The Devil's Apprentice by Patrick Stewart (polar express read aloud TXT) 📕

Alex felt stupid. The voice in his head was right. There was a slim chance he could just walk out the front door. If Scarlett wasn’t down there herself, surely she would have raised the alarm. The lobby could be swarming with guards. And in a place like this, the Red House of Satan… Alex imagined tall red demons with black horns and fiery tridents.

“We need to find a place to hide for now… Something isn’t right,” the voice muttered. 

The voice had said as much before, that something wasn’t right. At the time Alex thought it might have something to do with Scarlett. He was beginning to think it might be something else now.

From the stairs, Alex walked onto the lobby. The layout of the place didn’t seem too complicated. Leading on from the elevators was a long corridor. The walls were made of the same red sandstone. It was dimly lit by flaming torches of dark red fire. The doors along the corridor were grand and tall with intricate curves along the border. the wood was dark, each had brass door knobs.

The first four doors Alex tried were locked. The corridor split at the end, going both left and right. He turned right, and the third door he tried led into a bedroom.

In the centre was a large oak-wood bed with white pillows and bedsheets. To the left of the room was a wardrobe and to the right, a dressing table with a gold framed mirror and a wooden stool with a red cushion. The room looked tidy and unused. It wasn’t just the room. It struck Alex how the entire floor seemed to be like that. Clean, dustless, but empty.

“Is this a good place to hide?” Alex asked.

“You don’t have to say it out loud,” the voice replied. “You just need to think it. And yes, this is a good place as any. I could do with a rest.” 

Alex stared at the bed. “I’m not going to sleep!” 

“You’re exhausted.”

“No I’m-” Alex stopped.

The voice was right. He suddenly felt exhausted. So much so, he slumped against the door and yawned loudly. But as tired as he was, he hadn’t completely lost his senses. He wasn’t going to sleep in a comfortable bed in the house of Satan like a dim-witted Goldilocks.

“Goldilocks?”   

Alex’s eyes widened in alarm. “You can hear my thoughts?” 

“Yes, idiot. I’m in your head.” 

Alex’s lips tightened. This was not cool. “How do I get you out?” 

“It doesn’t work like that. If it did, I’d be out of here long ago. You’re like the worst body I have inherited since the history of humanity. I mean, bloody hell, you’re such a complete loser.”

“Fuck off,” Alex muttered.

“Virgin,” came the response.  

 He could almost feel the voice in his head smirking. Alex didn’t care that he was a virgin at twenty-one. Sure, he would rather not be one, but he didn’t mope about it. He’d had a tough upbringing and all the confidence issues that came with it.

“Whatever, loser.” 

Alex’s brows furrowed. “What the hell are you, and why’re you in my head?” 

“I’m the saviour of this world, Alex. The saviour of humanity. With me inside you, we’re going to fuck over those angels and demons. And while we’re at it, even stop you being this sad pathetic mopey bastard. Play your cards right and maybe I’ll help you lose your virginity.” 

Alex opened his mouth to tell the thing to fuck off. But then, he felt the brass door knob that was pressed against his back begin to turn. Someone was coming into the room.

“Hide!” 

Alex didn’t need telling twice. He leapt onto the bed and rolled off it. Hitting the hard floor, he cowered against the bed, keeping his body low. An awful hiding place. He should have gone for the wardrobe, but he’d panicked and it was too late now.

Alex’s heart pounded hard in his chest. Despite the sound filling his eardrums, he heard the door open. Footsteps followed. Then there was complete silence.

“Your hair is sticking out,” a calm voice said. It was a girl’s voice.

“You are easily the dumbest mother fucker,” the voice groaned. 

Alex cursed himself mentally. He climbed to his feet and brushed down his shoulder length and somewhat messy hair. At the other end of the bed stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. If he didn’t know angels had wings, he would have assumed she was one.

She had short black hair, piercing blue eyes and pale skin that glowed. Not like the douchebag angel’s skin, but not far off either. She was tall too, over six feet. Her eyes narrowed as they stared at him.

“You look very much like a human.”

So did she. She didn’t have the red skin of demons, nor the wings of angels. A model. Victoria’s Secret, but prettier, healthier and… just perfect really.

“Is she on our side? Can I trust her?” Alex thought. 

There was no response from the voice in his head. Just silence. Trust him to fucking disappear when he’s actually needed, Alex thought. He decided she could be trusted. She was a human, and… she gave off good vibes, which he knew wasn’t something he should be considering when making life or death decisions but…

He jumped over the bed and came to stand before her. Somehow, she was even prettier close up. “You gotta help me,” Alex pleaded. “There are these- I don’t really know how to explain it. I think they’re demons. And there might be a devil too. They want to rip my soul out.”

The girl stared at him curiously, the corner of her lips twitched. “Is this a joke of some sort?”

Alex shook his head frantically. “Not joking, I promise.”

The girl glanced back at the door, as if hearing something.