With Molly set on camping they had returned home to grab a few things.
A large rucksack, with blankets, a pillow, some towels and spare clothing.
For the actual camping supplies, such as a tent, they would need to buy them.
“Are you good for money?” She asked him.
“Oh yes, money is of very little importance. We work for the satisfaction of a good day’s job well done up here.” Collin would explain to her.
“So everybody is rich.” Molly muttered.
I really did win the lottery with this one.
With money being a very small concern they hit up a local supermarket called Cloud 9.
Stepping through the doors, they were hit with the smell of baked goods.
The air was perfectly cool and crisp, and the music was just sweet.
Further in, Molly found that the fruit aisle literally had a hundred types of exotic produce growing on tiny little bonsai trees, so that for whatever you wanted, you could pick it clean off the plant for the ultimate freshness.
And then she went past TVs bigger than someone’s front door.
An entire bakery hand making the most luscious confections she had ever seen.
A whole section of hobby crafts, from knitting, to clay sculpting and even metalworking.
Every single possible option, all laid out, and with a sign warmly reminding that everything has the option of more than 400 colours, with different sizes, right hand or left hand and more.
And then Molly turned a corner to find a yacht!
A small golden boat that could house around four Cherubs.
It was just sitting out in the open surrounded by swimwear and scuba gear.
“Please.” Molly said as she hit him with the puppy eyes.
“Maybe for Christmas.” Collin replied as he tugged her along.
There was not a single lock or anti-theft mechanism on anything.
And most of it was made of gold too. As if just to show off.
Eventually they came to camping and outdoor sections.
Collin took a look around while Molly got to shopping.
“Let’s see, a tent. I’m twice his size, so that means like… five Cherubs worth of room.”
Molly muttered as she looked over some display models of various tents.
Once she had found one she went to a large vending machine nearby.
Molly put in the ID code of the tent, and selected a white colour.
It rumbled and then gave her a surprisingly small cloth parcel with a rip cord on it.
“Instant tent. Huh. They really do like making everything easy.” Molly spoke to herself.
She picked up some fuel to easily make a fire.
Then took a wander for some other, general supplies.
Like some rubber gloves.
Bandages and antiseptic.
A travel sized bottle of mouthwash.
And the cheapest set of golf clubs she could find.
Eventually she met up again with Collin who was buying himself a little cookie.
The bag of clubs hung over her shoulder made him just a bit curious.
“They are a surprise tool for later.” Molly said before he could ask.
“Have you ever gone golfing before?” She then asked.
“Heavens no, it’s much too violent of a sport.” Collin replied.
“Mmm, right with the hitting things. Any sports you do like?”
“Yoga and some jogging.” Collin replied.
His answers made sense and were innocent but he turned his eyes away as he said it.
That slight flicker of shame was not lost on Molly and she could smell his small lie too.
A Hellhound can smell many things about a person.
“Sounds nice. You will love my type of golfing, promise.”
She smirked as they made for the checkout.
---0---
Collin was surprised as they took the station down to Little Inferno for the second time that day.
He was expecting for them to go camping in Heaven, perhaps even Earth if possible.
They took one last stop at a little convenience store.
Molly grabbed some things that she would never be able to find in Heaven.
A few packs of alcohol, a very weak mixture as this resort was designed for visiting angels.
Proper meat snacks, ranging from sweet to extra spicy.
As well as some bottles of water and chewing gum.
She put everything into her rucksack. Which at this point weighed more than he did.
But it was not a surprise to Collin.
He knew just how strong a Hellhound could be.
Finally, with everything done they set out.
Only to arrive straight away as her choice of where to camp was a junkyard nearby.
“A junkyard?” Collin questioned.
“When Limbo started to build Little Inferno they wanted to make a good impression with Heaven so they reused and recycled as much stuff as they could. That means this little junk pile is protected by the resort. That means it’s very safe here.” Molly explained.
“But why a junkyard?” He asked again.
“Because a trashpile stinks but a junkyard is all furniture, rubble and electronics.”
Molly added as they headed past a tall pile of various broken stuff.
She found a nice little slice of flat, clean ground near the past of a tall pile of stuff.
Taking the tent, she pulled the cord until it clicked and then tossed it.
As soon as it hit the ground it suddenly unfolded with clicks and clacks and swishes as poles and cloth put itself together in seconds. Molly clapped her hands sarcastically at the show. From the bag she took the blankets and pillows and laid them out inside.
“Hey, did you see that, that was nuts.” She said to Collin.
But he was too busy standing like a puppy in the rain.
Sad eyes. One hand holding his arm cutely as he radiated an aura of vulnerability.
“Yeah, okay. Gotta fix that first.” Molly said as she scratched her ear.
She pulled a few table legs and wood scraps together.
Put them into a little pile with a ring of rocks around them to be fun.
“Hey, check this out.” She said to Collin as she undid the cap on the lighter fuel.
She then put the metal can to her mouth.
Collin’s eyes went wide.
She lit the lighter with a click and spewed a stream of flames over the wood.
They ignited with a fireball that rose into the sky.
Collin was left with his mouth hanging open.
Molly grinned as she stuffed two pieces of gum into her mouth.
“You know the best thing is that Hell is warm enough that we don’t even need a fire.”
Molly said to him as she sat herself down on the edge of a tire.
“T-That was very dangerous.” He said as he sat down on the other side.
“Hell yeah, also really fun. What do you do for fun?”
Molly asked him as she rummaged into her rucksack.
“The usual stuff, walks, movies. Nothing special.” Collin replied.
She could smell there was another lie mixed into that.
“Am I supposed to t-talk about my feelings now?” Collin asked.
“Talk? Naa, you’re gonna show me. Drink this.” Molly replied.
She tossed him one of the cans she had bought.
“I d-don’t drink.” He replied as he looked over the gold metal.
“You do now.” Molly spoke back as she cracked open her own can.
She raised it, towards him.
“Cheers!” Molly called out.
Collin cracked open his own can, the foam cool against his hand as it spilled.
“Cheers?” Collin repeated.
She began to drink and despite being large enough to swallow the entire can, she went slow.
Collin saw her taking a long swig. So he began to drink too.
It was sweet, closer to fruit juice than any alcohol in Hell.
But to Collin it was infinitely stronger than anything he had drank before.
And together he drank the whole can alongside Molly.
He gasped, and let out the smallest burp that made him blush and cover his mouth.
“Right on.” Molly praised him.
“Now throw it away.” She instructed, as she tossed hers behind her.
“But that’s littering.” Collin replied.
“Junkyard.” Molly simply said.
He looked around.
“Oh.” Collin said but he still hesitated before throwing the can.
He tossed it weakly, and listened as it clattered against other unseen pieces of metal.
Molly then took out two more cans.
“This one is for sipping, whenever you feel is right.”
She said to him as she opened both. Molly handed one to him before grabbing the clubs.
“Time for therapy.” She said with a concerning smirk.
---0---
Collin stood with a golf club in hand. A nice six iron, being of medium length and light weight.
In front of him was not a ball but an old and already broken TV set.
He looked unsure. Unsure about many things in fact.
“I don’t know a-about this.” He said to Molly.
“Who are you scared of?” Molly asked.
He didn’t expect that question.
“We are in Hell, nobody is around to see or complain about the noise. The TV is broken, and belongs to nobody. And I’m here to cheer you on. So… What’s your issue?” Molly asked again.
“It’s v-violent.”
“So you're scared of being violent?”
“Being violent is what bullies do, what bad people do.”
“Like who?” Molly asked.
Collin had more names come to mind than he knew what to do with.
“Don’t overthink it. First thing that comes to mind. Like, who?” She repeated.
“Cletus.” Collin replied as he tightened the grip on the club.
“You must really hate him for that. Always pushing you around.”
“I d-didn’t mind too much.” Collin admitted.
“But he always got his way from being r-rude, and lying, and being a bully. Why do the mean people always get what they want? On Earth and in Hell s-sure but why in Heaven too?” Collin asked, the question also meant for himself.
“Because good people like you don’t think you need to push back. Even though that little push would show him that you can’t be moved by bullies like him.” Molly explained.
She took a few sips of her drink.
“So are you gonna keep being pushed around?” She asked.
“N-no…” Collin replied softly.
“Hm? I can’t hear you.”
“No.” He said more confidently.
“I don’t think I believe you.” Molly said teasingly.
Collin grabbed his can from the ground.
He drank several mouthfuls of it before throwing the half empty can away.
His hands gripped the club tightly as he reeled back.
A soft squeak escaped his lips as he drove it down onto the old boxy TV.
The hard wood of its shell barely felt the impact, even as Collin’s arms shuddered.
“Yeah, that’s it!” Molly cheered him on.
He hit it again, and again.
Cracking the wood.
Shattering the already damaged screen.
Squeaks turned to grunts then shouts as his soft blows became weighty.
He started to put his back into it.
Drawing out strength that he had always been scared to show.
“Cletus and Keenie and those Imps and Deerie too” He shouted.
“Yeah! Show her who the man is!” Molly cheered.
This was the first time she had seen an Angel angry and there was a certain cuteness to it.
But she could see the storm under the fluffy clouds. The anger, the repression.
She could understand now how Lucifer went from a soft Angel to a king of the Sinners.
He hit that TV with the same force as Caine did to Abel.
With the same anger that God once brought down upon the world.
Collin hit and hit and hit until he had chewed his way through three of the clubs.
He continued until his breath ran short and his hands hurt.
Until there was nothing but broken pieces.
Only then did he drop the club and drop to his knees to rest.
Collin had not realized that he had started crying at some point.
These tears were different from his usual sort.
These ones felt good.
They were hot, angry, tears that came from deep within.
“I just wanted everybody to be happy. To say good job, and then we all went home satisfied.”
Collin admitted as he stared at the red marks on his palms.
“Why did I have to get exiled for one bad day at work. Why did I even quit working at the ice cream parlor? That was the happiest I had ever been in my whole life. And I gave up just to try and make others as happy as I was.” He continued before rubbing his eyes clean.
It was then that Molly hugged him.
He didn’t even notice her approach.
She sat, kneeling down on the ground. The hug was different to so many others.
It wasn’t like the therapy hugging sessions he had gone to before, this hug was warmer.
She held him tighter too, a firm sort of care that told him she would not leave him.
He sank into that hug and she continued to hold him for as long as he needed.
