Between Heaven and Hell

Chapter 23

Between Heaven and Hell

Copyright © 2012 by Carla Meyer

All Rights Reserved

 

CHAPTER 23

Before Joey could think about what he was doing, he had lunged himself towards Clara and Giovanni, in hopes that Lucifer couldn’t inflict any harm on them. But the action had the opposite effect, because the second Joey made contact with Clara and Giovanni, their agonizing shrieks intensified and Joey felt the fire surrounding them burn through his flesh.

It wasn’t as painful as he initially thought it would be. He could feel the burning sensation, but it felt similar to when Joey’s palms burned up, the same as when the Son of Lucifer was near. He spun on his heels to face Lucifer, but he had vanished, leaving only an echo of his impious laughter behind. He was infuriated but also at loss of any words or actions. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do, or say. He searched Phoebe’s face for any sign of remorse, but she merely sat between the ceiling high flames, and snickered menacingly at the scene.

“Stop it,” cried Joey, fixing his gaze on the blazing Clara and Giovanni. “Please, just stop it.”

He knew the only way for him to get Lucifer to stop, was by letting him have his son. It meant that he, Joey Olsen, had to seize to exist in order for Clara and Giovanni’s torment to come to an end. But he also knew that the likelihood of Lucifer setting them free was slight. If he seized to exist, then it didn’t matter – to anyone – whether they were still in Hell or not. Joey knew that Heaven didn’t care.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, feeling his heart constrict tightly in his chest.

He was truly sorry for what was happening to them, and even though Joey knew that their fortune had been inevitable the moment his parents made the deal with the Devil, he still wanted to fix it; he still wanted them to be released from this perpetuity of torment. He hated his parents for what they have done, and Joey started wishing he hadn’t existed in the first place, that his parents hadn’t existed. He also wished that his sister would do something to help him, but as he looked once more at her, her face was carved with expressions of exhilaration and delight.

“What is wrong with you?” cried Joey, moving rapidly in on his sister. “How can you sit there and do nothing?”

Phoebe sat and giggled as though the entire situation was one colossal joke. Furious with his sister, Joey allowed his palms to burn up and marched towards the spot where she sat. For the first time, her eyes grew wide with alarm because she knew Joey was letting the Son of Lucifer out. But Joey still had control over his body; he knew that he could destabilize the Son of Lucifer.

“I hate you,” he yelled and pressed his palms against his sister’s face.

He didn’t know what will happen to her, seeing that she was already in Hell, but he couldn’t contain the anger he felt any longer, and he hoped that his death touch would burn some common sense into his sister. Phoebe’s body was set alight, her eyes had gone ample and blue – almost the shade of blue Joey knew her eyes had – but before anything else could happen, Phoebe Olsen was gone, leaving not even a trail of smoke, or anything behind.