The Demonic Society

Welcome To Hell

The exhilarating feeling of weightlessness hit me a second before I grabbed hold of two gold bars. I clenched my hands around the steel, gasped for breath, and fought back my instant nausea.

I could see Scarlet out of my peripheral vision, her cuffed hands making her narrowly miss the golden bars. Her head thwacked against the top half of the cage. I cringed inside and grasped for my bearings when the cage came to a abrupt stop.

The two tatted brutes had seized hold of the bars in front of them just as I had and looked no worse for wear. Tom, like Scarlet, had missed the bars and was standing stiff with a hand to his back.

Scarlet had collapsed onto her stomach and was now trying to use her trembling arms to push herself back off the floor. I stumbled over to help her to her feet. I'd just put my arms under hers when she heaved all over me. Liquidity vomit covered my black spaghetti strapped tank top. It trailed down the top half of my jeans and a few drops landed on my bare feet.

I felt Scarlet sag in my arms which caused a rush of dread that I wasn't expecting to feel for a stranger. I finished settling her comfortably as I could in the corner before I reluctantly started dry heaving.

When the dry heaving ceased I glanced at the gash on her forehead that looked to split to the middle of her scalp. The unnerving heat I had been feeling since the cage had stopped worsened with the panic stirring in my body. I clutched my hand to the unbearable pain that was emerging from the left side of my chest. Lifting it slightly let me see the gaping stab wound that lay beneath it and I gagged as blood gushed out between my fingers.

The sound of wheezing tore my glaze from the hole in my chest. Tom was gasping for breath as he frantically tried to grab for invisible hands strangling his throat. I could make out the handprints appearing on his neck and he was passed out in seconds before I could attempt to help him.

The two burly men lay behind me with multiple bullet holes in each of them. The scene before me overloaded my brain. The rational part of my brain couldn't process what was happening and my fear reached a ground breaking high. Evolved in terror I found myself unable to move.

I am alive. I am going to be okay. This is some cruel joke. Someone is going to find me and save me.

I told myself trying to slow the panicked messages I was sending to my brain.

Who am I kidding? I'm dead. I'm going to hell for reasons beyond my understanding. Even if I'm not dead I'm going to be soon with a wound like mine. This is some cruel punishment and I wish it was a joke. Nobodies going to find me. Nobodies going to save me. My only option is to save myself.

I have to save myself.

The last thought steadied me. I ran a free hand through my tangled jet black hair and thought over the predicament I was in. Trying to ignore the pain I glanced around the outside of the cage. It seemed I was alone, for now. 

Alone... but trapped in hell.

To the left of the cage was a wall of bricks with archways between every nine feet. In front of the cage a cracked stone pathway was dug out. To the right was a pathway up a flight of stairs, statues and gate-like fences on both sides. Each path leading into unknown destinations. In the distance I could just barely make out what looked like a portal of fire awaiting the pathway in front of the cage.

"We're running late. The boss is going to be pissed if we don't get this next shipment in soon." I could just make out the words and the approaching footsteps of men drawing near. They were coming from the left and with the cage being blocked by the bricks they couldn't see me yet. The cage doors remained closed, and I resisted kicking at them in frustration in fear of drawing the men closer, faster.

"Open the door right now Levi. You know how some take forever because they're old as hell." Another voice said ironically causing the smallest shred of hope to blossom in my heart.

A quick attempt of escape. The ability to make one last choice in my life.

"I know we're running late but two human girls Samuel. We can't pass up that opportunity."

The hinted meaning of that comment made me shudder. I was still losing blood and I was starting to feel lightheaded. There'd be no way I could outrun the men on the stairs in my condition. Even if the men weren't here who knew how long those stairs go on? As for the portal of fire well, it could burn me alive, or maybe I'd get out unscathed on the other side. Even so, I didn't know what awaited me on the other side. What if they followed me through?

The cage doors groaned as they opened and I made my decision on the dime. I took off and ran as fast as my feet would carry me. I admittedly noticed that running in hell was nothing like it was on earth. Where on earth you could feel the cool air blowing your hair back and absorb the hues of daylight, but in hell it was just hot humid air sticking to every piece of exposed skin and absorbing the thick smoke that wrapped itself around you.

I cried out when my bare foot caught on something sharp, slicing through skin and bone. I cursed myself when I heard the men holler as they noticed my getaway.

A few seconds more and I'd make it.

Five.

How old I was when I broke my first bone.

Four.

When I received my first present.

Three.

The first time I got adopted.

Two.

When I spoke my first words to a teddy bear.

One.

When my father died and I was put up for foster care.

Zero.

A victory cry broke out of me as I lunged through the flaming portal and into the unknown.