PURGATORY

PROLOGUE: The Deal of a Life Time

     Such a wicked night for something horrible to happen. The ocean roared. Storm clouds were twisting and contorting through the sky. Thunderous rain and ocean waves blasted the side of a fishing vessel. Its captain Christopher Jones maned the wheel. The boat seemed so tiny as massive waves crashed over it.  

     Meanwhile, in the Auburn Hospital, a young woman named Maria Reeves was giving birth to her second child. The pain was unbearable. The hospital was short staffed. Her regular doctor couldn't make it in time through the storm. Lightning crackled through the sky as Maria screamed in agony. 

     "Hold steady! We are not gonna die today!" Christopher roared against the storm. Its magnitude was nothing like he had seen before. The intensity of the waves threw him across the deck. He had lost control of his ship. Everyone on board was now at the mercy of the malevolent storm.

     Blurred faces circled around Maria. She was falling in and out of consciousness. Random voices rang through the air. In her eyes, the faces would alter and shift between average looks to hideous creatures. Maria screamed, not from the pain, but from the fear. A haunting presence embraced the room as a cloaked figure stood before her.

     The boat swirled violently through the water. Men were being tossed into the dark waves. Their screams were lost in the sound of rushing wind. Christopher held unto a shattered window frame. Its all there was to save him. For the first time in his life he was actually scared. Not like when he watched a horror movie as a child. This was pure horror in its truest form. He was going to die and he knew it. 

     "We're losing her." Said the the obstetrician who was helping Maria give birth. Maria's eyes rolled to the back of her head. She died. Everything was dark for a moment until she awoke from the hospital bed. The room was empty except for the hooded being in front of her. 

     "Maria Reeves. Your time on Earth has come to an end." The mysterious creature said. 

     Maria's breath was short and hot. She felt cold and lost. "Where's my baby?" She asked. 

     "Your daughter remains with the living. Her life has just begun." It reached its arms toward Maria. "Come with me." 

     "No! Its not my time. Please! There must be something I can do." Maria pleaded. She fell to her knees and pulled on its cloak. 

     It pulled itself away from her clutch and moved to the window. It was calm and the moon shined brightly. "Fate may turn in your favor. You must choose. Your life or the life of the man you love. One soul must be brought to Purgatory." Maria sobbed uncontrollably. The creature then said, "I must warn you, if you choose to stay amongst the living your essence will forever be stained. You will be plagued by the sins of the souls in Purgatory. Your life will never be the same again." 

     Maria wiped the tears from her eyes and rose to her feet. "Take him. Let me live."

     The waves rose to unimaginably heights. It sucked the boat into the sky. Christopher couldn't hold on any longer. His grip weakened as the powerful storm threw the ship upside down. He let go and fell into the rushing water. The boat collapsed on top of him.  The water was freezing. He tried to fight his way to the surface, but the current was too strong. 

     The icy water pierced his lungs. His last thoughts were that of home. He knew he would never see his son again. He would never get to see his unborn child. The love of his life would have to face this treacherous world alone. He felt guilty, lost and overwhelmed with the idea that he had failed. He let his family down and he couldn't forgive himself. His body floated deep beneath the ocean's surface, as his mind trickled into darkness.

     He opened his eyes. The ship had returned to its pristine condition before it was taken by the storm. The water was calm. It looked as if you could walk on top of it. The sky was clear except for the full moon that floated above. Christopher looked at his hands and said, "Is this real? Was it all a dream?" He looked around the boat and saw a few of the men he worked with were also pondering the scenario. Not everyone was there, some of the men were no where to be seen. Mixed feelings of bliss and fear flooded his mind. The events of the storm replayed in his mind. He was forced to accept what had happened. Christopher had died. 

     "She's breathing. She's alive!" A nurse called out. 

     Maria's eyes flickered to life. Weakly she asked, "Where is my baby?" Soon after a nurse approached her and placed a beautiful baby girl in her arms. "She's... she's." Maria was to weak to speak she needed time to recover. Her eyes closed as she drifted to sleep. 

     Hours later she awoke. She was exhausted but she needed to see that her daughter was still okay. She pressed a button that called the nurse into the room. The nurse must have known Maria wanted to see her child, because she entered with the baby in hand. The nurse then said, "Here is your daughter. She has had quite the night, but she is doing perfectly well!"

     Maria's eyes teared up as she looked upon her baby's face. "She looks like her father." 

     "That's so great. Where is the father? I haven't had the chance to meet him?" The nurse asked. 

     Maria had a very kind smile. She was so happy to see her baby. Nothing could take away her joy. Maria's expression didn't change as she told the nurse, "He's dead." 

     Maria's mind was clouded from the grueling experience she had dealt with. She was unsure of what really happened. She didn't want to believe it, but she would soon find out that the warning the hooded figure gave her was all to real. Her lover was dead and she would forever be cursed by the stain of the undead.