Heads or Tails

Chapter 2

Kerra's P.O.V.

As soon as we hit the shore I thank the ferryman, then resume my sprint. I turn the corner into a large cave and nearly crash into a gigantic spiked gate. Fumbling with the keys I stole from the Grim Reapers pocket, I unlock the heavy metal bolt on the door and slip inside. Now that I've entered the cave, my pace slows. Any sudden movement could wake up the monster guarding the passage. Examining the ground closely, I memorize where the remains of animals lie. I take a step backwards and leap over the first pile, dodge a large femur, and slide through a ribcage of what I'm assuming was an elephant. I carefully make my way over all the bones and finally make it to the other side when a loud snap fills the air. I glance behind me and roll my eyes. Of course I forgot to lock the gate. Standing at the other end of the tunnel is another soul. Cerberus' ears perk up and he begins to bark loudly. The monster has awakened, I think with a small chuckle. His massive paws pass over my head as he bounds for the new soul. "Good luck," I yell to the terrified person. I ignore the screaming from behind me and continue on my journey unconcerned.

"Kerra? You're here?" I turn around and give the bubbly demon a tight hug. "Lunea! It's so nice to see you!" She laughs and gives me a tight squeeze. "I missed you too," she whispers in my ear. My heart flutters slightly. Huh. Must be because I'm going to go see him. My stomach flutters again, and this time my face turns red. I release her from our hug and wave goodbye. "I'll be back in a minute," I say nervously, then make my way towards the Devil's castle. I feel bad for brushing Lunea off, but if everything goes my way, I'll be down here for the rest of eternity.

When I reach the front doors I take a deep breath, trying to get rid of the butterflies in my stomach. It doesn't work. I knock on the door and an unfamiliar face greets me. "Right this way," he says gently. I nod my head politely, and follow him into the main hall. "What's your name," I ask, trying to make small talk. The skeleton shakes their head. "We're not supposed to-"

"You can tell me," I say kindly. "I'm a regular." He looks confused, but I don't bother explaining. I'm annoyed and anxious and sweaty. Hopefully this is my last death. Hopefully this is the last coin flip. After we finish walking up a spiral tower he points to the door ahead. "Through there," he says, but I'm already walking through the door frame. Once I step into the room, the door ominously slams behind me, and I begin to walk towards the front. I smirk when I see Hades talking to another soul. As soon as they're done talking I plop down on the guest chair and grin."Heyyyy! How's it going?" His eyes narrow and he quickly glances at the departing soul. "Kerra, you can't just barge in here. I have an image to uphold!" I roll my eyes and snort. "I have coins to toss," I say in a deep voice, mimicking him. This time he can't hold back a laugh. "Okay, okay. Heads or tails?"

Heads or tails.

It's funny, really. How those three simple words mean nothing to him, but mean everything to me. They're the difference between life and death, torture or paradise. "Heads," I mutter quietly, all laughter drained from my voice. Lucifer senses my seriousness and his grin drops. Tossing the coin up in the air, we both watch it intensely as it falls back down into his palm. His thin fingers close over it, hiding the coin from my view. I look into his eyes hopefully, but they're filled with disappointment. "Heads," he pronounces, and before he can finish his long-winded speech about life I run out the door, tears streaming down my face. I'm done with this. I've had enough.

Week after week. Month after month. Century after century. No matter how hard I try, I always keep living. I used to wait years, as long as I could. I would wait until I died in my sleep. But not anymore. For the past hundred years I've been plotting ways to end my life, hoping that one day I'll be successful. Obviously I'm either the luckiest girl in the world or the most unfortunate. Everyone begs for life and they rarely succeed. I beg for death, but my life is longer than anyone else's.