ii. wнen ι waѕ older

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Charlie sat on her knees as she hunched herself over directly in front of the toasty fireplace. She had moved from her seat to the carpet for more heat. She was not wet anymore, seeing that the blood had dried and crusted, gluing her stiff attire to her skin.

The blonde's eyes wandered to a tall, black grandfather clock beside her against the wall. The thorny shaped hands told her it was six in the evening. By now, she was starving, worn, and beyond filthy. Charlie weakly dropped her head with a quiet sigh as her eyes fluttered shut. She was endlessly grateful for Alastor's hospitality. Just thinking about her time down in Hell so far was enough to give her an anxiety attack.

"-be ready in a bit."

Charlie tuned back to reality, not aware that she had zoned out. She jumped back and let out out a startled shriek at the ruler of Hell's sudden presence next to her. Alastor chuckled at her reaction and adjusted his monocle. She noticed the radio demon had a neatly folded pile of garments in his hand. "Apologies, darling. I was only here to let you know that supper was going to be on soon. I understand if you would like to freshen yourself up first, so I took the liberty of providing you a room. If you'll follow me," he explained, flashing her his huge set of golden teeth that would have sent most hellions running for the hills.

Charlie nodded meekly and accepted the outfit from him. Alastor's chivalrous nature then held out a hand to help her up, and the two left the parlor. The damsel trailed behind him as they wandered up a few spiraling staircases, which had ascended them above at least three floors. It was then, she discovered they were not inside of a mansion, but a palace.

The interior design was dark, majestic, and cold, yet the ambience and colors of Alastor's antique abode were warm and inviting. The blonde would have gone as far as saying it was comforting. During the long hike, the radio demon stole occasional glances of Charlie over his shoulder. Never in his extensive life had he encountered an innocent. It was Hell, after all.

The girl was becoming more and more intriguing to him by the moment. He was a sick, sadistic ruler that took pleasure in punishing the wicked, but to imagine that it was possible for a soul to be absent of evil was, well, inconceivable to someone like him.

The pair halted when they reached a door on the right side of the lengthy hallway. Alastor swung the tall door open to reveal a stunning master bedroom colored in every shade of red. The queen sized bed frame had elegant carvings along the wood and possessed four bed posts that extended through the air to hold a velvet canopy for blocking out the light. The room was like nothing Charlie had ever seen in her past life, and the awe of the furnishings alone were enough to make her forget about her god awful day.

Alastor extended his arm to the scene in front of them. "You're welcome to stay in here while we get this problem sorted, dear," he announced. "Let me know if there's anythi—" He was cut off as a stunned Charlie squealed in delight, shooting toward the fluffy bedspread and launching herself into the air. The deer demon found himself smirking at her childish behavior while she rolled herself into a burrito of soft blankets. It was quite strange to witness something so pure. The happy sight of her felt unnatural. Alastor tilted his head as he arched an eyebrow curiously.

When Charlie was finished with her burrito, she crawled out of the makeshift tunnel and smiled at him. A real smile. To know that he was able to give her one after a poor soul like her was wrongfully thrown into the pits of fiery Hell was rather gratifying. It was good to know he had not lost his touch, after all. He shook his head at the scene before reaching for the doorknob.

"Food will be on the table soon. I'll let you know when the time comes," Alastor informed her.

"Alright," Charlie chimed as he closed the door to give her privacy. She laid on her new bed for a moment, taking in the view of her surroundings yet again.

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