Hellscape

Chapter 15: The Great Escape

    Skillfully ducking his head out from under Charon's steady and firm grip, Lazarus pushes at the demon's hands when Charon tries to grab him again. The distraught boy shouts, "we have to go back for her!"

    "Would you lower your voice," Charon hisses, shuffling the boy behind a faded red pinstriped rotten apple cart. Once tucked away from watching eyes, he says, "if we go back for her now, we'll be putting her in more danger."

    "We'll be quiet," Lazarus says, shrugging. Finding his nerve, he puffs his broad chest, "I'm stealthy."

    "Yeah-" Charon says sarcastically and with a scoff, "and I'm a magical fairy. Are we done telling jokes, can we go now?"

    Lazarus shakes his head, "no."

    Charon scowls, taking a step towards him, but the human instinctively takes a step back. They do this dance again and then again before Charon balls his fists into his dark hair. He groans annoyed, "would you stop that! We don't have time for this."

    "You go. I'm going back for her," Lazarus says defiantly.

    With an aggravated sigh, Charon warns, "don't make me knock your ass out and carry you over my shoulder."

    "You wouldn't-" Charon raises his eyebrows, begging for the boy to test him. As if to prove himself to the human, Charon takes another, more menacing and frightening, step forward. Lazarus quickly holds his hands up in defense, stopping the demon from coming any closer, "alright! Fine, you would. I'm just worried about her."

    "She can take care of herself," Charon grumbles miserably.

    "But you said-"

    "I know what I said!" Charon shouts, pulling the attention of a nearby fury to the snack cart they hide behind. "Fuck, someone's coming. Get in there."

    The demon points to the back of the snack stand at an old dumpster. Lazarus can almost see the cartoon stink lines coming off of it and his mouth falls open, "I'm not getting in there!"

    "Don't argue with me," Charon whisper-yells, shoving Lazarus towards the opening atop the dumpster. "Just get in, quick."

    The blue haired boy climbs up the side and falls into the nearly empty, yet putrid rotting innards of the dumpster with a dull thud. He immediately covers his mouth and nose to stop from gagging as he scurries into the furthest and cleanest corner. Involuntarily, he gags anyway and pounds his fist against the inside of the dumpster — telling the demon just how displeased he is.

    With a loud bang coming from inside the disgusting container, Charon leans against the exterior as a fury approaches him.

    "Charon," she says with a furrowed brow — confused to be seeing the great ferryman inside Hellscape and with a dumpster of all things. She cocks her head to the side, "what are you doing here?"

    "I'm on a break," he lies. Awkwardly nodding, he adds, "I like to come here sometimes. You know, check things out."

    He shrugs, thinking he's done an excellent job at disguising his true motives. He crosses his arms over his chest casually, nodding once at the small fury.

    "So, what are you doing here?"

    The fury studies him with a strange look about her, "working."

    "Right," he says with a light hearted chuckle. "Of course. What's new with that?"

    The interest in her job distracts her curiosity and she visibly eases under his gaze. A bead of sweat rolls down the length of his face, but she doesn't notice.