

          Abaddon including, the building called 211 was temporary home to five demons. The other four were Saleos, Gremory, Foras, and Amnon, and Abaddon had never met a more boring batch of demons.

          "Abaddon, did you hear me?"

          Abaddon was snapped out of his zone and found out that he hadn't been listening to Saleos, and furthermore, had sunk the blade deep into his hand.

          "What?" he asked, pocketing the razor-sharp blade.

          "I said, do you think this may have something to do with Lucifer's battle plans on heaven?" said Saleos.

          Abaddon paused, waiting for the punchline, and when he realized Saleos was serious, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

          "As in, the apocalypse battle plans?" said Abaddon, smirking at the gray-haired vessel.

          "It could be." said Saleos, turning the amulet over. It bore the various marks of Hell. "Why else would it be so important for you to be invulnerable to exorcisms? Why would Lucifer want you on Earth indefinitely?"

          Abaddon sighed and stood up, stepping out the door.

          "Where are you going?"

          "Out, I could use some air and a murder story." said Abaddon, pulling the door open.

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          "We're receiving a new shipment of graphic novels and mangas today, can you put those away?" said Ernie, through a pile of books.

          Hunter smiled at the pile and said, "Sure thing."

          "You remember where they go?" he said, plucking a hardcover "Hamlet, The Prince of Denmark" off the pile.

          Hunter smirked and said, "Ernie, I've been coming here for books since I was three, remember?"

          Ernie stopped what he was doing and stuck his head out the side of the pile. There was the man Hunter had known since age three. He was fourteen years older now, and yet still seemed the same friendly, smiling, blue-eyed, gray-haired and bearded face Hunter regarded as a third grandfather figure. 

          He chuckled softly and said, "I remember how in love you were with Batman." He glanced up at her beanie, on which was a black bat in a yellow oval, and added, "Not much has changed."

          Hunter narrowed her eyes, smirking, and pushed the small metal cart away from the office door and into another aisle, and began putting away the Teen Romance novels. Her hand lingered on a certain, thick volume. She held out the pristine paperback in front if her. On the cover was the picture of a red apple balanced in two pale hands. Above it, in silver letters was written, "Twilight."

          Hunter smiled softly when she saw this. She remembered a weekend she had spent with Megan. Her cousin's bedroom was filled with posters of Robert Pattinson in all his vampiric glory, and furthermore, Hunter had been forced to watch a Twilight marathon, complete with a blushing Megan staring at Robert Pattinson's face at every closeup and going "Oh, Edward." at what seemed like the most inopportune times. The thought of her cousin alone in her room with her Edward posters made her want to beat her own brain to mush.