Never
touch the dials on a certain old-fashioned radio. The one which turns on by
itself at three AM and allows the summoning of its previous owner by a simple
phrase: "You're never fully dressed without a smile." If you find
yourself listening to it...you're already doomed.
The
bizarre phenomena started not too long after the nineteen thirty three death of
Alastor Roscoe Cajun, the infamous serial killer and radio host. His station
had already been shut down, leaving a cult of confused and devastated listeners
to contemplate the announcement. The majority of New Orleans, however, breathed
a sigh of relief after learning of the bastard’s brutal end. In sheer irony,
his obituary was the last program that had been broadcast on his station
before, it too, came to a crashing finale.
“How
ironic,” some people joked, “that the ever smiling man would die during the
Great Depression.”
Some
families of his victims wanted the Louisiana Lunatic to rot in jail for the remainder
of his life, but fate had already run its course. The former Axeman killer had
been just as sinister, though he had vanished during the nineteen twenties and
was never caught. Fortunately, there seemed to be no other murderers enjoying
their gruesome sprees. After the end of the thirties, the U.S. began to recover
from the economic loss. For many years, New Orleans was at peace.
A
tall slender woman with light colored hair wore a maroon colored dress and a
large hat with feathers in it. She stood within her store which read “Rosie’s
Emporium,” with “Franklin” crossed out. (She had killed him after he threatened
to call the police about her cheating on someone else. Elegant and
sophisticated, Rosie Poppins was practically perfect in every way. She remembered
strolling and singing with a charming fellow as she twirled her custom-made
umbrella. Rosie was the CEO of a sewing company, and she didn’t treat her
employees very well. She worked at her emporium on the side, selling antique
items, flowers, and clothing. She wasn’t as youthful as before, and her hair
was starting to gray.
Through
a door, and down a set of stairs was a room where high class individuals would
often come for drinks, parties, or business talks. Many shady folk had come to
Rosie in the past to get beer and booze during the Prohibition Era back in the
nineteen twenties. One of her frequent customers had been an avid gambler and
drinker, a grumpy and soft-spoken fellow. She hadn’t seen him in years. Then
there was that chubby famous flapper girl that sang and danced with that
charming radio host back in the day. Indeed, Rosie had meet lots of people in
her life…
“Hello,
mam’,” said a voice.
Rosie
turned back to the present and saw a customer…a short man with black hair
wearing dark brown clothing. His hat was beige in color.
“Hello
sir, how may I help you?”
“Do
you know where the restrooms are? I saw a door back there, but it’s not
properly marked…”
It
was the door that led downstairs.
“No
restrooms here,” she remarked. “That door is for storage.”
“Surprised
this old place is still here,” he said.
“You
here to buy something or not?”
“Yes,
as a matter of fact. I’m here to pick up some vases for my girlfriend and my
cousin likes to collect antiques.”
“We
have some vases here on sale,” she said, mentioning to vases of different
colors and sizes. Large round copper ones, slender ones in silvery white. There
were even several decorated in rainbow colors and abstract shapes.
The
man pointed to a vase that had black and white stripes on it.
“That’ll
be five, ninety nine,” said Rosie.
The
man paid for the vase and took it to his black motor car. He came back in and
looked around some more. There was a row of old cuckoo clocks on a shelf, not
too far from several lamps. There were sets of crystals, rocks, and woven rugs
toward a rack of clothes. Bending down a bit, the man observed several pairs of
shoes on sale, scratching his chin. “My girlfriend would love some of these.”
Then,
the man walked toward the back of the room and saw several old radios. They
came in a variety of shapes and sizes, all made of polished wood, and oak. One
of them was made of wood of a darker color and had speakers within the arching
slots in the front. The knobs were toward the bottom. Others were merged in
furniture items, standing tall and heavy with elongated speakers. Smaller ones,
lighter in color, had speaker slots in curving flower-like designs. There were
a few older versions as well on a higher counter, with horn-shaped speakers.
Then
one unique regular size radio caught his attention. It had randomly been hidden
behind several radios on a shelf. He pulled it out after moving the other
radios to the side.
“How
much for this one?” asked the man. He brought the radio over to Rosie who
examined it through rose colored reading glasses connected by thin chains. It
was tan in color, with two large slots on the front, displaying station numbers
and an unmoving dial. There were several turning knobs toward the bottom and
along the sides of the radio. The most peculiar part about it was the large
painted white smile that took up much of the front part.
“Fairly
expensive…” she pondered. “Two hundred sixty six dollars. If I remember
correctly, several of these radios, including this one, were donated from
someone’s house.”
His
house.
“As
the person didn’t live there anymore, people figured that they shouldn’t let
such well-made radios go to waste. After nobody was interested in purchasing
them, the radios were brought to my shop back in nineteen thirty three. I had
more than a dozen and several of them were bought. But these older ones have
stayed with me for around half a decade now.”
There
was something about this particular radio that made her feel…something.
Nostalgia. Fondness. Melancholy. It brought her back to when her friend was
still alive, ever-smiling, and ever-dashing in his demeanor. When he would play
music on the very same radio and show it around to his friends and fans. The
winks he would give her after washing his blood-stained hands. When he
entrusted her to keep his actions a secret as “just another higher up guy who
enjoys the company of a woman of perfection.”
She
could still remember him saying those words to her.
The
foundation of an alliance, a friendship, reflected in the speaker slots and the
gleam of the wooden surface. A covering of dust over the top part, soon brushed
away with a swipe of Rosie’s hand. And at the bottom of the radio, a small
engraving of words, along with the previous owner’s name.
A
still, empty silence at things lost and the passing of the years.
She
almost felt a pang of reluctance of letting go of his first radio. Almost like
she was renouncing her former affectionate friendship.
Then
again, it was best to leave the past behind…but treasure the priceless moments.
“One
hundred sixty six,” she decided. “A discount. I have enough old items in here
already.”
“Thank
you,” said the man, as he put money on the counter. She scooped it up and put
it away in the drawer.
“Wait,”
he said. “I’m curious. “This radio belonged to a radio host, right?”
“Yes.”
“Was
it…that same infamous one years back?”
She
paused. “No one really knows,” was all she said.
The
man carried the hand-crafted radio with both hands and placed it in his
vehicle.
Rosie
watched as the man drove away…the most expensive, unique radio leaving the
cramped nest of fellow objects. She hummed a tune as she got back to work.
The
man arrived home and placed his new items on the dining room table. His cousin
would be arriving tomorrow. He wrote a card for him and placed it by the radio.
The card read: “To Jeffery, from Fabien. Have a Happy Birthday. Hope you like
this for your collection.”
Fabien’s
blonde girlfriend soon arrived through the front door. The couple kissed and
discussed their days at work.
“How
are you parent’s doing, Elizabeth? Still sick?”
She
nodded. “They’re slowly recovering. Work has been the usual. Boring, stuffy,
full of people who complain all the time.”
They
took a seat on the couch. “Someday, we’ll go on a vacation together. Just the
two of us. We need a good break from all this work.”
“If
I had more money,” she said, “I could buy myself some lovely shoes and several
dresses while we’re there. Where do you think we should go?”
“I’m
thinking Florida.”
“That
sounds wonderful! We’d have such fun on the beach. But…we don’t have the money
to go there.”
“I
know,” Fabien sighed.
The
couple watched some TV before heading to bed. When Fabien wanted to have sex,
Elizabeth gently pushed him aside.
“You
know I’m not ready for that,” she said.
Sometime
that night, Fabien thought of a fellow friend, Abel, who was quite handsome. He
was always ready for sex, romance, and adventures. And, as a bonus, he was
bisexual like Fabien.
Being
with Elizabeth was nice, but he didn’t feel quite complete. Not like how he
felt with Abel.
During
one peaceful night, a light noise woke him up. He groaned and slowly got out of
bed.
“What
is it?” muttered Elizabeth, sleeping next to him.
“Do
you hear that?”
“What?”
“That
noise…”
She
fell silent and listened. “Yeah, I do too.”
They
crept downstairs. No lights were on in the living room. There was nothing but
the hum of static.
Elizabeth
turned on the lights. The static was coming from the antique radio on the table.
She walked over and picked it up, turning it over a few times.
“Strange.
It’s not plugged in or anything.”
Fabien
took a look at it, too, adjusting the dials and finding the on-off switch
stuck.
“Darn
it, it’s stuck,” he said with a yawn.
He
glanced at the bottom of the radio and saw some small neatly-written words he
hadn’t noticed before. They were small and black. He traced his finger over the
words as he read.
“You’re
never fully dressed without a smile.”
He
glanced at a name that was engraved just below the phrase:
Alastor.
He
found himself calling out the name three times.
The
annoying static stopped and was replaced with upbeat music. Fabien put the
radio down and stepped back in shock.
“What
the…” Elizabeth asked, also surprised.
The
music consisted of upbeat trumpets. An old time-sounding voice sang aloud:
“Everybody’s looking for the
friendly voice…of radio…the people’s choice. Music, weather, sports and news,
it’s radio…”
The
music climbed to an upbeat crescendo and then halted.
A
low voice sounded through the radio. “You’re now tuned in to 66.6 FM. Please
stand by as you wait for your host. Commencement in three, two, one…”
Elizabeth
raised her eyebrows. “What does that even…”
Static
and strange voodoo symbols suddenly filled the air. Time and space was
distorted as shapes and colors merged in and out of focus. Both of them
screamed as they found themselves being pulled toward the radio. The walls and
floor rushed by in a neon blur as they found themselves sucked in…
…Before
landing on dull colored ground.
They
both stood up and looked around. Thick dead trees were spread out across the
land, the dry branches gnarled and twisted. It appeared to be a barren forest.
Elizabeth
and Fabien stared at their new clothes: suit, pants and looped hat for Fabien
and a lacy dress for Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s blonde hair was pulled back into a
bun, decorated with a lacy round clip. Fabien’s clothes were light pink,
Elizabeth’s light blue.
“Hello?”
Elizabeth called, her voice echoing in the air. The sky was completely white,
and blinding to the eye.
“Hello!”
answered a cheerful voice.
A
tall, shadowy figure approached them. It was a man, who appeared to be wearing
a tattered dress coat with stripes on it. The couple could hear that he was
wearing tap dancing shoes from the clacking sound. He was wearing a bow-tie and
an undershirt with an upside down white cross on it. Instead of five fingers,
he had four on each hand, abnormally bent and long. On top of his head were
fluffy tufts shaped like deer ears, along with small antlers between them. All
Elizabeth and Fabien could see of his face were white blank eyes and a large
white smile, with sharp teeth in rows. There appeared to be no visible color on
him.
“Hello
there, lady and gentleman! Glad you could tune into my channel. You may be
wondering, is this all a dream? Maybe so, maybe not, depends on what you think.
But I promise you that after our chat, you’ll be safe back in your world.”
“What
do you want with us?” Fabien asked. “Why did you bring us here?”
The
shadow man chuckled. “Oh nothing too special. Just checking to see how your
lives are going. I’d like to help you out, if I can.”
“Why?”
asked Fabien.
“I’ve got a game I want to show
you.”
“From
a random stranger?” Elizabeth asked, hands on her hips. “Who are you, anyway?”
“If I tell you my name, you’ll have
to play, too.”
Fabien
crossed his arms and glowered. “Okay then, if it means us getting back.”
“Splendid
choice! My name is Alastor, the Radio Demon. Pleasure to be meeting both of
you.”
He
eagerly shook both of their hands.
Elizabeth
looked taken aback. “A d-demon? You mean, you come from Hell?”
Alastor
nodded. “Yes indeed.”
“But
Hell isn’t real!”
“Oh
but it is, but I’m not here to talk about that too much. Thanks to a magic book
I got, I was able to gain temporary access to your world. I’ve been in Hell for
a while and then I figured out my ability to travel through radios.”
“So…you’re
still in Hell?” Elizabeth asked.
“Basically,”
said Alastor. “I’ve been here for years
biding my time, waiting and primed.”
He
briefly turned his back to them.
“Until I could find you.”
He
rapidly turned around and pointed a finger at Fabien. The stunned man flinched
back in surprise, Elizabeth did likewise.
“Why
did you want to find us?” Fabien asked.
“Why
does anyone do anything? Sheer, absolute boredom!”
“You’re
not telling us something,” Elizabeth prodded.
“I
just did,” Alastor replied with a short chuckle. “Anyway, I’d be happy to
provide you with any helpful resources that you may need. I have magic, so just
tell me what you desire and I’ll make it come true in a day.”
Both
of them fell silent as Alastor paced back and forth.
“You all have such cozy little
lives,” Alastor mused. He pointed a finger at Fabien, “How you survive like that, I wish I knew,” he
finished, pointing at Elizabeth.
“What…”
Fabien began. “Was your life hectic compared to ours?”
Alastor
clicked his tongue. “I can’t answer that. Part of our agreement to not ask
personal questions about our lives.”
“But
we don’t know about your life!” Elizabeth added.
“Exactly.
Yes, your lives appear to be mundane. Lacking focus.”
Fabien
and Elizabeth leaned in slightly to listen.
“But you’ve got a lovely little
secret,” he spoke in a whisper. Elizabeth
scratched her neck, head lowered.
“You’re tired of feeling awful small.”
Alastor
appeared in front of them.
He
snapped his fingers and a scroll of paper and a feather pen appeared hovering
in the air in front of them.
“Just sign on the line and we can
be friends. I’ll be here for you until your world ends.”
Elizabeth
reached for the pen.
Fabien
held down her arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Elizabeth
looked at him. “Do you see any other way out of this mess? I know he’s a shady
looking stranger, but if he wants to help us, shouldn’t we embrace this
opportunity?”
Fabien
was dumbstruck, at a loss of what to say. Sighing, he let go of her arm.
Elizabeth read the paper, missing the near invisible fine print at the bottom.
She picked up the pen and signed her name. She handed the pen to Fabien, who,
after a moment of hesitation, signed as well.
“Excellent!”
said Alastor with a flourish before snapping his fingers and making the
parchment and pen vanish. “After this, you only get two more chances to visit
me. Use them wisely.”
“Enjoy all your toys I will supply.”
Alastor added. “You
only live once…”
Both
humans looked at each other, hoping for the best. Alastor curled his fingers
and added in a demonic voice that they couldn’t hear, “…and you’ll be mine. The day you die, I’ll have my payment. Your
eternal soul’s enslavement.”
The
two of them woke up back in the living room. The radio had turned off.
The
next morning, Fabien got a call from Abel as Elizabeth got dressed for work in
the other room.
“Wanna
go to the Picture Show together? You seem like a very nice guy.”
Fabien
couldn’t believe his ears. Here he thought that Abel didn’t care much for him,
and now he was asking to go to the movies.
“Sure
of course,” he said. “Two o clock sound good?”
“Sure
thing,” Abel said.
They
had gone to the cinema and Abel even told Fabien that he was handsome. Fabien
couldn’t stop blushing and giggling.
Fabien
walked into the house in stride.
Elizabeth
had returned from work and held a piece of paper in her hand.
“Look
what I got from my boss!” she exclaimed. It was a check for three thousand
dollars.
Fabien
gasped. “Unbelievable!”
“Guess
what? I’ve been promoted to the second highest position at the office. My boss
said that I’ve been working so hard and that I deserve it.”
“Congratulations!”
he said, giving her a kiss. “Now we can go to Florida, soon.”
“I
can’t wait!”
The
weeks went by. Fabien and Elizabeth basked in their glory. Elizabeth earned
more money and now had enough to spend on new clothes, dresses, and furniture.
She even gained enough confidence and style to perform on stage.
Meanwhile,
Fabien and Abel made out at a bar and managed to not get caught by police. They
had wild, exciting sex later on at Abel’s house. It was the best day of
Fabien’s life.
When
things settled down and got mundane, the two of them decided to visit Alastor
again. They got up around three AM, said the phrase, and were transported to
the lifeless forest.
“Hello,
Alastor sir?” asked Elizabeth.
Alastor
popped out from behind a tree. “Elizabeth and Fabien, great to see you two
again. Hope you two are enjoying yourselves.”
“We
sure are!” exclaimed Elizabeth.
“So,
about that paper we signed…” Fabien began. “Does it say how much or how long
we’ll get our wealth?”
“Did you divine our dark
arrangement?” Alastor asked.
“Uh,
I think so,” Elizabeth added.
“Then
you can be sure that you’ll find out when the time comes. I’ll admit, seeing
your reactions…You were lovely entertainment,”
Alastor added with a laugh.
“How
dare you spy on us?!” Fabien yelled.
Alastor
shrugged. “Hey. Just a third party observer making sure things go smoothly over
there.”
Elizabeth
leaned in. “Stop fooling around, Alastor. I overspent my money last week and
I’d like some more.”
“Don’t
worry, you’ll get more. Just be patient,” he said.
He
turned to Fabien, reading his mind. “Your union will come soon enough.”
Alastor
snapped his fingers and two glowing items appeared in front of the couple, a green
bag of money and a red heart with an arrow through it. Fabien touched the heart
and within it, he could hear Abel talk to him romantically among melodic voices
of young women singing to him. Elizabeth stared, mesmerized by the bag of
money. She could feel the bag in her hands… hear the clinking of gold coins,
the ruffing of dollar bills and the calls of crowns and jewels from inside.
Alastor’s
voice sounded from behind them. They slowly turned around.
“The dark desires you’ve been
serving. You can bet that you’re deserving.”
He
shot out his arm and poked at Elizabeth, causing her to reel back.
“No regret for who you’re hurting.
Why, it’s almost like you’re flirting.” He waved
his hand up and down and snickered.
Elizabeth
glared at him. “We aren’t hurting anyone, thank you very much.”
“I
could tell from the start that you two wanted to live your lives big.”
He
held the piece of paper in the air. “So
you gave mister Alastor a call, to make a deal. Because you’re hungry for all
the sights. You want to see them. Earthly delights you feel you need them. Your
appetites, I’ll help you feed them.”
He
showed them the mesmerizing glowing bag of money and the heart, the objects
taunting them. Elizabeth could see herself as the richest woman in the south.
Fabien saw himself surrounded by adoring lovers. The longer they stared, the
more they desired.
A
pair of red eyes shone on the surfaces of the illusionary objects. They heard a
transatlantic seductive voice speak from behind them, “I’ll be your sweet Radio Demon.”
The
couple was sent back before they knew what had happened.
Soon
enough, Fabien and Abel were happily married in secret. There were several
woman who wanted to have Fabien all to themselves. Abel seemed perfectly fine
with it. As he leaned in against Abel’s skin, he figured he could hide the
secret forever.
But
eventually, their lives began breaking apart.
“Homo
heathen of filth!” yelled Abel’s father. “Get out of this house right now!”
“But
dad…”
“I
don’t ever want you in this family again, unless you change your ways!”
Abel
ran from the front porch, crying. Several hours later, he arrived at Fabien’s
apartment.
“I…I’m
sorry, but, we can’t be together anymore,” he said between sobs. “My family
won’t let me back in unless I…get my act together.”
“Screw
them! You don’t have to listen to anyone else. It’s you and me…I believe in
you. I love you,” said Fabien.
“I
know. But…I love my family more. They always come first.”
“But
you are my family! Again, I love you,” said Fabien.
“I
hate to say this, my friend, but I…I don’t.” Abel sputtered.
“One
last kiss...please.”
“Okay.”
“Who’s
that at the door?” Elizabeth asked. She had walked in to see Abel and Fabien
share one last kiss. She let out a gasp.
Abel
sobbed and raced outside.
“Fabien?”
Elizabeth asked. Her eyes were brimming with fury.
“What?”
Fabien asked, wiping away tears.
“You’ve
been cheating on me this whole time?!”
“I’m
sorry!”
“You’re
sorry? Nonsense! I’m not good enough for you, is that it? You decide to go off
and hitch with some man, no less!”
“Why
do you care?! You’re too invested in your jewelry and shoes to give a damn
about my feelings!”
“Why,
the nerve of you!”
Fabien
stomped his foot. “We’re settling this. After we visit Alastor one last time,
we are destroying that cursed thing!”
He
pointed to the radio.
“No
we’re not!” she cried. “Without that demon, I’ll drown in debt!”
“You
are already starting to, due to your carelessness!”
“You
know nothing about me.”
“And
you know nothing about me.”
None
of them heard the laughter coming from the radio.
That
night, they didn’t speak to each other. They said the phrase again that night
and were transported to the forest.
Alastor
appeared again, shocking the two.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to alarm you,
if you ask me to stay, I would be charmed to.”
“Please
do,” Elizabeth begged. “So many things are starting to go wrong…” she glared at
her former boyfriend. “He just doesn’t appreciate all the wonderful stuff I
have. All he cares about is going off and making whoopee with a bunch of
wackos!”
Alastor
briefly showed them the illusionary bag of money and the heart, before they
vanished into the ground. Both of them looked down, their eyes frantically
searching.
Alastor
grinned. “I guess good things don’t last long, do they? I did say I’d feed your
appetites, but surely not forever. And
once your hunger has abated…”
Alastor
took Fabien’s hand, positioned his face and spun him around in a quick dance.
He tried not to fall down from the sudden dizziness.
“…don’t forget your friend who
waited. Watched as you indulged your thirst and…”
Alastor stopped and his grin inched
wider. He stared at the paper work in his hands before making it vanish.
“Both
of you have used up your last chance to visit me. No more money, no more love,
and no more desires granted to you. You two are on your own.”
“So
that’s it?!” Fabien spat. “You’re going to just leave us in the dust at our
worst moment in life?”
Alastor
burst into laughter. “Worst moment? Oh ho ho ho, my darlings, you haven’t
experienced your worst moment yet. You still have to pay your debts after all.”
“With
money? I have plenty,” Elizabeth said.
“No,
no, no. It’s not money I need. Not love, devotion, or anything. You’ll both be
paying me in…a very different way.”
Both
of them lowered their heads at the realization that they had been tricked all
along.
“Pleasure to play, how I enjoyed
you,” Alastor sang, cupping Elizabeth’s face in his hand. “Suffice to say, when I play, I don’t lose.”
He
turned to Fabien. “Collect on the debts
that you accrued. It was such a gas. I really am amused.”
Alastor
pulled Elizabeth closer to him and Fabien. “Have
a dark thought, I’m right beside you…”
The
demon then pulled Fabien closer to him and Elizabeth. “A casual whisper just to guide you.”
Both
of them stared at each other.
“Look over your shoulder and I’m
gone. Remember this song.”
Alastor
had teleported elsewhere, faster than they eye could perceive. He then appeared
beside them.
“It’s
time for you to fulfil your end of the bargain.”
“What
do you mean?!” they both cried out.
Alastor
turned to them with a smirk. “Did I mention
that you’re cursed?”
Both
Elizabeth and Fabien suddenly arched backwards, arms at their sides, both their
mouths open in silent screams. Their eyes were wide open, the whites showing.
Their bodies were twitching like they were experiencing a seizure at awkward
angles. It felt like there were a dozen strings connecting their arms, waists,
and bodies to the overarching demon. They were paralyzed…they could not make
any sound…
Until
they appeared back in the living room in the blink of an eye.
Fabien
picked himself up, raced to the kitchen and got out a hammer.
He
growled at the taunting radio, which was still humming by itself. Alastor’s
voice was heard singing a song through it. It filled him with gut wrenching
terror.
“Come into my world
Take a look at me
I am the nightmare on the dark side
of the moon
I’m your first last resort
So call me
When you need a helping hand
Play your cards wrong
And I’ll see you soon.”
“Say
goodnight, you bastard.”
Elizabeth
was up as well. With strength she didn’t know she had, she shoved Fabien to the
floor.
“You
broke my heart,” she spat. “And I’m not letting you break anything else.”
The
two of them wrestled on the ground, letting out inhuman screams and yells.
Fabien shoved Elizabeth against the wall, her head banged against it. She
growled and retrieved a sharp knife from the kitchen counter.
“There’s
no need for heartbreakers to live,” she said, an unnatural smile on her face.
She
managed to cut Fabien’s skin and tear his clothing before he punched her hard
in the jaw. She flew through the air upwards before landing with a thud. Fabien
stomped on her neck hard, with his foot. It let out a sickening crack that
appeared to jolt him out of his violence frenzy.
“W-what
have I done?”
He
cradled her lifeless body as tears fell from his eyes. The agonizing static
rang in his ears like buzzing locusts flying from a siren.
There
was no way he could live in such pain. He wanted it all to go away.
With
shaking fingers, he took the blood-stained knife and plunged it into his chest.
He gasped as blood spilled from his mouth and through his shirt. His body shook
as he hit the floor, getting a glimpse of Elizabeth, facedown and motionless.
He breathed heavily in desperation for oxygen before black spots entered his vision.
In a few minutes, he too, was cold and dead. The knife lay between them.
After
being in dark empty space, the two saw a crimson red sky slowly appear. The
first sounds they heard were humming and laughter.
Elizabeth
and Fabien looked and saw Alastor revealing his true colors, in multiple
senses. He wore all red, his hair was red and black, and his eyes were red
moving radio dials. He had fooled both of them, and now they were at his mercy.
He
snapped his fingers and jazz music began to play from the red vintage
microphone staff he carried.
“You laid your chips
Out on the table now
When you gamble souls
The house will always win
I’m double dealing in betrayal
And I’m here to cash my payout
I hope it was worth
The life of sin”
Elizabeth
and Fabien could only let out terrified whimpers.
“Welcome to my world
Take a look around.”
Elizabeth
and Fabien observed the modern looking Pentagram City and the animal-like
demons fighting, talking, smoking, and roaming wild. For the first time since
everything happened, they held each other close, trying in vain to comfort each
other.
Alastor
sang again.
“Inside your nightmare
Deep beyond the mortal veil
You made a wrong turn
At the crossroads”
Neon
voodoo symbols and static consumed the area around them. Alastor reached over
and shook Fabien and Elizabeth’s right hands. Green electricity raced over
their astral bodies. Their clear forms started turning darker and heavier.
Their teeth grew sharper, and their hands turned into single black claws.
The
two of them were on their knees, clutching their heads, trying to block out the
foreign power invading their very souls. Alastor had taken hold of their minds,
their bodies, everything. Their former lives faded away to dull thoughts…then
nothing.
“Now you’re in the final episode…eternity
with me in Hell!”
The
former humans screamed and cried one last time before falling limp. When they
lifted their heads, they were now grinning shadow demons with no names. The two
of them prostrated themselves before their new demonic master.
Alastor
sent them off through a portal to terrorize several innocent demons.
“I bid you Adieu!”
he called with an evil laugh.
On
a day like any other, a family of four strolled along down the street. A
father, a mother, and their two children. The man wore around hat with a brim,
along with pants, shoes, and a v neck shirt. His hair was dark brown and he had
a brown beard. His wife wore a gray dress and her hair was pulled back into a
bun. Their son wore a cap, trousers, shoes, and a shirt. Their daughter was
dressed in a cute white dress with blue flowers and a bowtie to match. The
children looked to be about six or seven years old.
Those in New Orleans and other places will soon find out that
the previous deceased serial killer is not so dead after all...
“Alastor’s Game of Cat and Maid”
Alastor has taken over several areas of Hell and is in need of
an army. Thanks to Blitzo's book, Alastor enters the living world and makes
deals with mortals after his death. The mortals lost their souls and became his
shadow demon slaves. He can now travel through radios in Hell and on
Earth...and cause people to fight each other or be hypnotized.
Several children hypnotized and killers before vanishing. The
more victims he gets, the more radios he can travel through. Family replaces
radio with TV set, radio appeared “sad” to kid. Theorists try to break in and
they break the first radio. But the shopkeepers don’t believe their statement
about the cursed radios. Alastor had gotten into other radios and car radios,
causing crashes. One man killed himself.
But Alastor offers a deal to Hustle/Husk and Japanese American
Nelly/Niffty, both as humans and demons. Husk is offered booze, money and
comfort from WW2 PTSD in exchange for being Alastor's bodyguard/fighter. Niffty
gets to flirt and roam out of the lake of fire, and she becomes his maid and
chef. Husk can’t love anymore due to Alastor and the love of his life gone.
Thanks to Stolas’ book, Alastor could enter the living world and
travel through radios. He could only be summoned when someone called out his
name and his favorite phrase. (Husk knew what it was and so did his fans, who
were unlucky enough to be possessed, sucked into the radios and turned into his
minions. ) By the time the Hazbin Hotel opened, Alastor had hundreds of
soulless demons at his command. Alastor made a deal with the duo in 1946
(Niffty, 17, Husk, 24), a year after World War 2 ended and Husk came back.
Human Husk and Niffty meet, becoming acquaintances. Husk desires booze and
money to cope with his stress after the WW2 and Vietnam War and the death of
his girlfriend by a rival gang member. Niffty, having killed her abusive
husband and worked in cleaning jobs and being treated as a second class
Japanese woman, searches for true love and an orderly fantasy. Niffty, of
course, turns into an Alastor fangirl.
Husk: received money, booze and in Hell, catnip weed, but used
it all up and later died of over drinking and debt at 75. Alastor also gave him
a longer life span (to give him time to prefect his fighting, strength, and
musical skills for him), thus he was able to live until the 1970s. Cost:
bodyguard, subject to summoning, will experience (besides a possible second
death) trauma, hangovers, hellhound chases, and tap dancing if he disobeys
Alastor.
Niffty: received a new lover, sewing equipment for her dresses,
manga, and increased dexterity (for her to be fast, to control fire, and be
skillful for him) She was faster in Hell and immune to fire. Cost: maid, chef,
subject to summoning, will experience (besides a possible second death), ice
water attacks, burnings of her fanfictions and dolls, and banishment back to
lake if she disobeys Alastor.
The two of them meet after hearing rumors about enchanted/cursed
radios. Husk recognizes Alastor’s radios and remembers when he first spent time
with the radio host, Rosie, and Mimzy. They both summon Alastor and he makes a
deal with them as he sings the song. They sign a piece of paper. Alastor
eventually finds Husk and Niffty in 1975. When Husk and Niffty die, they turn
into their demon forms in Hell and (in 1975 after Niffty gets free from the
lake of fire) seal the deal with Alastor, giving away their souls/life-force.
(Plot twist: Rosie knows about Alastor’s ability to travel
through radios and helps him travel through more to start up his shadow army.
She still keeps him in line, the power behind the scenes. Rosie, the cruel CEO
owns an emporium and antique shop. She doesn’t want Alastor associating with
Charlie and the others…she acts like a mother figure, but hopes to manipulate
him and the other Overlords.)
Husk died in 1970s from debt at age 75 and drinking overdose
after WW2 trauma. Husk born Dec 10 1895.
Niffty died in the 1950s at age 22 when group of men threw her
in the fireplace and stabbed her several times. Born March 22 1929
Husk became Alastor’s bodyguard in Hell, he used his wings as
shields and his claws to protect Alastor during his killing sprees. Husk gets
more booze and money the more people he helps Alastor kill.
Takes place
during "Entertainment In Inferno" and before Hazbin Hotel episode
one.
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