<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0022</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0023.txt">Next (Page 23)</A><BR> There's a lady out here."<P><P>"Huh?" said the husky voice, as its owner came out of the bathroom, a large man with a full beard and mustache, likewise covered in equipment and gore. He regarded Sleap.<P><P>"How were you related to that thing in the shower?"<P><P>"What thing?" she asked.<P><P>"The demon."<P><P>"What about my husband?"<P><P>The large man looked down. The woman came into view behind him.<P><P>"The only thing in that shower was a demon," the woman said, a grim expression on her cute face, her long black hair fouled up with red junk.<P><P>Sleap looked over at her desk and slowly nodded her head. <P><P>"That would explain a lot," Sleap said dreamily.<P><P>"Ma'am, we're sorry," the Asian man said.<P><P>Sleap just looked at them, a complex expression on her face.<P><P>Suddenly, a beeping sound started going off, and the large man looked at something on his wrist.<P><P>"Demon attack at the Farzound Shopping Center!" he exclaimed.<P><P>"Oh no!" the Asian man said. "How could they have found out? What if they..."<P><P>"Come on! We have to get there fast!" the large man said, and the two men started running out. <P><P>The woman started after them, then paused, and turned to face Sleap.<P><P>"I know this must be terrible for you, and I wish we could stay, but the fate of the whole continent is at stake!"<P><P>Sleap made a "yeah, right" kind of confused sneer.<P><P>"Here--take our card. Give us a call if you need any help!"<P><P>Sleap took the business card and nodded.<P><P>"Have to get to that shopping center!" the woman said.<P><P>Then the woman ran out, and the stench of the pile of demon remains started wafting across Sleap's nostrils.<P><P>She looked down at the card.<P><P>"Demonbane, Inc." it read. "There's no demonic problem we don't have the solution to!"<P><P>Huh.<P><P>Jean was a demon. She had married a demon. Now he was a pile of smelly guts on the bathroom floor. How did those jerks expect her to clean it up? Did she have to call the police? What about Jean's family--did he really have any? Or were they all demons too?<P><P>Before she would think any more of the consequences of this event, she moved back to her desk and wrote her signature, "Sleap Drassy" in a large and undeniable manner across all the little attempts at "Sleap Jankels".<P><P>Suddenly, a blast of hot air hit Sleap, and she looked over into her new bedroom. It was now full of smoke and lightning, with a horrible orange light visible in the distance. Slowly, three figures could be seen approaching through the mist. <P><P>Somehow, Sleap was unfazed by this. Her apathy shocked her, as she stoically glanced at the approaching figures. Then a thought shot across her mind--act normal. Act like you should. Don't let them know. Don't let them know you're unimpressed.<P><P>So she started acting. She got up and put her hands to her mouth in fear, as if she were trying to let out a scream but was too scared to. She moved toward the door, but it immediately slammed shut. Big surprise, she thought.<P><P>The three figures were getting closer now. She regretted that she couldn't get a better look at them, as she was trying her best to seem panicked, banging on the door and crying for help.<P><P>"Heretic," a cold, haywire, monstrous, calm voice shot out.<P><P>She turned and sank to the floor, her back to the door, trying her best to sob uncontrollably.<P><P>The three figures were in the room now. The main figure was a tall humanoid being, covered in levels of leather and chains, but a few openings around the face and hands suggested deerlike origins. The other two figures wore brown cloaks, and had deformed pitch-black faces partially visible.<P><P>The three were still hovering as they approached Sleap.<P><P>Don't let them know!, she continued to think. This is fantastic! What fun! At some level, she wondered why this should seem enjoyable. Really, it shouldn't.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0023.txt">Next (Page 23)</A>