Imagine a day where Gods walk with normal men. Can we trust them? I believe not. |
Chapter I: An Important Meeting A small diner in the heart of the busy city had a hall built onto it, a year prior. It's main uses was for wedding receptions, banquets, or an occasional important meeting. Today, city hall members and the local police had gathered for a few drinks and to discuss the cities crime rate. Over the past two months, it had drastically increased. The mayor, the police chief, and even members of the education board sat nervously in thier chairs. They knew, perhaps the governor was going to make a sudden apperance. And as usual, the boards were in fear of a good lecture, due to their wrong-doings. What they were unaware of, was the fact that a few people were eavesdropping. Not through the cracked window, or behind the closed door, but present in the same room; sitting in the corner, their heads resting against the brick wall. It was a positive thing to be invisible. Mayor Winston Supple stood first behind a wood podium provided by his secretary, the blonde suck up who would do anything for a raise. He at first, felt out of place. Due to the fact camera flashes were usually engulfing him, and reporters, snobby of course, were yelling out questions and rude remarks. But not today, this meeting was special, too important for the papers, "my good friends, I come here today with one statement present in my mind. We are taking drastic measures to end our distress..." "And what may that be?" Asked Sheriff John Hamilton. He was a veteran of war, and a prick to add to that. He stood up from his chair and adjusted his best, his left hand stayed glued to the butt of his pistol, "lock 'em up for petty burgulary. Most these kids are fifteen and younger-we can't do much, but release them back to their parents after a stern warning. They aren't scared of us anymore." "I understand that John, but who are their parents? Their pasts aren't too great...shady, troublesome. I mean they caused more problems and abuse then thier offspring. You see, jail-time doesn't scare them, your right on that John, they're too used to it. A cell is their second home, hell, jail to some is thier only home," the mayor grinned and looked out over the small crowd of people," drastic, drastic, drastic!" He yelled, "we need a harsh form of punishment ladies and gentlemen," he took a pause, thinking the people of the board would yell out in disagreement. Yet they sat interested and intent, "we need-" he whimpered, "to get ahold of the people from the Olympus Organization. We need their help this time. Finding those..those...people a few years back was thought to be negative. But I've researced it enough to find something positive," he gestured with his thumb and finger, and made them pinch together to symbolize "small", "If jail doesn't scare them, the O.O. with move them to death," everything seemed to stop breathing, stopped moving. The world was in stuper. "Wait a minute here Supple, we can't be mixing two sorts of life together like that. It's, it's way too dangerous for all of us. I mean if the O.O. was introduced to our life-style, and we were introduced to theirs...there will be, mark my word, a war. The Olympus Organization was never meant to help us out. Hell, it was a big mistake when the scientists on the mount found them. I'm afraid of what would happen...." John Hamilton stood once more. The board looked at him, worried he would pull the gun out. "I've thought about the pros and cons John. And at this point in time, all I can say...is that I want my city back. And I want to rid the diseases that are clogging the streets. The O.O. will be the only thing to do the trick. You cops and probation officers are too weak," Hamiltons face fell red, and he took his seat, "now, I haven't informed the governor, whom isn't showing up today," there was a singular sound of tight breaths being let out, "but...first thing tomorrow morning, I will let her know. And from then, the President will be told. And, yes, don't try to stop me from making this action happen. I mean, the commander in cheif won't even be able to veto this one out of the works. It will happen. It will occur. The O.O. will get normality back again." Quietly, as if they weren't even there...the mob in the corner yelled out in anger and vengeance. Of course, their invisibility blocked out their voices as well. The board and Winston Supple continued on with their small talk and the voices being yelled out before them, were nothing more than wind to their human ears. The invisible group weren't your so-called people. Sure, you could look at them on the streets and think to yourself they were normal, walking, talking human beings; but indeed to be truthful, it was something completely opposite. To compare them to the people of the board, to Mayor Supple, to Sheriff John Hamiliton...was like comparing a lamb to a lion, like comparing a wind storm to a tornado, like comparing a human to a god. And yes, that was exactly it. Supple could breath and walk and talk, and even make rules and laws...but he couldn't bend matter, he couldn't throw bolts of lightning from the sky, and he couldn't hold the whole world on his shoulders. The invisible men, the invisible group...were the last decendents of the greek gods from their pasts. Each one of them had ancestors that made their names for their important roles, and for their powers that shook the world then. These demigods were sent here to control the situation that was unfolding. For they had heard of the findings of the Olympus Organization, and the whispers that the evil doers would take part of the cities plan to rid the crime. The invisible decendents of gods, that was something the world just wasn't ready for. But Supple was already in the works of clashing the two titans together. There would be a day, where normal citizens would walk side by side with a god. Chapter II: The Stairway to Heaven Four years before the attacks in New York City, a group of scientists had discovered a stone stair-way leading up the side of a mountain in Greece. Before they took a two yeek vacation from the lab to scale it, they researched every bit of it. They looked up the history in the area for stories of the mountain leading to the sky, even tested the area for poisons, radioactive material, and even looked for bones. Curiosity had beaten them through the weeks and they finally gave in and decided to see what the top held. They hadn't told much to the local papers, believing that the area would grow into a popular hang-out, and that someone might be brave enough to climb it, like a young kid on a bet. It would grow too popular and ruin perhaps the historic essence of the stair-way. Yet, the day they had arrived to climb it, packed with a bag of water, foods, and extra pairs of clothes, spectators had drove up with their cars staring at the scientists. They hadn't wished them luck, they hadn't gave them a reassurance of safe travels, they only stared past their eyes straight to the rocky stair-case. It hadn't been like anything they've seen before. It was a miracle, magnificient, a gift from God. Before they started up they prayed, hugged their familes, and laughed at a kid who had pulled up blasting Led Zeppelin. It was keyed the 'Stairway to Heaven', and they all knew on top of it would be the glorious kingdom of God. When the scientist had stepped their first step on the flat top, everyone had been wrong. "Ladies and gentlemen, before we embark up the mount...I'd like to thank you all for coming. Even if, well, you weren't invited,"the small lined up crowd laughed, "my name is Marcus Reede, I am an American, and I am a Nobel Prize winner. Now, the discovery of these...steps, just shows us the divine power the people of the past had. Think about it my friends, this task wasn't done by our tools now. It was cracked, chipped, formed and leveled by hands, only hands. Imagine that feat, something near impossible we would think. Right?-Am I correct?" Each member of the crowd nodded their head, still in shock, "now, what we plan on doing is climb up each step, perhaps days it will take, and then once we finally reach the top we will take pictures and write our report on what we find. As I stand here today with my fellow friends, Dr. Levon Gorge, Dr. Francis Macavelli, and Dr. Percy White, we have not one bit of evidence that can point to why this thing was formed. Hell, we have no idea what could be waiting for us up there, "he started to laugh, "maybe we'll find some gold or some lost treasure...and become really rich." "Right, as Marcus said...it's impossible to take it all in at once. The fact humans perhaps made this, indeed doesn't seem right. It's too much for a being to handle. And yes, I'm the sceptic of this group. And personally, I believe this was a work of spiritual beings. The Stairway to Heaven....it's an angelic piece of art work. God himself may have walked up this," that statement drew a few ahs and ohs, "but...anyway the finding is a great achievement I believe. I'm hoping once the trip is overwith I make the front pages of the news, and I get a handshake from the leaders of this country and by the surrounding areas," Percy White bellowed out in laughter, "the weather seems perfect. A good Spring day now isn't it? But, the time seems to be our enemy today, and before the sun starts heading down, we must make a move on. It'll most likely take us half the day just to reach the middle," he looked down at his watch, "thank you all for your support and may God bless each one of you, and...each one of us," Percy looked down, then back up at Marcus, "hey Marc listen..." he whispered so that the crowd couldn't hear him, "thanks for not telling them," he winked and Marcus nodded "yes". The clouds moved over the sun, and for a moment...a small moment, the world below was covered in a shadow. The grayness surrounding the crowd and the mountain sent a small chill down each persons spine and sent a quick sense of eerieness. The four scientists looked around, above at the dullness, then back to the mount towering behind them. It was as if the sun refused to shine for a quick second. But, as soon as the grayness set in, the sun poked its rays back out and illuminated the things below. There were small explosions of clapping hands echoing around them, as Marcus Reede and the others began their trek to the shadows lingering around the giant stair-case. They all cranked their necks up at the base, bewildered and in fear of the long journey spirling around. None of them had any experience of mountain climbing, and the best way they had prepared was taking a small course at a parachute/rock-climbing class in the local areas. The teacher had warned them, that the climb was for advanced participants, but then again it was walking on steps-how hard could that be? His only response was that, the altitude would change, the surrouding weather would get severe, and perhaps, just perhaps sheer exhaustion would set in from the continuous twirls and turns the jagged stairway had around the mountain. As if anything could get worse...Marcus Reede was afraid of heights, and Francis Macavelli had already had a severe bout with dehydration, and was in fear that it may happen again. The negative stacks had piled their way onto their shoulders, and they had no type of strength to carry the world. They had counted the first one hundred steps and decided at that point in time, it would be desirable to take a rest. The view, already, was beyond anything their eyes had ever seen. They were used to looking at objects through microscopes and reviewing sheets of numbers and responses to difficult questions. They had never seen the distant view of peace, serentity, or felt that lingering feeling of hope. They were stuck in a work of art, a God made paradise, "I tell you what Marc, this is wild!" Levon Gorge, a top graduate of his class, and a world renowed biologist yelled out, his voice jumping from the peaks below. "I know, I know. I'm only hoping that what we discover up their is just as beautiful as this." "...It was smart not to mention what we found out to those people, wasn't it?" Percy White asked before sipping on his canteen of water. "...yeah, it would have caused them to stress, our families, and in the end it would have put more hardship on us." "What do you think that thing leads to...I mean, if it's even real?" Francis asked, "the old stories said it could have been a myth, something fake, made up." "Right, the story goes that a few officers of the Greek law had found it, after they had discovered these same steps. Of course like many tales, it didn't end too politely," added Levon. "What had happened?” the rest seemed to ask together. “Well, one of those men had discovered, as you all know...a crack in the center of the top up there,” he pointed to the sky, the top of the mount, “it was...a..crack that led into the mountain, as we believe. The guy tried to jump over it, being funny, being stupid in my opininon...and his foot got stuck,” they grew interested, sitting up, putting away their waters, “his foot got stuck, and the other guy tried to pull him out, but he said that under the other guy, inside the crack... there was a force so great pulling him as well, down though...down into the heart of the mountain.” “So...what happened?” Marcus asked, as if they were sitting around a camp fire together roasting marshmallows, “did he get out?” Levon stopped for a second and scratched away at the stone step with a rock. He shook his head, then proceeded in sucking down a cool splash of water once more. He never spoke again, just stood up stretched a bit and began walking up the steps, leaving the other three still sitting. Levon was knowing for going beyond the call of duty when researching historic things. He was always the one to know way too much more on a subject then the rest of his fellow residents. Levon Gorge, was a smart man...but, as many know...being too smart can be negative in a lot of ways. Perhaps it was fear in the hearts of the rest of the men, but through the whole trek they didn't speak one more word to Levon about what perhaps the top of the mountain would hold. They all hoped they would turn the bend to lead them on top, and as they finally began to reach the jagged and rough peak of the steps...the sun had finally gone dry under the distant horizon, and the world was black again. Francis and Percy had helped each other climb a tall boulder that had perhaps slipped out of grip and settled infront of their path. Levon had scaled it with ease, and Marcus with his eyes closed, did his best without looking down. He suffered severly with vertigo, and being this high was turning his mind all around. There were even points when the sky was still dark blue where he'd grow too dizzy to walk. And it would take the budging and pulls from the rest of his friends to get him going again. Give up wasn't an answer when you were this far above the earth. And the idea of walking on an anciest step-way gave him a boost when he was running dry, "what do you say men, do we try and sleep...or do we keep going," Levon had said, stretching and yawning at the same time. "I say we rest. My throat is killing me, and my legs have gone numb...what about you Perce?" Francis asked. "I'm fine, few more miles won't hurt me, they won't hurt you either," he laughed alone, "Marcus my American friend, what do you have to say?" Marcus had been walking around near the edge of a flat rock platform that spaced two steps about two feet apart. The rest of the men had thrown their bags down and were leaning against them, drinking their waters and packing as much food into them as possible. They were losing energy by the second. He didn't feel like sitting would aid him in a way, due to the fact that he was afraid to stand from the position because of his disorder would take over. He stood on the edge, not looking down at the ragged, jagged mess of broken boulders and sharp edges of rocks, but he kept his eyes up to the sky. The stars had made their ways out, and being a scientist, he had always a connection with each point of light, "there's Orion, the dippers, Pegasus, Leo...." he was beyond amazed, "I'd do anything to touch one of them," he whispered in the growing cold air, "we live, Levon, in a wonderful world...where things like this, just lights can form into a shape and take my breath away," he was growing intimate with the sky, "I love this," the world around them did seem too peaceful. The wind would blow just right, and bring the scent of the distant ocean to their nostrils. It was sweet, calming, and the sound of the world below moving and living added to the beautiful aura. He stepped back, Levon yelled, and Marcus Reede lost his balance on a misplaced rock. Percy White wasn't the strongest man in the world. He was 54 years old and completely bald. Through the years his skinny frame had took on many shapes. And on this night, he had a gut that hung over his loosely belted jeans. Percy had threw his bottle out of his hand and jumped up at the screaming explosion from Levon's lungs. Marcus had toppled backwards and sent his feet nearly over the edge of the steps. If he would have fell, there would only be three scientists heading back home. Percy had caught Marcus by his shoulders, and for a moment he stood there bent, with all his power, holding Marcus upright. Marcus' eyes had faded together, past out. Percy White was a life-saver, "we almost lost him," Percy strained pulling Marcus back to the flat platform they had rested on, "that was way too damn close," he laid him down. Levon seemed speechless for a moment, and even Francis was breathing harder than usual. It was the scariest situation they had ever faced. Marcus Reede, honestly, had almost fell, "great job Perce, that was unbelievable," Marcus had blurted out, waking up from the sleep, "I would have been a goner for sure," a silent moment then broke, when Marcus Reede had began to laugh. The sun was fully out now, and the four men hadn't spent the breaking moments walking, only resting on the same spot where Reede had almost lost it. Each one looked at the sky and back at each other. Everything up there had, indeed, seemed amazing. They could feel that they were close to the top, and there was in the wind a burning anticipation. Chapter III: The Elevator to Hell They had all reached the top of the mountain early that afternoon. One by one they took their steps, and together they walked to the center of the rock. There was a crack that had stretched from one side to the other and placed perfectly in the middle, was a perfect shaped hole. Sleep was told to be the best medicine, and even though they rested some, they each felt they desired a quick dose of it, or there may be major problems. Marcus had already stumbled over crushed rocks, and found himself dizzy now from the thinning air. At times he even found himself dry heaving and spitting out the burning feeling in the back of his throat. The others had sat around the hole babbling and wondering what the darkness below held. The sky, though brightly lit did no justice to the hole. It still lingered the colors of the dead night: black and mournful. It was Francis who broke the silence first, "tell us then Levon, what had happened to that law men when he had tripped in." Levon turned and faced him, "years had went by, and the man had never been seen again. The other figure, the law man, refused to talk about what he had seen, and tried to cover up the things they had found. The mountain with the stair-case and this...hole. That's the reason it was so hard for us to find valuable information. Even now as we sit here, the area is still highly restricted! And the punishmnet of being here is..." "...by death," Marcus butted in, now joining them around the hole, "they kill you so you don't speak about the hole in the mountain or the stone stair-way leading to it. This place hasn't been found for hundreds of years, and I hate the fact that we are storming up the names of the place once again..." "Those...those people who were here the first day. They'll squeel won't they? The law, the damn government will find out. My friends...we may find ourselves facing demise when we touch back down," worrysome filled the brisk afternoon air," What--what should we do Marcus?" Marcus looked up at the clouds above, hoping an answer would pop up. The whites of his friends eyes seemed to glow, sparkling with a thin glaze of tears. They were all scared, "we brought stakes, a knife, and a decent rope. I thought of this idea to come here, so I'll go down first," he began to breathe slowly. "Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND!" yelled Levon, "you'll get killed, you'll get stuck, you'll fall in. It was never a plan to travel there. We came to see the top of the mount and we did. There's a crack, a hole, and no answers. We'll go back and face what we have to face. Either way, Marc, your not doing it." It had been too late. Marcus had already stood and began tying the rope around his waist, and now he was searcing for an area to drive the stake into the rock. In his hand was an axe, with a flat back for hammering. He had purchased it from the rock-climbing instructor, who said it would come in handy for some detective work. Maybe Marcus knew it was a bad idea, but that didn't matter any more. He knew that he was facing serious trouble, and if that was true, then why not make the best of this discovery. He couldn't just stomach the thought of leaving the hole behind unsearched and unanswered. Wow, he had found a stair-way leading to a flat top, big deal, he needed more, "this should do," he said bending down," it's about five feet from the hole, I'll be able to drop about twenty or so feet, maybe," he began hammering. The loud bangs echoed around the emptyness. For a moment he felt he was all alone. The stake had went through pretty good. Chunks of the mountain had flew, and at times Marcus had dogged a piece flying towards his eyes. The rest of the group sat in dismay, shaking thier heads at the sight of what he was doing, "I'll need one of you guys to hold the rope, to help steady me in." They continued to shake their heads, "I won't have nothing to do with your death," Levon added sarcastically. "Me neither," Francis added. "Listen Marcus, is this really something you want to do? I mean think of your wife, Liz, would she be too thrilled to know that a scientist with no experience is about to scale down a never before seen hole? I would think not," he stood up and walked towards the bent over Marcus, who was now examining the rope, "please, just think about it Marc," Percy White pleaded. Marcus Reede was a deticated man. He had spent over twenty years in the field, and never once missed a day of work for his pleasure. He stood at six feet tall, and had a muscular frame for an older man. He had started to gray at the edges of his hair-line when he was thirty two. He never minded it, in fact his wife thought it was very handsome. He usually was the one to face the facts and weight the positive and negative of the situations. This day, it was all a blur, "Perce, would you grab the rope here. Hold it tightly! Very tightly, and no matter what don't let go. Sure, this thing is dug into the rock, but just incase a piece broke off, your hands may be able to steady me when I'm down there," he never looked up once. "...Okay Marcus, if this want you want..." "This is what I want guys. Imagine if we find something very valuable, very important. What if we can find something that will aid others? Do you ever think about that? I'm just dropping down twenty or so feet," he shrugged, "it's honestly nothing," Levon and Francis stared shocked at each other, then began whispering something underneath their breaths. Most likely an insult. Marcus had handed Percy the slack from the rope, and began walking backwards to the hole. White held on tightly, standing behind the stake and let go a bit more of the rope for Marcus' descent. The others watched in horror. "Put your feet in first, I'll hold onto your hands for a moment," Levon jumped up, sick of just watching, "go slowly though Marcus, you don't need to fly in there and get yourself killed. I mean, it's only twenty or so feet," he smiled dull. Marcus had did just that. When he was inches away from the crack, he had got onto his knees and checked the knot on the rope. He moved himself backwards slowly, his knees digging into the rock, his hands touching the cold underneath him dillegently. His left foot went first, then his right, "ah, it's a bit cold," he laughed, "I'm going into the abyss," he muffled his voice some to sound like an astronaut in space. His left knee had passed the brim and now was hanging lifelessly in the emptyness below. His other followed, and for a moment he tried to push his feet against the inner-wall of the hole. Levon gripped his wrists tightly, to the point where his fingertips were turning purple and growing numb by each inch he took down. It was his nervousness coming out, Levon always had a problem dealing with anxiety. There Marcus was, dangling in the hole with the stake, Percys hands, and Levon gripping tightly around his forearm now. He felt save. He felt nothing could go wrong. There was a noise, a faint crackling noise. Percy hadn't noticed and continued to squeeze tightly on the rope. Marcus dropped down a few more inches into the darkness, his feet now resting tightly against the wall. Levon let loose from his grip," it's so dark. I can't see nothing yet," Marcus yelled up. Including his body height, he had now been close to eight feet down. The hole seemed to squeeze tighter against his legs, and the darkness seemed to grow blacker. He had grown used to the cold, and now was dripping sweat from his temples," let me down some more Perce," and the slack of the rope was dropped adding perhaps another two feet for Marcus' advantage, "few more...I smell something," the threesome looked at each other. Francis now had been looking down the hole, "sulfur," he yelled out, "that egg-yoke smell, you know what I'm say---" he stopped, that crackling noise grew larger, Levon looked back to see the stake that was punctured into the rock giving some in the hole. Pieces of the mountain surrounding it began breaking, as if it were soft as bread. "It's too much weight, you gotta' get out of there Marc," Percy yelled, pulling back as hard as he could, hoping the stake wouldn't break out of it's hole. "No, it's fine. The instructor had promised it was top-notch," Marcus echoed out, "I need more slack, I think I'm coming to something." Percy White gave a few more feet. His eyes were glued to the stake, his hands being dug open by the roughness of the rope, "what is it Marcus, another damn rock? Is that what you see?" He was growing angrier. The idea now, seemed to be beyond idiotic. "Kind of," Marcus added, his voice growing silent as he kicked himself down a few more feet, "it's as if....the rock had been hand made. Like someone made it for someone to come down," his voice grew demented. "What do you mean?" Francis finally spoke, "someone made it for someone?" "Well, every few inches there are notches in the rock. I thought I noticed something squeezing tightly against my chest, and I looked down. As far as I can see in this darkness, it looks like those notches are popping out. Like someone had built a make-shift..." "...ladder," Levon Gorge added. "Exactly! A make-shift ladder all the way down. Someone, undoubtfully has been here before us. I need just a little bit more...slack," his voice sounded strained, "it...is...awfully...tight...in...here," he whispered roughly, "I'm losing..." and for a moment everything stood too still. Marcus Reede had let go of his grip his feet were making against the wall. And now he hung freely, his weight pulling on the rope very tightly. Percy couldn't stand it. He had been pulling back with all of his might, even Francis had noticed his face turn blood red, and shrunk underneath his harsh yell for help. He had grabbed the rope and pulled back with Percy. Marcus' weight had dug into their hands, and they both stood there shaking. Levon grabbed for Marcus' hands, but they were way out of reach, "Marcus? Marcus what the hell are you doing? Your killing them up here..." There was no response. Just the wind, "what...the...hell...is...he...doin'?" Francis squeezed out of his lungs. "Get out of there now Marcus," Percy yelled. But there was no chance for that revelation. Marcus had went cold with fear, he was stoved up on the brink of passing out. They let go, more and more, of the rope...until there was only a few inches to grab. Marcus' limp body went further and further down without command. They were losing grip, and losing him. As if the world just had enough. The sun had died out for a moment, when a thick cloud had covered it. The moment reminded them of when they were on the ground, facing the crowd, prior to the climb. Everything around them seemed to be a shadow, and even the wind for a moment seized to breathe. They strained continuosly. And once again, the cracking essence struck fear in their ears. The stake hadn't flew out, but seemed to pop out. Like the mountain had spit it out. It lied there, clanking and rattling against the rock underneath it. Only two sets of hands were Marcus' only hope. But they hadn't been gods, they hadn't been super-human. Marcus' weight seemed to grow dead and heavier. And without notice, Percy and Francis had began skidding down closer and closer to the hole. They both stuck their feet out to stop themselves, but there hadn't been much room for that. Levon had jumped to the back, and did his best to pull. Hope had left the building. Their feet dug into the top of the mountain, sliding, kicking up dust, pushing back with all they had. Marcus dropped more and more, as the three of them toppled closer to the opening. The stake had fell into the hole, and now the top of Francis' shoes were hovering over it; his heels digging harder and harder, "pull!" They all yelled, breaking blood-vessels in their eyes, "come on!" Levon's voice screeched, ripping his throat raw, "we're falling in, pull!" Marcus fell once again, and Francis did as well. As Marcus dangled further down, it had pulled Francis in. He had been ripped down. His feet had been pulled in, and now he sat on the brim. He pushed against the rock with his feet, as Marcus tried earlier. He had kicked away a few stones and he watched them descend down, most likely hitting Marcus on his head. Levon grew closer and closer to Percy, and Percy began tredding more and more to the back of Francis. The crackling noise of Francis' feet against the inner wall bellowed out, and Marcus fell more. Then there it was, the sun. It had stretched its rays out as if it were yawning; and Francis felt himself lose control. He had been pulled completly over the hole, he had let go of the rope accidentally and felt himself hit the opposite side of the inner wall, where he had had his feet. His knees ripped against the sides, then his hips had bounced against it, then his torso had scratched, and then his head. Francis was completely engulfed in the darkness of the hole, he had fell in, and was now bouncing off the mountains insides, heading straight toward the passed out Marcus. The other men couldn't find anymore power. And as if the domino effect became true, Percy skidded into the hole, then Levon came straight after...kicking Percy so hard in the head with the heel of his boot. All three men came crashing down on top of Marcus, who now, with the rope being loose began to fall quickly down the tightening mouth. There was only blackness, and the sound of pure death ripping from their tongues. |