Ghost Mirror

Chapter 13 - Fallen Heroes

Spencer

Spencer’s focus had diminished to a point, one that propelled his feet forward towards the tower where Lucifer waited.

The corridor continued on for another one hundred feet before descending ten feet, down a flight of stone steps before continuing onto another corridor where Spencer heard an odd sound, almost like something spinning, cutting through the air, each revolution came quickly in almost immediate succession. The sound was coming from around a corner only twenty feet away.

Rounding the corner Spencer found a tunnel that spun on a horizontal plane, inside the spinning tunnel there were three rotating propellers, the blades were small allowing a quick person to pass through or a slow person to not be so lucky.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Spencer exclaimed before accepting the reality that this was the only way forward.

Spencer got into position just outside the tunnel, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and stepped into the rotating tunnel.

Spencer nearly lost his balance and fell over as he stepped inside, it took Spencer a couple seconds, but he managed to learn to stay upright as he walked toward the first propeller, timed his movements carefully and then about dove through the spiraling blades, this time with no problems, Spencer tumbled to the ground as his feet hit the bottom of the swirling tube, and his face landed a couple inches from the second propeller. Spencer quickly scrambled to his feet and got into position for to jump through the second.

Spencer’s feet moved with the tunnel as he timed his jump. His feet pushed off the rounded floor as he went sailing though the second, but he almost wasn’t fast enough. One of the blades sliced though his pants leaving a shallow gash on his outer thigh.

            Spencer was able to land on his feet and continue on to the third and final propeller. This one was spinning noticeably faster than the previous two. Spencer knew this would be difficult, so he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and leapt.

            He felt no blades tear into his flesh, what he did feel was the hard ground collide with his underside. Spencer opened his eyes and found himself looking up at a short stone pillar that stood only three feet high, standing beside it looked like Spencer but it couldn’t be, although they did look alike one had unkempt hair, dressed all in black, from a black t-shirt and black jeans to a three quarter black leather jacked, his eyes were hidden by very stylish sunglasses, Dark was looking down at Spencer.

            “Lucifer sends his greetings.” Dark Spencer greeted.

            “Where’s your Master?” Spencer demanded.

            “High atop his tower and in one hour a portal to heaven will open, and from hells heart, he will invade heaven. If you wish to progress, you will have to best me in a contest of skill.”

“What’s the ‘contest’?” Spencer asked getting to his feet.

“To progress, you will face me in a game of Chess.” Dark Spencer challenged. “But I must warn you that if you fail you will join the damned and remain here for all eternity.”

            Spencer perused the chess board he had not played in several years he wasn’t sure he could keep his cool under such tense circumstances.

Though white would have allowed him to go first Dark Spencer chose to play black leaving Spencer with white.

            “It’s your move.”

Spencer stared at his dark self for a long moment, hoping that he wouldn’t be forced into this confrontation, but finally he relented and made his first move, advancing the King’s pawn as far as it cold go. Dark Spencer countered with his queen’s knight. Spencer moved his king’s bishop diagonally three spaces to stare down the opposing knight.