Wylla Adler believed there was malice in everyone, even the nicest of people.

The 'bad people of the world' just wanted to survive, like her. Maybe that's why she was jealous of how luxurious her new friend, Paisley Ambrose's house was. "Help yourself to some treats," she said casually in her hot pink PJs.

Wylla eyed the candy and treats, wanting to steal it all. Wylla herself knew she wasn't a kind person, but living in the slums taught her to take everything you could. Before she got the scholarship to Eulalie Academy, she lived in the poorest and most lousy area of Baskerville, having to fight to survive.

Of course, Wylla wasn't going to let anyone know. She spent her first few months at the academy, ensuring she got into the best social groups; it had succeeded since she was at Paisley's house.

"I'll take some Skittles," Wylla said, shoving a few packets of Skittles in her pockets.

"I guess you're not afraid of gaining a few pounds like other girls, Wylla," Paisley said in a I'm-kidding-but-being-a-smug-bitch-at-the-same-time kind of voice. It appeared that Wylla wasn't the only person with malice. "Let's go watch a movie in my bedroom, are you okay with Mean Girls?"

How fitting, Wylla thought. "Sure."

They went up the staircase and Wylla jogged behind Paisley. Paisley was a pretty girl, she had tanned skin with cute freckles, her dyed blond hair swishing behind her waist. "I already watched Mean Girls, like a ton of times, but I bet you haven't."

"Nah, I watched Mean Girls a ton of times too," Wylla said coolly, but it was directed to Paisley. They had made it to Paisley's bedroom, bigger than Wylla's house in the slums. "I love your room, it's so cute."

"Yeah, you can take the red sleeping bag, I'll take the blue," Paisley said as she tried to find the remote connected to the TV in her room. It wasn't an offer, it was an order. "Don't blame me if you fall asleep."

Wylla snorted. "I'll stay up until 3:00 AM if I must."

Paisley went pale. "I-I don't think that's a good idea, er, my mom said we have to go to bed by 11:30 PM. Sucks, right?"

"Totally," she replied, wondering why Paisley was so fixated on going to bed before midnight. Wylla hadn't been to a sleepover in ages, but wasn't the point of sleepovers to stay awake until dawn? "Your house is nice by the way."

"Hm?" Paisley finally found the remote. "Oh, we're planning to move to a bigger one in June."

Wylla gawked at her, taking her place in the red sleeping bag. Don't screw your "friendship" up with her, she bit down on her tongue. She took out her Skittles, munching on the red ones. How can I gain a few pounds by eating a pack of freakin' Skittles?

Wylla was slim herself, but she didn't like how her hips would have uneven dips and her chest was as flat as a boy's. She fixed her eyes on Paisley's perfect body, fit for a model.

Paisley sat down next to Wylla. "Mean Girls, here we come."

Wylla had lied, she did fall asleep. She was snoring before Cady had even met Janis and Damien. She had the strangest dream ever, she was still in Paisley's bedroom, but Paisley herself was awake.

She was gathered in a circle with Satanic symbols, thirteen lit candles, and reading verses from a book called Sinner's Bible by a man named Leviathan. Weird, Wylla thought. The author only used his first name.

Paisley mumbled a few words, looking like she was in a cult. Wait, is there an Eulalie Academy cult? Wylla always found cults to be scams. "Paisley," Wylla whispered, but Paisley ignored her, the chanting becoming louder. "PAISLEY!"

Suddenly, the girl snapped out of her trance and the candles blew out. Paisley stood up, spinning around on her heels. "YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" she shrieked as Wylla backed away. "I was going to meet King Leviathan and be his bride!"

"Paisley, chill the hell out," Wylla warned, stumbling back. "Is this some weird anime cult for a character named King Leviathan? It's cool, I like watching anime too—"

"You don't even understand the gravity of this!" Paisley suddenly pushed Wylla to the floor.

All of a sudden, Wylla jerked upwards. It was just a dream, she thought.

But the real nightmare started.

Wylla was in a bed, not a sleeping bag. She yelped, hopping out of bed, gasping in relief that there wasn't some old man sleeping with her. "What the heck?" Wylla screamed, looking around, clutching her chest.

The bedroom looked straight out of the Victorian Era, maybe something in Buckingham Palace, but very dark. The only source of light was dimly lit candles and Wylla scanned out the window. The infernal fire burned outside, encapsulating the dry and cracked lands beyond.

She gritted her teeth. "Paisley Ambrose, I swear to God, if this is a prank—"

Out of the blue, two women ran inside. "Miss. Ambrose, you're late for the gala—" the first woman stopped short. She had dark skin that looked red and a high slit in her black dress. Two black horns bulged out of her navy pixie cut. "You're not Miss. Ambrose."

"I sure as hell am not! I'm Wylla Adler!" Wylla snarled. "Where the hell am I?"

"You're in Hell, also known as Nadivis," the second woman said, looking more regal than the first one. She had gray skin and wore a red suit, a spiky tail lurking from her bum, and one of her black horns was broken. "Paisley Ambrose was invited to King Leviathan's gala, he's selecting his bride. Although it looks as if something went wrong, you're in her place."

"That's what Paisley was screaming about," Wylla muttered, unsurprised. "Well, send me back up to Earth so that dumb Paisley can come here instead. I just want to go back home and eat Skittles."

"You see, you can only travel back through the vortex after the selection is over," the first lady added, scowling. I'm in Hell, Wylla thought. Well, I always knew I'd end up here when I died. "Please, tell me you're not a goody-two-shoes."

Wylla laughed. "You wish."

The second woman smirked. "I like you already. My name is Kikimora, she's Nocnitsa. The masquerade ball is in an hour, we'll doll you up for King Leviathan. You got a nice pair of legs and arms, we'll show 'em off."

"Thanks?" Wylla said. "We're actually doing this?"

Kikimora snorted. "We already bought the dress."

"Hurry up," Nocnitsa gushed, rolling her eyes. "But we'll make a beauty out of you, Wylla Adler."