"Are you still in here darling?"
Amelie heard a distant and rather muffled voice coming from the other side of the door.
She woke up on her bedroom floor and then she realized she must have fallen asleep like that after he had locked in there.
"Yes of course i am.
Where else would I be?"
"What's that my sweet?"
Amelie heard the door jiggle and the bolt click and then swiftly glide out of place.
"Oh nothing, just glad you're home, I guess."
She stood up and rubbed her stiff neck that had been crammed up against the wall while she was sleeping.
"You guess or you know?"
Henry smiled almost in a challenging way but she was pretty sure he was only teasing.
"I'm sure of course.
Sorry i just took a nap, so I'm a bit disoriented".
"Oh sweet Amelie I do so very much wish I could believe you."
Henry's voice took on a dark and sinister edge and his face seemed to become considerably darker as well.
There was a dark shadow that had cast itself over his face that was obviously not part of the room.
Her stomach did a somersault and then dropped like a rock for she noticed that her husband's eyes had become to two white less black holes.
"What do you mean Henry?
I was here the whole time.
I couldn't have gone anywhere, I was locked in remember, locked away for my protection and for my safety.
I stayed put, I promise you".
"Who were you dreaming of Amelie?"
"What does that got to do with anything? Henry, I took a short nap, I don't even think I was asleep long enough to dream of anything, at least nothing noteworthy".
"You're lying. Don't lie to me Amelie. I've seen that sly smile come over your lips while you sleep. You were happy, you groaned with pleasure, I know what you're thinking."
"Oh really how would you know what I'm thinking? You don't ask me anymore and you don't even care to."
"Why else would you be moaning and groaning in your sleep?"
"Oh it's come to this has it?
What are you the thought police?
Is it a crime to think now?
You already have control over everything in my life. What more could you want?
I mean it's bad enough you control my social life, my money, my home, my career and every place that I go but now you think you need to control my thoughts.
This is ridiculous.
I mean even if I was thinking of someone else, I can hardly help it especially Since I was fucking sleeping.
Even if it was on purpose, you haven't really given me much to live for especially as far as the bedroom goes.
I mean seriously if I didn't know better I would say you were cheating on me.
You are hardly home, you seem to be gone for longer periods of time and you lock me up in here for what reason?
Paranoia? Fear of Losing me?
You know I think you're scared Henry, scared I'll find out he truth when I leave this house.
I might meet this other woman of yours and once that happens it's game over for you.
Better yet you win. You want another woman besides me, go for it, leave, be happy, have a better life, you have my blessing, whoever she is, she can have you, you can have her.
You two can make lots of babies and you can have the perfect wife you've always dreamed of.
I won't be insulted, i won't be offended, infact I'll be relieved that you are out of my life and that you've left me alone to my own devices
I'll be free of you and you'll be free of me ,so it will be a win-win for the both of us".
Henry snacked her so hard her vision went black for a few seconds and she saw a few sparkly little lights.
She expected to taste blood in her mouth but instead the blood was on the far corner of her lips.
She smeared the red onto her fingers and laughed, she made sure she laughed a little too long so she could mess with him a bit. She was hoping she could convince him that she was absolutely crazy.
"How dare you speak to me like that!
The things I've done for you are far too many to count yet you still have the audacity to accuse me of being unfaithful to you.
You know what? That's the reason you're here stuck in this room cut off from the rest of the world because you are not the faithful one. I wish I could trust you. I really wish I could but I can't. That is why you are here because I cannot trust you and I never have. Since the day we met,I knew you were going to be a problem, women like you that are glamorous they have problems, although I admire your beauty, your beauty has been a curse, not just for me, but for you.
If I weren't here you wouldn't be able to help yourself.
I guarantee it if you were to leave this house, you would fall into the arms of the first man that said a single kind word to you.
Don't you see? I'm protecting you from yourself.
You are unmanageable, You are unpredictable, Just admit it Amelie you're a absolute heartbreaker. You break men's hearts without even trying.
I'm sure it's not your intention but it's just in your nature.You can't help it, It's who you are and that is why I'm here to help you,to aid you and to guide you so can become more in control of who you are."
" You know what? Henry, for the first time I see you for who you really are, You are a liar fluent in the art of bullshit.
I'm not going to tolerate anymore and I'm not going to take it.
You pushed me down so many times and you kicked me when I was down.
You brought me to my lowest point and then you expected me to go lower.
How low am I supposed to go for you to be happy? How subdued am I supposed to be for you to be content?
When will I ever be good enough for you? I have been the perfect wife for you, but it seems that perfect is not perfect enough for you!
Henry, you will never find that perfect woman because a perfect woman does not exist!
I am tired of trying to be good enough for you. I am tired of trying to be absolutely perfect just for you.
I've sacrificed so much for you. I gave up my career. I gave up everything outside of this house just for you
and you know what you gave me? You either ignored me or you treated me like I was a piece of furniture or better yet just a beautiful work of art to display on the wall.
It was never love, it was never admiration. This was about possession; you possessing me and controlling everything that I do and every aspect of my life!
You never cared from the moment you met me You just wanted something you could never have, which is a real woman who is truly in love with you.
I admit yes in the past I was very much in love with you but then I figured out who you really were behind that charming smile and that romantic foreign accent.
I don't love you anymore,Henry.
I never will again because you killed the romance, you killed the joy, you killed any sort of happiness that we could have had together.
So no I am not the villain in this story you are.
You know who I am in the story? I am the badass bitch who leaves you're sorry ass and says no, I don't need a knight in shining armor. I don't need a rescuer. I can rescue myself I can fight my own battles and I can slay my own dragons.
You are the villain that underestimated the young heroine."
Henry for the first time was actually speechless. He was in absolute shock but his anger began to rise. you could see the anger building up within him. His fists tightened, He slumped over slightly as if pausing for a moment to plan out his next move, but at the same time he was ready to pounce at any moment.
Amelie ignored him and ever so casually sauntered towards the bedroom door.
There was a certain madness in his eyes, a kind of madness that made his cheeks run red with rage.
She could feel the intensity of his rage but yet he didn't stop her from leaving the bedroom.
She did, however anticipate that he would prevent her from leaving the actual house.
"Where on earth are you going?"
Henry attempted to block the door but instead he rather awkwardly stood beside it.
However, the threat was well received and she certainly understood that he was indeed going to prevent her from walking out that door.
" Oh I won't be on earth, I assure you.
I'll be in a different realm entirely.
A wonderful fantastical realm where assholes like you don't exist.
I'll Have a new life in a new world and I'll be happy there because you won't be in it.
Eventually I'll forget you. I'll forget everything that ever existed in this world that is if I'm lucky of course.
When I leave this world, this planet, I'll finally get the respect that I deserve. I won't be treated like I'm gum under someone's shoe, I'll actually have a purpose, I'll have a job and I won't feel worthless and small and unimportant not to mention insignificant.
The great thing about this new life of mine, this new plan is that you'll never find me again. You'll never see me again. you'll never hear from me again and we probably won't ever meet each other again either.
I'll be free of you and in turn you'll be free of me.
I'm tired of being in pain,Henry.
All you've ever brought me is pain, suffering, misery, agony and anguish; that's been my life with you, That's what I've dealt with every day.
You have no idea how lonely it is to wait around in a locked room,hoping that somebody will give a shit 10 minutes a real shocker when nobody ever does.
I'm tired of being invisible. I'm tired of not being seen or heard accepted, validated, respected, and most importantly loved.
You have never loved me, I'm beginning to think that I never really loved you.
It was a infatuation, a physical attraction that drew me to you.
It was your voice, your charm, your good looks, but beneath all that you are a monster,Henry.
Let me spell it out,how horrible you are, I would rather love a demon from the depths of hell and spend an eternity there then have to love and spend an eternity with you.
So here it is,your eternity with me has ended, Your subscription has expired, The contract between you and me has been cancelled, We are finished, the road has come to a dead end and I have chosen, a alternative route, a route that I'm not turning back from this time.
I've sacrificed so much for you and now it's time for me to finally take care of myself, breathe easy and be at peace.
I hope you find happiness but at the same time I hope you see the error of your ways."
"You really are crazy aren't you?
You have no idea where you're even going, you're speaking in riddles.
Everything you say is just pure nonsense.
You are completely clueless.
Do you actually think that you can manage going out there in the real world and making a new life for yourself?
You hardly made a life for yourself here What makes you think that the world out there is going to be any better for you?
There are no other worlds. there is only this one and I assure you you will not find a place in it.
I don't know what world of make believe or what fantasyland you live in, but eventually you're going to have to come back to reality and face that you're not any better off without me.
Once you leave you'll see, the world out there is a dangerous place and it's not quite as forgiving as I am.
The world isn't safe, not like it is here.
I know it sounds cliche but I really think that you will regret leaving this house."
"Forgiving? That's a joke. You aren't forgiving, You're bitter and cruel, You're angry and often absolutely merciless.
No, I won't regret leaving, you are the one that will regret it.
this place right here, this prison you've made for me here, it's not safe. It never has been.
Yes, the world is dangerous and so is every other world out there but the danger is worth the risk, especially if that means that you truly get to live the life you want to.
I'm going to live the life that I want to in freedom, happiness and peace.
I will regret nothing.
Yes, I am better off without you, I always have been.
Please be a dear and don't try to get in my way".
For the first time, Henry looked completely unsure of himself that he resorted to the one thing that he knew best which was violence.
He decided he wanted to strangle her one last time,perhaps this would be the last time.
It was quite obvious that he had murder on his mind,she could see it in his eyes, but instead of stiffening up and freezing like she usually did, she put her hand up as if signaling him to stop.
A miraculous thing happened, He did stop, He froze completely immobile, but instead of standing there like a wax figure some extraordinary and strange force, flung him backwards slamming him brutally against the front door.
Amelie looked at her hand in the bewilderment and wondered if she was indeed capable of doing such a thing.
She looked around the room to see if there was anybody else that could have done such a thing but she saw no one and even more strange is she felt no one.
Immediately though Henry understood who was responsible for the moment he slid onto the tired floor, he let out a groan and he looked at her with such hateful terror.
"FREAK!"
He hollered in a screaming fashion.
He appeared to be quite mad and his voice was that of a raving madman.
Amelie headed towards the door and Henry skittered away like a scared little spider.
" I assure you that if I ever see you again or you ever come back here I will kill you Amelie!"
He growled rather painfully in one of the darkened corners he had retreated to.
She ignored him and did not answer but she opened the door and stepped outside.
The threat held very little value to her since she had been threatened many times before that he was too cowardly to go through with it.
He seemed to mean it this time, but in the end she doubted that he would ever have the courage to commit such an act, So she brushed aside the validity of that statement.
She then went on her way to the old construction site which considering was actually a very long trek from where she lived but she was young and yes she had fully functioning legs but still it was quite an extended journey.
She wondered to herself if he had meant to 12:00 A.M. or 12:00 P.M.
Logically, it must have been 12:00 p.m when she was supposed to arrive with the puzzle box.
She looked at her watch and realized she had plenty of time. It was already 2:00 and she had until midnight to find that box.
It was imperative that she find it.
She had to find that puzzle box or else she would meet a most brutal and horrifying end.
Her life depended upon this box and even though she was familiar with the experience of having one soul torn apart she was not eager to experience such a thing again.
Torture might have been something that was quite normal to her but to have to go through more seemed a bit overkill.
Although many people may boast and brag about how they can withstand any kind of torture, torture is never enjoyable, even if you have a very high tolerance for pain, It's something that you train and practice for, but it's not something that you would consider to be a pleasant hobby.
It is something that is more tolerated than enjoyed.
So she wanted to avoid at all costs any unnecessary pain.
She was fairly confident that she'd find it, but then there was that small doubt in the back of her head that told her that there was a small possibility that she would fail.
When she finally arrived to the abandoned construction site, She remembered that the box had a certain song,a song, which I think her pin covered friend was hoping she would hear.
It was something that she hoped to hear as well.
It shouldn't be much trouble If only I can hear the song but if I can't hear it well I guess I'm doomed then.
She kept her ears open, she was vigilant, her focus was sharper than it had ever been before.
After a few moments she noticed there was a strange hum the kind of hum you would expect a metal rod to make.
However, the sound intensified and she could hear that was more than just a hum, it was several voices, a chorus if you will, but the voices seem to only do one note at a time.
The voices sounded as if they were warning someone, they were morbid, melodramatic and they reminded her of the low lament of a train.
It wasn't a song exactly. it was just random notes individually being sung in a somber fashion.
She decided to follow the sound and before long she saw a soft golden glow amongst some of the piles of debris.
She removed some of the broken concrete and random bricks to reveal a intricately filigreed box.
She remembered he had said something about solving it, She was hoping that it wouldn't be too difficult.
She began pressing certain areas on the golden metal frame helping for there had to be a secret button of some sort someplace.
There was indeed and in no time there was a small hiss of air that came from the box. despite the box being encased in metal, the box itself was made of wood and it was quite apparent when it open, three wooden pegs slid upward, and by instinct she twisted them at that and the box came together again and it flew right out of her hand onto the old broken up concrete.
That was so simple, I had thought this was going to be hard but that was easy. It's not much of a puzzle. I mean it wasn't even difficult.
Before she could triumph in her success, she noticed that the little specks of concrete below her feet were jumping just a bit as if there was some small tremor happening underneath her.
Then she felts the earth vibrate and shake and quake beneath her feet.
The construction site then exploded with the most intense and blinding light she had ever encountered in her entire life.
She closed her eyes and she could hear the crunching of stone and then there was an aggressive chill flooded into the air.
She opened her eyes to see the same strange fog she had seen before in her dreams.
However, something had changed about her surroundings, there was no longer any blinding light but she noticed that straight ahead of her what had once been a plain plaster wall, was now a sturdy brick and mortar and in the stone was a grey doorless entrance framed in dark grey Gothic bricks.
Amongst the fog, a tall pale faced figure emerged from the strange entryway.
Amelie scrambled to the box that was at least 10 feet ahead of her, So she would be ready to hand it to him, however as she bent on one knee to retrieve the box she could feel that he was towering over her very closely and looking at her quite intently.
"Rise. You need not bow your knee to me. Hand me the Box and will grant all that you desire".
Amelie awkwardly pushed herself off the broken concrete with one hand and struck out her other hand that the box was in towards her pin covered friend.
"You have done well.
I trust you didn't have much trouble finding it."
" No it was no trouble at all. I found it nearly immediately.
I heard the song and I saw the glow, It's almost as if it wanted me to find it".
" The box always wants to be found, Just as we all do. We all want the box to be found so we can be released upon the earth and all its inhabitants.
The box is our key to freedom, now that I have the key I have the freedom to go wherever I please, so do the rest of my servants.
Thanks to you I will be unstoppable."
"Well I'm glad I could be of help, I really am. I'm really happy for you,yet anyways now what is that you have in store for me on the other side?".
"You shall know soon enough but first follow me".
The Entryway opened into a long shadowy corridor that smelled of dried blood and crushed bones; the floors and walls were caked on with a thick powdery dust, coating everything like dry icing.
I took her a little bit to figure out that the strange dust that clung to every surface was not just dead skin cells but the dust from the long decayed bones of the people that had died there.
It nearly made her cough on how heavy and arid the air was.
"Before I show you your new fate, I must ask, how long do you intend on staying here?"
His bellowing baritone voice took on a thoughtful and almost caring quality.
"How long did you intend for me to stay here?"
Amelie's face contorted awkwardly as if he had asked her some weird question like how many pairs of underwear she owned back at home.
"Typically those who come here tend to stick around for awhile. How does Eternity sound?"
"If I stay here for eternity will I still be able to leave if I want to?"
"Of course. You may go wherever you wish but after your travels and your work in which I have assigned you, you will return here to your true home, your eternal home, infinite as this universe and the next one beyond that.
You do realize that humanity dose not survive within this domain, So you may have to leave your humanity behind once you enter this realm."
" Well I suppose that doesn't sound too bad. I mean humanity really never suited me much anyway.
So if my freedom comes at the price of giving up my humanity I suppose that sounds like a fair exchange."
" Yes, I imagine it would be considering, that humanity was the main cause of all your pain,your suffering, your agony your anguish and all your misery. Humanity let you down, it disappointed you, it rejected you, it struck and beat you and my personal favorite, it tortured you.
What has humanity ever done for you? Has it ever benefited you in any way?
It gave you life and it gave you a world in which to live in but after your existence humanity abandoned you, it threw you to the dogs, it treated you as refuse upon the Earth.
So why not give up on humanity especially after it gave up on you?"
"Yep Fair enough. You made your point, you actually made my point. If I give up my humanity will end up like you? What will happen to me if I become like you are?"
" You will never become like me because there is no one like me anywhere within any universe or realm.
You will become immortal, invincible powerful even. You will become eternal as I am. yes, but you shall be different than those that have come here unwillingly.
Slowly your humanity will leave you, It will be stripped away from you bit by bit,much like the falling petals of a dying flower.
When the last petal has fallen, you will then be your true self, Your skin will no longer hide what truly lives inside of your soul, Yes, eventually you will not wear skin, you will wear truth and justice.
Yes, very soon you will know no mercy, no compassion and No other sick sentimental human emotions.
You may not notice anything different at first but in time you will grow to appreciate this new way of life.
You will enjoy these unusual changes and eventually you will embrace it. Yes, you will embrace this new form, this new existence. So if you feel anything that is foreign to you, a uncertain sensation that may not be familiar to you, that is merely the change taking place within your system.
You can fight it, Yes, you can fight it as long as you like but eventually changes will take place, You will not be able to avoid it.
Change here is inevitable, however, this change will not happen without your permission and approval.
The change that will take place will indeed be your choice and your decision.
So I will have nothing to do with it.
It will be all you.
Nothing changes here without a reason and without a purpose.
You have a purpose and a reason to be here.
I gave you a challenge and you proved yourself worthy to complete it.
You gave me what I wanted and now I will give you what you want, That was part of the bargain, now as much as it sickens me, I must keep my promise to you. It is all part of the bargain, it's all part of the plan, it's all part of the deal and the pact that you made with me.
Oh yes one more thing I must mention, whatever you do, don't stray.
There is an old human saying curiosity killed the cat well in this case satisfaction never brings him back.
So I would advise you to follow me very closely and very carefully.
Another bit of advice If you hear any disturbances, voices, cries for help, Don't answer them and I would advise you, don't go looking for them. They do not need your help.
They chose their fate and they are sealed to it and bound to it for all eternity. Many came here willingly seeking treasure, recognition, power, some simply came here out of curiosity, but most came because of their undying greed.
So they live out their sentence, a sentence they pronounced upon themselves, although they blame me for bringing them here in the first place, but in truth they brought themselves to this place all on their own.
Greed and lust for power is one of the greatest flaws of the human race.
There has to be consequences and in coming here, they must face them.
So I would recommend not to interfere with their suffering.
They will ask you to end it but in order to do that you would have to execute them and that is a responsibility I doubt you would wish to bear.
Most that suffer here, wish for death So if they ask for your help they eventually will ask for you to kill them.
It's human nature,when you have tremendous suffering and no relief, you long for death and you welcome it.
It is mere selfishness and pure weakness, It is cowardice and the laziness of the flesh.
You must not give into it ,you must not listen to them. It is best to ignore them. I usually do, that is, most of the time."
At that he smiled grimly obviously, amused by the fact that he indeed enjoyed listening to their cries, groans and moans of eternal torment.
"I'll certainly keep that in mind. "
Amelie scratched her head, in a uncertain fashion.
The corridor ended and slid into a massive room, made of iron and steel there was a column of terrifying gargoyle like creatures but they stood on all fours similar to a dog.
You could see every muscle and blood vessel on their bodies, they had long snouts most of them some slightly resembled a rottweilers while others just appeared to be terribly mutilated dobermans.
Most were extremely muscler and while other were fast and lean and perhaps the most terrifying is that nothing covered their huge ferocious teeth.
There were some she noticed that had spikes protruding aggressively from their backbone.
Their jaws chattered and idly tore into the air eagerly awaiting fresh meat to tear to pieces.
Beyond the column of hellhounds was a throne that was a faded bronze color and it was etched with claws marks and decorated with the many scratches of human nails.
The mutilated dogs made her uneasy with their hungry whimpers and growls.
"Fear not they prefer to chase after their meals, so if you see them don't run.
Another thing that provokes them is screaming. It is a trigger for them, so if you encounter one of these magnificent beasts don't scream.
They are natural hunters, so they prefer their prey to be unwilling, terrified and of course absolutely hysterical.
Fear adds to the flavor and as for the running, it is the challenge before the great kill, it makes all the effort worth the chase.
They are predators after all, can you blame them?"
He sighed amusingly.
"This might seem really stupid not to mention rather pathetic but what do you feed these things exactly?"
Her face was becoming increasingly uneasy and rather disgusted.
"What, a interesting question. I wouldn't call it stupid, it's a exceptionally brave inquiry in fact.
Very well I'll tell you; you probably already guessed they don't dine on simple flesh, they prefer the flesh of humans and they appear to like it more if that flesh is still alive."
"Good to know. Do they eat anything else? I mean do they have any preferences? I mean suppose I have to dog sit for you, I'd really like to know what they eat and how I'm supposed to prepare it for them".
Amelie still had a nauseated and sickened expression on her face.
"You'll learn in time. Just watch, observe, You'll see how it's done".
"Are they just like other dogs or are they all vicious ,mean and predatory?"
"You're wondering if they are as evil as they appear. No, despite their aggressive and predatory nature, they aren't truly evil, they are simple minded so naturally they enjoy simple pleasures, food, warmth and attention.
They are extremely loyal, fiercely intelligent and they are nearly impossible to kill. They are unnaturally strong and they can outrun anything they set their eyes on.
They are perhaps the most endearing creatures in this realm but nonetheless they are still extremely dangerous and they fear no one, except of course me and the Almighty Leviathan."
"Who is the Leviathan?"
"He is our leader. A entity of great power and mystery.
We owe everything to the Leviathan, he is our god and our savior, we must all serve him and honor him above all that is both holy and unholy."
"Have you ever seen this Leviathan?"
"Have I seen him, no but there are those that have and they rot behind bars and decay within their cells.
It is said that those who see the Leviathan without permission lose their sight, for the glorious brilliance is too great for the eyes of mere mortals.
There was a human who had the privilege of seeing the leviathan but it came at a terrible price for later he lost his sanity completely. He became so mad that no one could make sense of what he said no matter how long we tortured him. It was all nonsense, so no one to this day truly knows what lies within the eternal shell of the great leviathan.
Perhaps it is best that way."
"How can you worship, a entity,that you've never seen?"
"A, interesting question. Why then does the human race continue to worship a God in which they have never seen? It is a matter of faith, matter of heart, you must trust your heart and believe that what is unseen is eternal and what is seen is perishable.
There are many things in this world and in the next and which we cannot see, but we do know for a fact, exist. For instance, truth, justice, vengeance temptation love, happiness, agony, anguish, misery and pain.
Your brain, for one thing, we cannot see but it still exists. Your soul is still there is it not? The soul is not seen by the naked eye but still it remains to keep you alive so naturally it must exist.
You must learn to accept, that just because you can't see something does not mean that It doesn't exist.
Many cannot see me but I still exist and soon many will not be able to see you and you will exist for all eternity as I have."
"Fair enough but it still sounds rather suspicious to me".