Breaking the Line

Read part one here

I don’t know how long I was held in my watery prison. A month, a year…a decade? There was no way for me to measure time. Two years before my death I committed a terrible crime, and now I was suffering an ironic punishment courtesy of the demonic being who controlled this hellish realm.

I’d been subjected to their twisted test, but the results were inconclusive, and so I’d been sent here to a sealed car at the bottom of a dark lake, left to rot while they considered my fate.

I’d done everything I could think of to escape this hell – kicking against the windscreen until my leg ached, attempting to tear through the upholstery on the back seat, and trying to dismantle the car’s interior with my bare hands.

I worked frantically for hours until my hands were raw and bloody, but then I blinked, and everything was back to the way it was. I tried to end it all on a couple of occasions, smashing my head against the dashboard as I sought to crack my skull open. But it didn’t matter how severely I injured myself – the same thing happened every time. I could not die, and whenever I regained consciousness, all my injuries were miraculously healed.

They say hell is other people, but for me it was the tedium and loneliness. In the end, I gave up on all attempts at suicide or escape, and all I had was my thoughts.

I don’t know how long it took for my sanity to go. I would stare into the dark waters for hours or even days on end, and I started to see things – hideous monsters swimming along the bottom of the lake, glaring at me through the darkness with predatory eyes, and hungrily anticipating any opportunity to devour my flesh. There were times I would have gladly allowed the beasts to end me, but the glass between us was impenetrable.

Other times I swore I got a glimpse of something in my rear mirror, jumping at the sight of a ghostly face in the back seat. Sometimes it was my ex-girlfriend Sally, other times my victim Milo, and on occasion I saw the dark-suited demon who had banished me here – an entity with swirling, vortex-like eyes who scared me more than any other horror.

Was I going mad, or were the demons just fucking with me? I couldn’t tell, and ultimately I hardly even cared. All I wanted was for this hell to end. But, as time passed, I began to lose hope, fearing that the demons had forgotten about me, and I’d be trapped here for all eternity.

Therefore, I can’t tell you the shock I experienced when – with the mere blink of an eye – I was transported to another place. My heart jumped as I looked through the cracked windscreen and saw the road ahead. I was still in the car, but the vehicle was no longer at the bottom of that cursed lake. Instead, the car was on an abandoned, narrow road at night, surrounded by darkened forest on either side, with the only illumination coming from the vehicle’s headlights.

I panicked, fearing I would drive off the road and into a tree. But nothing happened when I grabbed hold of the steering wheel and put my foot down on the brake. I had no control over the vehicle, which appeared to be self-driving. Taking a deep breath, I sat back in my seat and observed my new environment, realising I was entirely helpless and at the whim of whatever hellish entity had me in their grasp.

The car drove for what seemed like miles, the road twisting and cutting deeper into the dark and foreboding forest. I tried to focus on the road, fearing what I would see beyond the treeline, but on occasion I couldn’t help but glance into the black abyss.

When I did so, I swore I could see shadows moving through the woods – unidentified creatures with burning red eyes that watched me closely as I progressed through their dark realm.

The road reminded me of the line – the queue of damned souls trapped between the light and the vortex. If that had been my first test, was this my second? If not, what the hell was the point of it? I soon got an answer…of sorts.

My possessed car turned a corner and I came face-to-face with a horrific scene. There was another car parked on the side of the road, identical to the one I was in. That’s not to say it was the same make and model, but rather an exact carbon copy – right down to the cracked windscreen and dent in the hood.

My jaw dropped as my headlights illuminated two darkened figures at the rear of the parked vehicle, loading what was clearly a body into the trunk. The first was my doppelganger – an exact double, at first glance at least. And the second figure was Sally, my ex-girlfriend and accomplice in this crime.

I was revisiting my worst moment – the night I killed Milo in a drunken hit-and-run and conspired with Sally to make his body disappear. I continued watching the ghoulish reenactment play out as my vehicle drove past the crash site. My doppelganger and the copy of Sally ignored my car until the last second, when they looked up and met my gaze, their eyes jet black like those of a shark.

I turned away in shocked horror, focussing on the road as my car kept on driving. I wouldn’t…couldn’t look back, but this leg of my journey was almost complete.

The forest on the right-hand side of the road gave way to a body of dark water, one which I recognised all too well. My heart sank as I feared the puppet-masters would send me back to the lake’s bottom, but this wasn’t what happened.

I spotted a boat house by the lake’s side, with a dim light emanating from within the wooden structure. And suddenly the car came to a stop by the side of the road, about twenty or thirty yards short of the boat house. I heard a sudden click and was astonished to realise the car’s doors were now unlocked.

I couldn’t quite believe that they were releasing me from my prison, and part of me feared a trick. I wanted time to consider my next move, but the situation quickly deteriorated.
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, turning my head in time to see a large humanoid creature launching itself from the top branches of a tree, unveiling a large pair of wings as it screeched loudly and took flight.

The shadowy monster disappeared from my line of sight for a moment, but then there was a heavy crash on top of my car as the creature landed. I screamed as the winged beast shrieked in excitement and started clawing at the roof.

The creature was powerful and its claws were more than capable of cutting through metal. I knew it wouldn’t be long before it broke through, and I only had one chance.

Opening the driver’s door with a shaking hand, I jumped out of the car and started to run. I shouldn’t have looked back over my shoulder but couldn’t help myself. The beast was a winged, gargoyle-like creature with an impressive wingspan, large and pointed ears, and burning demonic eyes.

It continued to claw at the car’s roof for a moment, unaware that I’d already escaped. But the beast soon realised its mistake, wailing like a banshee as it shot me a murderous glare, unveiled its wings, and took off.

I kept on running, sprinting as fast as my legs would carry me. There was only one place I could go – the boat house. I didn’t think I’d make it, but somehow I covered the distance whilst the screeching beast raced towards me. I saw the door of the boat house lying open and made straight for it, leaping the last few yards as the gargoyle descended, its claws only inches from my back.

I landed heavily on the hard wood floor, darting up and slamming the door shut behind me. I didn’t expect this to stop the beast, but to my astonishment I watched through the door’s portal-type window as the wailing gargoyle withdrew, flapping its wings as it retreated back towards the treetops.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, I turned around to face a fresh horror as I surveyed my surroundings. The interior of the boat house took the form of a run-down dive bar – complete with sawdust on the floor and the stench of split alcohol and something much fouler.

It was dark and dilapidated inside of the bar, and this certainly wasn’t the type of venue I would have frequented during my drinking days. Nevertheless, the unpleasant interior of the barroom didn’t concern me, at least not as much as the terrifying and familiar figure standing behind the bar.

I stood frozen in awestruck horror as I observed the demonic entity casually cleaning glasses behind a blood-red counter and with a bar stacked with label-less green bottles. He looked up when he saw me – his impossible, vortex-like eyes placing me in a trance as I found myself under his dark spell.

He formed his lips into a smile of sorts, although it certainly didn’t put me at ease. And then he spoke in a deep, almost God-like voice.

“Ah Joshua! I’m so glad you could make it! You must be thirsty after your journey. Let me offer you a drink…on the house of course.”

I was puzzled by the shadow man’s words and unconvinced by his supposedly amicable welcome. The last time I’d spoken with this demon, he’d confined me to my watery prison, warning me that a far worse fate could await me. Naturally, I was terrified of the entity and wanted nothing to do with him. I certainly didn’t want to accept a drink from this demon.
Nevertheless, I was now entirely under the shadow man’s control, and before I knew it, I was slowly walking towards the bar – my feet moving even though my brain was screaming ‘stop’.

I reached the bar but didn’t dare to look into the shadow man’s swirling and bewitching eyes. I kept my head down, focussing on the demon’s accumulate dinner suit and bowtie, watching his bony hands as he grabbed two glasses and an unidentified green bottle from the top shelf.

“Scotch on the rocks. That’s your poison, right?” he asked.

I opened my trembling lips, struggling to speak in response.
“I…I don’t…”

But he didn’t give me the chance to finish as he carefully poured two glasses of smooth whisky and pushed them across the bar towards me.

“Here you go Joshua. One large whisky for you and the same for your friend over there.”
His bony finger pointed to the corner of the room, and I turned to face the figure sitting alone in a darkened booth, his head raised as he stared back at me. My heart beat fast in my chest and my body trembled, but I can’t say I was surprised. The dark eyes glaring towards me belonged to Milo, the man I’d killed two years ago before conspiring with Sally to dispose of his body.

The last time I saw him, Milo was being dragged into the shadowlands by a gang of bloodthirsty demons. I felt sure they would rip him to shreds, but yet here he was, sitting in the barroom and apparently waiting for me.

I hesitated for a long moment as we locked eyes. I didn’t want to go to Milo, but I couldn’t run away from this. I’d done this man a great wrong and now I needed to make amends, or at least attempt to do so.

I took a deep breath, putting my head down as I walked across the sawdust covered floor, my hands shaking as I struggled to keep hold of the two glasses. As I got closer I could see Milo’s mangled face, his forehead still covered in dried blood as it had been the last time I saw him.

When Milo previously confronted us in the line, he’d attempted to throttle Sally and me in a mad fit of rage. I wondered whether he still desired revenge against me. I couldn’t blame Milo if he did, but there was no way of predicting the ghoul’s intentions from his cold, emotionless eyes.

I stood over the table for a long moment, meeting his gaze and resisting the urge to recoil in disgust at his gruesome injuries. The tension was almost unbearable and I found myself unable to speak.

In the end, it was Milo who broke the silence, as he said – “Take a seat Joshua.”
He pointed to the wooden bench on the opposite side of the table.

I hesitated for only a second before sitting down and placing the two glasses on the table. Milo nodded his head before using his twisted right hand to awkwardly pick up his glass and hold it aloft.

“Now then Josh. How about taking a drink with me?”

My jaw dropped as I looked down at the glass before me, feeling sick as I smelt the strong brown liquor contained within it. I glanced up at Milo’s dead eyes, shaking my head vigorously as I spluttered out my response.

“I…I don’t drink Milo. I gave up after…”

“What?” Milo interjected impatiently, “You gave up the booze after killing me while drink driving? Well, that hardly matters now, does it?”

I broke eye contact with the ghoul, struggling to control my emotions as I continued staring at the glass.

“I can’t…” was my pathetic reply.

“I’m afraid I must insist Joshua.” answered Milo, as his tone suddenly turned hostile.
I looked up and saw his pale and emaciated face screwed up with anger. I knew from previous experience how quickly Milo could lose his temper and so submitted to his wishes, grasping my glass with a shaking hand and raising it up to meet that of my unlikely companion.

“Cheers!” Milo exclaimed more amicably as he clinked his glass against mine.

I watched as he downed his drink in one, pouring it down the gaping black hole that was his mouth. I paused for a second before following suit, coughing as the hard liquor forced its way down my throat.

But then something extraordinary occurred. I felt a raw energy flowing through my veins, a burst of adrenaline which cut through my dread and gave me a renewed confidence and hope. And then I looked across the table and saw Milo transformed. He was no longer a mangled, walking corpse. Instead, Milo was restored to his former self – the young, vibrant man he’d been before the accident and his untimely death.

I was astonished and once again left speechless, but Milo simply smiled and shot me a wink as he said – “I think its high time we had a heart-to-heart, don’t you Josh?”

I nodded my head vigorously as tears welled up in my eyes.
“I really am so sorry Milo.” I whimpered emotionally.

I knew how inadequate my apology was, but Milo’s reaction surprised me.

“I know you’re sorry Joshua, but we’re past that now.” He sighed deeply, staring longingly at his now empty glass before continuing, “I’m guessing you have a lot of questions, and you’re not going to get any answers from him.”

He nodded over to the shadow man who continued to wipe down glasses behind the bar, apparently disinterested in our conversation.

“You know what’s happening here Milo?” I asked, feeling an unsettling sense of déjà vu as I did so.

“I believe I have the answers you need.” he answered cryptically.

He let that statement hang in the air for a moment. Meanwhile, I felt like my brain was on fire. I had so many questions it was difficult to know where to start, so I returned to the events of our last meeting.

“I saw you die.” I muttered nervously, “The demons took you.”

Milo shot me a sly half-smile before replying. “I was already dead, remember? The demons can hurt us. They can rip you to pieces, but you always come back. You pass out from the pain and when you regain consciousness you’re right back where you started. That’s the true hell Joshua, to know there’s no peace…no final release from all the pain and the fear.”

He broke eye contact, looking down at his empty glass and perhaps wishing it would magically refill. His words chilled me, but I reckoned Milo must be telling the truth. Still, there was so much I didn’t understand.

“The line…” I said firmly, “I thought it was about salvation, about who makes it to paradise and who gets dragged to hell. But it wasn’t that simple, was it?”

Milo raised his head, appearing thoughtful for a moment as he looked over at the bar. There was a lengthy pause before he eventually replied.

“It wasn’t about salvation, but rather redemption. The purpose was to test us – to see how we’d react when backed against a wall.”

He turned to face me, a fiery intensity in his eyes as he spoke to me in a serious tone.

“You’ve got to understand something Joshua. The three of us are tied together. Ever since you ran me down that night, our fates have been intertwined. We three were tested in the line, and we all fell short.”

I shook my head in confusion. Perhaps I’m not the brightest, but none of this made any sense to me.

“I can understand why Sally and I were punished.” I exclaimed, “But why you Milo? You were the wronged party.”

“True.” Milo answered with a nod, “But my test was forgiveness, and I failed completely. I let hatred and a desire for revenge pollute my soul, and for that I’m sorry.”

I looked into his dark eyes with astonishment, not believing what I’d just heard. Milo was sorry for not forgiving me? I reckoned he had good cause to bear a grudge, but I guess that’s not how it works in the afterlife. But still, I clearly wasn’t the good guy in this story, and I had wronged Milo…not once, but twice.

“I failed in the line.” I admitted, “I should’ve made amends, but instead I threw you to the demons.”

Milo sighed deeply before replying, swallowing an old bitterness that he was trying hard to put behind him.

“Yes, you failed on that score. But you did what was necessary to save Sally. You sacrificed yourself for her. That’s the only reason you’re not in hell right now.”

An ice-cold chill ran through me as I realised how close I’d come to eternal damnation. But this left me with an obvious question.

“What about Sally?” I asked sheepishly, “Where is she?”

Milo nodded ominously, like he’d been anticipating this very question.

“Sally is in a bad place right now, but she’s not beyond redemption. We can help her…correction, we must help her.”

I thought Milo was joking, but when I looked him in the eye, I saw he was deadly serious. But why would Milo want to help Sally? She was my ex-girlfriend – the woman I’d once loved with all my heart. But my feelings towards her now were…complicated. I didn’t like the idea of her suffering but couldn’t forget how she’d behaved in the line, playing us both to save her own skin.

I thought about concealing this fact from Milo, but there’d been too many lies already.
“You know she lied?” I muttered, “She lied to you Milo.”

He didn’t seem surprised by this revelation, and his reply confused me even further.
“Sally lied about some things, but not about everything.” he replied.

“What do you mean?” I asked in puzzlement.

Milo screwed up his face like he didn’t understand my question.

“You don’t remember how you died?” he enquired cautiously.

My brain ached as I desperately tried to think. I’d spent so long inside that damned car trying to recall the details of my death. There were fleeting memories, but nothing solid. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t fill in the gaps.

“I remember being in a car.” was my eventual and uncertain reply, “I think I was in an accident?”

Milo looked visibly sad in that moment, as if he genuinely felt sympathy for me.

“You weren’t in a car accident.” he confirmed, “But don’t worry about that now. We’ve got to go.”

“Go where?” I asked, as my frustration grew.

“Go to get Sally.” Milo replied firmly, “She needs our help. And I promise you Joshua, you’ll find the answers you seek on our journey.”

Suddenly, Milo stood up from his chair and started walking towards the bar, briefly turning his head to look upon me before he proceeded. I continued to sit in the booth, confused and uncertain but realising Milo wanted me to follow him.

I was frightened by what lay ahead, yet I didn’t want to stay here in limbo. I cast a glance towards the shadow man, avoiding the swirling orbs he had in the place of eyes. I didn’t know whether I could trust Milo, but I sure as hell didn’t want to stay here with him. And so, I stood up on shaking legs and cautiously followed in Milo’s footsteps.

I deliberately avoided the shadow man’s gaze as I walked but noted how he casually returned to the menial task of wiping down the bar top whilst seemingly ignoring us both. But, as Milo and I passed the bar, he called out amicably to us, saying – “Good luck gentlemen.”

Milo made for the back exit behind the bar, placing his fingers on the door handle before turning his head to face me, his expression still deadly serious as he delivered a stern warning.

“Just remember one thing Joshua. We have a specific mission, and we can’t get distracted. We are both tied to Sally, and she’s the one we’re going in to save. We will encounter other lost souls during our odyssey, just like we did in the line. But we can’t save them. They’re all fighting their own battles and will find their own way in the end. Understand?”

I nodded my head, even though I didn’t fully comprehend the rules. I didn’t know what lay ahead of me but had little choice but to follow Milo’s lead.

We exited through the solid oak door and were instantly hit by a stifling heat and a heavy rain which fell upon our heads. It was still night time, but the vast body of water before us was dimly illuminated by the pale moonlight. But what drew my attention was the substantial island which sat to our north, upon which was built a medieval castle with high defensive walls and a round tower easily a hundred feet in height.

I stared at that distant tower for a long moment, focussing on a dim light in a high up window. I can’t quite describe my feelings as I looked upon that burning light. I’d been in many tough spots and witnessed many horrors, but I sensed there was an absolute evil inside of that tower – a monstrosity beyond my meagre imagination.

And it was watching us. I don’t know how I knew this, but somehow I did. This dark entity was closely monitoring our progress through its realm, and it surely didn’t welcome our presence here. I stood frozen under the biting rain, unable to divert my gaze from the ominous tower.

I was conscious of a far-off storm which appeared to be heading in our direction, with distant thunder and flashes of lightning assaulting my senses. All my instincts told me to turn and run, but Milo gave me strength, grabbing my arm firmly and forcing me to look him in the eye.

“We need to get to the island.” he said firmly, “We’ve got to do this…for Sally.”

“For Sally.” I repeated uncertainly, as I looked away from the horizon and followed my unlikely ally down the slope leading to the lakeside.

I saw a jetty leading out into the dark water. It appeared all too familiar, but I tried not to dwell on this. At the end of the dock was a small rowboat piloted by a dark figure clad from head to toe in black robes, his face hidden by a hood which covered his head.

Milo walked down the jetty and towards the waiting boat, but naturally I hesitated, glaring suspiciously at the hooded figure as I questioned his intentions. Milo turned to face me, visually sighing as he noted my hesitation.

“Come on man.” he exclaimed, raising his voice to be heard over the downpour. “This is the only way to cross the water.”

I took a deep breath before proceeding. We took our places onboard the small boat, and I tried my hardest not to look at the hooded pilot as we cast off. I dreaded to imagine what he had hidden underneath his hood.

I don’t know how the boat propelled itself. We weren’t rowing and there was no visible engine, but yet we moved steadily across the dark lake, slowly getting closer to the cursed isle. The lake’s surface was bombarded by raindrops, but otherwise the water was still – at least at first.

I looked down at the dark water and saw the first ripples, as yet unidentified creatures began to rise from the depths. I gasped when I saw the first of them – a rotting corpse, somehow still living despite the skin and flesh falling from its body.

The zombie-like creature stank to high heaven, its dead eyes full of rage and hunger as it focussed upon our boat and furiously swam towards us. I feared what the ghoul would do to us, but a moment later, a second corpse broke through to the surface, promptly attacking the first.

Soon, the two zombies were tearing at each other with their bare hands and nails, roaring like wild animals and slowly dismembering each other until the rotting remains sank beneath the surface. This scene was soon replicated across the lake and on all sides of our little boat, as dozens of moaning zombies emerged and violently fought against each other, ripping bodies to shreds and filling the lake with blood.

A few managed to fight their way through the scrum of bodies, desperately approaching our boat with their arms outstretched. But our hooded pilot soon saw them off, hissing like a cat and scaring the dead, forcing them back underneath the water.

After a while I no longer feared the zombies. Instead, I pitied them. But I remembered Milo’s words. We couldn’t help these people and had to focus on our mission.

Thankfully, we soon navigated through the lake of the dead, although our situation certainly didn’t improve once we reached the island. The pilot would not land on the shore and so we were forced to wade through the shallows to get to the beach. I didn’t look back as the boat left us behind.

We climbed the steep, muddy slope up from the beach, climbing to the top where we witnessed the monstrous castle in all its terrible glory. The high and thick walls were surrounded by a defensive moat, with a drawbridge allowing us to cross.

The heavy gates lay open, but the castle was far from undefended. I looked up to the top of the walls, horrified to see winged monsters perched on the turrets, glaring down at us with a murderous intent in their red, glowing eyes. I recognised the beasts, noting their close resemblance to the monster who’d attacked me in the forest. Except now there were many of them – thirteen at my quick count – all watching us closely as we advanced towards the drawbridge.

As always, I followed Milo’s lead. But I sensed that he too was scared, noting how his body trembled as he avoided looking at the gargoyles.

We reached the drawbridge and began walking across, our boots thumping on wooden planks as we struggled not to slip on the soaking wet surface. I made the mistake of looking down into the deep moat. In the dark waters below I saw snapping beasts – trapped predators who surely sensed our presence above them, no doubt hoping Milo and I would slip and fall so they could feast upon our warm flesh. But the unidentified monsters at the bottom of the moat weren’t our primary concern.

We were half way across the bridge when we heard a terrifying screeching from above us. I fearfully glanced up in time to see several of the gargoyles taking off from the castle walls, extending their wings as they soared down towards us; their razor-sharp claws extended and their red eyes burning with a predatory zeal.

“Run!” Milo screamed, as his cool demeanour broke down.

I didn’t need to be told twice, as I sprinted towards the castle’s gate with Milo by my side, but I didn’t think we’d make it. The lead gargoyle was only a few feet above me, wailing like a banshee as it prepared to dig its claws into my back. But suddenly I saw a projectile flying through the air, turning to watch as the bolt hit the winged monster in its right leg.

The gargoyle shrieked in pain, abandoning its attack as it retreated, flying upwards and back to the safety of the battlements above. A moment later and a second bolt was fired, striking another monster and penetrating its pale flesh.

Before long, all the gargoyles were retreating, aborting their assault under fire. I turned my head, looking back across the moat to see our saviour. The figure illuminated by the moon light was instantly recognisable, even though he had taken on a different form.

The vortex-like orbs he had instead of eyes were a dead giveaway. It was the shadow man, except now he’d traded his tuxedo for a suit of armour, and his bar rag for a crossbow. He nodded at me as he lowered his weapon and I nodded back in thanks, although in truth I was very confused.

For so long I’d believed this entity was my enemy, committed to punishing me for my sins. But now he’d saved us both. I looked to Milo and I guess he read my mind, because he promptly offered me an explanation.

“He offers us protection, but it has its limits. We are permitted entry to the castle but will need to work quickly. If we can’t save Sally in time, all three of us will be trapped here forever…”

I stared at Milo in astonishment. How could he have kept this from me? What else did he know that he wasn’t telling me? I was angry and scared, but also filled with a fiery determination. It’s difficult to explain, but for so long my existence had been empty and without purpose. But now I had a mission – a chance at redemption.

I was beginning to understand what Milo meant. I felt it deep inside of me, realising that the three of us were tied together in death. We had to find Sally and bring her home. It was our only chance to avoid eternal damnation.

We entered the gates without further incident, the wounded gargoyles cackling in annoyance as they watched us from the battlements. Once again, Milo led the way as we negotiated a series of narrow, twisting alleyways and advanced further into the castle’s interior. My companion knew the way and so I assumed he’d been here before. But Milo was clearly far from comfortable in this environment, his cool composure now gone as he frantically darted from shadow to shadow in an apparent attempt to remain unseen.

I followed in his footsteps, noting how the rain had become even heavier, to the point where it physically hurt when it hit my skin. The storm was closer now too, with the din of thunder near deafening and the lightning temporarily illuminating the tight alleyways before they returned to darkness.

I occasionally glanced upwards at the foreboding tower which dominated the skyline, but I couldn’t bear to look upon it for long. I could only hope that the evil which dwelled within was incapable of leaving. But the intensity of the weather and urgency of Milo’s actions were concerning to say the least.

But, before long, we emerged into an avenue at the foot of the tower and witnessed a horrifying scene. As the rain poured down, a line of lost souls trudged grimly through the puddles. Clad in soaked rags, their feet were bare, and bodies emaciated. All their heads were down and not one of the damned souls spoke or even acknowledged our presence in their hell.

There was an obvious difference between this line and the one I’d previously experienced. All of the souls were moving constantly, albeit slowly. But they were literally going nowhere. The damned slowly walked the cobblestones on one side of the street before reaching the end of the cul-de-sac, at which point they turned around and walked down the other side, turning again before repeating the process.

They were walking in a circle and seemed to have been doing so for a long time. The waterlogged, cobble-stoned street was surrounded on three sides by stone houses with open, glassless windows. And at the far end, dominating the entire avenue, was the round tower – home to God knows what.

I shouldn’t have done so, but I creaked my head upwards, looking to the flame burning on the top storey of the tower. I only looked for a second but observed a dark figure staring down at me. Its appearance was little more than a shadow set against a burning torch, but the mere sight of this entity provoked a chilling, primal terror deep within me – a fear which paralysed me until Milo shook me back to reality, forcing me to look away.

“Don’t fucking do that!” he screamed frantically; his eyes filled with something close to madness. “Don’t look at it, not even for a moment!”

We joined the line, pushing in between two damned souls who did not object. But, as we passed by the row of stone houses, we bore witness to the true horror.

Inside each small house, visible and exposed through the open windows, were blood-stained torture chambers filled with screaming, moaning victims. I saw naked bodies strung up by chains, strapped down to racks, and forced into iron maidens and other vile torture devices. And the torturers were foul demons; snarling, pale-skinned humanoids with hateful eyes and sharp claws that they gleefully used to slice into flesh and bone, cutting deep into their screaming victims without even a hint of mercy.

I looked into the bloodshot eyes of the torture victims and saw nothing but pain, fear and madness. I thought about trying to help them but knew I couldn’t. Milo had been clear on this. And so I looked away, trying in vain to ignore the screams and the awful sound of claws cutting through flesh.

We joined the grim procession under the heavy rain as the thunderstorm closed in around us. We walked around in a circle for five times, my nerves on edge as I felt myself slip to the edge of madness. I wondered why the others continued this endless, pointless march, but then I discovered why.

Suddenly, just in front of us, one of the damned collapsed, crying aloud as he dropped to his knees.

“I can’t take it anymore!” he screamed whilst looking up into the storm clouds.

But there was no mercy in this realm. The line was held up behind him, but not for long. I saw a burst of movement in the corner of my eye, turning in time to see a demon reaching out through the open window and grabbing hold of the man, digging its claws deep into his flesh.

“No! Please God no!” the victim screamed, but it was over quickly.

The demon dragged the screaming man, pulling him through the window and into the torture chamber where he would surely join the other victims in eternal torment. Not a single soul in the line had attempted to save him. In fact, the damned didn’t even react to his abduction. They simply walked on as if nothing had happened, trudging through the puddles with their heads down.

At this point, I saw this place for the hell it was. The first line I’d walked was terrifying and violent, but there was still hope in that realm. Rightly or wrongly, those trapped there believed they could escape and reach a better place. But there was no hope in this line.

Here, the damned walked in circles for all eternity without any chance of escape. They did so because the alternative was even worse. Those who fell would be dragged from the line and tortured by demons lurking inside the stone houses, subjected to pain and terror until madness overcame them.

My heart sank and I felt sick to my stomach. I now knew what this place was but didn’t understand what we were doing here. I put my hand on Milo’s shoulder, making him turn his head as I shouted in his ear.

“What the hell is this? You said we were here for Sally!”

“We are.” Milo replied firmly, “Just wait.”

I was frustrated by yet another evasive answer but trusted in Milo nonetheless. It was on our thirteenth circle of the street that the door suddenly shot open. I saw the entrance at the far end of the avenue, nothing how it was the only house on the street without windows, meaning we were unable to see whatever horrors occurred inside.

I experienced a grim foreboding as we walked towards the dim candlelight coming from the tiny house. But on some level, I knew that my destiny lay on the other side of that door. Whatever horror was inside was something I needed to face.

The room we entered seemed comfortable at first. I was relieved to find sanctuary from the deluge. The smell inside was musky but a vast improvement on the stinking corpses from the lake. The walls were bare but there was an open fire burning in the corner, and I savoured the warmth it provided. But what little comfort I felt was short-lived, because what we saw inside of that small room shook me to my very core.

I spotted Milo staring blankly at the far corner of the room and slowly turned to face in that direction. My jaw dropped when I saw the woman sitting in a rocking chair, swinging back and forth whilst cradling a sobbing baby – not a new-born, but a toddler aged about one or one-and-a-half.

I recognised the young woman straight away – it was Sally, the girl I’d once loved. I called out her name, but she did not respond. I was like she didn’t even know we were there. Sally’s brunette hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her face was drawn and there were bags underneath her eyes. She looked exhausted, and yet her green eyes were full of joy and happiness as she comforted the child, singing a sweet lullaby as she gently rocked him back to sleep.

I looked down at the baby boy in Sally’s arms and something clicked in my brain, but I still couldn’t quite put the pieces together. I was desperately trying to think, but then a heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in front of my eyes.

In a matter of seconds, the toddler’s face drained of all colour. His skin turned pale and then grey, before his tiny body dissolved into ash, literally falling apart in Sally’s arms.

But the true horror was my ex-girlfriend’s reaction, as Sally’s world ended. She cried out the child’s name as she collapsed to the floor.

“Kevin! My baby boy! What have they done to you?”

I saw the expression in her eyes turn from joy to devastation in a moment, and it was horrific. But what happened next was somehow even worse. In the blink of an eye, the previous scene was restored, as Kevin was brought back to life with Sally cradling him in her arms. She seemed to have no memory of the previous events, continuing to sing gently to the child whilst still ignoring the presence of Milo and me.

But then the tragedy played out again, with Kevin disappearing into ash whilst Sally cried out in pain. It was clear she was trapped in an eternal loop. This was her torture – to see the child under her care die in her arms over and over again, until she was eventually driven mad with grief. This was Sally’s hell.

The terrible truth should have been obvious, but still my brain couldn’t quite connect the dots. There was a heavy roar of thunder from outside the open door which made me jump. The storm was right on top of us now, with the damned barely able to stand, let alone walk under the heavy wind and rain.

“I…I don’t understand. Why is this happening?” I asked, whilst looking to Milo.

My companion lost all patience at this point, grabbing me roughly by the shoulders and shaking me vigorously as he screamed in my face.

“For fuck’s sake Joshua! We don’t have time for this! Look at the child’s face. Really look and you’ll see the truth!”

I did so, focussing on the boy’s deep blue eyes which were almost identical to my own. And then it finally clicked. A wave of emotions and memories came flooding back, and I remembered the painful truth – Kevin was my son.

Sally had left me two years before. Our relationship couldn’t survive the shared guilt over Milo’s death. She’d moved to the other side of the country and broke off all contact. The break-up was devastating for me at the time, but I did try to move on with my life. But what I didn’t know was that Sally was carrying my child – a son I would never meet.

I now remembered the phone call I received from Sally’s father one rainy afternoon. I could tell from the tone of his voice that it was bad news. Sally was dead – killed instantly when her car was hit at an intersection by a long-haul truck driver who’d fallen asleep at the wheel. She was killed instantly – as was Kevin, who was sitting on the child seat in the back.
I attended the funeral, barely functioning as tears rolled down my cheeks, and I watched the two coffins being lowered into the ground – mother and son put to rest together. My grief was shared by Sally’s parents, family and friends, but I also felt an unbearable guilt – because I knew that Sally and Kevin would still be alive if it wasn’t for the terrible mistake I’d made two years before.

My life spiralled out of control immediately after the funeral. I started drinking again in an attempt to dull the pain, but it wasn’t enough. I was plagued by nightmares of the accident that night and of Sally and Kevin’s terrifying final moments. I couldn’t take it any longer.
I did get into my car that night, but I didn’t drive anywhere. My garage door was sealed shut when I turned on the engine, closing my eyes and allowing the toxic fumes to enter my lungs.

I lost consciousness and slipped into eternal darkness, waking to find myself standing in the line, with almost no memory of the events which led to my death.

I’d assumed Sally was lying when she spoke about our son, but this was only because I could not remember, as perhaps my brain had blocked out the trauma. Sally had changed some details, or perhaps her own memory was fuzzy. But now I could see her love for Kevin was genuine, and her grief at losing him was devastating.

I was still trying to process this revelation when my attention was drawn to the outside. Suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the street directly outside. The bolt was so bright that it temporarily blinded me, and the impact shattered the cobblestones, breaking the ground wide open as a deep crevice emerged, quickly expanding in size as screaming souls fell inside, plummeting down into the darkness.

The buildings on each side of the street began to collapse as the huge crack grew, coming ever closer to the house we occupied whilst swallowing up everything in its path.
Milo grabbed my arm so tightly that it hurt, and he screamed in my ear loud enough to be heard over the chaos.

“It’s now or never Joshua! You need to get through to her. Do it now, or we’re all fucked!”

I nodded my head, taking a deep breath as I turned to face my ex-girlfriend. Sally was oblivious to all the chaos occurring around her, continuing to rock and sing to Kevin even as the whole world collapsed down upon our heads.

Sally should have been dealt with delicately, but there was no time for this. I grabbed her roughly by the shoulders, shaking her until she acknowledged my presence. She cried out, looking up whilst grasping a tighter hold of ‘Kevin’, pulling him closer to her bosom.
She took a moment to recognise me, as my sudden appearance in her world was entirely unexpected.

“Joshua.” she muttered weakly, “Josh, is it really you?”

I bit my lip, attempting to ignore the turmoil outside the door as I tried desperately to bring my ex back to reality.

“Yes Sally, it’s me. Now listen…”

“Josh.” she interjected, still oblivious to the situation developing around her. “I’m so sorry Josh. I should’ve told you the truth. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I was wrong…” she paused, looking down at the still crying toddler in her arms, “Josh, this is your son. Our beautiful baby boy…”

Masonry and debris were falling from the ceiling above me, and Milo was screaming in my ear. I had run out of time.

“Sally!” I cried, “That is not our son!”

She opened her mouth in dismay, replying angrily through trembling lips.
“How dare you, Joshua! How dare you say that!”

“Sally, we have a son, but that’s not him! This is all a trick! You need to snap out of it, right fucking now!”

“Fuck you!” she swore, whilst tightening her grip on the baby.

I’d reached the end of my teether and decided that direct action was required. It broke my heart, but there was no other choice. I reached out, grabbing at ‘Kevin’ and pulling with all my strength.

Sally reacted predictably, crying out at she desperately fought against me.

“No! What are you doing? Let go!” she exclaimed in dismay.

But I couldn’t do this.

The struggle lasted for mere seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. Sally fought with all her strength but I was able to pry the baby from her arms, although her maternal screams brought a chill down my spine. I held Kevin in my arms for a brief moment before his skin went grey and his tiny body turned to ashes, slipping through my fingers and falling to the ground.

This event finally woke Sally from her trance; her eyes widening as she surveyed her surroundings.

“What the hell?” she exclaimed in confusion, “Where am I?”

Then she looked to the doorway and her face froze with horror.
“Oh my God!” she swore.

I turned my head and saw what she meant. The street outside had now vanished, falling into the ever-expanding sink hole which was swallowing up everything in its path. And the small room we occupied was collapsing around us, the ground shaking as we dodged huge slabs falling from the ceiling.

I looked into Milo’s eyes and saw nothing but blind terror. I’d completed the task assigned to me, but was it already too late?

We all feared the worst as the storm raged and the earth cracked open, but suddenly I felt an intense heat on my back. Turning around, I saw a swirling vortex of blood red, identical to the one I’d been sucked into during my previous test.

“Thank God!” Milo exclaimed as he darted forward, leaping into the portal without a second’s hesitation.

I went to follow, knowing that whatever lay on the far side was surely better than here. But when I glanced across at Sally, I saw she was frozen to the spot, staring into the vortex with terror in her eyes.

“I can’t…” she muttered fearfully, “I can’t do this!”

“Yes, you can!” I shot back whilst grabbing hold of her hand and shooting her a reassuring smile. “We’ll go together.”

She smiled back at me, and then we were running hand-in-hand, entering the vortex seconds before the ground collapsed. And then, the darkness consumed us.

We’re in a different place now. Not heaven or hell, but another version of purgatory where we must remain until our sins are absolved.

This prison takes the form of a run-down apartment block set in the middle of a dark, monster-ridden hellscape. We are sealed inside of the building and so are reasonably safe. Sally, Milo and I are still bound together, forced to live on top of each other in this tiny flat.
Our neighbours are a motley crew of bizarre individuals, all serving their own sentences for various sins committed in the mortal realm. The block warden is an odd man – helpful and friendly up to a point, although I sense a deep sadness in him and suspect he’s on his own journey of redemption.

This isn’t a pleasant place to inhabit, and the three of us are often at each other’s throats. But in a strange way, we three are like family now. And, as bad as this complex can be, we know there are far worse realms we could be sent to.

The shadow man continues to oversee us, communicating very occasionally through a one-way telephone installed in our apartment. We know there’s still time to be served and we’re all willing to do so, if only because we have hope for the future. We may be dead, but we still have dreams.

Milo is waiting for the wife he left behind, looking forward to their eventual reunion. As for Sally and me, our goal is to find our baby boy – to reach whatever level of the afterlife his innocent soul inhabits.

When that day comes, we’ll become the family we always should have been, and our past sins will be swept away.

Credit: Woundlicker

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