The night was as busy as usual. Cars speeding down the highway and people moving as fast as possible to beat the traffic and be home before it rains. Hell's paradise was a fifty-story structure, with its pinnacle scraping the sky like it should.
She was dressed and ready with her eyes pinned on the world twinkling beneath her feet. The top to bottom view of the city was outstanding and necessary for her sanity. Anytime she was as high as possible away from the ground, no matter the time or the hours she would stare. Nothing mattered to her the most than the chance of her being as high above the ground as she could to see him again.
It's been fifteen years since she celebrated her foolishness from not ending her life. The woman flipped the Rolex watch in her hand before wearing it around her wrist. She likes this particular watch not because of the brand name or worth. But because she sat face to face with them and told them how she wanted it. It was a watch that read the number six hundred and sixty six, with a little expiration date written below the number. She wore it every time to remind her of the limited time she has left to get rid of every single demon existing.
She owned this entire structure, and the floors below her are rooms filled with the oppressed that prayed to her daily for deliverance. She heard their screams every night. It echoed from every part of the building like a nightmare. It was challenging to sleep with some demons creeping into your penthouse to try to scare you. Some with ugly jagged teeth flashing at her face aggressively. While most are introverted in the weirdest way.
They can be as calm as making your personal driver sleepy on the steering wheel, or do something as simple as getting you stuck in the elevator for two days with no one noticing.
Era sighed as she pushed both her hands deep inside her pants trousers pockets.
Or even stoop so low to make your boyfriend of three years break up with you by sending over your favorite flower with a little note attached to it.
She nodded at her decision to sleep by day and work tirelessly at night to avoid the demons. They seemed to like troubling her the most than their host. An unhealthy obsession they have for her. And it won't be long before she purges them out and sends them running back to the hole they all crawled out from.
After staring at the transparent walls of her penthouse longer than an hour, she gave up. She pressed on the remote to draw down the automatic curtains, shielding the light of the full moon and nearest buildings surrounding hers reaching to scrape the sky first. She turned around to face her faithful assistant. Someone who believed in her the moment she understood her dreams and passion to be a professional exorcist. Ten years ahead of her in this world, but felt more like her only family than her staff.
''The ceremony would begin at nine. The car is ready and waiting for you. I have called Josh to make sure of no hidden cameras and there is no passerby about ten meters radius of Hell's paradise just to be sure no one tries to be sneaky on us.''
Era nodded, ''Good.'' She moved down the three small stairs and closed in behind her desk. It was filled with books on demonology, scattered article papers as old as 2019 on demonic manifestations and the physiology of demons.
The truth of demonic possession laid open with little sticky notes under a stylish table lamp. Era reached out for her suit jacket and began to put it on with Stephanie's help. The funny thing about her outfit tonight was that it is not worth up to a thousand dollars. But because she is well known for what she does and assumed to be the richest according to google.com…it should be around if not fifty thousand dollars.
She smiled as she adjusted her hands inside the worn out sleeves. She does her laundry at least twice a day by herself and has the habit of taking out all her old clothes. Stitching them all up with a needle and a thread when no demon was throwing any tantrums in their cells that she needs to attend to. Why buy new clothes when you could stitch them up the old-fashioned way and make them all brand new?
Her goal was not to save up money. There's just too much cooling in her safe.
She conserves time. Time is of the essence. She would rather be close by to the very people she lived for and be present whenever things go wrong, mending things together, than be out far away from them shopping.
God knows she detests shopping.
''It's not obvious that I mended this cloth with a needle and thread?''
She was now before a floor-length mirror observing her outfit for the award ceremony of the life-time in her career. Stephanie stepped back to observe her from head to toe before shaking her head.
''It is as brand as new as always.''
They smiled at each other. Another reason why she loved her assistant so much. She'd always lied to her face about things like this. But it doesn't matter. She was there to impress no one but herself.
When she is in a room crowded with people, She sees herself in everyone. They all looked and resembled her in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some even spoke funny languages.
But they were all still her in her perspective.
''But don't you think it's time this dress has a new baby brother?''
Moreover, her cute ways of telling her the truth. Era turned to the mirror once again.
''Why would it need one? It would only serve its purpose if there were no ties or bonds involved.''
''ERA!!!''
Stephanie jumped on her feet in shock, hands on to her dear heart to prevent it from jumping out of her chest.
Era's frown deepened as she faced her assistant and asked.
''Who said my name in front of one of the demons?''
Steph looked as confused as her. ''I don't…''
The main door to her penthouse burst open as her scantily dressed stripper sister walked in, holding her purse in one hand and her heels in the other.
''You ungrateful little bitch!''
Slap.
Steph gasped with her hands to her mouth in terror. It took Era longer than expected to recover from the slap. Steph quickly rushed to get a tissue as blood began to trickle down the girl's right nose.
Be unnfazed. You feel no pain. Maintain full composure.
Era only tilted her head a bit to the side at her elder sister fuming at her like an overheated kettle. You could smell it heavily on her that she'd just had a quick sex on her way up to slap her across the face. It showed on her rumpled and half-torn dress, the hickeys on her skin. Maybe she did it in her elevator this time, and Era hoped in every fiber of her that it should be with one of her patients.
That would be a good reason to have her rehabilitated in Hell's paradise and be well-taken care of.
''How dare you?!'' She flung her hands up in the air. A habit of hers whenever she was dead mad at someone. ''Having father get picked up by the DPB and enrolled here? In your sane messed up clown house?!''
''It's called an exorcism center. Established to help the mentally and physically oppressed be delivered. And yes, Father had to be enrolled because he was already like one of my many patients I have beneath my feet.''
Slap.
Slap.
This time Era began to bleed in the other nose and mouth. Her hands folded behind her as she stood at ease, gazing down at her short sister.
Be unfazed. You feel no pain. Maintain full composure.
''Our brother was right about you.''
''I am happy he got one thing right in his life.''
''You are nothing but a monster without a collar around your neck, and you don't belong anywhere in this world.''
Silence.
Her sister moved closer, staring right into the face of her little sister with a teary gaze and breathed out a disbelieving sigh through her trembling lips.
''Are you even human?''
Silence.
''You are scaring me and the whole world as well.'' She moved back, handing over her shoes that smell heavily of alcohol to her assistant.
She was dead drunk.
Era nodded with a straight face as she watched her sister bend over with her hands over her tummy looking so uncomfortable.
''Oh god, where is your damned toilet? I think I need to throw up.''
''Sure, right this way.''
She led her sister to her bathroom like she was taking a group of guests to their rooms. She agreed to have them leave as soon as possible when Steph pointed out that they were running late.
She stood before the mirror and made sure to wipe her bloody nose before leading the way, with a worried Steph running to catch up with her boss on heels.
I am only human when I need to be.
She thought as she leaned on the window and watched the lights of the city pass by her like a breeze.