“Sent me? I came of my own free will!” The pain was becoming more and more severe with each question. I was beginning to pant and moan with each answer.
“What do you seek in my tower?”
“Stop this, Beelzebub!”
“I take no orders! And you may have just answered my question. You do indeed seek one of my many riches. Don’t you!?” As he shouted, the chair grew more and more angry. It was leeching everything from me. The pain was moving through my body like water flowing through the earth.
“I seek…I seek…nothing…” I barely let out before I finally blacked out from the intense pain. I was fighting hard to keep hold of my consciousness. I knew what would happen if I had let myself pass out. I didn’t want to dream again, but it happened anyway.
I was in the woods. It looked like it was mid spring. The trees were starting to bud and the water in the nearby creek was flowing. I didn’t know where I was so I started walking. It was night so I couldn’t use the sun to tell which direction I was walking, but I tried to stay as straight as I could.
I heard the rustling of leaves behind me. I turned and saw no one. I started walking a little bit faster through the woods.
Not three steps ahead the rustling was back. I turned and saw my wife standing immediately in front of me, but she was different. She was a walking corpse. Her skin was pale and riddled with holes from decomposition. There were worms and maggots devouring her flesh. Her left eye had disappeared and her right arm was barely hanging on by a thread of flesh.
“Why did you leave me?” she asked. Her voice was nothing more than a whisper that came from a place other than her mouth.
“I didn’t want to!” I responded. “I love you Shannon. You are my everything!”
“You left me and I had no choice but to pass on.”
“That’s not true! I’m trying to come back to you!” I started to cry.
“Save you tears for someone that wants them!” She ripped her right arm completely off and started beating me with it.
“Stop! Please!”
She didn’t respond she just kept striking. I stepped back, but she stepped forward and struck again.
I turned and ran, but I could hear her shambles following me closely. She wasn’t more than a couple steps behind me. Finally, I reached a road. I chose a direction and started running, but I couldn’t get away from her.
She reached out with her severed arm and grabbed me, pulling me backwards and down to the ground. She jumped on top of me and screamed, “I died because of you!”
“No, I didn’t want you to die!” I cried. “I want you to live! I want you there when I come back for you!”
She kept screaming, “I died because of you!” and she started beating me again. She balled up her first and started pounding into my face. I could feel and hear my nose break as she beat my unmercifully. The pain rushed through me and I could feel the warmth of my blood covering my face. Even after the blood starting flowing into my throat and choking me, she did not stop. She did not stop until she had finally beaten through my skull and into my brain, ending me.
I woke up chained to a wall in a dark and damp dungeon like cell. I had no idea where I was, and I couldn’t hear anything around me. It was dark and I could vaguely make out the image of a man sitting next to me.
“Hey! Where are we!?” I asked.
“You don’t know?” the man replied. He had a deep and soft voice, but it sounded like his voice was only soft through much torture and domination. He sounded defeated.
“No. I just woke up here. I was in this tower and now, I don’t know.”
“Then you must’ve met with that demon, Beelzebub.”
“I did. Is that what happened to you?”
“Yes, in a way. I used to be his champion. I was approached by a man. I don’t know his name. He attacked me without warning and finally beat me down. Beelzebub came just before the final blow and stopped the man from slaughtering me. I thought that he was going to show mercy and save me from the onslaught of attacks, but I was wrong.”
“What happened?”
“Beelzebub snatched me up and took me to his tower. I went willingly because I was still under the impression that he was my savior. He took me to his throne room and sat me upon his seat. Then the seat began to attack me, as well. He told me that I had failed him as his champion and that the man that had bested me was going to take my position. He said that I was weak and that I would be better suited in here.”
“I believe I’ve met the man you speak of. His name is Ferrum.”
“Yes, Ferrum. That’s it. I assume that he beat you and you were captured as well?”
“Not exactly,” I said.
“Then what happened?”
I didn’t know this man and I didn’t want to tell him too much information. “I beat Ferrum in a duel and I was granted an audience with Beelzebub. We toured his tower and ended up I ended up in his throne, much like you did.”
“I see. I’m sorry, friend, but I don’t think there is a way out. I have been here for countless days, and yet I am still here. Do not think that I haven’t tried to escape, but there is no way out.”
“Maybe there is.” I thought about Callista’s house and then I snapped my fingers, but nothing happened. I didn’t teleport like I was supposed to. I frantically started snapping my fingers as quick as I could, but it wasn’t working.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard music,” the man said, “but I don’t think you can carry a tune.”
“Sorry,” I responded. “That’s not what I was trying to do.”
“Then what were you trying to do?”
“Nothing, I guess. Do you know where we are?”
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, and I think I have an idea.”
“Shoot.”
“I think that we are somewhere on Earth if you can believe that.”
“Earth?” ‘That explains why I can’t teleport out of here, I guess.’ I thought. ‘Maybe the powers that Asmodeus gave me only work in Hell.’
“Yeah. I’ve toured all of the sanctuaries of Gluttony and many of the other level of Hell. I’ve never come across anything that looked like this. I also noticed, that the pain that accompanies being in Hell, well it isn’t here.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” And I hadn’t noticed the pain was gone. I was so used to living with it, that it was starting to become dull to me. I smiled when I realized that it was gone.
“I might just be crazy, but it’s a theory.”
“Yeah. I can’t imagine being locked away forever. I have to find a way out of here.”
“Good luck, friend. I doubt you will find a way.”
I started feeling around on the ground around me. It was too dark to be able to see anything. I came across a tiny piece of metal. I tried to shove it in the lock and pick it, but I was no locksmith.
“Hey,” I said. “Do you know how to pick a lock?”
“I might,” he responded. “I don’t think I can do much of anything, anymore.”
“Stop being so sorry for yourself. We need to get out of here. You may not have been able to do it by yourself, but I’m not the kind of person to just sit around and wait for death.”
“I just don’t know if I can do it anymore. I’m weak.”
“I don’t know you, but I know we have to work together in order to get out of here.”
“I think you’re right. I just have been down here so long, that I don’t know if I remember anything, let alone how to break a lock.”
“Give that up! You were Beelzebub’s champion. You must’ve been great.”
“I guess I was, but that doesn’t mean anything now. I was beaten. He abandoned me. Maybe it was just my time. Maybe it’s time to just wait for Azrael to come and collect my soul.”
“Azrael?”
“Yes. He is the angel of death. He is one of the angels that is not bound to a single plane. He travels to Hell and collects souls to return them t
o God.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you were walking around Hell, didn’t you wonder why it wasn’t packed with humans from wall-to-wall?”
“It had crossed my mind.”
“Well every now and then, Azrael travels to Hell and collects a few souls. It’s believed that he takes them to God. I don’t know what happens after that. I don’t know if God feels compassion for those in Hell and allows a few of them into Heaven, but I do know that they don’t come back.”
“I see, well let’s work on getting these restraints off, right now.” I was intrigued by the thought of Azrael, but I had bigger problems to worry about. I had to get out of that cell.
“I’ll give it a shot, but I can’t promise anything.”
I tossed the tiny piece of metal to him.
“Okay, I got it.”
“Okay, now just try to pick the lock. You can do it.”
“Like I said, I’ll give it a shot, but I really don’t think I can do it.”
For a few hours, all I could hear was the tiny sound of metal on metal. The little “TINGS” of him picking around inside the cuffs.
“Getting anywhere?” I finally asked.
“I think so!” he said. “I think I’ve just about got it!”
“Just keep at it. We have all the time in the world.” I didn’t really think that. I was anxious to get back to the tower and steal that sword for Charlie, especially after what Beelzebub had done. Even though I had been warned about him, I was still angry that he imprisoned me without even a slight notion that I was going to betray his trust.
Time continued on and the man kept picking but it didn’t seem like he was getting anywhere.
“You doing it?” I asked.
“I don’t think so,” he responded. “I told you that I wasn’t going to be able to do this.”
“Look, man, we don’t really have a choice. It’s either sit in here forever or pick that lock and bust out of this mess. I know that I for one want to get my revenge on that treacherous bastard. I would think that you would want it more than I.”
“That’s true, but how am I supposed to get out of here? Don’t you think that I’ve tried to pick this lock before?”
“I’m sure you have. Look, just take a break for a minute, okay?”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“Well I’m Jonathon Cowley. What’s your name?”
“My name? You know, I’ve been here so long I think I’ve forgotten.”
“You forgot your name?”
“I think so…”
“How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know. I stopped counting after I slept a couple of times.”
“Oh I see. You don’t even have a rough idea?”
“Years.”
“I thought you said we are on Earth?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“How have you been here for years and not have died from starvation.”
“I think we are ghosts, Jon.”
“Ghosts?” I was a little intrigued by the idea of being a ghost. If I could get out of here maybe I could find where my Shannon had gone. I could haunt her like I wanted to. I couldn’t interact with her, but I could watch over her. I could be her guardian angel.
“I think so.”
“All the more reason to get out of here.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because, when we get out of here, we will be bound to Earth and not to Hell. You won’t have to deal with it anymore!”
“I never thought about it like that.”
“So get back to work!”
“Okay. I guess I can try again.”
He was working for a little while and then all of a sudden I heard a loud “CLICK”. He had broken free!
“We did it!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, I did,” he responded.
“Hey, you couldn’t have done it without me.”
“I suppose. I expect you will also want to be freed?”
“That would be nice.”
“I guess I can try it again. It will probably be a lot easier now that my hands are free.”
“You shouldn’t have any trouble at all.”
He walked over to me and I saw his face for the first time. He was pale white. He had a bushy black beard and hair to match. I couldn’t see any visible deformities on him. In not time, he picked the lock and helped me to my feet.
“I owe you one,” I said.
“No you don’t. You are the one that found this pick.”
“But you’re the one that used it.”
“Honestly, I had thrown it over there. I found it before, but I had given up years ago. I decided that my fate was sealed and I had nothing left but to wait for Azrael to finally come and take me to my final resting place. Without you’re help and encouragement, I might never have escaped this place and regained my former freedom. Your courage and will to live speak well for you.” His voice seemed different now. It sounded strong and free. Almost immediately upon removing the shackles from his wrists, he was a new man.
“Umm, thanks?” I didn’t know what to say to that. I was starting to consider the words of Marcus Sanctus to be truth. “I wish I had a name to go along with your face.”
“I may not know my former name, but I think I shall leave that name and life in my past. You can call me, Lucas. I hope that we will meet again, Jon Cowley.”
“On better circumstances, perhaps. Do you know how to get out of here?”
“Yes. I didn’t know until they brought you here, but there is a door a few feet ahead of us.”
“Then I think it’s about time we get the hell out of here.”
“Well spoken.”
I was behind, Lucas. He grabbed the handle and pulled. As soon as the door cracked open slightly, there was a blinding light. It slowly “CREEKED” open. Our eyes adjusted and as they did the bright and beautiful world was revealed to us.
“It’s been such a long time since I saw the sun!” Lucas said.
“I bet it has. You take for granted all the things you end up missing.”
“Truer words have not been spoken. What shall we do with our newfound freedom?”
“Whatever you want to do. That’s the point of freedom. You can go anywhere you have ever wanted. Just remember that you are ghost now. I doubt you can really interact with the world.”
“You are probably right.”
“I mean, you’ve been a ghost a lot longer than I have, but I just figure that’s the way it works.”
“It makes sense to me, Jon.”
“Then I suppose we should part ways.”
“If you think that’s best.”
“I do. Do you know where we are?”
“The world has been too forgone from my presence. I wouldn’t know my hometown if we were standing in it.”
“That must be so sad?”
“I don’t regret anything. I’ve forfeited my humanity a long time ago.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I accepted my position in Beelzebub’s force, I began doing thing…bad things. Eventually, I was only human by looks. I stopped dreaming or wanting.”
“How did that happen? You just became one of them?”
“In a way. I did become something that I would despise at this point. That is behind me now. You should leave you past where it belongs.”
“I think you’re right.”
“Of course I am. I had many years to ponder my own existence when I was trapped in that cell. I know I am right about this. Enough of this mindless dribble, though. Let’s get on with our journeys.”
“Then farewell, Lucas.”
“Yes, Jonathon Cowley. I shall never forget the name.”
I smiled and started walking out. Upon exiting the door, I turned and looked at where we had been. I was hoping that it would jog a memory and I would know where I was starting from, but I couldn’t make out any discernable features. There was no path le
ading to the door. The exit was inside the moth of a small cave and there was much vegetation surrounding it. It had been forgotten by time and reclaimed by nature. I turned back and could see Lucas already walking in the distance. I went to yell for him, but decided to just let him be on his own journey. He had a long way to go, and I had a feeling he was going to try and find his new self.
I started walking too, but in the opposite direction as Lucas. I didn’t want to cross paths with him right now. I was busy trying to figure out just where exactly I was, and I can’t say that I minded being out in the wide open world. It was such a relief not be constantly surrounded by darkness and despair. The air was warm and sweet, not dank or musty. The wind was cool, not non-existent. I smiled in the eternal beauty of the little things.
I walked for an entire day without seeing any sight of civilization or other people. I was in the woods, and except for the occasional piece of garbage, it was like I was on a new planet, all alone. ‘I should’ve followed Lucas,’ I thought. ‘I’d probably already be somewhere and have my bearings. It’s okay though. This is a new adventure. You’ve shed everything from you dark past, Jon. It’s time to start a new one. I’m going to figure this one out.’
10. You Try and Help…
Nightfall came again, and I was still alone. I had thought I heard a voice, but it ended up just being an owl. I don’t think he saw me, but I saw him. I continued on and I finally came across a small house. It had been abandoned long ago, but it looked safe enough to enter, especially for a ghost. I knew that I wouldn’t find anyone inside, but I figured that it would be nice to be somewhere vaguely familiar, like a house.
I entered the abandoned building via the decayed wooden door that was barely hanging by a thread of steel. It looked like the former inhabitants had left in a hurry. Most of their belongings were still in the place they had been left. There were even remnants of food on the table. There was a wooden chair next to a small fire place at the rear of the building. I sat in the chair and tried to relax, but I couldn’t. I didn’t know where I was and the small shelter was not much relief from the thought.
I decided that I needed to stay there for the night. I didn’t want to continue blindly into the dark anymore. I figured that since I wasn’t in Hell anymore, that I could go to sleep without worry. I had a nightmare when I first arrived here, but I figured that had happened because I was in Hell when it started. I lied down on the dirty floor and went to sleep.
Hellbound: Chronicles Page 18
