Shadowed Light

Meeting with the devil

"Wait here." Toby said. Clara did as she was told and Toby disappeared off between two white buildings. His mind was running wild. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to put Clara's life in any danger. He hated the devil. Who didn't? He had killed many of her pets and watched as many of her pets took the bodies of his friends, his warriors, and used their bodies as dress up. One had almost killed Adam who was currently resting in the men's dorms with his chest bandaged up and hidden under a shirt so no one found out what happened. Toby wanted to tell David when he was ready. When he understood what exactly happened and how to stop it from happening again. He hoped Vanessa would help him with that.

Toby pulled out his electric device and typed in the correct code. The next minute, the open space between the two buildings split in half and opened up unto a burning black hole. Toby stared at it for a moment, smelling the fire and misery of hell. He'd often wondered if his soul hadn't been taken here, would he have been taken to hell?
It wasn't a thought he enjoyed thinking.

"What is that?" Clara gasped, having snuck up be hind Toby.
Toby turned. "I thought I told you to wait?"
Clara shrugged, her strange magenta eyes fixed on the black hole. "Who says I ever listen?"

Toby quickly turned back around to hide his smile, but he was pretty certain she caught it.
"It's the passage to hell." He answered. "You ready, Clarie?"
It was a nickname that had come to his mouth without thinking. He called her it before and had regretted it, thinking she might not like it. However, she was smiling when he turned back around to face her. In that moment he couldn't help but appreciate her beauty. Her hair the colour of spilt blood that cascaded in waves down to her hips that were prominent in her skin tight black dress that revealed her arms up to her elbows, dotted with freckles, and her long pale legs. It amused him to see her wearing black converse with something so...extravagant.
Her eyes were such a deep purple they almost looked black, making her light brown lashes stand out starkly when they brushed her high cheekbones. She was so beautiful Toby was certain she was meant to be an angel.

"Toby, did you hear me?" She said, snapping him out of whatever day dream he was in. He blinked rapidly before shaking his head.
She sighed, however didn't look angry. "Have you travelled to hell before?"
Toby shook his head once. "We are both in for a ride I'm afraid."
___________________________
A scream ripped from Clara's throat and her hand was ripped from Toby's. The second they stepped through the hell hole, hand in hand, Clara felt herself lifted. She was hit by a burning gust of heat, feeling as if fire were attacking her body.

She was falling, she realised. Like the Angels did from heaven when they were sent to hell. Or so she once believed.

She was suddenly met by solid ground and her legs involuntarily buckled.
She cried out as her whole body hit the hard ground, pain pulsing through her body making her teeth clench together. She had her head tucked away protectively under her arms, her hair covering her face as she gasped out heavy breaths. Once she felt she had regained control of her body, she slowly lifted her head.

Her first thought: hell was a beautiful place.

The sky was a bright orange colour with swirls of red like cotton candy clouds. The ground was rocky, like a volcano. Clara was on a thin path that cut through two deep and deadly looking pools of lava which spat and sputtered orange liquid. Clara cried out and jumped to her feet, almost tripping over a loose rock and into the pool of death. A hand quickly wrapped around her waist, steadying her. Clara began to panic until she realised she was being held by Toby who had his face in the crook of her neck and was whispering for her to calm down and that she was safe.

Clara immediately relaxed and Toby released her. He was freezing compared to the hot humidity of hell. She violently shook when he realised she was taking away his coolness.

"Are you alright? Your bleeding." He asked, indicating to her leg, which was in fact bleeding.
Clara grumbled. "Peachy."

Toby scanned their surroundings. There didn't seem to be anything but lava and rock for miles. "This way." He said, leading her down the narrow path.

Clara felt uncomfortable in her dress which was now stuck to her body with sweat and was pretty sure her hair looked like a rats nest. She was beginning to wish she hadn't taken down her hair after Zoe had done it up.
"Zoe said there was a palace." Clara said.
"There is."
"Well I don't see one." She pointed out, knowing she probably sounded like a whining child.

Toby stopped, his muscles going tense beneath his jacket. Clara also stopped and said, "What? What is it?"

Toby slowly lifted his finger up and pointed. Clara looked to where it pointed and jumped. Where there had before been and empty path, there was now a large and dark palace. It's three spires pierced the orange sky and stroked the clouds. It was large and menacing and downright terrifying.

"Wow." Clara said, her mouth hanging open.
Toby nodded. "Yeah, wow." He turned to her with a devilish smirk. "You ready for a meeting with the devil?"