Wings of the Apocalypse

Chapter 23: Toxic fear

Chapter 23

Toxic fear

Lily walked down the bare and empty corridors with her head hanging low, the pain of Abaddon’s betrayal was still as fresh as it was a few moments ago when he spoke the heart breaking words.

She wished her death meant freedom from emotional pain, yet it was still has strong as ever and it was slowly torturing her.

Her situation was dire, the human race was at extinction and the only person who could help change that said they didn’t want too and just to add to the terrible problem Lily had now found herself lost among the many hallways of the underworld.

“Damn it! Damn it all!” Lily cried through tearful eyes.

Lily banged her fists on one of the cold metal doors, expecting it to be locked like the vast majority of the doors in the underworld she was surprised to see it creak open. Quickly she wiped the tears out of her eyes that were blurring her vision and peered around the doorway.

Inside it was pitch black, not even a flitter of light rested inside. Lily reached up and pulled off one of the flame torches on the wall next to the doorway.  She paused for a moment wondering if she dare enter the room, but then a thought occurred to her. She had lost everything that once had meaning to her and she was already dead, and so with that thought in mind Lily stepped inside.

At first there was only a flitter of shadows while Lily’s eyes adjusted to the darker room. Lily held the torch up high and looked at her surroundings. Sadly to Lily’s disappointment it was another hallway, but this time is was different. Lily was quick to notice that the doors in this hallway had signs above them all.

She held the torch up to the first sign as the torch like reflected revealing the word “Liars” etched in the wooden plank held above the door. Lily’s pulse began to pick up, she wasn’t sure why but the sign on the door somehow provoked fear into her. Determined not to let it put her off she kicked her foot forward first and waited for the door to swing open.

When the door opened Lily heard the distinctive sound of snapping branches. Lily looked confused into the dark void of the door in front of her but went inside anyway. Lily was instantly hit with the sound of talking, almost like the sound of a large crowd. She gripped on the torch firmly and lifted it up gasping as she saw the countless numbers of souls float by. They reminded Lily of snowballs apart from being a clear white transparent colour, they were no bigger than the palm of her hand.  Lily concentrated on the voices of the souls trying to identify talking out of the constant chatter among them.

“I sense someone is here that is not like us, I smell flesh.” A high pitch female voice said.

“Oh how I miss my flesh body, it’s been years far too many of them. Tell me what this other presence is like?” Another female voice interrupted.

“I believe it’s a girl, a human. Yes it’s a mortal just like what we were!” The voice cried cheerfully.

“Wait, a human girl? Is she young?” A familiar male voice entered the conversation.

“Well I can’t say for sure, no longer having eyes is such a burden, but yes I believe so.” The female voice answered.

“Lily are you there?” The male voice said urgently.

Lily cleared her throat and nervously before she spoke. “Err... yes my name is Lily how do you know me?”

“Oh my, She speaks she’s human in all my days I cannot believe it!” The female voice said happily.

“Oh shut it you, you are all I’ve heard for the days on end, for once will you keep it quite just for a minute while I speak to Lily?” The male voice responded angrily.