Page 11 of Hadagery

  Chapter 11: The Bowels of Hell.

  Deep within the consuming blackness, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t speak, as the incredible fear gripped his heart, and the strumming palpitations were the only things functioning in this fragile plane. A steady hum began to vibrate between each palpitation, as the inaudible sound slowly grew louder, until the blustering hum could at last be heard. The rasping, roaring voice of the wind was now making sense, as the gusts collectively formed, and called out his name, Hadge…Hadge recognized his name, but couldn’t be sure if he’d even heard a voice at all.

  “Carrissa is imprisoned with Lillith.” It was a confirmation that there really was a voice, which echoed from somewhere beyond his reach. Hadge in turn tried to speak, however thinking the words were as far as he got, “Who’s there?” Uncannily the voice amended a more personal level, calling him by his name, “Hadge.”

  He desperately wanted to answer them, because it could be one of his friends, until a darker thought came to mind, “The Devil knows my name.” The voice felt closer than ever before, as it continued to speak, “You can’t save her now.” Hadge would not give up on Carrissa, as he wanted so much to scream to the top of his lungs, and the agonizing word buzzed in his head, “Noooooooooooo!” He could only believe the voice was the doctrine of the dark, the insanity into nothingness, with the darkness trying to prevail in the end, but the end will be of his own making.

  “Noooooooooooo!” Hadge sat up screaming, as he looked in all directions trying to find the origin of the voice, however there was no sound other than his own voice, and the steady pulsating of the burgeoning city. High and low the shiny blackness that amalgamated all of Xilbalba was erected around him, as the semblance of the alley was now gone, and a strange new enclosure had taken its place.

  The ceiling appeared to go on evermore, as landing upon landing stretched as far as the eye could see, amassed with rows of brimming bookshelves, with each landing supported by artfully carved columns, all encased in a circular room.

  Then Nibbs crawled from behind a nearby bookshelf. He was rubbing his head, groaning, “What happened?” Reybe trailed close behind, letting out a low growl at something in the room. “I don’t….” Hadge started to respond, however faltered when he remembered the tall shadowy figure from the alley.

  At once he followed the sound of Reybe’s growls, sure something wasn’t quite right, as his gaze fell upon an oddly lit column, and he knew someone was in the room with them. He jumped to his feet, with his dagger in hand, forcefully demanding the unknown assailant, “Who are you?”

  The menacing figure stood stock still, with its back to them all, a sign who ever it may be, it was not afraid. After several long seconds the cloaked figure slightly moved its head in Hadges direction, titillating the encounter with a question, for a question, “The more important question is who are you?” Hadge didn’t want to play games; angrily growling, “Why did you bring us here?” The strange figure scoffed, as if it were apparent, “To save your lives.” Reybe grumbled at the idea, “Don’t believe him!” Hadge was now even more confused, and simply asked, “Why?”

  All of a sudden the shadowy figure turned to face them, man or beast you couldn’t tell, since every inch of the figure was covered in a long dark cloak. The creatures tone assertive, “Because.” It proclaimed, “I heard you were the Hadge.”

  Protectively Reybe began to lunge at the figure, still growling, “Demon!” Hadge yelled at the dog to stop, “Reybe!” He ordered, “No!” However Hadge had a creepy feeling there was more to this figure than met the eye, as he moved ever so cautiously around the room in hopes to glimpse what was beneath the cloak, and said, “Tell me about this so called Hadge.”

  Nibbs abruptly shouted from across the room, which had absolutely nothing to do with what was happening at the time, “I wonder if these are like the picture books you found in Harbinger?” Then he carelessly started to dust one of the ancient books.

  Poignantly the shadowy figure screeched at Nibbs, “Don’t touch the books!” In the blink of an eye the dark creature was at Nibbs side, and snatching his fingers from the dust covered book. Nibbs was in a state of shock, staring at the figures hand, and falling backwards over a stack of books, even as he exclaimed, “Demon!”

  Hadge was rather confused on how the creature reached one side of the room to the next in less than a second, suspecting the figure may very well be a monster. He hadn’t the time to ask, even as he too crossed the room, standing between the figure and Nibbs hissing, “Stay where you are.”

  Hadge wanted to know what was so important about one dusty old book, as he turned briefly to glance at the spine, and even through the dust he could see the same horrific title from the book of Elysium. It was another copy of the Edge of Darkness. “Oh my Yahveh.” He incredibly whispered, with his mouth hanging open, and finding it hard to believe.

  Then his vision skipped from book to book, each one with the same terrible title, as his eyes perused the shelf, and realized there could be hundreds, maybe thousands of copies here in Hell. He started to wonder why they were all here, no doubt stolen from their worlds, and assuredly concluded it had to be the Devil’s ploy to harvest souls.

  Hadge stepped passed the shadowy figure, his trembling hand prepared to touch the devilish spine, certain the figure would stop him, yet the figure never said a word. Within seconds his finger was pressed against the spine, inaudibly petitioning, “Where are you from?”

  Suddenly it was a choir of different voices, as each book ethereally answered, “I was taken from Zenith.” Then a mans deep voice said, “Culmen here.” And the list went on and on, Halcyon, Avalon, Welkin, Saturnia, Nirvana, Hyaline, Vertex, Steep, Kakotopia, Meridian, Summit, Firmament, Dystopia, Arcadia, Bliss, Felicity, and Canaan, however the list was endless.

  Hadge sharply stopped at Canaan, the name rung a bell, remembering that the evil Churl had come from that world. He removed the book of Canaan from the shelf, as its black leathery texture was molded into many grimacing faces, surely a similarity to the sheol, but wondered how callous a man could be to destroy their own world. The most heartbreaking thing was that all the innocent people had to suffer for one mans sins, as Hadge swore, “If I make it out of Hell alive. Canaan will be next on my list.”

  Aptly Hadge digested the fact that the stranger knew the books were deadly to everyone but a Hadge, and he was interested to know, “How did he know?” Then intently looked up at the mysterious figure, trying to work everything out in his mind, “He may be an eyewitness, or even a key.” Then his mind darkly suggested, “He could be exactly like Churl. After all he moved across the room with lightning speed.” His thoughts suspiciously wagering, “I bet he’s evil to the core.” And wanted to know this strangers secrets, as he staunchly glared at the silken hood, addressing whomever lain beneath, “Really” He asked, “Just who are you?” Nibbs cried from the opposite side of the room, next to Reybe, “I told you it’s a Demon!” Holding up his gashed finger, “It attacked me!”

  Nonplussed the stranger strode to the center of the room, stroking a display case with an extremely old book inside, as he responded, “No one.” However the sad inflection within his voice said otherwise, “I’ve been trapped here longer than I can remember.” He sighed as if in contemplation, while his voice quivered, “My world died, along with everyone I’ve ever known.” Hadge wasn’t surprised, questioning the stranger, “What was the name of your world?” The stranger tensed up, reluctantly answering, “Eden.” Hadge laughed, even as he announced, “Eden didn’t die. It was the only world Yahveh had given a second chance.” The stranger seemed to stiffen with this new knowledge, but didn’t say another word.

  Hadge walked the distance separating him and the stranger. Then looked down at the tattered book of Eden just beneath the glass, and compassionately patted the stranger on the arm, offering, “I can try to help you get home.”

  The stranger stormed across the room, angrily spitting, “
There’s no help for me!” Hadge was bewildered by his behavior, “Why do you believe that?” The stranger enlightened him to the truth, “Lillith the key of Eden made a pact with the Devil. For everlasting life, but the monstrosity she became drove her mad. Even the Devil could not control her, so he locked her away.” He breathed heavily, “However not before they had taken people from all era’s of my world. Each of us was shackled to Hell by Lilliths psychic chains. Unless she is dead, or releases us, we cannot leave.”

  Then Hadges thoughts were in overtime, “Lillith is the key to Eden. This man just got caught in the war between good and evil.” That name sounded so familiar, “Lillith…” When he remembered, it was like a punch in the stomach, “Carrissa is trapped with Lillith.” And he suddenly felt sick.

  The tall stranger nervously paced about the room, stating, “We can’t stay here much longer.” Reybe agreed, “He’s right.” He growled, “I can hear them getting closer.” Nibbs crying, “If they find us. We’ll all be dead.” Hadge reminded him, “You’re already dead.” Nibbs refined his choice of words, “Death for the dead is most horrible.” The stranger concurred, “He’s right. Its worse than any punishment beset by sins.” Reybe soundly barked, “I hear them!” Nibbs recoiled behind them all, howling, “What are we going to do?” The stranger hissed, “Be silent…”

  Hadge swiftly shoved the book of Canaan in his pocket, going from shelf to shelf of the library, and searched for any other ways out of the room. However he could only see one way in or out, as he glanced upwards at all the landings, and asked the stranger, “Where does that go?” Regretfully the stranger replied, “Its merely an illusion.” He pointed out the shiny black stone of the ceiling and floor, stating, “They mirror each other.” Hadge looked at the mirrored surface, as the floor had the same ongoing appearance of landing after landing as the ceiling, but the only railing was a decorative rail next to the ceiling, grumbling, “Of all the dumb…”

  Anxiously Reybe started to bark at Hadge, “They’re coming! They’re coming!” Nibbs started to shriek, “Do something.” The stranger yelled, “The doors!” Hadge rushed to the double doors, placing one hand on each stone door, as the heat from his hands change the consistency of the doors, and melded doors and frame soundly together.

  Almost immediately he could hear the hellhounds on the other side sniffing here and there, and then scratching at the immovable object. Nibbs shrieking again, “Their here!” They all backed away, hearing even heavier footsteps walk up to the doors.

  BANG! BANG! The explosive noises resounded terrifyingly throughout the chamber. BANG! BANG! BANG! The walls and floor rocked like an earthquake, as bits and pieces of dust and rock hailed athwart their heads. The stranger shouting, “Its not going to last much longer!” BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Suddenly the melded rock shattered like glass, as the jagged opening invited the evil right in.

  Posthaste the vile monsters emerged from the outer darkness, as shelves and books were flung athwart the room, and Reybe had been trapped beneath a bookcase. Hadge rushed to save his friend, pushing and pushing at the rock shelf, yet his inferior strength could not budge the object. He was caught unawares as two strange-clawed hands joined to shift the bookshelf, as he twisted to see where the hands led, they belonged to the shadowy stranger, and Hadge couldn’t help but wonder, “What have they done to him?” The bookcase was slammed against the wall, as the stranger pulled Reybe to safety, asking, “Are you alright?”

  Suddenly Nibbs squealed somewhere behind them, as a vampire held him precariously above a pack of hellhounds. Hadge released a burst of sunlight throughout the room, merely disabling the demons sight, whereas Nibbs was dropped hard onto the floor, although still not out of harm's way.

  Hadge and the stranger pulled Nibbs from amid the dazed hellhounds. The stranger shouting, “We should try to make to the exit while they are blinded!” But it was already too late, as the demons were already regaining their sight, and the hellhounds were now growling at them.

  Oddly the ethereal voice of a young girl spoke up, as if continuing her story from earlier, “The young hero was at odds at what to do next, until he heard the young girls voice speak, and wondered where the sound was coming from.” Hadge did wonder, as his eyes fell upon the book of Eden lain on the floor, sure the girl was speaking from that very book.

  Quickly he snatched up the book, battering the hellhounds, watching them die one by one. At last he realized it was futile, as more and more demons replaced those that had fallen, and forced Hadge and the others into a corner.

  Hadge took a protective position out front; feeling the sunlight rapidly engorging his body, and he shouted angrily at the Demons, “Dare if you might! But you just might die!” The warning did nothing to stop them from moving closer. The stranger alerted Hadge to an unnoticeable detail, “Your clothes.” Hadge looked at the fabric of fate, oddly it mimicked the black shine of the wall yet again, and he wondered what was going on.

  Abruptly Nibbs fell through the wall behind them, screaming from just outside the building, “Hadge!” Then Hadge rapidly come to realize that the fabric must create some kind of strange portals. Without further thought he ordered them all, “Get through that wall!” Each leapt through the weird portal wall, as he followed the last of them through.

  Securely through to the other side, the barrier promptly solidified behind them. Errantly they were disposed in the heart of the black streets of Xilbalba, amidst the oddly masked inhabitants that manically began to scream, and scattered like frightened animals. The stranger was on his feet trying to calm them down, “Its ok…everything’s ok…”

  BANG! BANG! The fierce pounding sound echoed from inside the wall. BANG! BANG! BANG! All those demons were now a demolition crew, compromising the walls stability. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The deteriorating wall was the only thing separating them from the monsters, as tiny fragments of dust and rocks chipped from the exterior.

  BANG! The explosive bombardment formed a fracture from one side of the wall to the next. BANG! BANG! Hadge frantically shouted, ”Run!” Conversely his words were too late. The barrier had buckled, bursting a giant hole in the wall, as huge chunks of black stones flew out into the busy street.

  One particularly large stone struck Hadge in the back, reeling him face first against the stony pavement, as he helplessly lay there bleeding. “Hadge!” Somewhere Nibbs screamed his name, sounding miles and miles away.

  Hadge could hardly breathe let alone move, as he lay crudely like a rag doll, still weakly trying to tell the others, “Runnnn…” Something dark moved just at the corner of his vision, inching its way his direction. He was convinced it couldn’t be any of his friends; each had to have been hurt in the blast.

  Powerfully the dark creature grabbed him by the back of the neck, its gravelly voice telling him, “Hold still.” He couldn’t just lie there and die, as he desperately demanded his body to move, but experienced only the bitter defeat of pain. In that industrious moment he was easily lifted by the nape of the neck, just as a vampire’s large insectoid limb nailed the ground hard where he had once been located. All he could do is gasp at the proximity of the demons leg.

  Suddenly he realized he was moving, being dragged mercilessly through the streets, as he tried to fight against the being with all his might. Then he started to wonder why the creature was running away from the other demons, were they saving him, or maybe taking him to the Devil. No matter how the story ends he needed to know if this dark creature were his savior or executioner.

  Hadge bent and twisted against the monsters grip, just for one glimpse of his captor, as he began to notice its heavy growling breath that labored as they moved along, sounding very much like one of those demons. Hadge’s body a slave to the motion was thrashed among the monsters nomadic robes, at times caught between the dark billowing folds of the fabric, only to discover there was naught a torso inside. Hadge started to freak out, as his thoughts stammered, “What…what is this thing?”


  A startling, much louder growl wafted from the creature, however the sound was quite irregular, at times muffled. That’s when Hadge noticed something dark beyond the billowing robes, as if something else was in the monsters opposite hand. At once it all made sense; the growls were coming from the other hand, and not the monster. Reybe was in the monsters other hand, most likely struggling as much as he had been. Then he wondered why the creature had wanted Reybe, even as his thoughts right away fell to Nibbs, “Where’s Nibbs?”

  Madly he searched throughout the assassin’s robes for the grubb, only just choking out his name, “Nibbs?” Strangely he discovered something greatly important, as the book of Eden was tucked in the creature’s robes. Hadge was curious how it got there, and who could’ve touched it, since there was only one other person who knew the book was deadly, the shadowy stranger. Finally he knew who had saved him and Reybe from the demons, however his mind still was not at ease, questioning the reality of the situation, “Just how safe are we with this stranger?”

  Hadge’s thoughts squarely returned to Nibbs, wondering what happened to him, and just how safe he was at this very moment. He couldn’t help but worry, because Nibbs was nearly as bad as Uwee about getting into trouble. Without delay he yelled the grubbs name yet again, “Nibbs!”

  Promptly the stranger answered, “He escaped into the crowd.” Hadge began to relax considering the stranger may be right, after all Nibbs was wearing one of those strange masks, and could easily slip into the crowds of Xilbalba.

  “Hadge!” A voice wildly screamed his name. Now the demons were sure to find them. “There he is!” The voice continued to scream his location, just as a masked figure could be seen through the crowds, and he knew the traitorous Nibbs was the one yelling. “Hadge!” Nibbs screamed, “Hadge!” The voice was getting further away, “He went that way!” Hadge could hardly believe the grubb was ratting them out. “Hadge is there!” The words were getting harder to hear, as if he were running in the opposite direction. He shouted again, but the words were too far away to make out, “He ran into the mines!”

  Suddenly there was a huge explosion, which rocked nearly all of Xilbalba. Voices in the crowd clamoring, “It was the mine!” They said, “The mine exploded!” Instantly Hadge knew Nibbs had a hand in the explosion. Possibly trying to create a diversion, and distract the Demons away from their real target. Nevertheless he could hear the persistent sounds of the hellhounds still following them, certain Nibbs plan had failed.

  Step by risky step they had left the city, and cover of the crowds. Bolting into the surrounding crag lands once more, as the crags and trees only offered minimal coverage. Hadge was convinced that even if the demons couldn’t see them, they would hear the sound of every crunching footstep. The stranger fretfully huffed, “If we can only reach the lake.” Hadge sighed, “The lake…” Recalling that the swirling red lake amassed in the center of the forest, but seriously wondered how that could help. Terrifyingly an army of crunching footstep could be heard in the crags, demons of all shapes and sizes, as the hellhounds brisk steps were quickly catching up to them, and the high pitch of their barks were every bit as piercing. The stranger nervously glancing behind them, saying, “We’re not going to make it.”

  Hadge knew they needed time, as he sent a burst of sunlight trailing behind them, and the cancerous trees quadrupled in size, congesting the trees into one continuous obstruction. Momentarily the sounds of the hellhounds began to wan, stuck behind a wall of trees, but surely it wouldn’t take the clever beasts long to find a way past.

  The stranger ran nonstop through the eerie forest, stronger than a man, more agile than most animals, with exhaustion the least of his worries. He informed the others, “We’re almost there!” However he never would’ve had to say a word, because the roar of the waterfall was abundantly clear, as tiny scarlet flecks of spray freckled their skin.

  Suddenly the sounds of trees crashing echoed through the crag lands, as the sounds of the hellhounds once again became widespread, seeming to move faster than ever before. The chase was relentless through the remainder of the crags, as the hellhounds were closing in. At last the lake came into view, as the blood swirled round and round, and all the people were screaming for help. The stranger informing everyone, “We have to jump in the lake.” Hadge started to argue, thinking there surely had to be another way, but the piercing sound of the hellhounds made the strangers plans seem ideal.

  Thereupon the heavy crunch of footsteps swiftly gathered around them, just as the stranger half turned in the direction of the sound, and dozens of hellhounds were viciously hunched and growling. Immediately the ferocious animals all collectively attacked the stranger at once, knocking each and every one in the bloody tarn.

  Within the red plasma matter Hadge fought to reach the surface, fought desperately for an ounce of air, gagging and choking on the thick mucous fluid. At last he broke that unholy surface, bobbing in the midst of the throes of agony and despair, as thousands of hands groped to drag him back under, and the misbegotten way ahead was again lost.

  Hadge had lost sight of Reybe and the stranger in the fall, amid the blood, and wayward bodies. Although he could still hear the mulish howls of the hellhounds circling around him, drifting aimlessly with the current, around and around. He was literally drowning in a sea of terrified bodies, as their faces kept changing, but their pleas remained the same, some crying, “Help me!” Others moaning, “Please help me!” Still they beseeched, “I don’t belong here.” All nearly pulling Hadge beneath the foul murky liquid, as he fought and choked for meager amounts of air, and the hands continued to pull him down, to the peak of confusion that whirled him dizzily around and around.

  Face after face rotated rapidly passed, people with large heads, enlarged eyes, tiny slits for mouths, holes for ears, elongated necks, each of the faces otherworldly, as the throng of bodies around him were actually different humanoids, and Hell is the melting pot of all worldly sins.

  Abruptly a soured breath squarely heaved in Hadges face, as a man was nose to nose with him, and had latched his arms and legs about his body. Hadge fought to loosen the mans grip, yelling, “Get off me!” Nonetheless he wouldn’t let go. The mans head easily whipped from side to side as they tumbled throughout the lake, most likely because of his abnormally elongated neck, in all probability from the world of Canaan.

  They were swept to the edge of the frightful vortex, beholding the black yawning abyss at the center, nearly half dead from fright, but still they were forced deeper into the powerful maelstrom. Deeper and deeper they went until they were sucked into the bloody navel of the lake, sucked into the endless quarry of darkness, and the endless suffuse of suffocation. Hadge had fought against the darkness for as long as he could, as the repetitive motion swept him in and out of consciousness, and a sense of falling permeated throughout his entire body, being hurled perhaps to his death. The debauchery of control is purely a delusion of the mind's eye, like a straw in the wind, a slave to the fall, and all that is left is to pray.

  Strange strangled cries were embedded in this unknown centriole, compiled with the hollow sounds of bare flesh being smacked time and again. All at once something slimy slid against Hadges arm in-flight, after that he felt the same disgusting matter slide against his other arm, swearing whatever was out there had to be ungodly. Ungodly or not, the fall could kill him, and soon tried to latch onto whatever was out there in an effort to slow his descent. Over and over the slime squished through his fingers, as the murkiness kept the creatures unseen, and he started to notice whatever was out there was in turn trying to grab at him.

  Suddenly Hadge caught hold of one of the creatures, barely clinging to what he thought were the things shoulders. He could feel the soft fleshy decayed texture beneath his palms slowly begin to tear away, as he desperately fought to cling to this creature, while his hands little by little slipped down over what felt like a limb, and his mind was instantly queued to the fact that he was clinging to a dead bod
y.

  Right away the arm flinched, as Hadge was utterly horrified that this body was still alive. After several grueling minutes his eyes adjusted to the sickly glow from the firestorm of Hell, its odd flames burning black. During that time he became aware that there were thousands upon thousands of silhouetted bodies hanging everywhere in the midway, each suspended by their tongues. Hadge knowingly whispered, “The room of liars…”

  A startling hand readjusted around Hadges waist, as he realized he still had his hitchhiker from Canaan, certain the extra weight was why he was losing his grip. Inch by inch the worm infested tissue continued to tear, as the loosened devil worms pelted Hadge in the face, seeing that he spat and spitted to keep the disgusting creatures from his mouth. In the end muscle and all tore from the decaying body, reeling them back into the constant flow of raining blood, as well as lost souls.

  The feeling of falling in the endless depths of darkness curdled his senses once more, as the art of breathing was hindered by aimless smoldering particles. They were specks of orange embers in the pitch black; growing heavier the deeper he fell. Although all he could do is wonder “What happened to Reybe?” And, “What happened to the stranger?” He could only be sure of one thing they were somewhere out there among the sea of people, all crying, clinging to anything they possibly could hold onto.

  All of a sudden searing pains stung Hadges flesh, again and again. One minute he’s falling in the muddle of darkness, in the next his body springs upwards from an unknown source, and back again. He was no longer falling, as he could feel pain all over his backside, curious what was holding him in place. In reaction Hadge attempted to turn his head, trying to see what was holding him in mid-air, as the prickling of pains on his scalp were beyond comprehension. Nonetheless he discovered what had imprisoned him here, as the outlines of a strange black netting stretched further than the eye could see, but the sticky netting was as strong as wire, with every inch barbed.

  That’s when Hadge noticed his hitchhiker was caught several feet above him, seeing only a portion of the mans face, and that he could only see four feet in any direction around him. Still there were others suspended in the wires, by the sounds there were thousands here, maybe millions. The older bodies appeared to be wrapped in the same barbed wire, as the wire was thickly deposited over genital areas, and cut deep into the wormy flesh. The barbed wire was not the end of their suffering, as ebony fire and embers rose up periodically cooking the skin.

  A vibration constantly could be felt through the wire, like someone walking on a tight rope. When the vibrations intensified blood curdling screams would always seems to follow, and Hadge was positive something else resided here besides all of the damned. He desperately tried to wriggle from the wire that terrifyingly started to look more like webbing than wire or netting, as it ripped his flesh. He was positive the wire was meant exclusively for pain.

  Uncannily the sounds of clicking haunted Hadges memory, but he just couldn’t place it. Eerily that same clicking reoccurred from the murky ends of the webbing, as another clicking resounded elsewhere, and another from far below, until he could pick out a hundred separate clicks, possibly more. He was certain it had to be demons. Still the ungodly screams came closer and closer, as he desperately tried to break free once more, and the debilitating pain on top of pain was more than he could handle.

  Out of the blackness something fell in front of him, dangling by a barbed thread, as if it were an example for him to see. Quickly he realized it was the hitchhiker, his body viciously wrapped tightly in the barbed wire, cutting deep into his flesh, as the man weakly pleaded, “Please help me…”

  Hadge began to have an eerie feeling that all this reminded him so much of the spiders on Ennead Mountain. His inner voice informing him that this was the lair of the succubus, creature’s half-human half-arachnid, evil spiders that burgeoned upon the moral judgment of flesh. This is where the lustful suffer for all eternity, paying for their sins. The feeling of pleasure in every sexual sense is subsisted into pure pain, which innervates every miniscule nerve, as the succubus sadistically preys upon the sinners in this musty lair in every abominable way.

  Suddenly the vibrations of the wire grew increasingly stronger, and he knew what was there without seeing, but where was the problem. The murky darkness gave nothing away, as he was terrified of what was lurking in the darkness. Then something huge emerged from the murk, a hideous demon, with the shape of a spider. The humanistic succubus had four enormous black eyes, rows of sharp pointy teeth, as its leathery human-like skin went from gray to black as it evenly merged from human to spider, and all across its blackened thorax were bizarre half-human half-spider like limbs. The succubus was neither male nor female, and this one had its sights set on Hadge.

  The succubus had come to judge the extent of his sins, as he desperately tried to break free, and the barbs cut deeper into his skin. Eerily the succubus had settled over him, as its humanlike face distorted to expose row after row of long sharp teeth. Hadge almost swearing that he saw it smile, just before its sharp two inch long teeth sunk into his neck, and the monsters legs hugged his body, extracting him from the web. Hadge fought tooth and nail against the beast; as panic promptly began to burn through his veins, and oddly he could sense the succubus’s hold slightly falter.

  Abruptly his entire body burned brighter than any sun, feeling his divine heat start to rise, even as his life force slowly began to wither, and his exhaustive thoughts could merely wonder, “Am I going to die?” In a turning point Hadge bellowed, “Noooooooooooooo!” He would not allow himself to die, not now.

  Wildly the sunlight burst form every pore of his body, disintegrating the monster before his very eyes, as the whole horrendous midway was as bright as a sunny day, and the barbed webbing melted like butter. Hadge was falling once more. However his thoughts returned to all the sinners that remained trapped in that horrible lair, continually being preyed upon, an eternity of unending pain, and penance for their lustful sins.

  It seemed like a never-ending fall, as his thoughts had time to imagine all sorts of endings, would he die at the bottom, or was there some kind of terrible creature there waiting to rip him apart, maybe a vampire would pick him right out of the air, there were infinite possibilities.

  Gradually a malodorous stench became overwhelming, a vile combination of smells, from sulfur, to defecation, vomit, body odors, death, and the list of smells were unrelenting. The deeper Hadge fell the more unbearable the heat, as the blindingly increasing smoke and cinders obstructed everything around him. The air satiated with stench and debris was overpowering, churning Hadges stomach, but even in his sickened state he could see several large figures stirring below him, something was there.

  Abruptly through the smoke he came face to face with the ground, as his body formed to the shape of the bottom of a large rancid mud puddle. Hadge groaned, not sure how many more beatings he could withstand. Then weakly pushed himself upright, hardly able to stand the smell of his body, as his eyes were the only things clearly not covered in the brownish sludge. He nervously blinked several times, trying to take a closer look at the large figures moving just out of sight, muttering, “What is that?”

  The haze boiled ominously before his eyes, as a hail of droplets unremittingly pelted this vile place, a storm of blood, vomit, mucous, urine, flesh, and feces, which all horrifyingly accumulated within the thick sludge on the ground. On the double he knew that it wasn’t a mud puddle that had cushioned his fall, as he felt his stomach practically lurch, and he urgently tried to wipe the putrid waste from his body.

  Gllyaaaaaaaaaaaack! Gurgle! Gyaaaaack! Sssplop… Unexpectedly something had hit the ground, as whatever it was splattered a good distance away, landing on Hadges legs. “Yuck!” Hadge whooped, jumping back in an effort to avoid what sounded to be vomit, all the same it was already too late, and really he had no idea from which direction it had been expelled.

  Suddenly he was aware that something huge was stirring
amid the smoke behind him, even as he warily turned his head in the beast’s direction, releasing a nervous breath. The breath seemed to divinely take on a life of its own, breaking up the smoke a fair distance around him, and revealing what truly what was out there.

  The revolting mire was strewn with the huge immobile shapes, here, there, and everywhere. Each large shape had at once been human, as their corpulent bodies had amassed layers upon layers of fat, and were now too big to move. Their eyes were sewn shut in the essence to keep them inert, with a strange metal contraption forcing their jaws to stay open, so they could constantly be fed, and continue to grow. Hadge finding it inconceivable that the masses were even human, however he kept hearing them moan, groan, and flex as they vomited.

  Then there were the emaciated humans, mere skeletons of themselves. Each were bound to one of the glutinous beings, mouths sewn shut, in eternal servitude, as they scraped the chunky sludge off the floor, and ceaselessly fed the glutinous souls. None of the souls even acknowledged he was there, or even cared, as they continued slaving, and eating. Hadge knew exactly where he was now; this is the warped province of self-subjugation.

  Hadge relaxed a bit, certain he wasn’t in immediate danger, well at least not from the souls of subjugation. The most pressing matter at the time was Reybe and the stranger; he needed to find out what happened to them, and the best way to do that was to start looking. All at once the smoke reappeared as oddly as it had disappeared, as Hadge tried the breath thingy, but it did not work. He would have to search for his friends in the smoke.

  Little by little he stumbled through the smoky terrain, trying to avoid the people here, and detecting cracks of all sizes beneath his feet. The further he walked, the more depressed he felt, as the dismal cries had wheedled throughout his brain, eternally engraving millions of people’s pain on his ever-lasting soul. Soon followed paranoia, as freakish images twisted before him in the haze, giant faces, spiders, figures that didn’t exist, hellhounds, and he half expected something to jump out at him at any given moment.

  Soon the odious gnarrs of hellhounds wickedly mirrored his every movement, although he could not see them, he knew they were out there. The terrifying sounds grew increasingly louder, as if they were searching every inch of ground, and he strongly believed that the pungent smell in this place might have impeded the demon dog’s sense of smell. In and out the hellhounds moved through the changing thickness of fog, and he feared they would soon find him.

  Suddenly one of the hellhounds appeared from out of the haze, then two, and a shadowy presence of a third. They were close enough Hadge could see every horrid detail of the beasts, as he pulled out his dagger, demanding the dogs, “Stay where you are!” Immediately the hellhounds were already bristling for the attack. “I’m warning you!” Hadge shouted, as the dagger flinched in his hand, and he could sense the onset of heat mounting throughout his body.

  Swiftly the first hellhound ran in his direction, at the exact same moment someone yelled his name, “Hadge!” It was truly a moment of fear, until he was aware that that particular hellhound was his friend Reybe. Reybe shouting, “Move Hadge move!” However they could not move, as dozens of hellhounds had stepped from the haze, gathering all around the pair, and any escape looked less than likely.

  Then a large dark mass came from above them, as its dangerous claws dug into their necks, and dragged them savagely through the muck. Hadge was gagging and choking yet again, but was quite convinced this had to be a vampire, and he would have to kill it so they could escape.

  Within seconds the creature had crossed nearly half a mile, running headlong towards a crack big enough to fit one of the corpulent humans. Hadge started to scream, but it was too late. The beast had pulled them all through the giant crack, and they spiraled into a freefall. Nimbly the blackened mass spread what looked to be wings amid the thickening smoke, but never once lost the grip on his captives. Hadge knew this had to be one of those vampires, and decided to temporarily use it for a free ride, and then he would kill it.

  Soaring among the smoke cluttered tempest, land and sky vanished from sight. Hadge knew by all accounts that the region of greed existed somewhere below. Those that ended up there were forever burdened to push an ever-expanding boulder, to simulate their growing greed. And still they were made to walk upon a wasteland of hot coals, which distributed the smoke upwards.

  Hadge and Reybe dangled dangerously by the claws of this demon, as darkened shadows appeared within the smoke around them. A sure sign of vampires. Hadge didn’t care how many there were, nothing could ever stand in his way to get to Carrissa.

  Vampires emerged through the miasma of cinders, everyone assailing the creature Hadge and Reybe were clinging to. Hadge thought the behavior quite odd, attacking one of their own kind, as he seriously wondered why. He twisted around to see his captor, just as the strangers voice ordered, “Stay still!”

  Then an onslaught of vampires swooped in, slashing at the stranger, as he quickly lost control, and they hurled ever downward. Still vampire after vampire picked away at them, as Hadge angrily shot bursts of sunlight in their directions, and the beasts quickly avoided the contact.

  Suddenly they crashed. Hadge thoroughly convinced they all had to be dead, as he fought from beneath the strangers cloak, seeing the remnants of a strange blue light gently set them on the ground.

  Quickly he looked under the stranger’s robes, as the book of Eden was laid open, and he knew that’s how they survived. Reybe got to his feet looking at the indentured extremities of the landscape, asking, “Where are we?” The stranger wiped the blood from the book of Eden, as he shoved it back into his robes, and answered, “I think it’s the Blood Mountains north of the carrow fields.” Hadge quickly asked the stranger, “How did you do that?” The strangers voice sounded bewildered, “Do what?”

  Out of the smoke eight or nine vampires appeared, all swooping in for the final attack. At once Hadge expelled a burst of sunlight, rather like a shield, safeguarding against the ensuing attack. The vampires angrily screeched, carefully trying to claw at the burning light. Hadge was unsure how long he could keep this up, and only hoped they would eventually give up and leave, but he knew that would never happen.

  Surprisingly the stranger gripped Hadges forearm, rumbling, “We need to get through that mountain.” The brief memory of walking through a wall in Xilbalba replayed in his head, but he hadn’t a clue how it happened, as he argued, “I don’t know how.” The stranger responded, “You’re the Hadge.”

  His attention returned to the ever-increasing numbers of vampires, as one of the hideous beasts tried to fly headlong into the shield, turning to dust on impact. He knew something had to done, and done now, after all he was reminded that he is the Hadge.

  Hadge utterly had no idea how to evaporate a wall, but he hoped that touching the object in question would help. He set his palms on the bloody surface of the mountain, as the extreme temperature burned his skin, but he knew he couldn’t give into the pain, too many lives were at stake. The stranger coaxing him, “Concentrate.” Hadge could sense the warm companion of the sunlight throughout his body, like a warm calming glove, as his breathing became shallow, and nothing seemed impossible. Then he directed that conviction to his hands, as the sense tingled to his fingertips, and the rock began to give way beneath his palms.

  Abruptly his hand passed through the mountainside, as he shouted at the others, ‘I’ve got it!” But in the process of doing so he had let down his shield, and the vampires were quick to realize. Hadge hadn’t even the time to consider that they may be crushed once inside, because urgency left them no choice. He shouted, “Get inside!” First Reybe, followed by the stranger, who urged Hadge, “Come on.”

  Hadge swiftly backed into the hole in the mountainside, as his eyes remained affixed to one vampire attempting to dive-bomb them. The vampire lunged through the face of the hole, just as Hadge backed away even more, and the rock face began to solidify. Which trapped nearly th
e entire vampire in rock, only leaving the front of the vampires face, and an arm free to move.

  Even so it still hissed and clawed at them. Hadge gave a curt wave to the demon from the safety of the bubble, saying, “It doesn’t look like your day.” The stranger urged, “We need to keep moving.” Hadge agreed, starting to walk further into the mountain, as the bubble of safety followed his every move, and the vampire was now completely encased in rock. Reybe nervously stayed close to Hadge saying, “What a way to go.” Hadge laughed, “Yea…” And said, “Looks like he’s stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

  Hadge continued to walk in amazement, as he watched the rock vanish before them, and reappear behind. The only light within the mountain was the glow emanating from Hadges body, given that not a fragment of light could pass through its surface. Reybe ruffed, “Where do we go now?” The stranger spoke up, suggesting, “We should head for the carrow fields.” Hadge was curious, “Why there?” The stranger was concise, “It’s the only way to Lillith.” Hadge didn’t say another word, but finding directions inside a mountain was going to be a bit complicated.

  Reybe nervously bumped into Hadge, again and again, as he stayed close to his master glancing at the shifting rock, growling, “What if we never get out of here?” Hadge snapped, “Don’t say that!” But he had wondered the same horrible thing.

  Each and every step maneuvered them downhill, walking for what seemed an eternity. Along the indubitable man-made cavern that dislodged countless devil worms that had bored into the mountain, falling beneath their feet. Reybe asked, “Do you think the Demons know where we are?” The stranger ruefully addressed the question, “Of course they do. After all we are inside the Devils domain.” He informed, “We are nothing but vermin crawling inside and out. The Devils punishment for his heinous crimes. Our saviors reckoning had to be more fulsome.” Answering at last, “The Devil knows everything that happens to his own body.” Hadge spurned the idea, “You mean to tell us Hell is inside the Devils body?” The stranger hissed, “That’s exactly what I said.” Hadge disagreed, “No. I don’t believe that.” The stranger upheld the idea, “Punishment always fits the crime. What better way to punish the Devil, than to force him to be subservient to the very things he detested most.” Hadge thinking, “It kind of made sense yet sounded so unbelievable.” Then on the other hand he thought, “Everything along this journey has been unbelievable.”

  After walking what seemed a day, Reybe’s stomach began to grumble, sounding crabby, “I’m hungry…” Hadge thought the same thing, as he joined in, “Me too.” The stranger picked up a handful of devil worms, stating, “Here.” He held the creepy crawlers towards Hadge and Reybe, telling them, “They have a nutty taste, and very nutritious.” Hadge reluctantly shook his head, and said, “You really have been down here a while.”

  Hadge didn’t know why, but the conversation made him think of the book of Eden, as he asked the munching stranger, “How did you pick up the book in your cloak?” The stranger seemed surprised, as he quickly picked a rock from inside of the mountain, and exclaimed, “We have to be close!” He held out the red sedimentary rock, showing how easily it crumbled in his hand, saying, “This rock layer is the same as the barrens.”

  Almost immediately the virtual elements of the rock had melted away, and they were now standing outside the foot of the mountain. They had stepped right out into the dry powdery dirt of the barrens, as the ruddy dust blew every which way. Hadge kicked at the strange dust beneath his feet, positive the dust in the barrens was not dirt at all, but rather millions of year’s worth of ashes. Hadge looked a sickly white as he said, “This place is kind of creepy.” Even as he thought about how many people it took to assemble the barrens.

  They all fearfully looked out over the uneven terrain, sprinkled lightly with dwarf cancerous trees, bones, and crazed in various depths of cracks, each filled with a ginger glow. Reybe pointed out, “There’s a road.” Oddly the remains of an ancient road had settled as much as the broken terrain, but still the road led somewhere, all they would have to do is follow.

  Hadge moved closer to inspect the stony path, having that old feeling of being watched. He nervously felt his heart race and his breathing become erratic, but nothing was out there. Nonetheless he found that the dry tainted air in this place was difficult to breathe, and raked at the back of your throat.

  The stranger threw a piece of a pottery that he had found nearby, saying, “There used to be cities down here.” He sighed looking in the direction of several strange rock formations, and finished his sentence, “Most have crumbled away.” Hadge suddenly realized the rock formations in the distance were in fact the outlines of crumbling buildings. How many buildings he couldn’t tell through the fiery storm that stirred dust and debris in all directions. Hadge simply asked without moving his eyes from the buildings, “Carrow fields?” The stranger pointed exactly in the direction he was already looking, and responded, “The carrow fields.”

  “Yeeeoooooooooooooow!” Hadge howled, jumping up and down, and screamed, “They’re biting me!” Thousands of tiny dark red beetles had gathered beneath his feet, dispersing as he moved, vanishing in every crack and crevice around. The stranger picked up one of the iridescent beetles saying, “These are mephisto’s, mature devil worms. If you stand too long in one spot the little buggers will come nibble on you.” Then added a horrifying fact, as he flicked the beetle on the road, “They have been known to devour whole bodies within ten minutes.” A chill crept up Hadges spine, as he warily glanced at either side of his feet, and said, “Well then, I think we should get moving.” Hadge briskly set off, however uneasily watched every crack as he passed.

  They walked and walked, for what seemed like hours, but the path never seemed any shorter. Every once in a while he would detect movement out of the corner of his eye, as he tried to explain it away, “It could have been some of those mephisto’s, or a thick cluster of the blustery fire storm that raged around them.” No matter what it was, it was truly unnerving, and happening more and more frequently.

  Then something large slinked back into a nearby ravine, and was absolutely sure it wasn’t the mephisto, but had to wonder, “What’s out there?” The stranger answered as if he heard what he was thinking, “Carrow. The undead. They are much like the vampires, visteria, werewolves, witches and other unmentionables.” He breathed, “Oh yes monsters are real. They are just some of the fallen angels whom were punished along with Satan. Their unearthly beauty replaced by the ugliness beating in their hearts. Feeding upon the living.” He added, “The incarnation of their plague can be passed upon to the victims.”

  A chill crawled up Hadges spine, hesitantly stating, “Maybe I’m in the wrong place.” He Glanced from Reybe to the stranger, sure he was the only one human here, and probably looked just like a hot meal. Reybe growled, “Me too.” Then the stranger cryptically responded, “We are all in the wrong place, but the perception of time can change many things.” Hadge eyed the stranger dubiously, because he’d sounded so much like the Angel, as they both had spoke of time as being ever-changing.

  Suddenly they heard what sounded like a branch snap in close proximity. What was left of the hairs on Reybe’s back stood on end, and he was instantly growling. Hadge could feel his hairs bristle on the nape of his neck also, as he still thought of the carrow. The stranger edgily affirmed what everyone was thinking, “Carrow…” Uneasily Hadge started to move in the direction from which the sound had come, but the stranger seized his arm saying, “Wait…Something’s not right about this.” Hadge answered, “Nothings right anymore.”

  Then he walked quite a few feet from the road, as the haze of the blowing storm kept visibility low. The only thing he could find in that general location besides all the cracks and crevasses was a small cancerous bush, as its branch still swung insecurely, and fresh blood dripped from its open wound. Something had definitely been here.

  Eerily Hadge again had that intense feeling of being watc
hed, but who was watching him. He looked out across the haze, seeing several indistinct shapes, which could be just about anything from bushes to terrain. Hadge blinked, seeing that there was even more figures than before, and knew it wasn’t inanimate objects out there, and was certain they were all distantly watching him.

  The stranger rushed, “We need to get out of here now!” Reybe growled even louder, expressing, “Demons…” Hadge pointed at the shapes in the haze, uttering, “They’re all ready here.” The stranger tensely on guard, declared, “We will not go down without a fight!” It felt as if they had marched straight into the hands of death, but why hadn’t the carrow by now tried to attack them.

  Out of the Haze an endless sea of carrow’s appeared. Reybe growled wildly, literally turning in circles, because the creatures had now encircled them, herding them like cattle. The once indefinable shapes had become much clearer, and some even close enough to see their vacant stares. Blank colorless eyes stared from various degrees of rotting corpses, as some would be missing an ear, or fingers, and even limbs.

  The stranger yelled, “Watch out! The carrow is a lot faster than you think!” Hadge sounded off as he too was turning in circles amidst the monsters, “Like the wind!” They were completely walled in, as the carrow imminently moved closer and closer, baring jagged rotted teeth, stained the color of leftover mephisto. Hadge certain he was to be the main course.

  Suddenly the mephisto started to appear, because they had stood in one spot too long. Hadge was trying to fight them off, just as the stranger screamed, “Watch out!” Nonetheless a hand clawed at Hadges face, moreover he strangely felt out of sorts, hearing Reybe yelp, and the stranger getting the wind knocked out of him. From where Hadge had fallen on the ground he could see a hazy image hover over him, as its darkened outlines leaned in close, and he was sure death was to follow.

  Then an oddly recognizable voice resounded from just out of sight, dictating, “Not him….” Odd mumbles came from every direction, rambling off into oblivion as the darkness consumed him, and the identity of the voice was now lost.

  Hadge lingered in the blackened nightmare, as the slurred voices gradually resumed, however made no sense. A hand shifted beneath his back, and he was suddenly aware that he was awake now, but dared not to open his eyes. His mind running rampant, who’s out there, what’s going on? Even so he could feel his body being moved along. He had to know what was going on, as he bravely stole a peek from beneath heavy lids.

  He was being hauled through a valley of open graves, each grave containing a single soul. Soul after crying soul were mere skeletons of their previous life, as devil worms ate at their flesh and bone, and the light of their inner soul had become dulled and dirty.

  They had passed close by one of the souls, as its trembling hand reached out to Hadge, as if it had known who he was. The soul wept from burned out eye sockets, as its entire body was engulfed in constant black flames, despairingly begging him so, “Help me…” Hadge was overwhelmed by sadness, as his heart ached for what was left of the woman, for all she had left was pain and misery. At that time he knew exactly where they were, the valley of death. This is where the sins of heresy have been judged, and the punishment is eternal.

  Hadge could take no more, shutting his eyes from the horrors, as the pain and agony of million and millions coursed through his skull, and the blackness overtook him yet again.

  Darkness upon darkness devoured this place. Hadge was lost in that darkness, far from insanity, and despair. All at once droplets of light gathered around him like dew to a petal, as the darkness began to fade, and the sweet dulcet tone of the Angel encouraged, “Wake up…” She said, “Hadgggggggggggee…” Strangely her voice trailed like a whisper, but it wasn’t a whisper, it was the wind. He could hear the hollow sound blow over his ears, like murmurs in the dark, and he knew now he was clearly awake. Even still the murmurs grew louder, as he realized it wasn’t the wind at all, but rather the voices from the book of Canaan in his pocket, “Wake up.” It implored, “Wake up Hadge.” Still it insisted, “You’re in danger!” Then all the voices demanded, “Open the pages and set yourself…”

  “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!” A threatening shout could be heard above all else. It was followed by grunts and growls. Hadge felt numerous hands grope his body, as if they were searching for something. Then a voice lowly rumbled, “The books not here.” The shouting voice blared, “You fools!” He snarled, “Those are threads of fate…”

  Then the sinister shouting voice ordered, “Throw them in with Lillith!” Hadge recognized the churlish voice, even as the man eerily laughed, “Befitting for the Hadge to die by a daughter of Eden. Given that he was conceived as a result of its fall.” The evil laugh sent a chill up Hadge’s spine, as he could take no more, and leapt to his feet, bellowing at first and foremost, “Churl!!!”

  Churl’s malevolent laugher filled the long stygian cave, as he petulantly rasped, “So the divine runt decides to join us.” The band of demons in the cave all cackled, mirthfully poking at his helpless friends laying in the center of the cavern, saying such things as, “Whatcha gonna do runt?” And still they jeered, “I’m sooooo scared.” Hadge heatedly took a step in the direction of his friends crumpled bodies, his voice seething with anger, “Why are you doing all this?” Churl goaded, “What have I done?” Hadge hissed, “You know what you’ve done…” Thundering, “First Canaan. Then Elysium. How many other worlds have you destroyed?” Churl wickedly taunted, “They haven’t died yet. They still have you.” Then he glowered at Hadge and stated, “But maybe not for long.” And added, “It seems your puny soul is worth a lot to the prince of darkness.”

  The book restlessly whispered, “If he gets your soul all hope will be lost, and every world will die in vein.” Hadge couldn’t let that happen, not now, as he responded indignantly, “I know…” Churl fumed at the voices, “Shut up you damn book!” The book continued to speak, “All these dying worlds are entangled in this trap to catch you.” Churl snapping, “Shut up I say!” Still the book went on, “A war waged by the Devil to smite Yahveh.” Churl insanely raged, “SHUT UP!”

  Hadge tracked the sound of Churls voice, searching through the myriad of demons; knowing he had to be there somewhere. Now it was Hadge’s turn to provoke his adversary, “Its funny how a few voices can drive a man mad.” By that time Hadge could clearly see the evil man, he had been fully transformed into a sheol, as faces innocently stared from his flesh, some making noises, and Hadge ridiculed, “And it seems your way passed mad!” He chuckled, “Even beyond delirious.”

  Churl furiously moved forward, shouting defensively, “I’m not mad!” Hadge glared at Churl, wrathfully hissing, “What do you think the Devil will do with you when you’re no longer useful?” Churl barked, “He promised…” Hadge quickly cut him short, castigating the madman, “A promise from the Devil means nothing.” Churl laughed, “What do you know? You’re just a puppet for Yahveh!” Hadge bitterly cracking, “Maybe you should just shut up!” Churl snickered and said, “ Or what?” And dared the divine being, “Kill the key of Canaan?”

  Just as a demon randomly hissed amid the fray, “I thought the Hadge would’ve been something extraordinary, but he’s nothing more than a cowardly ape.” Laughs circulated through the mash of demons, as they kept saying things such as, “Ape!” And, “He’s a joke!” And still, “How could Yahveh think a disfigured runt could stand up to all the power of us?” Ha, ha, ha, snort, ha, ha!

  Hadge started to wonder if the demons were right, maybe he was nothing but a useless deformity, but still he was going to find a way out of here. He could see the fiery winds blowing in through the exit, which was blocked by all the demons. The opposite direction was pitch black, and he had no idea what could be hidden away in the darkness, but he suspected it had to be Lillith. So which would be the lesser of two evils?

  All at once Churl walked towards the exit, with a wave of his hand he ordered, “Throw them in!” Hadge’s mind shouting, ??
?Throw whom in?” He hadn’t a clue to what the madman had meant, but it was now or never to escape, as he bellowed at Churl, “Let us go, or I will destroy you all!”

  Churl smugly kept walking, seeming unaffected by the threat, “Not likely.” Even as Churl’s sinister laughter echoed throughout the cave, fading as he slowly moved towards the exit. The sound grated on Hadges nerves, as he yelled the evil mans name, “Churl!” He had a hard time keeping his anger in check, and he knew if he lost control everyone around him would be incinerated. Including his friends.

  Treacherously the demons threw countless people into the long dark cave, piling them up one by one. Hadge hardly seemed to notice the people, he could only focus on Churl, yelling his name, “Churl!” Still he tried to get the madman’s attention, “Churl!” Hadge rushed towards the exit, mindlessly screaming, “Churl!” Churl halted just outside the exit, followed closely by all the demons, and he turned to face the Hadge, saying, “Farewell.”

  Thereupon the muscular tissue of the exit tightly constricted, as Churl and the demons were closed off from sight, and all Hadge had left to do was pound on the fleshy exit screaming Churl’s name, “Churl!” Hadge realized the unmitigated blackness had even eclipsed his hands, as the sense of no sight brought nothing but fear. The voices from the book tried to soothe, “Stay calm.” He closed his eyes, as he tried to imagine he was asleep, and amazingly a calm poured over him. Then the young girl from the book continued his incredible tale, “The voices from the book whispered to the Hadge. Open the pages and set yourself free.”

  Hadge removed the book of Canaan from his pocket, feeling the distraught faces in the leathery cover beneath his fingertips. Each of the child-like faces all profoundly crying out for help, surely as if he was the one crying, pleading for help. Hadge shook the terrible feeling, as he opened the book, unsure of what to do next.

  At once the blue fire leapt from the pages, instilling that faultless glow deep inside him, little by little unraveling the mysteries all around him. He could see past, present, and future all at once. Every world in some way affected another, and still the memories kept coming, up till the point of near exhaustion. At the near end Hadge fell to the floor gasping for an ounce of air, as the young girl whispered to him, “Exhausted, Hadge hadn’t heard all the noises around him…”

  “What?” Hadge mumbled in utter bewilderment, expecting the book to explain. At that moment he in fact did hear noises, rocks, swish of clothing, and growls. Quickly his head shot up, as his bluish inner glow had spread throughout the cave.

  The humans were stumbling to their feet, as if they had inhaled crimson soama. It was evident that they were not punished souls, but rather filthy imprisoned humans, used for only Yahveh knew what. Recklessly the people all stumbled towards his glow, except they weren’t just ordinary people, each was infected by the bites of various demons.

  Hadge got to his feet, warningly holding the book outward, telling them all, “Stay back!” But his words were useless, just like his empty threat, as the rabble of beings assailed him. Each and every one of the vicious monsters pulled him back down to the floor, fighting amongst themselves to be the first at his tender warm flesh. Hadge fought and shrieked, “Noooooooooo!” The abstracted sound of a bark could be heard even through the grunts and the growls of the monsters. It had to be Reybe. “Hadge!” The stranger’s bloodcurdling scream pierced through the barrage of bodies, as the monstrous humans flinched for a half a second, and continued to attack

  Relentlessly the teeth of these people gnashed into his flesh, biting and tearing chunks away. Hadge screamed out in excruciating pain, hopelessly sure his journey would fall short here, until he heard a voice he waited so long to hear, “Hady…” It was just like a dream, Carrissa was calling out his name, and she was somewhere in this cave.

  Suddenly he felt the desire to not give up so easily, not now, not after coming this far. “Noooooooooo!” He powerfully shrieked, feeling the strength of a hundred men course through his veins, as he effortlessly tossed each and every infected human aside. The monstrous humans were strewn everywhere, as their limpid bodies began to convulse, and he feared he might have killed them.

  Instantly Reybe and the cloaked stranger were at his side. The stranger handed him the book of Canaan, as if he knew he needed it, and asked, “Are you alright?” Hadge looked towards the trembling bodies, breathlessly answering, “Yeah, but they don’t look so well.” The stranger glanced at the bodies as well, suggesting, “I believe your blood is reacting to the virus within them.” Hadge wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, as he asked the worldly stranger, “Will they die?” The stranger sighed just before answering to the best of his knowledge, “Its really hard to say. But everything about the Hadge is pure and good, so I choose to believe Yahveh has a plan for those humans, and will let them live.”

  Then Reybe brushed up against his master, grumbling, “You look so bad.” The stranger agreed, stating, “He’s right. You should use the book.” Hadge at first was surprised how much this stranger knew about the Hadge, and could only nod at what he had said, “Yes…” He uttered, as he cut a slit into the book, “Yes, you’re both right.” Then he proceeded to rub the blood over his wounds. Reybe pointed at his cheek, “You missed a spot.” Hadge rubbed the missing chunks in his face, as he unexpectedly come to realize how many wounds he actually had, and that he truly did look bad.

  “Hady!” The transient sound of Carrissa’s voice had called out again. Her voice had come from somewhere in the depths of the darkness. Hadge stopped and focused on the pitch black, however the darkness gave none of its secrets away, not a sight, nor a sound could be heard. Hadge arose as if in a trance, placing the book in his pocket, and called out to the girl he knew from another lifetime, “Carrissa!” Reybe attempted to look him right in the eyes, and said, “Hadge.” Although Hadge didn’t take any notice, as he sidestepped the hound, and walked off towards the impenetrable darkness, breathlessly avowing, “I have to find her!”

  The stranger chased after him, arguing, “It could be a trap!” Hadge kept walking, as he adamantly attested, “She is the reason I’m here!” The stranger establishing, “Then you’re not going without us!” Reybe gruffed, “Its all or nothing.”

  Each darkened step through the long twisting cavern seemed more dangerous than the one before, as the canal like structure went one direction, and back again, over and over. Eerily the ventral enclosure around them responded to their every movement, recoiling and restricting as if it were alive. Everywhere the devil worms weaved in and out of the walls, as bits and pieces of skeletons were scattered over the floor. Reybe joked, “Looks like they didn’t make it.” The stranger held his nose, stating, “We may not either if the smell gets any worse.”

  The smell in this place was overwhelmingly repugnant, as sloughs of fecal matter had settled into the uneven cavities along the canal. Still they went without saying, but they knew right where they were, in the bowels of Hell.

  “Hady!” The voice called out again, louder this time, as they surely knew they were getting closer. Hadge called out to her, “Carrissa!” After several seconds the voice responded, “Hady!” It was even louder this time, as a mix of sounds resonated together from the darkness. Hadge was convinced he had heard an undertone of something hissing, as his mind could think of no other creature than Lillith. He had to be on his guard, because the evil witch was lurking just out of sight.

  Out of the blackness the haunting white image of Carrissa’s frail form came into view, only just clinging to the invisible chains holding her upright. She had withered to the point of a skeleton, her eyes sunken and blinded by the perpetual darkness. Even in the dark Hadge could see the scars covering her body from head to toe, as he was drawn to one particular scar, which was shaped in the letters of HELP across her stomach. He had recognized the letters from the book of Elysium, rapidly coming to realize she had become one with the book, right from the very first moment she touched it.
r />   Hadge was so sorry he could not come to her sooner, as his sad breathy voice murmured her name, “Carrissa…” Carrissa laboriously lifted her gray patchy head, whispering, “Runnnn….” He refused to heed her warning; he had come across time and Hell to save her. The stranger uttered close to his ear, “Lillith’s close. I can feel her.”

  Warily they moved down into the vast concave, as the oval space nearly seemed to triple, and a mire of excrement had gathered far and wide. Reybe made a revolted noise, “Bluugh…” Hadge placed a comforting hand on his friends back, as the warmth of his divine light gently soothed the dog’s tummy. However nothing could soothe the insanity of thousands of never-ending drips, dripping over and over from the moisture in the bowels.

  Hadge continued to take in the room, as here and there dark stringers louvered the space, in such a way just about anything could vanish from sight. He happen to notice numerous growths protruding from the mire, randomly scattered all over the place, much like skipping stones. The stranger had noticed them at the same time, saying, “We can use them to get safely across.” Hadge agreed, “Yes.” Then his eyes fell to Carrissa’s half lifeless body dangling in the center of the room, certain there was no way in the world she was the one calling out to him.

  Sssssssssssssssssssssssss. Reybe jumped, exclaiming, “Did you hear that?” They had all heard the horrifying sound. A sound that now seemed to generate from behind them. Soon to follow was the creepy sound of Carrissa’s voice, saying, “Hadge!” However Hadge was looking directly at the real Carrissa in the center of the room, and she never once made a peep. At last the stranger uttered what everyone was thinking, “Lillith…”

  One and all turned to face the she-beast, unsure of what to expect. At first the entrance seemed no different, completely engulfed in blackness. Then the entire blackness began to shift, as the massive black object emerged forth, slithering somewhat like a snake. At that moment the creepy voice of Carrissa came from that blackness, “Hadge! Hadge! I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Abruptly Lillith lunged into sight, as she was still speaking in Carrissa’s voice, but now very angry, “Why did you take so long?” Lillith no longer resembled any human shape, as her long bulbous body was now deformed more like a snake. She loomed darkly above them, pounding the ceiling with both hands, furiously asking again, “Why did you take so long?” Every inch of her black leathery skin was suffused with souls, as the fraught souls struggled against her lithe outer membrane everyone pleading for help. Hadge unsteadily answered the witch, “I’m here now!”

  She listlessly edged closer, as her voice began to hiss, “Sooooo you arrreee…” Then leaned close enough they could see her wickedly smiling back at them, exposing her long jagged teeth, and her icy black stare capable of tempting those of a lesser resolve.

  All at once the stranger cast his cloak aside, a tall thin skeleton of a man, exclaiming to the beast, “I can no longer live with your treachery!” His mousy brown hair fell around his face, around the clear dark blue eyes Hadge knew so well. Hadge could still imagine those same eyes from every picture, eyes as blue as heavenly midnight, twinkling with the vast stars of the universe hidden deep within, like windows into that persons never-ending soul. Hadge now knew how this man had touched the book, how he knew so much about the Hadge, because he is the Hadge of Eden. Still the mystery was how a Hadge could be infected with a demons virus, and trapped in Hell since Eden’s fall.

  Lillith wanted no part of the stranger’s vexation; with the wave of her razor sharp fingers the unseen chains suspended him upside down. “Noooo!” Hadge screamed, as he started to reach out to his friend. However the Hadge of Eden boldly ordered him away, “No! You have to defeat Lillith.” He exclaimed, “It’s the only way!”

  At once Lillith’s attention had moved back to the Hadge, saying in a vinegar sweet voice, “My dear boy, I’ve waited so long for you.” He bitterly snapped back at her, pointing an accusing finger, “And I have waited a long time for you!” She lunged in his direction, just as Reybe leapt between them, growling to protect his master.

  Suddenly hundreds of hands reached out from the witches body, as the souls reluctantly were enslaved to do her bidding, and the souls were all crying and moaning, “No…” They wailed, “Please help us…” The hands all reached for Reybe, as he growled and snapped at the limbs over and over, but there were just too many. They were pulling him towards the membrane, as Hadge desperately tugged the dog in the opposite direction, screeching an ungodly sound, “Noooooooo!”

  The hands were just too strong, as he felt his friend slipping away, and finally pulled right out of his hands. Hadge was reeled backwards into the mire, and could only helplessly watch Reybe being absorbed into the gelatinous membrane, until he was gone. He could do nothing but scream his name, “Reybeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

  Lillith cackled from her highly sovereign spot above him, laughing at his inadequate form, laughing at how he dared claim the name of divine protector. All in all she only wanted one thing, souls, and he happen to possess two of them. Eerily the wicked sheol’s laughter coursed throughout her whole body, as the membrane began to jiggle from one end to the other. At that very moment Hadge realized for the very first time that her body completely bordered the room, and there was no possible way out.

  Hadge vaulted to his feet, as he had completely come unhinged, manically roaring, “AAAHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Furious bursts of sunlight launched from his hands, again and again, all aimed at the hideous soul eater. The inhuman beast flinched at hit after hit, but otherwise deflected the bothersome beams, as if it were merely a nuisance.

  “How dare you!” Her shriek filled the cave, “You bothersome little cockroach!” Lillith had firmly leveled her gaze on Hadge, as her cumbersome body charged in his direction. Hadge continued to shoot balls of sunlight at her, as he warily backed further into the mire. The stranger kept shouting, “Let the Hadge free!”

  In one fell swoop her vicious claws had captured his face, as each nail kept digging deeper. Hadge couldn’t help but scream from all the pain. Even as he frantically delved for the book of Canaan in his pocket with one hand, and his other hand tried to pry Lilliths hands from his face. Her hissing smiling face kept advancing closer to his, as she delighted to tell him, “I’m going to enjoy thissssss.”

  All at once his hand was on the book, as he shrieked at the beast before him, “I bet you will!” Then hauled off and hit her right in the mouth with the book. She was stunned only for a second, as the book had done nothing but incite her anger even further. Hadge knew he was in trouble, and scolded himself for not recognizing a book cannot harm a key.

  Lillith screamed to the top of her lungs, knocking the book into the mire, and jerking his tiny little body around like a rag doll. Hadge powerlessly tried to squirm beneath all the erratic motion, as he could physically sense the heat rising in his body, and he had no way to stop it, or the desire to do so. Without further delay the blast of energy hit Lillith full force, as it dislodged Hadge from her hands, throwing him backwards into the mire.

  Oddly he had landed close to the book, as it whispered next to his ear, “Don’t be afraid.” While the stranger still shrieked, “You have to become the protector now!”

  Almost immediately the sinister sheol was above him, digging her nails back into his face, even as she ranted and raved about his so called extraordinary powers, “And you call yourself the Hadge.” She spat at him, “Your just as pitiful as your stupid dog!” Then Lillith once again leaned her face close to his, inhaling his pure magnificent scent, as if he were a luxurious meal, and proceeded to siphon at his soul. The stranger kept shrieking his name, “Hadge!” He exclaimed, “Do something Hadge!”

  Hadge had fought against her until the sense of pain was beyond all human comprehension. Bit by bit he felt his soul begin to tear from his life form, shredding like an old shriveled piece of paper. Still Carrissa’s soul desperately cleaved to the pieces of his soul, secured by love and a promise. Then
his overwhelming pain started to intensify, as the pain of every soul Lillith had ever stolen imparted throughout his being. He was sure this would be his death, because he could take no more pain, begging Yahveh, “Please no more pain…”

  Beyond the reaches of unconsciousness he heard the haunting voices of the book calling out to him, “Free yourself.” As one dieing hand fell upon the pages of the open book, sending a burst of fiery blue flames up his arm, until the light of Yahveh bathed him in splendor, and his pain was no more.

  Suddenly everything seemed to unravel around him, he knew his purpose, and he knew his given name. Hadge opened his clear blue eyes, unstressed by the beast above him, as his body seemed to grow in size, until his hand had gathered at Lillith’s neck. She was quite surprised, thinking she had already won, but all she could do now was scream.

  The Hadge ethereally arose nine feet tall in the cave, with his quarry still in hand, choking and gasping for air. He was the perfect form of an Angel, as the blue flames burned around him like a torch. Hadge looked Lillith directly in the eyes, as she copiously hung from his palm, and he said, “I judge thee guilty of unimaginable sins.”

  Out of the blackness her massive snake-like body battered the divine protector over and over, however his steely figure did not budge, and he calmly declared, “There are no more chances for you Lillith.” Then her body froze in place, and she pleaded to know, “What are you doing?” Still she begged, “Please, your divine. You don’t kill!” He made it perfectly clear, “Some atrocities have to be served to protect the innocent.” Then he glowered at Lillith for assisting the Devil, and announced his judgment, “Too many innocent people have died at your hands. I believe it is time to die.”

  Lillith shrieked to the top of her lungs, as the sound surely carried all over Hell, but nothing could save her now. Hadge reached down her screaming throat, as he pulled onto something that clung for dear life, until he had separated the sheol from her soul. Lillith had instantly stopped screaming, as her hideous carcass fell into the mire. No, no she wasn’t dead, her dim light rested in the palm of his hand, until he crushed it into a fine dark powder, and scattered it into the mire.

  Promptly all of Hell began to shake. Surely the quake was a result that the Devil was aware his treasured disciple had just fallen.

  Right away souls began to escape every pour of the sheols inert body, they were free, and thanking him for his help. Then Reybe’s soul appeared, he was just a normal dog, as he quickly darted around Hadge, playfully barking and wagging his tail.

  Splat! Hadge had turned just in time to see the stranger fall into the mire, since Lilliths death he had nothing left to shackle him to Hell. Hadge helped the stranger from the disgusting mire, as the stranger handed him the muck-covered book, saying, “You might need this.” Hadge gave him a thankful nod, as he shoved the book in his pocket for safe keeping, and informed him, “Its time to go home Hadden.” Hadden replied happily, “Yes.” And Hadge fondly looked into Haddens eyes, the eyes of Eden, sadly saying farewell, “Be well my friend.” Hadden nodded having mixed feelings about going home after such a long time.

  Hadge waved his divine hand, as a light filled Hadden’s body, faster than the speed of light. Then he and all the innocent people in this cave began to fade within the light, they were going back home, returned to the moment in time from which they were taken, thusly vanishing from the horrors of Hell.

  Reybe started to bark, turning in circles as he pulled Hadge to the center of the mire, pulling him in the direction of a near inaudible sound. Each step altered the noise into a recognizable sound, a tiny rasping breath. It was Carrissa. Hadge didn’t know how he could’ve forgotten her, as he rushed to her side lifting her head enough to make it easier for her to breathe, and felt the need to apologize again and again, “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.”

  “Shhhhhhhhhh...” Carrissa weakly whispered, “I knew you would come.” Hadge carefully lifted her fragile body from the disgusting mire, as he was filled with anger, because she didn’t deserve all this punishment. “I’m so sorry…” He continued to apologize, as tears ran down his divine cheeks.

  Then he lovingly brushed her matted hair from her haggard old face, but in his eyes she still looked the same as the first time he’d seen her, beautiful and alive. He couldn’t help but let his warm lingering breath lean close, just like the day in the sun. Then tenderly pressed his lips to hers, a kiss he had expected so long ago, but this time he was returning what belonged to her, her soul.

  Hadge didn’t want this moment to end, however knew once she closed that final chapter in the book of Elysium, he could never see her again, in this time, or any other time. Once the key locks the book closed, their fate is sealed forever in the pages of the book, and time is reversed to the moment the book had been touched, as if nothing had ever happened.

  Abruptly Reybe began to growl at the entrance, as the cave was filling with demons, and Churl was leading the pack. Hadge carefully set Carrissa on one of the fleshy growths, telling her, “I wont be long.”

  Then he turned on the hideous beasts, wasting no time to freeze them all to the spot they were now standing. Hadge passed them all by, heading straight for his quarry, Churl.

  He towered over the cocky sheol, half asking, “You would like to speak to me?” Churl could only mumble, hardly able to look the Hadge directly in the eyes. Hadge placed his fingers on either side of Churl’s jaws, lifting him easily from the spot, with a threatening tone in his voice he exclaimed, “Its not your day to die! But if you do not change your ways the next time we meet you may not be so lucky.” Hadge tapped Churl’s forehead, and said, “Here’s something to think about.” All at once images of death and destruction feverishly engaged throughout his evil mind, as Churl beseeched him, “Make it stop!” Hadge obliged, and breathed, “The choice is yours.”

  Gravely Carrissa’s uneven breathing had lapsed into a death rattle, a sign her time was nearly spent. Hadge didn’t have the luxury of time to waste on Churl, as he cast him aside, and rushed back to Carrissa.

  “Hadge…” It was no more than air escaping her lips, as he leaned in closer to hear, and he kept telling her, “Just hold on! Just hold on!” When the flow of tears began to stream from his eyes, and he knew there was no more time to hold onto. He gently caressed her face, allowing her a moment to feel Yahveh’s enduring love, whispering in her ear, “I love you.” How he wished things could be different yet was certain that even from the pages of the book she would remember love.

  Hadge gently placed her hands on the book of Elysium, whispering, “Goodbye my love…” She gave a final gasp, as her body ceased to move. At that time her fragile clinging skin turned a shade of blue, as blue flames began to leap from her body, until her form was completely engulfed. Then her body burned to a fine silvery dust, as the dust and flames were at last rapt into the book.

  Instantly the Edge of Darkness turned back into the hard white quartz, as the silvery glint of the surface shone even in the darkness. Hadge sadly looked down upon the terrifyingly beautiful book, and could only think one thing, “We are all just another page in the war between good and evil.”

  Then he picked up the ghastly tome, tucking it soundly into his pocket. But still he wondered how something so small could cause such horror and devastation.

  To Hadge’s surprise Carrissa’s haunting voice resonated from his pocket, surely from the book of Canaan. She sounded very much like the young girl who narrated his way through tough times, as she said, “The voice from the book told him, Do not fear my love. Everything is the way it is supposed to be.” Then she referenced him by name, “Hadge never heard the awful sounds from the demons he had left stock-still nearby. They were all screaming from the hoards of mephisto feasting on their bodies.”

  Hadge turned to look at the demons, as each and every one was covered in mephisto, but oddly there was no sound. He could only hear the drone of souls escaping from Hell.

  At once a sickening
feeling washed over him, as the flames vanished from around him, and his body began to shrink. His gimp leg bent back out of shape, as the hairs popped out all over his body, until at last he was once again the hairy little man from beneath Grendlocke Cemetery. He withered helplessly in the mire, crippled by pain.

  The divine power that held the demons in place was now gone, as they quickly chased the mephisto away. However Churl headed straight for Hadge, leaning over him laughing, although his words were drowned out by the intensity of Hadge’s pain.

  Soon other demons gathered around him, as each of them seemed to mouth the same words, “What’s wrong with him?” Still they poked, prodded and laughed at his folly.

  Hadge hardly noticed the demons at all; tragically feeling twisted this way and that way, as if his life was gradually becoming undone. Try as he might, he couldn’t even remember his friends anymore, as he thought of the grubb, and the question arose, “What was his name…” The pieces of his life kept crumbling away, until the Hadge from beneath Grendlocke Cemetery didn’t exist anymore, and he was nothing more than a ghost of himself.

  Hadge found himself lingering in a void of nothingness, as he groped in the dark for a shred of a memory, whether it was this Hadge or another Hadge, any memory would do.

  Soon the intrusive sounds of voices assembled around him, some voices he could almost recognize, and still others were in languages he’d never heard, however he understood what they were saying. He finally come to realize those weren’t just voices, those were the memories of every Hadge he’d ever been, or ever will be.

  The cries of every man, woman, and child across the multi-verse rang in his every waking thought. He couldn’t help but suffer every crushing ounce of sadness that welled from the deep dark unknown, as heartrending tremors quaked through his soul, trying to find a release.

  “STOP!!!” Hadge emotionally shrieked. Then all went mysteriously silent, as he listened to the quiet, and realized it wasn’t quiet at all. Someone was breathing. He wanted so badly to know who was out there? The breathing intensified, as each breath distorted into something new. It darkly distorted into lowly rasps, which hardly sounded real at all, but rather like a dream…

  Suddenly the ungodly sounds of snorts and growls echoed around him, and he fearfully knew who was out there. Demons! He was back in the bowels of Hell, watching his body like a bystander, except for all his heightened sense of sights, sounds, and smells. It was the exact moment he had vanished from Hell, as his golden clothes collapsed into the mire. A hand reached down from out of nowhere to collect the delicate fabric, as the golden threads sparkled brightly, and he was blinded by its brilliance.

  Everything had gone completely white, as the dream had ended. However his senses remained on alert, and he wondered if this was just part of the dream…

  Hadge anxiously could hear the breathing once more, sounding closer than before. The breathing was intermixed with the sounds of birds chirping all about him, as the sounds of the birds consistently grew louder, but he could not see them. The light was just too bright, as he realized he was looking at the sun, and quickly averted his eyes. Everywhere birds flew athwart the stunning blue skies overhead. He remembered those skies from long ago, or perhaps it was currently happening, nonetheless he had to be Hadyn, or otherwise known as Hady. He was standing in the field near the cemetery, and had the overwhelming feeling that something happened to Carrissa. The sensation was so powerful he burst into tears. Then all he could do is helplessly drop to his knees, and sob, “Please Yahveh, not her.” He continued to beg, “Please, let her go go gogogogogo…”

  Eerily the breathy words resounded again and again, as the tone of the voice grew heavier with each passing syllable. The hint of each breath blowing athwart his cheek, surely as if someone were mere inches from his face. And that someone’s voice carried until their words rasped into a whole different voice.

  “Let them goooooo!” The deep persuasive voice was clear and concise. It was the stranger Hadden, oddly somehow he had left his world of Eden, and had come to Elysium. He had used his vampiric influence to convince the man outside the animal shelter to set all the dogs free. One by one the dogs ran every which way, as people were yelling at the dastardly dogs. Numerous voices were screaming at once, as voices were on top of voices, and the sounds were overpowering...

  Strangely the rushing memories of voices sounded as if they were coming from the book, one voice overlapping the other. The voices twisted into bizarre muttering, and the murmurs bit by bit turned into nonsensical words, “Hadge, imagine, imaginary, hadaginary, Hadagery…”

  Hadge had the creepy sensation someone was really out in the darkness, staring at him, as if waiting for him to move. He no longer had to second-guess if he were alone or not, because he could hear and feel their breath on his face.

  Then that someone spoke in a sinister tone, an eerie recognizable voice, as Churl related a terrible fact, “Oh shit kid. You’re not even real.”

  Thank you for reading. Exiled, Here in Sullen, Children of Elmhearse, After Dark, and Death do us part, which is part of a collection of short horror stories. You can also check out my book HADAGERY, which has a lot of horror. Please leave reviews

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