8

You better stay clever

if you want to survive

Ruelle - Monsters

Frankfurt, Germany - 1942

Icy air rushed through the open door ruffling the already brushed hair and blocking her vision. Her skin had  gotten pale probably from lack of food or the fact that an inevitable end awaited her.

Margot brushed the hair away from her face putting it behind her ear. It had crisps of snow on it and felt cold to her touch.

The wind kept blowing exasperatedly and her dress responded to the agitation as it revealed her thighs a few times and had her pulling them down. It had made the work tougher for her as she had to walk in a pile of snow to get huge stones to the other side.

The company of women she was in didn't help lighten the workload as each one of them were trying to hurry so as to get away from the snow's glare.

She picked the first stone and began her walk, slow and clumsily. The little food that she had wasn't enough to hold her. She had gotten slimmer since her arrival at the death camp.

News of her cheating husband and cousin hadn't reached her ears ever since the humiliation she had gotten at the registrar's desk, not that she didn't want to hear about it but she didn't see the need to.

She craved to die in peace without any grudges and she hoped it would be as she seemed it to.

The first few weeks after the truth had been known, she didn't sleep a wink. She couldn't still believe that any of it had happened. Albeit she was grateful for the reveal she wanted it to be a lie, if only someone could tell her that everything that had happened was a bad dream.

She was angry at everyone but more at herself for being a fool if only she had seen the signs earlier.

"Je zou weer aan het werk moeten gaan"

You should get back to work

A voice came from behind startling her, she whipped her hair around only to come face to fave with the Devil's son

"Het spijt me, ik zou "

I'm sorry, I would

"Het was dapper van je om te doen wat je deed, niet iedereen kan dat"

It was brave of you to do what you did, not everyone can do that

"Wat?"What?

Her brows creased as she put the scenes together, it was hard trying to piece everything but then she finally did,"Oh dat" Oh that

"Niet iedereen kon het zo aan, je hebt het goed aangepakt"

Not everyone could take it the way you did, you handled it well

"Verwachtte u dat ik een scène zou maken, meneer?'

Were you expecting me to create a scene, Sir?

"Ja soort van"

Yes, kind of

She smiled as her head bent in an involuntary action then raising up the next minute, "Ik deed wat ik moest doen, ik zou tenminste in vrede sterven"

I did what I had to do at least I would die in peace

He knew what she meant, she was going to die at the camp and he could do nothing to help even if he had wanted to. The irony of it all was that he didn't even want to

"Of misschien niet"

Or maybe not

"Wat?"

What? Her eyes widened as she stared him in the eye, he was dead serious and she could see that, "Ik begrijp het niet"

I don't understand

"Ik zeg dat je misschien niet doodgaat"

I'm saying maybe you won't die

"Je bent een nazi en nazi's haten joden of ben je van plan me te helpen ontsnappen?"

You are a Nazi and Nazis hate Jews or are you planning on helping me escape?

Her heart leaped with joy

"Nee" No

"Wat is het dan"

Then what is it

The disappointment was evident in her voice, she had least expected her freedom was on the line.

"Het is iets meer dan dat"

It's something more than that

Voices from the background had him turning his head and she followed his direction, a group of patrol soldiers passed them, "Leven" Life

"Leven?" Life?

"Ja, je zou leven maar ten koste van iets"

Yes, you would live but at the expense of something

"Wat is dat ding?"

What is that thing?

Margot was eager to hear, her heart palpitated at the thought of what it must be that she would give away in the exchange of her life. She had already lost everything, her marriage and her son and losing something else wouldn't be a shock to her.

"Je ziel" Your Soul

She gasped.

Los Angeles,California- Present day

"Do I really have to stay here all day?"

Dixie hit her leg on the wall and clutched her feet in response to stimulus as she cursed, her teeth were gritted and she drew in breath. She limped to the wall, resting both hands on it while her foot still remained suspended in the air, "Fuck this place!"

"The master doesn't like that kind of word" Lincoln appeared from behind, his voice had startled her but not enough to have her shrieking.

She frowned, the last thing she had wanted to hear in her dilemma was what Timothee wanted or not, heck she cared less if he fell into the volcano or drowned in the Atlantic.

She hated him for what he did and was doing to her.

"Lincoln" Despite her situation and the pain that still throbbed in her toes her voice came out soft like she was speaking to a lover.

He replied with a hum

"Why am I here?"

"You know why" As usual, he remained callous

"Because I found out he was a demon?"

Lincoln didn't answer, it felt more like a rhetorical question

"Are you like him?" Their eyes met and she saw it, a flicker of emotion that answered her question. He was like him, what did she expect? After all birds of a feather flocked together,"I thought demons stayed in hell"

"Not all of them"

"What do you mean by that?"

He walked closer to her, taking his time; one foot before the other at a slow pace, "Shall we go downstairs for lunch?"

She nodded, as much as she would like to interrogate him, she was famished. She couldn't bring herself to eat ever since the deal was made and it tore at her heart knowing what she had gotten herself into

He offered her his arm which she took and they both walked down, she could smell his cologne; pure and heavy

She took in breaths relishing in the fragrance of his perfume, it was heavenly.

"I can see you like my perfume"

Her heart skipped a beat, she had been caught.

"No, no, it's nice, it's just.." She was speechless, she couldn't think of anything to say at that moment.

"It's ok, let's just eat" His lips tilted upwards and she realized that it was the first time she had ever seen him smile.

They took their seats beside each other, the table was filled with food ranging from the sugary ones to the healthy ones and Dixie couldn't wait to get her hands on the fudge cake at the far end of the table. She got up and stretched her hand towards the plate, her fingertips grazed the surface of the plastic.

The position she was in was uncomfortable but she still managed to get the cake and sit back down.

"You need to eat healthy" Lincoln criticized

She smirked, her hand reached for hair tugging it behind her ear. Strands of hair were on her face and it needed to be out so she could eat, "I eat healthy at times but not all the time, I don't know if you get what I mean"

"I think" He raised his eyebrows in a swift gesture then began eating his food

"You are not going to say the grace" She teased.

He gazed at her and back at his food not saying a word

"Oh sorry I forgot, demons can't say the grace"

"You should try this stew" He changed the subject which she smiled at, she knew she had hit a nerve. She stared at the plate of stew on the table, it looked enticing and mouth watering. She stuffed the rest of her cake in her mouth and reached for the stew.

The aroma hit her nostrils before the plate came closer to her, she dropped it at a side and began putting rice on her plate before adding the stew.

"This looks really Delicious"

"Wait till you finally taste it"

She couldn't help the smile on her face, she had never thought that she would ever sit in the same room with Lincoln nor thought of conversing with him but here she was having lunch with him on the same table and he was even making suggestions on what she should try.

"What are you smiling at?"

She caught herself, snapping out of her reverie, "oh, um nothing"

"You seemed to be really deep in thought about something"

"No, it's nothing believe me"

"Ok" he shrugged

She stuffed the food in her mouth, the embarrassment still eating at her insides, this was the second time today that she had been caught. She caught a glimpse of Lincoln and his eyes were fixed on his food. If he knew why she was smiling he didn't act like it and she wondered if maybe he knew why she had smiled.

"I have to ask this again" she broke the silence, they had been walking through the garden with their hands interlocked. Lincoln was lost in thoughts, his mind had wandered far before Dixie's voice brought him back to reality, snapping him out of his little daydream.

"What is it?" He knew her mind was curious, there were a lot if questions that she wanted to ask and didn't know where to begin. It was hard to understand their world and only a few got to know about them and she was one of the few

"What am I supposed to be doing as his assistant?"

"What an assistant should do" His reply was brief and concise and he knew she hated short conversations.

It wasn't rocket science for him to know her likes and dislikes, she had already begun revealing them within the span of two days she had been in the house.

She was loud he knew that whenever she argued with the master. No one has ever talked to him like that and he was curious as to why Timothee let her use such tone with him.

She cursed a lot he had just witnessed it before lunch and he felt it was her thing; much like her way of life.

She was stubborn, he didn't need anyone to tell him that, he could see it in her. Her personality reeked of it.

It was after all what got her into the mess she was in

She had no mouth filter, he had also witnessed this trait of hers, the way she talked to him at times and to Timothee and he wondered if she knew at all that she did such. Sometimes he wondered if it was bravery or stupidity

"I know what an assistant should do but what am I supposed to be doing for him?" Their eyes met as they kept up with their slow pace

"He will let you know when it is time"

"And when would that be"

"Patience" he smiled, their arms were still interlocked, "Patience firestarter"

She cringed at the nickname but didn't have the mind to tell him that she didn't like it, "I will be patient"

He nodded lightly taking in her words, she had to learn to be patient, she needed it.

"Do you know about flowers"

"Well I know that they are beautiful and like every other thing they die"

He chuckled, "Do you know the meaning behind them?"

"No, I don't"

He pointed at one flower that stood proudly at a corner

"That over there" her eyes followed the direction of his hand, "That's the edelwiss, it stands for courage and devotion"

"Courage and devotion" she repeated his words nodding lightly in affirmation

"Over there" he pointed to another flower, "That's the back eyed Susan, it stand for justice"

"Justice" she repeated his words again and he was rest assured that she had been listening attentively, "You know a lit about flowers, how did you know this much?"

"I read books"

"Oh, we are opposites, I don't read, I would pick movies over books in a heartbeat"

He chuckled again and this time she joined in.

"Let's sit here" he gestured to a park bench and they both sat down with him resting his right leg on the other

"I know how this must be life changing for you, finding yourself in a world you never believed in"

"You bet"

"You could have left when you had the chance"

"I didn't know, I thought you all were normal people, it turned out that I was wrong" she turned her face away

"Do you regret it"

"I would be lying if I said that I didn't"

"Yes you would" she turned her gaze back to him, "It's fine to regret it, after all you are human"

"Why are you being nice to me?"

"I'm not, this is just another side of me" He stood up and straightened his suit,"I would love to chat longer but I have somewhere else I need to be, do take care of yourself"

She nodded lightly and he began walking away, "And don't go cursing around"

She laughed

The walk back to her room was long and tiring, she hadn't realized just how far she had walked while in Lincoln's company.

She detested the house and her room but somehow she couldn't bring herself to fully hate it. It was better than her previous one.

Her mind skipped to Rachel and she wondered what she was doing at the moment.

Have Rachel found out that she was missing?

Did she care?

Those thoughts kept tugging at her mind. Probably she wasn't as important as she thought she was. Rachel was her roommate not her lover

She entered her room, her mind was in a haze to notice anything, she let out a yawn and opted to sleep.

Taking precarious steps she made her way to the bed. She raised the bed cover up to lie down then something caught her eye, a box not quite big was placed on her bed.

At first she had wanted to throw it away thinking that Timothee must be messing with her mind

Was he trying to apologize after keeping her here?

But the million dollar question was how on earth did it get into her room?

She began asking questions and her mind made up answers for it. At a point she doubted if she had locked the door and shrugged it off with the fact that maybe she just didn't

She reached for the box, her drowsy state had cleared off and her body was at alert.

What was inside the box?

She reached for the lid and opened it, she was shocked at what she saw, it was a perfume.

She knew who had sent it, there could only be one person whom she talked with about their perfume and she made a mental note to thank him. It was unexpected and he was being nice to her.

She brought the perfume parallel to her face and sprayed it in the air not much to enter her eyes but enough for her to perceive the fragrance. It was pure and heavenly just like she had expected.

Her lips tilted upwards and formed a full grin, she had no idea when the words slipped past her lips, "Thank you Lincoln"

She woke up with a jerk, perspiration coated her face and neck. Her armpits were wet and her dress was sticking to her body. She touched her fingers on her neck and flicked off the perspiration, repeating the same thing with her forehead.

She was breathing heavily then she drew in breaths and lowered her breathing pace. She couldn't remember her dream and nothing could explain why she was sweating. She looked out the window, it was dark and locked. The light above her illuminated the room giving it a sheen look. The white curtains draped along the windows matched the light and so did the tiles. Basically, her room was white except for the bed covers that were brown and made from fur.

She dropped one leg on the floor, the coldness of the tiles triggered an immediate response to the stimulus as she hurriedly put it into her slipper.

The room was cold but she was sweating.

She made her way to the bathroom, her phone wasn't with her and that alone irked her.

She could have checked the time, she could be on a social platform, she could be playing songs from Selena Gomez's latest album or be lip syncing to Demi lovato's sorry not sorry.

She could send her mom a text and tell her that she is didning with the devil which she wouldn't believe anyway, she could face time her sister and hear the latest gossip or perhaps call Rachel and know how she was holding up.

Timothee had taken her phone from her since he didn't trust her enough to leave her with it. The last time she used it she had found out his secret. His distaste for christian songs was natural thing for a demon and he doubted if she knew that it got to him.

She was smart she should figure it out sooner or later, a month at most, that was the time he had given her.

She beelined for the bathroom stripping her clothes off and making a mess on the floor, it was a Dixie thing.

The shower took longer than she had thought, when she came back to the room in her towel, the cold air hit her and she shook. Her whole body fidgeted and she rushed to the switch and flicked it. Then jumped into.bed wrapping herself in the covers.

It was stupid of her to forget not putting off the air conditioner.

When the temperature got better she got out of the covers and headed to tge wardrobe and got dressed in pyjamas.

The wardrobe was filled with dresses and they were all her side, none of her previous clothes were there which showed that Timothee never went to her apartment.

Time passed by and she went down the stairs, her stomach growled as she went down the stairs, all the while silently praying that there was food on the table.

Fortunately for her there was food on the dining table, grilled chicken and rice. She pulled out a chair and sat down then pulled it in, the noise from the chair was loud enough to disturb anyone.

Her hands reached for the fork and knife and she began slicing at the chicken .

She sighted Timothee who had his back turned to her reading a book but there was no sign of Lincoln probably he had gone home.

"Excuse me, do you have any idea what the time is?" She asked him raising her voice a little so that he could hear her but he didn't answer

She made a face at him and went back to cutting the meat, once she was done she raised the fork to her mouth but then halted her actions.

She had forgotten to say her prayers and she began to wonder since she was in a demon's house who would the prayers be going to.

The food was cooked by a demon, she was sleeping in his house, working for him. If she praid who would answer it, God or the devil?

That thought ate at her heart and slowly she lost her appetite, she stole a glance at Timothee, gazing at the back of his head. Her face fell and she dropped the fork and knife slowly.

She pushed the chair back and began getting up.

"I didn't cook it" His words stopped her halfway and she looked up at him, his back was still turned to her but he was no longer reading the book

"What?" She was confused, her eyebrows creased further revealing her state

"I said, I didn't cook it"

"Oh" she sat back down pulling the chair in

That was enough to lighten her spirits but still not enough to cleanse the guilt in her.

She picked the fork and began eating, she closed her eyes savoring the taste of the food as it got masticated and suddenly she froze

Demons are liars

Was he lying when he said that he wasn't the one who prepared the food?

Could she trust him?

She glanced at him again, he still maintained his position, her eyes dropped to her plate. She was conflicted inside, she had no idea if she could trust him or not

Was the food poisoned?

Has he decided to kill her for finding out about him?

The thoughts kept running through her mind and she began losing her appetite, she wanted to get up again

"For hell's sake woman, the food isn't poisoned" His voice was loud and angry, he was fed up with her attitude.

"Oh ok" she didn't think again and just ate till she was done.

She began making her way back to her room

"It's eleven thirty" His voice had her turning, slightly confused at what he meant until she realized that he was talking about the time

"Ok" She made her way back to her room, Timothee had asked her to leave the plates on the table which she did. She felt happy he had asked her to, she was a lazy girl and his action had touched a part of her making her heart flutter. She mouthed a thank you when he wasn't looking and happily made her way up the stairs.

As long as she didn't do the cooking or the cleaning, she was good.

She got to her bed and raised the covers when her eyes spotted something on her bed, she guessed Lincoln put it there and regretted not locking the door after she had promised herself that she would. She picked up the paper and read it

Your first assignment;

Get dressed early tomorrow, we are leaving the country.

Yours faithfully,

T