The next morning Elsie woke refreshed and without the familiar gnawing pangs of hunger in her belly.

“Is there ice cream at one of those booths,” she asked, thinking they’d go back to where they found their dinner the night before.

“No. We’ll have to go into the Consortium to find that,” Ethan replied.

“The Consortium!” Elsie shouted. “What the heck. You never said we were going into the Consortium”.

Ethan looked at Elsie. There was that fear in her eyes again.

“Elsie, I’m concerned about how much you worry about things. I want you to know, as long as you’re with me, no harm will come to you. I promise”.

“But the Consortium? Entering is forbidden”.

“We’ll see,” Ethan replied. “We have to go in if I’m to understand what’s going on in this world. It’ll be fun too. We’ll get some ice cream and maybe ride on a bus or something, and go home”.

So far being with Ethan had been better than not. She had never tasted such good food and never so much. Even though he continually placed her in scary situations, no harm had come to her, and for some reason, she felt safe with Ethan. All in all, things were pretty good. She just wished he’d quit putting them into scary situations.

“Okay”, she said. “As long as you promise not to make me scared”.

“I promise,” Ethan smiled reassuringly. “Pretty much. There might be some tiny scary things, but we’ll get through them. Come on, let’s go. We have lots to do today”.

With that, they walked right into the Dead Zone. Although there were Sheriff Bob’s and even military vehicles patrolling, they went unnoticed.

Everything was going fine, until Elsie started feeling like she was getting bitten by bugs or something. All she was wearing was an old dress that was growing too small and leaving her arms and a lot of leg exposed. She looked at where she was being bitten. There were no bugs, but small amounts of blood were appearing as if she had been bittent.

“What the heck,” she said, and then “Ow”!

“What?” Ethan asked, turning to look at her. First, he saw the bite marks; a particularly nasty one on her arm where she had just been bitten. Then he saw what was doing it. A bunch of little half-souls swarming around Elsie. Some of them did look like little bugs, but they were quickly growing in size. Some had become fairly substantial.

Ethan grabbed one of the bigger ones by the tail and smacked it against the building next to him. The others in the swarm backed off. He held the creature up to inspect it. A flying lizard. Overall, they physically looked like little dragons, except they had human features in their faces. Ugly ass faces, with wide mouths and jagged teeth. A bloody drool dripped from its mouth, as much from gnawing on its own flesh as biting. There were elements of human in him just the same. In the face.

“Undead, my ass,” Ethan said as he threw the dead creature towards the waiting swarm. Seeing their companion created panic. Not one of them had ever died, apart from the time they were killed and became the undead. They dispersed, flying as far from Ethan as they could get. One of them kept growing, and veered off in a different direction than the others.

“I’m so sorry,” Ethan said, kneeling down. “I forgot about the demons,” he said, placing his hand on Elsie’s wounds.

“There. That's better,” he pronounced, standing up. Elsie was completely healed. Not a mark on her.

“What the heck,” was all she could say. Her brain didn’t even know where to begin when it came to processing everything she just saw.

“Come on,” Ethan said, grabbing her by the hand. “Have to keep moving”.

They made it through the rest of the dead zone undisturbed and fairly quickly. Soon they were among the people of the consortium. One thing Ethan noticed immediately was that almost every person they passed looked at Elsie like she was a pariah.

“This way,” Ethan said, spying a hotel. It was posh like everything in the Consortium. Ethan led Elsie directly to the elevator.

“Are you crazy?” Elsie asked as they rode up the elevator.

“What?” Ethan asked.

“What are we doing here? Why do you keep doing this to me? We can’t go into these places”.

“Elsie, will you please learn to relax? We’re just enjoying our day like everyone else in the Consortium”.

“Except were not part of the Consortium. What are we even doing here”?

“You need some new clothes,” Ethan replied. “And a bath,” he added. Something he became aware of after they entered the elevator.

The elevator stopped and the door opened. Ethan led Elsie down a long hallway, stopping to look at every room door.

“This one,” he said. He opened the door and they made their way into an elegant room that was ready for new occupants.

“Wow,” Elsie exclaimed.

“Nice, isn’t it,” Ethan asked, as he sat on the bed and picked up the service phone.

“Hello,” he said, after a moment waiting. “I’d like to order some room service please. Room number? 714”.

“Are you sure,” Ethan said after a slight pause. “Please check again. It’s under Strong. Ethan Strong”.

“Not to worry,” Ethan said after another pause. “We’ll have two bacon and eggs with hashbrowns and toast. Elsie, do you want hashbrowns or french fries?

“French fries,” Elsie replied. “And cream soda”.

“One with hashbrowns, and one with french fries, and a coffee and cream soda. How long? Fine, and I noticed you have a women's boutique downstairs. Do you know if they carry childrens sizes? They do? Could you send someone up with some casual wear for a day outing? Size? Elsie, do you know what size you are?

Elsie shook her head.

Ethan measured her up with his eye. “She’s skinny,” he said. “And tall. Send something for a tall, skinny 13 year old.

“Fine. Thank you,” he said, hanging up.

“Jump in the shower, and put on a robe when you get out. Throw that filthy dress into the garbage bin”.

Even the shower was a thrill for Elsie. The fragrance of the soaps and shampoos filled her senses and the water was hot! She spent far longer soaping herself up and rinsing than was necessary. When she came out in the soft hotel bathrobe, she was feeling grand and sophisticated. Like a princess. A real flowery smelling princess.

Her mood was interrupted by a young woman standing and talking with Ethan. She had brought some clothes up for Elsie to try on. The woman had laid out 3 outfits for her to choose from. One was a summer dress, which Ethan had already expressed he felt was too short and clingy looking. He felt the same way about the short shorts and halter top laying next to the dress. That left a simple pair of pre washed blue jeans and a light pinkish tshirt.

“She’ll take that,” Ethan said, pointing to the jeans and tshirt.

“I like dresses!” Elsie exclaimed.

“Not that one you don’t,” Ethan replied. “She’ll take the jeans. Go try them on”.

Elsie reluctantly took the jeans and tshirt into the bathroom.

“So you say you were born into the Consortium”.

“Well, it was nothing like this at the time, but yes, I was born into the protective cover of what became the Consortium”.

“What do you think of that”?

“What”?

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Growing up in the Consortium”.

“Why, are you big brother”?

“Far from it. I’m not even from around here”.

The young woman decided to be straight with Ethan. “I wish there was a better way to live”.

“Hmph. That surprises me”.

“Were you expecting me to be just like my parents”?

“Yes, as a matter of fact”.

“Sorry to disappoint”.

“Far from it. Are there others like you”?

“Pretty much my entire generation”.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Ethan reasoned. “Your generation will suffer most, even if you are living in the Consortium. This world is getting worse for everyone”.

“That’s right”.

“Hmph”.

Elsie came out wearing her new outfit. “I hate it,” she said, looking longingly at the dress.

“What do you mean?” Ethan said. “I think you look like a fashionably yet casually dressed young lady.

“Ladies wear dresses”.

“You’re not getting that dress”.

“You know,” The young woman interrupted. “This outfit would be cute with a clasp purse and summer hat”.

“A purse,” Elsie repeated. She couldn’t imagine anything in her world quite so sophisticated.

“Why don’t I send those things up to you?” The young woman asked. “I’m sure you can make it work”.

“Okay,” Elsie agreed. “I’m sure I can make it work”.

“Thank you,” Ethan said, wanting to conclude the transaction before Elsie changed her mind. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name”.

“Alicia”.

Ethan looked more closely at the young woman. Of course. She was not an albino, nor had the full body tattoos, or pigmented eyes, but it was Alicia. Not expecting to see her, he hadn’t recognized her. “Really?” he replied a little dryly. Tara always managed to catch him off guard.

“Yes”.

“Well, thank you Alicia. Can you please forward the bill to my room number”?

The food arrived just as Alicia was leaving. Elsie talked excitedly through the whole meal. No one she knew had a purse. The only time she saw a purse was in a Consortium advertisement on the Reverend Al channel.

“I wonder what I can put in my purse. I need stuff to put in it.”

“I noticed a small bottle of moisturizer in the bathroom,” Ethan said. “Every woman needs moisturizer. Why don’t you take that”?

“Can I”?

“Sure. It’s meant to be taken”.

Elsie jumped up and went into the bathroom. “There’s some more shampoo and soaps. Can I take those too”?

“Sure”.

Elsie was coming out of the bathroom with a handful of toiletries when her purse and hat arrived. As promised, they did bring the outfit together. The small pink clasp purse added just the right accent, and had a strap so you could sling it cross shoulder and not carry it in your hand all the time. The hat was a funky cloth bucket hat that added a hint of quirkiness to the outfit. Somehow it made Elsie look more interesting.

All in all, Elsie looked fairly badass and she took on a whole new bearing, if strutting is a bearing.

“You look beautiful Elsie,” Ehan said.

Elsie raised her head a little proudly, acknowledging Ethan’s complement but not responding, as was becoming a lady with a purse.

“Allright,” Ethan said. “Let’s get going. We’ve been here too long already”.

“All I need now,” Elsie said as they closed the hotel room door behind them, “is some perfume and lipstick to put in my purse”.

Ethan looked at her purse which was already crammed so full he could see outlines of the small bottles pushing against the leather from the inside.

“You don’t need those things,” he said.

“Please”!

“Absolutely not. You’re not old enough to be wearing lipstick or perfume”.

“Yes I am,” Elsie countered as they entered the elevator.

“No. Now that’s my final word on it,” Ethan said.

“All women carry lipstick and perfume in their purses,” Elsie explained as they left the hotel. “And makeup”.

“You don’t need that stuff”.

“Ah, I think I do. I have a purse”.

“Come on,” Ethan said. “I know someone who lives around here. Let’s see if we can track her down”.

During the whole walk, which took over an hour because Ethan wasn’t exactly sure where the place was, Elsie kept up her campaign to acquire makeup.

“That girl’s wearing makeup,” she said, pointing to every girl wearing makeup. “She’s my age”.

“No”.

“Oh, look. This store sells makeup”.

“I said no”.

“A woman is not complete without her makeup,”Elsie declared huffily.

“That’s the point,” Ethan said with patience, but growing frustration. “You’re not a woman. You need to spend more time being a girl. You haven’t been given much of a chance so far. Now I don’t want to talk about makeup anymore”.

“Fine,” Elsie replied, adopting her scorned maiden persona she had practiced on many occasions. She lifted her head with poise and dignity “We shall no longer speak of it.”

“Good,” Ethan replied.

“That girl’s wearing makeup”.

Finally, in Ethan’s estimation, they arrived at the building he was looking for. It was an apartment block, and they went into the lobby, where Ethan stopped to look at the names of the tenants.

“I think her last name is King,” Ethan said absently as he looked through the names. “Aw, here it is. Suite #304”.

Ethan knocked on the door when they reached the suite. An elderly black woman answered, and a black man of the same age was standing behind her, both curious to see who could have come to their door.

“Hello”, Ethan said cheerfully. “I was wondering if you could help me? Years ago, I worked with a Dawn King. I know her parents live here and I was wondering if that’s you and if you know where she is”.

The woman looked suspiciously at Ethan. “I don’t know anything about that,” she said, starting to close the door.

Ethan knew he had found the right people. “Are you sure,” he said, holding the door open. “I’m a friend”.

“What kind of friend”?

“Well, back when we worked together, we had a common enemy. His name was Eldon Whitehead”.

That sparked an involuntary recognition. “She isn’t here, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll go too”.

Ethan looked past her and her husband. The rooms were empty, save for a few packed boxes.“Are you moving”?

“Please. Go,” the woman pleaded. We can’t take anymore trouble”.

Ethan felt it best to find Dawn and sort things out with her. “Allright,” he replied. “My name’s Ethan Strong. I doubt she’ll recognize the name, but please tell her I stopped by, and I’d like to help her out if she needs it.”

When they got back to the street, Elsie asked, “Now what are we going to do”?

“I don’t know,” Ethan replied. “Maybe we wait. Something is definitely going on at her parents place. I’m guessing Dawn will show up. Hey look. Ice cream. Let’s go get some”.

Michael felt it. Satan felt it too. A demon that could not die, dying in Otherworld, did not go unfelt. Otherworld is the world of Immortals; those who existed before there was an earth or humans. A different realm entirely than even the greatness of the New World where all souls collected. Immortals do not live in it. It lives in them, and from it comes everything. A killing in Otherworld did not go unnoticed. On this earth, there was only one person who could do it. Ethan had arrived, and he was on the move.

The only person who was not aware of the commotion his presence created was Ethan himself. He and Elsie were sitting on a bench outside Dawn’s apartment eating ice cream.

“Ice cream is definitely the best food in the world,” Elsie pronounced, “except when you want something salty. Then it’s french fries”.

“Hold on now,” Ethan replied. “You haven’t even tried pizza yet”.

“What’s pizza”?

“Gooey, cheesy delishiness”.

“Can we have pizza tonight”?

“We’ll see. I wasn’t planning on being here that... Hey wait. That’s Dawn right over there,

Ethan jumped up and ran to Dawn.

“Excuse me, Dawn?” he said.

“Yes”?

“You don’t know me, but I know you. We kind of have a shared past”.

Ethan hated explaining to people he was from a different world. No matter how you approached it, it was never an easy sell.

“I don’t know what that means,” Dawn replied in her direct way.

“Yeah, well, I was around during a time when you and Jimmy Wang created Reverend Al”.

Ethan’s statement got a look of surprise from Dawn, but what was going on behind him received even greater notice.

“Help that girl!” Dawn screamed.

A demon, the big one that flew off earlier had swooped down, grabbed Elsie and was taking flight. Eldon Whitehead sat where Ethan had left her.

“You should know better than to come unannounced to my world, Ethan,” Whitehead said.

Ethan ignored Whitehead completely. He was focused on Elsie and the demon Nephilim. It left him completely exposed to Whitehead, and both knew it. That’s what pissed Satan off. He was being snubbed.

“Elsie, get down from there,” Ethan said. “You’ll ruin your new clothes”.

While Ethan said this, the demon, no matter how hard it tried to move its wings, was not gaining any lift. To its surprise it was descending, and gently. It released Elsie and she ran to Ethan.The demon landed, not sure if that’s what it wanted to do or not.

“You know,” Ethan said, turning his attention to Whitehead. “I’m just about done with you”.

“Then we have something in common,” Satan replied, “I know I’m definitely done with you. You’ve made a big mistake Ethan. You do not have the power to win against me. Not here. This is my world. My will, will be done, here”.

“Hmph,” Ethan snorted, guiding Elsie to stand beside Dawn. “Maybe we should decide who rules what right now”.

The two men’s eyes locked on each other. Each looking into the depths of the other, measuring, jockeying. Neither one was the first to break the spell, or perhaps struggle, they were engaged in. It was Michael. Like a missile he landed on the head of the demon, smashing it into the concrete ground. The cement gave way to the force, and the head of the demon was embedded in the earth below. It wasn’t dead, but it wasn’t moving.

“What the hell is this now,” Ethan said, looking over at Michael.

“My lord,” Michael said, approaching and prostrating himself at Ethan’s feet. “I am the angel Michael. I have been sent here to serve you”.

“The archangel Michael who cast out Satan”?

“Yes”.

“Hmph,” Ethan snorted, “You just missed him,” he said pointing to where Whitehead had been standing. He was gone.