III: The Emoest Place In Hell
Axel pushes me up against the rough wall of his bedroom, and the hot stone burns through whatever I had been wearing and singes my skin. I hiss, clenching my teeth together and arching away from the wall, right into Axel's body, which is almost just as hot. He buries his fingers into my hair and snaps my head backwards, his mouth going to my neck, where I once had a pulse and sinks his teeth deep into the flesh. I howl out in pain, my arms going to his shoulders and hitting hard, trying to push him away. I don't like the way my body reacts to the bite, it seems to almost enjoy it.
Once again, it's all in vain and I can't get him to release me. I can't help the whimpers I let out, his hands trailing down my front, leaving a blazing path just underneath his palms. Without any hesitation, he plunges himself into my pants and grabs a hold of my soft penis. I groan and press myself into him, my fingers curling into the fabric of clothing. I almost have to tear a hole in my lip to keep from screaming as Axel gives me a harsh tug, his hand feels like fire on the sensitive flesh.
I moan, though if it's in pain or pleasure I can't be sure, but I can feel myself getting hard in his hand. He grins licking his lips before he kisses me furiously, my breaths coming out in pants against his mouth. The rest of my clothing suddenly disappears and I'm exposed to the hot air in the place, my legs tremble the harder he pumps his fist, and I struggle to pull my face away from him. "Stop!" I cry out, the horrible realization that I'm about to cum over takes me and I fight to stop myself. Axel pauses, pulling away from me and staring at me with his snake eyes, calculating. I swallow thickly, squirming uncomfortably as he just stares at me and when I expect him to start up again, he turns away and moves to the doors. I stand there trembling, scared and watch as he pulls them open.
He walks back towards me, grabbing my hands and marches me towards the doors, then throws me out of the room. I look at him in panicky confusion, while he stares at me before smirking, the heavy doors slamming shut. I blink a few times, looking around nervously, but seeing no demons, though an eerie silence floats around the place. All I can hear is the hissing of the fire, all the other sounds completely gone. I dive towards the room quickly and pound my fists against the doors, begging Axel to let me back in. I have a horrible premonition as though something is watching me, and I feel like an ill zebra, left alone in a lion's den.
"You don't deserve to be in my room," Axel calls from behind the door, his voice surprisingly clear and smooth even through the thick block between us.
"Please, I don't want to be out here...I'm scared," I whimper, my eyes filling with tears when I hear a low growl from behind me. The pain starts up in my stomach and I realize Axel is walking away from the doors. "Axel, please! No, don't do this!" I cry out, my hands going back to beating on the door. I hear him chuckling before suddenly, the doors swing open and I can crawl back inside. They slam just in time, a demon rushing past the quickly closing gap. Again, I miss the feeling of a pounding heart, the way my chest feels now is strange and uncomfortable. I wipe at my face, but feel no tears, though I'm sure I'm crying, I can still feel the ghost tears streaming down my face.
Axel is lounging on his bed, all lush comforters of black and red, almost swallowing him whole as he lifts a quellazaire to his lips, lighting the cigarette at the end. His bright eyes almost glow in the dim lights of the room, only small flames flickering here and there keeping the place from going pitch black.
"How old are you now Roxas? I get confused with demon years and earth years," He rolls his eyes like it's a silly thing to do, before crossing his legs and propping himself against a few pillows. Dark smoke escaping through his nose, obscuring his face from my view for a few seconds.
"I'm 24," I mumble quietly and Axel hums thoughtfully, turning his face and trailing his eyes up and down my form. I cover my privates with my hands, standing in the middle of the room awkwardly, as Axel takes another long drag from his cigarette.
"I think you've got a few lessons to learn about hell," Axel stands slowly, dropping his cigarette before making his way towards me. He grabs my face harshly, his boney fingers digging roughly into my flesh as he turns my head from side to side. I whimper, shutting my eyes tight as I grit my teeth against the pain. "Maybe you'll appreciate me a little more then," He chuckles before patting my cheek, none too gently. "Go, leave my chambers...I have matters to attend to," As he says this, the slits he has for pupils go round, the horns protruding from his forehead sink back into his flesh and his terrifying height, is reduced to something appropriate for a person. Even though he's supposed to look human, to me, he still looks like Satan.
"W-what do I do out there? Where do I go?" I ask, deep inside praying that he's bored of me and is ready to just send me into hell, to live out eternity as I was supposed to, not being the devil's play thing...I couldn't think of anything worse. Though with the way he's watching me, like he has a hidden trick up his sleeve, makes me rethink that. I have no idea what living in hell is like.
"I'm sure when Saix comes back, he'd love to show you," Before I can say anything, I'm blinking, watching the doors slam shut in my face. The memory of the yellow eyed demon fills my head and for a second, I don't know where I'd rather be. Alone with the devil, or surrounded by demons. The screams have started up again, so it's not as unsettling, but it is still scaring me beyond belief.
I look around crazily, not seeing anything but rocks and flames. The screams are piercing at times, and I flinch, moving along the wall without touching it. I can feel the sharp pain in my stomach flare up, and I almost double over, stopping a loud cry before I force myself to keep going. The last thing I want is to attract attention to myself.
I see a corner, and I duck behind it, looking for somewhere I hide until I can stand up straight again. I take a few deep breaths, the stomach pains getting almost unbearable. When I lift my head, I notice I'm standing at a large opening, and before my eyes, is what appears to be a city built into the walls of hell. There are people screaming, their bodies sticking out of the walls, like they are actually a part of it, some of their faces hidden against the rock and keeping them quiet.
Demons float around them with whips, occasionally snapping them at some poor soul but some demons are calmly sitting on rocks, speaking to one another. From where I am, I can see them all but I'm hidden from their view, at least I hope so. I watch the people flail their arms pathetically, trying in vain to pull themselves out, and see that one almost seems to budge lose, until a demon floats by and jams them back into their place. I wonder what got them that punishment and for a split second, I feel lucky not to be in their place. Then I feel stupid, because we're all in hell...none of us are lucky.
I walk slowly, my eyes wide as I look around, trying to spot danger before it sees me. If I have to live out the rest of forever in hell, I wouldn't mind living it in hiding. As long as I don't get tortured, I don't care. I chance a look over my shoulder with that thought, and this is where I spot the demon that had been outside of Axel's bedroom door. It's a woman, or at least she appears to be. With slow, swaying hips she walks towards me, almost gliding over the rough terrain. Two huge, curling horns poke out, her short, fine, blonde hair doing nothing to hide them. For a second, I feel as though I might have found the only decent demon in hell, until she smirks and her entire face transforms into something terrifying. "What's a little thing like you, doing all alone out here?" her voice is pleasant, which is a surprise but I figure she needs it when seducing men on earth. She begins circling me, sniffing at the air much like Saix had done before. "Hmm...you smell like Axel."
By this point, my legs have started to tremble again, and the pain in my stomach is making me tear up. I have no idea how long I'll have to deal with this, but I have a feeling it's the least of my worries right now. The demon woman is still watching me, her slitted pupils pinned right onto my face. "H-he brought me to hell..." I offer when she just keeps staring at me, and she hums thoughtfully, placing a small, long nailed hand on my shoulder.
"How odd...he personally escorts you here...then leaves you," Each time she turns, and disappears behind my back for a few seconds, my skin prickles. I don't know how I'm going to escape her and my eyes dart around the entire area, looking for an opening I can run to and hide. Can you even hide from demons?
My trail of thought is cut off by a searing pain in my back and I drop to my knees, screaming because it hurts so bad. I manage to lift my head, and watch the demon lick at a dagger in her hand. I don't know what she's tasting, but it seems like she's enjoying it. "Your pain is simply too sweet!" She smiles, but the jagged teeth ruin any appearance of beauty. I watch as she begins to circle me again, but this time, I don't just stay still. Once she gets around to my back, I dart forward, running like a mad man in any direction.
I don't know where I'm going and the fact that I can't hear her in pursuit, really scares me but I don't stop. I keep running, not even wasting time to look over my shoulder. I turn, darting around a wall and then another. I'm getting incredibly lost, but it's better than staying with that blonde creature, who was probably going to keep stabbing me, over and over again.
I come to a crack in the wall, just thick enough for me to squeeze into, but I hesitate, remembering how bad Axel's bedroom walls burnt me. Also, there is a human, half sticking out a few feet away, moaning in agony. I try not to make a sound, but they seem to hear my anyway, their head snapping in my direction. "Help me!" I want to scream when I notice they have no face, whatever was there is now replaced by horrible scarring. I stare back at the opening, and before I have the chance to decide, an arm shoots out and pulls me in. I hiss as my skin scrapes against the rocks, but at least it doesn't burn. It's sort of hard to see, and I squint, looking fearfully towards the side where the other person is.
I notice with relief that it's actually a person, a man with long white hair and blue eyes, no horns or wings or anything demonic. He's staring at me, looking a little confused and suddenly he starts to laugh. "Oh my god, another person...another soul..." He grins crazily, looking over my head and deeming it safe. "Where have you been?"
"I-I just got here today...who...who are you?" I stare in disbelief as he smiles at me, before shaking his head and leaning back a little against the wall.
"I've been dead for...a really long time...It's hard to keep track of time down here," He starts laughing, shaking his head from side to side, his eyes pressed tightly closed. "Every day is...is...a living hell," I want to say 'no duh' but I keep quiet, staring at his pale face. He opens his eyes and they slowly fill with tears that don't roll down his cheeks and it makes me wonder if that's what it looks like when I cry. I notice briefly, that he is strikingly handsome. "Do you know what it's like...to live with the same mistakes you made in life, even after death? Every day it's the same regrets, the same hurt...it never ends! You can't die and just get it over with...and these fuckers remind you of that every chance they get."
"I was wondering if it would be like that," I mumble and shut my eyes before taking a deep breath. It doesn't calm me like it once used to, instead, it feels stupid almost. I hear him sigh, before touching my shoulder gently. I open my eyes and look towards him, realizing he still hasn't told me what his name is.
"Do you know why you're in hell?" he asks, and for a second, I feel ashamed about my suicide. I lick my lips and watch him while he watches me, waiting for me to answer.
"I killed myself," his eyes light up, looking like a kid who just peed himself, then realizing another kid did the same thing. He laughs again, before wiping a hand down his face.
"Wow...me too...I can answer any questions you might have, seeing as you just got here," I shrug, all the questions I had when I was standing with Axel totally gone. It's not because they were answered, but I just can't think of any right now. I focus really hard, trying to think of anything I can ask. The pain in my stomach makes it really hard to concentrate, so I decide to ask what the hell it is. He looks a little confused, tilting his head to the side in thought. "I can't tell you...I've never felt any stomach pains down here, unless I'm being hit in the gut or something." I groan a little, before thinking of anything else I could ask. I feel a little crushed, I had been really wishing he'd be able to tell me about the pain and how to make it stop.
"Have you met the devil?" I ask and the guy just stares at me for a few minutes, his mouth twisting up in thought.
"I met him when I first came," He doesn't expand and I don't ask, instead I just let him continue telling me what he feels comfortable speaking about. "It was really brief and after that, he's never asked to see me again and you never see him unless he wants to and so far...he hasn't called me...It's mostly the demons that you encounter," My mind flashes the faces of both the demons I had the privilege to meet and I shudder.
If they are all as friendly as those two, I'm never leaving this crack in the wall. Suddenly, his eyes widen before he reaches out and covers my mouth. I blink and finally hear why my companion freaked out. It's a language I do not understand, probably something demonic, the voices floating by the opening until they disappear again and the hand pulls away. "That was close..."
I look towards the opening then back at him. "What's your name?"
"I'm Riku, and you are?"
"Roxas..."
"Roxas...have you been taken to where the other suicides are?" he stares at me curiously and I fidget against the walls, not knowing if I should tell him I've never been more than just a few meters from Axel's side.
"I...I haven't. I was brought here by Axel," Riku's eyes go round and his mouth drops open as he tries to shimmy around to fully face me. He can't squeeze himself all the way around, so instead he turns until he's pressed against the opposite wall, watching me from there.
"The devil himself? What did you do to manage that?"
"I don't know! I don't know anything...all I know is that everything I expected to happen, didn't, and I have no clue what I'm supposed to do now!" Riku looks away, staring towards the opening and staying like that for a few minutes before turning his face back to me. He looks like he's thinking, but of what, I have no idea.
"Well, we'd be better off with all the other suicides. If we stay too far out, alone, for long, some demon might come by and eat us...they seem to be really attracted to our kind for some reason," he makes a disgusted face, before moving backwards, getting further from me and the opening. I follow him slowly, the deeper we go, the darker it gets.
"Demons eat you?" I ask quietly and Riku laughs, his voice coming from somewhere in front of me but I can't see him.
"Don't get too excited. You don't cease to exist when they eat you...it's...it's this really gross process, so it's best to avoid it at all costs." I'm about to ask, when he reaches back and grabs my hand. I stare forward blindly, seeing only a very faint outline of his head. "Prepare to plunge into the emo-est place in hell."
A/N: Oh hello Canada, with your -25 degrees and frozen sidewalks.
Huh? No, of course I don't mind getting superficial frostbite as soon as I step outside, and I obviously don't mind having to take tiny steps to avoid slipping on black ice and busting open my head.
That's so silly of you to think that.
Anyway, have another chapter because all I've been thinking about lately is this story.
I don't know what it is about this idea, I just wanna keep writing, even if I'm the only one really enjoying it XD
Curses!
-explodes into confetti-