HADAGERY, Book of Elysium

Chapter 9

            "That's Creepy..." Hadge pointed out the doors, as a chill crept up his spine, and the feeling of being watched was all consuming. Each door was carved in an intricate pattern of vines, as wrought iron branched hinges extended from the frame holding it in place, and peeking through the vines were animalistic eyes. The eyes within the door imparted a look of realism, each glassy and reflective, seeming to move and watch you. A sinister black fog seeped eerily from the frame around all of the doors, staining the edges black, as if the evil could hardly contain itself.

Uwee poked at one of the eyes quite curious, "Are they real?"

Instantly he withdrew his hand, complaining, "Ewwwww...they feel real." Hadge could hardly hold back the laughter, nevertheless he had to ask, "You're a ghost, so how can you even tell?" Uwee didn't think it was at all funny, seriously inquiring, "Why would a door need eyes?" That was a good question, and Hadge would've liked the answer too, but all he could do is surmise a guess, "Maybe it has something to do with the see no evil thing." Uwee leaned closer, inches from a pair of eyes, uttering, "I don't think so." Hadge was quite certain that game had some importance, or why would it be plastered all over Bedlam. And why were there three doors clad in those same monkeys, where there should only be one plain door.

Hadge tried to remember the silly game, however it was no use, as he questioned the grubb, "Uwee how did that game go again?" Uwee mocked, "Thought you didn't care." Hadge impatiently barked, "Just answer!" Uwee replied, "See no evil, hear no evil, and I think speak no evil." The grubb blundered, "No it's hear no evil, speak no evil, ah dang. I never remember the order." Conversely Hadge recalled that every sign along the way had placed the monkeys in the order of see, speak, and hear.

Thereafter the fact remained undisclosed, what kinds of evils hid behind each of those doors? Hadges anxiety festered deep inside, quite reluctant to take the next step forward, and not reasonably sure what the next step should be. "I know!" Uwee blurted out, his hand reaching for the see no evils vine door handle. Then his thumb released the lever holding it in place, assuredly proclaiming, "We've got to start here."

Hadge utterly aghast attempted to stop him, yelling at the thoughtless grubb, "No!...Wait!..."

Almost instantly the sinister black fog forced its way through the tiny gap, sucking the grubb inside. Uwee's last word still eerily echoing from the rolling black fog within, "Here...here...here...here...here..."

In the next instance the fog had overtaken Hadge, and he too was sucked inside the darkened doorway. Into the unforgiving obscurity of the unknown, a sad impenetrable darkness clinching deep to the root of your soul, as the sensation of loss and limbo weightlessly dragged you through space as well as time. Hadge could not see nor hear the grubb anymore, but that was the least of his worries, because he desperately believed there was no escape.

Then the despondent resonance of a door slammed shut behind him, until he at last realized he and Uwee were standing outside the Animal shelter once more, and oddly nothing had seemed to change.

Uwee protested, "That had to be the right door." Hadge gave the grubb a look of contempt, wanting nothing more than to strangle his impertinent lifeless neck, and rigidly growled, "Obviously not!"

Hadge uneasily noticed the wraithlike shadows bit-by-bit gathering around them. He couldn't help but wonder, "What are they up to?" Then one of the shadows opened the last door, hear no evil, as if waiting for something to happen. The black fog from within quickly stained everything within arms length, its dangerous reach spreading fast.

Almost immediately the other shadows enclosed tightly around Hadge and Uwee, compelling them to edge towards the opened doorway. Uwee screeching, "What's going on?" Hadge was forthrightly bewildered, uttering, "I don't know." He tried to reason with the shadows, "You don't have to do this." However that approach didn't seem to alter the course of the shadows, as they pressed the two unwilling victims into a proverbial corner, and right into the evil hands of the black fog. Uwee desperately howled, "Why are they doing this?" Hadge was at a loss for any kind of answer, unsure if these wraithlike shadows were good or evil. He was certain if it were the latter choice then what was within the doorway would ultimately be the death of them.