Hell Storm

I picked my guitar absently in time with the song playing from my iPod. Romance by My Chemical Romance. I slouched lower on the bench I was sitting on, still playing. A boy walked by and set a dollar at my feet. I kicked it away and continued to play even though the song had ended.
I tucked the guitar in its case. I stood, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. I gazed around, contemplating what to do. I picked my guitar up and walked toward the Starbucks across the street. I set my guitar beside a table before going up to the counter. I tapped my long black nails on the counter while I waited for the guy to notice me.
He turned around. "Oh, hello." He set a cloth done on the back counter and walked up to the register. "What can I get you?"
"Black coffee..." I muttered.
"That it? Aren't you hungry?" he wondered.
I shook my head, my long hair cascading done my back instead of my shoulders. "No. I'm okay..."
"Okay. That'll be three fifty-two." The guy watched as I slid a five dollar bill toward him.
As he slid back my change I waved my hand. "No, no, keep the change."
"Oh. Okay. Um, thanks." The guy turned at filled a cup with coffee. He handed it back to me. He eyed my guitar for a while. "You, uh, play?"
"Yeah..." I took a sip.
The guy shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't even know your name."
"Does it matter?" I wondered quietly.
The guy shrugged. "I mean, I suppose not..."
"Eth." I glanced at my guitar, avoiding eye-contact.
"Eth?" The guy contemplated my name. "That's a peculiar name."
I sighed. "Yeah... Yeah... I know."
"Short for something? Beth? Elizabeth?"
"Um..." I cleared my throat. "No." I took a sip. "It's short for, um, Death."
"Death?" the guy wondered.
I nodded. "Yup. Death..."
"Um. Right. Okay. Cool," the guy said uneasily. "I'm Garret... Just by the way."
I walked over and picked up my guitar case. "Good bye, Garret."
"Yeah. Bye."


I walked into my house, throwing my keys in an ebony bowls by the door. "Mom? Danis? Khal?" I called. My younger brother Khal came running down the spiral steps, his twin sister Khalypso trailing behind him.
Khalypso cocked her head to the side. "Where were you Eth?"
"Uh, playing guitar in Johnson Square. When did you get home? I thought you were at cello lessons with Mrs. Yung?"
"No... She told me to go home early..." Khalypso looked slightly sad.
"Okay... Well um... Where's Aegis and Cygnus?" I asked.
"Ask mom," Khal said as he ran out into the garden. Khalypso shrugged and raced after him.
"Mother?" I called. I climbed the steps. I left my guitar in my room and walked into her room. My mother sat on a chair, her snow white hair tumbling down to her breast. She stared at a mirror, her eyes reflected as black and demonic.
My mother was one of the Thirteen Heads of the Thirteen Hells. She took charge over storms. Some referred to her and her children as Hell Storms.
And at this very moment, the worst Hell Storm of them all was angry and I was the one to disturb her.