Wish You Were Near

Genesis

That day was a very big day in town. The annual 4th of July celebrations were to begin tonight. First with a small fair on Main street, then a parade, and finally a fireworks show. Blake had always loved to watch the fireworks from the very top of the town, its water towers always provided nicely. This year though, he wouldn't get the chance.

As he tugged on his newest plaid shirt, the soreness of his muscles pulled his attention to the happenings of the night prior.

The woman was still laying in his bed as he prepared for the day. Woman was a generous word, as this particular one was only one of his hellions from home. She stirred as he looked at her.

"Sire, I hope I was satisfactory for you."

"You were as good as the best of my little pets, Jessie. Now it's time for you to go home. Ad inceptum tuum profundis daemonium.'

With that, she took a last look around, and burned out of the room.

Blake turned back to his mirror for a last check on his attire. Jeans, boots, a white T-shirt, and a red plaid button up. He was positively local. With that final check, he grabbed his keys and started on his way to the only place in town he could get his favorite breakfast.

Casey's cake doughnuts and French Vanilla coffee. He'd decided it was the only thing that deserved to be in the King of Hell's diet for the rest of eternity. As he walked in the store, he was greeted by his favorite cashier, Liam, and the smell of fresh pizza being made. He glanced at the clock just above the register. 8:00 AM. Every day.

"I've got your stuff all ready for you, Blake."

"Right on time. Liam, I don't know how I'd get by without you."

"Trust me, you'd get by. You just wouldn't have daily doughnuts. Which inevitably would be better for your health in the end."

"Don't you dare mention such a demented thought. A day without these doughnuts is like a day without breathing. Dead."

They both laughed a good bit, Liam finally rang up the food, and Blake left to go attend his second most important matter of the day. Work.

He walked into the Lebo Baptist Church and straight to the basement. After checking the rest of the building, Blake placed his hand against the middle of the floor. Flames rose from the wood in the shape of a protective circle. Inside the circle, Blake could see out, but nobody could see inside the outer circle. He was, in essence, invisible.

Once he could start his work safely, he pulled up his laptop, and began transferring all the new deals his demons had made since the last check in from his Book of the Damned to the newest document on his Google drive. After finding that technology would make acquiring the souls from his contracts infinitely easier, Blake moved his entire system to pixels.

An E-mail popped up on his laptop, the subject line simply stating "SUMMONS FROM AL," which indicated his was being invoked in a ritual. He clicked the notification and was taken to the circle in Alabama from which he was summoned.