Go to Hell (on hold)

TEN

The next day Silas cooked lunch for me, then we went on a walk around the lake. He had been a perfect-- if not slightly flirtatious-- gentleman the whole time. The day after was Kota's day. He had intended to take me riding on the horses, but we got so caught up in discussing our favorite books that we never left my room. Which was just fine by me. I loved having someone to talk to who wasn't yelling at me. North worked on a car in his garage and told me to stay out of trouble, so I went to pet the horses and returned just before the two hours were up. Nathan and I went hiking through the woods that surrounded the manor, which were much larger and far more beautiful than the ones near my home on Earth. Dr. Green had me help him organize supplies in his medical clinic adjacent to the manor. The days flew by and soon it was the one I had been dreading the most.

It was Gabriel's turn to spend time with me.

He pounded on my door at precisely ten o'clock. I secured my hair into a clip I had found in one of the bathroom drawers, then answered the door. He took one look at my lavender cotton dress and rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

"Hello, Gabriel," I muttered. I didn't want to next two hours to be completely unpleasant.

"We're going shopping today, so make sure you're wearing underwear," he responded. A blush bloomed on my cheeks.

"I- I'm definitely doing that."

"Then what the fuck are we still standing around here for? Let's go."

Gabriel led me downstairs, through the front door, and into a car. I sent him a nervous glance. Besides walking around the woods with Nathan, I hadn't yet left the property of the manor. I was terrified to see the rest of the Underworld. And the people that dwelled here.

The shopping mall looked horrifyingly similar to a mall on Earth. Or what I imagined most malls looked like. I had only been to one once or twice when I was alive. Marble tiles covered the floor. A few fountains were placed sporadically between shops. I could smell grease and salt from the food court. It was the people that bothered me the most. They laughed and smiled and shopped like normal people, not ones stuck in Hell. There were even teenagers, some as young as thirteen, that walked around with their friends. I grimaced at an elderly couple huddling together on a bench. They looked sweet and kind. But for all I knew they were serial killers.

"Keep up, Sang," Gabriel droned. I quickened my pace until I was just a step behind him. He stopped abruptly in front of a store, and I nearly crashed into him. I looked inside the store and blushed. Mannequins displayed frilly underwear and risqué nightgowns. I peered up to get the store's name. Victoria's Secret. I gulped.

"Might as well start with this stuff," Gabriel said. He pushed me inside and flagged down an attendant, which wasn't hard. I felt the eyes of everyone in the store.

"May I help you, Sir?" A pretty, middle-aged attendant asked. She clasped her hands behind her back and made a point of not acknowledging me.

"Yeah, get her." He nodded his head at me. "Outfitted with the works. Something for every occasion. Have it charged to my credit and delivered to Mr. Blackbourne's manor. Fuck this up and I'll have your head." He looked at me. "Meet me outside when you're done."

And just like that, Gabriel left me. The attendant smiled at me, though it was clearly forced.

"Right this way, Miss." She led me to the fitting rooms, where she sized me for a bra and had me try on several styles to see what looked best. After I was back in my clothing, we returned to the main part of the store.

"Are there any colors you particularly like?" The attendant asked.

"Pink," I mumbled. She took me around the store, picking out a bra here and a pair of underwear there. Most all of it was pink. I was never asked if I liked her choices. Not that I cared. Most of it was too frilly or scandalous for my tastes, although she did add some practical options to the growing pile in her arms. I would just stick to the plain cotton underwear I already had. They were a bit small but a whole lot less embarrassing.