The Shadows Within Us

Wormholes

"Alright ladies, buckle up. It's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride." Key hummed playfully as they shifted Osiris' shabby truck into reverse. It was only their second time driving, but they were already certain they handled it better than the old man. The sound of buckles fastening and clicking into place could be heard over the rumbling of the car's engine. The orange headlights flickered on, illuminating the dark concrete surroundings of the Mall's parking garage.

"Hey!" Simone scowled into the rearview mirror; his seatbelt still unfastened. "Who the hell are you calling a lady?" He griped from the back seat, stubbornly refusing to 'buckle up'. The raven haired demon was met with a heap of regrets as Key slammed down on the accelerator and sharply backed out of the parking spot, inadvertently tossing Simone's body forward, into the back of the drivers seat. 

Key couldn't hold back the lighthearted laughter that blurted its way past their lips at the harsh thudding sound and sensation against their back. They effortlessly shifted the vehicle into drive, lavender eyes glancing into the rearview. "Maybe next time you should consider being a lady." They reprimanded, beginning to glide down towards the main exit. Usually, this area of the Mall was heavily guarded with traps—considering it had been the most accessible entry, prior to Key's reformation of the place. Before setting out on their expedition, however, they had made sure to deactivate all of the theatrical decoys. 

It was a somewhat sour feeling, leaving this place behind and unguarded for the misfits of Hell to tear apart and degrade. They had to remind themself, again, that their true home was wherever Eden and Elliot were. After all, it had been the friends that they had made which brought life into the once desolate, sad place. 

Eden watched as Simone begrudgingly placed himself back into his seat, buckling in and turning away to presumably glare out the window. She turned her body to peer through the back window, watching as the large structure of the Mall grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Bundles of rope sat in the trunk of the car; a safety measure for whoever dared enter the portal way first. 

The passengers grew silent as the trip commenced, an unnerving atmosphere resonating inside the pickup truck; whirling and foreboding, it warned of the danger that was to come. Nobody was immune to the sensation, not even Elliot who had begun nervously dragging his claws against the center console in a mindless repetition.

"How about we play a game to pass the time?" Key finally suggested, breaking the uncomfortable silence. 

"Ooo, I know!" The incubus quickly perked up, desperate for some form of distracting entertainment. "Why don't we play I Spy?" He childishly offered, Simone's yellow jacket orbs shooting over in dissent. 

"I spy...with my little eyes..." The flashy demon paused, pursing his lips as he stared outwards at the barren desert lands that surrounded them. There were very few buildings and structures around, most being tiny specs in the far distance, shrouded in an ever thickening mist. "Something..." Elliot continued.

"Red."

The demon with curly hair tilted his head and pressed it against the glass of the window, gazing out with disinterest. "Dirt." He responded, dully. "Or the sky." 

"Bingo bongo." Elliot hummed, mimicking a drum roll with his fingers. "Now your turn."

"This is stupid!" Simone groaned, closing his eyes tightly. "I'm not playing. There's nothing to fucking look for."

"Well, maybe if you opened your eyes-."Elliot began, the raven-haired demon's bright honey orbs promptly widening in response

"They ARE open, but what's the point!? There's nothing out here!" Simone flared up, bouncing in his seat as he gestured out the window.