Life of a Grimm

HELL!?!

"What the-?! You've got to be kidding me, right?! Hell!?"

"Calm yourself, kiddo."

Michael holds his head in his hands, "Okay, okay, okay . . ."

I sigh. "Kid, sit down, will ya'?"

He sits by me on the couch. Okay, I lied. I do have someplace to go, but the thing is, they'd expect me to be here. That's why I didn't come in the first place.

"I have to get out of here." Michael comments.

"And why's that?"

He stops to think for a while. "Because my parents will worry about me."

"You don't have parents. You live in an orphanage."

Yeah, I feel bad for telling him the truth, but he just tried to lie to me. And I hate liars. He looks at me with sadness in his eyes, and I realize my mistake in saying it.

"I . . .You're right. . ." he smiles, "It's okay, though. Now I know I can't fool you."

"Mhm."

". . .Is Hell underground?"

"Sure is, kid."

He ponders that for a moment.

"Okay . . . So is there a Devil?"

"His name's Lucifer."

"Demons?"

"Yes."

Monsters-?"

"Not monsters." I hiss.

"Sorry."

"No problem."

"Souls . . .?"

"All compacted into this huge trunk in Lucifer's room."

Michael busts up laughing, and I can tell why. Most think it's a joke when I say that, but Lucifer literally has a giant trunk full of captured souls in his bedroom. Actually, it's wrong to keep them locked up like that, and I'd been trying to release them every chance I had. Of course, it could've gotten me fired, but here I am now.

Michael glances the seriousness on my face. "Y-you weren't joking?"

I shake my head. "I'm as serious as a Grimm." I smile. Grimms aren't serious. Well, at least, I wasn't.

He doesn't take that as a joke, though, and the smile disappears from his face as a question forms in his mind.

"Yes, Michael, they'll be looking for you, too, now."

He shrugs, and then his face lights up like a light bulb. I cringe at his expression, like a roach scattering when that light bulb turns on. 'Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, please!!'

"Can I be a Grimm?"

I laugh. "Uhhhh... no."

Michael sighs.

"Well how long are we stayin here exactly?"

"A couple of days."

"Okay, I'm gonna go to bed."

"Its morning." I say.

"What else am I supposed to do?!" He yells.

I'm right next to him in an instant. Pinching his lips between my thumb and index finger, I put a finger to my own lips.

"Shut up!" I hiss, "Do you want us to get caught?! Everyone can hear us!"

Michael stares at me as if I'm crazy, pushing my hand away from his mouth.
"Your hands are cold, douchebag."

How will I ever survive with a human?! I salvage their souls, I don't babysit them!!