Chapter 8: General Goods

If you've ever had a splinter in your finger, you don't know what it's like to have an arrow in your shoulder. If you've ever stepped on a nail, you don't know what it's like to have an arrow in your shoulder. If you've ever been stung by a bee, I guarantee, you don't know what it's like to have an arrow in your shoulder. I thought I was going to fucking die trying to pull the damn thing out. My shirt was ruined, blood was everywhere, and I couldn't get it out. If nothing else, I seemed to be safe for the moment. I was free to try for as long as I needed. Whoever was shooting at me ceased there assault.

An hour into attempting to heal myself, I was greeted by the skeleton formally know as Shawn. He didn't have skin anymore. His muscles were falling off the bone in chunks as he approached me. I was nearly passed out on the floor when I looked up to see him staring down at me.

"Did you finish the job," he asked.

"She's dead," I answered reluctantly.

He didn't need to know my hands weren't responsible for Cinderella's death. It wouldn't have helped anyone to specify how she was taken out. Honestly, I couldn't care less at the moment, just as long as it meant getting Shawn off my back.

"Splendid. Now that you've taken care of the girl, there's a deeply pressing matter I need for you to remedy," he said as if I'd won the lottery.

"I have an arrow in my shoulder," I exclaimed.

He went silent, but his eyes seared. With no hesitation at all, the bastard took hold of the arrow and yanked it out with the swiftest of motion.

"God! Fuck!" I screamed.

He examined the blood soaked arrowhead before tossing it behind his back. The casual nature of it all pissed me off more than anything.

"As I was saying, we have a situation that calls for a woman's touch such as yours," he continued.

"What the hell do you want from me now?" I asked breathlessly.

"I would watch your tone, Faith, I'm sure you'll be up to the task. Your life depends on it," he threatened before taking a seat.

I tried to stop my bleeding, but my adrenaline kept it flowing.

"Survivors are inside the store. They seem to adore our home so much they don't want to leave. These ruffians have killed many of your coworkers and my employees. They refuse to vacate the premises. I need you to hunt them down and see to it that they leave immediately," he said.

"I'm not killing anyone for you," I argued.

"I didn't say you had to kill them. Faith, what a bloodthirsty appetite you've grown," he joked at my expense.

"How am I supposed to take on these assholes by myself?"

"I'm giving you Teto and Tattoo to help you on your hunt," he said.

"Who are Teto and Tattoo?"

While I held myself up on my hands and knees, the demon dropped a yellow whistle the size of a flash drive.

"Teto and Tattoo are my extraordinary boys. Say the name of who you want to command, say an order, then blow the whistle. It's so easy even you can do it," he said.

I fell over, but Shawn didn't care.

"Oh, and don't get any ideas about using them on me, they aren't my only pets," he said before leaving me to bleed out.

Something was up. Sadistic or not, if the Buy and Sell was under attack, Shawn should have dealt with it. He let outsiders disrespect his territory and take up shop in the store. Rather than sending an army of monsters, he decided I was enough? It didn't add up. I was beginning to think Shawn wasn't nearly as invincible as he lead me to believe.

My epiphany didn't count for shit at the moment, though. I was sure my death was imminent.