Chapter Sixteen: Race
"Here's the wall," Victoria said. The wall in question was the boundary between Heaven, where the righteous lived
their deaths in peace and comfort, and Hell, where the wicked were in eternal torment.
"And how are we going to pass through it?" William, her husband asked, "Only Death Angels can pass through."
"Unless, you are already one, Victoria," Rezo added.
"The truth comes out at last," Victoria shut her eyes.
"I was just kidding, Victoria, I never thought..."
"YOU'RE A DEATH ANGEL?!" William and Hannah yelled in unison.
"I was. Not anymore. But I still have some of my powers and I can get us through the wall," Victoria placed one hand
against the wall, which rippled like gray water, "Take my hand, Rezo, and William, take his hand and Hannah, take
William's hand." They did as she requested and she pushed the rippled wall, "I'm sorry, but this will sting."
They passed through with no problems and Hannah was about to complain about the unnecessary precaution when her
heart exploded.
To be more precise, her heart was stabbed by an invisible knife and the blood rushed everywhere. The worst
thing is since she was already dead, she had an endless supply of blood so she would never pass out.
She looked around and Rezo was screaming and clutching at his chest, "My eyes! I'm blind again!" William's skin was
burning and some parts blacken and peeled off, only to be replaced by new skin which began to fry as well. He was
running around in circles, screaming in agony. Victoria had fallen to her knees and looked very pale.
"What... the... HELL... did... you do?!" Hannah demanded, since no one else could. Her dress was blood-
logged and more was coming.
"I didn't do this. This is Hell, remember? Since we did nothing wrong, there is no punishment for us. In Hell,
unlike Heaven, your pain from death never goes away. Your ailments never go away. Nothing changes," Victoria gasped,
"We must get going. I'll support Rezo. Don't touch William or you'll catch on fire as well." Victoria grabbed Rezo's
arm and called out to William. William managed to compose himself long enough to stay near them, but he writhed and
scratched at himself.
They walked on and on, for ungodly miles, each in unspeakable agony. Hannah slipped in her own blood many
times during their journey. She heard many moaning in agony. Their fates were sealed but she wished them a better future
anyway. She thought she heard someone calling her name but she ignored it. But the voice came again. She looked for the
source, "Aunt Hannah!"
"Alfred!" She ran towards her deceased nephew, "My dear Alfred!" She hugged him, Blood gushed from him as well, the
wound he had received from his "helpers".
"Aunt Hannah, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Heaven. This isn't right," Alfred coughed up more
blood.
"I'm here to go to the Death Angel palace. I'm going to save that Zelgadis boy."
"But... why?"
"I have reasons." She stroked his hair.
"Aunt Hannah, your group is leaving without you!" Alfred pointed after the group, who were quite some distance
away.
"My Goodness! Good-bye!" She stumbled (she couldn't run with a big hole in her) after them.
When she caught up, she breathlessly demanded, "Couldn't you wait ten seconds?!"
"We don't have the time. As we speak, my boy is being led to the Death Angel Temple where he will be taken,
willingly or not, to that palace to become one of them. And when that happens," Victoria stared at her straight in the
eyes, "your daughter will most likely marry some fat guy and kill herself in a bathroom." She smiled, "You act so shocked
that I knew about that. I check up on his friends' fates once in a while, that crossed my path a couple times. Don't
think for one second that I truly believed that you really cared about my 'hopeless situation' and are doing this out
of the 'kindness of your heart'. I wasn't fooled!" Victoria turned away and kept walking. Hannah stamped her foot in the
dry dust and ran to get in front of her.
"You're right! I don't care about your stupid son! I think he deserves to become a Death Angel, I really don't
care and if I could find a way to stop my daughter's suicide, I would do it. But, let me tell you one thing! I
gave up everything for my daughters! I knew that man was coming for my little Gracia, I went in her stead! You
wouldn't UNDERSTAND my pain!" Hannah paused to let that sink into the other mother's head. Victoria just shook her head.
"No," she said, quietly, "you listen. I gave up my station and the only family I had ever known to be with
William. You didn't. My mother cursed my womb to produce no children. Your mother didn't. I still had my little Zelgadis
and fought to the bitter end with his illness. You didn't. My sister told me that they were going to take away my
little boy away forever or kill me. You didn't have to make that choice. Now, even though I did all that, they're still
taking him. You don't understand my pain right now."
Hannah stopped in her tracks, "You made yourself sick?"
"My sisters did it but I agreed to it. It doesn't matter now."
"I thought... I thought..."
"I forgive you already. Just keep walking. We don't have much time."
The group walked in silence. But before they knew what hit them, the air churned and Victoria grabbed everyone and
jumped inside.
*** ***
Expecting another whiplash, Hannah screamed but there was no pain. Her dress was now clean. William was no longer
burning and Rezo's eyes were open. Victoria stood up straight.
"Here we are," she announced, "the courtyard of the Death Angels."
Indeed, it was a courtyard. The palace loomed over them and the grass was unnaturally green. Hannah bent down to
touch it and it felt like balls of cotton rather than grass.
"We must hurry, if anyone sees us, we're doomed."
"What will they do to us?" William asked.
"They will throw us into Chaos where we will become nothing," Victoria answered solemnly.
"Oh, that's nice!" Hannah chirped sarcastically.
They sneaked around in the shadows, cautious for footfalls. They entered the main hall with was covered with
golden paintings and sculptures. The hall was very narrow, only two abreast could walk it and the jade floor made them
very loud creepers.
"We need to get to the Transport Chamber, that's how we'll go to save Zelgadis," Victoria whispered.
"Have you used it before?" Rezo asked.
"Never."
"Great! Just perfect! What if you screw up?" Hannah whispered back. They continued down the straight hall. After
a mile or so, they came to a fork.
"Which way?" Hannah asked.
"I never actually even went to the room and I don't know where it is in relation to where we are..."
"I believe you want to head down the right way," a monotone voice responded.
The four jumped in the air. The speaker was pale and had dark brown eyes. Her wavy black hair fell to her shoulders.
"We're doomed!" William shrieked.
"Aurelia!" Victoria gasped. She knew they were doomed.
She was her middle sister, the most impersonal of them all. She could see into the future and knew everyone's
destiny. She cared little for mortal and immortal alike. "What is deserved, is deserved" was her philosophy.
"You're far from doomed," Aurelia said, in her monotone voice, "I have been waiting for you. I will guide you to the
Transport Chamber since I know Victoria does not know the way." Her smile was not pleasing. It was more frightening
than pleasing, a smile that made one want to run away screaming.
Hannah clung to Victoria, "She's... scaring me!"
Rezo said, "It's a trap! Look at her smile!"
Victoria laughed, "That's her happy smile! You're really helping us."
"This whole business with your son is utterly pointless and childish," She shrugged slightly, "I could not stand by
and watch this idiocy continue." She beckoned them to follow her down the empty hall.
"Where is everyone?" William asked.
"They're either collecting souls or preparing for your son's arrival," Aurelia answered in the same monotone voice,
"They won't come near here." At the end of the hall, it forked again. This time they turned left.
"Um, is this place nearby?" Hannah asked.
"No, it is quite a distance," Aurelia answered, her expression unchanged, "but no one will come near us. I made
sure of that."
"Basically, you told everyone you would going to the Transport Chamber and everyone made sure not to be heading
anywhere near there?" Victoria asked, although it wasn't really a question.
"You remember us well, Little Sister."
They continued down the winding corridors that didn't seem to go anywhere until they came to two gargantuan bronze
doors labeled with diamond stars. Aurelia opened it with only a word and the door did not make any sound, not even a
creak.
"I must leave. You understand that if I'm found now, Ursula will show no mercy. She'll understand when this is
all over but for now, I must leave." With that, Aurelia turned and left. She soon vanished into the dark.
"We might as well go in," Rezo said.
"Do you know what to do, Victoria?" Hannah asked. Victoria shook her head. "So, we're just going to WING it?!"
"They might have instructions inside," Rezo said, walking into the room.
"Hey! Wait up!" William ran in after him. The women followed. When everyone was inside, the door immediately
shut.
"We're trapped!" William pushed at the door while Victoria looked for any instructions. The room was gigantic
and was dome-shaped. It was lit by an unknown source and made of bronze. In the center of the room was a large
platform. The platform was round and inside was filled with blue electricity, that noisily crackled and popped. Victoria
stretched her head to take a closer look into the energy but the energy pulled at her, nearly dragging her down. She
managed to raised herself up again.
"This is most likely the Transport Platform," she announced. William ceased his pushing, and asked, "How does
it work?"
"I believe it pulls you downwards."
"And then...?"
"I don't know."
"You're a great help. You lived here for who knows how many centuries and you don't even know how this thing
works?"
"I never used it. I used the AfterLife Tunnel. It was quicker and easier."
Hannah looked at the table along the left wall and discovered papers. Most were just maps with red dots on
them. Most of the red dots were crossed out but some dots were untouched.
"Hey," Hannah asked, indicating the maps, "what do the red dots mean?"
"They're old Death Angel temples."
"What does it mean when they're crossed out?"
"There was a temple there but it was demolished thus not usable."
"Why are the temples so important in the first place?" William asked.
"Because the temple are the destinations of the Transport Platform."
"So, you only go to one of these little red dots that aren't crossed out?" Hannah said, taking new interest in the
maps. "Look!" Hannah ran over to Victoria, "the red dot on Mead isn't crossed out! Isn't that where our children are?"
"I believe so. But I knew that already. The problem is I don't know how this works."
Hannah replaced the map and searched the stacks of papers. One books was labeled, "Manual", which she flipped
through. Inside was pictures of the room, the platform and the controls right in front of her, to the right of her and
in the back corner of the room.
"This might tell what to do!" Hannah said, handing Victoria the book.
Victoria brightened, "Good job. This is the manual." She read through it and she frowned, "Uh oh."
"Uh oh? What do you mean, 'uh oh'?" William asked, coming closer.
"It says that 'one participant must be at each of the three control panels'," she pointed at the controls in the
room, "'while the others travel through the Transport itself.' Meaning," she looked up, "only one of us can go."
William sighed, "I can't go. I'm not a sorcerer and I'm not strong enough to fight to get Zelgadis back."
Hannah shook her head, "I specialize in white magic and I can't fight."
"And Zelgadis won't accept Rezo as his savior," Victoria interrupted before Rezo could volunteer, "so I
guess it's up to me." The rest agreed and crowded around her, she smiled, "We have some cramming to do."
*** ***
After they were positively sure they knew the drill, they were ready to let Victoria go. They only had one shot,
if anything went wrong, Victoria would be tore apart, atom by atom.
The controls panels all only had one function; one panel could not do the work of another. The panel to the
right of the doors made the energy intensify and separate, creating a gap to jump through and made the traveler get
pulled into the hole. The traveler then had to keep hold of the sides of the platform or get pulled apart.
The controls at the back on the left side determined position, where the destination was so the traveler wouldn't
just float in Chaos forever.
The controls on the right side pushed the traveler to the destination because if the traveler just jumped in, they
would be pulled into the energy and get ripped apart rather painfully.
They were ready at the panels, William at the front right, Hannah at the back left and Rezo at the back right,
or at the platform, Victoria, who was holding on for her dear death.
"Start, William."
William pushed the buttons in the right order and pressure, but before he was finished, Victoria called over
the loud crackling, "Start, Hannah."
Hannah worked furiously to put in the right coordinates in the right order. Before she finished, Victoria screamed,
"Rezo, start it now!"
Rezo worked quickly to finish. Electricity ran through Victoria's hair. She struggled to remain standing and
crawled to stand on the edge of the hollow circle, ready to jump.
"Done!"
"Finished!"
"Completed!"
"Everyone, push the clear button! 1, 2, 3! Now!"
The only button that was on all the panels was a clear button which made the traveling process begin. All of them
had to press at the same time that the traveler jumped. When Victoria said, "Now" she flew in the air and everyone pushed
the button. She was sucked in the tunnel of energy and vanished.
To be continued...
Author's Notes: This is getting so easy now! We're near the end and I hope you're excited because I sure am and I know
what's going to happen already! Tell me what you thought at destinyplot@lycos.com! See you next time!
"Here's the wall," Victoria said. The wall in question was the boundary between Heaven, where the righteous lived
their deaths in peace and comfort, and Hell, where the wicked were in eternal torment.
"And how are we going to pass through it?" William, her husband asked, "Only Death Angels can pass through."
"Unless, you are already one, Victoria," Rezo added.
"The truth comes out at last," Victoria shut her eyes.
"I was just kidding, Victoria, I never thought..."
"YOU'RE A DEATH ANGEL?!" William and Hannah yelled in unison.
"I was. Not anymore. But I still have some of my powers and I can get us through the wall," Victoria placed one hand
against the wall, which rippled like gray water, "Take my hand, Rezo, and William, take his hand and Hannah, take
William's hand." They did as she requested and she pushed the rippled wall, "I'm sorry, but this will sting."
They passed through with no problems and Hannah was about to complain about the unnecessary precaution when her
heart exploded.
To be more precise, her heart was stabbed by an invisible knife and the blood rushed everywhere. The worst
thing is since she was already dead, she had an endless supply of blood so she would never pass out.
She looked around and Rezo was screaming and clutching at his chest, "My eyes! I'm blind again!" William's skin was
burning and some parts blacken and peeled off, only to be replaced by new skin which began to fry as well. He was
running around in circles, screaming in agony. Victoria had fallen to her knees and looked very pale.
"What... the... HELL... did... you do?!" Hannah demanded, since no one else could. Her dress was blood-
logged and more was coming.
"I didn't do this. This is Hell, remember? Since we did nothing wrong, there is no punishment for us. In Hell,
unlike Heaven, your pain from death never goes away. Your ailments never go away. Nothing changes," Victoria gasped,
"We must get going. I'll support Rezo. Don't touch William or you'll catch on fire as well." Victoria grabbed Rezo's
arm and called out to William. William managed to compose himself long enough to stay near them, but he writhed and
scratched at himself.
They walked on and on, for ungodly miles, each in unspeakable agony. Hannah slipped in her own blood many
times during their journey. She heard many moaning in agony. Their fates were sealed but she wished them a better future
anyway. She thought she heard someone calling her name but she ignored it. But the voice came again. She looked for the
source, "Aunt Hannah!"
"Alfred!" She ran towards her deceased nephew, "My dear Alfred!" She hugged him, Blood gushed from him as well, the
wound he had received from his "helpers".
"Aunt Hannah, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Heaven. This isn't right," Alfred coughed up more
blood.
"I'm here to go to the Death Angel palace. I'm going to save that Zelgadis boy."
"But... why?"
"I have reasons." She stroked his hair.
"Aunt Hannah, your group is leaving without you!" Alfred pointed after the group, who were quite some distance
away.
"My Goodness! Good-bye!" She stumbled (she couldn't run with a big hole in her) after them.
When she caught up, she breathlessly demanded, "Couldn't you wait ten seconds?!"
"We don't have the time. As we speak, my boy is being led to the Death Angel Temple where he will be taken,
willingly or not, to that palace to become one of them. And when that happens," Victoria stared at her straight in the
eyes, "your daughter will most likely marry some fat guy and kill herself in a bathroom." She smiled, "You act so shocked
that I knew about that. I check up on his friends' fates once in a while, that crossed my path a couple times. Don't
think for one second that I truly believed that you really cared about my 'hopeless situation' and are doing this out
of the 'kindness of your heart'. I wasn't fooled!" Victoria turned away and kept walking. Hannah stamped her foot in the
dry dust and ran to get in front of her.
"You're right! I don't care about your stupid son! I think he deserves to become a Death Angel, I really don't
care and if I could find a way to stop my daughter's suicide, I would do it. But, let me tell you one thing! I
gave up everything for my daughters! I knew that man was coming for my little Gracia, I went in her stead! You
wouldn't UNDERSTAND my pain!" Hannah paused to let that sink into the other mother's head. Victoria just shook her head.
"No," she said, quietly, "you listen. I gave up my station and the only family I had ever known to be with
William. You didn't. My mother cursed my womb to produce no children. Your mother didn't. I still had my little Zelgadis
and fought to the bitter end with his illness. You didn't. My sister told me that they were going to take away my
little boy away forever or kill me. You didn't have to make that choice. Now, even though I did all that, they're still
taking him. You don't understand my pain right now."
Hannah stopped in her tracks, "You made yourself sick?"
"My sisters did it but I agreed to it. It doesn't matter now."
"I thought... I thought..."
"I forgive you already. Just keep walking. We don't have much time."
The group walked in silence. But before they knew what hit them, the air churned and Victoria grabbed everyone and
jumped inside.
*** ***
Expecting another whiplash, Hannah screamed but there was no pain. Her dress was now clean. William was no longer
burning and Rezo's eyes were open. Victoria stood up straight.
"Here we are," she announced, "the courtyard of the Death Angels."
Indeed, it was a courtyard. The palace loomed over them and the grass was unnaturally green. Hannah bent down to
touch it and it felt like balls of cotton rather than grass.
"We must hurry, if anyone sees us, we're doomed."
"What will they do to us?" William asked.
"They will throw us into Chaos where we will become nothing," Victoria answered solemnly.
"Oh, that's nice!" Hannah chirped sarcastically.
They sneaked around in the shadows, cautious for footfalls. They entered the main hall with was covered with
golden paintings and sculptures. The hall was very narrow, only two abreast could walk it and the jade floor made them
very loud creepers.
"We need to get to the Transport Chamber, that's how we'll go to save Zelgadis," Victoria whispered.
"Have you used it before?" Rezo asked.
"Never."
"Great! Just perfect! What if you screw up?" Hannah whispered back. They continued down the straight hall. After
a mile or so, they came to a fork.
"Which way?" Hannah asked.
"I never actually even went to the room and I don't know where it is in relation to where we are..."
"I believe you want to head down the right way," a monotone voice responded.
The four jumped in the air. The speaker was pale and had dark brown eyes. Her wavy black hair fell to her shoulders.
"We're doomed!" William shrieked.
"Aurelia!" Victoria gasped. She knew they were doomed.
She was her middle sister, the most impersonal of them all. She could see into the future and knew everyone's
destiny. She cared little for mortal and immortal alike. "What is deserved, is deserved" was her philosophy.
"You're far from doomed," Aurelia said, in her monotone voice, "I have been waiting for you. I will guide you to the
Transport Chamber since I know Victoria does not know the way." Her smile was not pleasing. It was more frightening
than pleasing, a smile that made one want to run away screaming.
Hannah clung to Victoria, "She's... scaring me!"
Rezo said, "It's a trap! Look at her smile!"
Victoria laughed, "That's her happy smile! You're really helping us."
"This whole business with your son is utterly pointless and childish," She shrugged slightly, "I could not stand by
and watch this idiocy continue." She beckoned them to follow her down the empty hall.
"Where is everyone?" William asked.
"They're either collecting souls or preparing for your son's arrival," Aurelia answered in the same monotone voice,
"They won't come near here." At the end of the hall, it forked again. This time they turned left.
"Um, is this place nearby?" Hannah asked.
"No, it is quite a distance," Aurelia answered, her expression unchanged, "but no one will come near us. I made
sure of that."
"Basically, you told everyone you would going to the Transport Chamber and everyone made sure not to be heading
anywhere near there?" Victoria asked, although it wasn't really a question.
"You remember us well, Little Sister."
They continued down the winding corridors that didn't seem to go anywhere until they came to two gargantuan bronze
doors labeled with diamond stars. Aurelia opened it with only a word and the door did not make any sound, not even a
creak.
"I must leave. You understand that if I'm found now, Ursula will show no mercy. She'll understand when this is
all over but for now, I must leave." With that, Aurelia turned and left. She soon vanished into the dark.
"We might as well go in," Rezo said.
"Do you know what to do, Victoria?" Hannah asked. Victoria shook her head. "So, we're just going to WING it?!"
"They might have instructions inside," Rezo said, walking into the room.
"Hey! Wait up!" William ran in after him. The women followed. When everyone was inside, the door immediately
shut.
"We're trapped!" William pushed at the door while Victoria looked for any instructions. The room was gigantic
and was dome-shaped. It was lit by an unknown source and made of bronze. In the center of the room was a large
platform. The platform was round and inside was filled with blue electricity, that noisily crackled and popped. Victoria
stretched her head to take a closer look into the energy but the energy pulled at her, nearly dragging her down. She
managed to raised herself up again.
"This is most likely the Transport Platform," she announced. William ceased his pushing, and asked, "How does
it work?"
"I believe it pulls you downwards."
"And then...?"
"I don't know."
"You're a great help. You lived here for who knows how many centuries and you don't even know how this thing
works?"
"I never used it. I used the AfterLife Tunnel. It was quicker and easier."
Hannah looked at the table along the left wall and discovered papers. Most were just maps with red dots on
them. Most of the red dots were crossed out but some dots were untouched.
"Hey," Hannah asked, indicating the maps, "what do the red dots mean?"
"They're old Death Angel temples."
"What does it mean when they're crossed out?"
"There was a temple there but it was demolished thus not usable."
"Why are the temples so important in the first place?" William asked.
"Because the temple are the destinations of the Transport Platform."
"So, you only go to one of these little red dots that aren't crossed out?" Hannah said, taking new interest in the
maps. "Look!" Hannah ran over to Victoria, "the red dot on Mead isn't crossed out! Isn't that where our children are?"
"I believe so. But I knew that already. The problem is I don't know how this works."
Hannah replaced the map and searched the stacks of papers. One books was labeled, "Manual", which she flipped
through. Inside was pictures of the room, the platform and the controls right in front of her, to the right of her and
in the back corner of the room.
"This might tell what to do!" Hannah said, handing Victoria the book.
Victoria brightened, "Good job. This is the manual." She read through it and she frowned, "Uh oh."
"Uh oh? What do you mean, 'uh oh'?" William asked, coming closer.
"It says that 'one participant must be at each of the three control panels'," she pointed at the controls in the
room, "'while the others travel through the Transport itself.' Meaning," she looked up, "only one of us can go."
William sighed, "I can't go. I'm not a sorcerer and I'm not strong enough to fight to get Zelgadis back."
Hannah shook her head, "I specialize in white magic and I can't fight."
"And Zelgadis won't accept Rezo as his savior," Victoria interrupted before Rezo could volunteer, "so I
guess it's up to me." The rest agreed and crowded around her, she smiled, "We have some cramming to do."
*** ***
After they were positively sure they knew the drill, they were ready to let Victoria go. They only had one shot,
if anything went wrong, Victoria would be tore apart, atom by atom.
The controls panels all only had one function; one panel could not do the work of another. The panel to the
right of the doors made the energy intensify and separate, creating a gap to jump through and made the traveler get
pulled into the hole. The traveler then had to keep hold of the sides of the platform or get pulled apart.
The controls at the back on the left side determined position, where the destination was so the traveler wouldn't
just float in Chaos forever.
The controls on the right side pushed the traveler to the destination because if the traveler just jumped in, they
would be pulled into the energy and get ripped apart rather painfully.
They were ready at the panels, William at the front right, Hannah at the back left and Rezo at the back right,
or at the platform, Victoria, who was holding on for her dear death.
"Start, William."
William pushed the buttons in the right order and pressure, but before he was finished, Victoria called over
the loud crackling, "Start, Hannah."
Hannah worked furiously to put in the right coordinates in the right order. Before she finished, Victoria screamed,
"Rezo, start it now!"
Rezo worked quickly to finish. Electricity ran through Victoria's hair. She struggled to remain standing and
crawled to stand on the edge of the hollow circle, ready to jump.
"Done!"
"Finished!"
"Completed!"
"Everyone, push the clear button! 1, 2, 3! Now!"
The only button that was on all the panels was a clear button which made the traveling process begin. All of them
had to press at the same time that the traveler jumped. When Victoria said, "Now" she flew in the air and everyone pushed
the button. She was sucked in the tunnel of energy and vanished.
To be continued...
Author's Notes: This is getting so easy now! We're near the end and I hope you're excited because I sure am and I know
what's going to happen already! Tell me what you thought at destinyplot@lycos.com! See you next time!