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Entry Number Two
I thought about giving up on this diary so I haven’t written anything for a week, but today I’m hiding in my room for a while so I decided to write to pass the time. I guess I should probably write about the other souls here. Some of them I don’t really want to think about right now, but maybe talking about them will make me feel better.
The master purchased other souls before he bought me. His house is enormous and he has lots of money, so I supposed buying souls is the easiest way to look after it all. I heard that it’s common here to hire servants, but what’s the point in paying someone if you can buy a soul who will do it for nothing for the rest of your life?
I already talked about Bernard who’s the master’s driver. He doesn’t really talk much and he tends to sleep where the horses are. He’s out driving Master around town during the day so I don’t see him often, and I haven’t heard him say more than a few words.
Next is Felix who tends to the gardens outside. He looks young like me with scruffy hair and a clear complexion. I sometimes watch him digging the weeds out of the lawn, or pruning the trees, and he does it so easily like he’s been gardening for over a century or more.
Hana and Alphonse are in charge of cooking and laundry. Hana is a petite cute girl with short hair and a positive personality, while Alphonse is a well built guy with a muscular chest and short hair. He’s never been nice to me, but I sometimes see him and Hana laughing over something like a bunch of school girls. The two of them seem close, and I heard that they share a room.
Next is Miho. Out of everyone here Miho scares me the most. She’s sweet and pleasant whenever the master is looking, but becomes bitter and nasty as soon as he turns away. She looks like a tall thin girl, and she always ties her hair back in a ponytail with a red ribbon. Klaus once joked that she must be so angry because she starved to death in her previous life. She’s been here the longest, so Felix, Hana, and Alphonse just do as she says. I think she told them not to talk to me, so they just turn and leave whenever I try to ask for advice or greet them in the hall. I thought about telling the master what she’s really like, but she scares me too much.
Today was the worst day so far and she was so horrible towards me. I went down a corridor this afternoon to find Miho, Hana, and Alphonse blocking the way to my room.
“Well, if it isn’t the master’s new pet,” said Alphonse. He put one hand on his hip and glared menacingly at me. “And where do you think you’re going Mr. Pet?”
Miho was holding a frying pan, and Hana was holding a chopping board and knife in her hands. She was in charge of cooking, so I suppose that it isn't strange for them to be carrying cookingware and knives, but seeing them like that made my anxiety levels soar.
“I’m just getting some things,” I said. I tried my best to sound confident and brave, but I’m certain they could sense my fear.
“Really,” said Miho meanly. “Last time I checked I’m the one master left in charge, and I don’t remember giving you permission to go get some things.”
“He’s probably going to go steal the master’s underwear!” Said Alphonse. “He may have the master fooled, but he looks like the sort of creepy guy who would get a kick out of that!”
“Why would I do that?” I cried back. Alphonse was the one who washed the master’s clothes, so if anyone could steal the master’s underwear it would be him. “All I want is a brush and soap so that I can help Klaus scrub the ballroom," I said.
“There’s no need to use that tone with us Mr. Pet,” said Miho. “In case you don’t remember we’ve been here way longer than you, so you should show more respect to your superiors.”
“Looks like he might need a lesson in manners,” said Alphonse as he menacingly waved his fist.
“Alphon-” Said Hana but Miho cut her off.
“Shut up Hana,” said Miho. “We didn’t ask for your opinion.”
I backed away as they began walking towards me. I don’t know if they were serious or just trying to intimidate me, but I was relieved when Klaus came and saved the day.
“There you are!” Cried Klaus’ voice. I turned to see him jogging up the hallway. Out of all the souls here Klaus is the one who is nicest to me. Klaus is tall and thin with short hair. I think Miho doesn't bother him because he's twice her size. Klaus isn’t very good at cleaning so I often wonder if Master brought him for his negotiating skills. I bet a friendly guy like him probably had tons of friends when he was alive.
“Well if it isn’t clumsy Klaus,” said Miho.
“Well if it isn’t my best friend Miho,” Klaus said and put his hands on my shoulders. “I see you’re having fun crushing souls like always. I hate to interrupt the party, but I’m never going to finish scrubbing the ballroom without this guy.”
“You already have miss dark and angry helping you out,” said Miho. “That should be enough.”
“Yeah," said Klaus with a shrug. "But the master will be back soon and we’re way behind, you wouldn’t want the master to think that you’re bad at allocating the work would you?”
Miho looked like she was seriously considering it before she gritted her teeth and turned to leave. “Fine, take him! But don’t blame me if he does a terrible job, again!”
Alphonse took Hana’s knife and pointed it menacingly at me. “You’ve won this round Mr. Pretty hair,” said Alphonse. “But don’t fool yourself into thinking that the master will like you forever!” And with that he looped one arm around Hana’s and dragged her away with him.
“Don’t worry about them,” said Klaus as he threw one arm over my shoulder and began leading me towards the ballroom. “Things can get pretty dull around here when the master’s away, so they just like picking fights to pass the time. You should have seen what things were like before you got here. I thought that Miho and Alphonse would seriously destroy each other.”
“Miho hates me,” I said. I tried being nice many times, but nothing seems to work.
“She doesn’t hate you,” said Klaus. “She just doesn’t like you very much, that’s all. From what I know about Miho she doesn’t really seem to like anyone, except maybe the master. She’s been here long before any of us. Back from before the master got rich. Sometimes the first soul develops this strange complex where they think they’re above the others because they’ve been there longer. I’ve seen it all before.”
I sighed and Klaus gave me a reassuring pat on the back. I have a feeling that no matter what I do they will never like me.
“You should stop worrying about Miho,” said Klaus as he opened the large ballroom door and ushered me inside. “Instead you can enjoy scrubbing the hours away in this magnificent room. Why, I can’t think of anything more exciting than spending it with you and the wonderful and charming miss Angelina!”
“I hope you suffer for all eternity Klaus,” said the young woman who was already cleaning the floor before us. Angelina is another one of the master’s souls that Miho doesn’t like. She’s been in hell the longest out of all of us, so she’s become a little angry and bitter. Miho said that she’s busted and that Master screwed up when he brought her, but no one can deny that although Angelina is very anti-social, she is the most talented at washing and cleaning out of us all. She also looked cute in the maid uniform that the master forced all the girls to wear. Sometimes I imagine what Angelina must have looked like when she was alive. I can picture her with olive skin and dark long hair. Maybe she even smiled and laughed back then.
I picked up a cloth and began scrubbing away next to her. I watched as she cleaned the floor and I tried my best to mimic and learn from her. I’m sure that master would be pleased if I learn to do everything well.
It would have been easier if I had gotten a brush from my room, but I completely forgot about it after my run in with Miho’s gang.
The master’s ballroom can fit over two hundred people. The curtains are embedded with gold, and there are several crystal chandeliers which sparkle in the afternoon sun. I think it would be wonderful to see a splendid party here, but master rarely invites guests.
“Why does the master have such a big house when he lives alone?” I asked.
Angelina huffed and ignored me, so Klaus answered my question instead.
“We think he does it to show off,” said Klaus. “Just to show everyone that he has money you know. All the rich people around here like to do that. It’s like they have some competition to see who has the largest house or the most souls.”
“Is Master winning?” I asked.
“Who knows, or cares, I just feel sorry for the poor souls who have to clean any house bigger than this.”
"Does everyone in Hell live in houses like this?” I asked.
“No,” said Klaus. Hell looks different depending on which region you go to. It’s hot here, but I heard it’s pretty cold in the south so I suppose everything must look different there, you should know Angelina, haven’t you been everywhere?”
“Hell is Hell. There’s suffering and torment no matter where you go. Everywhere is the same,” replied Angelina.
“Well, aren’t you a shining ball of happiness little miss positive,” said Klaus. “My last master was a rich old lady who was loaded, but that house was only half the size of this one. I think Master Alistair can only afford to live in a place like this because he’s a council member. He might have gotten it for free from the last council member who kicked the bucket. I heard that they usually just pass off all their stuff to the next guy.”
I'd heard the word council being said a few times, but I had no idea what it was, so I decided to ask. “What do you mean by council member?”
Angelina moaned. “How can you be so ignorant?”
“Give him a break Angelina, he only just got here,” said Klaus. “Greater Hell is ruled by a guy called King Azazel at the moment. He pretty much decides what goes on around the place, and all the people here practically worship him as well. Helping him is his twelve member council which is comprised of the strongest soldiers in hell. Some of them are like superhumans, or did terrible things to their bodies to make themselves stronger or live forever, but most of them got their jobs because they’re pretty good with the majick.”
“Majick?” I asked. I'd never heard of it before.
“Yeah, majick,” said Klaus. “That thing where people do the glowy thing, and then things which don’t usually do things suddenly do something.”
I stared at him with a puzzled look on my face because I had no idea what he was talking about.
"You know," he said and started making strange gestures with his hands before he gave up. "You explain it to him Angelina."
"No, I think you're already doing a fantastic job," she said.
“A long time ago people couldn’t do majick," said Klaus. "But then they learnt it from the demons who originally lived in hell, but instead of thanking them they just stole their lands and built the cities. Now people can do all sorts of mysterious things if they study hard and practice for years, how else do you think they could pull our souls from our bodies and make us like this?”
“I suppose it makes sense,” I said. “So master Alistair can use this majick?”
“Precisely,” said Klaus. “And apparently very well from what I’ve heard. He’s even mastered the hardest spells and gained a position on Azazel's council, which is only possible for people with the highest level of skills.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!” I had a feeling that master was a great person, but my image of him became even more amazing.
“Thank you Klaus, I do enjoy it when others acknowledge my hard work,” said a voice from behind us. We turned to see the master watching us from the other side of the room. I didn’t hear him enter and he must have snuck in through another door.
“Master Alistair,” said Klaus nervously. "I didn’t see you come in.”
“By no means stop talking,” said Master with a grin. “Please continue telling Ethan great things about me, feel free to pitch in too my dear Angelina. I’m sure you must have many wonderful stories about your master.”
Angelina scowled. I don't think she hates Master, but it seems impossible for her to say anything nice about people in hell.
“Klaus, Angelina, you can finish up here and go back to your rooms," ordered Master.
I began packing up my things and prepared to leave too, but the master interrupted me.
“Not you Ethan, you can stay here.”
“Master and Ethan sitting in a tree,”quietly sang Klaus when he turned to leave “K-I-S-S-”
“Stop it!” I hissed.
Klaus and Angelina left, leaving master and I alone in the room. Master seems very strict around everyone else but he’s different when he’s with me. I was usually glad when he gave me attention, but after everything that happened today I kind of wished that he would leave me alone.
I’m not sure why he likes me so much. I don’t remember doing anything to make him treat me like this. Sure there was that time when he first kissed me and I didn’t fight back, but he has so many beautiful souls such as Miho and Alphonse who love him, so I don’t know why he’s so hung up on me. Klaus says that it might be because we look a little alike and Master is obviously in love with himself, but I have no idea the real reason why. I’m too nervous to ask him myself and I have to admit that I don’t want it to stop.
I wonder if there was anyone who liked me like that back on Earth. I wonder if they know where I’ve gone. I hope that my death didn’t upset them too much.
The master walked over and wrapped his arms around me lethargically. He collapsed against me and rested his head against my neck.
“Ethan, I’ve had such a terrible day,” he moaned. “All those buffoons at the council refuse to listen to me, if things continue on like this we may have another war.”
“Is that bad?” I asked.
“Terrible, I barely survived the last one. Those cursed Angel Forces almost blew my arm off, and reduced some of my best clothes to ashes. But enough about me, how was your day?”
I wanted to tell him about Miho and Alphonse but I didn’t have the courage. “I helped clean the ballroom,” I said.
“And a wonderful job you’ve done too,” said master while looking around. “It’s virtually sparkling.”
There was still dust everywhere and some sort of wine stain in the corner, so I could tell that master Alistair was just trying to be kind.
There was a knock at the main door and Miho entered. “Master Ali-” Her voiced died in her throat when she saw that he was hugging me. She then forced a smile and tried her best to appear composed. “Your bath is ready,” she said sweetly, and she seemed completely different from before.
“Excellent work as always Miho,” he said and unwrapped his arms from around me. “Lead the way.”
I thought that master would leave me there, but he instead grabbed my arm and began dragging me along with him. “You will be joining me of course, won’t you Ethan?”
Miho’s eyes almost bulged out of her head from shock. I could see her trying to intimidate me with her best angry face from behind our master, and I was terrified that she’d only become meaner if I accompanied him into the bath. “I..I..I still have some cleaning to do,” I stuttered.
“Nonsense,” said Master. He took the cloth from my hand and casually tossed it across the room. “You’ve already done a great job here and now I need someone trustworthy to scrub my back, and maybe a few other places as well,” he said with a wink. He then threw his arm around my shoulder and led me out of the room. As scary as Miho looked I couldn’t think of any other way to escape and I didn’t want to ruin his happy mood.
Master’s bathroom is as impressive as the rest of his home. The taps look like gold and his bath is big enough to fit four people or more. It was a little embarrassing to see Master naked but luckily he didn’t ask me to do anything weird. He’s so unpredictable that I have no idea what he’s going to do next. I had to take my clothes off too so that they wouldn’t get soaked, and I caught him staring at my naked body for longer than he needed to.
I got into the tub alongside him and scrubbed his neck and back like he wanted. The water around me moved and I could make it splash, but my body remained ghostly and dry no matter what I did. I thought that this would have surprised my master, but he didn’t look shocked at all. Maybe Master regularly took baths with his souls.
I thought this was as good a time to ask him about what Klaus had told me that day.
“Is it true that you can do majick master?” I asked as I slowly started washing his arm.
“Yes, so the other’s told you about that? I figured that it was only a matter of time before they started blabbing all my little secrets.”
“It doesn’t seem like a secret if it’s your job Master. What does majick look like?” I asked. “I’ve never seen it before.”
Master turned so that he was facing me and held out his right hand. I stared at it nervously why wondering what was going to happen next. He closed his eyes and focused and a ball of green light suddenly appeared in his palm. I reached forward and tried to touch it, but master quickly pulled his hand away.
“Easy now,” he said. “You may actually hurt yourself if you do that.” He closed his hand and the ball of light instantly disappeared.
“That was amazing!” I said. “That would be great for navigating around here at night. Can you teach me how to do that?”
Master laughed. “I’m sorry Ethan, but only living people can do these sorts of spells, there isn’t a soul in hell that has ever been able to pull one off.”
“Ow,” I said. I suddenly felt disappointed. I think it would be great if I could make balls of light suddenly appear.
“There, there,” he said. He hugged me to his chest and began to pat my hair. “There’s no reason to be sad. I have plenty of amazing tricks that I can show you instead."
I sighed. I really want to be able to do majick like master, but I suppose watching him do tricks is pretty exciting as well.
The master pulled away and began to examine my face. His hair was completely soaked and it was so much easier to see his face without eyeliner. I couldn’t help but think that my master truly was a very kind and handsome man. He cupped my face with his hands and leaned forward to kiss me. I think he also used his tongue. It felt like forever, but when he pulled away I couldn’t help but notice that he looked a little sad.
“It’s a shame that you’re just a soul Ethan,” he said and brushed my hair out of my face. “If you were human we could do so many more exciting things.”
I’m not sure what he meant by exciting things and I can only guess that it’s one of the many things that humans can do but souls can not.
I’m happy being here with Master Alistair and I’m so thankful that I made a great friend like Klaus, but I’m worried about what’s going to happen tomorrow. I’m sure that I’m just over thinking it, but I hope that Miho doesn’t become too angry about what happened in the ballroom today.
I should probably go to bed now. Klaus said that souls don’t have to sleep but it's good for relieving stress. I have a lot of stress to relive so I better go to sleep.
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Thanks for reading chapter two. Sometimes I'm not sure if the master seems like a nice guy or a complete creeper. If you like this story, or notice any mistakes, please feel free to leave a review. I hope to have the next chapter up soon.
Will Miho seek revenge? Will the master ever discover her true personality? Follow this story to find out in chapter three. ＼(◎o◎)／！
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