Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Todd makes his way upstairs to his "room". It wasn't really his room but since his taken up the residency as "Todd" he might was well have a place to sleep. He opens the door to the room and finds it hasn't been used in years. It was a room that belonged to a thirteen year old kid and everything in the room was quiet out of date. "I'm going to have to let Annette know I may need some new stuff." Todd opens the closet and finds some clothd were still on coat hangers. He checks the dresser and finds it empty besides a couple pairs of boxers. "I get the feeling that the Todd that was supposed to be visiting may not have wanted to come back here." Todd sits down on the bed, changing back to his demon form. He didn't want to waste too much of his magic. He needed to save it for when him and Annette go shopping in the morning. "Might as well get used to my current accommodations. At least its better than living in the dungeon in that house the last time I was summoned. Those teens in Salem had no idea what they were dealing with."
Todd lays back on the bed, it creaks slightly from his weight, his horns scraping the headboard slightly. He reaches up and touches his horns. The ornaments he had on them were still there. There were only three gold bands on each horn. Those bands represented his rank in the legions of Hell.
Todd was mostly summoned to deal with broken hearts, someone wanted revenge on an ex lover who did them wrong. Summoned as a game which ended up with the person or people losing their souls in the end. Or to assassinate someone important. Plus everything in between. There was even once he was summoned by a poor girl who wanted love. He gave the girl deal which she had to follow through with. She had to find someone who loved her for who she was, not for what they wanted and keep the relationship going for a year. Unfortunate for her, she never got the year. The guy cheated on her and the turned around and demanded Todd make the lowlife pay. Todd got three souls that day.
Humans never truly understand what they are getting themselves involved with when messing with the supernatural. That's why a lot of bad things happen.
Todd was about to close his eyes and try to sleep when he hears a noise underneath the bed. "You've got to be kidding me?!" Todd hissed. He reaches under the bed and pulls out an imp that screamed in fright. Todd quickly covers its mouth to stop its noise making. "Tell me why you are here or being dunked in holy water will be the least of your worries."
"You're not Todd," said the imp in a sqeaky, whinny voice. "Where's Todd?"
"Been asking that myself since I've been summoned here. Now answer me!"
"I'm Todd's monster...well the monster in the closet or the monster beneath the bed depending on the night."
Todd facepalms himself. "Why did we even go into that business." He looks the imp dead in the eye. "Do you know what happened to Todd?"
"Todd hasn't been here for three years."
Todd gets up from the bed and opens the window. "Well Todd is no longer here so your services as his monster are now null and void." He throws the imp out of the window and makes it land into the garbage can that was sitting down at the other end of the driveway, which was a good twenty feet away. The imp disappeared in a puff of smoke. He laughs. "That's one less problem to deal with. But that doesn't mean I'll end up dealing with more demons from Hell anytime soon."
Todd wakes up the next morning to Annette opening the blinds to the window in his room. He pulls the blanket and pillow over his head, trying to block out the sunlight.
"It's a beautiful day out, Todd," said Annette. She looks over at the bed, seeing Todd had covered himself up with the blankets. "Go get yourself washed up and get dressed. After breakfast we'll go shopping for some new clothes for you. If you like, when we get home, we can get you moved into the guest room, that way you won't feel as crammed in here."
"It's fine, grandma," came Todd's muffled voice from beneath the blankets. After a few minutes he hears Annette leave the room. He gets out of bed and looks at himself in the mirror that was on the closet. "I could really use a shave." He runs his hand over his beard. "Maybe trim the points of my horns down too as well. Can't risk someone getting hurt on my account."
Annette was in the kitchen making scrambled eggs and pancakes. She could hear Todd singing off-key in the shower upstairs. She smiles. "It's good to have Todd home again. He's grown so much since I have last seen him. Arthur would be so proud to see him." Annette sets the table after she takes the last batch of pancakes off of the stove. She leaves the kitchen and heads into the living room. After a few minutes, she returns to the kitchen and sets the picture of her deceased husband next to her spot at the table. It was the litter things that helped her get by over the years after her husband had passed away.
Todd comes downstairs. He was wearing the sweater Annette had made and given to him the other night. He had on a pair of black jeans with holes in them. "Smells good in here," said Todd.
"I made your favorite. I hope you don't mind, Todd." Annette sits down at the table.
Todd sits down across from Annette. He was back to his demon form. He didn't want to overuse his magic. He noticed the picture of Arthur next to Annette. "Who's that?"
"That's your grandfather, Arthur. He passed away ten years ago. It hasn't been easy without him being here but now that you are home again, I won't feel as alone anymore." Annette reaches across the table and gives Todd's hand a gentle squeeze, being careful of his claws. "Love you, Todd."
Todd was taken a bit off guard by what Annette had just said to him. In all his long years, he never heard anyone say 'Love you' or 'I love you' to him. Love wasn't a foreign concept to demons. It was just a very rare thing to them. "Love you too, Annette," said Todd. He places his hand over hers, being careful of her delicate skin, gives her hand a squeeze. He didn't mind being with her. In fact, he hoped he would enjoy being in her services since she did summon him after all.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone