It takes white and red to make a candy cane

Part title

Cover art by cryptictea on Instagram.

The way he sauntered around like a scouring hawk. The various extended glances. many "accidentally falls" whenever I was around to catch him, and of course I didn't. The extra skip in his walk when I was looking. The offer to drink with him, talk to him, hang with him, and the other, well other offers. The mistletoe hung on my door way, on the stairs, on the hotel entrance, above my pillow. It was starting to get a bit excessive. I fume at the idea of being a deer during hunting season, meant to fall into many deranged traps.

As I sit at the bar, he spots me. Sliding across the room, slivering into the chair next to me, cooing like a snake. His eyes squint, his lips curving a smug smile. He is quite foolish. I see many flaws in his attempts to woo me, especially the fact that out of all the monsters in hell, he picks the most inhumane out of them all.

"Heyyyyy" He slurs it like he's drunk, maybe his is, I could care less. "How about helping me with the rest of the decorations" The spider smiles smugly in a comical manner. Resting his arm on the counter of the bar as he inches the slightest bit closer.

"Hmm... can't do" I respond with fake merriment. He sighed, looking at me sadly. Then almost instantaneously regaining his confident demeanor.

"Awww, why not Al?" He asks with overly dramatically sadness, laying his head on the table, using his puppy eyes.

"Oh, I am supervising my dear!" I proclaim, growing tired of his lackluster advances.

"Supervising who?" He asked maliciously, smiling smugly, clicking his tongue as he speaks. Using one of his many hands to puff up his hair.

"Like you said, you have decorating to do" I said oddly harshly. Standing up I wrap my arm around his shoulder, standing up, he followed. Then I pushed him forward, smiling widely. He let out a defeated sigh, making his way into the crowd of hotel stayers. They were all busy at work, hanging up lights, baking cookies, and placing ornaments on the large tree that made the giant lobby feel stuffy. Christmas or any Holidays for that matter are often forgetting her here in hell, but Charlie insisted.

I swing my microphone cane, ears twitching, staring into the wryly crowd. The demons often tripping over each other, "accidentally dropping ornaments" and occasionally breaking into a rabid scuffs. Normally I find myself stopping such madness, but Angel seems to have worn me out. I settle back down on the bar stool, swinging my cane aimlessly. Only to instantly be startled by the spider running over to me, his fur white as snow, cheeks like sunsets, eyes like spring flowers.

"Al, I brought you a candy can!" He smiles cheerily, his demeanor glowing.

"I see" I say, feeling quite worn out. I take the candy cane from his hand, rather begrudgingly. "I am feeling rather tired, I think I'll retire for tonight"

"Sleep well" he says smugly, barely missing brushing his cheek against mine before pulling back as he chases after Charlie into the messy crowd. I almost feel my teeth snap as I grind them down in an attempt to regain my smile. Promptly I march up the stairs, walking through the red hued hall, and making my way to my small room. As I enter I see my black bed, the once neatly tucked black and red striped blanket, thrust on the floor, replaced by a pinky and fluffy one dappled in hearts.

I let my face fall as I drop the candy can on the bedside table, I scurry to fold the pink blanket, tucking it under my bed, before moving to remaking my bed. Another one of his tiresome attempts to court a monster, I huff.

I set to sit atop my bed in thought. But, what to think about. The weather, dull as always, the hotel, amusing as usual, and then Him. Angel is a nuisance, a menace, and ironically a demon. I spend hours curing his name, but, after it all, I don't a feel a drop of poison drip down my lips, only dross lining my eyes. My thoughts start to cave. When I'm around him, I worry that my teeth will fall out, I feel my neck prick as if it's a struggle to hold up, I feel my face burn like it's on fire. A fire un rattled by the quilt of snow woven outside.

I pull my my knees up against my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs snuggly. My deer ears twitch slightly as they listen to the loud sound of bustling down stairs. It makes me want to curl up into a ball, it makes me crave silence. Though my wish, as always, isn't granted. I look up as I hear my door screech open. The dreaded spider peers in, he seems almost awed by my frazzled appearance. He slowly steps over to me, his confident strut, subdued to timid steps. Walking across the intricate pattern of my red rug. As he walked he accidentally knocks into my small radio, it starts playing a jumbled, crackly version of jingle bells. He picks up the candy cane from my bedside table. Then smugly he pulls some mistletoe out of his pocket, tying it to the end of the candy cane, holding it above my head. It takes me a moment to snap out of my thoughts and stare quizzically at the spider.

"You know Al, it takes white and RED to make a candy cane."