5.

Majella Smith went to go sit alone off to one side once emergency services arrived to the large ball room, the official location of choice for Hell's declaration of intent party. She did not want any company, not that of Nancy Ellis nor that of Paul Malone. If her sister Lisa or her father were here in this moment, she probably would not want their company either.

Oh, her dad, her real father and not the one who took to a stage not all so long ago, what would her dad make of her actions this evening? Majella has seriously hurt someone, not just anyone but someone she considered to be a friend, someone who was a friend to her at a time when she had no friends. How did she not know she had this power?

The fire in the institution on the day she escaped, starting seemingly out of nothing when thoughts of fire were aiding her to get past what was occurring. Her tormenter then perishing to flames on the night Paul Malone retired.

The body of Tami Lester has been covered and will remain where it is until the local coroner says otherwise. There will be a forensic examination performed no matter what any already acquired statement might say. To those who arrive in the aftermath and are in positions of authority, people say the strangest of things, just wait until those in authority find out that such strange things are true.

With the events of the evening not having been experienced by those who have taken statements, the statements themselves can only sound ridiculous but then to explain the mess found in the current moment would be something not so easily done. One, and only one, large windowpane shattered, one dead teenage girl with numerous wounds inflicted upon her with glass when no one else suffered wounds inflicted by glass and with the girl herself being some distance away from where that glass panel shattered.

Add the that the presence and treatment of one other, a man who had an apparent bout of spontaneous combustion, indeed being briefly treated and soon to be carted off with his life hanging on a thread.

As she sat alone, Majella watched as first responders did assesses and treat, to some degree, Sammy Fontaine. She watched as Sammy was carefully maneuvered onto a cart to be brought outside to an awaiting ambulance and while he was being escourted out of the ballroom an officer of the law approached.

'Excuse me Miss ...' speaks the officer, 'but I am going to need a statement from you.'

She turns her head to the officer with a blank look on her face that may suggest she has no idea where she currently is let alone of what has occurred in the moments leading up to now, Kinda as if she has become concussed, perhaps she has.

'Can't you leave her be?' speaks an arriving Paul Malone. He had been making himself useful while making sure Majella had a moment or two to herself. 'Isn't it clear that she has been traumatized enough as it is?'

'And your name sir?

'Paul. Paul Malone.'

'The boxer? I thought I recognized you.'

'May we leave? I have organized transport to the hospital; there is concern for the gentleman who was burned here this evening.'

'Sure, but not before you leave contact details. According to reports I have reason to believe this young lady is a person of importance ...'

***

It is three days before Majella Smith can get anywhere near Samuel Fontaine. Being who she is, there would have been ways for her to get to him faster though she chose to wait until she was told she could see him in whatever fashion she would be allowed. It is not because she could be held responsible for Sammy's condition that created any delay in seeing him, who could believe she had actually hurt him? It is his condition itself that kept any and all visitors away from his bed.

Paul Malone could not just move on with his life once he ensured Majella got to the hospital. He would feel a certain motivation to provide as much assistance as he could for as long as it may be needed. He has no idea what he may be letting himself in for but perhaps he knows more than he can comprehend in the here and now. A desire to repay an unrepayable debt has certainly set in.

On the outside of Sammy's room, Majella looks in. She is standing still, lost in her own mind. There are many thoughts to consider, and guilt has grabbed her more than anything else has. Nancy Ellis hangs back, determined to be near Majella as much as possible for as long as possible. She will give Majella the time she needs and some of the room she needs, for the moment at least, there is much to be done and Nancy plans to be a backbone for Majella, whatever that may entail. Indeed, for now, Nancy will wait.

Paul has also given Majella room and in his want to help and provide assistance he steps forward to stand alongside Majella. He considers what to say or what he could say though it is Majella who speaks first.

'I did this ... I did this to him ...'

'I don't understand ...' responds Paul.

'You were there at that event ... that whatever it was ... you heard what was said on stage. I belong to him, I am one of his, he created me, I have got evil in me ... and now I have seriously hurt the one person who can understand me more than I can understand myself.'

'Now hold on a second, what do you mean?'

'There are nine of us and you heard him say we all are his daughters, and we all have gifts. You have seen what one of them, two of them in fact, are capable of ... holding that girl still ... forcing her to endure pain and death and there was nothing she could do about it. In fact, you have seen what three of us can do.'

'So, you all can do different things? Each of you have a ... supernatural power?' how odd it is that this seems somehow rational to Paul.

'Yes, mine was, is the ability to see pain in others. I can see a physical pain which will come to certain individual, I can see when death or rather how death will come for others. I don't have complete control of this, and I don't always understand it ...'

'This is how you knew to come to me?'

'Yes, I had visions for many years of you suffering injury. Opportunity came for me to try and prevent that injury, which I did ... you did by calling off the fight. I thought you had no memory of my interference ...'

'Yeah, well I did have no memory of it. I remember calling off the fight but not your part in it. The other evening brought it home for me ... like a kind of De Ja Vu ...'

'Helping you done something for me too, but not anything good, I guess I was always on a path and you were one of the stops upon it. As it would seem now too, I have a second gift ... some sort of fire ability, I can create fire, set people on fire. I should have known this from before.'

'You didn't want to hurt that fellow; I know this much ... anger obviously got the better of you and ...'

'It did but I can't be having or making excuses. I can't have it happen again. I have to do something ...'

'Like what ...?'

'Stop him ... stop the man from the other night ... except he is no man.'

'What are you saying? What is he? Who is he?'

'The lord of Darkness is what he likes to refer to himself as. He is evil incarnate, he is shadow, he is the Devil ... Satan himself ... Lucifer.'

'You are having me on, right?'

'You were there, you saw how the evening went. I am one of his daughters as he said, I have hell more or less at my fingertips ... do you need any other proof?'

'No, no ... I'm good. So, what can I do?'

'You want in? As in making an attempt to stop him?'

'Sure, why not? I guess. I would be blind, Majella if it weren't for you. There is good in you and I have witnessed that for myself. I am in your debt so ... whatever you need ... whenever you need it ...'

Nancy Ellis has heard every word of this conversation. She has said nothing and will say nothing ... yet.