The Devil’s Intern Part 1

It was Internship Week for the fifth graders of Brimstone Elementary; however it had to start off in the most boring way possible. During the day it was announced to the students that they were to learn about the various business around their town, and are to be assigned to undertake temporary internship positions. But first they had to sit through a boring lecture from their teacher, Mr. Carney. The old man rambled on about how it was going to be a great experience for them, and how it was the next step to becoming responsible adults. To their youthful ears all they could interpret was blah, blah, blah.

Rosemary Gravely slouched in her desk as the teacher continued babbling on. Her eyes grew heavy with each dull sentence spoken. She glanced over to the far left of the classroom, where she saw her best friend Krystal texting away on her platinum cased cellphone that her family fortune could afford. 

She then lobbed her head onto her right. There she saw her other friend Kayleigh resting her head on her books. Rosie thought she was lucky to sleep through the whole lecture. 

A pair of fingers jabbed into her Rosie's shoulder. She turned and found another one of her friends in the same classroom, Ashley. She did not have to whisper in order to interpret what she was thinking. Instead she place two of her fingers on her right temple, imitating the shape of a handgun. Her thumb pulled back on the imaginary hammer and fired. At least it was a swift execution, what with her head jerking about as the imaginary bullet richotted inside her skull. Her eyes crossing together and her tongue flew out of her mouth.

The eldest Gravely child snorted a muffled laugh so her teacher couldn't see or hear what they were doing. She then turned to the front of the room and saw her other friend, Joshua, scribbling down in his notebook. He was always the good student, taking notes whenever necessary. Rosie didn't mind that about him at all, at least it kept him busy; though what no one realized or even had a glance at were decorative doodles that Joshua drew to avert his attention away from the boring lecture.

Mr. Carney continued his monologue, "Alright, here are your internships." He passed around small envelopes around to all the students. "Make sure your temporary employers sign your papers and write a five page report about what you learned from the business you worked at."

The school bell rang. At long last it was 3 o'clock. Schools out! The students all rushed out the door like a mad cattle stampede. Rosemary and her friends all walked out together, exchanging what they got for temporary internships. 

"Toads awesome!" Krystal praised, flashing her business card about, "I'm interning at your mom, Rosie. And your dad too, Kayleigh. Soon the camera is going to be on me. I'm gonna be famous!"

"Cool beans, Krystal," Rosemary complied, "I get to work at the local radio station. Time for everyone to listen to Rosemary's Rocking Rock & Roll hits!"

Kayleigh added, "Neat! I'm going to be working at the bakery. What about you, Ash?"

Ashley did not say a word. Instead she smiled and passed around the business card that she received from her envelope. 

"Sawyer-Patterson Paleontology Labs." Kayleigh read, "Sounds cool."

"My dad has some friends that work there," Ashley signed, which her friends were able to interpret, "Should be pretty fun."

"What about you, Joshua?" Krystal then asked. "What did you get?"

Joshua was silent for a moment, staring into the small card in his hand. "Something my mom is definitely not going to like."

And like a bad penny, there stood their principal and Josh's mother, Mrs. Wordsworth. Dressed so holier than thou compared to the rest of the students and facility. She looked so plain and ordinary with her dark green gown and dress, her stockings, and her black shoes. She prided over her small, silver cross that weighted around her neck. So flossed and perfected. She made sure everyone saw it as glorious as she did.

"Hello children," Mrs. Wordsworth gave her students and son a warm greeting. Her eyes glared at Rosemary, "Gravely," She scowled.

Rosemary returned a similar glare back at her principal. She was fully aware of Wordsworth's spitefulness towards her and her family, not just on the account that she wound up in her office now and then. Though Mrs. Wordsworth garnered more hatred towards Rosie's stepfather, as those who remained faithful did and still do.

Principal Wordsworth exclaimed, "I just wanted to see how things were starting off with your interns. This is a big moment for your young lives. As it says in Psalm 90:17, May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands."

"Right," Rosemary murmured while rolling her eyes. The rest of her friends followed too.

"So Joshua," she continued, "I hope you got something exciting."

"It's something alright," her only son gave a nervous chuckle.

"Well let's see it."

"That's okay. We can talk about it later."

"Nonsense!" the principal swiped away her son's card. "Whatever you received as a position I'll be proud of you, dear."

Mrs. Wordsworth inspected the small business card. So small. It had a red color with a golden outline around the corners. There was even a watermark. But what she read made her heart stop. Her face froze. Her body stiffened. Completely petrified. 

And like a domino she tipped over on her back. She hit the tiled flooring so fast she was out cold. Rosemary, Joshua, and the others all rushed to check on their fainted principal. What she read on the business card could only come from her darkest nightmares.

Devil, it read. Inferno Incorporated.