Different Yet The Same

Chapter Nine

-Ember-

I'm falling, falling, falling...

Being sucked into an abyss, filled with an eerie darkness, a stomach twisting dreadfulness.

The wind rushes past my body, sending my hair flying, the dark locks camouflaged in the deep black of their surroundings.

My thoughts are reeling, going every which way, but I have no idea how I got here.

The last thing I remember is skipping at lunch to go out to the woods for some peace and quite, and then in front of me opens a hole as wide as a tree is tall.

The black of it, lightly lit by a pulsating red. I started to back away when an invisible force tugs at me, pulling on my very soul, beckoning me, daring me to jump.

Slowly I take cautious steps towards it when all of a sudden, it's as if a vacuum is started and I'm sucked into this lifeless abyss.

So now I'm here, ever falling, my only accompaniment being my thoughts and the only sound being my screams, bouncing of the walls of the abyss, cries for help that will never be answered, that are sucked up into the emptiness of this void.

After what feels like hours, I hit something hard, my back arching with the contact. I groan and roll over. The ground is hot...the air is humid...

I pull myself up to a standing position, and take in my surrounding.

"Where am I?" I wonder allowed. As I see a city laid out before me. Resembling something like New York.

The buildings towering over the streets, stores littering every vacant space, but then again this is different.

The buildings are all made of a charcoal black, mixed with a pulsating red, making everything look alive.

There are trees covering the border of the city, their leaves a molten lava with contrasting colours of orange, red and yellow. Their bark a crimson red, their leaves constantly moving, although there is no breeze.

Beyond the forest, is a land filled with just dust, expanding over the horizon.

From where I'm standing on this cliff, I can see the entire city but I want a closer look, my curiosity is pulling at me, begging me to see more.

Slowly, I descend down the mountain, cautiously making every step. The cliff wasn't to high so I'm quickly on the ground, just a few feet away from a skyscraper, only a few more feet to the street...

My curiosity takes over, all worry forgotten, replaced with a thirst for adventure and knowledge.

Sticking to the shadows, I slip into an alley between two buildings and poke my head out so I can see the street.

What I see, causes me to stop dead in my tracks.

These...creatures, are all hideously deformed. All supporting a thin red layer of skin, so thin their bones are protruding from places along their arms and legs. Their faces all different, some have noses others have just the bone of a nose protruding. Their eyes all glazed over, like they're half asleep.

Among these monstrosities. There are others. They are breathtakingly alluring.

The men all have tall, muscular forms, built like soldiers. The women all have the bodies of super models, looks any girl would die for. They look more human than the other creatures, but their eyes are captivating.

No pair of eyes are the same, some are gold, some silver, some even a midnight purple. They're all different.

Most of the men are wearing black everything, with weapons strapped to their backs and hips. Few of them though are dressed in fine suits, like businessmen, highly respected.

The woman are all wearing very little clothing. Each one showing more skin then the last.

Looking down at my clothes, I can tell I stand out and that is not an option. I need to blend in. I look up and down the street, searching for a store with anything I could wear.

Something hits my back and I jump. I swivel around and see men similar to the ones I saw at the amusement park, smiling sinisterly down at me.

"Well look at this, little birdie made it back to the nest." I look at them in confusion. They laugh at my cluelessness and go to grab me.

I don't let them.

I turn and run, not caring about standing out anymore. All that matters is getting away from them...whoever they are.

I run so fast my speed could counter an Olympians. Creatures of all shapes and sizes are blocking my way so I push through them, knocking them to the ground, into vendor stands and on to the street.

I keep running until I get to the tallest building in the whole city, placed right in the middle of it.

This building is different from the rest, it's made from a crimson red brick, and has a giant sign, with seven bright white letters plastered at the top.

I read the sign out loud. "Lucifer..." And step inside the building, not knowing what I have just done.

The building interior looks like a hotel, with high ceilings painted a black with specks of red scattered across it. The walls are a lace pattern with a red background and sliver lace like patterns.

I walk up to the front desk made of a dark coloured wood and politely ask the girl where we are.

"Excuses me." I say "But where exactly are we?" She looks at me with a questioning look and then her eyes widen as if she recognizes me.

"The princess has returned..." She gasps as she presses a small red button on her desk and all the lights go out.