Between Heaven and Hell

Chapter 4

 

 

Between Heaven and Hell

Copyright © 2012 by Carla Meyer

All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

CHAPTER 4

Joey sat on the couch as he waited for Meredith to emerge from the bathroom. She was more or less the same size as Clara had been, and he had handed her a pair of faded jeans and a black t-shirt with a red rose printed on the front. Meredith came out of the bathroom just as he was about to knock, looking strikingly beautiful with her hair falling over her shoulders, her eyes anxious and alert and her lips naturally pink and pouted.

“It feels strange,” she said, tugging on the sides of the shirt. “I don’t think it’s like anything I’ve worn before. It feels—“

“—strange?”

Meredith’s lips broke into a smile.

It was the first time Joey had seen her smile since she woke up. It was truly a beautiful visage, and he had to rub at his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. But Meredith was still standing there, smiling and tugging at the shirt.

“It looks good,” he said noticing her squirming.

She merely nodded and went over to Joey to sit beside him on the couch. He felt his heartbeat accelerate as she came in too closely, fearful that their proximity would send her up in a trail of smoke. He kept his body tensed, his lips pursed and his eyes glued on Meredith’s face.

“What are the gloves for?” she asked, nodding towards Joey’s hands.

He didn’t know what to tell her. He knew he couldn’t tell her what had happened to Giovanni, Clara and the old man, but his mind was too slow to come up with a logical explanation. Meredith didn’t seem to mind his non-response though, so she lay back on the couch and sprawled her legs out on the little table before her.

They sat in silence as the afternoon sun soon faded and was replaced by the eerie darkness of the night. They fell asleep as soon as the sun was gone, and Joey could feel himself being drawn back to the hellhole in his previous dream.

 

*

 

He opened his eyes expecting to feel the flames scorch his flesh, but Joey stood in the midst of the fire, unaffected by the flares which caressed his legs. He watched in awe as the fire gave way, forming a path towards the unknown. He followed the path cautiously, not entirely sure whether he should approach or retreat. But there was a force pulling him towards the end of the path, not as strong as in his previous dream, but strong enough to make him follow. The blazing figures which stood at the edges of the path were silent, though he could smell the scent of their burnt flesh, their tarnished souls. He couldn’t imagine the feeling of burning forever, of losing your humanity to the flames.