Hello everyone how has everything been going it's been a little bit but I'm back and ready to post the next part of the story. When we last off Charlie and his friends narrowly escaped a confrontation against Carface and his gang but not unscathed they lost their home and Charlie underwent a terrifying transformation just what does this transformation mean and how will our beloved characters handle it read on to find out. A fair warning from this point on the story gets a lot darker and far more intense.
: Chapter 9:
The road to Hell
A dark smoke emitted from the air there was the smell of flesh burning and bone melting; you could hear horrific screams of agony all around the area. There was spikes surrounding the entire area and a massive pool of boiling blood within the pool there was a single being screaming his screams becoming whimpers as his nerves burned away. Charlie was sitting waste deep in a pool of boiling blood his legs being slowly melted. He could feel his muscles melting into the raw marrow of his bones even his bones were boiled the heat already starting to boil his insides. Charlie's arms were bound a spike going completely through his paws it curved downwards and stabbed into his arm running all the way through his joint and linking with his shoulder. Charlie was held a near crucifix position while other spikes were driven into his ribs a sharp bladed hook was rammed into the bones hooked to them forcibly lifting them up and pulling them outwards.
Charlie was in so much agony he couldn't even find the strength to scream instead he gagged painfully thrashing his body around which further pulled on his bones. Charlie could feel most of his blood corroding his throat but couldn't puke any of it up. A shadowy monstrous demon approached Charlie grabbing the spikes in his arms and slowly pulled them out. Charlie let out an agonized cry as the spikes removed his shoulders and severed his joints they then yanked one out causing Charlie to scream in agony again as the spikes ripped away his muscles flesh and tore apart his bones, or at least it would've if Charlie had any blood, flesh muscle and tissue there was actually nothing beneath his skin at all but it still felt like there was and Charlie screamed as he watched the skin be ripped from his arms and his bones torn asunder. Charlie fell towards the boiling blood but the spikes in his ribs stopped him yanking them outwards again.
Charlie looked up and saw the monstrous Hellhound looking down on him a dark and cruel smile on its face as it watched Charlie's suffering. Charlie tried to pull his legs from the boiling blood but when he did he was horrified to see they were almost gone. The horrific shadow demon grabbed Charlie and yanked him out revealing that his legs had been melted leaving behind only a gooey mess it then let Charlie hang from the spikes which continued pulling his ribs one of them cracked another was pulled out of a place another the spikes full on crushed. Charlie let out horrific gags as his body was brutalized by this unknown monster. He looked up at the Hellhound who reached its hand towards him.
"Do you want it to end?" The Hellhound asked him.
"Please no more make it stop" Charlie begged.
The shadow demon grabbed Charlie and pulled him forward before throwing him across the boiling blood the force removed him from the spikes which were still hooked into his ribs pulling them outward and ripping them free. Charlie let out an agonized near inhuman scream as his ribs were torn right out, the pain was so overwhelming he felt them tear through his skin, felt as they tore and twisted snapping off his entire skeleton. Charlie lied on the ground twitching and shaking on the floor a massive empty hole where his ribs used to be. The Hellhound unleashed an inferno at him which lit his body ablaze causing Charlie to somewhat thrash but he was having trouble managing to. The ground came to life a bunch of sharp bones with jagged thorns wrapping around him. Charlie felt the thorns slowly stabbing into him they then lifted him into the air shredding through the skin on his body. The Hellhound laughed in his face and unleashed a massive inferno that incinerated his entire body. Charlie screamed in horrific agony as he felt his skin burn and could even smell it as his bones were incinerated Charlie let out one final cry as his body was incinerated.
"This is but one end" The Hellhound told him.
Charlie opened his eyes and saw the monstrous demon staring down at him but he still couldn't see what it was. The bones and thorns were wrapped around him and the ground was slowly starting to swallow him whole. He felt the teeth on the ground bit into him ripping through his joints and severing his limbs even as the thorns filled his body with acid that slowly ate through what would be his muscle and organs. The thorns tightened around him slowly crushing his bones which he felt slowly snapping. Charlie couldn't scream due to the pressure and acid eating through his lungs which caused an agonizing burning feeling to consume him within while a pressure crushed down on him.
"Ple as e" Charlie choked out but it wasn't his voice but he did recognize it no it couldn't be.
Sure enough Charlie saw a pool appear in front of him reflecting Carface what did this mean why was he Carface and if he were Carface where was he right now? The shadow demon stood over him and grabbed his face lifting him slowly towards him.
"Please no, please make it stop, please!" Carface begged it wasn't even Charlie anymore all he could do right now was see through Carface's eyes.
Charlie watched as the demon pulled Carface in close and his blood froze. It was a monstrous German Sheppard his fur a dark brown with jagged spikes coming out of his elbow and running into his spine his ribs wrapped around him like some sick armor and he had sharp teeth and horns that ripped right through his head to Charlie's disgust they ran down through his skull down his neck attached to his spine and connected to his ribs, his eyes were blood red. It was a truly horrific monstrosity but worst of all Charlie knew the truth that was him. Charlie stared at the monster that used to be him in complete terror it held Carface in its grip and laughed cruelly at him.
"Please make it end" Carface whimpered.
"It will never end, how's that sound partner?" Charlie asked him before he well Charlie did not even want to remember that he saw this, Charlie watched as his demon self literally opened it's jaws and sank it's teeth into Carface's skull it then threw him down and jumped on him using it's claws to slice him open the demonic Charlie then let out an evil cackle before it brutally tore Carface to shreds and ate him alive. It then turned and looked directly at Charlie who was no longer in Carface. The demon then grabbed Charlie and roared at him before laughing and cackling as it dragged him kicking and screaming into the boiling blood the last thing he saw was its monstrous face laughing as the darkness claimed him.
Charlie shot awake screaming frantically and thrashing his body around as he felt someone trying to hold him in place and keep him calm no they wouldn't take him again, he wouldn't let them do it again let go of him!
"Get off of me, let me go you won't do it again not again, please no!" Charlie screamed in terror.
"Charlie, Charlie its okay it's me, it's Flo!" Flo said frantically.
Charlie let himself calm and took in his surroundings he was in Flo's church right now and Flo was currently sitting beside him apparently dealing with his wounds, and just like before it kind of burned to be in here.
"Flo what's going on?" Charlie asked her.
"I'll ask you that question in time Charlie you have a lot of explaining to do" Flo stated.
Charlie turned and saw Itchy watching over him as well he seemed very concerned right now.
"Charlie what the heck was that you were screaming for the last several minutes and we couldn't wake you up no matter how hard we tried." Itchy said not even bother to hide his fear.
Charlie tried to remember just what happened recently before he blacked out he took a moment but then remembered he attacked Carface and his gang after they threatened his friends, it was rather satisfying actually he felt good very very good which considering what he did to them was a very scary thought. Charlie looked around trying to find a trace of Anna Marie but he couldn't see her.
"Where's Anna Marie?" Charlie asked.
"Fine, we didn't want her to be here to see you freaking out like this" Itchy answered.
"Flo what do you mean I have a lot to explain Itchy what did you tell her?" Charlie asked.
"What I had to after what you did Charlie I had to tell Flo I probably should've done it sooner." Itchy rationalized.
"You hate what she believes why would you come to her?" Charlie asked.
"I didn't have a choice you're right I hate this and I hate this scenario even more considering I know what it means but I had to do something even if I despised the mirror idea of it" Itchy explained.
Flo could tell Itchy and Charlie could probably continue debating about this but she didn't have time for that she needed to know what was going on and she needed to know now, she had an idea unfortunately and she didn't like it at all but she needed confirmation hopefully confirmation that she was mistaken which wasn't very likely.
"Enough, you should've come to me earlier, Charlie you turned into a remorseless killer in that junkyard Itchy told me, you've been having horrific nightmares no more games no more stalling. Charlie tell me what happened when Carface tried to kill you?" Flo demanded.
Charlie could see it Flo was dead serious about this she seemed more serious than Charlie had ever seen her before which meant this was very bad news it took a lot to shake Flo and even more to make her actually demand something, this was very bad.
"When Carface hit me with a car I found myself in this place called the hall of judgment I met a whippet a pink one called Annabelle who told me I needed to go to heaven she showed me the watches that represented our life so I stole mine and turned it back to send me back here" Charlie answered.
Flo had a look of pure horror on her face when she heard that, he turned it back he rejected his place in heaven, Charlie you fool you blind stupid fool.
"Charlie, what have you done?" Flo said trembling.
"What have I done Flo what does this mean?" Charlie asked her.
"You should've listened to Annabelle Charlie you fool, you fool" Flo stated in a fearful whisper.
"How do you know Annabelle?" Charlie asked her.
Flo moved towards a hidden drawer and opened it pulling out a small book and showing it to Charlie she opened it and looked for the section that matched what she heard it took a bit but she found it before turning to Charlie.
"I learned about Annabelle from this book long ago she's one of the original angels and a central figure in heaven, Charlie show me your watch" Flo demanded.
Charlie reached up and grabbed his watch presenting it to Flo who looked at it and then sighed nodding her head sadly.
"Charlie you have no idea what this means do you know what is happening to you!?" Flo shouted.
Charlie had an idea and there was little point in denying it though it wasn't one he liked to admit but it didn't mean he wasn't aware and considering Flo's reaction he was likely right, which did not make him feel good in fact it almost made him want to whimper.
"Flo what do you mean what's happening to Charlie why did he just snap back there like that, these nightmares why is this happening to him?" Itchy asked dreading the answer.
"Charlie you gave up your place and you gave yourself to them, your soul is tainted and it's slowly being corrupted, twisting, changing" Flo said in sadness.
"Into what?" Itchy asked though he knew the answer it was obvious.
"You feel like you're burning in here don't you" Flo asked him.
"You're turning into a demon Charlie you never came back not truly" Flo stated in a pained whisper.
Charlie knew this truth yet hearing it was a completely different manner he couldn't believe it, Flo saying it meant it was true and he just couldn't believe it he already knew deep down but hearing the reality of it was too much it wasn't true.
"No that's absurd Flo there's no way that's true none where's your proof!?" Charlie demanded.
Itchy had to admit he almost agreed with Charlie but couldn't say it because he knew Flo was about to show Charlie proof, proof Itchy didn't want to see. He didn't want to know any of this he never wanted to know any of this and yet now here he was seeing as the thing he hated the most was proven true.
"Charlie look at yourself look at your wounds look beneath them, you aren't bleeding Charlie and there's nothing underneath them, no muscle, tissue anything just bone and it's already changing" Flo explained a look of fear on her face.
"No I feel fine right now and that was just a burst of anger I'm not bleeding because I came back my watch makes me immortal, that's it!" Charlie said in denial.
"No Charlie you're not alive, there's nothing there your soul came back and invested your corpse; Charlie you're literally a walking a corpse that your soul is twisting." Flo said disgusted.
"A corpse what do you mean Flo?" Itchy said equally disgusted.
"That's what demons are, they're walking corpses that corrupted souls keep functioning" Flo answered.
"Charlie's still dead that's why Carface can't kill him he's dead, a twisted puppet his soul is keeping from falling apart." Itchy said appalled.
This was beyond sickening Itchy heard numerous versions of hell but this was just disgusting. They were walking corpses that didn't bleed or have any muscle and tissue they're souls rotted and decayed everything they touched, they abandoned any sense of morality and reveled in sadism. This was wrong, horrific, disgusting those terms didn't fit this was just wrong wrong on every life, the mere idea of it made his skin crawl.
"No I can fight it I can escape it I've been back for months and remained in complete control of myself I can fight this I can beat it!" Charlie tried to rationalize.
"No one can beat it Charlie I have tried for years to keep you from this fate and you never listened now it's too late" Flo said in regret.
"You could've tried harder, you could've shown me this book you could've made certain I didn't do anything stupid, you could've helped me Flo, why didn't you!?" Charlie demanded.
Flo felt a thing of anger fill her was Charlie seriously blaming this on her she didn't make him choose to steal his watch or even continue his partnership with Carface if anything she tried to convince him to leave that life behind and he didn't listen. He would dare blame this on her just like he blamed her for how their relationship ended but neither were Flo's fault.
"Me, Are you seriously suggesting this somehow falls on me? No Charlie you can't blame me for this what could've I done that you would've actually listened to?" Flo demanded her voice trembling.
"You left me, if we were still together I wouldn't have ended up in the pound and Carface wouldn't have tried to kill me, I'm condemned because you wouldn't stand beside me just because I wouldn't believe what you did!" Charlie retorted.
Flo felt her anger rising he did not just say that Flo never tried to force her faith on him, never. All she ever did was try to help him make the right choice that was all she did nothing more she wanted to help him it was why she was here to help others. She did not leave him because he didn't believe she still couldn't believe Charlie didn't know why she left him.
"Don't you dare go there Charlie, Did I ask you to come to Church with me, to pray with me, to do anything like that." Flo said her voice was like ice and in truth pretty scary.
"You still don't know do you why I actually decided to leave you for years I tried to make it work, I could accept that you believed something else that was your right but then what did you do you kept trying to pull me away. How many times did you ask me to skip a day of church, how many times did you try to convince me to ignore my duty here and when I said no you kept trying, telling me I wasn't living my life to it's fullest. You wouldn't accept my beliefs Charlie not the other around and don't you dare say that to me ever again." Flo stated she didn't raise her voice at all but her anger was obvious.
Charlie was surprised he had never seen Flo that angry before he really did anger her but could she really blame him after what he just heard he was desperate to think of an alternative some way he could've prevented this and maybe losing Flo was what led him here. Maybe he did try to pull her away but she could've said something instead of just quitting, he needed her and she left.
"I needed you, I needed you Flo" Charlie told her sadly.
"Then you should've appreciated me when you had me" Flo retorted sadly.
Charlie turned away from Flo and saw Itchy staring at him Charlie ignored him and walked past him slowly.
"Charlie you can't just give up, there's a way to beat this we always do" Itchy told him softly.
"No, It's too late Itchy I'm damned" Charlie told him before turning away Itchy watched as Charlie walked away tears appearing in his eyes.
Charlie walked into a restroom in the church feeling as the mere holy presence burned him it was so painful he just wanted it to end but it couldn't end he knew that much was true. Charlie stared at himself in the mirror feeling truly hopeless there was no chance it was over he couldn't keep living otherwise he would become a monster of hell and probably hurt those he cares about but if he destroyed his watch which represented his life then he would be condemned to hell and suffer for eternity, it made no difference either way he was damned. Charlie considered his options staring at his watch and opened it. He then placed it down and prepared to smash it; this was for the best it was preferable to hurting any of them he made this choice only he should suffer for it. Charlie prepared to smash the watch but his paw hesitated he tried again only to realize he couldn't bring himself to do it because he wasn't a selfless person.
Charlie turned back towards the mirror and could almost see his demonic self staring at him he looked down throwing some water on his face hoping it would cool him off it didn't. Charlie looked back up and was shocked to see the Hellhound staring at him through the mirror; he immediately began backing away in fear from it.
"Calm yourself Charlie, I have not come to torment you nor is that my desire despite how it may seem" The Hellhound told him.
"You've done nothing but torment me every time I dream" Charlie stated.
"Those aren't dreams Charlie every time you sleep I am dragging your soul into hell" The Hellhound replied.
Charlie wasn't too surprised to hear that recently he couldn't be woken from his nightmares until a certain point likely whenever The Hellhound decided he was done.
"Why are you tormenting me if you do not wish to what is the purpose of what I've seen?" Charlie asked trembling.
"To prepare you, you believe that suffering is your only choice but there is another you have seen it you see it stare out at you because it is you" The Hellhound answered.
"What do you mean why would I ever want to be that monster after what it did, what I saw it do?" Charlie said disgusted.
The Hellhound turned to Charlie and grabbed him yanking him into the mirror and dragging him back into the inferno of hell. Charlie was immediately trying to fight against it but the Hellhound seemed rather gentle this time almost comforting it held Charlie in its hands and let him gaze out at hell.
"What do you see?" The Hellhound asked him.
"Pain and suffering" Charlie said in a whisper.
"Whose?" The Hellhound asked again.
Charlie didn't understand why was The Hellhound asking him this what was the purpose behind this change in demeanor it almost seemed compassionate now but he knew it wasn't after everything it did to him why was it changing now and what did it want him to see?
"Charlie this is a place for the wicked for those who are cruel and take delight in hurting others; they are merely getting what they deserve what they escaped from in life" The Hellhound told him.
"What did they escape?" Charlie asked.
"Justice" The Hellhound answered.
Charlie was kind of confused what did it mean by that was it saying that this place was actually one of justice for those who needlessly suffered in life, giving them the justice the world didn't if so what did Charlie do to deserve what happened to him?
"What justice did I deserve?" Charlie questioned.
"Do not lie you have hurt a great many Charlie and you are planning to hurt that little girl, you are a dark soul and are deserving of justice however I believe for all you have done it's not enough to be a damned soul here, your life was taken from you cruelly and unjustly and you just sought to reclaim it and heaven rejects you for that" The Hellhound told him with pity.
"What do you want from me?" Charlie asked trying to understand what was happening; The Hellhound seemed completely different almost like another victim of hell rather than a tormentor.
"I seek to grant you the retribution you were denied and to offer a chance to escape your undeserving punishment." The Hellhound answered.
"How?" Charlie asked becoming intrigued in just where this was going.
"A choice, you are condemned here Charlie nothing can change that but you don't have to suffer I can see it you believe in justice as much as I do that those who do wrong should be punished and if the mortal world won't do it then it falls to us to make certain that those they hurt find proper retribution for their pain." The Hellhound explained.
"If you accept your corruption you will become a demon when you die rather than a tormented soul and once a demon Charlie you will be able to give those poor souls this world ignores the retribution no one else will the knowledge that somewhere their pain wasn't in vain." The Hellhound stated.
Charlie had to admit it was a pretty good offer he could escape his nightmares and never have to feel them again all the while he could punish those sick souls who hurt the innocent. What a different idea of Hell this was maybe turning back his watch was the proper choice; in heaven he would just be bored and doing nothing while in hell he had a purpose. Hell was a place where no one walked free where no one could hit someone with a car and then walk away, where no one could keep a girl captive and get away with it. They may walk free there but thanks to Hell they couldn't escape justice forever. Heaven did nothing they sat back and let these things happen it was only Hell that punished those who hurt the innocent, yes Charlie was damned but at least he could make a difference.
"I want those who hurt others, who prey upon the weak and take pleasure in their suffering, I want to see them get what they deserve, I seek justice" Charlie told The Hellhound.
"We all do and that is why we exist Charlie to deliver it abandon the morals you have and embrace what are you becoming and those who hurt that poor little girl will see true justice and her pain will be avenged" The Hellhound said.
Charlie nodded showing that he understood and with that The Hellhound returned him to the bathroom and disappeared. Charlie stared at his reflection and saw the monster but instead what he saw was a punisher, an avenging angel for those who suffer needlessly and there was one dog who needed to face true justice and Charlie vowed he would, Anna Marie's pain would be avenged. Charlie walked out of the bathroom and exited the church paying no heed to anyone there he had somewhere else he needed to be it was time to begin what would be his first retribution. Charlie let out a smile he wasn't the bad guy he was the one who ensured the wicked got what they deserve, he was with the side of angels; Charlie truly believed this and it was this very belief that only led him further to damnation.