Hades' Halls

Ashes to Ashes

The only sound was that of the clock, ticking mournfully upstairs in Hades' office. Not even the wiring of mental clogs were to be heard, those too had fallen silent, halted by the pressure of deadening knowledge.

The once elegant living room of Persephone's Grove was now covered in a thick layer of soot, under which was nothing but scorch marks. Flakes of blacked wallpaper littered the floor, curled up like dying caterpillars, while the tattered carpet smouldered beneath them. The once plush couch and armchairs were no more, all which remained being the coils which had once provided such comfort after a long day, now nothing more than glorified children's toys.

Desperation and sorrow were all that remained. A poignant scene of idyllic homelife, now gone forever, trapped behind this dream of days of joys long past.

At least, that was one way to describe it. The other would be to say that if it were on Homes Under the Hammer, Billy Joel's immortal 'We didn't start the fire' would be playing out with gusto.

The nine occupants of the room were a little more alive than the room itself, though not by much.

Hades still had a pounding headache and was deeply regretting every choice he had ever made which had led to this point, all the way back to the beginning where there were no infernal human beings and most certainly no alcohol.

Spike was contemplating how his boss had just revealed himself to the world and had almost killed seven people in the process.

The six students were sitting on the floor in a huddle, brains still needing time to catch up the events of the morning.

Mathias was leaning against the fireplace, legs stretched out in front of her, one ankle over the other looking at Hades evaluatively, as one would a particularly intreating preserved specimen.

From the ceiling, a speck of plaster, disturbed by the recent explosion, detached itself from its brothers and sisters. Floating through the air, it lazily made its way down, wavering over Hades for a moment before the force of his breath sent it spinning out haphazardly. Next it became caught in Lydia's Lydia's mass of flaming, ever so slightly singed, curls. Then it progressed to Advik upon where it entered his naval cavity setting nerves tingling and twitching until it could no longer be borne.

"Hu, hu, Aaachoo"

It was loud, it was violent, it was just what was needed to wave everyone up from their trance.

"Bless you", said everyone else in the room, stirring from their positions. The only exceptions to this were Mathias who was still considering Hades as though he was the subject of her next thesis, and Seb who was sitting away from the others, head bowed between his knees.

"So", Spike said, placing the empty fire extinguisher he had been cuddling on the floor. "Who would like a drink. Tea, coffee, orange juice, something stronger.

Most requested coffee, Georgie requesting black. Hades ordered tea in a mug, still not feeling up to handling bone china, while Mathias took up the offer of something stronger.

"I might join you in that", said Spike as he got to his feet a little shakily. "My mom sent me a couple of mead flasks last week. It might be time to open them.

As Spike left the room, Georgie looked around the others.

"Seb?", she questioned her friend.

Seb looked up from his kneecaps with a deadened expression. Crawling over to him, Georgie put a hand to his forehead.

"You're freezing", she said, with concern.

Seb, white as a sheet and shaking, said nothing.

Putting her arms around him, Georgie attempted to warm Seb up, all the tasteful throws having been singed to a crisp, a very high quality cashmere crisp, but a crisp nonetheless.