Grave Girl

by Amy Cross

  "Crap!" she shouts as she loses her footing, landing hard and slipping a short way before she manages to steady herself. She feels the Devil's skin flex beneath her hands and feet as she tries to get up again. "Ignore that," she whispers. "Just stay asleep. Whatever you do, don't wake up!" Looking down, she sees that her foot is wedged in a small crater, and it takes her a moment to realize that it's the Devil's belly button. Pulling her foot out, she brushes some fluff away.

  "Don't be scared," says a familiar voice.

  Looking up, Sam sees a sudden flaring light nearby, and after a moment she realizes that Fenroc is standing on a small ledge, just a few meters higher up.

  "Surprised to see me?" he asks. "Don't worry, Ms. Marker. I'm not going to try to kill you again. You're obviously far too resilient."

  Turning and looking back across the vast cavern, Sam tries to think of something - anything - she can do to stop Fenroc. She's convinced that Faraday would eventually have come up with an idea, but Faraday was the expert in these things, whereas Sam doesn't have a clue. She feels as if she should be saving the world right now, but she doesn't know how to get started and, overall, she's fairly certain that she's not a saving-the-world kind of person.

  "When they left him down here," Fenroc continues with a smile, "his captors incorporated an observation deck. They clearly wanted to come and check on him from time to time. Either that, or they wanted to gloat. There's really nothing so sickening as the pride of righteous men. And all the while, the Devil continued to sleep in his grave. He's been down here for thousands of years, you know. He's going to be so angry when he wakes."

  Below her feet, Sam feels a slight change in the pace of the huge body's movement, as if its breathing is getting a little faster.

  "In a way," Fenroc adds, "I'm quite glad to see that you survived the fall. I suppose I was a little hasty when I decided to get you out of the way. It's going to be much more fun to have you around. After all, it'd be a shame to get all the way to the end of the world and then not stick around for the very final moments."

  "You can't do this," Sam blurts back at him, still trying to organize her thoughts. The blade of the knife is starting to feel cold in the center of her brain, and she can't shake the fear that it could kill her at any moment. Slowly, she reaches up and takes hold of the handle, but she can't bring herself to try pulling it out again.

  "Can't do what?" Fenroc asks. "Wake the old fellow up? Oh, I think I can."

  Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out the vial of holy water.

  "I saved some. Not a lot, but enough. Unholy water has some remarkable properties, most of which have been entirely forgotten by the world. I still remember the first time I drank a drop. The sensation, as if coursed through my body, was like nothing I'd ever felt before, and I immediately knew that I had to have more. I kept some in a bottle, drinking a drop each day until it ran out. Do you have any idea what it was like, Sam, to have such a wonderful substance in my possession, and to have to force myself to resist it?" He smiles. "Believe me, a bottle of wine is nothing compared to this stuff."

  "You -" Sam starts to say, before Fenroc suddenly jumps down and lands nearby on the Devil's chest. "No!" Sam hisses, terrified that any further movement might wake the beast.

  "What?" Fenroc asks with a smile. "Is something bothering you?" He smiles as he stands up straight, still holding the vial. "Oh, Sam, it's far too late to stop things now. Look at you... It quite breaks my heart to see you in such a state, with that knife sticking out the top of your head and that haunted look in your eyes. Are you starting to rethink my offer?"

  He takes a step toward her.

  "Do you want me to save young Henry after all? Is that what's on your mind? Do you want me to scoop up the little darling and keep him safe while the Devil's having his revenge on the world?" He pauses. "Don't worry. I'm going to take Henry anyway, whether you like it or not. I figure it'd be useful to have a child in the new world. Someone to mold and fashion in my own image. Everyone wants an heir, don't they?"

  "I swear," Sam replies, trying to stay calm, "if you hurt him -"

  "You'll be dead by then," he says firmly. "This whole world will be dead. There'll be a new world in its place, though. It'll be a world fashioned by the Devil in his own image, and both Henry and I will have a place in that world. Or would you prefer Henry to die here with you? Are you really such a selfish young woman?"

  Without giving him any warning, Sam lunges at Fenroc, determined to grab the vial from his hands. She manages to get hold of his arm, but he brings his elbow crashing down against the side of her neck, immediately dropping her to the ground.

  "Nice try," he mutters.

  Reaching out and grabbing his leg, Sam tries to haul herself back up, but Fenroc quickly knocks her back with a swift kick to the face that catches the side of the knife handle and sends her stumbling across the Devil's chest. For a moment, her vision is filled with sharp, bright lights as the knife vibrates in her brain, before finally everything clears again.

  "There now," Fenroc says, sounding strangely calm. "I trust you won't be trying any of that again, huh?"

  He takes a step toward her, watching as she struggles to get back up.

  "So many men have been tempted to come down here and seek an audience with the Devil," he continues, "but without fail they've all messed it up. None of them had the intelligence or the determination that was required in order to reach this final point. I guess that's fitting, in a way. This whole thing has almost felt, at times, like a huge test, and I'm the only one who ever managed to get this far. And now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time to claim my reward."

  "No!" Sam shouts, finally getting to her feet but immediately feeling a little woozy thanks to the kick she just received to the head. She tries to reach out and grab Fenroc, but she only manages to stumble forward a few paces before dropping down to her knees. She can feel the blade of the knife in her brain, with the tip still poking at some part of her cortex.

  "Think about my offer," Fenroc calls over to her as he makes his way across the Devil's chest. "There's not much time left, so you'll need to make a decision soon. I'm going to find Henry and take him with me. It's up to you whether or not you want to make a deal and join us."

  Although she tries to reply, Sam finds that she can barely force any words from her mouth. She tries to follow Fenroc, but she ends up slipping once again, and this time she lacks the strength to get up again. All she can do is wait for the end of the world.

  Chapter Four

  "There's something behind us," Anna says, turning suddenly.

  "There's nothing," Sparky replies firmly, not even bothering to look back as he continues to make his way along the narrow stone passage that leads deeper and deeper beneath the cemetery. "Come on, we don't have much time."

  "I'm not making it up!" Anna continues, staring back the way they came. "Didn't you hear it? It's like there was something scraping the walls. Do you think..." She pauses, before looking back over at Sparky and seeing that he hasn't stopped. "Do you think it's them?" she asks, hurrying after him. "Maybe they followed us down here. Maybe they worked out where we went."

  "The creatures? No. They'll still be battering away at the door in the cottage. They lack the intelligence to find their way down here. That's the problem with dead people. Their brains start to rot."

  "I definitely heard something," Anna continues.

  "Maybe there's a maggot in your ear," Sparky replies.

  Sighing, Anna realizes that there's no way he's ever going to take her seriously. She feels as if he's dismissed her completely, as if he thinks she's nothing more than some kind of annoying kid who just happened to get caught up in everything, but who has nothing to offer. It's pretty clear to her that Sparky's opinion of dead people isn't particularly high, and she can't shake the feeling that he sees her as some kind of disposable, expendable gate-crasher. Still, as soon as he looks away, she quickly double-checks to make sure that there's not a maggot in
her ear.

  And then suddenly -

  "There!" she shouts, turning again. "You must have heard it this time!"

  "Nope," Sparky replies, once again refusing to even look back.

  Staring into the darkness, Anna waits for some sign of movement. She's certain she heard something; it was like some kind of scraping sound on the walls, and although she's got no idea what could be down in the stone passage with them, she's convinced that any minute now something's going to loom out of the darkness. Whatever it is, it's getting louder and it's coming closer.

  "Try not to get left behind!" Sparky calls back to her. "If there is something coming after us, do you really want to stand still and wait for it to catch up?"

  "You think I'm imagining things," Anna replies as she runs after him. "Just 'cause I'm dead, it doesn't mean I'm stupid."

  Suddenly Sparky stops and turns to her.

  "What?" she asks. "I just meant -"

  "I know there's something following us," he says firmly, fixing her with a determined stare, "and I know what it is, and I know what it wants, but I don't want to see it, okay? I don't want to look into its face and accept that it's real. Not yet."

  "But..." Anna pauses, trying to make sense of the sudden hint of fear in Sparky's voice. "It's definitely not those creatures, then?"

  "Unfortunately not."

  "Then what is it? What are you scared of?"

  "Something far worse. Something that only comes when terrible things are about to happen. I know we can't stop it, but..." He pauses again, and it's clear that he's struggling to find the right words. "I've only seen it move twice before, and on both occasions, the result wasn't good. I don't like it when people die, Anna. I've seen it too many times in the past, and -" Glancing over her shoulder, he suddenly sees something moving in the darkness behind them. "It's here," he whispers.

  Turning, Anna realizes that the scratching sound is getting much closer. She opens her mouth to ask what Sparky's expecting to see, but suddenly a dark shape looms out of the shadows. With a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach, Anna immediately recognizes the figure as she stares into the creature's skull. Too large to move easily in the confines of the narrow tunnel, the creature is bent double, clawing its way closer and closer, almost like a spider.

  "Death," Anna whispers.

  Slowly, Death comes to a halt just a few feet away. When he was up on top of the mausoleum, he seemed to be made of stone, but now that he's up and about it's clear that his body is a collection of bones and rotten flesh, partially covered by a tattered and torn black cape. As he leans toward Anna, his skeletal face almost seems to widen into a smile for a moment as his hollowed eyes peer directly into her soul. He reaches out and brushes one of his bony fingers against the side of her rotten face, and after a moment he opens his mouth and lets out a faint rattling sound, like bones being jangled together.

  "What does he want?" Anna asks, trying not to panic as she takes a step back. "Has he come for us? Is it me? Does he want me?"

  "I imagine he just wants to get past," Sparky replies.

  "Why?"

  "Do you seriously want to stand here and argue with him? In your condition?"

  With no warning, Death reaches out toward them and bangs the tip of his scythe against the roof of the passage. A small amount of stone dust comes loose as the creature waits for them to get out of the way. He seems to be still staring intently at Anna, and finally he holds the blade of his scythe closer to his face, as if he's threatening to cut her down.

  "He doesn't want us?" Anna asks.

  "You're already dead," Sparky points out, "and I'm beyond his dominion. We're just obstacles as far as he's concerned."

  "Then..." Slowly, Anna starts to realize what's happening. "Sam?" She turns to Sparky. "Is he here for Sam?"

  "If Fenroc succeeds in waking the Devil," Sparky continues, "everyone in the world is going to die. I guess Death merely wants to be at ground zero, so to speak. One thing's certain, however. He never comes away from any situation empty-handed. He knows when he's needed, he never makes a mistake, and he always takes someone."

  "No!" Anna shouts, staring at Death. "You can't get past! We won't -" Before she can finish, however, Sparky places a hand on her shoulder and gently pulls her out of the way. All she can do is watch as Death slowly moves past them and continues along the tunnel, his bony fingers still scratching at the sides of the passage as he makes his way deeper into the darkness. It's clear that, as far as he's concerned, Sparky and Anna are completely irrelevant.

  "He's an unstoppable force," Sparky continues. "He's carved his way through human history, and he's never once been denied the prize he seeks. He doesn't leave the mausoleum very often, but when he does, he always has good reason. There aren't many creatures like him, but I certainly wouldn't ever stand in his way. There are some fights that should never be fought."

  "But if he's after Sam -"

  "Then her fate is sealed. He can't be pushed back, he can't be reasoned with, and he never changes his mind. What he wants, he gets."

  Anna stares at him for a moment. Although she has no reason to doubt him, and although she knows that Sparky has far more experience with this kind of thing, she can't help thinking that there has to be another way. Looking down at her one remaining hand, with maggots crawling through her skin, she finally makes a decision. "I'm dead," she says slowly, "so even if Sam dies too, maybe there's still... I mean, maybe she can keep going. If there's one thing I've learned during all of this, it's that death isn't always the end. Look at me! I'm walking around, so why can't Sam? Death isn't everything, right?"

  "If you're -"

  "Let's go," she says, interrupting him as she starts heading along the passage, determined to catch up to Death and see if she can help Sam. After a moment, she glances over her shoulder and sees that a stunned Sparky is staring at her in disbelief. "Come on!" she shouts, echoing his words from earlier. "We don't have much time!”

  Chapter Five

  "Impressed?" Fenroc asks as he turns to watch Sam climbing up to join him on the Devil's face. "He's a big guy, isn't he? I expected as much, but still... To finally see him in all his glory! It's a humbling sight. I'm humbled. Aren't you humbled?"

  Turning, Sam squints into the darkness and realizes she can just about make out the huge shape of the Devil's body stretching out across the vast cavern. He must be almost a kilometer in length, and although the low light makes it difficult to make out any details, it's clear that he'd be unstoppable if he was awake. Looking back along toward the top of the beast's head, she realizes she can see two large horns. As far as she can tell, the Devil looks to be exactly like the creature she remembers from old books and films.

  "You're speechless," Fenroc continues. "That's okay. There's no need for you to say anything." Walking across the Devil's face, he finally reaches the huge set of lips. "It's hard to believe, isn't it?" he continues. "I've spent so long preparing for this moment, and now it's finally here. The Devil himself, waiting for me to put the finishing touch to his return. This has always been my destiny, Sam. Ever since I became a gardener in Rippon, I've known that this moment would come."

  Sam stares in stunned disbelief as he opens the vial of unholy water.

  "He's going to rip this world apart," Fenroc continues, staring down at the Devil's lips, "and then he's going to create a whole new reality. A fairer, happier world. I'll be there, of course, and so will little Henry. You can come too, Sam, if you just say the word. Just as the Devil is offering me a deal, I'm offering something for you. I'll reunite you with Henry in a new place. All your sins will be left behind. No-one will ever know about your old life as Sam the Slag."

  "I'll know," Sam points out.

  "You'll forget," he sneers. "With no-one around to remind you, to judge you, you'll forget about everything soon enough. You'll only feel guilt and shame if you think someone's judging you. In the new world, you'll be free to start again." He pauses. "I'm only making this offer be
cause I've grown to like you, Sam. You're like me, in many ways. A sinner who desperately wants a second chance."

  "I'm nothing like you," Sam replies. "You're ready to destroy the world just so you can get your new chance."

  "Fine," Fenroc replies with a smile. "You're clearly going to turn me down, so I don't see why I should waste any more time trying to persuade you. I'll find some other little bitch to serve me in the next reality.” Slowly, he tilts the vial until the last of the holy water dribbles out and lands on the Devil's lips.

  "Wait -" Sam starts to say.

  "Too late," Fenroc replies with a grin.

  Beneath their feet, something starts to move. At first, it's as if the Devil's breathing has become sharper and more labored, but after a moment Sam realizes she can hear a kind of scraping sound somewhere nearby. Turning, she stares into the darkness and spots something moving quickly across the roof of the huge cavern, coming closer and closer until, finally, she sees a skeletal figure dropping down onto the Devil's face. It takes her a moment to realize that she's seen this figure before: Death himself has left the top of the mausoleum and come to observe these final moments.

  "There's nothing you can do!" Fenroc shouts. "It's over! You're too late!"

  Sam stands back as Death sweeps past her, his bones rattling as he makes his way toward Fenroc.

  "They said it couldn't be done," Fenroc adds, taking a step back and seeming just a little panicked. "They said it was crazy to even try, but I knew I'd manage it eventually! The Devil himself is preparing to rise! The old world is ready to be swept away!"

  Death stops just a few feet from him.

  "What's wrong?" Fenroc continues, dropping the empty vial. "Were you hoping I'd have a last-minute change of heart? Did you think I'd suddenly decide to be a good boy after all? This world is over! Your world is over! When the Devil -" Suddenly he turns as there's a jolt of movement nearby, and slowly the Devil's eyes start to open. "This is it!" Fenroc shouts, running across the face until he's standing at the edge of one of the huge eyes. "I've done it! I, Gabriel Fenroc, have awoken the Devil, and I claim my place in his dark new world!"