Hellfire

Night four

Connor opens his eyes. It's hot, and the thick air hangs around and gets caught in his throat, scratching it raw. The rock face scratches and burns his bare feet, as he trudges to shelter. He needs to get out of the rain, each drop stinging like needles. He finds a ledge and curls up under it, whimpering. It's dark and empty, which is even worse than when it was crowded with sinners.

Eventually it becomes very uncomfortable, but then the rain stops. He crawls out and is immediately seized from behind by something. He yells, having not expected any company in this empty place. He twists in the iron grip, and turns to see a white faced Kevin staring back at him.

"Kevin?" He asks. "What are you...?" He pauses. Kevin doesn't seem to be any better off than he is. He gives him a kiss on the cheek, something he can only do in his dreams. Kevin stares at him blankly. Even at the kiss, his expression does not change.

"Kevin, it's me Connor, is that you?" He asks slowly and shakily.

"You ruined my chances," Kevin says in a raspy voice. "I was going to get into Heaven. I was going to get my own planet. But no, you just had to tempt me and ruin my chances."

"Kevin..." Connor lets out in a broken whisper. He knows this Kevin wasn't real, he couldn't be, not with what he was suggesting anyway.

Connor shakes his head and bites back a sob. "I'm so sorry, god I'm so sorry, Kevin," he keeps repeating over and over again. Kevin's expression still does not change. Connor tries to reach out and grab Kevin's hand to reassure him that everything could still be alright.

Kevin snatches his hand away from Connor's and makes an inhuman hissing noise at him. "Get away from me! Your apologies mean nothing. You've already damned me, Connor." He stands up and steps away from Connor. "You're nothing but a selfish, worthless queer!"

Connor wants to scream. "I don't care!" He shouts back, taking a step forward. His voice cracks and tears stream down his cheeks. "I don't care that I'm worthless, and I already know that, but you can be saved! You are saved! This isn't how you feel but just let me help you!" He sinks down onto his knees. "Just... Let me.." Connor's voice gets smaller and smaller and eventually turns to broken sobs. "You... Don't have to.... See me... If I'm h-hurting you...As long as you.... Can escape this horrible fate..."

"You already ruined my chances," Kevin replies. "I don't ever wanna see you again. Got it?" He crosses his arms and looks down at Connor. "You are nothing to me, and you never will be."

Connor flinches at each word. They burn their way into his brain.

'He could never love me.

The whole place begins to shake and the floor splits in half, directly under Kevin. The only sounds that can be heard are Kevin's screams of pain as he plummets down and is engulfed by flame and darkness.

Connor opened his eyes when he felt someone shaking him. He looked over at Elder Price. "Hi.." Kevin whispered quietly.

Still shaken and slightly uneasy, Connor tried to keep his distance. He had to remain cool. Connor felt fresh tears rolling down his face. "I'm sorry," he managed. "Just give me a minute..."

He had too compose himself fast. Just smile and put up a facade. He doesn't have to know.

He can't know.