Road to Hell (4 page)

Holding the dagger tightly, my mother tore her eyes away from the corpse and looked at the man who was holding me by the arm. “Let my daughter go and I will come with you peacefully.”

Glancing down at his fallen companion, he shrugged off his momentary concern that she might be a danger to him. She’d caught his friend off guard, but he wasn’t about to let her get the jump on him. “What use are you to my master? You have nothing to offer him.” He grinned at me and a forked tongue flicked out from behind his sharply pointed teeth. He licked my cheek then made a pleased sound, as if he found me to be tasty. “The girl is the one he wants.”

Using his momentary distraction, my mother lunged forward and raked the dagger across his hand. Howling in pain, he let me go. I staggered back and watched helplessly as they battled. My mom had never talked about her past and it was clear she’d kept a lot from me. She handled the dagger as if she knew how to use it.

They danced backwards and forwards, slicing and lunging. Metal rang each time their weapons clashed. Then the man she’d slashed across the throat reached out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her off balance. That split second cost her and his friend stabbed her in the chest. He sliced her nightdress open as he raked his weapon downwards.

I screamed in anguish as my mother fell. Dropping to my knees beside her, I caught her hands in mine. Her eyes were pained, but clear as she pressed the dagger into my hand. The moment my fingers closed around it, the glow returned, but with one difference. Instead of being crimson, it was a weak orange color. She looked shocked, then somehow resigned, as if she’d almost expected this to happen.

The monster parading as a man grabbed me by the shoulder and lifted me to my feet. Certain that I was about to face the same fate as my mom, I spun around and stabbed him in the stomach. His surprise only lasted for a moment before he staggered backwards. Hitting the wall, he slid down until he was sitting. Blood bubbled from his mouth and spilled over his chin as his eyes closed and he passed out. His friend was holding a hand to his slashed throat and was weakly struggling to get up.

My mother was clearly in agony when I knelt beside her again, but she managed to smile. Blood stained her nightdress dark red and soaked into the carpet. “I always knew you would grow into a strong, beautiful young woman,” she said as I took her hands again. “You have to be brave now, darling. Remember that I love you and that I will always watch over you.”

“Please don’t leave me,” I begged. Tears made my vision blur as they spilled down my cheeks.

“I have no choice, Violet. This is my fate and it cannot be avoided.” She took a breath and grimaced in pain. “I always knew my time on Earth would be short, but it was worth it because I was blessed with you. You are my own little miracle.” Her expression was so full of love that it broke my heart.

“Who are those men and what do they want?” I couldn’t bring myself to call them monsters. Maybe I’d hallucinated seeing their inky skin and hideous faces. My mom hadn’t shown any sign of shock or surprise by their unnatural appearance.

“They are lackeys for a very bad man,” she said painfully. “I fled from Chicago to Denver when I discovered that I was pregnant with you. I hid from them for seventeen years, but they somehow found me. They know you exist now and they will not stop searching for you. You need to leave here and never come back. Do your best to stay under the radar and to stay out of trouble. They have eyes and ears everywhere, even in the police force.”

Nothing that she’d just said made any sense to me. “I can’t leave you,” I said in a low wail. The front of her gown was soaked in blood and her face was pale. I wasn’t a doctor, but it was obvious she was going to die. Sirens sounded in the distance, coming closer by the second. I knew they wouldn’t arrive in time to save her.

“You have to,” she said in a fierce whisper. Losing her strength, her grip became weak. “Take the shoebox in the hallway closet. The money should be enough to tide you over for a while.” She stroked my face with a bloody hand. “I am so proud of you, Violet. No matter what happens, never forget that.” Looking beyond me, she smiled as if she saw someone standing there. I glanced over my shoulder and saw nothing. “Watch over my daughter well,” she said then her eyes fluttered shut. The pain in her face seeped away, taking her life with it until only an empty shell remained of the person I loved.

Crying so hard that I could barely see, I brushed her hair away from her face and bent to kiss her cheek. Even in death, she was flawless, except for the jagged wound in her chest. The dagger had carved through her heart and I was amazed that she hadn’t died instantly. Taking hold of the torn edge of her nightgown, I paused when I saw an old scar next to the new wound. I shuddered when I realized we had nearly identical marks on our chests. I drew her nightgown shut to give her some modesty and it immediately stuck to the blood.

“Aww, how sad,” the man who still had a hand clamped over his throat said mockingly. He’d struggled into a sitting position and was watching me gleefully. He moved his hand away and my pulse kicked into a higher gear when I saw that his wound was now smaller. “Your Mommy is dead and now you are all alone.”

Filled with rage, I snatched up the knife that his friend had dropped. His eyes widened, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop me from stabbing him in the chest. Instead of dying, he let out a gurgling laugh. “You are not quite as helpless as we had expected.” His face morphed into a leering, black skinned monstrosity again. I realized I’d stabbed him on the right side of his chest instead of the left and had missed his heart. Still, both of his wounds should have left him near death. No one should be able to survive two knife attacks, let alone be able to heal so quickly.

His friend stirred and his eyes opened. Groaning in pain, he looked down at the dagger that protruded from his stomach. My mouth went dry when he pulled it out then glared at me. Without words, he told me that I would pay for daring to hurt him.

With a final glance at my mother, I fled from the room. Pausing long enough to take the key out of the lock, I slammed the door shut and locked it just as the doorknob rattled. One of the interlopers put his shoulder to it and tried to force it open, apparently not realizing that it opened inwards.

Crossing to the linen closet, I opened the door and spied an old shoebox on a shelf. Hoping to see a large stash of cash inside, I was disappointed when it was only a couple of hundred dollars. I guessed my mother’s job as a hospital aide didn’t pay all that well.

Tears were still leaking from my eyes, but I couldn’t afford to give into my grief just yet. The sirens were close now, and the two men who should have been dead would break through my mother’s bedroom door soon. I shoved the money into my pocket then hurried into my bedroom. Grabbing a couple of changes of clothes and some spare socks and underwear, I stuffed them into a backpack then slung it over my shoulder and headed for the door.

A fist pounded on the door as I reached it and I gave a small yelp of alarm. “Open up!” a deep voice shouted. “This is the police!”

Looking through the peephole, I saw a uniformed officer with inky black skin and scarlet eyes. Just as my mother had warned me, the police force had been compromised by the same creatures that had killed her.

Backing away, I flinched when the officer put his foot to the door and tried to kick it open. It held, but that wouldn’t last long. Heavy thuds were coming from my mother’s bedroom door in a steady rhythm. It would be a race to see which of the malformed monsters would break through first.

Backtracking to the living room, I took my cell phone out of my pocket. I stared at it longingly before tossing it onto the couch. It was far too easy to trace cell phones and I couldn’t risk taking it with me.

If the police were corrupt, then they’d cover up what had really happened here tonight. They’d probably blame me for my mother’s murder. I didn’t have enough time to let Zach know what had happened. When he heard the news, he’d probably believe the lies that they would tell about me. I hadn’t just lost my mom tonight, I’d lost the first boy that I’d ever cared about as well.

Climbing out onto the fire exit, I fled just as one of the doors burst open.

₪₪₪

A train horn blared, snapping me awake. I covered my ears as the noise swelled and overwhelmed me. The train seemed to take forever to pass. When the noise finally died, I dropped my hands and checked my watch. I’d been asleep for less than four hours. It was quarter to six on Monday morning, which meant there would no doubt be trains passing through the tunnel on a regular basis from now on.

Wearily heaving myself to my feet, I saw that I wasn’t alone. Two teenagers were staring at me curiously from the far end of the tunnel. The tunnel had seemed far larger last night, but I now saw it wasn’t as big as I’d believed.

Uncomfortable at being the object of their stares, I headed towards the wall where I’d slid down last night. It looked like it would be easy enough to climb back up to the top. I was hungry and knew there were dozens of places where I could buy breakfast within a block or two.

“Excuse me,” a young male voice said from right behind me. “We wish to speak to you.”

I spun around in alarm to find the two teens standing only a couple of feet away now. They’d somehow crossed the distance between us without making any noise. Up this close, I saw that they were a boy and a girl a couple of years younger than me. I put a hand on my racing heart and scowled at him. “You really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” I warned him. “You could get hurt.”

“That is highly unlikely,” the girl said in a serious tone. A couple of inches shorter than me, they both had short, curly blond hair and big blue eyes. Clearly twins, they both had flawless complexions and would be stunning when they grew up. They wore jeans and t-shirts similar to mine, but theirs were far cleaner and didn’t have any holes in them. They wore matching gold colored bracelets that seemed to be made of some kind of stone rather than metal.

“Humans are unable to cause us harm,” the boy said cryptically then turned to his sister. “Do you think she is the one?”

She studied me critically then gave a cautious nod. “She is in the right place at the right time, so I suppose she must be.”

Their conversation was making my head hurt and I broke in before it could get any weirder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the one you’re looking for.” The tone of their conversation was making me doubt their sanity. I had enough problems of my own and I didn’t want to deal with theirs.

“But, you must be,” the boy said. “Sophia sent us here and you are the only person in sight.”

He was so earnest that he almost didn’t sound crazy. “Who is Sophia and why did she send you here?”

“She is our friend. She knew you would be here and she sent us to retrieve you.”

“What is she, some kind of psychic?” They nodded and I shook my head wearily. “I don’t know who this Sophia person really is, but I’ll take a pass on meeting her, thanks.”

“I am afraid we cannot let you leave,” the girl said and they moved to flank me.

“What are you doing?” I asked when they reached out and took me by the arms. They outnumbered me, but I was pretty sure I could take them both down if I had to.

“We are taking you to see Sophia,” the boy said then the world winked out of existence.

Bright light made my eyes tear up and I blinked to clear them. The train tunnel was gone and I was now standing in front of a store. A sign with the word ‘Psychic’ in bold red letters hung on the door. The large picture window was shrouded by a purple curtain that blocked the interior. Even the window on the door was covered by purple cloth.

“What happened?” I asked in confusion. “Did I black out?”

“Um,” the boy hedged. “Not exactly.”

“But, if it helps you to believe so, then you may think that is what happened,” the girl added.

Dizzy and afraid that I’d fall over if I tried to walk unassisted, I didn’t offer any resistance when the boy opened the door and gently pulled me inside. I expected the interior to be dark with the thick curtains blocking the sunlight, but light blazed as we stepped into a large square room.

Shelves lined three of the walls and a long counter took up the back of the room. A cash register sat to the left of the counter. Jars, books and strange ornaments lined the shelves. A doorway to the left of the counter led deeper inside the building. A large round table with six chairs took up the center of the room. Made of dark wood, the legs were sturdy and it looked heavy. The floor was covered in thick gray carpet and the walls had been painted cream.

“Sophia,” the boy called out. “We have returned with the girl from your vision.”

Seconds later, a woman stepped into the doorway across the room. Tall and slim, she wore a long white dress that brushed the floor. Her hair was long and was almost the same color as her dress. Her face was serene, unlined and lovely. It was impossible to tell her age, but her brown eyes were wise. She went stock still when she saw me. “You are finally here. I have been waiting for you for a long time.” She carried a tray with a teapot and two cups. A golden bracelet exactly like the one the twins wore was her only jewelry.

“Am I still asleep?” I asked in confusion. “This feels like a dream.” How else could I have left the train tunnel and ended up here without remembering it?

“This is not a dream,” Sophia told me and gestured towards the table where six wooden chairs waited. The twins obediently led me over to a chair and sat me down. My backpack slid off my shoulder and I let it drop to the floor. Taking a seat across from me, Sophia put the tray down and gestured at the teapot. “Perhaps a cup of tea might make you feel better.”

My mother had been a tea drinker and she’d passed her love for the beverage on to me. Thinking about her brought all of my misery back to the surface. I stared at the teapot, trying not to lose control.

“Tell me, child,” Sophia said. “Where are your parents?”

“My Mom is dead. She was murdered in front of me eight days ago.”

“Oh,” she said sadly. “I am so sorry for your loss.”

It hit me once and for all then. My mother was gone and she was never coming back. I struggled to hold in a sob, but a choked sound escaped from me. Tears brimmed and overflowed as my grief came pouring out. I’d tried to stay strong, but I couldn’t hold back my agony any longer.

Compassion filled the psychic’s face and she left her seat and knelt beside me. She enfolded me in her arms and smoothed her hand down my back as if I was a small child. I caught a glimpse of the twins easing out of the room through the doorway that Sophia had come through. The boy sent me a sympathetic look before closing the door to give us some privacy.

My storm of tears didn’t last long before I got hold of myself and leaned back. Taking the hint that I needed some space, Sophia gracefully stood and took her seat again. She poured us both tea in silence and handed me a cup. I took it strong with no sugar and only a dash of milk. My hands shook as I stirred the beverage and did my best to avoid her eyes.

“There is no need to be embarrassed,” she told me, accurately reading my emotions. “It is best to let your grief out. If you allow it to fester inside, it will eventually consume you.”

I grimaced at the image that conjured up and took a sip of tea. It was still too hot and I burned my mouth swallowing it down. “Are you really a psychic?” I asked her baldly. She inclined her head in a short nod. “What am I thinking then?” It came out as a challenge.

Sophia studied me and smiled slightly. “You are thinking that you do not believe that I am a real psychic.”

I scowled and fiddled with my teacup. “It doesn’t take a mind reader to figure that out.”

She looked genuinely amused and surprised me with a laugh. “You are correct. I cannot actually read minds. I can, however, get a sense of what you might be thinking or feeling through your body language.”

“If you’re not a psychic, how did you know that I’d be in that tunnel?”

“My power lies in areas other than telepathy,” she explained. “I am what is known as a clairvoyant.”

My brow furrowed as I searched through my mental files for the meaning of that word. “You mean you can see the future?” I was pretty sure that was what it meant. I’d read a few books along those lines.

“Yes,” she said with a nod. “I received a vision that someone important had entered the city and that he or she would be found beneath the tunnel. I sent Brie and Leo to retrieve you before you were discovered by…other interested parties.”

“I’m not important,” I scoffed. “I’m just a normal kid.” Maybe if I kept telling myself that, it might eventually become true. Right now, I felt very far from normal.

Tilting her head to the side, she regarded me serenely. “Tell me, did you feel anything strange when you entered Manhattan?”

I jerked in surprise at her question and came close to spilling my tea. I’d almost forgotten about being abruptly woken from my sleep. Shrugging one shoulder, I tried to avoid the question. “Not really. I was asleep at the time.” I risked a look at her face to see she hadn’t bought my lie. Her brow arched and I knew she wouldn’t let it go until I told her the truth. “Fine,” I huffed. “I woke up from a dream with the sensation that I was wrapped up in chains.”

At that admission, the door to the back of the store burst open and the twins spilled into the room. “So, it is true,” Leo said excitedly. “She really is the one from your vision.”

Brie studied me clinically with an expression that was far older than her years. “If you sensed her arrival, then our enemies will know she is here as well. They will be hunting for her.”

I held my hand up to stop them. “Wait just a minute.” They moved to stand behind Sophia and all three watched me expectantly. “Do you realize how crazy you all sound? I have no idea what the hell you’re even talking about.”

The teens exchanged a glance while Sophia’s face became even more serious. “I am afraid that you are closer to the mark than you realize. ‘Hell’ is exactly what we are referring to.”

“Wow,” I said with profound sarcasm. “That really clears it up.”

Leo’s lips quirked up in a smile, but Brie shot him a quelling look. It was good to see that at least one of them had a sense of humor.

“I shall endeavor to enlighten you then,” Sophia said. “I believe that you have been chosen to thwart an army of demons who are attempting to break free from hell.” Before I could take that in, she had one more disturbing piece of information for me. “They have known about you since long before your birth. They will take steps to try to stop you from fulfilling your destiny.”

“They even have a title for you,” Leo told me solemnly.

“I can’t wait to hear this,” I said, hoping they didn’t realize that I was on the verge of making a run for it.

“They call you Hellscourge,” he said and grinned.

There was only one response I could conjure up for that disturbing piece of news. “Awesome.”