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SUMMONED BY SATAN
DREW
A necklace dangled from the neck of a sixteen-year old boy, with his head hung over a sketchpad. The boy was lying flat on his stomach, sprawled upon his bed with his pencil tapping his chin. His brooding eyes analyzed the drawing before him: contemplating every aspect; eagerly searching for something to fix with his eraser. No inspiration came to him, so he flipped the page. After a long night of sleep deprivation he sighed, dropping his pencil and rubbing his eyes.
“Drew” a muffled voice yelled. Drew’s head turned hesitantly towards the noise. He raised his eyebrows. “Satan wants you,” it finished, the familiar voice echoing from behind a door.
It was rare to be summoned by Ms. Consulo, also referred to as “Satan” by all of the orphans. Ms. Consulo was famous for her hostility towards the children. The news sparked a wave anxiety and fear to boil within Drew, making him feel slightly nauseous. He took a deep breath, remembering the last kid who had been summoned by Ms. Consulo, who never even returned.
Ms. Consulo and Drew had known each other for nine years. Ms. Consulo (her first name was Debra) owned the orphanage and received it after the previous owner (who just happened to be her sister) had died from cancer.
“Come in” he managed to say, forcing the sick feeling down. The door swung open with a creak and a girl stepped in. Drew glanced at his roommate Oliver, who had reluctantly woken and was hastily wiping drool from his cheek. The girl stood near the doorframe, lingering between the hallway and the bedroom.
Drew gaily recognized his girlfriend Tara. He smiled at the sight of her, his mood lifting.
“What for?” Drew added. His eyebrow arched questionably towards her. Tara shrugged her shoulders with her locks of brown hair swaying coherently. A smile stretched across her face as she spoke.
“Dunno, my aunt didn’t say,” she answered coyly, her left foot slowly stepping forwards. Her eyes suddenly sparkled. “Did you do anything bad?” she grinned playfully, strolling towards him and gently pressing her lips against his.
The kiss was slow, delicate, really just a peck, but it sent a charge through his entire body, warming him to the core. Drew smiled as she stepped back, her eyes opening. He slowly leaned forward and returned the kiss passionately. Her arms locked leisurely around his neck.
For a few seconds the couple stood there, utterly consumed in the young romance. Time slipped away and Drew’s fears faded into oblivion.
Reality returned, replacing the bliss.
“Geez,” a moan interrupted. “D’you think this is gonna be a regular thing?” Oliver yawned rubbing his eyes. “‘Cause, you know, I’m not sure, I want to wake up every morning to the sight of y’all groping each other?” he whined. Drew smirked and pulled away from his girlfriend. He glanced at Oliver.
“You’re just jealous you don’t have a girl like Tara,” Drew teased. Oliver chuckled, rolling his eyes.
For a moment Drew wondered if he saw pain in Oliver’s expression, but it was quickly replaced with content. Drew noticed Tara frown and he wondered what he had said wrong.
He decided to ignore feeling. Tara let go of him, uncurling her arms from his shoulders. Drew broke the short-lived silence.
“Well, I should probably change,” Drew glanced down at his pajamas.
Oliver nodded, smirking.
“I should probably go then,” Tara winked. Her lip curled into a half-hearted smile. She quickly glanced at Oliver, looked down, and walked out the door.
Drew frowned. Hoping for good news, he threw on his uniform and tossed his pajamas in his hamper. While rushing out the door he heard Oliver yell words of encouragement and wish him the best of luck.
••••
To reach Satan’s headquarters, Drew had to pass the living accommodations of his fellow orphans. The orphanage was divided into seven wings, not including the basement and the attic which were strictly off-limits. There were the girl’s quarters and the boy’s quarters (which were located in the children’s wing), the green house, the den, the dining hall, the front entrance, and the school upstairs.
Drew decided to cut through the greenhouse, using it as a shortcut to reach the main entrance which bordered Ms. Consulo’s office. He realized his mistake when he jiggled the locked doorknob and sighed in frustration.
“Shit,” he grumbled. He kicked the door for good measure and grabbed the knob, trying to open it once again.
It was still locked.
Annoyed at his own stupidity and bad luck, Drew sulked back the way he came and took the long route to the front entrance. He strolled by the girls quarters, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tara, but when he passed through the den and the great hall, he was utterly disappointed when Tara was nowhere in sight.
It took Drew a total of fifteen minutes to cross the entire orphanage. It would’ve taken ten, but his trip to the green house had added and extra five. Drew knew the halls of the orphanage like no other, well… except maybe Tara, who had lived at the orphanage her entire life.
As he reached the front office, he tucked in his shirt and, pushed his long brown bangs out of his eyes, and attempted his best polite smile. Then, he twisted the deteriorated doorknob and stumbled to the front desk. He polished his words and spoke,
“Ms. Consulo asked for me ma’am,” Drew said to the receptionist. Mrs. Lwowska, the very petulant receptionist, glared at Drew, her mind contemplating his words. Her hostility blooming as she replied,
“She’s in there,” her hand pointed to a door to his left.
“Thank you,” and he sped towards the door.
