Chapter 7:

My eyes were blurry and fuzzy as I opened them, trying to remember where I was. I shifted my weight and felt the familiar silk sheets beneath me, someone must have moved me back to my room. Blinking a few times, my eyes adjusted to the low lighting. I tried to move to sit up when my head spun so violently I lay back down. I groaned from the dull head ache that was beginning to grow in size. The previous day's events came back in a flash, remembering how I'd been crying and yelling at Hades at how he'd used me, then throwing up in the throne room.

'I must've passed out afterwards,' I thought to myself as I stared up blankly at the ceiling. Moving slowly across the tiled floor, I walked over to the window that was attached to my room. It showed out to the River of Styx, flowing gently around in the same patterns it always did, and always would for eternity. Glancing out a little farther, I saw Hades getting off at the sorting area, Charon beginning to make his way back to the dock in front of the palace gates. I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully. Charon had told me, if I needed anything, I could ask him. I needed a way out of here.

'I'm going to have to move quickly,' I thought as I rushed over to the wardrobe and found pant-like clothes, pulled out a shorter tunic and tied it off with a belt. There were many creatures I knew I had yet to encounter in the Underworld, and I knew I was going to need something to fight them off. Scanning the room, I saw some smaller objects, nothing really helpful, until I noticed a medium sized sword carefully hidden into the decoration of the room. I briskly walked over to it, testing the blade to see if it would slice. It would.

Smiling I attached the leather sheath around my waist and headed out of my room as fast as I could before someone could catch me, like the maid, and alert Hades I was trying to leave.

Passing through the halls I made a wrong turn and came face to face with Hades' beloved Cerebus, who was eyeing me as the most delicious meal in the world.

"Shit, shit, shit," I muttered as I began running blindly down any hall I could see to lose the dog that was nipping at my heels. I veered sharply around a right corner and jumped into a closet that was right around it, relaxing only when I saw the dog go roaring past and down another hall.

I exhaled, and got up again, running back up the many turns I'd gone down, avoiding as many of the ghosts as I possibly could. A few saw me, but said nothing and continued on with their assigned chores. I was thankful none of them decided to take any particular interest in me and continued my way out of the entrance and down the rocky path.

'I can make this,' I though triumphantly as Charon's boat came into view. I slid down the rocks, hitting a rock to slow down rather painfully, but kept going all the same.

"Charon!" I called out as I neared him, he stood at attention, a weird skeletal grin on his face as he saw me.

"Miss Aislinn, what can I do for you?" he asked his eyes questioning me as he surveyed my clothing my choice.

I tightened my eyes and felt courage filling through me, I was going to do this.

"I need out of the Underworld, please, I know you know of what for me to get out. I can't stay here anymore. Hades is nothing more than any other person said before in history. Selfish, hateful, vengeful, and only thinking of his own gain," I sighed slightly, "I was wrong, I don't think Hades is a lonely person anymore…he's happy with his own depressing moods."

Charon listened as I continued to rant, offering me an acknowledgement every once in a while to show he was really paying attention. His eyes saddening as he heard me talk.

"Aislinn, I really would help you if I could. But should I even try and touch that boat, Hades'll know where I am instantly, and if he hasn't summoned me, it'll be beyond questionable," Charon said sadly, "He can track me very easily."

Sadness filled me as I heard him say this, but when I looked up I saw the staff laying in Charon's boat and did the next best thing I could think of. If Charon couldn't take me across, I'd get there myself. I jumped up and pushed the boat off with one hard shove and hopped in as it took off into the River of Styx.

"Aislinn! Wait! Comeback! You don't know how dangerous it is to be out there and not know where you're going!" Charon yelled to me, waving his arms in a panic. I ignored his pleas and taking hold of the staff began pushing the boat in the opposite direction of the sorting room, down a separate tunnel entirely. The boat wasn't difficult to steer, and I caught on pretty quickly on how it worked.

"Now to get out of here," I said to myself, pushing deeper into the tunnels.

The current was pulling gently, easy to steer and relax in. It was a struggle to remember that there were dead souls floating by. I'd been pushing the boat for hours, and unfortunately had forgotten to eat anything, or bring anything to eat before leaving.

I sat down in the boat to rest for a while. Watching as the water flowed by. I thought about Seth and wondered how in the hell I was going to be able to explain this all to him. Where I'd been, how I'd survived. Boy, what that going to be one for the record books. Sighing, I didn't notice a soul had already begun to climb into the boat until it grabbed hold of my foot and began pulling me back towards the water with him

"Eerrgh!" I struggled against him, reaching around for the sword I'd brought with me. I caught hold of the solid hilt and gave a hard swing into the arm of the soul that was holding onto me. It screamed in agony and slid back into the water. Souls couldn't touch the sword I had? That was going to be useful.

A few more souls tried again, and each was met with a violent strike of the sword and sent back screeching into the River of Styx. I smiled triumphantly as I sent another fleeing back to the acidic waters.

There was a split ahead of me, and there was a stronger current towards the left one, but no matter how hard I tried to paddle away from it the River continued pulling the boat down into the raging tunnel. I felt panic well up inside of my chest and noticed there were souls under the boat pushing the boat towards the faster current as well.

"Shit," I muttered and braced myself against the seat of the boat, pulling the staff in with me as we tipped down into the tunnel, "Well, no need to try and make friends with the dead I guess," I added sarcastically.

The water started a little quickly then continued gaining speed until I felt like I was inside of a roller coaster it was so violent. The boat was shoved up the side of the walls, and even spun around in a few circles.

My knuckles were turning white I was grasping the wood so hard, thankfully, none of the deadly water landed on me, or in the boat for that matter. Looking ahead, I began seeing a light up ahead and breathed a sigh of relief that I was nearing the end of this nightmare. But as I squinted and grew closer, the tunnel was glowing a sickening green.

The tunnel curved and I could see there was a massive drop off ahead, leading to the green cave. My heart was racing as I began looking around the boat for anything I could use to get out of here. The boat spun around again, sending me backwards closer and closer to the edge, the water echoing loudly in my ears as I saw my escape. Right on the outside of the hole was a tree root, I didn't have time to see if it was stable. The boat was beginning to spill over the side as I stood up, pushed off with my legs and jumped, reaching for the root. I caught the rough bark in my hand, and watched as the boat took a nasty plunge into the murky green water. My breath shuddered as I saw the dead souls clambering on top of it, screeching and roaring as they pulled it towards the bottom. Their eyes turned to me then, black hollow sockets aimed at me, with nothing more than my death on their minds. I struggled as my arms were beginning to shake from holding myself up, there was an incessant burning from where the glass had cut my arm, and began swinging my legs up onto the root, locking them around it tightly so I wouldn't fall, yet. Panting I searched frantically for a way to escape, there had to be something nearby. But no matter where I looked, the only thing in the cave was the green hole at the bottom. My hands stung as I held myself up, straining and aching from all the stress I'd had to go through in the past few days. Quivering I held myself tighter, praying for a miracle.

The root cracked, my eyes flew open and watched in slow motion as the root fell from the side of the cave, my legs and arms letting go from it.

Falling through the air, it felt as peaceful as swimming, no restrictions.

My limbs felt like syrup had grabbed them as I moved, looking down at the water coming towards me.

They were howling, the souls were howling for me to hit the water, all of them cheering. My hand moved slowly in front of me, trying to reach out for them.

Inches from the surface, I thought of Hades.

My heart stopped.

I wanted Hades to save me.