Divinity and Punishment

Part I: Inferno

Prologue: Confusion

I stood in the middle of a forest. The trees were tall and thick, reaching high to the skies like arms reaching for Heaven. The twigs and branches were twisted and dropping, like a Weeping-Willow. The ground was covered in earth and grass, nothing more. That seemed odd to me, since there usually seemed to be more with animals around these places. Well, then again, who am I to tell one how their woods should be? Not that I would actually talk to a squirrel; I'm not a nutcase. But still, it just seemed odd to me.

But I really wish there were a squirrel here. From what I saw and what I could hear, there were no signs of animals in this place.

The second odd thing was the fact that the woods were covered in thick fog. I could barely see in front of me, let alone the friggin' ground!

I looked in my hand and found a knife. I don't remember ever having picked up a knife here or from home or anywhere. In fact, now that I had thought of it, I don't even remember coming to the woods in the first place. Where was I? I don't usually see any trees or forests around my neighborhood, so did I get up from bed and sleepwalk to the park? I couldn't even tell how these looked similar to the forests around in Indianapolis. The closest it looked to was Pine Ridge, and even that was really stretching it. Pine Ridge had more trees than just Weeping-Willows and fog and grass. Pine Ridge had a trail to follow for afternoon strolls or something like that. Here, I was just in the middle of crossroads, and not even a map to help me out of this place.

I usually like something a little more gothic, but this just gave me chills down my spine and back up. That was probably because of how cold the damn place was. I didn't even have a jacket on, only my undershirt, which I have to admit, even when sleepwalking, was pretty stupid of me. Then again, I was unconscious at the time, so how the hell would I know?

I placed the knife into my pocket and wrapped my arms around each other, trying to keep warm while shaking like a leaf. But while I walked, I felt something in my other pocket in the side of my pants. It was thick and light, and from what I could guess, shaped rectangularly or triangularly. I walked further on, not caring about it, just trying to find my way out of here. But that's when I paid my attention to the thing. I picked it out and it was a radio. It seemed normal enough, with the exception of the mouth being stained and dirty. I picked it out because of the noise it was making. It sounded disgusting and horrible! It was as if the filth in the radio was vibrating and gurgling as it buzzed weakly, sounding like the most hideous monster I'd ever heard. Probably what irritated me most about this fucking thing was because it was so weak sounding! It would have been just as annoying if this thing was loud, but the quietness of it was equally annoying to me. It's like having a fly buzzing near your ear for a long time or having an annoying beep go on forever on your computer.

I tried to find a place to beat it with a stick to turn off the foul noise, but there wasn't anything as I ran and looked about. But that only caused the radio to get louder, somehow. I couldn't find a stick or a thick branch or something, but what I did get was more sound. It was as if it were a metal detector, getting louder as I got close to something. But what would there be in the middle of the woods out here? I thought I was the only one here, but let's pray to God that there is someone (not literally, of course. I'm not a religious guy). But what I would find would be as bad as the sound the radio made.

I walked closer to wherever the radio was getting louder. If it got weaker, I pointed it near the direction with my hand reached out, like a compass. I had walked about 3 miles or so when I had found the thing. But I wish I hadn't.

It must have been the monster that made the sound of this radio, sure enough. This…thing! What the hell was it? I could only look on in fear at the massive stature of this creature! It only looked vaguely human, but vaguely only. I had limbs, a body, and a head, but it was a creature for certain! Its legs and arms were the color of shit and blood, with clawed fingers instead of hands. Its abdomen was thick and fat, with a round belly that looked like something was about to burst from it. It was colored yellow and bloody, with what seemed like leather or scales over it. The head was like a cross between human and lizard. But it had no mouth. The snout was elongated, along with the jaw, and its eyes were black and beady, with a bald head of leathery, thin skin. It smelled just like its arms, like shit and blood, foul smelling and daze inducing.

And it was inching towards me like an awkwardly waddling penguin.

I had to think quickly! I instantly knew what I could do! I pulled out my knife and shoved it the things neck, slicing the skin open. It seemed like a smart idea at the time, but I guess that only aggravated the damn thing! I shoved it into the side of its neck, but it got stuck there as it cried in pain. What the fuck was it doing!? As it cried ear-splittingly, its chest began splitting, leaking some kind of fluid or liquid of some sort. It then spurted onto the side of my shirt, and burned down to my skin like a million wasps and hornets having a stinging frenzy on my side. It was acid!

I gripped onto my side, trying to hold the pain down, but that was just stupid! I only burned my hands as well! My side began turning red with blood, melting my skin away, as were my hands. The thing was waddling towards me, it's dark, lifeless black eyes now fixed on mine with a look I couldn't describe.

I ran; I ran like hell into the closest hiding area I could find! I didn't care about anything else; I left the knife behind, the radio too. I was so terrified, I didn't know what to do or where to hide! Behind the foliage? In a cave? I didn't even pay attention to what was in front of me, even though I couldn't really do that to begin with. But I could see shadows in the fog.

There were more of those things. How many were there!? Hundreds? Thousands? Billions?! I wanted to wake up now! I was so terrified, nothing made sense anymore! I tried calling out names. My uncle, my girlfriend, her dad, anybody who I knew as a friend or alliance! I didn't want to be alone. I was so terrified. My wound was bleeding more heavily now. I tried holding back sobs of fear and despair.

I finally found what I was looking for. There was a cave in the distance of where I stood, just 3 yards in front of me. The fog seemed to either be coming from it or just passing it. Either way, it's better than being burned alive by monsters.

I ran in weakly, having lost so much blood on the way. Please God, don't let them follow the scent or the tracks! I tried making a tourniquet out of my undershirt, but I couldn't. My hands were now reduced to nothing but blood and sinew. I wanted to cry so badly. But I wouldn't. I'm gonna live through this. I'll survive and live to tell this story of whatever the hell these things were. Plus, if I cried, my old man would've been ashamed of me. "I'm still strong, dad", I thought to myself.

I was not alone. I heard a low growling coming from further inside the cave. A flashlight would've been really useful by now.

"Hello?" I called out with fear in my voice. I tried sounding tough, but it didn't work. Hey, you'd be scared shitless if you were spit on by acid from a monster, wouldn't you? "Hey!" I yelled, hearing only my echo. Was there really something here? Before I could say anymore, I was attacked and mauled by something. My wound was sliced open, my face being torn apart. Then I was eaten slowly, my carcass decaying with each bite the thing took out of me.