Don't Miss Me Too Much

The following days fly by without any more trouble than usual. It's the night before I go to Earth, and my dad has called me down to his office to talk to me.

I enter to find that he is sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped together in front of him. The room is big enough to hold all his furniture and him comfortably. A bookshelf stands by the wall to the side of his big desk, holding an assortment of books. A reasonably sized filing cabinet sits in the opposite corner by the door. Although the room is not huge, it seems like it is because of the glass wall behind my dad and the desk. The view is of the whole of Hell, the demons and souls walking about below. This was my favorite place to come when I was a kid, and it still is. It's the only place where you can watch the movements of Hell in peace. I would press my face up against the glass and imagine what it will be like when I take over. It's hardly changed.

I sit down in the chair opposite my dad, leaning my elbows on the table, and resting my head atop my hands.

"I wanted to go over the accommodation and details of your trip," he says.

"Cool."

"I have been able to acquire you a house for the year, on the beach just outside of Miami. Like promised, I have also been able to obtain you a black Yamaha R15 and a white Aston Martin Vanquish for you to use. You are enrolled in the local school in grade 12, and I expect you to attend. You wanted the whole experience," he quickly adds when I start to protest.

I grumble but allow him to continue. I should have known; there's always a clause you don't know about with my dad. "When you arrive, it will be Sunday, meaning you will have school the next day. You will have all the correct documentation that you will possibly need at your new address. Your house will also have everything that you may need. There is a bank account that you can access with this card, but I don't want you spending it all straight away and on trash, got it?" He hands me a card.

"Yes," I respond, snatching the card from his hold and examining it.

"You have wanted one your entire life, so I have found you a phone. I have been able to get reception down here for a phone for me so we can contact each other, but don't expect it to be a permanent feature. It will stop as soon as you come back."

"Where is it?" I ask eagerly.

"It's at your new house. My number will be in it when you get there. Finally, don't get into any trouble. The demons that I have allowed on Earth know not to disrupt you, but if you find any that are there illegally, send them back down. Also, try not to let anyone find out who or what you are. That means do not use any powers unless you're in a situation where they will save you. Actually, even try and find something else to use then."

I give him an innocent smile. "Like I'm going to do that..."

He gives me the look that I am used to getting from him. It's the one that says that it's not a joke.

"Okay, okay." I relent, putting my hands up in surrender. The look disappears as he stands up along with me. He walks around the desk and to where I am standing.

"I'm going to miss you, even all the trouble you cause," he tells me, pulling me in for a hug.

"You too," I mumble into his chest.

My dad tries to hide the tears in his eyes as he pulls back. He hardly ever cries.

"Everything packed?" he asks after clearing his throat.

"Yep," I confirm. "I'll come and find you before I leave."

He gives me a grateful smile as he walks with me to the door, moving to the filing cabinet. I open the door and look at him when he's not watching me. He may be annoying sometimes, but I'm going to miss that and him. I leave the office and see Tybalt at the end of the corridor. He raises his head and looks at me.

"Come on, boy. Let's go for a walk." I walk past him and to the front door. This will be the last time I see the whole of Hell for a while.

***

After a very bad night's sleep and barely eating breakfast, I go to find my dad with all my bags in hand. I say goodbye to Tybalt who is none the wiser as I walk to the office. I enter his office to find my dad looking over some papers. I've never been able to get my head around why he has to do paperwork, but he does it when he's not signing contracts or his other duties. I clear my throat to let him know that I am here.

"I'm off now," I tell him when he looks up.

He immediately places the papers down on the desk and stands up, walking around the desk.

"Be safe. I expect to see you in two months. If you are not here, I will be sending someone up to find you."

"Why? Why do I have to come back down?"

"To check in. No matter what happens, I want you down here when we agree."

"Okay, what's the address of my new house?" I ask, suddenly feeling nervous. I don't know why; I've gone up before with my dad, but it's never been just me.

My dad reaches for a piece of paper, allowing me to visualize the address in my mind for the teleportation. Once I have read it and committed it to memory, my dad destroys it with fire from his hand and passes me the front door key.

I say a final long goodbye to my dad and get ready to leave. I am just closing my eyes when we hear a loud bang outside. My eyes fly open, and I go to look out of the window to see what the commotion is, but my dad stops me.

"Don't worry about it. I'll go and sort it out," he promises me.

I look at him hesitantly; I don't want to leave if there is trouble.

"Go on. You've wanted this for ages," he says as he walks toward the door.

The look on his face worries me as I close my eyes. I quickly push the thought of how he looks scared to the back of my mind and decide to leave with my own bang.

"Goodbye, Hell! Don't miss me too much!" I shout in my devil voice so everyone in Hell and by the lake can hear me before I disappear. My dad's laughter is the last thing I hear.

***

When I feel my feet hit the ground, I open my eyes to find myself standing in front of a large, modern-looking, white house. I am nearly blinded with the drastic change in brightness. Goosebumps erupt over my skin at the considerable difference in temperature, even though the sun is out. I look around the deserted street of similar houses to see if anyone saw me pop out of nowhere.

I'm safe. I take a deep breath before stepping onto the driveway of my house for the next year. I continue up the drive and pause and admire the bike and the car waiting for me before walking to the front door. I juggle the bags I am carrying so I can place the key in the lock. I twist it before pushing the door open.

I enter into a bright, small entrance room. In a bowl on the table beside the door, I place the key with two others, which I assume to be for the car and the bike on the drive. I drop my bags to the other side and step through the second door and into the house. My first thought is how bright it is. The light streaming into the big room is courtesy of the wall of glass, only broken by the sliding doors, looking out over the hot tub on the deck, the pool below it, and the beach at the bottom. Stairs connect every level. The resemblance to my dad's office reassures and calms me slightly, bringing a fond smile to my face.

The living room is massive, furnished with white couches, chairs, and a TV hanging on the opposite wall. Not having one at home, I would always hope whenever I came up with my dad that I would have the chance to watch one.

I continue through the living room and see that the kitchen is only separated from the living room by a breakfast bar. I give the fridge a quick glance and see that it's stocked full of everything that I may need. The breakfast bar holds a basket which is full of blood bags wrapped in a ribbon. A card is amongst them, so I pull it out and open it.

Welcome to your new home.

Enjoy your time on Earth.

Dad.

xxx

My smile broadens at my dad's playfulness. I walk back out into the main area and to the front door, picking up the bags before walking up the stairs to the side of the room. When I arrive on the landing of the second floor, I see five rooms. One of them is a bathroom with a big sunken tub similar to mine at home. Behind the tub is a wet room holding the shower.

The three other rooms are all similarly furnished bedrooms. They are all modern and stylish. The last room that I enter has its own short corridor leading to it. I push the door open and see that this one is obviously the master. It faces the ocean, and the glass wall from downstairs carries on up. Also like downstairs, the wall has a pair of sliding doors; these ones lead out onto a balcony.

I look back to the room and see a big bed covered in white sheets. A black rectangle sits in the middle. I rush toward it, place my bags on the bed, and pick it up.

I wipe my thumb over the smooth glass screen. I turn it over in my hands, trying to find how to turn it on. I find a button on the side. I press it, and the glass lights up, showing me the time and date.

Once I have followed the instructions on the screen which allows me to unlock it, I look at its different features. My eyes fall on a small square which says that it holds the contacts. I press it and see my dad's name at the top. I didn't expect anyone else's.

I fiddle with it a bit more, looking at the different apps, quickly understanding what everything does and how to use it. Once I am satisfied, I lock my phone again, putting it into my pants' pocket.

Noticing two other doors in the room, I walk to the closest and open it. I reach on the wall beside the door for the light switch, flicking it on. I let out a gasp when a spacious bathroom, not too dissimilar to the main one, greets me.

Now even more eager to see what's behind the second, I walk quickly over to it, pulling it open. I walk through the big door, entering a generous closet. I let out a low whistle as I walk back out into the main room.

"You outdid yourself this time, Dad," I announce out loud as I walk to the bags on my bed. I unzip them and take out the clothes I have packed, telling myself that at the closest possible time, I'll go and buy more. I chuckle knowing that it's exactly what my dad doesn't want. Can you blame me? I haven't gone shopping without a time and money restriction before. I finally have free rein, and I can buy anything that I want.

I am just stashing the now empty bags in the back of the closet when I hear a two-tone electronic beep throughout the house. Looking cautiously around, I ponder what it can be. It sounds like it's coming from downstairs. It beeps again. I walk out of the closet and my room, going to the top of the stairs.

I see a middle age woman standing on the other side of the door. I realize then what the beeping is. It's a doorbell; however, I don't know why it's called a bell because it doesn't sound like one at all. Whenever we had to call at anyone's house on Earth, we would always knock and ignore the button beside us. I had only heard an actual bell at home. "Knocking sounds more ominous, especially if you put some force behind it," my dad explained to me when I asked why we knocked.

I make my way down at a human pace, opening the door when I get there. The woman greets me with a cheery smile on her face, her gray eyes reflecting that. With one hand, she tucks a piece of her mousy hair behind her ear while the other is holding a container. The warm, chocolaty smell wafts toward me, letting me know that there are probably brownies hiding under the lid.

"Hi, can I help you?" I ask, returning her smile with my warmest.

"Hi, I'm Rosie. I live a couple of houses down across the street," she says, motioning to her house. "I just wanted to come over and welcome you to the neighborhood. I hope you like brownies. My welcome gift to you." She thrusts the tub into my hands.

"Um...thank you," I tell her, placing them on the table by the door. "I'm Scar."

"What an unusual name."

"Yes, my full name is Scarlett, but my dad liked the idea of Scar," I tell her honestly with a fond smile. My mom wanted a real name for me, as she was once human before my dad changed her, but my dad thought that it wasn't scary enough, so they compromised.

"Are they in?" she asks, looking into the house behind me.

I move so I'm blocking her sight of the kitchen. It would be hard to explain why there are blood bags on my counter.

"No. I live by myself," I tell her.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I don't bother correcting her; she doesn't need to know. "When did you move in? I didn't see you arrive." She fires another question at me. What's with all the questions? Are all humans like this when they meet each other?

"I arrived early this morning, and I'm just unpacking," I answer, hoping she'll get the message to leave me to it.

"It was nice to meet you, Scar," she tells me brightly.

"You too," I respond, matching her tone, closing the door behind her once she has left.

For the remainder of the day, I sit beside thepool, my feet dipped in it, until the sun goes down. As I turn the light off inmy room, I let out a contented sound. I hope all my days on Earth are likethis.