Up From Hell

Chapter 7

Why had no one told Putrigall what to do in the case of a guardian angel showing up? Why had the previous hellion not left any notes behind to warn him about the bloody terrifying guardian angel that guarded this girl? He had heard about guardian angels, but no one had really ever told him what to do if he ever came face to face with one. They had all made angels seem like dumb creatures that needn't be worried about. Looking at the magnificent specimen before him, Putrigall could see that there was nothing dumb about guardian angels, and they most certainly should be feared and worried about. Anger and hopelessness welled up inside Putrigall, and he felt betrayed.

He thought back to all he had learned in training and to this specific assignment and realized that the demons in the Underworld probably hadn't any clue as to the true nature of angels. It was obvious that demons who did have a run in with a guardian angel probably didn't live to tell the story. Putrigall realized that he was lucky he had any notes to read from his predecessor. Even if that demon did run into this angel, his notes hinted that he was rather lazy and unorganized. Not to mention, some demons in history had been known to fall in love with angels such as the one Putrigall now saw, and would even try to protect the angel at the expense of their lives. Putrigall now deeply wondered what exactly it was that happened to the demon that came before him and mysteriously disappeared. It doesn't matter anymore, he thought helplessly. All I can do is look on as this horrifyingly beautiful creature solidifies the certainty of my imminent death.

Carrotina gently stroked Halbred's face. "I know it's been hard," she whispered. "And I knew you don't feel very strong right now. You've suffered so much and, no matter how hard you tried, always seemed to fall back into trouble. You couldn't change for yourself because you didn't think you were worth change." Carrotina touched Halbred's stomach. "Now you have someone to change for. I know you, and I know you can pick yourself up and become the best person you can be for your baby. If you can't change for yourself, change for your child."

Halbred, lightly crying, instinctively drew her hand to her stomach. Carrotina saw that, though Halbred looked more confident than before, she there was still a thick sense of uncertainty hanging over Halbred's head. She quickly came up with a plan that she knew would save both the life of Halbred and Halbred's very young child. "There's one way to know for certain what you should do," Carrotina whispered in Halbred's ear. "Go to your grandmother and tell her the news. If she reacts happily, you will know for certain that you will have the support you need to do this. If she reacts poorly," Carrotina shuddered at the thought, "you may plan accordingly."

Halbred glanced toward the direction of her grandparents house. They were undoubtedly already asleep, but Halbred had a key to their house and knew they would be easy to wake up. She sat for what seemed like a long time considering the idea that had popped into her head. Finally, she stood up and wiped her face the best she could. If her grandmother reacted badly, the embarrassment wouldn't matter anyway because Halbred wouldn't live long enough to endure it for long. The part of her that decided to follow through with the plan was the part that was certain her grandmother would hate her and would justify her ending her life later. She grabbed her keys off a nearby pile of clothes and made her way out of the cabin and into the night.