Part Thirteen

The Devil's Heart

What I saw before me was a shock but it had dulled down to a bitter calm. Loki and I continued forward in the distorted Other worldlike halls and as we walked, gates fell down to cut us off from an escape. We ran farther into the maze of that hellish Other World and when we thought we found the end, we were only confronted with another round of the sick and twisted maze.

Then as we walked, I became trapped and Loki seperated from me. I went over to the grate where Loki was cut off from.

"Loki!" I called out to him as I put my hands on the bars of the gate.

Heather! Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. He comforted me as he placed his hands on mine.

"But..." I wanted to say I didn't want to leave his side or be alone in this hell without him, " Will we meet up after this?"

Ye we will. Don't worry about it, I'll find you no matter what. Loki promised as he put his hand on my cheek and then drew his hands back to himself.

"I have a bad feeling about this though..." I confided in him, this feeling I wouldn't see him again bugged me.

Forget about it. On my whole existance, I promise that we will reunite. Loki vowed and then I saw him turn around when this wierd noise resounded in the area, Heather, go find Leonard. Please be safe.

With that, he was gone and even if he didn't hear me, I whispered I love you to him. My heart beat with an uneven power, knowing that Loki was in alot of danger. I wanted to weep, I didn't want to lose him. Not after my father was taken away from me. So, I decided to see if there was anyway out. Then I saw a symbol that was bright red and called out to me.

This symbol doesn't make me feel pain. Relieved that I wouldn't get a major migraine, I went up to it and touched it, then a fleeting feeling of discomfort devoured me when an image of a nurse with blond hair appeared before me.

"How is she even alive? She has a constant high fever--that poor little girl."

I remember that nurse. Lisa was her name, I think. Well, its more like Alessa is remembering her. There was a path before me now and I smiled.

I had to find Loki agian. If he was found by Claudia, I wouldn't forgive her or myself. He never wanted me-or Alessa- to suffer like this. Even the first Cheryl, he tried protecting her too from his mother. Now, he is trying to save me.

The exist appeared before me and I ran down the narrow hallway. I opened the door to find myself facing a ladder and the Other World. As I began to climb up the ladder, I saw a hellish creature before me, and I looked away. As I got to the top, I saw a door and a bright red light above it(it sort of blended in with the scenery too). When I got to the top, I went through it to find myself in a flame like version of a hospital floor.

I wondered down the hall, checking various doors. I kept on looking for Loki in every room and every time, I found nothing. Some rooms held supplies here and there but my search for Loki was almost fultile. Even if it was, I wanted to make sure that he was alive or atleast not dead. I needed to know what was to become of him.

I entered a store room area with a large mirror. I walked into the room and found a bathtub at the far left of it. I walked over to it and examined it, finding nothing too unusual. I looked up briefly to see a wall size mirror infront of me. I took a few steps backwards to see that the reflection was distorting.

I went to the door and tried to pull it open. I swore, the door was locked. The air was getting heavier and my own self in the reflection was becoming distorted and Other-Worldlike. The area began to smell like a morgue and the blood was coming out of the tub. I can't stand it here anymore!

I tried the door again and found that it was open. I ran through the door and leaned against the closed door. My chest hurt and slowly, the pain my body went through slowly waned. I picked myself up and continued to search for Loki.

My search for Loki and Leonard was almost a lost cause. I found a plastic bad and a riddle. I was suppose to find blood for an altar of some sort. As I walked down the 2nd floor hall, I found a diary Stanley left behind:

"My dearest Heather,

I have finally taken care of that man who wants to take you away from me. Was Loki his name? I heard you say you love him and I know you really mean you love me. Loki is a wicked man. He wants to prevent us from meeting. I locked the room that he lies in now. But I doubt he is dead. They say he is the devil.

But you're safe from him now.

Love,

Stanley Coleman"

I threw the dairy across the hall and screamed. That fucking prick! I went to the door that was next to the diary and found that it was locked. I mused for a moment, trying to think of where Stanley could have left the key. So, I went to the elevator and explored the areas I could there. I didn't find much so I went back up to the second. I walked past th room Loki was kept in and entered down a random hall(I went back to the elevator area actually, but I'm still not used to navigating around here). I entered a locker room and was about to leave when a phone began to ring. I began checking the lockers until I found one with a payphone in it.

"What the...?" I exclaimed as I picked up the phone and hesistantly greeted the caller.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear...uhm..." A pause in the strange voice's song, "What's your name again?"

"Who are you?!" I asked him, getting disturbed by this nut-case over a disconnected pay phone.

"Thanks. Happy Birthday dear whoareyou! Happy Birthday to you!" The voice over the phone said to me, "Happy 24th Birthday!"

"Today is not my birthday!" I tried to tell him but then I got curious as to who was the caller, "Is this Leonard?"

"No, I'm not Leonard. I'm not your beloved Stanley either." Well, if it was Stanley, I'd have to bitch him about hruting Loki and being a stalker, "Hes underground now. His new name is number seven. As for Loki, he's good as dead now for you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked him, his riddle talk confusing me.

"It doesn't matter though, cuz today is your birthday! Happy 38th Birthday! What would you want the most?" The man asked me and I shuddered, this place was not a good place to get me something, "Would you like to recieve pain or give it? I'll give you the one you HATE the most. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"

The man hung up before I could blink. I uttered it wasn't my birthday and I hung up. Deciding to check other rooms, I did happen to find Stanley's diary:

"Goodbye, Heather.
I'm sorry, I wasn't able to respond to your love.
It's all over.
Leonard despises me --- because I made fun of it,
saying it would come to this.
If it weren't for his meddling, I would have been able
to meet you in just a little while.
Then I could of taken you to my world.
A world for us alone, more beautiful than this one.
And I had been waiting for this day, for today.
The day I'd see you, the day you'd save me.
Today.
Heather, watch out for him. Leonard is no ordinary guy.
Farewell, I love you.
Heather, my Goddess
Heather, my lover
Heather, my......."

The rest was cut off...Well, now that he is dead, I better find his key. I went to the elevator and hit the 'B3' button. As the elevator went down, I couldn't help but think of Loki. What happened to him? Some medical reports on Stanley said that he wasn't voilent. But, I guess I can never be too certain.

When I got down there, I was almost not surprised to find a morgue. I looked around for the number seven body. It didn't take too long but the smell was really getting to me now. I found his body and by it, I found the key I wanted. Then, as if it were set off by my taking of the key, I heard heavy breathing and a slight groan behind it. I was about to get into the elevator when I heard my name be quietly called but then silenced.

I got back to the 2nd floor and ran for Loki's room, my heart pound with anticipation.

A/N: Sorry for taking so long. I was suffering writer's block and I will try to update alittle bit more frequently if I don't have writer's block.