How?!
Just before my reaction to losing the coin could settle in my gut like poison, a hand flashed out of nowhere and plucked the coin from the air before it could fall into the water.
“Well now, wasn’t that lucky.” A chirpy voice said. I looked to the bearer of the voice and what I saw made me do a double take. A guy, who couldn’t have been much older than me, was stood at the end of a thin boat, dressed in a striped black and white sweater, with a pair of black board shorts and to top off my shock, a boater hat worn to the side. I didn’t know what I expected but whatever it was, then this guy was the furthest from it by a long shot!
“Keira, don’t.” Jared was close to pleading and his pained expression nearly undid me. I looked back to the ferryman who had started whistling a happy tune, whilst flipping my coin in between his fingers at a blurring speed. He looked like someone who was trying not to be a part of this uncomfortable position by pretending it wasn’t happening. He caught me looking and said,
“Hey kids, don’t mind me, you guys look like you’re heavy into something.” I was utterly speechless at hearing this guy talk, he was just so…well, so…normal! Jared growled low and my head shot back to him to see he was giving the ferryman a fierce scowl that looked like he wanted to rip out this guy’s jugular.
“You’re really not gonna listen to me?” I didn’t know what to say so instead I just shook my head, giving him a sad look. His features turned to granite as he nodded once, taking my answer as absolute. Then he flipped his own coin at the ferryman and without looking the guy caught it.
“That’s for the return trip. Make fucking sure she has her ass back on that boat or you have my permission to put her ass down on that boat by any means…understood?” He gave Jared a salute and quite possibly the cheekiest smile I had ever seen. He then took a step onto the dock and used one of the posts at the end to pull his boat closer, which I now recognised as a fancy black gondola. He held out his hand for me to take and just as I was about to, Jared snarled and grabbed me, spinning me so quickly it took me a minute to process what was happening. But before I could, Jared crashed his lips to mine and kissed me so quick it left me blindsided.
“If you don’t come back, so help me pet, I will tan that hide when I find you!” My eyes opened wide at both the kiss and the threat, but before I could say a word Jared handed me over to the happy boatman. I was promptly sat down on one of the comfy black leather seats as I was spun underarm like a bewildered dance partner and received a wink, at the same time he tipped his hat and ran his fingers along the rim.
“And Charon…” The intimidating voice of Jared turned both our heads.
“In one piece, you got me?!” The dangerous smile he gave Jared gave me chills but in a typical happy go lucky manner, he replied,
“Not gonna be a problem Cerberus man, there are others where she is going that want the very same thing.” I didn’t understand this secret exchange going on between these two but I didn’t miss Jared’s response.
“That’s what I am afraid of.” Then before explaining it more he turned his back the same time the Ferryman pushed us from the side. I felt a pinch in my heart as I saw Jared walk away from me and I couldn’t help wonder two things…was I doing the right thing and the other…?
What was that kiss all about?
“That’s some pretty hard thinking you got going on, does it hurt?” I didn’t realise I had my eyes shut tight as my thoughts were running riot. I opened them to see a friendly face tilted to the side smiling at me.
“Sorry, it’s just been one of those days, you know.” I said thinking about the new level of strange my life had jumped to.
“Oh, I know all about those days in this place, but the question is, what is a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? You don’t look too dead to me…just saying.” He said whilst picking up a long black pole from the water side of the boat.
“Uhh…thanks.”
“You’re… uhh… welcome.” He winked again. I couldn’t help but stare and smile at his unexpected teasing.
“Do I have something in my teeth?” He asked, rubbing his tongue over them to see for himself. I shook my head and offered an explanation for my rude gawking.
“Sorry to stare and all, but you’re not exactly what I expected.”
“What, roguishly handsome, a fine specimen of a being maybe, or just such a dashing representative of this very Underworld?” He asked grinning wide. I laughed, relaxing back into the seat. He was certainly a lively character for such a morbid job and he was cute. He reminded me of one of those guys who never wanted to grow up and loved life to its fullest. Whether that could be said for someone that did what he did I couldn’t say but he fit the type. The ones who like to party hard, play harder and didn’t give two shits what anyone thought about their life’s philosophy and who could really blame them if they were happy.
But then there was this guy who had that same easy going nature all those things embodied that just oozed from him. It was in his messy brown hair style trying to be contained under his bent hat, his growing bushy beard that wasn’t as neat as Jared’s, but somehow still suited him. His eyes were soft and smiley with a hint of mischief ready to pounce out at the next opportunity. And then, there was his smile that made his eyes light up from somewhere deep and the lines there that said he did it often.
Oh yes, this guy made me relax alright, if anything he made me want to laugh out loud just for the fun of it. Definitely opposite to what he did in this place. It felt wrong for someone with so much life and soul to deal with so much death. Or was that the reason for it? To bring ease to those who had passed? That would make more sense than say, someone who looked like death.
“Hey, what’s that?” I pointed to what now came into view. With the mist completely lifted it now gave me a clear sight of all the other docks that stuck out of the endless decked walk way. I couldn’t even count them all there was so many. I could see other figures, tiny from as far out as we had quickly become.
“Oh them, don’t worry they won’t have to wait long.” I frowned at what he could mean. Then I realised we weren’t the only boat on the water.
“Oh God…they’re dead and they’re waiting to be picked up aren’t they?” I asked quickly losing that relaxed state of mind his presence had put me in.
“As great as I am, I am still only one being, my pretty obol giver.”
“Obol?” He gave me that cheeky grin of his again and replied,
“It means coin.”
“Oh…and those…” I cleared my throat not knowing what to call all those unfortunate souls that, unlike me, would not be making the return journey.
“Those… well now, only their Charon will know the destination, once he has touched their soul.”
“But wait, you didn’t touch mine and I thought your name was Charon?” At this he burst out laughing and pushed the boat along after bending over to give a full belly laugh.
“Questions, questions, it’s one of the things I do love about my job and usually this is the point where I become all serious and say in a masterful tone, ‘Thou shall know when the Gods see fit”. He said this last part in a booming Godly voice that made me jump and rocked the boat.
“And see, isn’t it great! I get that same reaction every time! But for you I will answer your questions, as I doubt you will be coming back here for a while.” He continued to push us along and I could see even more of the never-ending line of docks, to a point where I had to hold myself to stop from shaking. I mean I knew I was not naive to the ways of the world, for there must be death to grant life, I knew of the balance but to see it here, in front of my very eyes was…
Heartbreaking.
“Answer one, I did not need to touch you to read your soul as you had one of these.” He said flashing the coin around in between his knuckles once again until it disappeared.
“And number two, there are many Charons, in fact as many that are needed…I am simply a small means to
a larger end…but what a means! Don’t you think?” He said wagging his eyebrows at me.
“Well, I for one definitely think you’re a nice surprise.” On hearing my comment he took off his hat and bowed, making a big floppy mess of loose curls escape. Then he pushed it all back with one hand and replaced his hat.
“Would you like to hear something once written about us?” I nodded making him beam at me.
“There Charon stands, who rules the dreary coast -
A sordid God: down from his hairy chin
A length of beard descends, uncombed, unclean;
His eyes, like hollow furnaces on fire;
A girdle, foul with grease, binds his obscene attire”
Once he finished I pulled a distasteful face at him and said,
“That’s wasn’t very flattering for you or very accurate.” At this his excitement grew, making him shout out,
“I know, right! The only thing I can think of is that he must have got one of us on a bad day.” I burst out laughing at the thought.
As the journey continued onward I let my mind wander to all that had happened and what was still happening. Jared’s face still haunted me when he saw my coin. Where was it I was going to exactly and should I have accepted his offer of help? No, I couldn’t. So far I had followed all the rules from the Oracle and it hadn’t steered me wrong yet. I just had to keep my faith in her and continue. I mean, what choice did I have now? But I must say my main concern had switched to not where I was going but more like to whom.
Jared’s own words wouldn’t leave my mind, playing over and over…'Because I know where and to who it will take you and trust me when I say you do not want to go there’. I shivered at the thought.
“It does start to get colder the closer we get to the gates.” I looked up at Charon, who simply nodded ahead. I shifted in my seat and looked at what he meant. A gasp escaped me as I saw the most incredible sight. There, coming closer to us, was a structure so great, it didn’t seem it could possibly be real. It made me wonder how long I had been sat there lost in my own thoughts.
Along the full length of the water until out of sight were the most colossal columns that were at least 200 ft high. They were sparkling white but with no sun to reflect off them, I didn’t know how it was conceivable. The columns made up the start to a wall of tunnels big enough that the Lady Liberty could have walked under them with ease. Each archway over the opening reached up in a spear that pierced the sky for another 100 ft at least. I couldn’t even count how many there were, but I could see some with small boats entering the dark tunnels.
“What are they?” I uttered in breathless fascination.
“Those are the destinations.” I had to tear my eyes from the sight to gauge his expression.
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, now this is the part where people always get testy…let me ask you, are you a deeply religious person?” His question threw me and I didn’t know any other way to answer but truthfully.
“Umm, sort of…I don’t know exactly what is beyond life, although this is giving me a pretty good idea alright.” I laughed and then had to continue,
“Living with the supernatural, I now know about Gods, Angels and Demons, Heaven and Hell, but even being allowed to live with that knowledge, it doesn’t seem to make me anymore knowledgeable than the next person.”
“Then I can answer you, for you will not bite my head off with your faith.” He said winking at this last bit.
“The truth of the matter lies as such, if you believe in this place then it lives, it is that simple. You find many a crumbled passageway lies in ruins at the bottom of these waters from the death of a faith.” My mouth dropped open is disbelief.
“So, what you’re saying is that each one of those tunnels is a gateway into the end that they believe in, with the Gods that they worship?” Even as I asked for confirmation I knew the truth. I remembered back to all that time ago on Draven’s balcony. I remembered the day I finally found out what he was, and the words he used…“Everyone sees things through different eyes and it is as simple as yes and no. It always has been. Religion means something different to everybody. Every race of life, throughout time has viewed God differently but they have all had something in common...they all believed. That is the difference.”
So that was the only difference. People had to believe in order to come here and find their own end.
“But wait, in that case what happens to those who don’t believe?” At this he just shrugged his shoulders and said,
“Sorry, not in my pay grade to know but I will say this…” He leant closer to whisper,
“…I don’t hear much about reincarnation, so what I don’t hear means it doesn’t happen down here and what doesn’t happen down here…could very well happen up there.” He looked up and I followed his gaze staring into nothing but endless white.
“You mean Heaven?” I asked causing him to turn serious.
“No my obol giver, I mean up in your world.”
I couldn’t say much after that because my mind was like a spinning top in the hands of a small child. Naïve and innocent watching the colours of life blur with such speed, well that’s what was happening to me right now. All those myths, all those stories now holding some sense of truth… All the world’s fighting and killing in the name of a faith that people tried to control when there never was any.
Two men at war when both of their beliefs existed. And all for what…to come here at the end of days and see the mistakes they made. To see all this and know that glory was not ever to be found on earth but right here and right now. Glory in belief, whatever it may be is true only if it is true to you.
Your very own personal Heaven or your very own personal Hell. That is what awaits us if we believe and if not, then maybe what Charon says is true as well. If there is no belief then maybe nothing happens but the simple reuse of our soul. Not for Demon, not for Angel but for plain old humankind.
Souls recycled.
“Look there, for that boat holds someone set out for The Elysium fields.”
“That’s the place for good…so like a Heaven?” I asked as the penny finally dropped. You didn’t rise up to Heaven, but first you came here to let the fates decide what type of life you once lived.
“A lot of gateways if it isn’t.” I nodded my understanding.
“So where is it then that we are heading, if there is more than one version of Hell?” This was when for the first time Charon lost his easy going smile, replacing it with one full of menace and sinister venom.
“Let’s see shall we?” He said once again producing the coin I had given him for this crossing. We came to some sort of deeper section of the water as it had changed to a darker colour as far as I could see. For the first time down here, I actually began to let the fear seep in enough to root and take hold.
“Make a wish.” He said and I didn’t know if he was joking or not, however I still wished and said one name in my mind. Then he flipped the coin up and over the boat into the darker depths.
His eyes clouded over and his lids flickered for quick seconds before snapping open and looking to one of the tunnels to his right. I followed his sights and saw it was one of the darkest tunnels, with the waters not looking as calm as the rest.
“Your answer… off to one of the nine circles we must go.”
“Nine circles…as in Dante's Inferno nine circles?!” His answer came like a spider crawling up my spine under my skin…
“And you were such a nice girl.”
Chapter 43
A Draven at Home in Hell
Charon pushed us off what seemed like a dip or small ledge in the water as, all at once, everything about this journey started to change. The water that was once still and tranquil quickly turned into an angry entity that made the boat rock. I held on just as he shouted over the roar of water,
“HOLD ON!” I gripped the edge of the boat with one hand and the bottom of my seat with the other. I also tried to use my
legs as leverage, anchoring me down. I bravely turned my head to see the churning water ahead that twisted and gushed up into waves of white foam. It battered against the rocks that could now be seen rising up from the water. I didn’t know how this small gondola could survive, along with us in it.
“AHHH!” My scream got swallowed up by the sound of water smashing into the sides of the tunnel we were about to enter into and amazingly Charon remained standing as he manoeuvred us out of danger. The front of the boat would dip down in between two rocks that were causing a clash of power with the water and then the back would fall, landing with a splash through the spray. I looked up to see the last of the white sky disappearing overhead as we entered the belly of the beast.
My grip on the boat became painful, but it was drowned out by the heady mixture of adrenaline flooding my senses and life threatening fear. I felt drunk on it and it wasn’t only the extreme motions of the boat that were making me feel sick and dizzy. I just wanted it to be over! Why had I come here? How could I have possibly thought that I could have survived this? I wanted to shout STOP! I wanted to put an end to it all and call it quits just like any other scared witless fool would do, but then something happened.
“Draven.” I uttered his name as a prayer. It was all I had to hold onto. But then, unbelievably, I saw that some of the rocks had started descending back under the water. Was it a sign, was it my faith? I had to try, so this time I shouted louder,
“Draven!” Making even more of the rocks disappear. It was really working! He must be here! He must be able to hear me somehow! Then, just as the worst of the rapids could be seen ahead, I swallowed the last of my fear. I gripped the sides now with determination and found my footing to follow through with what I thought was the best chance at living, or I would not be making it past this part without my body intact. I got up on shaky feet, steadied myself enough to make it to the front of the boat and held on to the wooden frame that curled towards me.