The Goddess Within

You and Me and The Devil Makes 3

His eyes glowed with rage and he began to morph into a more disturbing appearance. His skin turned red, like burnt flesh, horns coming our of the sides of his face in rows, forming a mohawk design on the top of his skull. His skin melted away, his nose missing as well as the skin upon his face. He appeared to be made up of scalded muscle and very little skin tissue remained. Every tooth within his mouth became pointed, resembling the maw of a shark. His eyes became solid black, his pupils red slits cutting his eye into two sectors. The bare skin on his arms looked as if it had been burnt off and was red and raw just like the rest of him. It looked as if all of his flesh was burnt off and thorns of all shapes and sizes were protruding from his entire body, well, what parts of it I could see anyway. I was beginning to realize that Tartarus looked rather similar to the Christian version of Satan, but a lot more terrifying.

“Now you see me for what I really am,” he growled. “A horrifying creature of the Abyss. Leader of the cursed, possessed and purely evil.  Are you scared, you foolish being of light,” Tartarus mocked menacingly.

I held my breath as the sent of blood and earth reached my senses once more, but this time, it was concealed within flame that made my lungs burn and my eyes water. Unable to move away from him, I choked on the fumes and tried to think of a way to free my arms. I struggled once more against my bonds, and he merely chuckled.

“You foolish witch! Haven’t you listened to me? You are trapped here, your magic is useless, as well as your magical strength. You pay as much attention as these pathetic minions of mine!” He snapped, shoving over a table of shiny metal torture devices and storming out of the small room. I had no idea what he planned on using them for, but I didn’t want to find out. Goddess Mikey, where the hell are you!?

I shut my eyes and chewed on my lip, come on, Ari! Think dammit! There’s gotta be a way to distract this big goon... I glanced across the room, that’s it! I smiled and cleared my throat, “Hey handsome,” I muttered huskily at a guard. He appeared to be about eighteen or so, and was actually kinda good-looking. Dressed all in leather, he had jet-black hair and icy blue eyes. “What is a stud like you doing in this place? You’re obviously not as stupid as daddy makes you seem. You’re more buff then the rest of the guys, why don’t you come here gorgeous?” the cocky fool pointed at himself, and once I nodded, he was immediately by my side. I had a new pawn in this game.

“What’s your name, doll?”

He blinked a few times, “My.. my name. I don’t remember. I don’t think I have one. Who are you? Who was he?” he obviously meant Tartarus, and this only proved that the minions he mentioned were brainwashed in order to serve him... that meant that we were killing innocents, and they were possessed by the hatred of Tartarus.

“You don’t remember your name?” he shook his head and frowned, “Okay, here’s the plan, you let me go, I’ll help you find out who you are, deal?”

He crinkled his brow, “How do I know I can trust you? I’ve never seen you around here before, plus, you’re a girl. There has never been a girl here before, this chamber is only for men and prisoners of war.” 

I couldn’t help but smile, “I’m a Goddess, I can get you out of here and help you find out who you are. All you have to do is let me out of these binds, and get me to the mouth of the cave. Then I’ll get you back to your family, and return your memories.”

“Why can’t you get yourself out of here, I mean, if you’re a Goddess and all.” He murmured, helping me with my bonds. Once he freed my right wrist, he went to untie my ankles while I untied my other wrist.

“My magic doesn’t work here,” I muttered embarrassed. “Daddy made it that way so I couldn’t escape from him again.” Well, Tartarus wasn’t technically my father, but this sorry minion wouldn’t know that. He probably didn’t even know who Tartarus was, considering his mind was so far gone.

He nodded slowly as he helped me down from the rack. I seriously thought they destroyed these ridicules things a long time ago. I grabbed his sweaty hand and pushed him ahead of me, “You’re going to have to lead, I don’t know my way around here.” He nodded and we walked out of one of the giant doors, thankfully not the one Tartarus stormed out of.

We entered a corridor, made out of the same material that the platform was, obsidian. There were cellblocks, filled with brainwashed minions of all kinds, classified by sex and age. Men on the right, women on the left. He paused in front of one of the doors, one of the women were screaming, her eyes white and filmy. Blind? I stared into those listless eyes until No Name yanked me away from the door. I looked at him, and he just shook his head. Realization filled my mind immediately. That woman was going to be killed. She refused to cooperate, so she was going to be exterminated as if she were a simple rodent, and not a human being.

“Will we come back for them?” I whispered, almost inaudibly, but he shook his head.

“I won’t risk your life, they are already ruined. There is no way to get them back now. There is one thing I’m completely aware of, and that is that there are three stages. Service, possession, and then death. Come on, lets get out of here!”