Hellscape

Chapter 4: The Styx

    "Mellie?" Her name falls from Charon's lips and bounces off of the cavern walls, flooding the space with panic and worry. He abandons his boat upon seeing her, hopping off of it before it reaches the dock and the human souls aboard startle with his sudden disappearance — scrambling to grab onto the small dock. None dare to leave the canoe, holding onto the sides until their knuckles are white and glowing in the dimly lit cave. Charon seemingly has no care or concern for his canoe, his wide eyes stay trained on the girl in front of him as he lands in the middle of the cave. "What happened to you?"

    The space between them is quickly closed as he rushes to her. His cold bony fingers cup her clammy cheek, somehow warming it instantly. His thumb gently brushes across the deep gash and he hisses as if the mark is on his face and is hurting him. He withdraws his thumb from the wound, holding her face in his hand. Her eyes flutter closed and she leans into his touch, but his hands don't stay there long as he runs them down her arms, checks her hands, and finally rests them on her shoulders — looking for any sign of injury. She winces under the weight of his hand on her wounded shoulder as a sharp pain shoots down the length of her arm.

    "Sorry, sorry," he says quickly, dropping his hands from her body. His beautiful face twists and contorts with anguish as he watches her gently rub the sore spot and he tucks his hands under his armpits to refrain from touching her again. He bites the inside of his cheek as he fights the desperate craving to hold her once more when she hisses in pain again. "Tell me everything."

    "It was nothing," she lies.

    "Nothing," he scoffs. Shaking his head and leaning in closer to her so the nearby tourists can't hear their whisperings. "Mellie, you were attacked and then carried through the park like a-"

    "Like a what?"
    Her eyes search his, waiting for him to say what she knows he wants to, but he just stares back at her, asking again, "what happened?"

    Mel studies Charon's face carefully, tilting her head to the side and furrowing her brows at him. The small crease in his forehead that he always has when he looks at her now, saddens her — she wants to press her thumb to it and smooth it out, or place a kiss on his lips and watch it melt away, but she doesn't. The moment for kisses between them had disappeared months ago, right around the same time the crease in his forehead became a permanent fixture on his perfectly sculpted face. She pulls her bottom lip in between her teeth, biting down on her flesh. His eyebrows jump slightly, waiting for her to explain, but she doesn't. She scoffs lightly, choosing to push him further away by saying, "you already know."

    "No," he says hesitantly, rocking on his toes. "No, I don't."

    "You do." She shakes her head, "you're lying, I can tell."

    The souls aboard his canoe gawk at the pair of them with horror and fascination, but both Charon and Melinoe continue arguing — completely unaware of the lingering looks they're receiving. The demon sat at the small booth watches with a joyously wicked grin, snacking on a rotten apple from inside the park.

    "I'm not lying," Charon says and he's telling the truth, she can tell but she pushes him further.

    "Who are you spying for this time?" She asks, crossing her arms over her chest. "My dad? My mom? Which one?"

    "I'm not spying, Mellie. I'm worried about you, that's all." He leans in closer to her, his breath hot on her cheek and his eyes carefully trained on hers. "You can hate me for an eternity if you have to, but I am never going to stop caring about you."

    A deep blush sets on her face as she stares back at him with her large dark eyes.

    Charon inhales her deeply, looking her up and down with a hint of lust. Releasing his breath and softening his gaze, he says, "I just want to know that you're okay."