“You think he’ll walk out of there?” Dad asked.
“We can only hope and see,” Nathan answered.
Rebecca started flipping through the pages again. "There! This is it. This better work!” She started reading. She read something out loud, then we heard voices. It was the same voices we heard at the temple. There were screams too. I couldn’t really say it was human. They sounded more supernatural to me and they were coming from inside the gates. Whatever was in there didn’t sound friendly. I really wanted to go home.
We heard thunder outside. It started raining hard. Raindrops were heard hitting the ground and echoed all around the cave.
We all thought Satu would crawl out of there by then. That image, of course, would be terrifying to me. 10 minutes passed and still no Satu. We thought something went wrong.
What a relief.
“It didn’t work,” Nathan said. “There has to be a mistake.”
“Well, if Ethasus put him in there, I think he should be the one to get him out,” Rebecca suggested.
DO WHAT?
“Are you mad?” Dad shouted, not considering the idea.
“You’re right! Ethasus is the only one who has the ability to walk through those gates,” Nathan said.
“You can’t possibly be considering this, Nathan!” My mother exclaimed.
“There is no other way.”
“Of course there are other ways, but definitely not by using my son as bait!” Dad yelled at him.
“The spirits of the dark will kill him, Nathan! Erick isn’t as strong,” Mom shouted.
Nathan thought about what she had said for a minute.
“We can’t wait any longer. We need to get off this island before the locals find us,” Rebecca affirmed. Nathan turned to me. He was having second thoughts.
“I’m sorry, Erick, but she’s right. You are going to have to go in there,” .
I looked at the gates in horror. I started trembling from fear and began backing up slowly.
“I will not allow this!” my dad screamed. He was pissed off again.
“Relax, Jack, if anything goes wrong, he can just turn around and walk back out. It shouldn’t be that hard,” Nathan concluded with a theory no one had ever tried before.
I backed away in terror, refusing to go.
Rebecca cocked her gun, hit my mother in the face and pointed the gun at my parents.
“Start walking, kid.”
I’ve never despised anyone so much before in my whole life.
Gregory grabbed me and pushed me towards the gates. I was yelling for my life and pleading for mercy.
“Wait!” Nathan shouted.
Nathan walked towards me. He stood there examining the gates, and then took off my handcuffs.
“Here, take this flashlight with you just in case.”
Just in case huh?
I was really furious, and tired of being pushed around and lied to. I stood there staring at The Gates of Hell, then turned back to my parents. My father was enraged while my mother was devastated. I could see it in her eyes.
I looked back at Nathan.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“You’ve disappointed me,” I responded with disgust.
His eyes got watery and his face filled with shame. My words pierced right through his heart. He only looked down at the floor in embarrassment. I thought about my chances of surviving this, but I didn’t even know what was on the other side of those gates. All I knew was that if I didn’t comply, my parents were going to get hurt.
I couldn’t let that happen.
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and walked right inside The Gates of Hell.
Inferno
I can’t describe it. It was just as I imagined, but a million times worse. It’s not like you could really tell what any of it is. It just is.
A living nightmare.
There are many more monstrosities. It’s darker, colder, and deeper than any abyss. There are a lot more flesh eating demons. A lot of angrier, lost, tormented, and tortured souls. It is more evil than the devil himself.
I tried to go back, many times. I wished there was another way back to my family, but the portals won’t allow it. Somehow the gates were sealed shut, and it seems like I’ll never be able to get back.
I don’t know how long I’ve been in here either. There’s no such thing as time in the underworld. I could’ve been in here for 50 years, or a whole eternity. Who knows?
No one talks to me. Not even the dark entities of hell. They won’t help me either. I’ve been captured, many times, by these red-faced, skull-looking things. This place is swarming with these bloodthirsty creatures. They have legs and arms, but they run like animals. They don’t even have eyeballs either, just empty eye sockets.
I call these creatures hollows.
I keep asking myself, how are they able see me?
They have these nails that are 3 inches long, which they use to attack. It hurts every time. It isn’t as painful as when they use their long sharp teeth to bite on my flesh and try to suck my blood. They’ve tortured me relentlessly. Luckily, I’ve managed to escape their flaming hot grasp every time. All I could do is run like hell.
Kind of ironic isn’t it?
Either I’m running, or hiding under rocks and behind walls. It doesn’t really matter, because I get caught anyway. I’ve been lucky enough not to get caught by the bigger demons. The bigger they are, the more likely I am to get eaten. I don’t even know how to get back to the gates anymore. I lost my flashlight when I was attacked the first time. I don’t even know where Satu is.
How can I find him? And where do I start?
Being in here has taken my will to live. It has made me miserable. My body, my being, my soul, everything. It’s like a dark cloud surrounding me, drowning me little by little. It’s painful.
You don’t sleep, you don’t eat. Nothing is normal about this God forsaken place. I’ve asked them to kill me. I’ve been wanting to end this, but they won’t do it. It satisfies them to have me here trapped, and hopeless.
I’ve been called by the name of Ethasus. Even spoken to as The Chosen One. That is why I’m treated the worst way you could ever imagine. Every day, I keep reminding myself of who I am, because as days go by, I keep forgetting even who my parents were and who Erick was.
Those memories are what keeps me sane, because there’s no one to trust, and I’m alone.
I’ve lost all Hope.
Chapter 8
Detarru Island
Rebecca, Nathan and Erick’s parents waited impatiently by The Gates of Hell. An hour passed and there was still no sign of Erick. It was already daytime on Detarru Island.
“We need to head back to the terminal. We can’t stay here much longer,” Rebecca declared.
“The hell with that! We’re not going anywhere until Erick is back,” Jack demanded.
“He’s right. We can’t just leave him here,” Nathan exclaimed.
“Maybe he got lost and now he can’t find his way back,” Jack said.
“What if he’s dead?” Rebecca asked.
She ticked Jack and Clara off.
“Watch what you say!” Clara shouted angrily. She started pacing from frustration.
Her son was trapped in there, with no way out, and there was nothing she could do.
They all waited impatiently for Erick to come back.
Inferno
I managed to escape!
I think.
I haven’t been caught for days. I don’t know where I ran off to though. This place didn’t look anything like where I used to be. I didn’t see any spirits or demons around here either. This side is a lot darker and scarier than the other. You don’t know how sick I am of this place. You’re probably sick of me too, and I don’t blame you. You mi
ght be asking yourselves; what the heck is wrong with me?
Well, for starters, I can’t help it, I’ve tried. I have to vent, one way or another. You’d probably feel the same way, if you were in my shoes.
I heard something.
I just saw something fly over my head. I can’t make out what it is.
What is that thing?
It’s growling at me and flying towards me now.
Oh no! I’ve been spotted. This time by one of the big demons. This is not good. If I don’t get out of here, he’s going to eat me.
He flew over my head. He missed my head by an inch. I ran the other way, and he came after me. I ran, and ran in fear.
THAT DOES IT.
I’m tired of being chased around. If he was going to eat me, then I’m going to make him work for his meal. I came to a halt, looked back at the thing and saw he was about 8 feet tall.
YIKES!
He was tall. Very tall.
He had fangs like teeth that were about 6 inches long. He even had bat wings, a lion’s tail with fur at the tip, and sharp nails that would rip your body in half. He was half human and half something else. Gray skin complexion, and a green eye in the middle of his forehead.
A cyclops?
Oh come on. What is this? Hercules the movie?
He had two black horns that were massive, and sharp. The demoniacal figure noticed I stopped in front of him, so he stopped too. He was just a few feet away from me, just close enough to do some damage. I felt his breath.
GROSS.
It was surely unpleasant. Probably leftovers from rotten bodies he had eaten years ago. All of a sudden, the beast crossed his arms across his muscular chest, and spoke to me.
“We finally meet, Ethasus!” he said with a hiss.
Even his tongue was snake-like, and his voice was deep, ogre deep.
“I’ve yearned for this day to come,” he spoke again.
“Yup! I get that a lot. You must be another one of my fans, do I know you?”
“This is finally the day I get to skin you alive, and wear your flesh like a leather jacket,” he snickered.
I was grossed out at the sound of that, and wasn’t prepared for such an image in my head.
I started panicking. My body started trembling in fear again.
“Why aren’t you running?” he asked, taunting me.
“Was I supposed to? I actually wanted to make this celebration a little more interesting,” I replied, still grossed out and frightened.
“Oh?” he said.
I quickly got on one knee, and picked up a handful of dirt with my right hand. As I stood back up, I tossed it straight into his eye.
He cried.
While he tried to brush the dirt off, I saw an opening and I took it. I punched him in the back of his knee. When he lost his balance and leaned sideways, I kicked him in the stomach. The force knocked the air out of him, and he bent down on one knee. He was grunting and growling like an angry lion. He got on his feet quickly, and his wings spread wide open, as a defense mechanism. If I was any closer, he could’ve cut me in half. He had an angry grin, and was about to strike back, but I was ready for him. He flew at me, I rolled to my right and he missed. He turned around again, and with his sharp nails, started swinging. He used his wings to confuse me. When he swung his right wing, I dodged and used my arms as shield.
Yeah I know, bad idea.
He kept striking at me with his left claw, and got me square on the chest. I was bleeding.
It wasn’t a big and deep wound, but it hurt. While I looked at my blood, he caught me off guard, and came at me again with force. I fell on the ground, hard, hurting my lower back.
OUCH!
He got on top of me, and with the back of his hand, slapped me square in the face. Why do they always go for the face?
I almost blacked out from that one. My head was spinning, and I was bleeding from my lower lip and nose. I tried to hold him back with both hands, but he was too strong.
I couldn’t hold on. Left, then right, his teeth clacking over and over again, trying to rip out my jugular vein.
He was salivating, and his drool was falling on my shirt.
YUCK.
Once again, I could smell his revolting breath, close to my face.
I was getting tired.
I looked around and spotted a small rock. While still holding on with my left hand, I tried reaching out for it. I saw another demon making his way down from a hill.
OH NO.
They were going to gang up on me, I thought. The one eyed freak noticed I couldn’t stand a chance with one hand, so he grabbed my arm, and drove my wrist to my side, then quickly grabbed the other, and did the same.
I couldn’t move.
There was no way I was able to defend myself now.
I was a goner.
I was kicking and squirming, trying to get him off me, but it was futile. He was heavy and strong, and I was outmatched.
“There’s no way someone so weak could have defeated Satu. I guess he’ll thank me greatly, when I bring him your head,” were his last words.
I stopped struggling, closed my eyes, and waited for the painful death. Fortunately for me, there was a loud roar. It came from the other demon. The beast looked up, and his expression turned to terror. He got off me, spread his wings, and flew away so quickly he left a cloud of dust enveloped around me. Some went into my lungs, and I started coughing hard. I couldn’t even see the other demon now, but I heard him coming, and he was getting closer. I got on my feet, and ran so fast my thighs were burning. I ran into this rocky structure that had small gaps between the walls, and was big enough for me to fit in. I literally jumped inside and tried not to make a sound. Whatever scared the bejeezus out of Satan was now coming after me. The demon stopped in front of the big rock. I still was not able to see it, but I heard his steps. He was sniffing the air too. Something gently landed on my shoulder, which freaked me out.
I swore it was a bug.
Before I could realize it was just a feather, I had already stumbled over a few rocks, hit the back of my head, and blacked out.
Detarru Island
Dusk came fast for the Ross Family. They waited impatiently, and they were worried sick. Clara was finding it strange that there were still no Detarrunians around. She started questioning the security of the island.
“What’s taking him so long?” Jack shouted, breaking the silence “It’s been hours. You don’t think he’s—”
“For God sakes, Jack! No. He’s not dead,” Nathan assured.
“Then, why isn’t he back? Tell me.”
“I don’t know.”
He sounded just as worried as Erick’s parents were. After all, it wasn’t his intention to harm him. He just wanted to find Satu before Jack did, and take all the credit. He let his jealousy cloud his judgment, and for years, he’d been after Jack’s research. He always wished that Erick, The Chosen One, could have been his own son. He hated that Jack had everything.
Even a beautiful wife like Clara. A Guardian of Detarru Island. His emotions got in the way, and because of his decision, he wasn’t going to forgive himself if anything happened to Erick.
“Nathan, I swear, if anything happens to my son—”
“Oh please, Jack, cut the crap. Since when did you even care about your only son? You didn’t even know who he was until a few hours ago. You’re only worried because he’s part of your damn research!” Nathan shouted.
Jack lost it.
He grabbed Nathan by his throat with both hands. He squeezed as tight as he could. Nathan was running out of air. He tried to get him off, but his grip was too tight. Everyone tried to pull him away, but they weren’t strong enough for this mad man.
“I am going to kill you, Nathan. I swear I will!” Jack screamed with clinched
teeth, while Nathan almost choked to death.
“Jack? Jaaack? Let him go!” Clara yelled, trying to calm him down. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and very calmly said: "It’s okay. He’s going to be fine. He is The Chosen One, remember? He’ll find his way, in due time.”
Jack seemed to relax after what she said, and let Nathan go. Nathan pulled away from his grip, coughing and trying to breathe again.
“Look. I’m sorry, Jack. This wasn’t part of our plan. We didn’t know Erick—”
“Reserve your apologies, Nathan,” Clara shot back. She was angry too. Her son was stuck in the Underworld, all because of them. She also blamed herself for believing that giving birth to Ethasus, and raising him as her own child, would protect him from harm. Even protect him from his own father. She never thought that her secret would be revealed. She started crying again. She felt like she had failed Erick and his guardians. Jack saw her weeping, and went to console her. He knew how painful it was for her to know that Erick was dumped in hell, looking for a creature that probably might kill him. He thought if it weren’t for this research, his son would’ve been safe in New York with his new friends. He shouldn’t have brought his family here. Why was he so egotistic and only thought about his work when he had a beautiful perfect family to care for? Why didn’t he listen to Clara, and her warnings? Why didn’t she tell him the truth about Erick? If only he knew, he would’ve ceased searching for Satu a long time ago. Why keep searching, when the answer was his own son all along? How did he not see the obvious? It was weird for Jack to have Ethasus as a son, but his love for him grew a lot stronger. That moment he wished he were one of Erick’s loyal guardians too.
Inferno
I regained consciousness and noticed I was in another world. All the pain, agony, and turmoil was gone. My body and soul were finally free, and there was no white noise. I don’t remember what happened back there. All I remember was being chased by one of my tormentors, and then I blacked out. I remember falling, but everything went dark after that. Maybe I died in Inferno, and now I’m in another hell. Could there be multiple levels of hell? If so, then so help me God.
I can’t take this anymore.
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