by Amy Starr
Hudson took a moment to think. He had been so busy with finding Emma-Lee’s body, he had not considered where his own corpse had gone. Being human again would be a dream for him. Once they saved Emma-Lee he could see his family again and get his life together. He could spend more time with Poppy. On the other hand, if he failed, he would get sent to the afterlife and potentially let Emma-Lee perish too. He balled his hands into fists. Why was this such a hard decision?
Finally, he looked at the angelic figures and gave a small nod.
“Right, I’ll do it then.”
In response, the Powers nodded their own heads simultaneously. “It shall be done.”
Hudson blinked and suddenly he was lying on the ground, freezing cold. He sat up and stared at his shivering hands. They were icy blue. Poppy let out a small gasp and crawled over to him. The two immortal beings sat back down and hung their heads low, closing their eyes. Together, they spoke at the same time in a dull tone.
“You have 24 hours before a reaper comes for you, forsaken one. Send the demon back from whence it came, and your body will be yours until your death.”
One moment, Hudson and Poppy were sitting on the floor of the cold van, the next they were sitting in a small alleyway, the sun setting behind them. The two sat in shock, holding each other’s hands. Hudson looked at their entwined fingers. This was the first time he was touching the psychic with his physical body. Poppy quickly pulled her hands away, and Hudson dejectedly lowered his arms. He could still feel the Demotome snug underneath his hoodie, but that was not the only thing he was feeling.
“Fuck…everything hurts.”
His head was pounding, and his entire chest felt like a brick wall had previously fallen on it. Even the act of breathing was laborious. Remembering his fatal wound, Hudson looked down. Sure enough, the bullet hole was still in his hoodie. When he stuck his finger in it, he felt his intact skin. The wound had closed completely without so much as a blood stain left behind.
“Why the hell do you do that?!” Poppy snapped.
Hudson jumped, not expecting the loud noise. He brought his head up and frowned at Poppy. “What, you don’t think it was a good idea?”
The psychic shook her head, sending purple hair flying into her face.
“No, you idiot! What’s going to happen if you lose?”
Hud slammed his hand down onto the ground. “I won’t lose! We’ll use the Demotome to find the demon and destroy it, and I’ll have my body again.”
Poppy stood up and began pacing up and down the alley. “But what if you do? What will I do? How am I going to find Emma-Lee on my own?”
Hudson shot up and glared at Poppy. “You said you were going to help me; this isn’t helping me!”
The psychic turned around, facing away from Hud. Her shoulders began to wrack, and Hudson’s anger died down. He knew that he had gone too far.
“Poppy, it’s going to be okay.” He said softly. “Even if I mess this up, you’ll be okay, and I…I guess I’ll just go get judged in the afterlife. It’s what you wanted anyway, right?”
“No Hudson, you won’t.”
Hudson tilted his head in confusion. “What?”
“When I overheard those reapers talking, they said you would not get judged, because you escaped. They said you would…spend eternity in the Purgatorium.”
Hud staggered back, clutching his chest. His heart was beating frantically for the first time in days. His eyes darted back and forth as he took in the situation.
“If I don’t get rid of the demon…I’ll be stuck in that big black flood for the rest of forever?”
He lifted his head and stared at Poppy, a distraught expression on his face. He strode over to her and spun her around by her shoulders.
“Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me?” He yelled, tears forming in his eyes.
Tears were starting to fill spill over her cheeks as she spoke furiously. “Why the fuck would I tell you that? What did you want me to say? ‘Oh yeah Hud, once you save your sister, you’ll be trapped in the afterlife forever, never to move on?’”
“Yeah, actually, I would have preferred that!”
Hudson crouched down, running his hands though his thick brown locks. “What the hell am I going to do?”
He felt himself spiralling into despair. He only had a single day to find and bring down an all-powerful demon. Those other two situations had all been flukes, he had not known what he was doing. What was he going to do now?
Hud heard someone stomping over to him and he continued to stare down at the ground.
“Get up.”
Hudson gazed up at Poppy, dumbfounded. The psychic glared down at him before bending down and forcing him to stand up. Still grasping him by the front of his hoodie, she pointed a finger at him and spoke through gritted teeth, her eyes still wet.
“You listen to me Hudson, you are not giving up. Less than a minute ago, you were determined to find your sister. Get that determination back right now.”
“Poppy, I-”
“No, shut up and listen. Do you see this?”
Poppy pointed to the scar below her lip. “I got that because I chickened out of helping a client. I am not going to let it happen again. I made a promise to help you Hudson, but I can’t help you unless you let me.”
Hudson took a deep breath, raising his hands up in defeat.
“Okay…okay. Just, please promise me you won’t lie to me like that anymore.”
Poppy gave Hud a small nod. “I promise.”
The psychic released Hudson from her grasp, and he adjusted his hoodie. Something caught his eye and Hud turned his head. He saw something that sent lightning shooting up his spine.
Leaning against the wall of the alleyway was a man wearing a black leotard and white face mask. It reminded Hud of a costume from a high school drama class, but that was not what caused his anxiety to skyrocket. What had startled him was the pair of striking blue eyes that examined him from under the mask.
Chapter Four
Harris began walking towards the two of them, cracking his knuckles as he did so.
“Fraternising with that lot now, have you? I’m disappointed. I thought you were better than that.”
He chuckled, his eyes turning red under the mask. “Well, at least you’ll be easier to take out now that you’re back in your mortal coil.”
Poppy whipped a container of salt out of her tote and held it out like a gun towards the blue-eyed man.
“Get back or you’ll be sorry!”
Harris took one look at the saltshaker and let out a loud laugh. He raised his arms and showed them his gloved hands.
“I’m suited up. Your salt isn’t going to touch me.”
He threw something small directly at Poppy’s wrist. She let out a sharp cry and dropped the canister to the ground, cradling her wrist to her chest. Harris ran at her, but Hudson tackled him to the ground. The two men tumbled around on the alley floor, throwing punches at each other.
All Hudson could think about was his last encounter with this man in an alley way. Not only had he lost his life, he and his sister had been betrayed. Suddenly, Hud felt as though he was stronger than before. With all his might, he threw the blue-eyed man down hard onto the ground and clambered on top of him.
Lifting his arm up, Hudson grabbed the side of Harris’s mask and ripped it off.
“I’ve wanted to do this since you sent me to my death!” Hud shouted, aiming his fist directly at the blue-eyed man’s face. Harris quickly sunk into the ground, leaving Hudson to send his clenched hand directly against the cement. The pain shot up is arm and he winced, curling up into a ball.
A shadow began to rise behind him. Squinting up, Hud saw Harris towering over him, his eyes glowing red. Hudson felt himself beginning to grow dizzy as he struggled to stagger to his feet. He was unable to pull his gaze away from the man’s eyes. It was like he was falling deep into them, deep into an abyss he could not escape from.
“Hey
asshole!”
Harris turned around and was met with a face full of salt. Shrieking in agony, the blue-eyed man began scratching at his face. He slammed his back against a brick wall, trying to rub the salt off with his arms. Moving quickly, Poppy poured salt in a semi-circle around Harris, trapping him against the wall. She ran over to Hudson and helped him up.
“Let’s go, before he can escape!”
They raced to the other end of the alleyway. As they turned into another small lane, Hud turned his head around. The blue-eyed man was no longer in the circle. He saw something flicking in the wall behind them. A shoulder? Hudson felt his face go pale.
“He went through the wall!”
Together, sped through twists and turns of the alleys before reaching a busy street. Slowing down to a walk, the two of them lost themselves within the crowds. Hud glanced over his shoulder, but he could not see Harris anywhere. Eventually, they snuck into a small bar and sat at a small bench at the back.
“Was that guy a demon?” Hudson murmured, sipping down a bottle of beer.
It wasn’t something he had thought about much, but he couldn’t help but ponder on it now. He certainly looked human, much more human than the other demons had. Poppy shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know. Maybe him and the other two are humans with demonic powers. Demon worshippers.”
Hudson’s mind flew back to the symbol he had seen Harris brand the doe with, along with the church that worshipped Beelzebub. Something about that had struck him as demonic.
He checked it watch. They had less than 23 hours to find his body.
So, their search began. The duo walked through the entertainment district of the city, searching high and low for any signs of a demon. The twitching in Hudson’s spine had died down and as the minutes ticked away, his frustration was starting to grow. They wandered past bars, night clubs and even strip clubs, looking for any sign of demonic activity.
Soon, they found themselves in front of a giant fountain. Water trickled down its tiers, and occasionally a colourful light show would start up, sending pillars of water spurting into the air. Hudson would have enjoyed watching it if he were not in this dire situation.
He was about to suggest another searching place when he noticed that Poppy was staring at his chest. He glanced down and saw that the front of his hoodie was glowing. He reached inside and pulled out the Demotome. Hudson opened the book and flipped to a page seemingly randomly. The name written at the top of the page glowed and Hudson mouthed the word out loud.
“Mammon.”
“Why is it only glowing now?” Poppy mused.
Hud thought back to the last time he had seen the Demotome glow. It had been when it was on the table underneath the frantically buzzing Beelzebub. Hudson past the fountain and saw the brightly lit building behind them. Giant golden letters lit up two towering spires that erupted from the multi-tiered facility. They read ‘Limbo Casino and Hotel.’ Hudson lifted the leather-bound book towards the casino and watched as it began to shine brighter.
“It’s glowing because we’re close to the demon.”
Chapter Five
Between the two of them, Poppy and Hudson had surprisingly large amount of money. Of course, it helped that the wallet that Hudson had in his back pocket included a platinum credit card he had gotten for his 21st birthday. Normally, Poppy would consider this a gross amount of wealth, but in this situation, she was more than happy to accept it.
They were given the stink eye from several staff members and patrons as they entered the casino’s lobby, and at first the psychic did not understand why. It was only when Poppy saw how casual her long sleeved shirt and torn jeans were compared to their suits and dresses, she understood why. Touching her face, she concluded that the bandages that were plastered on her face probably were not helping either.
It wasn’t until Hudson pulled his credit card out in front of the disgruntled receptionist that they were treated better.
Hud got them a decent room half-way up the tower. They both agreed that, despite their tight deadline, they needed to clean themselves up so they would not get thrown out. With the help of quick task app on her phone and Hudson’s unlimited cash flow, Poppy got formal clothes ordered to their room.
The psychic exited the bathroom in a knee-length shimmering sapphire-blue dress. She was not the type to usually wear this kind of clothing. Comfortable street wear was more her style, but as she made her way to the living area, she found herself enjoying the feel of the dress against her body.
Hudson looked her up and down. He was wearing a dark navy suit and pants which matched her own outfit. Poppy could not help but admit to herself that Hud look dapper. She might even consider him quite handsome, but she would not admit that out loud.
“You look good.” Hud said to her.
Poppy felt her face go red. She was not good at receiving compliments, and for some reason it was harder to accept when Hud did it.
“You scrubbed up pretty well yourself.” Poppy replied, a small smirk on her face as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
Thankfully, Hudson did not seem to notice as he set a timer on his watch. “Okay, we have 21 hours left until…you know.” He wrapped the Demotome in the crepe paper his suit had arrived in.
“The Demotome is getting pretty bright.” Poppy murmured.
“It’s definitely around here then.” Hudson replied, slipping the concealed book into the side of his suit. “My spine is starting to tingle as well. Let’s go.”
With that, the two of them went down the elevator and entered onto the casino’s gaming floor.
Poppy had never been to a casino before. The glitz and glamour never appealed to her, and she was always broke. As the elevator doors opened and she saw the intricate golden ceiling and the vast red carpet before her, the psychic’s mouth gaped. To their left, men and women in red suits laid cards out on green tables. On the right, roulette wheels spun silver balls to their fated destinations.
“Hud, any leads on where to go?” Poppy asked.
Hudson glanced around before placing his hand on the front of his suit. “It feels the same here as it did in the room.”
Poppy examined the huge room. Her eyes landed on a large fancy board several feet away from them. The bronze edged notice board had a message written on it in cursive red writing. It looked more like a prop for a haunted house and it seemed a little out of place in the midst of the gamblers.
“Hudson.” Poppy murmured.
He turned his head as she approached the board. She read the message out loud, feeling her voice tremble as she spoke.
“‘Take Mammon’s challenge for a chance to win the ultimate prize. Traverse through three intense games of skill and luck in order to gain your wildest desires. VIPs only. Go to the reception to enter. A bargaining offer is required to apply.’”
Hudson let out a small hum, and Poppy agreed with the sentiment. It was too convenient. This Mammon being was inviting them into its domain. Despite their hang-ups, they both looked at each other and knew what they had to do. Together, they walked up to the reception table in the centre of the casino floor.
A familiar face greeted them at the marble desk with gold trim. Like the other workers, she wore a red suit and tie ensemble. Her curly black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She greeted the two of them with a playful smile that Poppy was sure had a hint of malice to it.
“Good evening and welcome to Limbo Casino. Is this your first time here?”
Poppy glared at the woman as Hudson spoke to her in a cautious tone.
“Uh, we want to take Mammon’s challenge.”
Jezebel’s smile grew wider. “Excellent. Before you begin, I will require a bargaining offer.”
Hudson pulled out his credit card and the women stifled a giggle.
“Oh no, dear. Not that. Your offer is here.”
She gestured to the front of Hudson’s body. He protectively placed his hand over the Demotome.
“
I can’t give you that.” Hudson muttered.
Jezebel laughed softly. “You don’t give it to me now, it’s your offer. You know, like a poker chip. You’re dealing with high stakes bets here.”
“Oh right. Sure, okay.”
A large shadow grew over them. Turning around, they saw a huge man towering over them, his arms a mass of muscles. He stared at them with small beady eyes.
“Let’s get started then.” Jezebel said, chuckling in her deep voice. “Oh, but before you do, Bal, if you please.”
She flicked her hand towards Poppy. Bal stomped towards the psychic and held his hand out, flickering his eyes down to her waist. It took her a second, but when she realised what he wanted she let out an annoyed sigh. Slowly, Poppy slipped her tote off her shoulder and handed it to the behemoth of a man.
Bal handed the bag to Jezebel, who hid it behind the desk before flashing Poppy a devilish smirk.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep all of your things safe. Bal, take these two to the first challenge.”
Chapter Six
At the request of Jezebel, the huge man grunted and started to walk. For a split second, Hud considered making a run for it. The stare that Poppy gave him stopped him though. He peered down at his watch. They only had a day to find Mammon. This was perhaps their only chance. Making sure the Demotome was tucked tightly into his suit, Hudson followed Bal towards a door at the back.
The plain looking door had a ‘staff only’ sign on it. Bal opened it and invited the two of them inside. Hudson went inside first. He entered a simple red hallway. Hud wandered down it, Poppy following behind him and Bal coming up the rear. Eventually, he reached a wooden door. It creaked open. Before Hudson could comprehend what was in the next room, Bal shoved them inside, locking the door behind them.
Poppy swore and started banging on the door with her fists. Trying to get his bearings, Hudson looked around the small area. There was a dining table and two chairs in front of them. In the centre of the table was a fishbowl. A small goldfish circled around in the water lazily, a layer of black sand laying below it. A light instalment sat above them, flooding the room in a dim light. A single portrait of an elegant young woman was hanging on one wall in the room.