Oblivion | Euronymous

6 - Hell on Earth

A FEW MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE PELLE'S DEATH. Ada Holt was feeling a lot better, with nightmares becoming a rarity. Her relationship with Euronymous mended too. She respected his decisions and started to gaslight herself into understanding his underlying reasons. He wanted the band to grow famous all over Norway - all over the world - so they needed a publicity stunt like Pelle's suicide to boost their fame.

However, after her friend's demise, neither Ada nor Øystein could live in the Henhouse anymore, even after it was sanitised and thoroughly cleaned. It simply brought back too much unpleasant memories.

Øystein continued to make his dreams come true by opening a record store called Helvete (Norweigian for Hell) with his label, Deathlike Silence and invited Ada to live with him there. The Holt girl only agreed only because Elin would be on vacation and she didn't feel comfortable living in a house all by herself. Plus, she didn't mind Euronymous' company. After all this time he seemed to be slowly warming up to her, and Ada considered them close friends, despite Øystein's no-friends rule.

During the opening ceremony, Ada was assigned the role of assistant, tasked with helping metalheads find the music they were looking for, while Øystein was obviously the owner, managing the sales and the underground meeting place.

They had a sort of secret club going on, where only certain people were allowed to go under the store where Mayhem held their parties, meetings and more. It was a dark place lit up by a few candles with the words 'Black Metal' spray painted on the cobblestone wall. Øystein decided to call it the Black Circle.

/ / /

A few weeks have passed since the grand opening of Helvete and there were lots of customers who would come in every day to buy records and CDs.

Ada was lounging on the bottom bunk of the bed that was right beside the cash register. She was drawing in her sketchbook and drinking some beer. While Øystein was listening to music she admired him and his beauty. Ada liked his long hair, the faint residue of black paint under his eyes, his plump lips and most of all she adored his blue eyes... It was strange to her that after everything he'd done, she felt somewhat attracted to him... Maybe it was some stupid trauma-bonding experience she'd heard about.

Her silent admiration was cut short when the front doorbell rang out and a customer walked in. She craned her neck from where she was to see who it was. She didn't immediately recognise the customer, but he did seem familiar. He walked up to some records and took one of the shelves,

"Why do you sell this shit? Thought this place was true metal," he asked rather rudely, showing Øystein a Scorpions vinyl.

Øystein looked up from his magazine and raised a brow, "It is."

"I got music you can't find anywhere else in the world." He said proudly, with a bit of sass. "It's just not on display for posers."

"So where is it?" the man asked, and the longer Ada looked at him the more she began to recognise him. She saw him talk with Euronymous right after the show all those months ago. His name was Kristopher? Kristian? Kristian, that was it.

"Well if you know if you'll find it," Øystein said in a threatening manner. "But a poser won't find shit." Ada chuckled, causing him to look in her direction with a hint of a smile.

Kristian then placed two albums on the counter, "You wanna buy it or listen to it" Øystein asked, smirking. He seemed impressed that this poser guy could find the true black metal stuff.

"Both" Kristian replied.

Faust then took one of those vinyl records and placed it on a turntable. Heavy music instantly played through the small store. Ada lightly headbanged to it as she drew.