This choice: Onto the first circle, the first nightmare! • Go Back...Chapter #7Dealing with Limbo by: bassrass   Jake found himself standing inside his Birdboy suit in his bedroom, a place he hadn’t been too in years. He rushed to the window at once and gaped as he saw a restored city, he breathed in and for the first time in his memory it didn’t stink. He was ecstatic and full of energy, he ran around the house calling for his father, he didn’t even care he was still wearing his superhero costume. Strangely the house was quiet, no dad, no butler, not even the nice gardeners who worked through out the day. He called out for anyone but nobody came. His brief joy turned to worry as he noticed the house was empty. Undaunted by this he made his way into the city to find someone. The city looked cleaner than ever in his time and especially better than in Stinkromancer’s empire, she had turned his own mansion into a septic tank and used to enjoy watching him swim through it.
He reached the town square without meeting a single person, the quiet was getting to him. This place had once hosted Stinkromancer’s throne so he was sure something important must be here, yet all was empty and quiet. He looked through the buildings the empty streets everywhere he went there was no sound, only now he started to notice even the wind didn’t seem to exist any more. He kept looking over his shoulder sure someone was watching him, yet no one was ever there. A day went by and he was still alone, he was so sure a torture would start at night, that Stinkromancer would come to torment him yet the next day came and went.
On the third day depression was starting to sink in. He wasn’t feeling hungry or thirsty yet he was still stuck wondering an empty world. “How do I get to the next level of hell? Why are you waiting to attack? I know you can hear me come down here. Just tell me what to do!” His wondering took him to the cemetery, very unpleasant memories were here as Stinkromancer had forced him to kiss her maggot infested mouth over the grave of Beth. He saw that Beth’s tombstone was still there.
Bethany
Superzero
Suffering for all eternity
She will not be missed
After reading the cruel inscribing he noticed a rotted smell invade his nose it came from the stone.
“Jakeeee” He heard a soft whisper in the air. He turned shocked to see Beth, only still a zombie. She stood still looking at him, her flesh remained rotted and smelling of decomposed skin, her eyes were yellow and looking at Jake her breath smelt unwashed as she opened her mouth. Jake recoiled in horror at her, Beth looked sadly at him.
“Beth is that really you?”
“Yes”
Her voice was only a whisper and each time she spoke the stink of her breath made Jake want to turn away.
“It’s you?! Where were you? I’ve missed you”
“Hell”
“Do you know where we are?”
“Limbo.”
“But your here to help me? To fight Stinkomancer?”
“Can’t fight only suffer.”
“Beth I’m sorry, for everything that happened.”
She nodded at him “Focus. Win.”
“How do we get to the next level?”
“Find the demon.”
“Demon? Do you know who they are? Where they are?”
“Don’t know who. Mayor’s office.”
With that they both travelled the empty streets until they came to the mayors office. Beth was surprising fast for someone that had been falling apart for years, unfortunately she didn’t smell any better, Jake was keeping upwind of her. Standing outside the mayors office Jake double checked his gadgets, Beth had told him that she can’t fight so whatever demon waited for him would have to be fought solo. Jake readied himself and hoping to catch the creature of guard he kicked the door open.
“Well look who finally decided to come.” In the mayors office sitting behind the desk was Jessica Underwood the once corrupt mayor of the city. “Do you have any idea how boring it is to be stuck here while you run around with your girlfriend?” She looked alive and as attracted as she used to be before the world went to hell smelling heavily of perfume, making a nice difference from Beth. Her brown hair flowed behind her, the first living person Jake had seen in years.
“You? Your the demon here?” Jake was shocked he expected some fiery red eyed horned monster not this.
“No Mr Blackridge, please take a seat.” Beth went to the chair at once.
“Beth wait don’t just do as she says its a trap.”
Beth didn’t respond, “She doesn’t have a choice, now why don’t you sit down and we can make a deal.”
Jake wasn’t moving. “I’m comfortable here, what do you want?”
She sighed at him “You need to get to the lower levels of hell, I know where you need to go, I know a little of what is waiting for you and teeny tiny bit that might help you against our new God. So why should I help you what can you offer me?”
“Assuming I don’t beat the information out of you. Why help that devil? She tortured you as well.”
“It’s true I don’t particularly like the idea of going back to hell on Earth but you are not the only one being tested here our new God has promised prizes to the one who defeats you. For me she promised to let me live and be her puppet Queen in the country of her choice.”
“Queen over stinking zombies you mean.”
“Yes but still life so why should I risk helping you what can you offer me?”
“How about because you don’t stand a chance against me? And when I beat her and drag her to hell we can go back to how earth was before. If not than take your chance with me.”
She eyed Birdboy over. “You seem confident in your chances, good. I want Beth.”
“What?!”
“Not that thing there” She said pointing at the zombiefied Beth. “The real Beth, if you get the world back to how it was, I want to own Beth.”
“That’s horrible! Why would we agree to that?!”
“I think it’s quite reasonable, I am after all going to disobey my new God.”
“So you-”
“Give you important information to get through hell, information you can’t get otherwise.”
“Yes bu-”
“And give you information on what may be a critical weakness to my new God.”
“Yes”
“Frankly your getting a good deal with little danger to your self. All I want is a little reward if you win. Do you really think I am going to treat Beth any where near as bad as my God has?”
Jake looked to Beth, “what do you think Beth we can do this without her right?”
“She can’t help you decide you need to sign her to me yourself. As for doing this without my help. Do you understand how large the Earth is? How long you will spend roaming about looking for a way deeper into hell with no idea what it looks like? No you can not do this without me. I know for certain the other villains she has revived won’t be as willing to help as I am, they each own a circle of your hell.”
Beth looked blankly forward, she didn’t respond to anything.
“If, If I did agree, what would you do to her?”
Jessica brightened up at once, she removed one of her shoes. Jake flinch at the smell of old socks and sweat coming out. Jessica slowly moved her stinking foot back and forth in Jake's eye. “I’ll use her as my personal assistant. She’s going to stick to me like glue, Beth will carry my things, book my appointments, after a hard day of work on my toes she can massage my feet. At home she can cook for me, worship me and keep my bed warm. I promise to give her a much better life than my God has, so one little signature. Make that heroic sacrifice and I’ll tell you everything I know.” It was a tempting offer Jake had to…   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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