Once Upon A Fall
Day 1
Angel Dust knocked as he walked into Stitches’ room, his arms full of magazines and books. He knew his sister wasn’t responsive, but now that she was awake, it felt weird to just walk in. Sure enough, she was lying in the middle of the bed, eyes half-lidded and staring at the ceiling, unfocused and unseeing. His heart broke a little, the small hope that something had changed in the last few hours now hopelessly dashed.
He shook his head. No, I knew that it wasn’t going to be this soon, I am not losing hope! Not now, not ever!
“Hey, Brandi!” he called out, setting down all the items in his arms except one book, and then going to sit on the bed with her. “Belphagor said ya’ve healed up nicely, just need some time to wake up that crazy brain of yours! So, I brought some reading material, since I know how much ya enjoy stories and stuff. I tried to get Chalie to bring up a TV for ya to listen to, but Alastor would probably skin us alive if we did. I will see if maybe he has a radio or something lying around for ya.”
He reached forward and squeezed her hand. “Ya can take as long as ya need to, Sis. Ain’t none of us goin’ to give up on ya.” He cleared his throat, opened the book, and turned to the first page. “All children, except one, grow up. They soon know that they will grow up. And the way Wendy knew was this…”
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Day 4
Vaggie carefully helped Stitches sit up, careful of the IV lines and wires still connected to her. The medications that Belphagor had started to give the little woman had begun to allow them to move her and even feed her. Stitches still wasn’t responsive though, and it felt more like manipulating a mannequin than a person. Still, it was progress, and it had made Charlie relax, if ever so slightly, when she saw it. Any joy, no matter how small, was good to see on her girlfriend’s face.
Adjusting the pillows, Vaggie picked up the bowl of soup from the nightstand and started patiently feeding her. Once the soup slid into her mouth, the doll demon (and it seemed that description was so much more accurate right now) would subconsciously swallow. It was eerie, yet, made sense, since according to the doctors, she was basically on ‘autopilot’ now.
“You know,” Vaggie finally spoke, awkwardly, “It wasn’t until recently that I realized how little time we have actually spent together. One-on-one, I mean.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped away some soup that was dribbling down the Sinner’s face before continuing. “I always meant to, I just… Well…” She took a deep breath and swore quietly in Spanish. “I really don’t have an excuse. It’s not that I don’t like you or feel like I should stay away from you, I just… never really tried to get close.”
Vaggie studied Stitches as she fell silent again, rhythmically feeding her the broth. Even stuck in bed for nearly a month, the little woman was still beautiful, in all her melancholy grace. She had heard some of the heavy shit that had happened in her life since Stitches had opened up a little during some of the sessions, and even with only knowing so little, it was obvious how much weight was on her little burlap shoulders. Yet, she carried herself with quiet dignity and still saw the beauty and joy in life. It was obvious in the way she joked with Angel, laughed with Charlie, and got up to mischief with Niffty. It was also reflected in her art and stories, which were bursting with a life of their own.
Putting the empty bowl on the tray, she turned back to Stitches. “When you are better, I want to spend more time with you. If you want, no pressure. I just… Maybe I could teach you some self-defense? Oh, and you said you always wanted to learn Spanish! I could definitely teach you. It would be nice to communicate in my language with someone, and you said your bio dad’s side was Latino. So, if you want…” Vaggie smiled as she continued talking about random things she wanted to do together with Stitches. Now that she was thinking about it, she did want to get to know the woman.
She was so absorbed in talking to the unresponsive woman, that she didn’t notice Charlie slip into the room, smiling softly at the scene, and she wouldn’t for quite some time.
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Day 10
“Oooh, and then I went into the boiler room, and I saw King Roach kissing the Ultimate Bad Boy! Hahahaha! They are going to make Bad Babies together!”
Niffty put the final touches onto Stitches' makeup. No one had been helping the Secret Bad Girl keep up her Bad Girl look! So, she had taken it upon herself to do it for her. It was the least she could do for the woman who had saved her life! Thanks to her sacrifice, she had been able to stab 786 more roaches! She patted the woman’s face affectionately, admiring her work.
“There! So much better, huh, Stitches? I know you like it, even if you are not talking right now. I will come do it more often for you.” She looked at Stitches silently for a moment, but there was no response. Sniffling, she moved to curl up at her side, dragging the doll demon’s arm over her and clutching her hand in both of hers, close to her chest. “I miss you, Secret Bad Girl.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “Please come back soon.”
Alastor found her there when coming to bring Stitches some lunch, sleeping soundly while Stitches continued to stare unresponsive straight ahead.
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Day 12
Husker sighed, taking another swig from his flask. “So now, Charlie wants me to make a whole mock-teil menu, for those that want to have the drinking experience without the booze. She thinks it will help ‘encourage responsible habits’ or whatever. Which, considering how much Vaggie has been threatening to ban booze from the hotel, I guess is her way of a compromise. Which, if it’s between adding a mock-teil menu or completely switching everything to a juice bar, I’m sure you know which I am picking.”
He glanced at Stitches, who was lying down, eyes closed, having fallen asleep for the night. He sighed, voice rough with emotion he so rarely showed. “I hope you wake up soon, kid. I’m not great with this whole booze-less drinks stuff, but you have a natural flair for that kind of shit. Even I have some of those virgin margaritas you created from time to time. Not sure how you came up with how to make it taste so much like the real deal, but it is genius! I’ll stall as long as I can, but I need your talent to help me make that menu, okay?”
He stayed a while longer before turning off the light and tucking her in for the night. He patted her leg on his way out. “Talk to you tomorrow, kid.”
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Day 21
Alastor’s shadow slid under the door and into the quiet room, the hotel long settled down for the night. Alastor was busy comforting Lucifer, so it had taken the opportunity to sneak away, eager to check on the little thing. It wiggled across the floor and up the wall so it could stare down at the sleeping demon. She looked peaceful, and serene in the eerie glow from the window. Yet, it made the shadow sad, and it chittered in its eerie sort of ghostly way.
Stitches suddenly flinched in her sleep, her breaths becoming labored from a nightmare. It was not the first night she had had them, nor the first the shadow had seen. Pulling itself from the wall and into a more corporeal form, it rushed to her side. Slipping onto the bed, it gently wrapped her into its arms and petted her soothingly, cooing its ethereal whispers. After a few minutes, the woman’s breathing evened back out, and she was peaceful once more. Smiling happily, it continued to hold her, content to stay there until Alastor summoned it back.
It had a mind of its own, true, but it shared Alastor’s adoration for this Sinner. So, unless its master called, it was not feeling inclined to leave.
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Day 33
“They hand in hand with wandering steps and slow, through Eden took their solitary way.” Lucifer closed the book and raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Huh, this Milton guy sure had an interesting interpretation of the whole Eden thing, huh?” he scoffed. Looking up at Stitches, he leaned forward conspiratorially. “No offense to this windbag, but I think Dante did it better!” He chuckled, tossing the book onto the “read” pile, with the Divine Comedy and Odyssey. He would spend several hours a day reading to her, and now, they had finished three poetic classics, written by three men centuries apart.
But Stitches was still unresponsive. She sat in the armchair in front of him, one he had brought in from his rooms, just as silent and empty as she had been for over a month. Nearly two months since he had heard her laughter, seen her smile, or received one of her warm hugs. If it wasn’t for Alastor and Charlie…
“Brandi, what can I do to bring you back to me?” he whispered, leaning forward and taking both of her hands in his. He didn’t expect her to respond anymore, he just needed to ask it from time to time. Her empty expression was nothing like the daughter he knew, so devoid of the charismatic smirk or the teasing eye rolls. “I want you back more than anything…”
He sighed and leaned back, staring out the window. She had a lovely view of the garden from here, as lovely a garden as was possible in Hell. How he wished she would come back, so they could explore it again. She had mentioned the idea of adding a small maze made of hedges, and he was excited to help her create it. But he wanted to do it together.
He glanced down at the books again. Dante and Milton had both written about him, or at least, made him a central figure. So much of what they wrote wasn’t real, but he found it interesting how mortals viewed him. He chuckled, remembering some of the things Stitches had told him about iterations of him in pop culture in her world. How differently they all made him out to be!
“You know, I don’t talk much about what really happened, back in Eden.” He rested his chin on his hand and stared out the window. “My memories before Hell… well, most of them are either bitter-sweet or just… horrible.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “But… maybe not talking about it is why I am so… broken.” He leaned back and stared off, memories long ago locked away coming back to the forefront.
“I, like all the original angels, was created from stardust. Father molded our physical forms into being and ALAKAZAM! A host of bird brains was born! Each of us was different, with different powers and roles to play. I was made with the power to create, and my role was to help Father in his creations. I loved it! I was so happy to help bring life to the universe. I had so many dreams and plans, and Father was supportive of them all!”
He took a sharp breath. “But one day, Father just… vanished. He left instructions and plans for Heaven and for Earth, which we had been working on together. I thought that since I had been with him creating the plans, they would let me make it a reality. But…” He sighed and put his head in his hands. “They said my ideas were too chaotic, that they lacked order. They pushed me aside and wouldn’t let me work on anything. No one listened to me, and without Father, no one really cared. I felt so lonely, and I don’t know why they hated me so much, but I just… I just wanted to matter.”
He wiped his face and leaned back again, smiling. “So, I started to sneak to Earth. I would add little touches here and there, things most would overlook. I created ducks, lilies, butterflies, fireflies, and cats, just to name a few! I would shapeshift into different creatures most of the time, just so my Heavenly siblings wouldn’t catch me. I loved playing with the animals, exploring the flora, and just enjoying the environment. Heaven was always a bit too bright and perfect, in my opinion, though it got worse after Fathe left, but Earth? It was perfect because of it’s imperfections. I thought the same when I met the Humans.”
He chuckled. “Adam wasn’t as bad of a douche back then. Don’t get me wrong, he had always been an entitled prat, but he wasn’t as… loud? Obvious? Something like that. He was actually fun to be around back then. Lilith, well! I think even then, I was attracted to her, even if at the time I was unaware of such concepts as love and romance. Marriage was a foreign concept at that time. Adam and Lilith getting married was a while later.” His face darkened and he curled his lips in disgust. “Though how in the 7 Rings you can call a forced union between two people a ‘marriage’ is still beyond me. Adam was happy with it, of course, once they explained sex to him, but Lilith? She was pissed, and rightfully so!”
Lucifer took a moment to breathe, eyes closed and fists clenching and unclenching. Eventually, he calmed enough to continue. “Lily just wanted to choose her own path, and Adam was a selfish bastard in bed who didn’t care what she thought once she became his wife. Just because you are married doesn’t mean that your partner is an object or forfeits their autonomy!” He growled. “First man, first dick, in every meaning of the phrase!” he grumbled. “Anyway, Lilith started spending more and more time with me, just to get away from him, and well, one thing led to another, and we fell in love.” He chuckled. “I’ll spare you the more romantic details, but suffice it to say, she changed my whole world.”
He sighed. “But, Adam being Adam, he kept complaining to Heaven that Lilith was not upholding her ‘wifely duties’ and Lilith told them to suck it! Ha ha HA! They hated that! So, they divorced the two and created Eve. Lilith was ordered to leave the garden, which was fine because there was so much more of Earth to explore. We lived happily for a long time until we realized what Heaven had done to Eve.” He growled again. “They took away Free Will! Adam had a wife that couldn’t dream, couldn’t hope, couldn’t think for herself! Any children they had were going to be just as mindless and dull, little robots that would simply obey orders from Heaven and keep ‘order’! It was disgusting!”
Lucifer gritted his teeth. “So Lilith and I decided to go against Heaven. I created the apple, to give humanity Free Will. I wanted Eve and her descendants to have the ability to choose their own paths and strive toward their own goals. I wanted them to create and grow and reach for the impossible! That’s all Lilith and I wanted to do. But when Eve ate the apple… everything fell apart.” He felt the tears falling, but he only pulled up his knees and held himself in shame. “Evil took root in the cracks of doubt and defiance against Heaven. Magic and nature need balance, so if Heaven was the ‘light’, there had to be a ‘dark’, and so Hell sprang forth. It all happened so quickly. One minute, Lilith and I were cuddling in our home outside Eden, and the next, we were dragged in front of the Council of Elders.”
He was trembling now, but he couldn’t stop telling the story. “They were furious! They… they blamed us for everything; they blamed me! I wasn’t the one who tried to ruin Father’s plans with mindless drones! I wasn’t the one that forced not one, but TWO marriages onto non-consenting women! I wasn’t the one that pushed away an angel until they felt so alone and worthless that they would have rather ceased to exist than to continue one more day trapped in Heaven!” He let out a strangled sob. “I may have opened humanity’s eyes to the corruption of Heaven, but they are the ones that failed first!”
He sobbed for several minutes before he found his voice again. “They… They tortured us. They made her watch as they cut off my wings and burned my arms with Holy Fire. They enjoyed it. I begged them to stop, but they just stabbed me with spears, over and over. They needed me weak so that when they threw us into Hell, we would fall. They didn’t want us to survive. They were throwing us away.” He gave a hollow chuckle. “At least all they did to Lily was make her watch. I was so scared they would hurt her. I was an angel, a powerful one. I could take it, but she was just a human. It would have destroyed her.”
He turned to look out the window. “They threw us down separately, me first, so we couldn’t help each other. We weren’t the only ones. Six of my brethren were disgusted by what they had seen in the Council. So, they were bound, wings taken, and thrown down too. We would later see one more person fall from Heaven, much later: Eve.” He sighed. “9 Original Sinners, 9 Circles on the Upper Crust of Hell. It’s why 9 craters have turned into 9 cities. Pentagram City? Yeah, this is where I landed.” He looked down at the floor. “We all were broken and remade slowly, with our heavenly forms twisted into something demonic by Hell’s atmosphere. Our powers were twisted, and corrupted, and what little we retained of our angelic essence was severely limited. Hell responded to us in strange ways, our blood mixing with the soil and creating various creatures and features in Hell, like Satan’s Imps and Ozzie’s Incubi. We took a long time to get used to the changes. It took a long time for my wings to grow back, and of course, they were never the same.”
He huffed. “Then the Sinners started dying and arriving. In the early years, it was just us nine and the Hell-born. It was simpler, I was able to help get Hell started, set the groundwork, be king, and prepare Pride for the humans that would end up here. I thought I could be a source of light in the darkness, a comfort to souls that had been punished. But I…” He swallowed hard, frowning. “I wasn’t prepared for evil. They took my gift of Free Will, and they used it for the worst things! Murder, torture, rape, violence…” He shuddered. “They were monsters, who constantly tried to overthrow us, to kill us. Lilith and I, and Eve, since we kinda had a fling for a bit, we had to build the palace to protect ourselves. I had to restrict Sinner's access to just Pride to protect the Hell-born. But the worst part is what it turned me into.”
Lucifer let out a maniacal laugh. “I let it corrupt me! When Eve eventually ran off, I tried to punish the worst of the Sinners. I thought, maybe if they suffered, they would eventually learn. I was tired and in pain. I just wanted to let out the anger and resentment, and who better to unleash my fury than those who deserved to be punished? I tortured them, killed them over and over, every time they respawned. It was a dark couple of centuries, and it wasn’t until I came back to my senses that even realized what I had done. No matter what I did to them, it didn’t fix anything. Sure, it made them scared and they stopped trying to come at us, but they didn’t learn anything, it didn’t redeem them. All it did was give me momentary relief and distraction from the ugly truth: it was all my fault.”
Lucifer hid his face in his hands. “I gave Eve the apple. I was responsible for all the suffering. Heaven may have fucked up, but I made my own decisions! I had been warned what the consequences would be if I interfered, that my unbridled creativity was chaos, and chaos would allow Evil in! But I didn’t listen! All of humanity suffered because of me! Hell suffers because of me!” He let out an anguished cry. “Once I realized that, it was over! My depression took over, and I tried so many times to end things. I inflicted every torture I had done on the Sinners onto myself. I killed myself over and over, but nothing ever stopped the pain. I still hear their screams, I still see Lilith screaming and crying as I am thrown from Heaven to Hell, I still feel my wings being ripped off and the impact of the fall…” He gripped himself even tighter, full-on sobbing now. “IT NEVER FUCKING ENDS!”
The room erupted into tortured sobs as the King of Hell broke down. Eons of secrets and burdens laid bare, in front of the one person he wasn’t even sure had heard any of it. Yet, for the first time, he felt lighter, like a thorn had been removed or a heavy pack was removed from his shoulders. It was the first time putting everything into words, and just speaking them out loud was a relief. Perhaps he would finally tell all of this and more to Alastor. There was so much more to confess, but he wasn’t ready for that, not yet. But this was a start. Finally, after what felt like hours, he wiped his face, empty of tears and sobs. He took some steadying breaths and looked up at his silent daughter.
Bright, focused eyes met his. Startled, he froze, reading the silent acknowledgment there, proof she had, indeed, heard and understood everything. They existed in comfortable silence for several long minutes, just two abused, guilty souls, accepting one another, faults and all. Then, for the first time in almost two months, Stitches spoke.
“It’s time I tell you my sins.”