Hellraiser: Hell's Pawns

By: Izzy

Author's Note: Hey guys! It's me! I'm officially back aagin with a brand new computer that I so love truly to write my first ever serious Joey/Elliot (Jelly- a term I made up) fic. Trying to get used to a more flat buttoned keyboard is quite difficult so forgive me if there are more grammar mistakes than what I usually make. Though I assure you, I know proper English! ;)

By the way, for now this is a T. But later on it will become an M for sexual scenes.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Hellraiser. All rights, and it's characters belong to Clive Barker. I only own my OC's and this story.

Full Summary: AU. One year after the events of Hell on Earth, Joey finds herself plagued with mysterious dreams of a familiar face and events to come- Hell itself unleashed once again, but in a far greater matter of horror. But the supposed key to this is a innocent, broken-hearted young woman named Shana Harley. Is all truly what it seems? The risks are far worse than before, especially when it lands Joey in a place she'd least expected- dead and in the Limbo.

PROLOGUE

Alone in the endless, brisky, chilly street night of the further regions of a wildly rowdy city, walked a single figure with eyes leering about in the mix of emotions from worry of having gone off too far, and the seemingly permanent bitter stare within this set of eyes from scars of past events.

She was beautiful. Hard to believe that most of the folks who scurried about here were filthy street rats or those ungrateful for what the world had to offer, yet here walking alone was a lovely woman. Mocha brown skin, inticing hazel eyes, a slim yet hourglass figure for hungry eyes to feast on, and smooth black shoulder length hair.

An interesting quality of appearance from her that stood alone most likely had to be the simply fact of the one long bang that would occasionaly cover her right eye, was dyed a streak of a rather bright red color- similar almost to blood sometimes. An eye-catching color worthy of attention let alone her beauty.

Ah, but the saying goes to never judge a book by it's cover.

Or, simply that appearances can be deceiving sometimes.

Not that she was cruel. She wasn't initialy sinned or damned, and certainly no fool from the street smarts and advice she carried well. But the poor being had been tossed about carelessly from the world, broken and scarred from the one too many loss of the one and only she truly, deeply loved.

Sighing deeply, she closed her eyes and remembered the flowing memories that felt as long ago to grasp from.

"Do you promise we'll be together?" she whispered to him softly, as he engulfed her to his side, arms wrapping around her so tightly as if to never want to let go.

For the longest time they simply stared at the sunset from the angle in the bike garage before he spoke an answer, feeling as he had previously been rummaging through his pockets, gently moving her hand a bit as though slipping something on her ring finger.

A ring, in fact- as she had looked down when he gestured her to do so. Unsure of how to react with her heart racing over the fact this was truly an engagement ring, as he chuckled, breath blowing against her hair lightly as he murmured in her ear.

"Together forever."

Feeling eyes water and well up yet again, she quickly rubbed them away wth her leather jacket sleeve, exhaling hastily and tiredly as her teary eyes noticed about a dimly light, unfamiliar shop.

Rather in her mind to recall, there hadn't been something like one of those before. Hell, that place hadn't been there before, strangely. Though she rolled her eyes, tempted to chuckle at her foolish mind. Such supernatural ideas were of the phenomena, with always being a possibly explanation. Perhaps she had simply missed it before on her ay earlier in the afternoon, or perhaps the place had been modelled up as a store and was formerly an old apartment. Or maybe-

As if a deer with amazing senses, there had apparently been a man inside, gazing at her intently through the window with eyes widened. He seemed to clumsily exit the table he had been perched at, hands slowly letting go of whatever he seemed to possess so protectively as he officially leaned towards the window.

He hadn't said nothing, but she could feel a sudden chill in the air that made her spine shudder. Something wasn't right about this place, or this man for that matter, she could tell as though the wind were screaming in warning to run away.

Temptation is a bitch. It persisted her, waving in her mind over the fact to have better known than not ever. But what if this was something she didn't want to know or believe?

Please, there had been plenty of things she never wanted to believe in. But the world made certain to throw right in her face for the cold hard truth, to repeat it over and over.

So...what could possibly go wrong with this?

Oh, the poor child should never have made such thoughts. Perhaps by then her fate would've never be sealed in such a way. Perhaps none of the soon to come would've never come. The possibilities of 'what if' are endless.

But this was now the current present moment of the truth.

Temptation in Shana Harley's mind came through in a final blow of a mysterious, rather random blowing, icy breeze. Something said to occur in the typical slasher films before a thunderstorm follows.

Out of curiosity, Shana looked up to the dark mix of indigo and midnight black sky, twinkling with countless stars but no appearance of a moon, and found there were no clouds to be found either.

Blinking, the wind that blew once again gave an unsettling, chilling hallucenation of- what truly sounded like a whisper. An all too familiar whisper unfortunately...

Shana..

Shana..

Shana..

It was just nearly the same. Impossibly the same as his. His voice, only sounding a tad ghostly instead of a heartfelt murmur. When he would murmur her name repeatedly in his sleep after they made love, how she pretended to be asleep so she could hear him call her name just to make her heart flutter in childish joy.

And at that, Shana herself found herself within gaze as a creaky door in deseprate need of some oiling swung open politely for her to be invited inside of this dirty pawn sop, slowly approching towards the table in which the man had quickly placed himself back on the table.

Hands possessively guarding that puzzle box as though it meant for his life, making Shana willingly arch a brow in between the blurs to it all. He, this crusty, dirtied man, reminded her similarly of a guard dog in strong protection of whatever it's Master told it to guard. And in this case, it was apparently this puzzle box.

And oh, what charm it had on her as an unknown light shined on it's tainted but still glowing golden-bronze paint, the ancient, mysterious pattern marks covered about.

Her mind was to preocupied with those whispers of the wind as he hoarsely but somewhat kindly asked.

"What is your pleasure madam?"

Blinking her hazel eyes and licking her lips softly, Shana heaved a quick breath before glancing to the man, slowly drawing out her wallet and what had to be about fifty to seventy dollars or so, as if possessed before answering.

"T- The puzzle box." she repied softly and in gaze. He seemed to chuckle lightly, grasping ahold of the money without even truly counting it, as he slid the puzzle box to her.

"Take pleasure in it. It was yours, it was always yours."

Some had mumbled about this man being crazy, some had laughed in what they found to be a humorous comment when it was not, some had even continually questioned the man to repeat what he had spoken or what he had met.

But she, oh how she was quite something unique in her reaction.

"I know."

It wasn't truly herself speaking such words, trapped in this possessed gaze and fingers playfully rubbing about the puzzle box in a manner that wasn't solving it though. The man paused, curiously eyeing the woman as she blinked her eyes yet again, seemingly have returned to normal from her possessed gaze.

"I..I'll just be going now." Shana hastily said but managed to politely grin, rushing to exit from the shop with the puzzle box kept well in the pocket of her leather jacket and otherwise still grasped within her hand.

The Guardian Keeper resisted the urge of smiling, knowing and having sensed earlier she was not one of them. Not the normal humans he had encountered in restless search for pleasure or the Box alone.

Oh no, he knew to himself that it was finally time. That she was officially to say an exception of something in special store for her.

She was already far away from the shop, quickly rushing about to reach her apartment at such a destination far from here, as he chuckled loudly. Allowing himself to smile he nodded.

"Oh yes, something very special for you child..."

Hm...very mysterious, isn't it? I bet you I left with a lot of question as well I hope. Shana Harley is indeed an OC who will play a major role, and I promise you Joey will come in the next chapter. But who do you suppose Shana's lover is/was? What makes her so special for the Lament Box and why would the Guardian Keeper even know? Find out!