The Blood Legion (#4 to 'Motionless in Wonderland')

Chapter 35: Burn the Strawman

CHAPTER 35: BURN THE STRAWMAN

Heidi came to a stop outside the city gates, Chris not liking the feeling he was getting from it. There was a long line waiting to enter and he was wondering if this was where they were meant to be going.

"Here's the deal," Heidi said, Chris switching his gaze back to her now as someone passed them, joining the line. "Once we get in there, we have to head for the middle of the city. Once we get to the middle of the city is when we can get on with this and we can get you out of here. Sound good?"

"You've still neglected to explain to me how I get out," Chris said with no amusement. "We've walked for days to get here and you still haven't told me what I'm meant to be doing."

Heidi rolled her eyes, a group of four joining the line now, making it that bit longer. She indicated for them to join the line, Chris obliging and following her to the end, the two of them cementing their place in the city's line.

"The city's main building is in the centre; hard to miss," she began explaining, the two of them miraculously moving up a place in the line as a few more people joined behind them. "It holds a lot of the inner workings of Hell. There's a ladder that goes right up top and also even further down. All you have to do is climb on up and get to the top which will lead you out and you'll wake up in your body again. Simple."

Chris gave her a non-believing look.

"Something makes me think it's not going to be that easy."

Heidi gave him a questioning look as they moved up another place. "Why would you think that?"

"Nothing's ever that easy," Chris said seriously. "If getting out of Hell was that easy, there'd be a lot more people having done it and-or giving it a go. You see where I'm going with this Heidi?"

Heidi rolled her eyes, arms crossed as they continued to move up in line.

"Ok, it might not be that simple," she said, giving in; Chris knew it wasn't going to be as easy as she'd made it out to be. "There might be a few other...things to go with it. But the whole ladder thing is true. You have to climb to the top and get out to be able to return to life. I wasn't lying about that."

"So what else does this involve and what happens if I fail?"

Heidi looked at him for a few seconds before returning her gaze to the front, the line moving at a better pace now.

"If you fail, you'll most likely end up in the lower levels of Hell which are far worse than here. You could also end up permanently dead and no longer exist, but it's a small chance that could happen."

"Something in there going to have a shot at killing me by chance?"

Heidi shifted a bit, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Maybe."

Chris sighed. This wasn't what he'd wanted to do. Surely there was a better way to go about all of this rather than having to confront something that would try to kill him. If that was even what he had to do; Heidi wasn't being very specific.

"Ok, so we get inside the city gates, we go to the city centre and we go confront whatever horror awaits in front of this freakin' ladder that will lead me back to life," Chris said, Heidi listening but looking ahead, the city entrance getting closer. "If I fail, I end up either permanently dead and non-existent, or I end up in the even lower levels of Hell. How could anything possibly go wrong here?"

Heidi shrugged. "You'd be an idiot if you messed this up, just sayin'."

Chris rolled his eyes, the two of them falling silent as they continued to move up in the line and get closer to entering through the gates. After another few minutes, they were allowed to pass by and go into the thriving city, Chris still uncomfortable with the vibe the entire place was giving off.