Outside Hell

by Milo Spires

  The bowman had also said that both of the choppers he’d seen; had steel cages full of vampires that were dangling beneath them, and presumed that Kaine and Regina must have been in them. He’d said that the choppers must have fired on the old shack and then burst in there afterwards and captured all who was inside.

  Once Dracus had said everything that he could and the priest who was sitting on the opposite side in the back of the chopper he’d heard the story, and turned deathly white, Claudius had furrowed his large eyebrows and started thinking. He was thinking what he was going to do to these soldiers when he’d finally caught up with them, and if they’d taken his son he wouldn’t kill them straight away but do something far more fun. The Bavarian monster would first rip off their outer skulls and then as his fingers were swirling around in their brains like a cook tasting his food, he’d then make them suffer the most extreme pain that they’d ever suffered before.

  Claudius paused his thought process only a second or two in though, and then asked if Dracus had seen any of the vampires in the cages moving. The bowman had apologised and said that he hadn’t noticed because the blizzard was unbelievable on there at the shack, and the wind was so harsh that his eyes were filling with snow.

  *****

  Stepping out of the chopper with Claudius also stepping down on his side, the bowman a Changalk hunter from Eldor that was used to making sure there were no wild fire-breathing beasts weighing hundreds of tonnes hiding in the bushes; turned into his predatory mode and began to survey the area.

  He’d swung around with two cursed arrows glistening in the moonlight and his drawstring fully back as he’d watched the tall pine trees in front of him for any movement.

  Claudius who was like Obelix from the Asterix comics and used to beating anything to death just by his bare hands, clenched his massive fists and also looked over into the trees to see if anything was there.

  Laouse had turned the radio dial around beforehand to pick up the Vatican in Rome, and then like a child calming to the sound of their favourite cartoon playing, the priest mesmerised by the soft reverberating music inside the soundproofed cab, stopped panicking and simply sunk back into the choppers cream leathers seats and listened.

  Laouse had said that he should stay there whilst they went looking for Kaine and Regina, and although he didn’t know how long they’d be; John should lock the choppers doors from inside and not step outside until they’d come back.

  The priest had smiled and then as he’d clicked the door lock button shut, he’d sucked in the sounds from Rome, and then in a far more relaxed state, he’d started fumbling through the pages of his bible that was on his lap.

  Laouse tapped lovingly the outer panel of his new chopper then walked around the side and slung the rear compartment door open. As the door opened back, suddenly a massive stag’s head with huge antlers and frozen eyes slumped out lifelessly against the side of the chopper.

  Dracus glanced back at him and then as he’d looked at Laouse who’s Paleolithic fangs were fully out reflecting the moonlight from above, the bowman eye contacted Claudius suggesting for him to go feed too.

  Claudius turned around and his facial expressions behind his thick black beard had suggested as he’d seen the stags neck suddenly ripped open and Laouse feeding off it, like he’d never eaten before and a servant was placing a wild roasted boar on a banquet table before him.

  Laouse had buried his razor sharp fangs deep into its throat and although it was dead, it hadn’t been that way long and the blood was still somewhat warm. They’d seen it on the journey and Laouse who’d felt his wild need to kill suddenly trying to consume him, had made a quick stop.

  Dracus had opened the back door in mid air and was going to kill the beast himself but the Austrian vampire had swerved viciously so that the arrow had missed, and then landed hard and whilst the rotors were on full power, and chased the animal down himself.

  The kill had to be his for the thick crimson liquid to feel right as it quenched his predatory thirst.

  Laouse was like Kaine and Regina and refused to kill humans to get his daily fix of the precious liquid.

  He’d known the risks suggesting that if Satan had ever found out or that a portal demon had ever discovered him as a non-human feeder, it would mean eternal life being revoked and a fiery cell in HELL for all eternity, but he’d been prepared to risk it. He’d felt that humans were wrong to feed off and ever since his turning in 1610, which was similar to Kaine’s, he’d been against the idea one hundred per cent.

  Claudius feeling the feeding urge suddenly consuming him, then lowered his massive clenched hands and walked across to Laouse to join in the feast. Laouse as he’d approached, was still bent over the animal sucking precious pints of its lifeforce up into him and making deep gurgling sounds as it filled his throat.

  Then with his thirst quenched he’d stood up with his hands covered in blood and his chin dripping in the sticky liquid. The Austrian vampire instantly retracted his fangs and then held out his right hand with his palm up suggesting that it was the monsters turn.

  Claudius used to a different way of feeding simply ripped the head off and then gruesomely sucked back the blood from its brain.

  Meanwhile Laouse reached into the compartment behind its legs and then pulled out and oily rag to clean himself on.

  Laouse’s energy levels only moments before had been so low that they were like a flat tyre on a car, but then as the blood had trickled down his throat, the energy levels exploded within him like a battery suddenly registering full charge. In response and that he’d later regret, the Austrian vampire now wearing all black clothes, suddenly clenched his fists and let out a wild roar.

  The sound as it blasted out through the icy cold air into the dense pine trees and then echoed out all around them, sent ground animals running back into their burrows and birds scattering all directions up into the air.

  Dracus realising that the area was now compromised, cursed as he’d swung his bow back and forth searching the shadows for movement. A moment passed and he’d told them they had to move.

  Far away the family of Eagles that were nesting high above the soldiers beneath them, suddenly looked up as they’d heard the demonic noise and tucked in tighter to shelter their young. The snipers on the rocky ridges also heard the macabre sound and then taking their walkie-talkies, quickly radioed their leader to let him know what they’d heard.

  Laouse who’d spent many years inside a lab and hadn’t ever had to fight massive beasts to stay alive, and had blood delivered to him as he’d cursed over his inventions, suddenly realized his strategic error and instantly apologized to the bowman.

  Claudius with deep hunting skills of his own threw the stag’s head into the snow filled bushes, as he walked across to the bowman. He was furious because now thanks to Laouse they’d almost certainly lost their element of surprise.

  The three of them then waded in through the snow and entered into the bleak looking forest.

  All the while the early morning threatened that the sun would soon be rising, and then with it, the two vampires would be in serious trouble if its murderous rays suddenly bore down on them.

  Laouse was aware of this just as much as the Bavarian though, and through his scientific studies he’d brought something along with him that would save them from screaming, and then bursting into flames, before death in the most heinous ways consumed them.

  He’d brought with him a few pills that he’d engineered in his lab, and once taken they’d allow them to walk in the sun for a few hours without risk of death.

  Then after he’d taken out two of them from the shiny silver tube for himself, he’d past them across to Claudius so that he could have some too.

  The Bavarian monster dwarfing the six feet tall Austrian vampire by a two clear feet in height; then looked down at the tube and suggested by waving his hand through the air at him, that he didn’t want any of the medicine. Laouse laughed as he’d suddenly realized that the beast
of a vampire walking next to him must have already forgotten about the conversation they’d had regarding the pills in the chopper. Claudius must have been thinking that he was offering medicinal pills to him for ill health or something.

  Laouse reminded him what they were and how by taking two of them they’d protect him from the first band of murderous rays shafting down through the canopy of trees, and allow him to walk freely in it. The Bavarian in full furs thought about it for a second and then suddenly snatched two of them and swallowed them down whole.

  Laouse explained to him that they were the product of an invention he’d overseen in his former lab, and that it was not publicly known to vampires that they’d existed at all.

  In response and as a smile then threatened to crack across his lips, the beast of a male vampire resisted and then carried on walking stern faced through the bleak and forlorn woods.

  The Bavarian monster had another way to stay alive though and hadn’t forgotten about the sun at all. He was fifteen hundred years old and throughout that time, his people had formed another way to avoid death as the UV rays blasted down at them. They all wore huge fur coats from mountain bears that were so dense that sharp claws even in the most vicious of battles couldn’t penetrate through it. The beasts lived in mountain terrain and as they’d charged across rocks and fought packs of wolves and other bears for territory, mother-nature had known this and given them something as strong as armour to protect their vulnerable flesh underneath.

  If the sun came up then Claudius’ village pulled their bear coats in tight around themselves and then slipped over their hoods to keep themselves alive. Still even though Claudius liked the idea of the tablets and what they could offer, he was still very dubious about them too.

  Walking on he pulled his thick furs about himself and then slipped over his hood.

  Laouse looked at him and then laughed at the beast who shook the ground beneath them, with every massive footstep he’d took.

  Claudius looked forwards at the bowman who was ahead of them by ten paces, and then as he’d bent down to Laouses ear, he’d whispered in a deep gruff voice to his Austrian friend.

  “Doesn’t our little friend Dracus need some of these tablets too.”

  Laouse told Claudius that Dracus wasn’t a vampire, and then in response the mountain of muscle that had witnessed the bowman talking to the white horse from the chopper earlier, suddenly looked deeply confused.

  Walking forwards keen to save their friends and family from the unknown military base ahead, they’d joined Dracus’ side and then all three of them moved fast through the dense trees ahead.

  Dracus was alert, and every sound that was coming back at him through the cold morning air, was analysed to see if it was a threat or not. His eyes were stronger than that of vampires, and by the images silhouette, they showed its heat glowing back at him in a somewhat deep shade of red.

  The bowman’s ears were so highly tuned that he could hear the slightest noise for hundreds of meters all around him. The simple displacement of an inch of snow as it’d slumped in the distance and then melted falling down onto another inch of snow; to him it sounded as loud as a twig breaking under foot.

  Chapter 27 – The Demons

  When Regina had turned the last bend of the passageway in hell, and with it saw the hole in the wall leading out into the desolate, extremely harsh wastelands beyond, with dust blowing past at torrential speeds, she’d felt the deepest levels of relief wash over her.

  She’d made it, and wherever it was going to take her she’d go, just so long as it meant that she wasn’t trapped in hell.

  So floating across to it and as she’d come within inches of stepping or floating through the hole to freedom, to enhance the beauty of it, she could even feel the wind gently blowing across her face.

  Then as she’d looked again at the view, to her it was like someone crossing the Sahara desert without water and then seeing an Oasis just sitting there with lush fruits and an abundance of water. The view to her was amazing and with it she knew that soon she’d be free.

  Only as she’d floated through the hole with the hideous sounds of demons back up the passageway screaming, she’d heard a new sound. The sound that she’d heard was coming down at her from somewhere above hell, and if she’d compared it to the demons she’d have said it was far worse.

  She could hear deep roars and unearthly loud screeching all mixed as one.

  Then as she’d craned her fiery head back to look, what she’d seen had distilled an evil worse level of fear within.

  Above her only a hundred feet away and heading fast towards her were massive winged demons that she’d realized immediately that she’d absolutely no chance of trying to run across the wastelands to escape. The only hope she’d have would be to turn around and rush back into hell.

  Then as she’d glanced back at the doorway dreading that she’d have to go back in there again, suddenly the doorway was consumed in blackness.

  Thousands upon thousands of demons had blasted out from it, and then took to the skies above her like crows before they’d dived into her, and with her flames flapping wildly in the oppressive wind, they’d grabbed her and then dragged her back in to hell again.

  Her vision moments before had hope and she’d really believed that with it there was a chance that she could escape, and maybe see Kaine again, only now all of her hope was gone, and she was being dragged down the passageway again.

  A moment past and then as flaming tears started gushing down her cheeks and the image of Kaine smiling grew distant, she’d suddenly felt her arms pulled to their sides.

  Only when she’d looked, she’d suddenly realized that now she had chains on her ankles, and the flaming parts of her wrists too.

  Then as she’d noticed her surroundings, she’d realized that she was inside a tiny room and all around her the walls were flaming like a gas cooker on its lowest setting. Only as she’d heard the door behind slam shut and seen the flap close to block her looking through, suddenly the flames roared up and engulfed the entire room.

  She was in absolute agony and the screaming coming from her was so loud that she swore the other cells would be dwarfed by it.

  Then after hours of just seeing flames before her, and her suffering the wildest most tormentous pain destined to last an eternity, suddenly the flames vanished and Satan walked into the room.

  His towering figure with his two massive horns and the much tamer tail that wasn’t trying to kill him anymore, stood before her.

  He’d the most hideous grin, and this devilishly evil gleam in his eyes too.

  Satan looked down at her with his bulging muscles and pitchfork in his hand, and said,

  “You little fucking whore, how dare you think you could escape me and hell, you’ll never escape now and soon I will have your husband down here too. You’ll remain in this cell for eternity and never leave. Did you think you could outsmart me, bitch.”

  Then he’d knelt down and whilst supporting himself with his pitchfork, he’d leant right in to her flaming face and touched his grotesquely lumpy lips on hers.

  Instantly she’d tried to pull her face away from him, bending her neck to the left and right but she’d couldn’t get him off her. Those hideous cracked and lumpy vile lips were pushing so hard into her that a second later, she’d felt like she was going to vomit.

  It had utterly repulsed her, and when he’d finally pulled back from her, and was only a foot away, suddenly his horrible black tongue emerged and darted towards her, stopping an inch from her face.

  Regina lunged forwards on her chains and then with the hope she’d cover his ugly face in phlegm and forgetting the recent pain from inside, spat a mouthful of flames into him.

  Only with the flames extreme pain came and she’d screamed.

  Satan just looked down at her and as he’d held his hand out in front of his face, suddenly the black tongue had emerged again and then slithered grotesquely between his fingers.