Chapter 8: The Divined.
Elysium was hanging in the balance, teetering on the verge of extinction.
Hadge stared out into the reticent darkness, as he held the book tighter, praying for a miracle. However he sadly realized that every time he made that leap of faith for this book, something, or someone has stood in his way, as if it were meant for him to fail. He was emotionally shattered by Churls uninvited conception of betrayal, and the world around him turned bleak.
Uncannily the sinister darkness seemed bound and unbroken, eerily reaping its rigid heavy hands on time. Hadge had a sense something was not right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. It was as if the very world froze around him, all kempt anomalously in mid-action, even as the gorgon goo bubbled up on the threshold of popping, yet never did.
Suddenly the dark buckled, giving way to an otherworldly halo of light. The vaporous illumination was much like a soft misty rain, sated with the aura of a ghostly white radiance. It was the same presence from the cave. Its indefinite gel like form resembling frosted glass, as the bright light emanated from somewhere deep inside the being. The unimaginable radiance of this creature was inspiring, as its sweet air of serenity could calm even the most savage of beasts. And Hadge found himself speechless.
The presence ethereally whispered unspoken words, “Hadgeeeeee.” As it’s outward appearance benevolently attuned to the form of a woman, which flowed in iridescent gossamer fabric, much like spun silk. She entreated Hadge to listen, “Trusssssst meeeeeeee.”
Hadge gazed in utter captivation, because he did trust this being with all his heart. The beings whispered words played in his head like a melody, “Ask thy book to read for you, and it shall.”
Exactly as the pages fell open, and the blue fire leapt from inside. Hadge did precisely as the being foretold, “Book can you read for me?”
Thrillingly the air filled with a choir of voices, all emanating from the book. One voice in particular stood out, saying, “I told you, all you had to do is ask.” And he suddenly recognized the strange ghostly voices he’d been hearing all along. Then another clamored, “He asked us to read the book.” At once hundreds of combined voices recited, “The Edge of Darkness born out of evil, concieved through sins of the Prince of the worlds, Prince of Darkness, foresaken all unbelievers to a fate worse than death. Satans mighty hand will rise from the lake of fire and brimstone, casting a shadow upon the world, so that darkness will unfold, bleeding athwart the land like a plague, corrupting all that shall live or ever live, and deliver them thus into chains of darkness, tormenting day after day, awaiting the day of judgement.Yahvehs angry voice roarth from the Heavens, as a shudder beset all the worlds. How dareth a chosen smite his favor, his thunderous voice uttered, let this be thy end, good will conquer evil, and the mystery of Yahveh will be finished, all shall standeth in my greatness, and the Devils book will be a testament unto your faith. As I cast the bearers of this book therein to seven days of darkness, a chance to repent thy sins, thus forth after seven years you will be given another chance, and another, until the darkness hath devoureth thine world, and all hope hath fled, but even in the darkest hour I shall always send thou hope.Our glorious Yahveh and Savior created a light, perfect in every way, picked from the Heavens above, beset with the purity of goodness, molded into the shape of a man, and Yahveh said, “He thenceforth will be named Hadge.” Bestowed Yahvehs divine favor, calling upon his Angel of hope, saying “You are the vessel to smite all evils, protector of innocence, devoureth of darkness, the divine protector Hadge.” As the mighty Angel was sent forth from the Heavens, upon his shining face was the sun, beheldth in his eyes liveth all the Heavens, beseting one foot on the land, another on the sea, seeking the Devils works therein the vast Heavens, upon which ever worlds he hath hidden them away. The divine protector taketh thine book in fiery hands, and the power thus to use the Edge of Darkness against its creator, casting the Prince of Darkness back to his rightful place, the pits of Hell.”
“Wait a minute.” Hadges confused voice interrupted, “Are you trying to tell me I’m this divined protector?” Soothingly the voice of the Angel confirmed this doubt, “Yessss.” As all the voices clamored at once, “Don’t you remember me? From Halcyon.” Another chiming at the same time, “Its Rife your brother from Meridian.” A young girls voice, “Its your step sister from Vertex.” Then an older mans voice said, “Its your Uncle from Culmen.” Followed by an older females voice, “Its your mother from Utopia. Don’t you remember?”
Hadge closed the book, shaking his head, “No.” He ordered, “Stop.” It couldn’t possibly be true. The confusion of reality seemed harder to bear than the fiction of this so-called life. He never dreamed the answers to all his questions would bore the weight of worlds on his shoulders.
Hadge looked at the Angel, solemnly asking, “Why me?” The Angels sweet dulcet tones played in his head, “You were the most brightest perfect star, promising light shall always dissolve all evils.” Her tone altered, “The darkness could not defeat you, so instead he corrupted your mind. He used thy one weakness against you, your heart, and the love of life itself. That weakness exploded in Canaan, marring all worlds with its unnatural magics. The evil had succeded in shredding your once vast mind. Rendering you incapable of remembering the things you should, limiting your mind to the current life your living. Until all the dark magics have been eradicated your mind cannot be free.”
The Angels hand slowly passed over his head, a warm and fuzzy sensation, and she said, “Our savior shall always send thou hope.” Then asked, “Do you remember your plants Hadge?” Of course he did, as he answered, “Yes.”
The memory felt happy and warm, all the plants growing in his room beneath the cemetary, but what did that have to do with the situation. The Angel inquired, “How do you think those plants grew in all this cold darkness?” Hadge had no idea,”I don’t know.” Feeling the Angels hand caress his face, reciting a line from the book, “Upon his shining face was the sun.” He could feel the warmth of his inner being, and the yellow brightness cast a light all around him, melting the remainder of his doubt away.
After all this time living a paupers life, he suddenly felt strange, hearing his divine voice of knowledge question, “Tell me how do I stop the darkness on this world?” He thought of Churl as his mind crossly echoed, “They will pay for their sins.” Intending to thwart the Devil one world at a time.
The Angel spoke, “The Devil created the book to smite our savior, but Yahveh allowed it to become a tool for the greater good. A tool for his divine protector, and the Devils downfall.”
Hadge stared hopelessly at the book, wondering, “How can a book help me now?” He flipped through the pages scrutinizing each one, seeing tiny fragments of memories flash through his mind, of worlds he couldn’t possibly ever have been.
Suddenly through one of the holes in the building he noticed a strange trace of light on the horizon, just over the southern Ennead Mountains. It prompted him to ask, “What’s that?” The Angel responded, “It’s the first key. The key to imprison darkness within the book. The second key, the key to Elysium will bind the pages solidly shut.” Hadge knowingly breathed, “Carrissa.” He was there when she opened that damnable book; she has to be the key.
The Angel softly continued, “The first key is always something personal to the key, and only they are bound to use it.” Hadge growled, “Great.” Seething bitterly, ”So even if I find the random personal item it can’t be used until I find Carrissa.”
He was not sure where she even was, or if she were alive after all it had been thirty to fifty years ago. Hadge cracked, “What a load of reaver dung.”
The Angel calmly soothed him once more, saying, “This is true, however Carrissa foreseen these coming events, and left part of herself with you.” Hadge griped, “What are you talking about?” The Angel lightly placed a hand on his heart, “She left her soul in your safe keeping. You did promise to protect her.” Hadge negativ
ely shook his head, “No. That sounds crazy.” However it was true, he did make that promise. The Angel went on to say, “She knew the moment she touched the book, at loves anticipated kiss. Trusting you with the one thing dearest to her that day, her soul.”
He wasn’t sure if he believed or disbelieved, but the biggest question now would be, “What could belong to Carrissa in the big city of Bedlam?” The Angel answering as if she could in turn read his thoughts, “Remember the book Hadge. The book is always personal to each world, and each key.”
The still images involuntarily chronicled through his rapt brain, the stone book shifting in his hands, as the quartz transformed into a worn dark leather-bound book, pages gleaming a dazzling blue, which was bound tightly with pure silver vines from edge to bind. He impulsively murmured, “Silver vines.” That had to be it, he was certain.
Thereon a memory not his own played in his head of a silvery vined bracelet, charmed with numerous swaying leaves, he’d given it to her as a present that day in Muezza’s tower. He had bought it at the gift shop, which replicated the twisting vined tower, and she’d lost it somewhere inside.
Hadge declared, “I know where I have to go. Muezza’s Miracle tower.” The Angel solemnly cautioned, “The Devils guards will watch that place above all others on this planet. Try to remember who you really are Hadge.”
Hadge glumly commented, “Well I’ll have plenty of time to think about it on the thirty six mile walk there.” The Angel slightly smiled, holding out her hands, as a wind stirred, moving them over Elysium. Through the intense gusts of wind wrapping his body he could hear the Angel’s words as clear as could be, “I will take you as far as I can.”
Gently Hadge and Uwee were set down in the rubble of a fallen city. East Bedlam, which had been parted from the west by mountains and collapsed skyscrapers, mere feet from a subway. The subway was now flooded, steps obscured within muddy water, as the water waked from something just beneath the surface.
Hadge looked thoroughly confused, as the Angel informed, “This is the only way into the heart of the city. I’m forbidden to enter the Devils lair. His darkness binds me no further. However the waterway is guarded by swarms and serpentine creatures called sarpa.” Hadge argued, “How am I supposed to get passed swarms and sarpas?”
The Angel held out a hand full of woodbine vine berries, soothingly inviting, “Eat…They are devastating to the swarm.” His mind shouting, “Wait a minute!” Furiously recalling the swarm under Nibbs skin, all his pain and agony, and all he had to do was eat some woodbine berries. Irately the simple truth was steadfast in his thoughts, “Nibbs didn’t have to die!”
Then the Angel opened her other hand, and said, “Ruby wanted you to have them.” Ruby lain weakly in the Angels palm, barely whispering, “Hadge…” He was elated to see her again, crying, “Ruby your ok.” The Angel reminded him, “Time is not on your side dear Hadge. The days of repent have grown short.” He agreed, “Yeah, your right.” He lovingly rubbed Ruby’s wild hair, saying, “Take care of her will you.” Because he couldn’t take her where he was going. The Angel nodded, answering, “Of course.”
Then the Angel drifted into the particles of light, going back from whence she came, and time returned to normal.
Uwee fell to the ground complaining, “Hey! Where’s the lift thingy?” He got to his feet looking around them, sounding even more confused than before, “Where are we?” Hadge ignored him; he had greater things on his mind other than Uwee’s stupidity.
Hadge gathered his backpack and water guns, trying to surmise what can this so-called Hadge really do. Curiously did the Hadge have extraordinary powers; maybe strength, stamina, or maybe he can fly or change the weather.
Then his thoughts rasped, “Grubb. You’re the Hadge. Stop thinking as if it were someone else.” However this divine knowledge of who he was didn’t make him feel any different, he felt as ordinary as the day before, and the day before that. Although the part about growing plants with the sun was kind of unnatural.
Disruptively he heard his name, “Hadge!” Uwee was infuriatingly yelling an inch from his face, inquiring, “Are you alright?” Hadge quietly responded, “Yeah. I was thinking.” His thoughts grated, “Something Uwee obviously had never tried to do.”
Then his eyes moved to the hazardous subway entrance, which was completely submerged in murky water, wondering, “How on Elysium can I walk five miles to central Bedlam without air?” He hadn’t a clue, but maybe, he considered the book could help.
Hadge said a witty little rhyme, even as he opened the book, “When in doubt. I pull my book out.” The bluish fire leapt from the opened pages, as he asked, “Book can you tell me how I can breathe under water?” The voices clamored, a female saying, “It was all water on Utopia.” A male argued, “He’s talking about here and now.” At last one stated, “Your Hadge. Do you really need air?” Hadge questioned, “What do you mean?” The voice retorted, “The fear of living makes you believe you need air. Yet you are divine in every way.”
Hadge needed to test this theory, holding his breath, and counting. After several minutes he began to panic, sensing the need for air, and believed it was a dumb idea, but had to keep trying. He tried to calm his mind, feeling it eventually ease into a state of limbo, and air was no longer a priority, but rather a useless function he did not require. Hadge was giddy with laughter, bursting out loud at this newfound ability.
Uwee seriously searched Hadges face, requesting to know, “Have you lost your mind?” The question was rather ironic, as Hadge mockingly countered, “Yeah, but its coming back to me a piece at a time.” Uwee rolled his eyes, “Ok.” And said, “That’s good to know.”
Hadge put his book away, moving closer to the subway entrance, stating, “We’re going to big city.” Uwee ridiculed the idea, “Not sure if you noticed, but the subway is filled with water.” Hadge informed, “Oh I noticed.” And went on to say, “The only way to save this world is through this subway.” Uwee gave him a look of disbelief, and flatly said, “Ok. Whatever you say.”
Then he reclined at the top of the stairs, relaxing against a metal railing. Hadge stepped within the spectrum of Uwee’s legs, preparing his mind for this long journey. He could hear the grubb’s distant cries slowly fade, “Hey! Get off my legs.”
The cold murky water grafted around his legs, as thick as month old soup, as he entered one foot at a time. Hadge watched the devilish Swarm scatter, leaving wakes in the surface of the water. He was very aware of the dangers he now faced, wading deeper into the subway, until the water finally covered his head.
Every convoluted step he tried to make wrenched him backwards and forwards, so that he was half walking, half floating. At last he got the hang of simply walking, even with nearly a foot of sediment on the bottom. His movements lifted the silt from the floor, as a cloud of debris inhibited his vision, a vision already strained by darkness. A humorous thought flitted through his mind, “Too bad I don’t have one of those spider buttocks. Then maybe I could see.”
Uwee’s annoying voice could be heard not far behind, “I’m telling you. This is crazy.” The vibration of sounds dominated an echo trail behind him, and his glow eerily revealed the contents around them, visual distance all but nine feet.
The filthy life the humans once lived became quite evident. Uwee picked up an old soda can, and stated, “This makes me hungry.” Hadge could only roll his eyes at the idiocy, and walk onward. Everywhere the residue of cans, water bottles, and food wrappers spookily shifted back and forth amid this haunting subway.
Suddenly Hadge picked out the echo trail of a number of large beasts ahead, most likely sarpa. Uwee vagrantly added his two cents, “Something’s out there.”
Hadge had no doubt it had to be the sarpa that the Angel had warned him about. The scary part was the sarpa knew he was in the subway too, and their reaction could be deadly. He was convinced they would be drawn to Uwee’s incessant talking, leading them directly to himself. “If o
nly.” Hadge irritably thought, “Uwee could keep his big mouth shut!” Angrily he glanced at the grubb through the murky water, and couldn’t help but imagine wrapping Uwee’s blabbering mouth in rags, something he had always dreamed about. However the sarpa was his biggest problem at the moment.
Hadge knew he could solve the problem of the sarpa by using the blood, yet oddly felt guilty of even considering it, now that he is the protector after all, not a killer. He realized the creatures wouldn’t have a second thought about killing him; still the blood would have to be a last resort. He prayed that Yahveh would let them pass without a confrontation, leaving it all in the hands of fate.
The subway was like every other subway, dark, dirty, and graffiti everywhere. Skeletons swayed in the murky water, drifting in their watery graves.
Then something large disrupted the water four feet to his left. Hadge caught only a glimpse of its black scaly skin; it had to be a sarpa. Uwee shrieking, “Watch out!”
Suddenly a huge metal sign came tumbling down off the wall towards him, as the woman’s white teeth were marred with the graffiti of three monkeys. Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil. The sign came terrifyingly close, as he barely made it out of the way, with the grate of his backside the only thing worse for wear. Uwee grimacing, “Ouch, that’s got to hurt.”
Quickly blood seeped from the abrasion, turning the water a cloudy red. Uwee sorely reminded him, “I told you coming here was crazy.” Furiously what Hadge really wanted to say to the grubb was, “SHUT UP!” However the pain overrode all other motor skills, talking was the least of his worries, and the blood was leading a trail directly to him.
Hadge trudged onward, because it was too dangerous to stand still for too long. Gradually he became aware the monkeys were painted everywhere, on the floors, on the walls, on the benches, and throughout the mangled remains of a train nearly blocking the railway tunnel.
The train eerily creaked and moaned under its weight, bellied with the underlying sounds of what Hadge could only define as being speech. The Sarpa were communicating, and his best guess would be they were talking about him.
The further they moved through the tunnels, the braver the blackened serpentine creatures became. Uwee tartly announced, “They look friendly enough.” The daring beasts darted within a few feet of arms and legs, like hungry sharks encircling their prey. Hadge’s heartbeat anxiously thumped faster and faster, positive the sarpa would attack at anytime.
Then one of the lizard-like men swam straight for him, its black tail like a sharks thresher, never deviating from its path. Hadge could feel he was losing his concentration, as panic started to set in, and the need for oxygen becoming urgent. Uwee shouting, “Watch out!”
Instantly the large sarpa took a swipe at his mid-section, its razor like claws leaving four gashes in his skin, as blood turned the murky waters a deep scarlet, and he could do nothing but fight for air.
Hadge desperately swam to the ceiling, where a pocket of stale air was trapped, sharply drawing in a breath. However there is no rest for the weary, even as the beasts pulled him down, down to the bottom.
Uwee screamed from somewhere out of sight, “Nooooooooo!”
Then a larger sarpa snatched him from the others, swiftly swimming nearly a mile through the tunnel in a matter of seconds, and all he could do is drift helplessly along. Several more sarpa’s joined the fray, all traumatically pulling him in different directions, like animals fighting over food. Hadge painfully could see death closing in upon him, as the cold water seemed to warm, and the darkness was scarcely a problem.
The odd light eerily played across one of the sarpa’s gruesome visage, seeing that he stared into its black eyes, as the glint of its pointed teeth made a beeline straight towards his face.
Unexpectedly a blinding bright white light completely occupied the subway, what once was dark, was brighter than the hottest midday desert afternoon. The white hue mellowed to yellow, then buttercup orange, growing hotter and hotter, hotter than the sun. The murky waters instantly began to boil, and in a matter of minutes the water had completely evaporated. Uwee shrieked from beyond the glare, “Hadge!”
Abruptly the light was gone just as quickly as it appeared. Hadge laid on the subway floor amid a dozen dead sarpa’s, everyone charred to a crisp. Uwee was instantly at his side, shaking his scorched remains, wailing, “Hadge…Oh…Hadge, don’t leave me…” Hadge could hear the grubbs willowy voice, he sounded so very far away that he started to panic, wanting to scream for his friend, but he had no air to do so.
Suddenly Hadge sat bolt upright, frantically gasping for air, as the sharp intake seemed to mouth something similar to a word, “Uw…eee…” Uwee hugged him tighter crying, “Hadge…” Oddly Hadge’s skin color slowly began to change, as the black faded to red, and the red back to his natural shade. Even so his body had countless gashes, some deep enough to put a finger inside. Hadge tried to move, wincing in pain. Uwee disproved, “No…you’re still bleeding.”
Hadge nervously looked at the water pouring in through all the loose bricks, arguing, “Its not safe here.” The water was surely from the Gehemma River, at the rate it was gushing in it would take no time at all for the subway to refill. And it was a good possibility not all the sarpa had died. He was sure he couldn’t make it through a second round with the sarpa’s. Uwee strictly announced, “You’re not going anywhere.” Hadge knew the book would be his only way out of here, since he could barely move, let alone walk, and ordered the grubb, “Give me the book.”
Uwee’s ghostly image moved from sight, after a second or so he squealed, “The backpacks gone!” Hadge howled, “No! It can’t be!” Uwee squealed again revealing, “Everything’s gone Hadge! Even your clothes!” Hadge painfully moved to look at himself, he was naked, and backpack and all had been burned away. All that heat had to have something to do with the divine protector, possibly a defense mechanism, but that was just a guess.
Hadge anxiously instructed the grubb, “Search the sediment, and under the sarpa if you have to.” He too tried to roll over in the rising waters and search, finding his warped dagger wrapped in the golden thread, and the two gorgon eyes.
Suddenly Uwee exclaimed, “I’ve got it!” Then handed the book to Hadge. Hadge quickly stabbed the book, and smeared the blood over the direst of gashes, feeling the wounds begin to heal. Uwee looked utterly baffled, asking, “What happened here?” As he breathlessly watched the blood on Hadges skin, and continued to question, “What’s going on with the blood thing?” Hadge sighed, because he didn’t even have all the answers, and started to say, “I don’t...”
The brick wall took them by surprise, as brick after brick began to fall from the wall, and the wall proceeded to collapse, with water rushing in faster than ever before.
Hadge hobbled to his feet, yelling, “Run!” Thusly launching his nude limping figure into action, as fast as he could move. Hadge believed they couldn’t be more than a mile from the subway exit. All around them they could hear the dieing beasts, screeching, and making ungodly moans. Uwee commenting as he passed them by, “They sure are ugly.” Hadge laboriously puffed as he ran, ‘I…agree…”
Out of the darkness the exit appeared, as the wan blush of a night sky signified the exit was close, and what a wonderful sight it was. Hadge exited the subway, leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind him. They were now standing in downtown Bedlam.
Downtown the tall buildings seemed generally intact, but tarnished by age and the red rains. Here and there old fashioned street lamps still lit up the town, which reminded him so much of the little town of Nowhere. Uwee was amazed, “Wow.” Hadge too was amazed, but a nagging voice in the back of his mind kept telling him Bedlam and Nowhere is exactly the same, right down to the eerie shadows. He had to know for sure, as he slowly walked out into the middle of the street, and scanned every nook and cranny. In every direction human images were scorched into the surface, indelibly burned into the last place they had stoo
d.
All at once Hadge became aware of Uwee’s dim-witted ramblings from behind, “Just like the cave crawler jelly Uma makes.” Hadge heatedly turned, knowing the grubb was making remarks, and hissed, “What did you say?” Uwee was taken aback, averting his eyes, saying, “Whoa. You need to cover up.” Hadge spat, “With what?” He angrily waved the only items in his possession. Uwee raised one eyebrow, and said, “I see your point.” Then instructed the naked man, “Wait here.” Hadge tried to bicker with the grubb, because it was better to stay together, “Uwee…no…wait…” But it was already too late Uwee was gone.
Hadge stood there several long minutes calling after the silly grubb, “Uwee…Uwee…Uwee!” He howled, “Where the heck are you?” Until he realized it was insanely useless to do so.
Suddenly he noticed various pains all over his body, dropping to the pavement where he now stood. The rush of adrenaline had faded leaving him extenuatingly sore. He needed to heal or he couldn’t possibly go on. Hadge used the blood from the book once more, but this time made sure he covered his entire body. Oddly even his singed hair returned to normal. He was rather sure Uwee wouldn’t want to be near him for a while. His mind swiftly wondering, “Where is Uwee anyway? It’s been a while.”
Hadge glanced uneasily down the long street, seeing neither hide nor hair of the ghostly grubb. It was an ordinary city street, tall business buildings, with a few curio shops, a drug store, sidewalk cafe, and some kind of animal shelter off in the distance. The sign in front of the animal shelter was obvious, with various outlines of animals between all the lettering.
Uncannily Hadge got the feeling that something wasn’t quite right about that place, as it oddly seemed familiar somehow. Believing it had to be a fluke, because he had never been here before.
Rising up and beyond the shelter was a forest of dead tree’s, and Muezza’a miracle tower. The tower majestically was the focal point of Bedlam, merely a few blocks away. Hadges heart quickened, just to know he was almost there, and soon this nightmare would be over.
Hadge was caught completely unaware by the sound of something falling, just as something tall and skinny tumbled from a large dark aperture in the façade of a stone building. The long skinny object tumbled over and over, booming to a standstill in the middle of the street. His initial thoughts were of reavers, until he’d seen the object, and knew it was a ladder. Then the darkness from whence the ladder had came eerily rippled before his eyes, however what was in the darkness remained a mystery.
All at once the clamor of many things falling at the same time echoed from the darkness, followed by Uwee’s doltish voice. He was eagerly shouting, “Look what I found!” Uwee’s ghostly figure inched into view, tugging on something big and heavy. Hadge quite surprised asked, “What on Elysium are you doing?” He dashed to help the grubb. Uwee sounded rather proud of himself, “You needed some clothes.”
Uwee released the corners of the strange silvery tarp, as a skeleton rolled from inside, wearing a uniform of some sort. The uniform was a bright shade of red, with white and yellow reflective stripes. Uwee quickly began to undress the skeleton. That’s when the identity of the skeleton became clear; it was the skeleton of a large dog.
Straightaway Hadge objected, “I’m not wearing that.” Uwee a bit put out, asked, “Why not?” Hadge looked rather disgusted, “Its on a dead dog.” Uwee burst out laughing, pitching the jacket in his direction, uttering, “The dog don’t need it anymore.” Hadge flat out said, “No…” Sourly the grubb stated, “Well save the world naked. I don’t really care.” Hadge quite displeased knew the grubb was right. He couldn’t go naked, as he disturbingly made a grumbling noise.
Then grudgingly put on one arm at a time, looking as if he would vomit any second, making a Yahveh awful revolted sound. While Uwee babbled nearby, “Found the dog under several of these shiny blankets. It must have been hiding.” He went on to say, “Thought you could make some pants with the blanket and some of this strange sticky stuff.” Uwee held out a roll of gray tape that had surprisingly survived the extreme temperatures. Hadge took the offering, and said, “Thanks.”
Then proceeded to make a pair of pants from the cloth and tape. Uwee was still rambling, “I wonder who would dress a dog like that?” Uwee laughed even harder, as he pointed at Hadge, “It even has the dogs name on it.” Hadge glanced at the nametag; its name was HOSER, however neither could read it.
Hadge bent over to retrieve his meager possessions, shoving them into a large pocket in the jacket. Oddly one of the gorgon eyes was glowing, and felt faintly warm to the touch. He hadn’t any idea why, but knew where he may find that information, the book.
Hadge gently opened the pages and asked, “Can you tell me about the gorgons eyes?” Uwee looked at him confused, “What?” Hadge snapped, “I wasn’t talking to you.” Then the book chimed, a woman’s voice, “The gorgon is a demon from Hell. In its true form another immortal can only kill it. But if it manifests into any kind of human form, it can be killed. Concentrating its powers of immortality within its lasting flesh.” Hadge whispered, “Immortality.”
Suddenly knowing one eye had to give life, while the other death. He looked at the jumbled mess of the skeleton, and was sure it was the reason the eye was glowing. Hadge pondered the notion, “Immortality, that’s what Churl really wanted.”
Uwee irritably breathed, “Don’t worry. I don’t want to talk to you either.” He must’ve been talking all along Hadge thought. The grubb mumbled under his breath, “He’s crazy.” Hadge argued, “No, I’m not crazy. Crazy would be the easy way out.” Uwee looked perplexed, inquiring, “Then tell me what happened back in the subway?” Hadge wasn’t exactly clear on what happened, so how could he answer, simply speaking, “Trust me. It’s complicated.” Uwee barked, “Complicated!!!” However Hadge just walked away. Uwee still steaming behind, “What do you mean complicated?”
The street was richly steeped in history, strange cobblestone roadway, lined on either side by old-fashioned street lamps, with stone buildings of various sizes and shapes. The blast had destroyed most of the glass, flammable objects, while oddly leaving others untouched. Dismally all the tree’s had been burned, left charcoal and ashy, like gnarled phantoms along the road. The storm that damaged Bedlam had to have been worse than Nowhere, because Bedlam was virtually ravaged. As far as the eye could see bodies were burnt into the ground, all shapes and sizes, standing on the sidewalk or in the road watching the edge of darkness roll terrifyingly in.
The wraithlike shadows ambled about, not even knowing they were dead, in their eyes they were still waiting for the storm. This place was the embodiment of a ghost town. Uwee complained, “I don’t like those people. They keep staring at me.” Hadge never said a word, but bit his tongue from saying something awful to the grubb.
Hadge sidestepped a shadow of a man, who was standing out front of a business called Bedlam Madhouse Bar, knock em down, sock em down, and leave em drunk. Although he could not read the sign, a pungent smell of alcohols still lingered, giving him an idea of what the place may have been. He peered into the building through a small section of colored glass, which oddly was left undamaged by the high temperatures.
Instantly he recognized the weird graffiti from the subway, which had been painted on the inside of the glass. Straightaway he was sure this was no coincidence. “Ahem.” Uwee interrupted, “That man doesn’t want you to touch the glass.” Hadge turned around asking, “What man?” Uwee pointed to the shadow he had sidestepped earlier, stating, “That man.” Hadge breathed, “Oooo…”
Then backed away from the glass, holding out his hands, saying, “I’m sorry.” Uwee walked past Hadge looking rather appalled, and said, “I can’t believe how ill-mannered you are.” Hadge snapped, eyeing the grubb severely, “Me!?!” He was quite agitated, exhaling heavily before following the annoying little twit down the sidewalk. Hadge could hardly remember what he was doing before he was so rudely interrupted, until he noticed the monkeys pa
inted on the sidewalk beneath his feet.
Quickly he probed the street from side to side, finding the strange monkeys were painted everywhere, painted on walls, the walkway, windows, again and again. He had to wonder, “What on Elysium is the significance of those creatures?”
Insanely several of the shadows hastened ahead of Hadge. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out what they were doing. They were all gathering behind a bizarre spectacle no more than twenty feet ahead. It was Uwee staring foolishly at the graffiti, moving his hands from ears, to eyes, to mouth. Hadge couldn’t help but chuckle; half supposing the shadows were amused as well.
He asked the silly grubb, “What are you doing?” Uwee continued to act out each part of the monkeys, stating, “It’s a game. Don’t you remember?” Hadge negatively shook his head, and said, “Not really.” Uwee sarcastically sucked his lips over his teeth, announcing in an old mans voice, “Oh well, its because your old. The mind is the first thing to go.” Hadge snarled, “Grubb just tell me about the game.” Uwee mimed the game, “See no evil. Speak no evil. Hear no evil.” Hadge frowned and spat, “What kind of stupid game is that?” Uwee expressively appeared disappointed, dropping his head; “Mum played it all the time with me and Uma.” Hadge held out a halting hand announcing, “Heard enough.”
Then he continued down the street, with an eye on the tower, and his mind on the stupid game, wondering, “What could it mean?”
They passed an intersection on the way towards the tower, all the different colored cobblestones had merged making a star form directly in the center, as a number of shadows stood there as if they were watching them pass by. Hadge hardly noticed them at all; he was too busy eyeing the tower off and on through the pages of the book. Uwee muttered from behind, “They say we’re going the wrong way.” Hadge made a disagreeable sound, “Pffffft…” He was positive the shadows were wrong, because he could see the unusual magnetic light drawing him closer to the tower, and it surely wasn’t that far from here.
They walked nearly a half a dozen blocks, another, and another, with Muezza’s tower no closer than when they began. Hadge halted in the middle of the roadway rather irritable, growling, “We’re not getting anywhere.” Uwee gave him a ghostly look of I told you so, and sighed.
Hadge turned circles in the middle of the road, seeing the distant intersection in front of him, and the one behind, each looking very much the same. He angrily spat, “What is going on around here?”
Uwee had drifted off, and started to exclaim, “Look at this!” There was a skeleton on the side of the road. Hadge instantly went to inspect the body, eerily it was the dog he’d borrowed clothes from earlier. Shocked and confused by Yahveh he couldn’t understand what was happening, and all he could say is, “How?” This is exactly the same street where they had begun, and they had been walking in circles.
Hadge seethed, “I get it! This is some kind of trick…” Uwee was overly baffled, “Get what Hadge?” Hadge furiously replied, “The Devil doesn’t want the book locked. So he is preventing us from reaching the key.” Uwee indicated at the book in Hadge hand, asking, “That book?” Hadge hissed, “Yesssss…”
Hadge swung his arms, and started to rant and rave, “I don’t know why I expected to just walk in and out.” He crossly thought, “How will I find the key now?” Even so he angrily kicked a rock, and swore out loud, “This will not stop me!”
Suddenly the glass shattered in the Bedlam Madhouse Bar window, and he was certain it had to be because of the rock he’d just kicked. Uwee unexpectedly shoved Hadge into motion, rather nervously speaking, “Oh, he’s mad!” The shadow started slinging broken glass in their direction, as pieces of the monkeys fell around them as they ran. Hadge hopped and jumped, begging for forgiveness, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Something throughout the nerve-racking ordeal made Hadge see the graffiti in a new way. He ducked another piece, see no evil, and was sure the graffiti had to be a clue, or else why would it be everywhere.
Finally the shadow stopped throwing glass, either they had run far enough away, or he ran out of glass. Hadge was just glad it was over, but all he could really think of was checking out the graffiti.
Quickly he spotted the monkeys painted on a nearby stonewall, sprinting in that direction, as he called out to Uwee, “Check out this graffiti!” Uwee gave him a stupid look, saying, “It looks like the rest.” “No.” Hadge was firm on the notion, “This is our way out of here.” Uwee eyed it a bit closer, stating, “I don’t see it.” Hadge exhaled heavily ignoring the grubb, and stared at the bizarre depiction of monkeys. He in fact had no idea what he was looking for, yet was sure he would know it when he’d seen it.
Uwee started playing the game with his hands again, inquiring, “What are we looking for?” It was obvious to Hadge that Uwee wasn’t looking for anything, but retorted anyway, “Don’t know yet.” Each picture was the same, reminiscent of a child scribbling on the walls over and over in florescent orange paint.
Hadge anxiously looked at Uwee, and asked, “Can you explain this game again?” Uwee still offended from earlier huffed, “Why?” Hadge spat, “Because its our way out of here.”
Uwee exhaled, “See no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil.” Hadge thoughtfully murmured, “See, speak, hear.” Hadges mind carefully thinking, “See no evil…” Then it suddenly dawned on him that they couldn’t see the evil, and was convinced the graffiti was the directions on how to find it.
Immediately Hadge set into motion, trailing the graffiti down the street. He was irritated that he hadn’t realized the meaning of the graffiti before now.
Queerly the graffiti ended outside the animal shelter, or maybe it was the beginning, depending on how you looked at it.
The façade of the animal shelter had three massive tree shaped stone archways, as the bows intertwined with one another. Atop each bow was adorned with a monkey, see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil. It was plain to see this is what they’d been looking for. Hadge exclaimed, “This is it!”
Then he anxiously skirted the van parked out front, as his head began to buzz, and he had an uncanny sense of familiarity, although he’d never been here before. All at once he had a vision through the other Hadge’s eyes, of another place, and another lifetime. Seeing that same van slowly driving past the corner with all the missing animal flyers in Harbinger. Eerily the scraggily old mans words rang in his ears, “Animals go missing all the time.” Hadge was quite certain there was more to that van than met the eye.
Uwee rushed around Hadge towards the building, proudly announcing, “I found what you’re looking for!” Hadge rolled his eyes, feebly responding, “Gee, thanks.” He stopped to study the van much more closely.
The rear doors were left ajar, as if someone had been in a hurry. The cages inside all looked warped from the heat, as dog tags aimlessly were littered on the floor. Hadge was quite surprised they had survived. He picked up a tag, but couldn’t read the name; its letters spelled out POGO. Hadge sifted through the tags, until at last he found a homemade tag, made from a flattened penny, and with a hole still burred from a drill. The letters on the tag were Reybe.
Shockingly he knew what had happened to Reybe so long ago, But how did he end up in Harbinger to help him. It was surreal, as he questioned, “How did he escape?”
Abruptly Uwee shouted, “Here!” Instantly Hadge feared something had happened, as he rapidly rounded the van. He half expected to see some kind of unsightly sight, whether it be corpse or monstrosity, he couldn’t fathom a guess.
Uwee stood unscathed in front of the Animal shelter. Hadge slowed to a walk, seeing that there was nothing wrong with the infuriating grubb. Uwee was shaking his hands in the direction of the etched monkeys, see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil. Hadge irritably began to growl, “I thought s…”
Forthwith a flash of memory crept through his mind, he’d seen the same street, the same building, nevertheless the building in his memory was not polluted
by evil, and the building had only one door. The distortion of doors had to be the exit out of this maze; even so he had to wonder, “How did it work?”
Vaguely he heard someone speaking. “Thought what?” Uwee impatiently asked yet again, “Thought what?” Hadge shook his so-called divine head, and responded dryly, “Nothing.”
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