Page 11 of Secrets of Sanctuary Hospital Andrew and Mia's Encounter

  Chapter Nine - Entering Hell

  Over the next few days, our family and friends gather those that we have not had to call upon in quite some time. Peter, Anthony, Cassandra and Casey introduce us to those they trust and I am in awe of not only how large of a following Saria and Sahir managed to inspire despite the centuries that they have been gone, but how many more creatures there are in this world, masking themselves as all sorts of animals, objects and individuals to influence or lead this human race into discovering a future they might not have otherwise imagined.

  Those who have not joined us here will meet us in Italy. Everyone seems to be of the same mind regarding the need to be at the gateway opening to stop what may come through. My stomach fills with trapeze artists flying out of control through the air as we board the first plane with family and friends. I always thought that when we took the children to the house it Italy it would be to show them a part of history, not to plunge them into a culminating war. Peter insists on boarding the second plane that includes some of Saria and Sahir’s followers so that he can strategize with them to determine what their role in all of this may be. Considering that one of their powers has been unleashed now, he is convinced that they will be major players in this upcoming battle.

  Although we try to spend the next several hours, strategizing, planning and trying to convince the children they are strong enough to handle whatever comes next, only Jacob truly appears convinced of this. For the first time, I see him separate himself from his siblings and go off with Julianne and Paul while Charley tries to comfort Kayla and Nicholas tries to convince Nicole that everything will be alright. I can’t help but wonder if Jacob is separating himself because of what I have asked him to do or if it is because he wants to keep his siblings as far away from the gateway and this task as possible. My answer comes when Andrew whispers that Jacob is not closing himself off, he just wants to protect his siblings in case something goes wrong.

  Standing before the once cozy cabin, I cannot see how everyone is going to fit. Cassandra comes behind me causing me to jump. “They won’t and they don’t need to. We are going to set up many layers, hoping to entrap whatever comes through.”

  “Will that even be possible?”

  “It won’t be possible to stop them from coming through without closing off your escape route, but we are hoping to contain them long enough so that we can send them back once you are out.” Catching my skeptical look, she chooses to ignore it. “Come, you should meet some of the others who came directly here and are anxious to meet you.”

  Following her, I am stunned to see the make shift village starting at the back of the modern house and stretching out toward the orchard. As we move past the corner of the main house, dozens upon dozens of individuals collectively exit their tents. I hear their unison gasp. As Andrew comes next to me and places his hands on my shoulder, I can see their stunned features and hear their whispers as they gather closer. From the sounds of it, most of them are Saria and Sahir’s people and their descendants. I see Mark go over to a smaller group of individuals and even recognize a few as the ones who were fighting on the deck.

  Peter approaches us to let us know that they have all been briefed about the situation, but requests that we take time to talk to them, encourage them; strengthen their resolve and determination considering what we all will be facing.

  We spend the next two hours speaking to all the new faces that have come to help, as some of the familiar faces join so that we can all act as one unit, one force against the darkest of fights. I am amazed at how many have fought to come to this point, have waited for this moment to fulfill what they believe they were put on this plane to do. Speaking with ones even older than Reginald, I am stunned at what some of them have seen, fought and endured to bring them to this moment in time.

  As evening falls, despite all of our conversations and attempts to prepare the children for what is to come, they not only seem to have aged years in hours, but Nicholas is more withdrawn, Nicole and Kayla more distraught, and Jacob more resigned. Even Alexander, who has never been a fussy child, shows signs of the building tension around him. Although they each assure us that they realize we have been called upon to do this and that no matter what happens they know they are not alone and will be fine, my heart breaks knowing that if we are unsuccessful we will be plunging them into a world open to demonic presence and even if we are successful may be once again plunging them into a life without me and possibly without their father.

  Curling up in sleeping bags after the children finally pass out from sheer exhaustion, I cannot tear my eyes from scanning the beautiful faces of the family I have been blessed with and will probably never see again. After several moments, Andrew grabs my shoulders. “Stop thinking that. You will see them again. We will see them again. You have to hold on to that hope and the desire to return to them. We need to fight our way back to them. We need to be clever enough not to be deceived and to beat them at their own game. You have done it before and you will do it again. You are stronger than they are, we are stronger and we will get through this together.”

  I can’t help but shake my head. “This is not the same, this time we are not going after his minions, he is going to have a direct hand in this and he has a direct hold which if we can’t break free of it, will assist him in …” I can’t even finish my thought as my thoughts reel with the possibilities and revealed realities, even those he cannot see. Blocking my mind with stronger thoughts of our children’s birth and the connection to them here, I can see that Andrew registers my change in direction. Before he can question me about it and despite wanting to spend what may be our last moments with the children, I rise. “Let’s see how the others are getting along and if they have come up with any new ideas on how to handle this.”

  He rises with me, but I can see a change in his features and he grasps me harder as if hoping to dig into my psyche and retrieve what he is missing. He finally releases me as I step toward the other room. I cannot believe how many are together in one room and are speaking so low that they cannot be heard throughout the house, they all seemed to be crowding around someone in the center, I cannot see. Moving closer, I gasp as my eyes meet a horned beast with red eyes, shard teeth, skin like burning coals, but rough as rock, and where the joints on a human would be, his has space with only the flowing fires below holding him together. Grabbing Andrew’s hand, has something already broken through, why aren’t the others fighting him, are we even prepared for this? He tugs me toward him and whispers in my ear. “Mia, it’s fine. Cassandra brought him.” My eyes dart throughout the room and for the first time I realize that no one appears concerned by his presence.

  Cassandra rises and so does the creature. They move toward us. “No one is concerned. Chaos works for our side now and will be your guide through hell.”

  My eyes dart to the creature who now has his hand extended. Forcing my hand forward, it is stiff as I shake his, but in that brief moment, visions flash before my eyes of an ancient world filled with warring demons. Armies of Chaos like creatures, fierce vampires, red eyed, blue skinned demons spurting acidic blood at their prey and bulldozing others, blowing them apart like a mountain top. They are not only desecrating what appears to be a primitive human population, but not quite, but they are also fighting each other, leaving in their wake a war torn battlefield. “That is how it was, all the time for the creatures he created. We were in perpetual battle, perpetual night, never really having a direction for our destruction. When we were finally banished to hell and the world was recreated anew, I was sent to restart the war and desecrate the blossoming new life force that was forming. Instead, love gave me direction and purpose. Although my kind cannot leave hell for long, those of us who have changed work to hamper his influence here, we do not want to return to what we were, the nothingness of hell and the torturing our kind does to those who truly made a choice by what they did to end up there, is better than the killing of our brethren or destroying those that hell shoul
d not claim. He stares at me and I wonder if it is because my jaw just clicked in place and I am now straining not to allow it to drop to my knees.

  His eyes shoot to Cassandra, then Reginald and finally after they both nod, back to me. “I know you do not trust me, nor should you. I am a full-fledged demon after all in charge of ensuring that chaos reigns in his world and no one gains power even close to his own, but you are going to need a guide. He knows you are coming to release the soul of the child before he can send it through the open portal as the anti-Christ. He would not have released the souls to open the gateway if he did not believe he has everything in place to convert the child and win, he has never been this close before.” His eyes glance at Andrew and then he seems to make a decision before continuing and I wonder if he too somehow knows what I am considering. “If you are to have any hope of releasing what could be his greatest source of power on this plane and his ability to re-infest this world with his creatures to directly tear apart and claim the souls he has been aching for, you are going to need help from a source that we hope he doesn’t even see coming.”

  “You said that …um” I have to stop and think of how to phrase this question so as not to offend the demon whose life my son may depend upon. “When you were here before, what banished you to hell then? I thought all of his creatures were banished to hell when Satan and his followers decided to leave heaven.”

  “You are correct, almost. The angels who followed Satan are mostly bound to the underworld, although a few have surfaced for short periods of time similar to the shadows he can send, except they have more power than his shadows. These are only rare breeds with certain strong ties that have yet to be tethered. But that is not the information you truly seek. There was a time, when a group of fallen angels who had strong enough ties were able to briefly open a portal allowing many of Satan’s newly formed creatures, true creations of hell who were not punished from above, to escape and desecrate a newly forming earth. We ruled and fought each other for ions until one of the original angels found the source and with the help of two others, banished him back further into his own realm, narrowing his ability to affect this plane further and closing some of the holes punched through to this plane that could transport his demons. When they did, it opened a certain gateway for the others who were fighting us to banish the demons back to hell only allowing the shadows and the ones created on this plane to exist here.

  He turns to Andrew. “When you enter, this may help repel some of the forces that come after you. It is held by the overlords in order to keep those of us in line who may act up.” Andrew stares at what could only be described as a septa with a bright stone at the end which appears to hold the fires of hell within its confines. “Use it wisely, it only has a limited amount of blasts within, when the stone goes dark, the power is gone and must be replenished by an overlord.”

  He then turns to Cassandra and Reginald. “I must get back before I am missed. I will be one hundred feet from the opening within minutes and if for some reason, I cannot be, I will send one of mine to be your guide.” He scans the room. “Good luck to you all and remember, all who sense your presence will be only too happy to capture, enslave and torture you. You have all sent some very powerful people there, some who have discovered your plan and others who will soon. Those who enter, beware and those who remain here trying to defeat the ones who escape, don’t forget, here they have powers to take on many forms, do not be fooled and be prepared to banish them back immediately. Any hesitation and you too will be lost. Pulling a weapon from behind his back, he bashes his own head and in seconds only a pile of sand remains where he once stood. The room falls into silence for a moment before bursting into numerous side conversations regarding additional preparations. As the others disburse, only our family, Reginald, Amanda, Jeff and Grant remain.

  Catching a glimpse of the breaking dawn through a parlor window, my body begins to numb. It’s time. Paul running in saying that he sees shadows and white apparitions circling the house confirms that the others are gathering as well. The children shuffle out of their room and their dead faces have aged at least ten years overnight. I can feel the desperation in their hugs. The weight of knowing and resigning himself to do whatever is necessary to fulfill this task no matter what the cost has caused Jacob to cut off all emotions, he even moves robotically.

  Picking up Alexander we say our good-bye’s to the other and Nicole grabs my hand. “Can’t I be at the site, maybe I can help?”

  My heart breaks as I stare into her pleading eyes. “Honey, once the gateway opens it is going to take all they have to protect those who are opening it from being destroyed or thrown through. You need to stay outside with the others or here. Splitting the attention of those who have to focus on the ones who have to be there is too dangerous for everyone.” Handing Alexander to Andrew, I kneel before Nicole, Kayla and Nicholas. “We know that you are strong and your strength will be needed with the others to help. We love you always and no matter what happens, you will be alright, but you have to stay back with the others.” They hug me once more. As I take Alexander, they throw themselves at Andrew hugging him. Looking at the scene, we have to succeed for their sake, for all of our sakes and one of us must come back, we cannot let history repeat itself leaving our children on their own to fend for themselves as both Andrew and I disappear from their lives. Looking at Cassandra, Peter and Anthony, although they are strong, I can now see what doing that did to them. Watching their faces as this scene unfolds before them desire burns within me not to be fooled into our both leaving behind our family again.

  As our family members, all but Eva and Gabriel, stay behind to protect and comfort the children, I can hear the sobs rip from Nicole’s chest as we exit and I catch Jacob glance back. His emotionless façade slips away and he looks as if someone has staked him. Within five steps, his features shift again and an emotion that I cannot quite determine flits across his face before it turns to stone once more. I want to pull him aside and remind him of what he needs to do but know that it is too dangerous. I quickly shift my thoughts as I see Andrew’s hand move toward mine. “We stick together no matter what,” he whispers as we move forward through the crowd which has arranged itself in far spread out circles around the cabin. Grant, Jeff and his pack are in the outermost rim and Julianne brushes Jacob’s hand as we pass just before turning with Paul and Charley to go back toward the house. Emma and Celene’s groups are already chanting, Cassandra is giving instructions to creatures I have never seen before and although I want to ask her who they are, I know there is not time to do so. As she moves past the creatures, I see new faces with Mark and he nods when she asks if they have the weapons ready. As she passes another strange face, I hear her inquire whether we know if Jonathan’s children are on their way and the woman replies that they should materialize the moment blood is spilled. As we move closer, Peter is speaking to the ones who were introduced as Saria and Sahir’s followers, he instructs them to move in as soon as the portal opens and try to create a vortex if possible to keep the demons contained.

  The door opens from inside and Reginald steps out. “We’re ready.” Moving up the steps, this is it, the point of no return. Stepping through the archway, my eyes are drawn to the blood red pentagram that dominates the floor. I wish that our family were here to protect our children as they move, one toward each tip, but Reginald assures us that they would not be anywhere as near as strong as those that line the cabin walls. Despite his reassurances, they are strangers and I cannot help but be concerned that they would not protect the children the same way as our family, but then again, more than just our family is dependent on the successful outcome of this endeavor.

  Eva takes Alexander from me and goes to stand at the last point. As she does, five fully grown adults, three men and two women appear out of nowhere grabbing Eva and our children as shadows and apparitions descend from the ceiling. As the dark haired man, with eyes of pitch grabs Jacob’s shoulders, he growls. “Get your hands off o
f me.” His tone is low, angry and he speaks deliberately.

  “I just want to make sure you don’t leave.” His booming voice rings throughout the cabin and the tensions are mounting.

  Jacob’s tone is unwavering. “We aren’t going anywhere, but if you don’t get your hands off me this instant, you will be.”

  “You didn’t even start using your powers until your mommy deserted you. You could never move me, you runt. I have been destroying lives for centuries.” He taunts, but before he can even say another word, Jacob flicks his wrist and the man is suspended in midair, frozen, except for his glare. His eyes brighten and one of his hands breaks free from the hold Jacob has and instantly he flicks bolt of fire Jacob’s way, but before it strikes him, Jacob’s seems to catch it with his other hand and deflects it back toward the stranger. As it hits him, Jacob lowers his other hand and the man falls to the ground, his clothes singed where the bolt hit him.

  He jolts up and takes two steps toward Jacob, raises his hands, but the woman behind Cassandra, steps between them both. Although she does not turn her back on Jacob, she seems to be focused on the man. “Don’t cause trouble, not now. We have our instructions and you know what will happen if we don’t follow them to the letter” As she says this, she steps around him and goes to stand behind Jacob while the man moves behind Cassandra. I can’t help but wonder as her words truly hit me, why he is letting us open the portal and enter trying to save the soul of our child before he uses it to destroy the world as we know it. It can’t be just because of who I am and that he wants me down there. Cassandra did say that we are missing something. Maybe the missing link is the answer. I just hope that when we are down there, the answer hits us before the situation envelops us because for this to happen, the missing link must be essential to the survival of all we love.” My introspection is interrupted as I hear two of them rumble and Anthony’s sarcastic tone rings out. “I’m sure that you can understand why we wouldn’t want to turn our backs on you.” Our children shift so that they are standing next to Jonathan’s.

  The one next to him snickers. ‘We can wait.” He turns frontward. “Can we proceed or are we just going to yammer.”

  He mumbles something else which I cannot decipher but know that the others have heard and from their faces, battles are going to be waged on all fronts. Jacob winks at me reassuringly and I know it is because his powers are growing by leaps and bounds, but what if the one he went up against was only pretending to be caught in his power to see how powerful he truly is. Surely one around for centuries is stronger. “Mom, trust me, I am not fooled and I won’t be caught off guard, you do your job and I’ll do mine, I have help.” I can’t believe he is in my head without contact and as his words swim through my thoughts, the apparitions around him become brighter.

  Anthony removes the amulet from his neck, pulls out a knife and his blood drips first onto the crystal white stone. By the time it gets to Eva who is holding Alexander, the amulet is blood red. My stomach churns as she slits his little finger and his blood drips covering the others. To my surprise, he doesn’t cry. As the last drop hits, a burst of light shoots from the stone and the apparitions and shadows descend from the ceiling and begin circling those at the point of each pinnacle.

  Reginald moves Andrew and I toward the middle and drops the amulet at our feet. Looking down the crystal which now holds the fires of hell within its confines reminds me of the prison which once held Andrew and his mother’s soul. A small stream of fire escapes from the stone slithering like a snake along the lines of the Pentateuch painted on the floor. Jonathan’s children begin chanting, calling forth the fires from hell to open the gateway and let us pass.

  I feel the pull building around Andrew and I as the cabin begins filling with the new faces that Peter and Cassandra recently introduced us to. Gabriel and Eva hover closer together holding Alexander tightly as the hum of the energy building becomes more pronounced and new shadows and apparitions begin swirling around us all. Following the shadows, the children’s images are now difficult to decipher.

  My head spins, my stomach drops out, and I hear the collective gasp just before the floor drops from our feet. We are falling, surrounded first by darkness, but as my eyes begin to focus I can see the fiery lines piercing parts of the stone and I feel as if we are passing through a massive chaos. The rock and light are so similar and I can hear the cry of tortured souls all around me. Andrew holds my back tight to his front as his arms tighten around me. I know he is bracing for when he hit the bottom. The longer we fall, the more pronounced the moaning becomes, I can decipher their cries, their taunts, they know we are coming. My only hope is these are the ones I hear want us to pass to hamper Satan’s power and not those who are happy to serve in his ranks.

  “Shift left” Andrew screams as talon claws swipe out from the wall. I shift just in time and can hear the talons rip down Andrew’s arm, but he doesn’t even loosen his grip. Something hits Andrew from behind and we begin free falling, tumbling. I hear Andrew crash against something and scream for him, but his unwavering tone is at least reassuring that he is alright. “I can see you, I’ll catch you. I’m fine.”

  A moment later, I am in his arms, my hands quickly sweeping over him. “Are you sure you are alright?”

  Seeing the panic in my eyes, he tries to lighten my mood. “Considering where we are, I am as good as I can be, but physically I’m fine. Mia, did you forget what I am? It would take a lot more than talons to hurt me.”

  As he places me on my feet, I can feel the intensified heat and am more concerned for him than ever. “Andrew, fire can destroy you.”

  Pulling me close to him, his index finger lifts my chin. “Mia, he would not have gone through all of this just to kill me quickly with fire, I’m sure that he could have accomplished that on our plane. We need to keep moving. His eyes begin scanning and we appear to be in some sort of rotunda with several tunnels. A loud swishing noise seems to be coming from the tunnels and a screeching has replaced the moaning. Shadows fly out at us, talons extended from two of the tunnels as red eyes emerge from another. “Come this way, they are already gathering.

  Moving quickly toward him, I am not quick enough. Demons with oversized bat wings are now swirling round us, screeching. They tear Andrew and my hands apart as they pass through and I scream as talons rip into my shoulder and the demon heads skyward. Andrew rips at my feet trying to pull me free, but as I scream louder as the talons rip through me, he is caught off balance and a demon knocks him off of me and thrusts him into the wall. A burst of flame shoots out and Andrew ducks before it hits him. I can see him grab the legs of another who is taking off.

  The screeching now turns to shouting in my head, I hear what the creatures are really saying. They are shouting instructions to move quickly upward. I hear one shout. “They need to be stopped by us and we need to be the first ones out. We will rise to power if we kill them all.”

  Another screams loudly as he hits the one who has me. “Stop lying. If we kill them the gateway closes and only those ascending now will rule.”

  The one holding me hits the other with such force I am now hanging by only one talon. Grabbing his foot, I try to wrench my other shoulder free as he struggles to throw him against the wall. “If we close the gateway, we will get hold of that world before the anti-Christ can be released. We will rule. We may even be strong enough if he later gets released to destroy him when he comes through. With the others trapped here, we can pick them off as the few stragglers are allowed to come up, but at least we will not be fighting them all. No more taking orders, maybe we can even convince the vampires to join with us.”

  The one against the wall struggles. “Stop fighting me then, if he gets knowledge of your plan, we will all be tortured. Get to the top.”

  As he releases the other, a booming voice shakes the walls. “You think you can defy me, I know all in my world. Rocks begin to fall and so do some of the demons. The one holding me moves steadily upward, digging his talon fu
rther into me, so that I cannot wrench free.”

  Andrew screams. “Hold on, I’m coming.” Looking down, I see him climbing up one of the demons on its back and strangling him screaming for him to get closer to me, but as he begins flying further away, Andrew rips a huge hole in his wing and the creature begins moving toward us just as the one holding me screeches in pain and I can see his upper wing is on fire. Fire is now raining from above as the tunnel shakes and more rocks descend.

  Andrew grabs me and we fall twisting and turning, but as fire now shoots from below as well, we are going to burn! He tries shielding me, but a demon hits us trying to flee the fire below into the fiery rainstorm from above, dodging them as they descend and he ascends higher. Falling through the fire ball below which consumes the lower tunnel, I’m shocked that we are not burning as the demons surrounding us quickly turn to ash. Through the rising fireball as the ash falling around us hits the ground, the demons reform, lying prostrate on the ground, but their wings are now tiny and cannot be used for flight.

  The same booming voice emanates from every tunnel. “You tried to defy me and now you will pay the price!” Fiery chains fly out from the tunnel and begin wrapping around their necks as roars and pounding hoofs fill the room.

  We fall upon them and they are like a springy cushion. Andrew quickly moves us off them deftly shifting us so that chains do not entrap us. I can see his head scanning the tunnels and he rolls us toward one where the chains seem to be more erratic or interrupted.

  Huge centaur like creatures emerge from some of the tunnels and grab the fiery chains, yanking the newly formed demons up. “You now work under us. They begin pulling them in while others wait for the rest of the ash to form.

  Andrew’s hand is healing my shoulders as some of the ones forming seem to escape the chains and are flush against the wall. I hear one of them instruct the others “We’ll crawl up. The fire is fading, hug the walls.”

  Their sharp talons begin clawing up and their eyes are now redder, they move with determination and desperation to escape the torture that I’m sure those captured will face. Andrew whispers. “Mia, they will be fine, they had to be the ones sending the fire from above, they can handle themselves but we need to move before this tunnel becomes filled with the demons as well.

  Halfway into the tunnel, we hear the approaching hoofs, but before we can panic, we are covered in rock as the centaurs pass. When they do, Chaos steps away from us. “Come, let’s move quickly, they are already infighting and some are crowding around Sebastian hoping to free the child and win Satan’s favor.

  More rock like creatures emerge from the walls along with shadows and I gasp. Chaos turns to me. “They are with me. Let’s move.”

  The ground shakes below us, the heat becomes intense I can barely breathe when Chaos knocks Andrew and I into a crevice in the wall and we are once again covered. When he finally releases us, I see the backs of a fire army moving quickly down the tunnel. As he pushes us forward, “They are going to deal with the climbers.”

  We hit a dead end. There is nothing but wall before us. Fearing that he is leading us in circles so that the others can escape and our son can be used, I am about touch Andrew hoping that he can hear me and shout in my head to run, but Chaos instructs us to jump down and for the first time I see a hole big enough to fit one. Andrew’s eyes reflect his concern.

  “Go, I’ll be right behind you.”

  He jumps down and as I’m about to, Chaos grabs my arm. “You need to let us get Andrew out of here. Do you know who he is? Do you know who you are? If he gets captured, there’s no telling what power Satan can yield and the war that will break out between all planes, God will not stand for his first creation to be held here. The torture we face now will be nothing compared to the wrath brought upon all in the recovery.

  “What, what are you talking about, His first creation?”

  “I thought you knew who you are.”

  “I finally do” I shout back. “I am the daughter of Lucifer, but what did you say about Andrew, I thought that he was an angel.” Grabbing Chaos, my hands are trembling. “What more is he, what part of this puzzle don’t I know. Is he in more danger down here than I feared? Tell me now or I’ll…” Opening my hand, I am wielding a fire ball and staring directly at him. I can feel a power surge through me, one that I have never felt before and anger. Is being here changing me, am I becoming what I fear? No! But I will protect Andrew and someone will tell me what it is we are missing. Chaos opens his mouth, but before anything comes out, a flash veils my eyes and I see two of the brightest lights up against a crystal sky floating just above white fluffy clouds. I hear arguing.

  “Father she did not choose to go with him, she was taken. She belongs with me. She too is one of yours. You created us all. You are father to us all and all of your creations. She may have come from his union with another, but she is not his. She does not belong to him. She did not pledge loyalty to him. She hid from him! She chose to be with me, to fight with those loyal to you. You said that he would only be able to take those who chose to follow him. She. Did. Not. I love her and you must give me the opportunity to go after her. I beg you. Let me go after her, save her so that we can both return to you, to our home.”

  “They are falling, they are banished, if you go after her, you will be caught in the fall. Don’t defy me, you need to stay here and help rebuilt, help those who have lost love ones to the banishing. We must strengthen the souls of the ones who chose to remain in heaven while those they love are cast into the darkness. You know the ties that bind and if they are still intact when those souls pass through earth, they will be in danger, they could be traced, found and all those souls that they will create there will be in danger too. You must stay here, help here, next to me, you are the strongest of my original creations, and you must stay here and do you duty.

  “I cannot stay while she is being ripped from me, from a world she chose to remain in. You cannot punish her for being his.”

  “That is not what I am doing. I have sent Damian to go after her with Francis. If they are successful, she will be returned to you, but they know when to stop, where the point of no return is, but you, you will follow her all the way down and get trapped.”

  “I am the strongest. My love for her will help her break free. You know who grabbed her. You know what a hold he has on her. Only I can break her free. Release me and let me go after her. All of your creatures are allowed free will, don’t rip mine from me.”

  “Why do you defy me, I need you here.”

  “I need her.”

  “No you don’t.”

  “Please let me go to her, I don’t care what it costs me, I need to save her.”

  “Defying me and going after her will come at a price. If you leave, you will be cast into a cycle where you cannot return here for all eternity. You will be sent to earth like the others to create new souls, there you will suffer and know things that you do not know here, you will both suffer and considering who she is, he will do everything he can to get her to come to him, commit to him, and claim her to his world. If you get caught down there that will be his realm.”

  “Please let me go, we are wasting time.”

  “You have your will, follow her at your own risk, Damian and Francis will help you.”

  As the image fades, Chaos eyes meet mine. “Mia did you even hear me.”

  “No but I know who he is now. You need to get him out, get my son out.” Jumping down the hole I know now more than ever I did the right thing in instructing Jacob, I just hope he can feel his father. Traveling swiftly through the darkness, I feel my strength building with my determination. Andrew has always believed he needed to protect me, but I realize now that I need to take control in this realm.

  Landing in his arms, he quickly moves aside to allow Chaos to come through. “What took you so long, did you have more trouble.”

  “No, I had to communicate with some of my men and where we are not as adept at feeling new souls as the
others, I wanted them to see Mia. I’m sorry we worried you. We should really get moving.” As he says this four more of his men come through and we begin moving forward. The path is narrow. I force myself before Andrew and can see his surprised face before turning forward.

  I see the flames up ahead and know that we are about to enter another area. My heart is pounding. I wish Andrew would just turn around, but would telling him who he is help him to do the right thing to go back or would he insist that he is powerful enough to fight his way through here so that we can reach our son?

  “Mia, I know who I am.” His voice swims through my head and I stop short. I forgot that we are holding hands.

  “When did you know?”

  “I saw the same vision you did. Mia, don’t you feel our connection growing since we entered here? I do.”

  “Then you know you can’t be caught here and you should go, now.”

  He pulls me closer, twists around me and moves us forward together with him in the lead. “First and foremost I am your soul mate and nothing is going to tear us apart, not even your insane plan with Jacob.” His tone is angry.

  The blood rushes to my head, my knees buckle under me, and I am on the ground. “When did you figure this out? Please tell me that you didn’t do anything to stop what I put in place.”

  “No I didn’t. If I had known what you and he were planning on before we entered, I would have stopped it instantly. I would never have allowed him to agree to it and don’t think for one minute I am going to allow this to happen.” His tone is beyond livid.

  “Andrew, please, you have to allow Jacob to do what is right, you cannot be caught here. Don’t you understand what will happen to you if he grabs hold of you? He won’t do that to me. I’m his daughter, he will use me, but he won’t torture me like he will torture you, please you have to go when the time comes.”

  He stops and I slam into him. Turning, this is the first time I have ever seen his eyes flash anything beyond serene blue since we were married. “You may be his daughter by creation but he abandoned any and all right to you when he chose his own selfish desires over your well-being when he put you in harm’s way and tried to drag you against your will to eternal damnation. Mia, I think there is something more to your connection with him than you or I realize and you cannot be caught down here anymore than I can. We need to stick together.”

  Chaos interrupts. “Can we stop the chit chat and get down to business? Follow me and beware these next demons are Satan’s favorite workers and will not let you pass without trying to rip you apart.

  Entering the next opening, all seems quiet and clear. I can see the tunnel opening at the other end of the open rotunda. The screeching has even died down and silence is noticeable. As we reach the middle, I realize this is not right, something is wrong. Hell is never quiet. Taking another step forward I fall into what I can only surmise is some type of quicksand, it blinds my eyes, fills my lungs, I cannot breathe, my mouth is filling and even the smallest opening to dispel the sand only brings forth more. I can’t feel Andrew’s hand. What if he is trapped or worse yet captured. Grasping at the sand, there is nothing to hold on to and I descend further and further downward. We failed. I lost Andrew, lost the chance to save my son and am drowning in a sea of sand. My lungs are imploding within me, the harsh sand rips through my flesh, and I cannot open my eyes for fear the grains will strip away my corneas.

  Descending deeper and deeper, falling to only who knows where, is this the end, not just for me but for my children, my family, humanity? Suddenly I am moving upward, but cannot see how, cannot feel the tether pulling me from the grainy grave. Finally emerging, Eva’s white wings shake off the grainy sand and Gabriel emerges with Andrew. We hover over the abysmal abyss and I can see the relief in Andrew’s eyes.

  Gabriel and Eva move toward an upper ledge within the tunnel and place us on our feet. I stare searching for my voice, but hear Andrew verbalize my inquiry. “How did you get here?” How did you know we needed help?”

  “Did you really think that we were going to let you face this challenge alone?” As Gabriel says this, the Chaos like creatures around us shed their skin and our family is standing before us, winged angels who are bright, shimmering beacons against the fiery background.

  Throwing my arms around Eva, my voice shakes. “I love you.”

  “I love you too and would never abandon you when you need us most. They quickly adorn their Chaos like skins as new winged shaped demons with fierce, human-like, pale faces come at us and swipe their long, steel like nails forward. From their erratic swings forward, and the lack of focus on their cataract type eyes, I know they do not have sight.

  Chaos whispers. “Hide behind the others and they will not detect you. No one move.” They pass before us and four of them stop. I hear them sniff deeply and immediately stop breathing. Standing immobile until the lack of air is strangling my muscles, I fight with everything I have not to move, locking every muscle within a vice grip, fighting against my desire to inhale deeply and relieve my starving lungs.

  My head spins from the lack of oxygen and my knees buckle. Thankfully they move on and Andrew catches me causing my fall to remain silent. They move to the tunnel opening and extend their ashen wings flying upward. Trying to keep my intake of air silent, I take in only enough to relieve my lungs until they have all past. Turning to Eva, “If you are all here, who is guarding the children, are they safe?”

  Gabriel responds before she can. “They are as safe as they can be considering what we are all facing. Martina, Jackson and the others are up there, they have protection, people who love them, people who will die for them. We are needed here.”

  Chaos interrupts, we will not be so lucky on the next level, you arrived just in time. The green horned demons are working the mine we must pass through. They view any intruders as soul stealers. They are in charge of conditioning imprisoned souls to prepare them to work here or send to another dimension. You can only go down one at a time so I suggest the strongest of you go first.”

  Andrew jumps down first and I dive in after him. Landing, I scramble to my feet and see that Andrew is already detected and fighting. Grabbing his hand, “We need to push them back so the others can come through.” Moving quickly in a semi-circular motion back and forth, fire bolts from our palms. Many move back, but others jump through, unaffected and we are embroiled in hand to hand combat. Being lifted and thrown against the wall, shadowy hands emerge, pinning my arms to the emblazing rocks. I feel the strong heat at my back and expect it to burn, but for some strange reason, it does not. It is bothersome but not crippling. Something grabs my legs and I feel it fingertips grasping at my hair. I cannot let it secure my head. Shifting quickly, power surges within me and I rip one of my hands free. Grabbing my other arm, I rip that free as well, quickly bending to avoid it grabbing me again as I wrench my legs free and fall to the ground. Francis and Catherine are moving opposite each other creating a strange vortex. Ash and soot are pulled from all directions forming a strange wall, that the others are having trouble penetrating. Only one has entered so far, and Gabriel is fighting him, holding his own in an area that appears perfectly calm.

  Scrambling to my feet, I see Andrew moving toward the edge of the vortex. Before I can scramble away, he thrusts a hand through and is immediately sucked in, but before his other hand disappears, he grabs me, sucking me in as well. “I told you we stick together. Stop thinking that you are going to go off on your own. We are stronger all together. No heroics or we will all fail.”

  “Francis and Catherine move forward. Surprisingly, from this side of the vortex I can see more clearly. I see the walls moving with us and know that it is Chaos and some of his men. A few more get through while others move past and are now crawling up the tunnel we just jumped through. I wonder if they too will head to the surface causing our family above even more trouble. Another jumps in and this time knocks Francis to the ground, the vortex ceases and we are overrun by demons trying to claw thro
ugh us. Chaos and some of his men have jumped upon me, ripping the demon from my bloodied body and I hear the shouting and the building combat around me, but cannot see what is going on. I want to throw them off me, but they hold tight momentarily. My heart races, we are fighting too many enemies. Wriggling my way toward the dimmer light knowing it must be a gap and not their blazing joints I push them aside and squeeze through. The battle appears to be over and the demons are bounding toward the tunnel, done with us, but appearing ready to begin the battle above. Serena is on the ground, she appears badly beaten. Looking around, they all look pretty bad off. Eva and Andrew are at her side and Andrew is running his hands over her. Although some of the damage must be healing because her features no longer hold agony, others appear to be taking longer to heal. Andrew looks up at Gabriel. “You have to get her out of here, another encounter could finish her. Healing takes longer in this realm and our protections are not the same against demon forces. Take her out now, we will be fine.”

  “I am not leaving you to fight this without as many of us as possible.” As he says this, he closes he eyes, looks upward and I hear him mutter Damian’s name. I shake my head, my eyes must be deceiving me. Serena is becoming more transparent by the minute and then is gone.

  “How?” Andrew mutters.

  “She’s fine” Gabriel replies but then eyes Andrew cautioning him not to ask any questions and I wonder if it is because of where we are or the company we are in.

  Andrew instead turns to Chaos. “How much further?”

  “If Sebastian still holds the child, one more passageway, but if you think the others were nightmares, they were nothing compared to this. Come it is time to see what you are really made of; what you can truly see and do, I hope you are ready.” His tone has suddenly shifted, it’s harder, more menacing. Before I can reflect upon it or his words, we are moving.

  Looking around the reflections emanating from one of the tunnels tells me where we are going before Chaos and his men enter. Halfway through the tunnel, I feel the heat emerging from the entrance and we hear a sudden crash behind us as the ground shakes below our feet. Collectively turning, the opening we just entered is now solid stone and as we turn back, Chaos and his men have disappeared. Quickly we move forward but as we reach the end, the only thing before us is a pit of bubbling lava, no ledge to crawl around, no visible opening on the other side, searching the walls, there is no visible opening above either, only red burning rock all around, like the lit charcoals of an old BBQ. Before we even have a moment to contemplate our next move, the walls around us are closing in and we are being pushed closer to the burning lava. It was all a trick, we failed. Cassandra had to have been fooled, Chaos was not sent to help us, he was sent to destroy us after we opened the gateway. We fell right into their trap and now we are falling to our doom. As the wall pushes me forward, despite our all trying to beat it back, the floor now shifts below us and we slide into the blazing pit.

  As we free fall through the fire, although he heat is intense, no one seems to burn and as my anxious eyes scan the others, I can see relief, fear, wonder, concern, and pain as the realization of what may be happening hits us all. A booming, yet somewhat familiar voice bellows in our ears. “Did you really think that you were going to defeat me? Your small pitiful victory over my simple trap gave you a short reprieve from my control, but then again, I got the soul I have been craving for oh so long. Daughter, you should not have run from me, hidden when I wanted to offer you the world, a seat beside me, a place to rule and opportunity to be free from he who should have never been worshipped, followed, He who wasted his creation by giving them free will. You cannot give creatures free will, when you do they fail, they fight, they struggle between serving their own interest and that of their master, they have conflicting directions, desires, and nothing gets done. I am still struggling to correct the wrong, but now, your failure will help me with that. I was going to give my faithful minions a treat in allowing them to begin ripping you apart, but since you made me look like a fool I will have the pleasure of torturing you first. I am sending you back to see what you have allowed me to accomplish. You will be nothing but invisible apparitions, no longer able to engage in the fight, no longer able to protect the ones you love as my followers destroy them, destroy the world you have fought so hard to protect and slowly take away everything you love, then when you return, as you are ripped apart, you will be able to see them get ripped apart once more as they too join you here and serve the one who will rule all!”

  We land with a thud. The cabin walls now surround us as demon after demon ascends from the gateway still open in the floor. Barreling toward the one Jacob had a run in with earlier. My worst fear is realized. Jacob lies immobile, surrounded in a fiery lasso as the demon rips him apart. Running toward them, I pass right through him. Turning swiftly, I try again, but only manage to crash into a swift moving Andrew. Turning, I see Cassandra lying on the floor, blood dripping from her slack mouth, her eyes vacant, staring unseeing at the horror unfolding around her as the last remnants of life drip from her immobile corpse.

  I hear Eva gasp as she passes through the demon tearing at Jackson who is pinned to the wall. The demon thrusts his talons through his sternum and rips out his heart. She flies to him, but passes through him and is gone.

  Concentrating, I try to gather energy around me to move the demon who continues to rip at Jacob. I see the deep gauges and try to move his hand, but fail again. Andrew and I entangle, but still we are useless and our son is dying because we failed to protect him, we engaged in a useless quest hoping to save everyone and instead our actions are destroying them all. The demon swipes at him again, but this time, the one who shouted at him earlier grabs his hand. “You can’t kill him. He is to be used to serve grandfather. If you kill him, you will not get to enjoy the fruits of all our hard work. Maim him if you must, but we need his power.” She quickly moves outside.

  The other quickly rips Jacob’s arm from the socket. “I know you can be repaired, but for now, all you can do is watch as I do the same to your siblings.” He lifts Jacob by the collar dragging him outside. Seeing a tear roll from his eye, I know that it is not for himself but the horror to come.

  I throw myself at him again, but only manage to hit Gabriel who is desperately trying to rip at the arm of a demon who has a hold and is grabbing her head. All Gabriel’s attempts are useless. He passes right through Martina and the demon. I hear the snap and the demon tosses Martina aside, already moving toward his next victim as Gabriel wails and falls to his knees.

  Going to him, I tug on his arm, but he barely budges, just stares at me a moment and his eyes shift back to his lost love. “Gabriel please there is nothing that you can do for her now, we have to concentrate, we have to find a way to fight, to do something, there must be a way. Please, help me before they get the others, but as I say this, more and more demons are emerging, mayhem and chaos surround us as the screams of those we brought to the slaughter bellow in my ears.

  Andrew darts past me drawing my attention as he bolts toward a brown wolf that is surrounded by the bat like demons. I see Nicholas in his wolf form running towards Kayla, and howling for help, but everyone around us is engaged in this losing battle, it doesn’t appear any of our side is making even the slightest of headway against our enemies. Andrew goes through the bat demons and appears to crash. He falls to the ground. Nicholas is grabbed and being ripped apart as Kayla is being clawed at. Running toward, them, I jump, but I too go through the demons and my children crashing into Andrew. Jumping to my feet, our children are dying and I cannot even hold them. Sobs overwhelm me and I quickly blink the veil of tears from my lids. Serena screams and Damian falls.

  Scanning to see if there is any help at all, all I see is body upon body, fight upon fight, and slaughter upon slaughter, it cannot be that not even one can infringe the slightest upon these demons. We have angels, witches, demons of our own, and people who have survived for centuries against his creatures, yet not one
can even put the slightest scratch upon even the first lower demons that we came across. Can it truly be that all those who have fought the ones here have gained nothing in our battles, no power, not even the slightest to impair their approach to dooming humanity and all those who fight the darkness?

  Considering all that are here, all that have survived, and what we have seen, it is not possible. Looking around, I see the desperation, the whispering of my family kneeling at the corpses of their loved ones and then hear Serena moan. “Damian, I’m so sorry, this should be me, I should have protected you, I would give…”

  “No! Stop! Don’t! This is not real, this is not reality. Don’t say another word.” Rising, I run toward her and can see my family looking upon me as if grief has caused me to lose my mind. “Serena, please, this is not reality. This is a nightmare, Chaos clued us in, remember he said that those other tunnels were nightmares, but this would be the worst, and isn’t this what we all fear, our worst nightmare. She disappears and I shout. “We need to find the boundaries, find an exit.” As the others rise, their features have not changed, but they move anyway.

  As we do, the demons attack, they are real, and fierce. Knocking me to the ground, I twist in its claws, fighting fiercely, ripping at its wings. I cannot and will not fail, knowing that if I do, the life that we just saw will become a reality. Tearing at the demon, he turns to dust as I snap its neck. Stumbling to me feet, I see the others battling just as fiercely.

  Andrew screams as he rips the head off a horned demon. “Mia, find the exit, we won’t be able to hold this for long. Running as fast as I can, finally, I hit a wall. Moving along its rim, my fingers push, feel, and tear at every rock underneath the façade, but I feel nothing that indicates and escape. I must be missing something. Of course I am. Inadvertently, I hit my head with my open palm. How stupid can I be? Head to the cabin. Now!”

  Andrew looks up and in his distraction, two horned beasts grab him and are about to rip him apart. Running toward him, I am only halfway when I see Gabriel throw himself at one of the demons, but flies past it as Andrew pulls them so hard together their crash resonates off the walls and they turn to ash.

  Racing toward the cabin, the demons are at our backs. They are going to capture Eva and Catherine. Stopping, I turn suddenly and Andrew crashes into me. Grabbing his hand, I concentrate on the intense heat around us and flick our wrists together, trying to direct the resonating fireball over Eva and Catherine’s head to hit the much taller demons. As it closes in, the demons shift and Catherine has a clear path. She tosses herself toward the cabin, but one of them grabs Eva and begins pulling her back. “No!”

  Trying to concentrate again, I flick our wrists, but nothing happens. Why isn’t anything forming, do we need time to regenerate. That does not make sense. From what I saw with Sahir and Saria the fire lasted longer. Before I can contemplate on this any longer, Andrew bolts from me, and is on the demon that is ripping at a screaming Eva. Her back is bleeding as she falls to the ground and the demon still has his claws in her, ripping at her. “Not this time!” Andrew shouts as he leaps at the demon and tears his head off before his feet even touch the ground. Quickly scrambling, he lifts Eva and is running toward the cabin. The gateway is in the floor, I know it despite it looking solid, I jump and fall through and can hear the others following.

  Once again we are freefalling down a tunnel whose only light is the burning flames which lie just beyond the thin rock which shines through the cracks and crevices. Landing and rolling as I hit the hardened ground, I hear shots all around us. The others fall through.

  More shots ring out and there is screaming. Inhaling, I notice for the first time smoke is filling the air, and I now see fire engulfing trees and a house is on fire. Is this another one of Satan’s tricks, another test to see if we can see through his facade? Flames burst through the floor beams of the porch as the door bursts open. My jaw drops as I see the flames shooting upward and Emma throws herself forward. This has to be another trick but somehow, I am being compelled forward, to her, expecting to once again pass right through her, but she grabs my arms. “Mia, tell me you were successful, did you free the child. We need to close the portal. There are too many, we can’t contain them to this area much longer, we have to send them back before it’s too late” As she pleads with me for information, she is pulling me to where more shots ring out.

  But how could we be back here, we didn’t even see our son, we didn’t have a chance to grab him, this cannot be real, this has to be another test, another deception, another challenge. “Mia, focus please did you release your son? Can we send them back?’

  I pull at her hand and stand my ground. “This is not real, you are another trick and I will not be deceived. I don’t know who or what you are but get away from me. I have a job to do.” She falls to her knees, Mia, please you need to help me, I have lost Shaun, Carol is hurt and your children are hiding in the woods. We need to go to them, send the demons back and be done with this. Please tell me he is still not holding your son. Please tell me you stripped him of his power.”

  She pulls at my arm again, trying to get me to move toward the wooded area. “I said stop!”

  Jacob emerges from the trees, running toward me. “Mom, you made it out.” He throws himself at me and we tumble to the ground. “I can’t believe it, you came back. You did it, just like you promised and came back. I’ll get the others. We need to close the entrance. The demons are too strong, they killed Nicholas and if we don’t close the portal, they are going to get Kayla and Nicole too.” He sobs and I can’t breathe.

  This can’t be a reality, this can’t be happening. Mom please, we need to get the others, close the gateway, and send the ones here back. Please tell me that dad made it out. I can’t remember what I need to do. I don’t know how to get him.” He lifts his head and starts looking around. “Oh no, Oh no, I don’t see him. Mom, help me, what do I need to do. We have to get dad, they are too strong to hold off any longer. We have to shut the portal.

  Scrambling to my feet, I do not see Andrew or Eva. Jacob is pulling at my shirt. Come on, instruct me and I will get dad. Mom please before it is too late! Moving swiftly toward the cabin, I turn on my heels and push away the demon who is Jacob. As I do, the illusion dissipates and a Chaos like demon bears his jagged teeth. “I don’t care who you are, you will not boost his power and you will not succeed.” He thrusts himself at me, pain lances through me as he sinks his teeth into my shoulder and thrusts my head into the ground..

  Forcing myself to shut out the pain, I realize although my arms are pinned my legs are free. Shifting myself, I kick and wriggle beneath him, but I cannot get his jaw to release. Dust chokes me, and I have to shut my eyes tight before it blinds me. I can’t stop myself from coughing and can barely hear Eva tell me to open my eyes. “Mia, open your eyes.” As I do, Andrew’s hand is already healing my shoulder.

  “How did you know?” Andrew inquires as he pulls me to my feet and we are all moving.

  I know that the ones around me are real and as this gets more and more complicated and I fear other things are going on around us that I am missing, I need to share the information despite the risks and information he will acquire with my words. I only hope that more eyes and more minds will mean we are victorious in the end.

  “I know that the demons are strong, but considering everyone we brought, everyone that we met here, and everyone who survived centuries and faced attacks, one of us had to at least slow them down a little bit, get somewhere, but in his arrogance, he couldn’t even give us an inch. That couldn’t be possible and then we passed through all those around us, but were crashing into things, into each other, that just didn’t make sense, but he quickly corrected his mistakes in the next one and allowed us to interact, but he made the fatal mistake of not really knowing the character of those he imitates. Jacob would never leave his sister and Kayla especially if Nicholas had died, nor would he forget what I needed him to do. Jacob would have held that information with
everything he had knowing how much is at stake.

  “You really have grown my daughter.” His voice is sultry, cajoling. “Your foresight comes from me. You have outgrown those around you, those who stole you from me, deceived you into a life you should not have lead, wasted time fighting your true nature. Look at what you have figured out, while those around you, those you thought were good, stumble through. Although they deceived you once, you are in the realm you should be, the realm that will make you strong, make you see the right path, remove the veil they placed over your eyes. Come to me and we shall release the anti-Christ together to set that world right, to allow my children and my creations to rule, to make the worlds as it should be, to serve the one who should be served. You have done well in getting them down here, now they cannot interfere with our plans, our new world. It is time that you come to me, that they be used as the tools they were meant to be, to destroy the old worlds, and begin them anew.”

  His speech sickens me and as my eyes scan my family, I can’t help but fear that they may think I lured them here as some part of his sick plan. Andrew moves toward my ear, “We don’t…” Before he can finish, he is thrust into the air, suspended above us as his limbs involuntarily jerk about. He looks like an out of control puppet.

  “He looks like one because that is what he is my daughter. He is nothing more than a tool to be used, a gateway into realms he himself cannot freely enter, a prop to be manipulated; a means to an end. Just look at what he lost, look at the years of suffering and torture he endured because he was not a good little puppet to one who proclaims to allow his servants free will. Free will is an illusion that he gives you to make you believe that you are choosing to follow him, he proclaims free will because he cannot control you directly, he does not have that strength so he manipulates you instead, dangles a carrot before the horse to make him jump through hoops. At least I am truthful in what I am, how I rule and how my servants shall serve in my name.” He slams Andrew into a wall, I can hear the crunch of his bones, but instead of sliding down, talon hands extend outward and pin him, suspend him against the rocks as others emerge and begin the climb towards him.

  As they do, I see Gabriel, Eva and Catherine spout wings, whiter than snow from behind, they span out and almost touch the walls. They lift off their feet and begin spinning wildly. Their wings cutting though the rock like creatures, fragmenting them, causing rocks to rain down. It sounds as if we are in the middle of an avalanche. As the rocks become bigger, Serena reapparates and she and Francis sprout wings and arch them covering me like a bridge as larger stones fall and finally, Andrew is free.

  Coming beside me, his stark white wings hold flecks of gold. Wrapping them around me, we are cocooned and he whispers in my ear. “Don’t listen to him. You may have been the daughter of Lucifer before he left, but you are not the daughter of what is here now, you do not belong to him or this world. We belong together. You belong with our children in a place far from here.” He is tossed back once more and as his wings open, I fall to the ground.

  “Do you really think that you can block me out of her head, her heart. I created her. She belongs with me. She belongs to her family here. She must fulfill her destiny here.”

  “She has no destiny here, she belongs to no one, she has free will and she uses it to stay with me. You have no claim on her!”

  Wrenching himself free from whatever had him careening back toward the wall, he is at my side. “We need to finish this, I can feel the energy building with each fall, we are getting closer to him, we need to find our son and get out of here.

  Looking around, there is no way to move forward, but then again, he is the king of deception. Why isn’t Chaos here, has he been found, has he just lead us in circles to waste time and deceive us? Is that what this has been, a rouse to buy time, time they needed to get through the gates, to free and use our son to bring destruction. “You really are a clever girl, but slow. What to you seemed like only hours has been decades on what was your world. You children have made very useful puppets in my plan and the one I stole from you the way you were stolen from me has proven invaluable along with Alexander. You are free to go, the way you came, you are too weak to save any of them. They played into our hands beautifully and are now enslaved to me. Go! Go and witness your destiny fulfilled.” His bellowing is deafening. The ground shakes below us, hurricane winds swirl around us and we are being lifted on the apex of a vortex created beneath our feet, higher and higher, I can see the tunnel that we fell through, Andrew grabs me and follows the others through.

  I can see the desperation in his eyes, the crushing concern that we played right into his hands and now all is defeated, all is lost. As we reach the first rotunda, I can see the same look upon the others as they search feverishly for the opening which we came through which opens as Eva’s hands brush against the rooftop. Flying up once more, we repeat the process over and over again until we are standing in a darkened, emptied and tattered cabin which holds only the remnants of a long forgotten fight under the years of dust. My heart sinks. Moving robotically across the floor, Gabriel tentatively opens the door. Stepping out, it’s twilight. The sky is gray and murky as if a storm is brewing. The silence surrounding us is absolutely deafening. There is no sign of life anywhere. We are surrounded by deadened trees, dust where lush grass used to be and I can see the other house in the distance, or what is left in the wake of destruction which stretches from the abandoned grounds before us.

  “Come on, we can cover more ground from the air.” Spreading his wings, Gabriel immediately takes flight and the others follow. Andrew grabs me and we soon join them, flying higher and higher, I can see them sweeping their wings as if hoping to find that we are trapped in another deception, but their faces turn ashen as there are no signs of any boundaries and the world below us is a desolate, burnt out wasteland, devoid of life. We fly over a place that I recognize which was once a beautiful lake, now lined with the bones of hundred that died in only who knows what kinds of horrors.

  Flying out further, we see a battle raging below between what could only be warring demon species. As they rip at each other, I can hear the cries for someone to help save them from a building below. Andrew heads toward the church where the cries ring out, but lands several buildings away so as not to be spotted by the warring factions. Sneaking around to the back so as to avoid detection from those in front, a red aura is before the doorway and I can hear those inside pounding upon it desperate to get out. Andrew steps toward the glow and turns. “Cover the area with your wings, try to muffle the sound. I am standing just outside the wings, and hear nothing. Suddenly, they break and those held inside flee like a hoard of cattle.

  After they pass, Andrew does not come out, so we step in. A collective gasp fills the now deadened space as we stare upon the desecrated figures which once adorned the church and an altar which now has two huge statues facing each other, each some deranged rendition of Andrew, but with red eyes, dark hair and malevolent features.

  The feverish screams from outside tear us from this horror. Rushing forward, we see fire raining down. Looking up, it can’t be possible. They can’t be real. Shaking my head, it must be. Demons can take on any shape they desire. Why couldn’t they be dragons? Fire rains down from the dragon twins upon the people we freed who stand there like sacrifices waiting to be slaughtered. Although some scream as they burn, the others around them do not move. Catherine and Francis fly toward the dragons, but their wings are immediately burned and they free fall to the earth. Andrew and Gabriel grab boulders from the ground and begin hurling them, but they deftly maneuver and not one touches them. The people finally flee and as the dragons fly toward us, they transform and land on two legs.

  “Mother it has been so long. Don’t you have a hug for your son?” He taunts as he rips me from Andrew. Staring at him, his red flecks glisten. There is no sign of goodness, no hint of redemption as his tone drips with malevolence.

  The other one shouts as he grabs Andrew in an ine
scapable hold. “She is not your mother, they were just vessels to our arrival, do not address her with any type of respect. If she had done what she should, all of our siblings would be assisting us instead of enslaved in shackles, compelled to do what they must.” He turns. “Come, I am sure that you want to see your children and family” He taunts as his eyes sweep the others. They have made wonderful tools for our rule here. You bred wonderful work horses. They have secured many a soul here and will soon overrun his world as well. Then nothing will be out of our realm, our reach. But I’m sure that you are not interested in hearing of our victory, but there is something that we would like you to see.”

  Pushing off the ground, each with one of us in their arms, they immediately transform to dragons once more, and we are flying too fast for the Gabriel or Eva to catch us. Soon, they are not even a blip against the darkening sky.

  Above the ancient remnants of the once grand Coliseum, there is a crowd of demons looking toward the center. My stomach rolls and I can’t breath as I see an aged Nicholas and Kayla slack against two rock columns held by fiery cuffs holding their hands and feet, while Jacob and Nicole are twenty feet away, encircled in a lasso of fire, their faces pained, aged, worn, their bodies gaunt and weary. We must have lost at least twenty or thirty years of this time while we were in hell. My now grown children are being forced to separate the souls from the beaten, but not quite dead bodies as an announcer boasts to cheers of the demon crowd that this is what happens to those who think they can resist. The demons jeering and cheering are deafening, some of them even fly at the newly released souls and then disappear, while others call for the taking. Suddenly, shadows rise from earth and pull the screaming souls to hell. Nicole struggles against the lasso to cover her ears as Jacob vomits profusely.

  If you had not tried to escape your destiny, your children would not be suffering now. What made you think that you could hide me from a fate I was born to after you failed in your destiny? How could something so weak and stupid bring me forth? How could you think that weak little Jacob could forestall my connecting with my brother, bringing him forth? Why did you ever think that he could hide with Alexander? You couldn’t hide during the fall, you were not even smart enough to tell him to hide on hallowed ground, please enlighten me as to your thinking. Maybe if your story amuses me, I will give your children five minutes respite before bringing forth the new souls for them to take. Just look at your poor Nicholas and Kayla. I’m sure they would give anything for five minutes off the pole and away from the lashings that keep your other children in line. Please enlighten me and save them.” Twisting, I see nothing but pure evil before me.

  “We failed only because I underestimated your ability to reach them before they reached…” I gasp. “Andrew you can break free, these are not our children.” My voice screeches from the excitement of my revelation. “Father you failed again, this is not real, I know it, they were successful and you need to find them to succeed. You won’t!” I scream and call forth a banishing spell that Amanda taught me before we entered this realm. The demon quickly reverts back to form before burning. He thrusts me forward before his ashes float to the surface. Flames burst up around us, and Andrew swoops me up just before I am about to crash against a jagged stalagmite.

  Grabbing at his shirt, “We need to get our son and get out of here before we slip.”

  “Mia did you arrange to have Jacob and Alexander hide?” I nod. “Please tell me that no one knows where you instructed them to go? Tell me they are safe, they seem to be essential for what he is planning and from what we have seen, we can’t fail. Are you sure that they are in a safe place and that he cannot find them.”

  “They are safe. He must not have figured that I would have them change…” Oh no, my hand grips the tip of the stalagmite and with never before used strength, I rip it off and drive it into Andrew. My body shakes violently as he burns before my eyes and I am once again freefalling.

  Splashing into a fiery pit, I feel the heat, the burn, I feel my skin sear. As my world darkens with the pain, his voice is in my head. “This is a taste of your future if you do not start to cooperate.” My world goes black and silent.

  My eyes flutter and I struggle out of Andrew’s hold. “Get your hands off of me, scrambling to my feet, I grab a rock and hold it as a weapon, getting ready to throw it at him.

  “Mia, it’s alright, it’s really me. We got separated, but we found you.” He holds up his hands, palms up, and his tone is as if he is speaking to a cornered animal, which right now, maybe that is exactly what he is trying to reason with. So many deceptions, so many lies, so many tricks are forcing my instincts to overpower rational thought. The savage is growing inside of me. The one that drove a stake into what appeared to be Andrew without hesitation is growing bolder. Was I even sure, or do I just want to destroy all that is around me, find my family, get my son and Sebastian and leave this place?”

  “Mia, we can do just that, but I need you to put down the rock and think, you are not a savage, we have just been thrown into a situation that causes us to do things that we would not otherwise do, but that does not make you a savage, it makes you a survivor, a fighter, and we will save our son, but you need to see me, we need to do this together. I’m sorry they separated us when those demons began flying, I should have tried to hold on to you, to ensure that we were not out of each other’s sight, but I was able to see what you saw.” He flinches, probably at the memory of what appeared to be our children suffering, being forced to bring forth the evil which he has always fought against. “Mia, you knew that was not me, you know I would never ask anything that may jeopardize our children.”

  Staring at him, he knows what I’m thinking. He knows what I am feeling. I feel the rock slip from my fingers as I throw myself at him and wince at the contact. “Are you alright? Your skin is still tender; you were pretty badly burned when we found you.” He slides his hands over me once more and I feel his energy. Despite the pain, I pull him closer, I need him. I need him and only him to hear me. “Listen” I whisper before touching his forehead to mine in hopes of sharing with him the questions I have about what I saw with the demons and spirits.”

  “Mia, I don’t know what it means, but we need to get moving, maybe we can figure it out on the way, but I can feel his anger growing and with his anger comes his power, he feeds off of fear, confusion and desperation. The longer we are here, the more we fear losing, the more power he will have over us.” He speaks out loud now and looks to the others as well. “We should get moving.” He moves us toward the far end of the cavern and lays his hand upon a rock and suddenly Chaos emerges, touches two more stones and a tunnel is revealed.

  Quickly traveling through I can hear the low agonizing moans and taunting. “Let him go, this is your last chance and I will ensure that you are released and have a place of honor in his army. I can even ensure that you are placed on the plane you have longed for. They are almost here, if they reach the child, I will personally ensure that you are tortured for all eternity and are sent to Satan’s inner realm where he can personally rip you apart every day for jeopardizing his plan. I can hear them breathing, they are almost here, choose the winning side, this is your last chance. Hand me the child.”

  “Never”

  Running, we burst into the room, and are immediately thrust backward into the cave which now shakes and is collapsing around us.

  Gabriel springs to his feet with Francis and they stretch their wings, curving them taking on the weight of the rocks and the heat of the raining flames. Serena joins them. Crawling through their makeshift tunnel, from their features, I can see we do not have much time. Hurling myself through, this time, I somersault into a corner as the demons concentrate on pushing back Eva and Andrew.

  Only one demon grabs hold of me. Unfortunately, this demon slithers on at least eight tentacles, six of which are coiling around me. As I rip one away, the others tighten. Hearing a clang behind me, suddenly the tentacles release and drop at my feet. I qui
ckly twist and see one of Chaos’ men, but he does not have the red eyes of the others, his eyes are blue and as the rock falls from him, Reginald emerges.

  Kicking the tentacles at my feet, we quickly move toward Sebastian. “You came back!”

  “I told you I would. Let’s get you out of here.”

  “Watch out!” He pulls the child closer to him as Reginald twists quickly with his hands outstretched, he grabs Chaos who is holding a boulder just above his head and sends him crashing against the jagged rocks. As the boulder slips I flick my wrist and it careens into the demon attacking another white soul trapped I this realm, knocking it off balance enough that as the apparition swirls around the demon, he is lifted off the ground and thrust into the jagged rocks above. The demon bursts and hot embers are now raining down on us all.

  More Chaos like demons emerge from the rocks around us, attacking Reginald, grabbing me, closing off access to Gabriel, Serena and Francis before others descend going after Andrew and Eva who are already embattled with several tentacle creatures.

  Chaos screams to another, we brought them to you, do your job, capture them, bring them to their knees. A burst of energy emanates from Sebastian and the two rock creatures before the cave, burst into flames. Serena abandons her spot in the tunnel and hurls herself at Chaos before he can slam into the back of Andrew.

  Another rock creature sheds it mask revealing Amanda who is wielding a sledge hammer. Lifting it over her head, Chaos cries out. “Master I led them astray as you asked reward me with power so I may destroy them.” Before her hammer strikes, he is gone.

  Amanda turns quickly and screams out, to the apparitions chained by fire. “You are strong, break your chains, your captures cannot reinforce them while fighting. Help us, help yourselves to escape.”

  Two break free and join the white cage that is before Sebastian and I realize that they are reinforcing the protection if we fail, as three others break free, they flee immediately.

  The demons holding Reginald, bash him against the rocks and he falls, limp and lifeless. The demon hovering above him yells to some others. “Help us rip him apart. We will take them out one by one.”

  I scream to Amanda who still has her hands free, but she does not raise them to help him. Sebastian screams to his sister, pleading for her to help, but still she does not move. As two others move off of me, I struggle to regain the use of my hands, to do something, but they are locked tight. Reginald is going to die and I can’t summon enough strength to break free and help. What if he is stuck in this realm because he tried to help me? I struggle more and can see the light growing by Sebastian, but it quickly dims.

  As my head whips around everyone is engaged in battle and Reginald is going to be destroyed by the three rock like demons and two tentacle wielding monsters which are now piled upon him, probably ripping away every part of him.

  The ground shakes, a blast rings out, and a blinding red light beams in every direction as pieces of tentacles fly everywhere along with jagged shards of rock.

  Struggling to fold myself into the crevices of my captures, I do so just in time to hear the clanging of rocks against rocks, followed by strategic blows to their heads with the sledge hammer until their hands release me and I crawl out from the rubble that just moments before had me pinned.

  Scrambling to my feet, Eva, Andrew and Serena too seem to be holding their own. Amanda and Reginald are now at the bars which are dissipating before my eyes.

  Gabriel yells from the tunnel. “Move quickly, we can’t hold this much longer. The white apparitions that were once bars flee immediately.

  Sebastian collapses on the floor, the child still in his arms. Leaning down, I try to grab our son, but my hands pass through them both. “Mia, you need to concentrate. There is no time.” Trying again, my hands still pass through him.

  Sending the last of the demons flying and bursting into flames a deafening “No” vibrates the already shaking walls and they begin to collapse around me. Andrew is at my side, grabs the child as Eva grabs me, and Reginald grabs a collapsed Sebastian. Moving quickly, we have to squeeze through the now sagging wings of Gabriel and Francis.

  As Amanda and Reginald squeeze through the entrance way trying to push away some of the fallen rocks as they crawl over them, a boulder falls behind them and the entrance is cut off while the floor falls out from under us.

  Falling, shadows are now all around us, ripping at me. I can hear their steel nails grinding against the others iron skin and see white feathers flying before me. Gabriel free falls, his wings no longer extended. I hear his hard landing just before I slam against the ground.

  Shadows circle all around us. Andrew pulls the child closer to his chest as Eva and Francis try to shield me. “No, you must protect Andrew, I’m fine. They can’t grab our son.” Pushing at them, Eva moves to shield Andrew along with Gabriel and Serena, but Francis stays with me.

  “Enough” an all too familiar voice bellows. “Get my children. Your job is done here.” They are off of us immediately, disappearing through the walls. Francis jumps up and flies at Jonathan, but as Jonathan fades to transparency, Francis hits the wall and as he falls back, Jonathan rotates his hand and bubbling lava springs up all around him forming a wide chasm. “I will leave you as a treat for my children when they return home. Francis stands and as he spreads his wings to take flight, Jonathan flicks his wrist and Francis wings are now tied to him with a fiery lasso. “I said you would be a treat.”

  He disappears and then appears as a ghostly apparition stroking the child in Andrew’s arms. I can hear his voice. “I have been waiting for you my little pathway.” Andrew’s rapid swipes finally knock him from our son. Jonathan sends Eva flying against the wall, pinning her with yet another fiery lasso. Gabriel spreads his wings and suddenly, he too is nothing more than a bright apparition. Jonathan, once again fades and they are locked in battle.

  “Andrew, get out before others get here. You can’t get caught here.” He rises and his features turn pained as he looks around.

  Francis yells too. “She’s right, go now or the worlds we saw will be a reality.” Spreading his wings, he appears torn as he lifts off, and in that moment of hesitation, he is now surrounded by those who must be Jonathan’s children. Grabbing at him, they knock him off balance. He grips our son closer. Rising, I wish I had wings to meet him up there, but as he tumbles, I concentrate on righting him and he appears steadier. Rising up again, Jonathan, kicks Gabriel back, re-apparates spreading his own dark wings before chasing Andrew.

  “We are just getting started. It’s not time for you to leave.” He screeches as he shoots a fiery lasso from his hands, but this time, I am waiting, redirecting the energy, it now begins to coil around him, yet Andrew is thrust back toward the ground and falls hard as fire springs up around him. The loud cackling draws my attention and I now see two girls flying toward him, hands outstretched, but as they try to rip the child from Andrew’s arms, the child soul grows whiter and whiter, as its form becomes smaller and smaller then as it is no more than a sparkle before Andrew’s heart, it thrusts itself inside and Andrew is thrust back causing the two girls to crash into each other before falling to the ground.

  Andrew flies toward Eva and with the strength of Hercules, rips away her imprisoning lasso. Jonathan comes at him again and all three crash toward the ground. Concentrating on Francis, I levitate him off the narrow island in the middle of his prison, but as two of the others come at me, I have to quickly throw Francis from his spot causing him to crash into Gabriel.

  Several more shadows appear from nowhere and then form into beings, most having Jonathan’s features. Grabbing hold of one, it disappears before my eyes, only to reappear and push me toward the ground.

  Tuning swiftly, just as I grab hold of its leg, it disappears again and reappears with its hands on my head. Struggling, I can’t manage to shake it as it bashes my head against the rocky ground.

  A booming voice momentarily distracts everyone. “Jonathan, stop was
ting time. Send your children forth to do my bidding before you fail me again! The child on their plane is not far from the site, take their scents and track him.”

  Pushing Andrew off of him, several shadows appear and grab hold of his wrists and ankles pulling him apart and suspending him in midair. Hundreds of bat like creatures descend upon Gabriel, Francis, Eva and Serena, attacking them, as fire form shadows emerge from the lava, barreling toward me. Forcing the first few back, others break ranks and now they are coming at me from all sides, I can’t seem to escape. Backing up, I force a few more back, but then am lifted off the ground by two of Jonathan’s children who are now sporting dark wings. Trying to wriggle myself free, I wrench my hand from one of them and flick it in hopes of sending him back, but he grabs hold of me, dissipates and his apparition somehow still grabs hold of me, moving me forward.

  “Children now, go.”

  I see two children pass through Andrew and disappear. Jonathan growls viciously. As the next one moves toward him, Jonathan knocks him down. “First her then him”

  “But Father we were instructed to…”

  “I know your instructions but to get there you must pass through her plane first. Now go.”

  The demon swoops down passing through me and then Andrew before disappearing. I feel as if someone pounded my chest from the inside out, it is getting harder and harder to breathe as they pass and I can feel my heart becoming slower and slower. The next one rushes toward me, but does not phase out in time and knocks me to the ground.

  “Get her!” Jonathan shouts, but as I twist, I see Andrew and see a way out. Moving as fast as I can to put distance between us, I somehow fade into an apparition myself. Concentrating on moving and hiding with the shadows which appear to be passing me without noticing me, I travel further and further into the darkness concentrating on only Jacob and my message. “Do it now and hide.” I repeat my mantra over and over again as I struggle to keep spiritual. Reemerging before Jacob accomplishes our task will give them another chance.

  Knocked to the ground, I am corporeal once again. “No!” The shout is everywhere and I know now that at least their passageway has been closed, Andrew and the others have been yanked back.

  “I’ll take her.” Jonathan shouts as he pulls at my hair, dragging me down the tunnel of my visions. “Father what should I do now. Where should I go, Katie, Scott and Georgiana did not make it through either.”

  Jonathan stops, turns on his heels, pulls me to my feet and slams me against the wall. His eyes reflect the burning fires of hell as he stares at me and then turns to the boy. “You let her escape and she closed the most important pathway. Now I will never reach the one I’m seeking.” Acid drips from his mouth causing smoke to rise where it falls.

  “Go through her and destroy the resistance in her children, make them your puppets or when I arrive, I will destroy you!”