“Are you ready to get started?” Kelsey asked, leaning forward and putting her elbows on the round coffee table that was placed between her and Tim in the hotel suite. A ring light and a camera faced each of them across the table providing a perfect front facing camera shot for Kelsey and her interview subject.
“As ready as I can be,” Tim said, adjusting himself to try and get comfortable in his chair given his cloven hooved legs and tail wedged through the back of the seat. The light was bright enough to squint, but he knew his eyes would adjust momentarily.
“Then let’s be famous!” Kelsey exclaimed as she hit the record button on her remote. A red LED light illuminated on the top of the camera, letting them both know it was showtime.
Kelsey put on her best girl next door smile and began her livestream.
“Hi fans! It’s time for Kelsey Levin’s Fantastic Seven show! This week, I’m here in beautiful Atlantic City at Furcon, giving you seven interviews, with seven fantastic people, and asking seven deep questions to the most eye-catching people attending this convention.” She paused to moisten her lips and catch her breath.
“I’ve got the most amazing guest today, the legend, the myth, the Jersey Devil!”
Tim looked at her, his eyes crossed momentarily, reminding himself that he volunteered to do this.
“Thank you, Kelsey, but just to clarify things from the start, I’m not originally from Jersey, and I’m not the devil.”
Somehow, Kelsey managed an even bigger smile and quick laugh before looking at the camera to say, “Of course not, sweetie,” while simultaneously winking at the camera. “What would you like us to call you then?”
Tim smiled his best, which was magnitudes smaller than what Kelsey could radiate. “Let’s just go with Tim. It probably rolls off the tongue a little easier for your viewers.”
She leaned over the table, placing her hand on his clawlike fingers to placate him with an “of course, now let’s get started with those fantastic questions!”
She didn’t notice her own unconscious effort to quickly remove her hand from the cold scales where she expected to feel fabric or other material used to make costumes.
Tim continued his weak smile, ready for the worst.
“Question number one: What is it like to be the youngest of 13 brothers and sisters?”
Tim coughed out a laugh, and sat up, smiling for real as he began his reply.
“Now Kelsey, you can’t believe everything that has been written about me. No, I’m not the thirteenth child of Mother Leeds that got wished into a devil. I mean, sure, I can understand after a mother in the 1700’s had 12 kids and got pregnant again, I think even someone as charming as you, Kelsey, would wish the same!” They both shared a short laugh at this observation. “No, with someone like me, you can clearly see that I was a middle child. I have an older domineering sister, and a younger, rather favored, bratty brother. It was just me in the middle, trying to make mother and father happy to no avail.”
Kelsey stuck out her bottom lip with a frown to give sympathy. Tim did his best to appear to be warmed by her concern as he wiped a nonexistent tear from the corner of his eye, knowing both of them were complete frauds of emotion.
“Bless your heart, Tim. So, onto question two!” Her emotion pivoted on a dime back to the perky brunette ready to capture more viewers.
“The Pine Barrons just got approved to build a 3000-house subdivision and a food court with 4 famous chains, which viewers, I’d mention their names if they sponsored my program but they know who they are and they all know how to find Kelsey Levin. Will this be good or bad for your hometown?”
Tiim’s smile turned into a bit of a sneer, baring his yellowing fangs, before correcting himself into something a little less menacing. “I’d just like to say that the Burlington County commissioners are all fools. They should keep the woods as they are. There are plenty of other places to build tract housing and leave those people alone.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “I mean, I’m not originally from that area, but I did adopt it as my home over the past years.”
Kelsey shifted in her chair, switching her crossed ankles from left to right.
“Well, I didn’t mean to get you riled up, but I’m afraid this next one might.”
Tim braced himself. He hoped she did not continue down this path talking about his beloved woods.
“Taylor and Travis. What do you think?”
Tim genuinely lit up. “I know!” he nearly shouted, “I cannot believe that Taylor went for a football player. They don’t have a chance! She’ll be touring, he’ll be going city to city all season. As I see it, she’ll be playing the half time show singing a new number one song about their colossal break up.” Tim found himself breathing a little heavy but tried to calm himself. Travis was so wrong for his favorite artist.
Kesley was hanging on every word, thinking to herself that this costumed man gushing over Taylor Swift was going to be gold for her viewership. She hoped that she could splice this out and get the clip to go viral.
“Who would have thought the Jersey Devil would be a swiftie!”
“Kelsey-“Tim interrupted.
“Sorry, we know you’re not from Jersey. But hey, getting back to you, can you do the blood curdling scream they say you have for our viewers?”
Tim sat back in his chair, contemplating whether he should for a moment, and said, “Why no dear, that would curdle your blood! The interview will be over, and I’d have to call 911 for you to go to the hospital. I’d much prefer to get to your next question.”
“Well played, Tim! We don’t want that to happen! But tell me, just Kelsey talking to Tim here and one hundred and twenty thousand of my closest friends: Your suit is impeccable. I don’t even see a seam on it! Who made it? “
Tim chuckled, “I guess you could say my parents made it.”
“Oh, do they do other styles of suits too? Do they have a booth here?”
“No, Kelsey, they don’t make them anymore. When you’re making a suit for each of your 13 kids, it gets hard on the arthritis you know!”
Tim gave a hearty laugh, Kelsey a little less so, as she was trying to digest the previous statement about being a middle child. But she had to keep moving so she could get to her final signature question.
“OK, only two more to go. Question six: Do you prefer camping, glamping, or a hotel stay?”
Tim grinned, reminiscing at his time in the Pineys. “Oh, I would have to say camping. There is nothing like being outdoors. Staying out all night long, feeling the wind caress your fur, and the sound of wildlife. You would really be surprised how busy the Pineys are at night with the activity of every creature, great and small, living and dying.”
Kelsey’s face went blank for just a split second, again, trying to figure out who, or what, it was she was talking to. But at this point, she wanted to finish up and go.
“Last question Tim, then you’re free to go back to the wonderful Atlantic City Furcon convention. It might be the toughest question yet!”
“Tougher than Taylor and Travis?” Tim asked, his left eyebrow going up.
“It might be. So, what is your favorite cocktail?”
Tim sat and thought for a good five seconds of dead air.
“Tim?”
“Sorry, I got lost in thinking about all the drinks I’ve had. I think my favorite would just be a simple wine called Museles from China. It is quite a delicious red.” Tim’s internal monologue added to the end of the thought, “especially when the red is with lamb’s blood added at the appropriate moment which only the Uighur have the skill to do properly.”
“Yay! Thank you so much Tim. I’d like to thank you for the interview, and for all my wonderful viewers out there. Make sure you share this video stream and get your friends to subscribe.”
“The pleasure was mine, Kelsey, we should do this again.”
“Of course! So y’all, my next stream will be in 7 hours, with Malcolm Bridges, one of the blackjack dealers here at the hotel. See you soon!”
Kelsey raised up the remote and shut off the cameras. The red lights blinked off. She stood up and immediately began folding in the telescopic legs of the camera tripods, then carefully placing them in the vinyl carrying case.
When she was done packing, she glanced at her phone and turned to Tim, still sitting in the chair. “Tim, I really appreciate your interview. I already saw a ton of comments about the interview. My followers absolutely love your costume! So really, where did you get it? Its so real, like, scary real.”
Tim stared at her, contemplating her intentions.
“If you must know,” he said softly, leaning towards her, “It’s a custom build from Syzygy fur suits. Truly, those guys are masters of the craft.”
Kelsey warmed up at the admission that it really was just as suit. “You should have said so on the stream! Those guys could be famous!”
“They like to keep it private. But Kelsey, I’m afraid I need to get back to the convention floor. Everyone wants a picture with the Jersey Devil.”
“Even if you’re not from Jersey?”
“Even that I’m not from Jersey. It will be a secret between us and your thousands of followers, dear.”
He popped out of the chair and grabbed her bag for her, ushering her towards the door.
His right claw accidentally ripped the seam on the back of her blouse as he pushed her forward. Tim noticed, but Kelsey did not. He was just relieved it did not open a wound.
As soon as the door shut, Tim went to the mini refrigerator in the kitchenette of his suite. He opened the door and pulled out one of the glass quart sized bottles in the fridge. Shutting the door, he returned to the living room.
He stretched out his leathery wings to their full length, nearly touching the walls on either side of the room.
Opening the bottle, he tilted back his head and proceeded to gulp down the fresh goat blood in four large swallows. When he was done, he wiped mouth with a napkin. There was no need to be a savage and stain his fur covered chin this early in the day.
He looked at the time and decided to go ahead and get back to the convention floor. Humans and their obsessions with the furries were a perfect cover for him to mingle with the humans and search for his next human meal.