SHEOL

23

It seemed that right as he said that, the door that the old woman had come through reopened, but this time, nothing seemed to come out. I stared at the entryway, but it emitted nothing but pitch darkness.

"Who's there?!" The Window Killer shouted, clutching his machete in his bony digits. Nothing answered.

"It looks like the leech is inviting us to come after it." Kingston said as he removed a small Swiss Army Knife from his back pocket.

I then reached up into the overhead carrier that housed my pack and removed the small knife that belonged to my mother from the faded cracker box. I'd be damned if I were going to be the helpless damsel with no means of protection, other than two men I had barely met. I flicked it open, revealing the shiny blade. 

"Let's go."

We walked slowly to the eerie opening, The Window Killer in the lead and Kingston and I trailing closely behind. The leech seemed to have found the electrical controls, because there was no reason for the next car to be pitch black, other than to give the leech an invisible advantage.

The Window Killer halted just before entering. "Do either of you happen to have a lantern, or something of the sort?"

"I have a flashlight on my phone." Kingston responded, pulling out his cellular device and waving it in the air.

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you just said, but if whatever you have emits some sort of light source, please turn it on and hand it to me." The Window Killer said as he stood in a wide, offensive stance, as if he were prepared to both fight and protect at the same time.

Kingston turned it on and handed it to The Window Killer. He then shined the light forwards, the bright beams piercing through the darkness. I was afraid to look. I had already seen so many wretched things in the recent days, but I was still frozen with fear. My eyes were pasted to the ground as I clutched the small dagger tightly. My palms were dewy with permanent sweat and fear which seemed to sting my body and refuse to release my precious soul. I was afraid to blink.

"There doesn't seem to be anyone in here, but one can never be so sure." The Window Killer said. 

A wave of relief washed over my parched body, but before we could move forward, The Window Killer turned around.

"One of you needs to stay and watch the candle. Even though it is hidden, if there are more than one leech, it is very possible that one of them could find it and blow it out. I would volunteer to guard it, as it is my burden, but I appear to be the most advantageous of this group, seeing that I have battled such demons before."

I knew that I wasn't strong enough to fight off a foul beast of the sorts, especially if it were much larger and more powerful than me, which was more than likely. I wasn't much more than a slender pile of bones. But, before I could even rack my brain for possible solutions to this inevitable problem, Kingston spoke up.

"I'll do it." He smiled. "I've been in a number of fights in my day. I think I can handle my own."

The Window Killer narrowed his eyes. "Being in a number of fights is one thing, but winning is a whole other."

Kingston pulled up his sleeve and flexed his arm, flashing a surprising amount of muscle, considering his build was slim and lanky. "I've never been beat."

The Window Killer nodded his head in respect. "Fair enough. October, you're coming with me. How does it feel to have your own personal body guard?"

"I'm not sure if I feel all that safe." I replied, though that may have been a white lie. The Window Killer brushed off the comment.

"Kingston, I trust my life to you. You're only the second person who has ever been bestowed such a high honor." The Window Killer said somberly.

Kingston saluted him with his knife. "Don't worry, I won't let you down."

The Window Killer shook his head and murmured "That is exactly what your grandfather said" as he lead me into the blackness.