Crestwell Chronicles: No Rest For The Wicked

chapter 3

There's no words to describe it. It feels like someone is ripping the flesh from my bones. If I called what I was feeling agony it would be an understatement. I can't breathe. I can't think. The heat here is unbearable. I pick myself up off the ground. The crackle heated stone blisters my hands as I drag myself. I
Feel the heat coming from everywhere the sky above me is a unnatural shade of orange. The air is so thick I feel like I'm drowning I'm try to get the thoughts in my head straight but it's like I'm trying to hold a fist full of sand and its just slipping through my fingers. Before I can get myself up right all the way I hear a voice. It sounds like bones cracking it sounds like despare.
"you did this to me you ruined all of my fun.!" Said the voice. I look up to see a monster with scarlet flesh. The Head of a bat and the body of man.
I see that the creature caught in what looks like an net. The physical manifestation of my will. The screaming from the monster chills very bones. I can see the burn imprint of the Star of David. I look into the demons black eyes and get a chill. There's no remorse there is no regrets only death. I see that we are standing before a giant rusted gate. The gate is rusted and enormous, it's 20 feet tall and it is flowing red hot like a freshly made sword being tempered by Black Smith.
"Speak medium you had so much to say when I was on your plane but now that were in my home you to be a mute." It said

"I'm no mute demon and your words have no power here." I say to the monster. "I had a job to do and I did it"

"All of that doesn't matter now I dragged you to hell and soon you will be trapped with me forever" it hissed "eternity can be a long time and I'll make sure that you and I never get bored.

The gate started to open up and I feel a furnish wind coming with that. I see the creature being dragged through the gates. And I can feel myself being pulledl by the gravity of hell. The heat escaping from the gate is unbearable. Fire belching out of the gate is so intense I can feel the hairs on my arm being singed off of my body. The fire that spills out of the gate in sapphire. The demon get swept off of the ground and hurled into the fiery portal.

I can feel myself starting to lose my footing on the ground beneath me. Thethe panics start to set in. All of this is too familiar I've been in this position, being at the very brink of damnation. I bring my body to the ground so that I can dig my fingers into the hard surface. I'm clawing to stay put trying to fight the inevitable.
I can feel myself getting dragged closer and closer into the inferno.

Then blinding light hits me from above I can't take the pain so I shut my eyes tight. The next thing I feel is my whole body is wet. The hellish wasteland that was before me is transformed. Clay dirt that's under my fingers suddenly transform to a hardwood floor. I open my eyes and see I'm back in Mr and Mrs White home.
The steam was coming off of my clothes. I see Andrew above me. Hes wearing the worry on his face like a heavy mask. I feel like I've been hit by train.

"Oh my God he's awake!" Andrew says "are you okay, stay with us don't pass out again"

"I'm fine I'm fine it was just I fainting spell." I say as I drag myself to my feet.
The sunlight seeps in through the window in the parlour. Mr and Mrs white are are staring at Andrew and myself. I can sense they're were worried too. This whole room is filled with fear. I can sense it covering me like a thick wool blanket.
"You should be fine now." I say as I regain my balance. "It won't be coming back" before either one of them can express their gratitude I start heading toward the front door. My job is done here I speak to the dead so much that I've lost my people skills with a living.

"Khail you should slow down and rest a little " Andrew says.

"I'm fine I just want to get home." I say caressing his face.

As I leave the house. I can hear Andrew telling the couple something I'm too far out of the house to make out exactly what he's saying. I'm in the car in the backseat before Andrew has even left the House.

The next thing that I remember is Andrew putting the key in the door of my apartment. He Helps me to bed and I sleep like a baby. Jobs like this  take so much out of me. And they Always require a decent recovery time.

I sit up in my bed I look at the time through the middle of the afternoon I've slept almost all day. A Problem for anyone with an normal day job but I'm fine most of my business doesn't have until after the sunsets anyway. I leave my bedroom and see that Andrew is asleep on the couch. I don't wake him I go back to my room throw on clothes and make a beeline for the door. I need some food. Plus wandering the city after an ordeal like this always helps me recharge.
There's no other place like New York I love it. The crowds. The rush, I love it all growing up my sister and I were sheltered, boredom and complacency are your best friend when your living on perpetual lockdown. But New York is always a refreshing pace from that. I take the subway then head to an old diner in Harlem call Nova. It's a little hole in the wall but this food is delicious and the people are friendly.

Down here in Nova Big Paddy makes everyone feel like family.
I take a seat at one of the stolls at the bar. The one at the far end is were I take my seat so I don't have to sit next to any of the other patrons. Patty see me as soon as I take a seat. "Look what the cat dragged in" she says. "Khail, How are you doing I haven't seen you for a while. What can I get you.?"

"I'm doing good Patty works just been keeping me real busy." I reply "could I get a glass of tomato juice hash browns and eggs over easy."

"You've always been a busy bee" she says with her hand on her hip "I'll get that to you real quick"

She brings over the tomato juice and walks away to take care her other guests. when I'm sure no one is paying me any attention I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out my flask and add a little vodla to my juice. Not a lot just enough to take the edge off. When the rest of my food arrives it smells Delicious. Patty doesn't disappoint and the food is great I swallow it all down and leave the tip plus and my bill on the countertop.

I'm back across town to my apartment as fast as I can. I still feel a little shitty but now it feels like I'm not on deaths door step. I'm just a little hungover and I can deal with that. I put my key into the door and I can feel your presence when I haven't felt for a long long time.

I see Andrew sitting across from a woman at our desk. I can see his face but her back is to me all I can see is her long black hair cascading down A very old leather jacket.

"There you are I'd like you to meet our new client she says she has some work for us out in Los Angeles" he says standing up "her name is.." He begins.

"Veronica" I finish
"You two know each other?" he asked
Veronica stands up and looked at me with a grin  and says "of course we do hes my little brother