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Rob woke to find that he was lying upon a ridge set high above a valley. He was instantly awake and instantly baffled by what he saw. Running through the valley he saw a grey liquid, that he assumed was a river, a river that seemed to ooze along rather than flow, Could anything ooze along he wondered idly, as he stood up shakily to take in the strange landscape. Rob thought that what he saw was all in his mind, a hallucination created by some demon for whatever evil reason it had. The colour of the river added to his belief that he was experiencing a hallucination, but as he held on to an outcropping of rock for security, to prevent him from toppling over the crumbling edge as he peered down into the canyon, he found that it was hot. Rob decided that he would be careful, for if a rock could be hot then who knew what else could occur while he was having his hallucination. Rob followed the ridge for some time, and like his two friends was beginning to feel both hungry and thirsty, but so far he had seen no sign that this world contained either food or water, for Rob didn`t fancy drinking the grey ooze of a river below him. The heat was making him tired and he decided to rest a while, and he must have dropped off to sleep, but then he was awakened by a scream. It came from the other side of a small hill. Rob climbed up the low hill, and to his surprise he saw what he could only assume was a demon.
The beast was holding a vaporous creature that Rob named a shade, a name he took out of Greek mythology. The demon was somehow draining the shades remaining energy, for Rob could see the shade dimming as the demon fed upon it. Luckily, for the shade, the demon was soon sated, and it left the badly weakened creature lying on the ground. Rob walked down from the low hill to try to speak to the shade while it was still weakened and couldn`t escape.
“That demon that attacked you, what sort of beast was it?” Rob demanded to know.
“You`re not one of us, you`re a dreamer, what are you doing here in this terrible place?” The shade asked in return. It licked its lips and its hand moved slowly towards Rob.
“Trying to find a way out, do you know if such an exit exists?” Rob asked desperately.
“The only way out for those trapped here is through the demon that you just saw attacking me, if you want to escape from this world then you must travel to the demon`s lair and force him to release you.” The shade replied.
“Force that demon, how? It would tear me apart limb from limb.” Rob said exasperated by the answer given to him by the shade.
“You`re not one of us, you are merely trapped here within your dreams, some powerful Satanist has asked the demon to keep you here while your body slowly wastes away until you are dead.” The shade explained.
“As far as you are concerned you are in dreamland, you can imagine anything you want and it will appear. Imagine a nice long Pike, one with a nice sharp point that will at least keep the beast away from your body, for be warned, if you die within this domain then your body will also die.” The shade said and then he cackled, as the thought seemed to humour him.
“What if I also imagine the point of the spike to be covered in holy water, would that work?” Rob asked the cackling shade.
“Yes it might, you can only try, for otherwise you will certainly die within this terrible place.” The shade replied.
Rob imagined that he was holding a long Pike and moments later one appeared within his grasp; he smiled, for now he had something to go to battle with. Now he imagined it was covered in holy water and Rob then saw the point of the weapon glistening in the weird light of this terrible domain. Strengthened by the possibility of escape Rob turned once more to the shade.
“Tell me where I can find the lair of the demon.” He asked of the shade.
“Of course my friend if you will follow me I will take you to the demon`s lair, but in return you must also demand my release.” The shade answered with a crafty look coming to its very pale face.
“Agreed friend, we will both leave this terrible place.” Rob said smiling at the tragic figure before him.
The shade led him along a much-used track, through a land that seemed drained of anything living until they came to a massive fortress, but a fortress without any guards, for they were not needed here. Passing through its open gates they crossed a large empty courtyard, and then they entered through the ever open door within the cyclopean walls of the inner fortress to find themselves in a large entrance hall with steps leading up to the other floors. Rob though turned to a large doorway on his right that led to a massive central hall. Rob was reminded of Hollywood as he looked at the faded grandeur around him. There in front of him, sat on a massive throne and fast asleep, for it was tired after feeding upon the shade, slept the great beast, Lord Asbaritch. Rob rushed forward and put the tip of the pike at the breast of the giant demon.
“Demon wake up, you have guests.” Rob shouted loudly. The demon blinked awake and seeing the pike aimed at its breast laughed.
“You cannot hurt me human, this is my domain.” The demon said guffawing.
“Normally you would be correct my Lord.” Rob replied.
“But the point of this weapon is covered in holy water, and should I move it but a millimetre forward it would pierce your hide, and then maybe you wouldn`t be quite so smug in your attitude.” Rob threatened.
“Human you are indeed resourceful, and I think that Bourbon was right to fear you, want do you want of me?” The demon asked in a most conciliatory tone of voice that changed to demonic laughter.
Moments later and what was once a pike Rob found to his horror was now a large python, its strong muscles easily overcoming his own strength, and the snake began to wind its body around Rob`s. The demon laughed aloud at Rob but Rob wasn`t finished yet, he knew instinctively that the snake wasn`t real and he forced his mind to think of only one thing, the pike that was in his hands. Seconds later and he was once again holding the pike against the demon`s body. Rob now pushed it forward so that the tip of the sharp weapon, coated in holy water, pierced the demon`s flesh. Lord Asbaritch screamed out in pain as the holy water burnt him.
“Enough my friend, tell me what you want of me and I will obey your every demand.” The demon wailed in pain.
“I demand that you send my two friends and myself back to where you found us, and that you also release this poor fellow beside me.” Rob demanded.
“I will return you and your two friends to your bodies, but the body of this poor shade has been buried for some time now. And as heaven will certainly not take such an evil soul as our murderer here possesses, then the only place left for him would be the fires of hell.” The demon boomed out the second half of his sentence.
The shade paled even further, and it turned and ran screaming from the massive fortress, and back into the world where he was doomed to ‘live’ out the rest of time.
“Sometimes the more human inhabitants of this domain forget just why they are here, and not in paradise.” The demon said and burst into a fit of laughter that was so loud that Rob thought it might bring the fortress down around him, but he was unable to shield his ears as his hands were otherwise engaged holding the pike at the breast of the demon.
A second later and Rob awoke to find that he was back in the house of Father Pritchard, beside him his two friends were also just awakening from their terrible ordeal within one of the many domains of hell, this one ruled over by Lord Asbaritch.
“Rob, did you free us from that awful place?” Father Pritchard gasped out, his voice weak for he badly needed a drink of water.
“Yes David, I managed to find the way out, but how long were we trapped there?” Rob asked fearfully. Father Pritchard hurriedly drank a glass of water before replying.
“For one whole day Rob, see my clock over there says that it now the nineteenth of June, there isn`t a second to lose. You must book our seats of the Cherbourg ferry while John and I purchase the necessary equipment to ensure our safety once we are in France.”
Kidnapped and Bound for Hell Page 18