by Mari Mancusi
“Was he electrocuted?” I ask in horror, watching the man writhe in apparent agony.
Hercules nods. “Afraid so. The punishment for those who give in to their lust on Earth is to be stuck with unfulfilled desire for eternity. If these poor schmucks even dare look at one of the beautiful ones, they’re given a healthy zap for their troubles.”
“Bloody hell,” Race says with a grimace. “If I ever get out of here, I’m becoming revirginized for sure. No groupie is worth that.”
I turn away, not wanting to watch anymore. As we round a bend, a few raindrops splash on my head. Hercules reaches into the boat and hands us some umbrellas.
“It gets a little wet around Gluttony,” he apologizes, pointing to the opposite shore. I turn to look, not sure I want to see. My eyes fall upon a group of obese, anguished creatures, stuck in deep piles of gooey sludge, moaning miserably as the rain pours down on their heads. All around them are banquet tables piled with mountains of food, but not one of those stuck in the mud can reach any of it.
I grimace, turning away. “So they have to stare at the food for eternity and never eat?”
“Enough to turn you off Twinkies for life, right?” Hercules jokes. “Or, you know, blood.” He gives us a pointed look, then gestures to the shore. There, I catch sight of a group of vampires surrounded by a lake of blood, but none of them are able to take a sip. Their mouths drip with saliva and their fangs look dry and brittle. They moan and cry as the bloodlust consumes them endlessly.
I swallow hard, remembering the scene in the alleyway. I’d come so close to stealing innocent blood. Could I have ended up here, too? Hungry and alone for eternity? I shiver and Jareth reaches out and squeezes my hand, making me feel a little better.
“So what’s up next?” he asks. “Circle of Greed, if I remember right?”
“Yeah, if we kept going this way. But we’re going to take a little shortcut through the Special Circles.” Hercules steers the boat off to a side passage.
I’m about to ask what he means by “special circles,” but my words are drowned out by the sounds of loud talking. I look over to the next island we’re approaching and see a group of souls screaming in pain, hands over their ears, trying to drown out the incessant nonsensical conversation that surrounds them.
“This is the Circle for people who talk during movies,” Hercules yells over the din. “They disturbed people in life. Now they will spend eternity being disturbed by others.”
I can’t help a small grin at this one. What a great punishment to fit such an annoying crime.
“And over here,” Hercules adds, pointing to the opposite shore, “is the special Circle of Hell devoted to teachers who give out too much homework.”
Sure enough, the island is filled with purple scholarly souls chained to desks with piles of work in front of them. Demons stalk the rows and every time one of the souls completes an assignment, three more assignments are plopped down in front of them.
“They have to work for eternity,” Hercules explains. “They will never have a moment of free time.”
“Nice,” I say, wondering if any of my old teachers were secretly fairies or trolls or otherworld creatures. Because I’m pretty positive some of them would be eligible for this particular hell.
“What’s that circle over there?” Race asks, pointing to the next approaching island. At first, the place looks more like a paradise than a torture chamber, filled floor to ceiling with bookcases stacked with books. But then I take a closer look at the residents and realize, with horror, that each and every one of them has had their eyes gouged out. They wander around blindly through a forest of books, unable to read a single one.
“Those are the e-book pirates,” Hercules explains solemnly and suddenly I’m very glad I always paid for my Kindle downloads.
Finally, we head out of the Special Circles and down another branch of the river. A sparkling sign lets us know we’re entering the outskirts of the Elysian Fields. I look around, drawing in an impressed breath. The place is gorgeous—alive with color in direct contrast with the dreary Way Station we recently left. There are rolling green hills, colorful birds chirping in blossoming trees, even a fake blue sky above us, complete with warm, shining sun. Everywhere I look there are souls hanging out, having picnics, swinging on swings, laughing, and basically having a great old time.
“Wow,” I say with a low whistle. “It really pays to follow the Golden Rule doesn’t it?”
Hercules grins. “Now according to my map, your father should be right around here.” He pulls the boat over to a cotton candy colored dock. “Just walk down Happiness Lane and take a right on Paradise Cove.”
We step off the boat, then turn to thank our guide. “I can’t even tell you how great this has been,” I tell him, giving him a big hug. “We really appreciate the ride. And, you know, the ‘rescue from certain death’ thing.”
Hercules bobs his head modestly. “Eh, that’s what heroes do,” he replies with a saucy grin. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a hot date with my girlfriend, Persephone.”
“Wait a second. Persephone?” I cock my head. “Isn’t that… ?”
“Hades’s wife?” Hercules laughs. “Well, technically speaking, yes. But what the big guy doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?” He puts a finger to his lips. “Good luck. Be careful. Watch out for the Demon Patrol.” He pushes the boat away from the dock and floats down the river, seemingly without a care in the world. “Adios!” he calls out after us. “Sayonara!”
I watch him go, shaking my head. He’d better be careful, hooking up with the boss’s wife like that. Or I’m guessing he’ll end up with a very special circle all his own someday. If anyone can ever catch him, that is.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Race interrupts my thoughts. “Let’s go see your dear old dad!”
24
We head in the direction that Hercules suggested and soon come to a small but cute split-level home, painted in a pretty powder-blue color. It’s not as McMansion as the other houses on the block, but it’s got a quaint little white-picket fence and a beautifully maintained flower garden out front. Not exactly living large in Vegas, as my dad did while mortal, but certainly not a bad place to spend eternity, especially considering the alternatives we saw in the Circles neighborhoods.
I feel a little sick to my stomach as I force myself to walk up the front steps and knock on the door. The last time I saw my father, he was dying of the iron poisoning he got when saving my life. I hope he has no regrets about making that sacrifice, or this reunion is going to be more than a little awkward. And what if he’s heard about what happened to Sunny? Will he blame me for her death?
I stop halfway up the front steps. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I say, turning back to Race and Jareth, who stand at the bottom of the steps, awaiting my move. “What if he’s furious with me?” After all, Dad and I haven’t always had the easiest father-daughter relationship. What makes me think this will be any different?
“Well, you won’t know until you knock, now, will you?” Race says impatiently, glancing up and down the street. “And hey, better a furious pop than a Demon Patrol, right? So find a backbone and ring the bloody bell before we all get dismembered.”
“Hey, lay off,” Jareth snarls at him, baring his fangs at the rock star. “You don’t know what she’s gone through.” He looks up at me, his eyes filled with sympathy. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he assures me. “We can figure out something else.”
I swallow hard, grateful to him for giving me a choice. But, deep in my heart, I know what has to be done. “No,” I say. “I’ll do it.” I turn back to the door and lift my hand to knock. A moment later, a very familiar voice tells me he’ll be right there, bringing tears to my eyes. It’s him. It’s really him.
The door swings open and I almost fall over backward as I catch sight of my dad on the other side. He’s like the rest, with the weird purple glow, but underneath the translucenc
y, it’s him. My dad. My father. I never thought I’d see him again.
His mouth drops open. “Rayne?” he cries. A moment later he’s hugging me so hard I’m pretty sure he’s going to knock me over. I squeeze him back, rejoicing at his warm arms around me.
“Oh, Dad,” I cry, the tears streaming down my cheeks. “I’m so glad to see you!” The exhaustion and stress, the doubt and fear, all of it seems to fall away at our embrace. And when he pulls away to look at me, all I can see is love in his eyes. No damnation, no regrets. Just happiness.
“Oh, Raynie, my Raynie,” he whispers in a hoarse voice, choked with tears. “I can’t believe it’s really you.” He steps away from the door and ushers us inside. “But what are you doing here? You’re not dead, are you? I mean, you don’t look dead. Are you still… ?” he trails off, his voice filled with hope.
“I’m alive, Dad,” I assure him as we walk up the interior steps into a clean, nicely furnished living room and take seats on the couch. I want to tell him about Sunny, about why I’m here, but the words freeze in my throat. He’s happy to see me. Will he still be happy when he finds out what happened to his other daughter?
“Nice digs,” Race says, checking out some of the photos on the mantle. “How does one score an address like this? We saw some bad neighborhoods on our way out here.”
“This is the Self-Sacrifice subdivision,” my father explains. “Anyone who gives up their own life to save someone else’s is eligible.” He glances over at me and gives me a sheepish smile.
“Well, I’m glad you got something out of the deal,” I mutter.
“I got the chance to save my precious daughter’s life,” he says pointedly. “The three-bedroom in the ’burbs is simply an added bonus.”
The tears spring to my eyes again. “Oh, Dad,” I start to say, then find I can’t continue.
“I was a lousy father in life,” he continues. “Letting my fear always control my actions and stop me from having a relationship with you girls. I’m lucky I had the chance to do something for you before I died.”
I stare at my feet, emotions coming fast and furious. “I just wish it didn’t have to be like this. You stuck down here…”
“Are you kidding?” my father cries. “This place is great. I mean, I miss my family, of course. But I finally get to have some peace. No more stress, no more worry, no more running for my life. I get to spend warm, sunny afternoons tending my flower garden. It’s like the ultimate retirement.” He gives me a smile. “Don’t feel guilty, Rayne. I’m actually quite happy down here. And someday—though hopefully not anytime soon—you’ll come join me. And we’ll finally be able to make up for lost time.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand.
It’s too much. I need to tell him about Sunny. But how can I destroy the happy look on his face? He died to save my life. And yet I failed to do the same for my sister.
“Sunny…” I try to choke through my tears. He has to know. I have to tell him.
“Oh! Of course!” he interrupts. “What was I thinking?” He rises to his feet and walks down the hall. “Hey, Sun?” he cries. “We’ve got company!”
I look up, my eyes bulging out of my head to see my sister, translucent and glowing, step into the living room. Her wings are unfurled and she looks more beautiful than I’ve ever seen her before.
“Rayne!” she cries, diving onto the couch and throwing her arms around me.
“Sunny! You’re here? You’re actually here?”
“Of course I’m here! Where else would I go to hang out while waiting for Judgment Day? Certainly not one of those fleabag motels at the Way Station!”
I look up at my father in disbelief. “You knew all along…” I murmur.
He grins. “Of course. Sorry, I guess I should have told you. But I was feeling a bit selfish. Wanted a moment with you all to myself.”
A rush of love washes through me as I gaze in wonder at my family. I suddenly realize all the issues I’ve had with them over the years mean absolutely nothing. I love them. And they’ll be a part of me forever, no matter what happens. Even death itself can’t destroy the bond we share.
“I can’t believe you’re all here!” Sunny says, looking from me to Jareth to Race. “I mean, I hope I don’t sound too selfish, being overjoyed that you’ve died, too. But I’m so thrilled to have you back. Wandering through that Way Station alone was brutal. All I could do was wonder how you made out with Bertha. Did the refugee camp survive? What happened to Magnus? He’s not with you, so I assume that he’s still living. Did he manage to evade Pyrus? Is he still hiding out somewhere?” Her questions come too fast and furious for me to answer. I hold up my hands, begging her to stop.
“If you close your mouth for two seconds, I promise I will tell you all,” I inform her. She laughs then clamps her hand over her mouth.
“Gohead,” she tries to say through sealed lips. I can’t help but giggle. It’s so good to have her back.
“First of all, Jareth, Race, and I aren’t dead. Notice we don’t have that purple glow?”
“Not dead?” My sister drops her hand. I knew the silence couldn’t last. “But that’s impossible! No one living is allowed down here.”
“Which is why it’s taken us so long to find you,” I reply wryly, giving her the story of Prim and the hot tub, Charon, and finally the Demon Patrol and Hercules. “But we made it,” I finish. “We’re all here now.”
“But… why?”
“To save you, of course.”
My sister’s eyes bulge. “To save me? From what? I’m already dead!”
“Exactly. We want to make you undead. I mean, not undead like a vampire, but, back to life completely. We’re working to get an audience with Hades and are going to speak to him on your behalf. Explain to him that your death was unjust and should have never happened. There’s still a chance, if we can convince him before your Judgment Day.”
Sunny stares at me in disbelief, gnawing her lower lip. A sudden worry worms through my insides. “You do want to be saved, right?” After seeing how happy she is down here with my father, I’m starting to wonder.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I think… ?” She glances over at Dad with a guilty look on her face. Yup, I nailed it.
Luckily, my dad catches it, too. “Sunny,” he scolds. “You have eternity to come back here and hang out with me. If you have a real chance to go back to Earth and finish out your life like you’re supposed to, you need to take it. Think of Rayne and your mother. How could your mother go on without her daughter?”
“But you’ll be alone…”
He reaches over and kisses her on the head. “And I appreciate you thinking about me. But I’m fine here. I’ve settled in nicely and am enjoying the peace and quiet. And when you someday come back to me, I’ll have this place all fixed up and ready for you. Remember, time passes differently here. A month on Earth could be a single day in Hades. So I know you’ll be back before you know it.”
Her shoulders droop in relief and she smiles widely, absolved of her guilt. “Well, then, let’s do it,” she says, turning back to me. “After all, it sounds like Magnus is still in trouble. We need to go help him.”
I nod, for once not even minding that she’s more concerned with her boyfriend than her family. That’s just my Sunny.
“I can’t believe you guys came all this way,” she continues. “Just for me. Rayne, you truly win Sister of the Year this time. How can I ever repay you?”
“I’m sure I can figure out a way for you to make it up to me,” I tease. “But don’t count your chickens yet. I haven’t had any luck getting close to the big boss here. And it seems even if I do, he might not be so amenable to my oh-so-clever plan.”
My father rubs his chin thoughtfully. “I may be able to pull some strings,” he says at last. “Maybe get you an audience in a few days? Does that sound okay?”
“Perfect,” I exclaim. “Then I get to spend some time with you, too.” Excitement wells up inside of me. This day is getting better and
better.
Sunny drags me and my dad together, and we give each other a big family hug. The warmth and love inside the circle is almost overwhelming and for a moment I truly believe everything is going to be okay.
Our hug is interrupted as the front door bangs shut. I look up, confused. It takes a moment to realize Jareth’s missing. I glance over at Race, who’s clicking through the TV channels, looking a little bored.
“He just got up and walked out,” he explains with a shrug. “Maybe too much happiness clogging the air for Mr. Emo?”
My joy evaporates as I realize what must have happened. Poor Jareth. Here I am in a happy family moment and he’s still suffering. I thought finding Sunny would make him happy—or at least alleviate some of his guilt, but I guess it only reminds him of his own pain. I get to hug my sister—maybe save her from damnation. He’ll never see his again.
I rise from my seat, giving Sunny and my dad an apologetic look. Sunny reaches out and squeezes my hand, as if to say she understands. “Go get him, Rayne,” she whispers, giving me a secret smile.
I thank her, then head out the front door to find my ex-boyfriend.
25
Jareth is sitting on the porch swing outside the house, staring listlessly into space. My heart aches because I can see the pain practically radiating from his body as he works overtime to pretend he doesn’t care.
“Hey,” I say, daring to sit down next to him. The swing creaks a little from under my weight. My nose picks up the smell of fresh flowers and I can hear some early morning birds chirp from a nearby tree. “You okay?” Even in this paradise, he looks like hell.
He shrugs, not looking over at me. “Sure.”
I study his impassive face. “I thought maybe you’d feel a little relieved to find Sunny,” I venture. “I mean, we’re so close now to accomplishing our mission. We’ll get her back, safe and sound, and you won’t have to feel guilty anymore. Doesn’t that make you even the tiniest bit happy?”
“Of course,” he says in the saddest voice ever. “I’m overjoyed.”