The Hex

Seoul - Chapter 2: Dying Inside

At first, there was darkness. Then, recollections. I remembered a strange sadness. Something worse than death.

I made countless attempts to escape from it. But I couldn't. I couldn't escape.

I never will. I can't get away from the agony. Not even here, where I am nothing.

My heart was filled with a million failures. I knew that I was dead, inside and out.

"..."

Light.

My eyes widened. I looked at it, wondering why I hadn't noticed it before. It was shining far away from here.

It zoomed closer, sparkling. I retaliated in surprise.

"Well... Hello!" The light said. I was too worried to question it.

"Um--Hello..." I stammered, "What's going on? I'm dead... aren't I?"

The light answered eagerly, drifting closer, "...Yes!"

"But--how?" I asked. My hands were in front of me--I was looking at them. I could touch and see and hear, "How is this happening? Where am I?"

"You are in purgatory! Your spirit detached from your body--it's not so uncommon." the light replied, "This place is neither Heaven nor Hell, but something in between. Do you know those names?"

"I think so..." I said.

"Okay. You'll need to decide between those places to leave here."

"What's the difference?"

"Heaven--think love, generosity, and understanding." the star swiveled to my other side, "Hell--think hate, selfishness, and ignorance."

"Alright... Light is good and darkness is evil."I simplified, "I have to choose between them."

"That's right!"

I took a deep breath. The path of light, I decided. It's definitely the better one.

"I--" I prepared my answer... but stopped mid-sentence. A memory rekindled.

I recalled my death. I recalled the agonizing moments before my eyes shut, leaving reality forever.

No... No!

"I..." my heart raced as I broke into a sweat. I remembered the faces of the people I'd never see again. I remembered the day before all of this ended; before everything came crashing down.

My voice cried out in distress, "I can't choose the path of light!"

I had to accept the darkness--it was my destiny. Tears drizzled from my face. Mom... dad...

"For all of my mistakes... I deserve Hell."

Swirls of smoke curled around me, pulling me into the darkness.

Yes... I said to myself. This is all I desrve.

CRASH!

My body slammed onto a granite floor.

CRUNCH.

I screamed hysterically, paralyzed with pain. My neck was burning! I clenched my teeth. My heart pounded inside of my skull. There were murmurs to my side. I forced my head to turn towards the voice, wincing.

"Seoul. Soul with a silent e...!"

A man was speaking. He had long auburn hair and dark blue eyes. He was standing at the edge of the room, etching words onto the wall. His back was crouched into a ball as he laughed quietly.

"Your name is Seoul." he said, "That is your name."

I whispered the unfamiliar word, gasping for breath. The pain intensified--exploding, "Ah! My neck!" blood splattered from my lips. I began to cry.

"It's broken." he said, removing his hands from the wall. He studied me, smiling, "That's how you died."

"Please help..." I screamed, "Please!"

"Of course--don't move." he replied, walking over to me. He knelt to the floor, "Stand still."

CRACK.

"Ah!" I threw my head backwards, shrieking as blood spit from my side. I held my hands against the floor, "I can't breathe!"

"A ruptured lung." the man smiled, withdrawing a sharp rock from my side, "That was from me."

"My chest!" tears dripped from my eyes, "My chest!"

The man tossed the rock away, standing up. He paced a distance away, grinning, "Yes..." he thought aloud, "You won't die. Isn't that the worst part?" he laughed again, "You'll never die. You can't die here. Nobody can."

My breathing shook until I was able to calm myself. I found the strength to sit upright. I was covered in blood, but the wounds were gone. I struggled to speak, shaking. My mouth moved on its own, "You..." I hissed, "You're a demon..."

The man turned around, perplexed, "Hm?"

"A demon." I repeated.

"Oh, yes. That's right." he grinned, "Call me Lucifer." his eyes shimmered, "Welcome to my home--the Underworld, if you didn't hear already."

I didn't move. I stared at him quietly, struggling against the pain.

"You've joined what some people call Hell--a trashcan for nobodies..." he chuckled, "I've carved more rooms--you must see all of them! It took a very, very long time." He thrusted his hand forward. The floor shook, giving way to a black pit. Rocks fell into the darkness. The mouth spiraled under my feet, like a drain stealing water.

"Lets start here," he decided, speaking with sheer ecstasy, "the pit of a million regrets. I don't believe there is a bottom. It just keeps going... probably forever."

My stomach churned. I stumbled backwards.

"I found this shortly after my arrival." The demon's eyes grew as he paced around the hole, "Your brother will end up here, probably. He's a lot like you. I won't be surprised when he shows up--when the darkness wins him over." he beamed, staring at the names etched on the wall, "That'll be another regret to add to your list--another member to mine."

"No... He'd never come here!"I replied. I threw my hands onto the edges of the wall, inches from the abyss. Wind pulled me downwards, "Just let me escape!"

The demon raised his eyebrows, "Escape? You can't escape! Even I can't escape!"

The abyss spun faster and faster, weighing me down.

I shouldn't be here! I should have thought of my family and friends! I realized. I could have helped them. I was worth something to them!

My legs fell into the pit. I screamed, dragging my fingers onto a jagged rock. Blood smeared from my hands.

I have to get out of here, I thought, wincing. I have to get out!

I turned to the wall behind me, focusing on a small slit. In a quick move I hit it with my fist. If I can break through it...

"And, what if you could?" said the demon, laughing, "What then?"

I ignored spikes of pain, hammering the fissure with my hand. The rock began to splinter.

What then? I thought. Well then, I'll keep going. I'll keep going forever if I have to.