Hellraiser: Beyond the Gates of Hell
Disclaimer: Well, well, well... My first Hellraiser fic. Look at that. It's about time I did one of these. Remember this, readers: I take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, but not flamers. So kindly step away if you feel such an urge. This story is going to be written for the fun in it, but I have done as much research as one can. Clive Barker owns all things flesh and blood in Hellraiser, but I own the plot and the few characters he DIDN'T make. Well, since I got the okay, I want to dedicate this fic to laura 101 and Blue Kitsune. They're real hardcore Hellraiser romance fans! Gotta love that!
"The flesh endures the storms of the present alone, the mind those of the past and future as well as the present."
-Epicurus
"Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it."
-Thomas Jefferson
By: VampireQueenAkasha
We have such sights to show you...
Chapter Two: A Whole New Face
Pinhead surveyed the passing humans through the skin and eyes of the flesh that he wore. How fascinating it was ... They knew nothing of the world below the Deep or the eyes of Order that watched them. They didn't know that this world did not belong to them, but to him and the Leviathan. He smiled and took a deep breath. Oh, when they would soon learn ... what pleasures and torments awaited each and every one!
Something tugged at his jacket and he glanced down at a young girl who stared up at him with a mixture of confusion and worry. "Excuse me, mister?" she said, "You're bleeding."
Pinhead's human hand slowly reached up to touch the place she indicated on her own face; her ear and he came back with a small finger full of blood. Damn! This flesh was far too small for him! He would need a new "change of face" and quickly before someone began to notice. The mission was to locate Alice without creating a chaotic mess. Those were the worlds of the Leviathan and Pinhead would definitely keep to that.
"Ah yes, thank you, child," he told her, in a perfect imitation of the human's voice.
She smiled sweetly and Pinhead gestured with one hand. "Run along."
The girl giggled and scampered away to find her mother. Pinhead watched the scene with disgust. Such petty childishness and despicable affection. Although it would be intriguing to raise one so young through his ways and appetites. It had been a while since he had enslaved a child. Perhaps another day.
He cast his gaze toward Barry Miller as the man was walking into his building with a cellphone cradled to his ear. He was talking to someone and his conversation immediately reached Pinhead's ears. He blocked out all other sounds save for this man's words. This was Barry H. Miller ... a lawyer of sorts who knew Alice. Pinhead didn't have to be in his vicinity to know the man's identity and his profession. He would help him get close to the Cotton child.
" ... look, her mother never really talked about WHAT she was doing! ... " Barry protested. He rolled his eyes, stopping at the front door and holding it open for a fellow employee, " ... I don't fucking know! She was as crazy as Alice! You've heard the stories! Christ, everyone in this goddamn city knows about it!"
Pinhead smiled inwardly. Did they? That made things so much more easier for him. He walked casually across the street toward the building. Several bums were lying in the alleyway of the building and their eyes locked onto the "man" making his way over. They studied him curiously, with a bizarre mixture of fear and awe. Pinhead smiled right back at them and even winked slyly before he disappeared into the building. It was almost a cute gesture and when he stepped inside, he resumed his normal, deadly blankness once more.
His eyes searched through the desks, windows and open doors for the departed man and a woman behind the desk reached out and waved at him.
"Excuse me, sir?" she said, "Can I help you?"
Pinhead lowered his powerful gaze to her and smiled sweetly. "Yes, you can," he told her, "I am looking to speak with Barry Miller."
The woman behind the desk arched a thin eyebrow as if he had made a strange request. Pinhead knew every secret of this woman; Valerie Whitman a woman with quite a few dirty little stories to tell. She had cheated on her husband with several of her co - workers here, and the arrogance was just as stunning as ever. Young Valerie believed that she would never be caught, that her trail had been wiped clean from the world.
"Do you have an appointment, sir?" she asked, skeptically.
"No. But I am an old friend of the Cotton family," he told her, smiling a thin, oily smile. "I was told that Mr. Miller could tell me how I might meet Miss. Alice Cotton."
Valerie chuckled sarcastically and she stood up from her spot, starting to dial a number. Pinhead could tell right away that she was trying to bring security to their position and send him away from his task. They always made it so difficult ...
"Yeah, I bet you do," she told him, sneering in her words, "Just like all the other assholes that come in here and try to give that poor girl a hard time."
Just as she waited for someone to pick up, Pinhead's human finger pressed the hang - up button and she stared at him in disbelief. He just smiled down at her. "Oh come now, Valerie," he purred, "We don't want trouble, now do we?"
The woman stared up at him with caution and the atmosphere between the two suddenly became very uncomfortable. She wasn't sure why, but this guy was different from the other assholes who tried to give Alice Cotton a hard time, just because of her looney mother. Pinhead leaned in dangerously close to her. His nose nearly touched hers and he smiled, but there was not a single shred of amusement there this time.
"We don't want word of your little fiasco getting out, now do we?" he purred, in a deliciously masculine purr, as if he was tempting her greatest sin, challenging her in some way to reveal herself to everyone around them, "Certainly your husband would love to know."
Valerie's face fell with mute horror as he revealed her darkest, deepest secret. "H - How ... ?"
Pinhead reached up, took the phone and held it up to her ear. "Please ... tell Mr. Miller that I wish to speak with him."
Valerie nodded her head dumbly, feebly dialing in Barry's number, her eyes never leaving the smiling face of the man before her.
At his office, Barry picked up the phone with frustration and irritation. "What do you want now, Valerie?" he barked.
Valerie spoke her words and they sounded hypnotized, haunted even. "There's a gentleman who wants to speak with you, sir ... "
"Tell him to come back tomorrow!"
Pinhead grinned at the order and Valerie continued. "He says that it is urgent. It's about Alice."
At his desk, Barry rolled his eyes with disgust. Oh another shithead who thought he deserved a chance at tormenting the woman. Christ, didn't these bozo's ever give up? He didn't think much of her, but not even she deserved this kind of crap. But ...
"Fine! Send him up!"
O
Pinhead entered the office room and Barry barely acknowledged him. He just gestured with a spin of his hand in the air and he began to finger through several folders, checking for the ones that he needed. "Make it quick," he snapped, "I have a meeting at six!"
"I wish to speak with Alice Cotton," Pinhead spoke, matter - of - factually, "I humbly request that you give me her phone number."
Barry laughed mockingly. "Sure! You want that gift wrapped?"
Pinhead's smile diminished and he set his teeth behind his closed mouth. Barry realized how serious he was and he stopped laughing, long enough to arch a skeptical brow at him. "Now buddy, you know that I can't just give out my client's numbers." He chuckled again and shook his head. "You got a lot of balls asking for that kind of information. You ain't like the other shits who try to make that girl's life a living hell."
How entirely appropriate ... the demon thought.
Pinhead did not share the man's amusement in the least. He tilted his head to one side and Barry now noticed the bleeding wound in his ear. Was this guy a drug user? Maybe that was why he came in here asking for her number.
"Holy shit ... !" he gasped.
Pinhead's eyes darkened and a peculiar hissing sound filled the air, like the cold, chilling wind of hell creeping into the room. Barry slowly stood up from his chair and looked around cautiously, trying to find the source of the sound. He looked over at the man who bled from his ear, his eyes closed as if he was focusing on the wind itself. When Pinhead opened his eyes again, they were the black, endless pools once more. It was then that the lawyer knew he was dealing with something unnatural and unholy. He shook his head rapidly, horrified gasping sounds echoing out from his parted mouth as he backed slowly away.
"Shit ... " Barry gasped, "Shit!"
He ran for his door, but a heavy chain shot out from nowhere and wrapped around his head, muffling his screams and yanking him off of his feet. Several more chains joined the other and they began to hook him, stretching his flesh in the same gruesome manner as Leo had suffered.
Pinhead smiled and he shed the flesh that he was wearing like a damp, leather jacket. Barry's eyes widened and his wail of horror was silenced by the thick, cold chain.
"You should truly push the buttons with greater care, Barry," Pinhead told him, "You do not know what horrors you may stir."
Barry's eyes searched wildly for a means of getting help and the demon followed his movements with a chuckle of contempt. "Your identity will help me get that much closer to Alice Cotton. And your reward for your ... 'cooperation' will be ... "
Barry whimpered with pain and he looked up at Pinhead's unforgiving face.
" ... endless pain."
A strange and sticky ripping noise filled the air. It took Barry only two seconds to realize that it was his own flesh being ripped apart. He mewled in pain and his body shuddered, blood forming a wicked crimson pool at his feet. Pinhead just watched this, his face calm, and intrigued all at once. He showed no particular pleasure at what he was doing but only a fascinated concentration as Barry was ripped of his flesh at the spine and forward until all that was left was a screaming, blood - dripping muscled man. His skin crumpled to the floor and Pinhead silenced him with a chain that impaled him cleanly through his head.
After a long, silent moment with occasional slurping sounds, the blood on the floor began to become absorbed into the wood like a sponge and Pinhead exhaled with a very unattractive collection of hisses and groans. He stepped out from the shadows, dressed in Barry's flesh. After a moment of stretching his arms and cracking his neck to become accustomed to the feel, he made a satisfied murmur and moved around the desk to a phone book that Barry had kept every personal number in.
The handwriting was sloppy, but not illegible. Pity. A man of such tastes in order should have had somewhat of a decent sense of the pen. There were many names, presumably clients and personal references. Pinhead searched under C and A and finally, there was Alice Cotton's number and street address right there. He smiled with satisfaction.
"Got you."
O
Alice couldn't really think of anything better to do on her day off of work than clean house. She blared her country music soundtracks up as high as she could to tune out any potential phone callers or requests to come in to work. The songs of Toby Keith and his currently playing beat "God Love Her" slowly got the girl into her cleaning with its slight upbeat tune. She struggled to reach a few spider webs on the ceiling. She swiped several times and grimaced, nearly losing her balance on the ladder.
"Whoa - whoa - whoa!" she grunted.
Finally, there was a loud, irritating knock at the door. Alice rolled her eyes and turned the radio down after nearly falling from her ladder. Whoever was bothering her right now was about to get a serious ass kicking with the broom.
"Alright, alright, asshole," she groused, to herself as she walked down the stairs to the front door and she raised her voice for the occupant outside to hear it, "I'm sure it's not that important!" She threw the front door open, seeing Barry standing there with a cheery smile on her face. She sighed and leaned against the doorway with dismay, misinterpreting that smile and the true being within that skin. "Oh, Barry ... Just the guy I wanted to talk to. I can see you're drunk."
Pinhead almost laughed at the sight but he was amazed even more. This girl was the offspring of the Kirsty Cotton who had escaped him, eluded him all of these years? She was the spitting image of her mother, but there was also her father there too ... Oh he couldn't wait to get his hands into her when he dragged her screaming and begging to hell. There would be no bargains, no schemes, no nothing. All that he will have was this girl, this blood and flesh in his hands alone.
Discipline, he told himself, You have had many souls in the past. This one will be no different.
Alice raised her brows in a very coy and almost cocky way. There was definitely spirit there. A broken one as far as the demon could see. Well, perhaps not broken, but ... a soul in pain. She was very bitter. Her eyes broadcasted it as plain as day. This would be pretty easy after all. The Leviathan would not have to wait for much longer. "Barry, just because you're my lawyer doesn't mean I won't put this broom in a very nasty place if you try anything."
Pinhead chuckled at that and shook his head, feigning amazement. He had to stay in character for a few more moments. "Oh no, no," he told her, "Nothing like that. I just stopped by because I have to talk to you." He watched a confused look cross her face. "Can I come in?"
Alice wasn't as dimwitted as he took her for. She looked somewhat suspicious, like a beaten dog just fresh out of a hostile environment that would sooner snap at the hand than sniff it. She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, as if she was checking for the sight of the phone before stepping aside and sweeping her hand out.
"Sure ... " she said, her tone cautious.
"Thank you." Pinhead stepped into the house and his eyes wandered so that he could scan the realm of this creature. Simple, plain and a few oddities here and there. Oh but the air ... the air stank of despair and bitterness. He could taste it on the very tip of his tongue. This child sat alone, basting herself in such emotional torment. He smirked inwardly and his thoughts went to the girl screaming in the darkness of hell.
If you feel that you have suffered now ... you have yet to know the REAL meaning of pain, child!
"Uh, sit down," Alice said, gesturing to her couch. She seemed uncomfortable, as if she wasn't used to anyone other than her dear friend Katie being considerate to her.
Pinhead took a seat in her chair instead and crossed his legs. Alice took a spot at the couch away from him, shrugging a shoulder and feeling no need to argue with him. She crossed her legs and folded her arms across her chest. It was a gesture that made such a creature feel somewhat more comfortable with herself.
"What do you want, Barry?" she asked.
The demon in human skin smiled at her and spoke in the kindest voice he could. The kind of voice that a woman like Alice would crave and eat up. The kind that would make her drop her guard and do whatever it was that he wanted. "I wanted to apologize for the way that I have treated you, dear."
Alice looked utterly surprised and finally, she scoffed mockingly. "You want to apologize?" She laughed loudly. "Did you try coke from hobos or something?"
Tell her what she wants to hear ... Strike at the very heart ...
Pinhead just continued to smile a friendly smile and he could tell by the glimmering in her eyes that she was slowly starting to eat it up regardless of whether or not she believed the words that "this man" was saying.
Alice could tell that he was serious and she slowly began to get angry now. If he was trying to trick her or something, it wouldn't work. "What, am I supposed to believe that you've had some epiphany? That all of the sudden, everything is going to be different?"
"You can choose to believe what you want to believe," Pinhead answered, in the man's voice, "The important thing is that I came here to apologize to you. I was hoping that we could find a common ground, if that is something you are interested in."
Alice frowned and straightened up in her spot, studying the man with a suspicious and angry scowl. "What's different about you?"
Pinhead smiled at her and leaned back in the chair. He glanced around the room for a moment to collect his thoughts before he looked back at her with a certain amusement in his words. "You could say that I had a 'change of face'."
"'Change of face' ... " Alice repeated, in disbelief, "Right ... "
Pinhead leaned forward in his chair and he arched a single brow. "Don't you want to know why your mother left so much money in your name?" he asked her, slyly, "Don't you want to know why she left you such bizarre trinkets and the DVD which you have YET to watch?"
Alice's eyes suddenly darkened. "How did you know about that?"
Pinhead continued to smile and he leaned back in his chair. "I'll tell you what," he told her, "Why don't we spend tomorrow talking about it? I'll take you to dinner and fill you in on everything you need to know. Something simple."
Alice laughed, but she didn't look entirely against the idea. She looked confused still, but actually quite curious about being able to learn the reasons behind her mother's actions. "I can't do that, Barry. I have to go in to work tomorrow."
Pinhead took out Barry's cellphone and he began to dial the number for her boss. "Well ... perhaps we can arrange something ... "
Alice laughed and shook her head, reaching out to stop him. "Barry, no!"
Pinhead smiled at her, made a shushing gesture and he turned around in his chair, holding the phone to his ear. "Hello? I would like to speak to Mr. Jameson Price, please? Ahh! Mr. Jameson! Good to speak with you! Um, I'm afraid that my client, Alice Cotton has an appointment with me tomorrow ... Yes, I am aware that she has to work that day ... Important? Oh yes ... No, I don't believe that it is any concern of yours, but know that she will be in the following day ... Yes, thank you very much ... "
Alice shook her head and uttered a bark of laughter as Pinhead hung up and turned to face her. "I can't believe what you just did."
He stood up and winked at her. "Believe it. So ... how does dinner at the Tribute sound?"
Alice shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know how to react to Barry's sudden kindness and consideration to her feelings. Something was off about him, her instincts just knew it. There would be no reason for Barry to want to talk to her.
"Did someone put you up to this?" she asked, skeptically.
"Not at all. I am your lawyer after all," he answered, "It would be beneficial for both parties if we were to ... extend an Olive Branch, so to speak."
Alice's brows shot up and she stood from her spot. He slowly followed after her. "Uh ... what time?"
"7:30."
Alice mumbled something that sounded an awful lot like, "this is weird" before she looked up at him with a half-doubtful smile. "Alright, Barry, I'll toss you a bone."
"That's great! I'll see you then." He turned and walked to the front door, giving her one last parting smile before he disappeared outside where the smile slowly melted away from his face into a wicked scowl.
His normal, demonic voice emerged from his lips. "See you there, Cotton ... "
O
Note-Oh? What is to happen next?
