Beyond Heaven and Hell

Chapter 1 - Nate

It was a quiet night. Cold, dark, and dreary. Something about the silence was unsettling. I couldn't tell if it was because it was so dark or because of a presence that I had sensed. I cautiously walked towards my car, continuously checking over my shoulder. That feeling of dread was seeping into my bones like there was a demonic force watching me. I unlocked my car and got in.

Leaving the office, I always got the feeling of dread that I am experiencing now. Like something was always waiting, in the shadows. As I put the key in the ignition and cranked the car it struggled, then died. Great. Now not only do I have that feeling, but now but my car won't start. I rang Liza, she had the jumper cables, "be there soon Nate". Feeling like a sitting duck, I began to drum my fingers on the steering wheel in attempts to warm them up. The uneasy feeling began to grow stronger. Something was here. Something bad. I saw what looked like a purple cloud flash past my windscreen. I kept the scream inside as my heart felt like a jackhammer pounding in my chest. I finally screamed when the glass window by my head shattered. Then everything went black.

I slowly began to open my eyes. The beeping alarm sounds were ringing through my head like someone ringing an old church bell inside of my brain. As my eyes opened wider, I noticed I was in a hospital. Strangely though, it didn't seem like a normal hospital. Something wasn't right.

Once again, that sense of dread that I felt earlier, had returned. This time it accompanied an incredibly beautiful lady. I had never in my life see this kind of beauty before. It was captivating. Her caramel curls gently flowed down her shoulders to halfway down her back. Her skin Shon with a radiant glow, an eerie, unnatural glow. Her eyes were a pastel blue which was enhanced by her dark purple glasses. Her lips shimmered in the reflection of the light – a fine, cherry red colour, bright like her peach-coloured dress. Firm fitting around the bust with a little flare at the bottom. It sat just above the knees. She was tall, yet the ankle boots she wore gave additional height.

I realised I was staring. Glancing away, I was wondering how such beauty could accompany such a gut-wrenching dread.

''You're awake, Mr. Wiseman?" the sound of her voice was like honey. Smooth and entrancing.

"Y-yes" I stuttered.

''You're in good hands here Nathan, I've been watching you. Keeping you safe from those... pesky angels''. She basically spat out the past two words.

Wait... did she just say safe... from angels? What was this place?

''They were also watching you... but I kept you safe. You belong here with us. Master will be happy to see you here, Nate. I can't wait for her to see you. She will be along soon, but for now, you need to rest. Oh! That's reminds me, are you hungry? There is so many choices for food. Would you like something?''.

My mind was going a million miles an hour. I managed to squeeze out a pitiful ''no thank you'' before I strangely noticed that there were no windows in the room. In fact, I was so entranced by... wait, what was her name? I looked back at her searching for a name badge. I discovered it carefully placed above her left breast. 'Sophie', it read.

''Okay Nate, since you're not hungry, I will let you get your rest. You will need it''. Sophie purred, smiling. Heck, even her teeth were a perfect shade of white – not one chip, or even a tooth out of place. Something was very wrong.

I went back to assessing my surroundings; IV pole to my left, with a fluid pumping through a tube into my wrist. I hadn't noticed it before but the door that Sophie must've entered through had no window either.

She checked the IV machine giving it a nod of approval, then turned and walked out the door ensuring it was closed firmly behind her. As it closed, I noticed it was a very solid door.

I heard something... wait, that was a lock! Am I locked in here?! Panic started rising, heart beating faster than I had ever felt it beat in my life. Sweat started beading on my skin. I quickly did another scan of the room. Nope, certainly no windows. No vents overhead either. Hope very quickly began to fade. I closed my eyes and re-opened then in hopes that this was all a nightmare. Nope, no such luck. Just when I was about to give up hope completely, I saw a man, an unusual looking man. He seemed so strange; I can't explain it. But I felt his presence. It spread over me like a warm, cosy blanket in the winter. A peace, in the midst of a storm. Or perhaps rain in a desert.

I knew he was here for me. He nodded as if confirming my thoughts. How he heard them, I don't know, but he did. And just as fast as I had seen him, he was gone. Vanished into thin air. It all HAD to be a dream. Nobody can just vanish into the air, can they? I heard the lock being fumbled with, so I closed my eyes to pretend I was asleep... or awake... or whatever the reverse of this twisted place is.