Gateway to Pandemonium [Open Novella Contest III] || Completed

II

Normally when a mirror shatters, you come face to face with the wood or cardboard plank behind it. This time it was very VERY different. I came face to face with hell. My obscure reflection had disappeared and – luckily – was nowhere in sight. I sat there for a second completely in shock of what had happened. Had it actually worked? Was this legend actually real?

I couldn't believe it, but as I slowly extended my arm towards where the mirror should have been, I felt nothing but hot, moist air. There was no surface I could press my hand against. I didn't know what to do. Should I go in? That's the reason why I was doing this, right? To go to hell and ask the devil for a favour.

Gradually I crawled towards de mirror. I barely felt the stinging of my cut palms on the carpet as I inched closer to the mirror. I felt more curious than scared of the sight in front of me. The red glow of this other place was summoning me to come closer. An earie, high pitched sound, like the howling of the wind, was the only sound coming from this... portal.

I leaned forward so my face went through the frame of the mirror. The peculiar hot air attacked my face and immediately made me sweat. I jerked my head back and waited. Nothing happened. This hole in my mirror was still there. I didn't know what I expected, but it suddenly made me determined to go fully through. I had nothing to lose. If this truly was hell – which I was pretty sure of – I might lose my life, but it was a risk I was willing to take to save my brother.

I needed this favour from the devil.

I stood up and stepped through the mirror. It was like I was physically punched by the heat as I entered. But somehow it wasn't completely unpleasant. It was like stepping into a hot bath and going fully under without having to come up for air. I turned around and looked at a rectangular picture of a part of my bedroom. Except of course it was no picture but an actual opening.

All of a sudden a terrible screech echoed through the air. It was incredibly loud and high pitched and hurt my ears. I put my hands over my ears and bent forward. I let my eyes roam around the area frantically, scanning for the creature that could make such a horrible sound. I felt terror entering my body and taking hold of every muscle. I couldn't move.

Then the sound stopped and everything went deadly quiet. I winced at the stinging in my hands as I put down my hands. The cuts were still bleeding a bit and hurting more and more. I knew they would get infected if not treated and that they would definitely need stitches. But I had no time for that right now, so I would have to bite through the pain.

I looked back up to the entry to my bedroom and kept an alert eye on my surroundings. I did not want to meet that terrifying sounding monster. And I also didn't want to risk it going into my bedroom and having it in my apartment. With a shock I remembered the news article about Alyssa and how she and her roommate where murdered; literally ripped to pieces. She wasn't murdered by a human. She performed the ritual but must have somehow messed it up or encountered a monster that ripped her apart. Ice cold chills ran down my spine. I did not in any way want any of the things that could be living here out in the real world. So I had to figure out how to close it. I know it would mean I had no way back. I'd just had to deal with that later. I had no time to doubt my actions now. I needed to get a move on. I jumped as I heard another blood curling scream – that sounded an awful lot like a human scream – from somewhere in the distance. More and more I did not want to be here. I got this staggering feeling I was going to end up like that person who screamed or even like Alyssa.

So how would I close this portal? Even though it scared me to not have a way back, probably ending up trapped here forever, I did not with a cell in my brain doubt to leave this portal open. I was not going to risk hurting other people.

Ask and you shall get an answer.

Again I jumped out of my skin and turned around as fast as I could but found nothing that could have talked to me. The whispering was so faint an hollow sounding yet I heard it crystal clear. Ask and you shall get an answer. Close the portal please. Who ever can. I thought. Everything stayed quiet. A soft breeze drifted by me, the hot air stroking my cheeks almost in a lovely manner. The sound of a girl giggling was hidden in the breeze. So faint and even softer than the whisper, but a sound that was able to turn my blood cold. My heart couldn't stop racing in my chest.

"Pl-Please. Can the portal or – uhm – gateway be closed?" I unnervingly whispered back to the voice. This place was absolutely horrible. But what else could I have expected from hell itself?

The invisible girl giggled again louder and a lot longer this time. It grew louder and louder and distorted until it was just the cries of a mentally twisted being. Then the wind started blowing. It picked up so quickly that dust from the ground started twirling around and up until I was surrounded by a barrier of sandy mist. I turned around to try and look at my bedroom and only saw a small glimpse. It looked like the portal was closing! Strange how I could be so relieved and terrified at the same time.

The crying kept going on even when eventually the wind started to subside and I could see again. Sand had gotten into my eyes and the cuts in my hands, hurting like hell. But the portal was officially gone. Suddenly it dawned on me that I was standing in the middle of an open field of red grass surrounded by red trees. It looked like everything was covered in blood. And I had no idea where to go.

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No turning back now... Quickly leave a vote for some good luck :o!

Freya x