“Devilish Christmas”
a short story by
Eva Fairwald
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/EvaFairwaldwriter/
Copyright © 2015 by Eva Fairwald –
[email protected] All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction and translation in whole or in part in any form.
Stock image from: www.pixabay.com
It’s Christmas time again: the soul reaping rush has to come to an end!
Vicky, award winning demon,
heads over to Munich, Bavaria, to help her Uncle Klaus.
This year, she is in for a surprise!
“Devilish Christmas” is a short story.
FREE STUFF: this ebook also contains chapter 1 of “Law kills”
“Yes, daddy. No, daddy. I will help Uncle Klaus,” Vicky laid the smartphone on the nightstand and activated the speakers. “Yes, daddy, we will meet this year’s goals. Stop worrying! You’re ruining my morning with your complaints… what do you mean it ain’t morning anymore?” she looked at the clock and snorted, it was 2.00 pm. “Dad! Gotta go, I’ll keep ya posted!”
The girl jumped out of the bed and a mane of long red hair spread all over her face and shoulders. She had spent the night at her friend’s disco in Stahlburg, the SWORGE Club & Lounge and had completely lost track of time. Vicky wasn’t sure she wanted to discover the details of how Kara Schwert ran the place and still walked on her feet every day. What she knew, was that Kara had been on her wish list for years now, but her soul was out of reach and no demon or angel could understand how. Anyway, she had had a fruitful evening and she thought she deserved some rest, but family was calling and she couldn’t ignore her father’s request.
Christmas was approaching and she was working overtime to send to Hell as many souls as possible. It was the most difficult time of the year, not because people tried to be kind hearted, of course not, but because the Accounting Department of the Soul Allocation Office needed to close the lists and refer the official reports. They pushed and sent daily reminders to every honest employee, ordering to provide their numbers. They had until midnight of December, 25th to reap the assigned souls; every further acquisition was illicit and punishable. Lucifer’s policy was to strike hardest during the last available period, to make sure that nobody exceeded the standard quota of humans pro demon during the rest of the year and… because securing lives when the angels had already reached the limit was way more fun.
There was a strict agreement between Heaven and Hell regarding the quantity each of them was permitted to send to the Reincarnation Department. Demons and angels observed carefully, selecting the most promising creatures for their side, ensuring only the rebirth of the fittest. Vicky’s uncle was too busy manufacturing his hallucinogenic beer to take care of the matter and his brother had sent some help: the daughter, experienced soul reaper with the highest success rate in Europe.
The demon took a shower, did her hair and make-up, packed a suitcase and alerted her private jet. Uncle Klaus lived in Munich, Bavaria, at the opposite side of the country. He was the king of the Oktoberfest, of the Christmas Markets and, basically, of every big festival that involved huge alcohol deliveries… so any relevant German celebration. He was the real moneymaker of the family, which was why nobody had dared to trouble him with the soul reaping problem, until the last moment.
Vicky reached his office right in time for Brotzeit, his uncle’s irreplaceable afternoon meal. His assistant had just brought an enormous cutting board covered with different sorts of cheese, butter, bread and cold cuts and he was oiling his massive stomach with a generous sip of Weißbier.
“Hello, uncle… nice to see that nothing has changed since last year,” Vicky said sitting in front of him and taking a slice of bread and butter.
“Oh, oh, oh, my dear. I did better than last time, I’m only one soul short!” he answered combing through his bushy white beard.
“One? But daddy said…”
“I lied, I just wanted to have you around, my dear. It’s a Christmas tradition now. You’re my favorite niece!”
“I know…”
“You’re smart, beautiful and so talented!”
“Don’t make me blush, uncle.”
“Oh, you won’t, you’ve heard every compliment a thousand times before. You’ve even won the Europe’s Reaping Awards and you’re again a nominee.”
“Are you spying on me?”
“I’m just a proud uncle!”
The man laughed and a rain of crumbles fell from the moustache to the Lederhosen.
“So, what do you want me to do?” she asked.
“Nothing special, you’re free to pick whoever you think worthy.”
“Perfect. I’ll start right away.”
“Ehm… there’s one thing...” he added toying with the salami.
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“We have an intern.”
“And you believe he’s suitable?”
“Ehm, no. He’s a young angel. I just wanted you to know.”
“You offered a job to the enemy?”
“I didn’t know, I don’t supervise the Human Resources and he’s just an intern.”
“An angel, Uncle Klaus! Shit! Are you insane? He’ll watch us! Somebody sent him to check on you! Maybe they found out we cheated last year. I reaped for you and, by doing so, I exceeded my quota!”
“Calm down. Nobody discovered our little secret. He’s here to learn the ropes of the amazing beer making process.”
“Fire him.”
“I wish I could… but he’s so good and there are rules, you cannot just go around and fire people.”
Vicky leaned back on the chair and rolled a strand of hair between her fingers; it caught the light like copper against her black nail polish.
“He will report us, if he smells some irregularities. I’m not allowed to reap for you… I only do it because we’re family.”
“And I appreciate your help, Vicky. Everything is fine. He’s a nice fellow and he enjoys working here.”
“He’s a freaking angel, of course he’s nice!”
“Yeah, well… you’re right.”
“What if he suspects anything?”
“I’ll find a way.”
“If he sees me operating, I’ll kill him.”
“No, dear, you don’t want to do that. I eliminated one of them once and my beard glowed in the dark for two months, where it had been stained with blood.”
Vicky chuckled and got up.
“Angels don’t sparkle!”
“Maybe it was a fairy… it happened a looooong time ago, when we used to wear horns on our heads to scare humans! The good old times!”
“That would have been awful for my hair!”
Uncle Klaus grinned and drank again. The world had changed a lot and the new generations used a different kind of fear to dominate people’s minds. The temptations, however, had remained more or less the same.
“There were different styles and sizes, like a headband or a hat.”
“Yuck! I go, before you suggest a jump in the past.”
“See you later, my dear.”
Vicky left the office and walked the corridors of the managerial area of the brewery. The high positions were still occupied by the same executives and she knew them well enough to be sure that there was no demon material. She took the elevator to descend into the pit of customer care, marketing, research
and all the other sections that kept the beer machine up and running. She didn’t feel like visiting the actual production site and abandon her red Christian Louboutin stilettos in a dark cabinet. That was the last resort. Uncle Klaus was very keen on expanding his affairs and hired at least five new staffers every year: fresh faces were a guarantee, she only hoped she would find some ideal candidate. Choosing someone from her uncle’s business enlarged their family’s network and was a lot easier than harvesting a stranger. Once reincarnated, they usually searched for their benefactors and gladly stayed connected. It was a win-win situation for Vicky, except for that stupid angel. She tried to avoid them as much as possible, but it was tricky and their presence made her uncomfortable. Angels stood for all the things she despised: weakness, pity, selflessness and so on. Knowing that such a creature was in the same building made her shiver with disappointment, until her skin suddenly hitched, she turned around and saw him.
“Hi! You must be Vicky! I’m so glad to meet you!”
She glared at him and the angel gave her the warmest smile ever.
“And you’d be?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Michael, everybody calls me Mickey. Our names almost sound the same, what a funny coincidence!”
“Funny?”
He stared at her with dreamy blue eyes and untamed blond locks trapped into his eyelashes.
“Yes, you know, V and M…”
“I get it, I only see a big difference,” she answered raising a ginger eyebrow.
“Of course, you’re an award winning demon, you cannot possibly fraternize with a humble angel.”
“Is there anything in particular you want from me?”
“No. But since hunting season isn’t officially over, I wanted to let you know that we’re sharing the same field.”
“I’m only here to visit.”
“Oh, cool! We don’t have to compete.”
“We don’t even play in the same universe, newbie.”
“If you meant to insult me, you missed.”
“I only stated the facts.”
“Ok, but just to be sure, being inexperienced is a temporary condition that enables me to ask as many questions as I need and…”
“Do you ever shut up?”
Mickey sank his chin and whispered.
“Sorry. I was excited to see you, you’re the first demon I talk to, excluding your uncle.”
“And? We’re not and endangered species.”
“I know. This is my first reaping mission, I’m not done yet and I’m afraid I’ll fail. I’m so bad, nobody listens to me.”
“Don’t you have a mentor?”
“He got called for an emergency six months ago, the others were busy and I never got reassigned.”
Vicky burst into laughter and licked her lips.
“You must be kidding.”
“No, I’m desperate. If I don’t complete the task, they’ll send me back to the academy and I’ll have to start over and I don’t want to!”
“Let me give you a lesson free of charge: never speak openly to a demon, unless you got something to give back.”
“Are you suggesting a bargain?”
“You tell me.”
The angel stared really hard at the floor and Vicky giggled. The kind of deal she had in mind was going to cover her ass, a good Christmas gift.
“I’m embarrassed, but I really need a teacher.”
“Would you sign a contract?”
“Ehm…”
“Yes, or no?”
“It depends on the content.”
Vicky smiled and her pointy teeth flashed against the burgundy lipstick.
“I’ll give you a soul reaping crash course. You’ll return the favor how and when I’ll ask you to.”
“It seems a bit unbalanced.”
Vicky lifted a hand and caressed his cheek, while gazing deep into his eyes. Mickey staggered and fell into those amber dwells, as he felt his skin ripping under her claws. A sweet warmness wrapped his heart and mind and, when he tried to speak, the word yes was taking concrete shape on his tongue: he barely closed his mouth in time. The demon interrupted the contact and the angel leaned against the wall, panting.
“Is… wow, this is what you do?” he muttered.
“You really are a rookie,” she whispered to his ear, letting her vanilla perfume soak his breath, “this is what everybody does and a preview of what I can teach you, Michael. The question is: are you ready to learn?”
The angel was shocked, overwhelmed and fascinated, but something told him not to lower the guard.
“Please define what you mean, when you say favor,” he murmured.
Vicky stepped closer and laid a hand on his shoulder.
“Favors are only definable on a short notice, like a couple of days or so, you know, like the little time you have to complete your list.”
Mickey swallowed and his saliva felt like volcanic lava.
“Alright… please, help me.”
She smiled like a cute kitty, clapped her hands and a piece of paper appeared between them.
“Gimme your hand.”
The angel obeyed and the demon cut through his palm with a fingernail, until a rivulet of blood tickled his skin.
“Now put it on this document.”
“I’d love to read it first.”
“Be my guest.”
She held the contract and Mickey weighed every word, while Vicky stroked his neck, wandering under his shirt between his shoulder blades, making him very nervous.
“Ok.”
Vicky pushed the contract against his palm before he changed his mind and the paper absorbed the liquid, storing the consent.
“We’re business partners now,” she said.
“I guess so.”
“Does it bother you? Getting support from the dark side?”
“A have a bad feeling about this.”
“We help anybody. Besides, without me, that sensation would be a certainty.”
“Can’t say you’re wrong.”
“In a few days, all you’ll be saying will be Merry Christmas!”
He smiled reassured and Vicky patted his hand.
She could now hunt in peace and Mickey’s angelic career was doomed; she knew he wasn’t made for the troops of light, his nature was too open to temptations. It was only a matter of time. Luckily, she was in the right place to direct his steps… oh yeah, it was going to be a merry Christmas and a happy new year.
From the same author:
“Law kills”
– Attorney on call… forever –
A “Tidssons’ Archives” novel
Here's the explosive mix for this wicked novella; handle with care!
Johan Herzmann: vampire and best mystical lawyer in Europe.
Jerry Goodfellow: skilled young lawyer hungry for success.
Kara Schwert: hot dealer with a dirty mind and a limo full of cash.
What do they have in common other than a genuine taste for money? Well, you're about to find out that sometimes blood & lust cannot be stopped and that law kills… no matter how good you are.
“Law kills” is about the young attorney Jerry Goodfellow.
Note: explicit content.
From the same series:
“Playing with daggers” and “Sorcerer for sale”
READ NOW CHAPTER ONE FOR FREE!