push-ups in drag

2; into and against

"Satan? The Satan? What the actual fuck is going on? Hell is re-?" I start to interrogate

"Yes, yes, you'll see when we get there, yes, blah blah blah," Frank answers as if my spiraling is a bit annoying, "most of your questions are gonna be answered when we get there."

"There being Hell." Gerard adds

"Christ.." I interject

"Oh, yeah, he doesn't like us." Frank laughs

"Shut up Frank." Gerard petitioned

"What?" I question, my confusion starting to sound frantic

Frank cracks his gum in his mouth, which I didn't even know he had nor how he has, and makes a distasteful face at me before asking "why? Were you a Christian? 'Cause I have some bad news for you about Jesus and Vampires."

"No, I stopped being Christian when I went into a Christian middle school, like ninety-something years ago. You said 'us' though, so why doesn't he like you guys?"

Gerard crosses his arms and begins what looks like, due to his chest inflating and pausing as if he were holding his breath, will be a long story. "When I died, I cheated him. I conned him into letting me stay on Earth. I had died of the bubonic plague-"

"What?! How old are you?" I interrupt

Frank laughs so hard, reacting with his body so hard that he nearly falls over. Gerard covers his mouth and stifles a laugh with his jaw on the floor as if they forgot about how ancient they are.

"I lost count, but I know I was 18 when I died. I'm not good at math either, though. March twenty-second, one thousand three hundred and fifty-one." Gerard answers to the best of their ability

"Good year for Italy." Frank barks out, still gawking

Gerard curls his fingers into his palm and responds stifly with: "If you weren't already dead... Nevermind. We should go."

"How, though?" I ask

"Yeah, I don't have a good answer for that. I just kinda.. do it, I guess. Like how you have- well, had, your rage. It just kinda happens." Gerard responds

"What do you mean had? I mean, I get I died, but does my 'vampirism' just disappear or something?"

Frank chimes in; "no, you're still very much a Vampire. It's just now you get to do more with more control of yourself. Less is left up to God, if you will."

Gerard puts out their hands toward Frank and I, and as the interlock their hands, Frank reaches out his to mine as well. I pick up both their hands because, well, they're doing it, and my back straightens a bit, in fear of being out of place.

"You guys don't have to do anything, just hold on." Gerard explains

Frank and I nod, and Frank looks at me wide-eyed as if to say 'watch this'. I turn my head to Gerard to see them close their eyes and slightly turn their neck down. I take another look at the grey space we're in. There's not a single shadow, so it's impossible to tell how expansive it truly is. If I weren't accompanied here, I think I'd go insane in seconds. It's uncomfortable enough with two other people here.

The second I look back to Gerard, the room splits to darkness, and is immediately filled with beaming light sparks all around. There's something that feels similar to a strong wind that blows us around. The assumed ground below us fades, but we don't fall, at least, it doesn't feel like it. It's cold, but that may be explained by the draft. The lights draw swirly lines around us, and change in neon hues incoherently. Gerard pierces his lip up to their left, and Frank squeezes my hand twice, trying to see if I'm still conscious, I guess. I press my thumb into his palm.

The sparks all simultaneously fly toward an adjacent, and, in their brabble, explode against themselves. The lines detonate with them. Instead of being left with the darkness once more, we're placed in a terribly colder space. The floor is a pitch black marble-like texture and look, and the walls and incredibly high ceilings are as well.

The floor to ceiling windows that must be miles high show off the sweeping magma filled wasteland that contrasts the inside temperature drastically. Rocks smashing against each other in the distance throw shards around and bubble up the lava that is spread thin and patchy on top of it.

"Welcome home," a deep, coarse, and profane voice hails.