The Stray and The Radio Demon

Ch 8: Preparation

The Cleanse was over a month away. On a positive note, it was the one-year anniversary of the Hotel's opening. Even though they had redeemed no one yet, Charlie still wanted to have a major party to celebrate. A feast, a celebrity singer for the dance and decorations galore, the whole shebang. As much as Olivia loved to cook, she wasn't exactly looking forward to cooking for that many demons. Charlie said she was expecting at least 40-60 demons to attend. Even though no one believed in redemption, everyone knew the hotel had the best party's, so they expected a large turnout. They had planned all month, looking for the best entertainment. The biggest celebrity they could find was an incubus demon called Finnigan Saffron. Olivia knew him as a narcissistic asshole, but he had an incredible voice. Everything was lined up for a spectacular evening. It would start the day after the cleanse, to brighten everyone's spirits after the terrible massacre.

Olivia and Alastor sat and planned the feast for a week. They argued and bickered about what should be cooked and how it should be cooked until they finally settled on a menu. Roast beef with gravy, roasted potatoes, three salads and three desserts. It would be simple but lots of food. Both of them dreading the work that would need to be put in, but if it made Charlie happy, then they couldn't say no.

Three weeks before the year's end, Olivia woke up gasping. Her nightmares still came and went and tonight was no different. She sat up, sighing and wiping the sweat from her brow. She had this nagging feeling in her chest. She looked out the window and saw the dark red sky, and it brought a little comfort to her. She got out of bed, running her hands through her short hair and walked towards the window. She sat on the bench under the window, leaned her forehead against the cool glass, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she looked down to the street and saw a figure standing right under her window, staring right at her. She sat up and furrowed her brow in confusion. She looked closer and saw pale green eyes, full of malice and hate. An image flashed in her mind, those same eyes on top of her, in a dark and cold room. Dark laughter surrounding her senses. Olivia gasped and jumped back. She tripped in her haste and fell to the floor. No, no, no, no! He couldn't have found her already. It wasn't possible. She slowly crawled to the window and peeked over the ledge. There was no one there. She let out a shaky breath as she looked over the street and saw it was empty. She sat on the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. She rocked back and forth as a panic attack settled in. She put her head between her knees and took multiple deep breaths. Once she could breathe steadily again, she stood and put on her robe. The room was suffocating, so she went for a walk. She noticed the time was 3:50am. She wandered the halls until she came to the doors to the night club. They were unlocked, so she strolled into the quiet and dark room.

She walked up the stairs of the stage, towards the piano, letting her hand glide along it as she strolled passed it. She stopped in front of the violin and that longing feeling returned in her chest, overpowering the anxiety. She picked it up and her memories flooded her mind, back to her younger self when she was alive, learning to play. She placed it on her shoulder and brought the bow up to the strings. She froze for a minute, afraid to open that door again. She then brought the hair across the strings and that familiar, beautiful sound echoed in the empty room. She played a song she knew from her childhood, one that her mother taught her and it brought warmth to her chest. Her shaking stopped and a small smile came to her face as she closed her eyes. She let the melody take her on a trip through her memories. To her learning the violin, her mother singing, walking with her older brother as he led her through the gardens. The tempo was soft, hypnotic, and it calmed her. She let out a deep sigh as the song finished. She put the violin down and stroked the side of it before walking away. She touched the pendent laying at her throat, looking at the time to see it was just after 5am. Well, she might as well shower and get ready for breakfast. She walked back to her room to prepare for the day.