Playing Dante
Prologue: Welcome to Hell
Raine aimlessly strolled through the ancient towering trees, enjoying the glowing sunlight. A cool breeze drafted through the park plucking a few strands of hair out of her loose ponytail. She leaned back against a cedar tree by the park's entrance, seating herself on a gnarled root.
A small smile graced her features as she remembered the previous day's occurrences.
"Ow!" Ray yelled, "Darn it, Raine! You hit hard!"
"Yeah, Mr Chauvanist, you'd better believe it! Now what were you saying about the
strength of males being superior?" she replied, arching an eyebrow.
"What? It's a fact neko-chan- OW!" he yelped as Raine retaliated with a not-so-gentle "tap" to the back of his head.
"Theory, Ray, there's a difference! And how many times have I told you not to call me neko-chan, panda boy?"
"Well I have yet to see the theory disproved," he grumbled, immediately regretting it. A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes, "OK, then meet me at this tree tomorrow, 6am sharp!"
"W-w-wait, Raine! I was just joking! I-!"
"Aww, are you scared?" she taunted, smiling like the Cheshire cat.
"N-n-no... Aw, forget it! It's on!" he yelled, giving an enthusiastic fist pump, like one would in a manga.
"Great! Have fun waking up early!" she said. her voice dripping with false cheerfulness.
"Dammit! Where did that idiot go now?" she muttered. "I was totally going to cream him at sparring today!" She watched the cars haltingly rumble forward on the bustling street, scanning faces of the pedestrians sauntering down the crosswalk. "Baka! He's ten minutes late! What has that idiot got himself into now?"
She watched an old man stumble across the street leaning heavily in to his wooden cane. His jaw was clenched in pain as he limped slowly across the crosswalk. A gaudy yellow car vehemently beeped the horn.
"Hey Gramps! Move it or lose it!" the boys yelled.
Raine glared at them as they revved the engine, their raucousness laughter resonating through the park.
"Zip it!" she shot back, sprinting over to help him and leading safely toward the sidewalk. As the duo neared the curb, the driver, who had obviously miscalculated the distance between his car and the two pedestrian hit the accelerator. Through her peripheral vision Raine watched the car lurch forward.
"Watch out!" she yelled, shoving the old man onto the sidewalk. The car slammed in to her, knocking her forward, her head smashing in to the asphalt road.
"Aww, crud!" she groaned, the world dimming like a theatrical light set, till nothing but darkness remained.
Raine sat up drowsily, pushing a few strands of midnight hair out of her eyes.
"What in God's name just happened?" she muttered, glancing around. Her head was pounding worse than the time she'd made the mistake of ticking off a gang of drunkards. She'd won in the end, but the jerks caught her of guard and grazed her head with a beer bottle.
She was sitting in the center of a theater stage. Rows of battered old seats surrounded the stage, empty and covered in dust. Gothic art was painted on the walls and ceilings, the paint peeling off the walls. The air around her felt heavy as though inhabited by a dark presence.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't use the G-word, m'dear. This is hell, you know," a scratchy voice murmured, like the ones that were in horror movies.
"Who's there, jerk? Come on! At least come out like a man and fight me, coward!" She began bouncing on the balls of her feet, and winced as the pain magnified. That was definitely not one of her smarter ideas.
"Relax, m'dear. It's just old Lucifer here with you, at the edge of purgatory," replied the old voice chuckling. Stepping out of the shadows, was the old man she had saved from the park.
"What the fu- shi- cra- BALONEY! What the hell are you doing here?" She yelled, glaring accusingly at the old man. "And where are we?"
"I just told you, m'dear we're in hell, or at least one of the nicer parts of it." he said, chucking darkly.
"Yeah right and I'm the flippin' Easter bunny!" she shot back. "Damn it, either you give me a straight answer or I will kick your butt to the moon and back!"
"That was a straight answer, m'dear. Your audacity will get you killed someday."
"Augh! God damn it!"
"What part of don't use the G-word don't you understand?"
"Shut the fu-! You know what? Forget it." Raine hissed under her breath, trying to control her temper.
"Ah, typical. You're still in denial, little girl."
"Denial? Of what?"
"Oh that's right, you don't remember," he chuckled darkly. "Oh well, let's have a little memory refresher. I am Lucifer," he said, striking his cane on the floor. Instantaneously it was morphed into an jet black trident. His teeth and nails grew longer, skin blistering and turning the color of freshly spilt blood. "And you my dear, are in hell!"
"What am I doing here, exactly?" she replied, with a sceptical look.
"Well, m'dear, technically you're dead, and-"
"Technically?"
"Let me get straight to the point, six years, six months, and six days ago, you struck a deal with someone. Ring a bell?" he questioned, an expectant look on his face.
"Not really, something to do with bubblegum and racing, right?" she replied, with a sceptical look.
"No, you stupid girl! The accident, the car accident!" he bellowed, accenting his remarks with the slam of his trident.
"Oh yeah! Our moms were out shopping, so Ray and I decided to race to the store and whoever won got the last piece of bubblegum." She wrinkled her brow, "Can't remember much else though. We ran across the street and Ray pushed me onto the sidewalk, he almost got hit but..."
"Curse humans and their feeble minds!" he bellowed. Slamming the trident on the floor, the theater faded away, replaced by another reality.
The suburbs of Cherry Hill stood straight and new, a nine year old girl with dark hair ran alongside a blond boy. The two were fitfully giggling running through the streets and down the sidewalks.
"Hey neko-chan!" the boy called out to her as she passed him, sprinting like the wind.
The girl scrunched up her face, "My name is Raine, Ray, not neko-chan!"
The boy laughed, catching up to her. "I know neko-chan! But you're so much like a kitty, you're cute and your hair is so soft!"
She wrinkled her brow in irritation, "Kitties have claws too!" she threatened, her face thoughtful for a moment. "Fine! If you can call me neko-chan, I get to call you panda-chan!"
The boy blanched in horror, "No way! Why can't you make it something tough, like a tiger or something?"
"Panda-chan, I'm tougher than you!" she said, flexing her arms. "Anyway pandas look like bears, so at first people think they're threatening. But really when you know them, they're soft cute teddy bears!" she finished, giggling.
"B-b-but, I'M NOT A TEDDY BEAR!" he yelled indignantly.
The girl leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek, "Keep telling yourself that panda-chan!" A devilish smirk grew on her face, "Race you to the store, panda-chan!"
"Hey, wait up! Fine, but if I beat you there I'm stealing your gum!"
The duo tore up the sidewalk, grown-ups shaking their heads and the sheer ridiculousness of the two. Head to head they sprinted across the bustling street, laughing like no tomorrow. However, a car whizzed towards them as they approached the road, disregarding the stop sign.
Ray's eyes widened, "Neko-chan, watch out!" he screamed, shoving her forward as the car slammed mercilessly into him. Ray was slammed into the asphalt, limp as a rag doll.
The car stopped abruptly, and the driver walked out, slamming the car door. "What's your problem, you stupid kids! If there's a scratch on my car. you'll pay!"
"Ray! Wake up! Please wake up!" she cried, shaking him. Pedestrians gathered around them, not interfering but murmuring quietly amongst themselves. A few people called the ambulance, the worry in their voices evident.
"Hey, stupid girl! I'm talkin' to ya!" he yelled, yanking her shoulder forcing her to face him. "Your stupid friend got in the way! Hey kid!" he yelled, reaching out to the unconscious boy behind her.
Right then, she could swear she felt pure hate coursing through her veins. Every pore in her body screamed to retaliate against the man, who had the nerve to hit her best friend with his car, and NOT care. Before she even realized what was happening she swung her fist at his head, landing a real hay-maker. As he recovered from the shock she slammed a snap kick into his groin. Though her sensei at the dojo told her such moves were dishonorable, seeing as it was a truly below the belt strike, she didn't care. This man would pay! Before she could continue, something, or more correctly someone, had grabbed her around the waist.
"Raine," her mother cooed soothingly, "Relax. Ray will be alright." All at once the rage became tears as she saw paramedics lift her friend's limp body onto a gurney and carted him into the back of the ambulance. She ran after Ray's mom who grasped her son's hand, sobbing uncontrollably. This is my fault, she thought, I should have gotten hit, not him. Before anyone could stop her she scampered into the car after Ray's mother and hugged her tightly.
"I have to go to," she begged softly. "Please."
Seeing the desperation in her eyes, she felt pity for the little girl, or possibly felt obligated to comply. "Luna, you can follow us, ok?" she called to Raine's mother. "I promise I'll take care of her." Her mother simply nodded and the ambulance sped off towards the hospital, sirens blaring.
Raine, hated the antiseptic smell of hospitals, as well as their whiteness, and cleanliness. However, she refused to move from her chair where her best friend lay. Not even her mother could deter her form staying, finally resolving to sit and wait for Raine in the waiting room. Four hours of sitting by Ray who remained in a coma and her stomach began to growl. A rather concerned nurse with her hazel hair knotted in a tight bun came in, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "You know sweetie, you should go eat. We'll tell you if he wakes up." Her blue eyes were filled with sorrow and pity, patting Raine's shoulder gently.
"Nu-uh," she replied stubbornly, "Not hungry." Her stomach growled loudly, it felt like a life time since she had eaten.
The nurse chuckled gently, "Now, now, sweetie. Don't lie, it'll do you good."
"Ray's probably hungry too," she shot back cheekily. "He ain't eaten since I have." Her stomach gave a louder more painful growl.
"But Ray here is being given nutrients through this needle," she said, gesturing at the one of the various IVs surrounding him." She hoped that would deter the little girl.
Raine swallowed painfully, and then held out her wrists. "OK, do it to me too."
The nurse sighed, "Sweetheart it doesn't work like that..." she trailed off.
"Well, I don't care, I'm not leaving!" she shot back, crossing her arms.
"You're a stubborn one, aren't you? Well then..." the nurse turned and walked out of the room leaving Raine to gaze at her blood caked best friend. She reached over and gripped his clammy hand, praying to every deity she knew. Please, don't let him die, please don't let him die, she chanted in her head, tears pricking her eyes.
The clacking sound of someone approaching, caused her to loosen her grip and hastily wipe the tears from her eyes. The nurse had returned with a plate of food, placing it in front of the starving girl, she handed Raine a plastic fork. Needing no permission, Raine chowed down on the food, polishing off the chicken, rice, and even the vegetables in record timing. As she remembered to breathe again, she look up at the nurse, who had a small smirk, crossing her face.
"Told you so," she chimed to Raine, patting her on the head.
"Thanks, Miss..?"
"Iris, don't mention it." She sat down in the chair next to Raine, who was currently looking away, tears pricking her eyes again. "Why are you so bent at staying here anyway?" Iris inquired, "His family already left."
Raine covered her face and tears slipped down her cheeks. "I was the one who should have got hit, he pushed me out of the way."
"Sweetie, it's not your fault," Iris consoled, trying to assuage her pain.
"You know Miss Iris," Raine said softly, "There will be very few people who will stand by you regardless of what happens. My daddy told me those are the people you should protect with everything you've got, not matter what happens." She began sobbing, "B-b-but w-w-hy couldn't I s-s-save him?"
The nurse looked at her sadly, "He'll be fine sweetheart don't worry."
