Casey McCloud Escapes from Hell

Episode IX: Casey McCloud Escapes from Hell

Casey's arms ached. Her breath came in with a wheeze and out with difficulty. Her eyes stung, and her fingers felt as if they were about to fall off. The only thing that kept her going was Winston's light.

It shined ahead of her, and even in the exhausted daze she currently was in, Casey could follow it.

She had been climbing for seventeen hours straight. Her red cape was tattered and torn, her armor caked with dirt and covered with scratches, her hair disheveled and dirty. Things were not looking good.

It didn't help that she was upside down.

Apparently, the devil had not been completely accurate hen he said Hell was "as tall as it is long". She was actually a good ways up already, yet nowhere close to the center. Currently, she was 'resting" while Winston flew down to get food. Resting was actually just holding on for dear life, because if she let go she would fall and die. But if Winston didn't eat, there was no light to guide her.

The little fly returned, and landed beside her.

"Hey, Honey, time to move." He said. Casey groaned, reached forward, and began her climb again. Winston had been very helpful, encouraging her the whole way. What warmed Casey's heart was the idea that he really didn't have to be here, but he was. Helping here. Just because he could. That seemed motivation enough for Casey to keep going.

Thirty two hours. Casey had made significant progress, but not significant enough. Winston was taking fewer trips, which in turn was making him more tired. Therefore, his encouragements were dwindling. But one thing spurred Casey on: She could see it. The light to the judgment zone. It was so close... so close...

Fifty hours. Casey was going to let go. She was. She couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't close, not close at all. It looked that was, but that was all a trick, a lie.

"WINSTON!" She cried. "I HAVE TO LET GO!"

Winston had been ahead of her, searching for a good foothold. But as soon as he heard those words, he rushed back.

"No!" He said. "You can't! You're so close! So close! So come on!"

"I'M NOT CLOSE!" Casey was screaming now, screaming. "I'M NEVER GOING TO GET THERE!" Tears began to fill her eyes. She didn't fight them. She wept. Winston landed on her nose.

"You have to do this!" He said. "I don't know why, and I don't know how. But you have to. You've come too far and achieved too much to throw it away. Do it for Molly!"

At the very mention of that name, Casey was filled with a new energy. Her limbs found strength, her eyes cleared, and she nodded.

"Okay... you're right... I can do this..."

She pushed on.

Seventy two hours. That was how long she had been climbing when the Devil came to visit.

"Okay, I'm impressed," he said, is cold and lifeless mask face staring at Casey. "Most of them give up. Most decide to settle with what they have here. Most of them live happy eternities. But not good old Casey McCloud. She wanted something better."

Casey wasn't sure if she was actually seeing this guy or not.

Satan sighed. "I wondered when you would appear, Casey McCloud. The one of legends. The human that would escape Hell and return to your mortal world. Thousands of years of prophesy have been leading up to this day, and if you fail, well, lots of people will die. Forever. Including yourself. That's what Miranda Darkheart was trying to do. There were many times that, without her involvement, you would have failed."

Casey only stared. She did not have the energy to speak. She barely had the energy to continue. The Prince of Demons seemed to be deep in thought.

"I'll carry you," he said finally. "As far as I can. I'm not allowed to bring people to the judgment zone, but hey, I'm a nice guy. And I really don't want to hear more screams of agony than I need to. I need my sleep, ya' know?"

Casey felt his claws wrap around her. She willed her fingers to let go of the rock, and then she felt her mind wander in and out of alertness for a while.

Ninety four hours. She was so close. And this time she knew it was true. She was almost there.

According to Winston, the devil had taken her most of the way, and now, after a few more hours of climbing, she was nearly at the edge. The light of the judgment zone was extremely bright, it nearly blinded her. But it was maybe fifty feet away.

"CASEY!" Winston landed on her nose. "I can't bring you any farther!"

Casey crossed her eyes and looked at the fly. Her voice cracked, and she barely got the words out.

"Why?"

"I can't leave here," Winston replied. "I'm a creature of Hell. I have to stay."

Casey wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him that no, he wasn't allowed to go. That he had to stay with her. But she couldn't deep down, she knew that this was where they would part ways.

"I'll miss you," she whispered.

"You too, babe." The fly gave her a small kiss on the nose, and then lifted himself off.

"You did it, Casey," he said cheerfully. "Say Hi to Molly for me!"

And with that, the little fly fell down, down, towards his home. Casey watched his light go until she couldn't see it anymore. She felt more tears come. She would never forget that little guy. Never.

But it was time for her to go home as well.

As she climbed, she heard music in her mind. A familiar song. The song she heard Gersato singing as he was flying over them. It felt like so long ago. She began to quietly sing along:

"In the night shall I endure?

For I can't see at all,

And I am very lost,

Everything has fallen apart."

Casey pulled herself closer and closer. Inch by inch, she felt the radiant light of the judgment zone consumer her. She was so close, so close. This was the final push.

"Fear will not make me crawl,

For I am very strong,

And the night will carry me,

Carry me back home."

The Edge. Casey had made it. One hand was extended out, reaching. She had to get there, The pulsating light beckoned her. She was so close...

She could not do it. She fell.

As Casey McCloud began to fall, a section of her cape became caught in the light. By luck and pure happenstance, she was sucked in. And as Casey McCloud left Hell, everything about the place began to change.

The sky became a cloudy grey color. Plants began to grow. The humans of Hell were granted the ability to die and not come back. Night and day became clear. There was a sun, and moon, and stars. They were not visible, but they were there. The demons became scared of the light, and fled. The monster that terrorized Hell's borders left as well. The fires died down, and the mountains grew bright. And so, while Earth was constantly becoming more like Hell, Hell became a bit more like Erath.

"You have succeeded," A majestic voice sounded. "Casey McCloud, you have done what no other human has ever done. You have escaped Hell, and now you will return to life as it was."