ACEDIA: Love in Hell

2 - LAMIA

The journey is prairie upon prairie of long, green grass. Just grass for hours, with the occasional pretty purple or silver flower among them. The clouds stayed as they were and everything was still cast in that sad grey light. I know nowadays prairies in the US are sad, dying versions of their former selves. This is what they must have looked like back before we farmed most of them to death. Well, except for the silver flowers.

At one point the gladiator speeds up at the command of a monster, who insists we get past a particularly long stretch of these plants as soon as possible. I'm able to reach an arm out and pluck one, bringing it to my nose to smell it. As I get it close enough to my face, one of the monsters looks behind at me and says "Hey! Do not do that! Will knock you right out!"

Of course I'm already smelling it by the time I hear this news. It's a nice, sweet smell, but one I don't get to enjoy for long, since as the monster warned, my vision is overtaken by darkness.

By the time I wake up, it's nightfall, and we've reached our destination. The fact that I'm shirtless hits me when I'm fully conscious. My teeth chatter and I hug myself, rubbing my arms quickly to try and work the friction into some semblance of warmth.

"Halt!" Someone calls from ahead of us, and I peek out past the creatures and the gladiator to see tall stone walls on either side of a drawbridge. "State your business."

"We be collectors, tasked by King Valefar himself – our undertaking is complete."

A creature leans back and shakes the bars of my wagon cage. Slowly, the drawbridge is lowered. As we enter the castle grounds, it's relatively quiet apart from some joyful singing in the distance, barely audible. The gladiator ignores it and continues walking us through a courtyard lit by some torches along the tall barrier walls. I can't see much now, so I just lean back and continue trying to stay warm until we come to another abrupt stop at the sound of a woman's voice.

"Collectors!" She says sweetly, her accent one I can't quite place. Then again, I'm shocked I can even understand everyone so far. I don't know what I'm expecting as I hear quick footsteps making their way from the front of the cart to the back, but it definitely isn't what I end up seeing.

Long, spindly fingers reach out and wrap around the bars. They're so pale they're almost white, with red claws tipping them. A face appears from the shadows as she leans forward, and I try to suppress my scream. The face is beautiful and feminine, but it's the eyes... They're completely black, like two voids boring into me. Her straight, blonde hair dances about her cheeks and her ruby lips spread into a smile full of sharp teeth.

"Is this Ruth?" She purrs out my name as her grip tightens on the bars, the wood cracking beneath her fingers.

"It is. Ruth Hutchinson." A creature says.

"Take us to Valefar, Chamberlain." Adds the other.

The woman regards me for a moment, and then shakes her head slowly. "I shall not. Did you find her on the beaches? She is a mess. Her hair is dirty and she smells of seawater. She will not meet her new king in such a fashion."

"New king?" I manage out, my throat dry. The woman raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yes. You belong to the King of Sloth." The way she says it, it's as if I should already know. Maybe these creatures meant to brief me on this, or maybe I'm expected to understand my new lot in the afterlife, but I don't like it. The padlock is removed and my cage door swings open, the woman taking a step back to let me climb out.

As soon as my feet hit solid ground, I take off running.

Oddly enough, no one follows me. I write it off as them just being shocked that I have the gall to try and escape them again, but then I realize the truth of the matter is they don't really need to chase me. I weave my way around a few figures I'm not paying attention to before my entire body goes stiff. I feel something wrap around my neck but it isn't rope. It's more sticky, causing me to shudder and not take another step forward.