Chapter 11 - Into the Underground

The underground was much the way I remembered it. Dark and foreboding, with that feeling you get when you're scared out of your mind and you try to convince yourself that there is nothing to be afraid of. That particular notion, while valid in the old word, is completely irrational here in EverWorld. There is always something to be afraid of, but now I'm going into the dark to face it. Oh, the joy.

"I think I've been hanging around you way too much." I told Christopher in a nonchalant voice.

"And why would you say that." He asked glancing at me sideways; trying to keep most of his focus on what was going on around us. You can never be too careful, especially here.

"I'm starting to have snarky, sarcastic thoughts, you know, the stuff you would actually say out loud. I better watch myself be for I do." At that he actually stopped paying attention to what was going on around us and looked at me for a second, paused, thought about what I had said, and then started laughing. I mean really laughing.

"You know it's really rude to laugh at your girlfriend." I pouted.

"It's not that. It's just theirs plenty of ways to have an influence upon you. I was just hoping it would be in other ways." He said suggestively, and then winking at me.

"Is your mind always in the gutter?"

"Probably, you want to check for me?" I didn't have a chance to respond because I had just heard something. Christopher was looking at me expectantly. Apparently he was expecting some kind of a response form me. He hadn't heard anything.

"Didn't you…I mean…You didn't hear anything just now?" He looked around quickly, eyes now suspicious of anything around us; his had slowly reaching for his side for the hilt of his sword. It always amazes me how quickly Christopher can change form joking mode to battle mode. It's kind of attractive actually. Ok, April, mind out of the gutter, need to focus.

We stood in battle poses of a total of five minutes, it felt longer, and then Christopher started looking less tense and moved his hand form the hilt of his sword and turned to me again.

"I think your imagining things, hearing voices is the first sign of insanity you know, or is it the second, I can never quite remember. Hey don't look at me like that; you know I'm just kidding."

I started pouting and walked away form him further into the bowls of the earth. Maybe Christopher was right and I was just hearing things. He caught up to me and we continued walking in silence, a felling of foreboding overcoming both of us. We hadn't had many good experiences down here and if Hel did come after us I would be the only one able to fight her, men where no match for her. I had taken my elfish sword with me; it had been given to me before we left, just in case.

I could feel Christopher continuing to tense more and more the further we went. Are anticipation had almost become a tangible entity. I could feel it building and building. I know from past experience we couldn't be too far form Large and Crusty's cave but in the dark foreboding of these paths you can never tell. And then it happed.

"Aw, Hel." Said Christopher.

"What, what happened?" I asked looking over at him.

"No, really, Hel" He said. And then I saw her too.

Aw Hel was right…

AN: So…How was it? Questions, comments, flames, anything people just please, please, please review…I would really love it. I know I haven't updated in forever but I've been really, really, busy with my college classes so I haven't been able to update. I have a really demanding class and work schedule. I've been actually writing this chapter at work. Anyway I'll try to update a little more quickly next time. Laters…