Chapter 43

Dark rose smiled at me and handed me a folded up piece of paper. "That's the note for my sister," he said so I tucked it into my pocket.

"Now how do I get back?" I asked, Dark Rose standing.

"At midnight you will jump into the spot where Styx and Phlegethon cross. It is connected to the portal," he said not sounding hurt for once.

"Great what is it now?" I asked, trying to be cheerful.

"11:30 p.m.," he stated making me frown. Yep my sleeping schedule was definitely messed up from no sun for weeks and lots of cat naps.

"I will show you," he said, quickly leaving, jogging to keep up. It wasn't a long walk but it felt like it, staying beside the river of fire. The tortured shades of souls wandering the banks, not even knowing where or why they were here. We walked until we reached another river that crossed threw Phlegethon, hundreds of souls wandering the banks of it.

The water was a deep orange, tortured faces scarred and twisted in agony rising and falling back into the water, if it really was water. Baby dolls, diplomas, photographs and many other things polluted the waters, but after it crossed threw Phlegethon it was clear of all debris. I got closer to where they crossed. It wasn't harsh but gentle, not destroying but loving, as if the two rivers actually loved each other. Yet somehow they still separated from the other water to follow their own paths, instead of stayed merged together.

I leaned just a bit closer trying to see if the debris got burnt up or removed when I was pushed harshly from behind. I screamed sure I was going to be charred and burned to ash but when I hit the water I wasn't burning. I stopped screaming when I realized I wasn't in the water. I patted the ground, it was wood. I opened my eyes as the putrid smell of old blood filled my nose, getting to my knees quickly.