Saved by the Devil (boyxboy) ✓

Chapter Sixteen

The morning light spied on me from behind the curtains and a hint of lilac managed to slip in too. It was a nice thing to wake up too. The sharp edges of the furniture seemingly sanded down with the soft light filling the room.

I then, of course, realized that it made very little sense to me that there would be any kind of rising suns on, or rather around, Hell and for a good few minutes I was terribly convinced it was all some bizarrely complicated daft dream and I was very, very afraid and wanted so badly for it not to be a dream.

Naturally, I then pulled myself together and recognized where I was. But where was the light coming from?

"Good morning." I jumped and turned to see a shy face smiling at me from halfway inside the door. It struck me how odd it was that doors must be almost only symbolic here.

"Hello..."

"Burt."

I frowned. "Really?"

He giggled but it seemed a little like time needed a second to catch up because the facial movements seemed a bit slow.

"No."

I just stared at him, not sure what to say or think.

"I was told to give myself a human name. I like the sound of Burt."

"Right. Why? That's a goddamn awful name."

"I like it. Sounds like that noise you make when you eructate." He made a sound that vaguely resembled belching.

"What does that word even mean? Do you mean burp?"

"No, that's my name."

"Burt was your name."

"Oh, well I like burp better."

"Okay."

Burp smiled at me and floated, fully through the door at this point, onward up to my bed and stopped to look down at me.

He was without a torso and also without a face, technically. He had something which looked like a mask on his face. It looked almost as thought someone felt sorry for a ghost because he was never being seen and melted a mask onto his face so that all of his expressions could be seen by people.

"My name is Niles."

"I know. Do you like the curtains?"

I turned to look at the curtains. Average white curtains, could have sworn they came from Ikea. I frowned.

"Yes."

"The sun thing is set on a timer of earth based western time. Master tried to think of everything I think."

"Who?"

"Diabolus."

"Right."

"He likes you." He grinned as though he were teasing me but to be quite honest the idea that, that handsome hunk of flesh would ever be into a boy like me was just flattering. It was everything else about it that was scary. So I was far too emotionally confused to care about teasing.

"I hope so," I smiled.

He gave me a weird look but then leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. "You're cute." His lips felt like soft papier-mâché.

He grinned and floated away. As he went I could see through his mask, a reverse of what must have been his face. It could have been frowning.

I sat around for a few minutes wondering whether I should take a look around the place but scared myself away from the idea. It was hell after all. Also, I had no idea how to put the weird clothes back on.