by Piper Hannah
We flew through the mist, avoiding the ground most of the time. Hours later, we finally had a visual of the edge of the forest, and it looked like we were alone. It was because the forest was the darkest place in Hell, and even as demons, we always gravitated towards the light.
"Why are the trees all dead?" Joshua asked.
"I think it's because there isn't enough light for them to grow."
The only light in this place was coming from the ground. It was a muted red light that seeped through the dirt. It was enough for navigation, but it probably wasn't enough to sustain the trees.
Even in the distance, the trees looked massive; they were covered with large decaying barks that blocked most of the light that came from below. The trees were bare and not a single leaf could be seen.
"There's no sun," Joshua observed.
"I think you're right. I've been here for several months, and I have yet to see the sun rise."
"What's above us, then?"
I looked up as we continued to fly. All I could see was an unending black abyss that most likely led to nowhere.
"I heard some of the demons talking, and one of them said that there was nothing up there but darkness," I said.
"This is a depressing place. Kyrie and I once flew inside a volcano in South America that was ready to erupt. There was this intense heat and this awful smell, but it still wasn't as depressing as this place."
He was flying to my right, and I glanced over to look at him. "I know,” I replied with a sigh.
“And there was this island Kyrie discovered somewhere in the Pacific. It was filled with tiny, flying ants. It was strange that the bugs could see us when the humans could not. The bugs ended up covering our entire bodies, biting us for hours. Even that place was better than this.”
“I know.”
"And many, many years ago, more than a hundred thousand years ago I would say, Kyrie and I found this place. It was so incredibly foggy there that…”
"Joshua," I said, my voice sharp, "we are entering the forest. There are large bats living there. It’s probably best if you stopped talking so that we could make it to the other side. Alright?"
I heard him grunt.
"And we should probably fly fast," I added.
He grunted again.
I wondered if he took me seriously. I wasn’t joking. I had been here before, and the bats almost got me that one time. We truly needed to be very quiet.
Joshua didn't say another word. We entered the forest, flying high above the trees at a breakneck speed. Immediately, I heard the distinct flap of large bat wings coming towards us. In the darkness, I spotted Joshua in the sky, and he dodged the bat easily with a quick turn to his left. I turned to my right, but the bat followed me instead.
Joshua gave a shrill whistle, trying to distract the bat that was now flying behind me. I groaned. It was the wrong thing to do, because I heard more bats coming towards us from below.
"Ooops," Joshua said. "I guess I should have listened to you."
Three of the bats flew directly towards Joshua.
"You were just kidding about the possibility of really dying here, right?" Joshua asked with a chuckle. Then, he moved quickly, making a giant loop in the sky.
"Unfortunately, no." A bat flew in my direction, and I let myself drop from the sky.
The bats continued to chase us as Joshua and I made our way deeper into the forest, and we dodged every single one of them. It was almost fun, coupled with the fear of getting caught and eaten. Unlike the flying beasts in the valley, these giant bats were much slower. It was easier to flee from them when we were in the air.
I heard Joshua laughing in the darkness. Then, he stopped abruptly. I thought that one of the bats got a hold of him, but then, he said with urgency, "have to go back, Adra. Right now. Right now!"
Looking above me and below me as I flew, I realized that Joshua was nowhere around me. I hovered in the air as I looked for him.
Where was he?
Flipping in the air and turning, I finally saw him. He was flying in the opposite direction, heading back towards the mist and leaving me here all alone.
Confused, I asked, “Where are you going?” Although I didn’t say it very loudly, I knew that he heard me. As demons, we also had the power to hear things from miles away.
“Kyrie’s here. I could feel her, and I need to find her. Right now.”
I must have stopped breathing. Kyrie? Here? If Kyrie was here, then Joshua would be the one to know. They had that kind of a connection.
I smiled. My best friend was alive, and she was here. I laughed out loud, forgetting where I was for a second. With Kyrie here in Hell, this place wouldn’t feel so bleak anymore. I was going to see her again, and it was going to be just like old times.
I must have been so distracted with my thoughts that I didn’t hear the bat until it was already right beneath me. When I looked down, all I saw was its large open jaws, ready to bite my feet. I kicked out with both legs, but it grabbed a hold of my right foot. It chomped down hard, and I felt the pain in my ankle as the bat dragged me down.
The bat landed on a low branch of a tree with me in tow. It bit hard, crunching bone, and my right foot came off completely; my blood spurted out. I fell, tumbling into another tree, and I screamed.
My back hit the ground with a loud thud, and a bat - a different one - landed on top of me. It’s weight crushed my chest, and I heard a few of my ribs crack.
You wouldn't know it from the way they looked, but I just found out that these bats were extremely heavy. With all of my strength, I pushed the bat off of me. Another bat landed somewhere by my legs, and it bit me hard.
I was supposed to be an immortal, I know, but if these bats eat me to small tiny pieces, I wasn’t so sure if I would survive. When another bat landed next to my head, my instincts kicked in, and I punched it, just as I kicked the bat by my legs. Without realizing it, my right foot had already grown back, and my ribs had healed. I took a step away from them.
The urge to fly was great. I felt a tug on my wing as I was yanked backwards. I used the momentum and quickly twisted to the right, kicking the bat in the head. With a shriek, it let me go. In one quick movement, I was airborne. I flapped my wings, flying upwards and away from the dead forest.
Out of breath and filled with nervous energy, I made my way towards Joshua… and Kyrie.
I wasted enough time over here. It was time to welcome my friend.
CHAPTER 5