The portal lead her to a Dusty Antique shop.
She unlocked the display case and placed the box on the top shelf.
There were a few items that looked valuable but most of it was just worthless junk that was encrusted with dust and grey cobwebs clung to them lifelessly like dead hands hanging from trees.
She lost herself amongst all the sad forgotten objects that were chaotically placed around the room, she zoned out so completely that she didn't even hear the bell on the door ring that was placed on the inside frame to inform her customer had arrived.
"Um Mam, i hope it's not to much trouble but may i have a bit of assistance?"
There stood a stocky but meaty man, all muscle, wide shoulders, a checkered shirt, his face was youthful and round like the face of a baby but he had tired crows feet and exhausted smile lines.
He had a jaunty southern accent, he was friendly and his eyes were a lovely sparkling ocean blue.
She thought to her herself longingly: If only I had found myself a man like him years ago I'd probably be a very happy woman. He's not particularly tall but he's good looking and respectful, he seems like a kind soul. His energy is warm like sunshine.
He's almost too nice to get rid of but then again I don't know the man, I can't be too certain if he's kind or nice.
There must be a reason my new boss wants to get rid of him.
I mean he's not going to get rid of him exactly, I'm sure he'll lock him up someplace so he can torture him whenever he pleases yet something doesn't seem right. I mean eternal suffering for what? Asking for a box in some old antique shop?
It doesn't seem fair but then again I don't make the rules.
Perhaps he'll explain when I get back to home base.
"Yes of course, how may I help you?"
Amelie smiled in a subtle and secretive sort of way.
"I'd like to take a look at that strange box up there if you don't mind".
He pointed rather cautiously to the top shelf where the puzzle box waited idly for the next person to solve it.
"Oh it's no trouble at all. No I don't mind. I'll get it down for you no problem". She gave him a shy little wink.
"Much appreciated mam".
She unlocked the cabinet yet again, she took the box down and handed it over to the nice man.
"Thank you kindly".
"Oh it's my pleasure".
She hated the word pleasure, it always reminded her of something dirty, something kinky, forbidden and best left hidden.
"So what in tarnation is this?
I mean does it have some history attached to it?"
"Well it's a beautifully crafted piece done by the late Phillip Lemarchant, he was a master craftsman of the 18th century. He was considered to be a genius of his time but he wasn't given much appreciation in the era he lived in since most thought him to be just a poor French Toy Maker.
He was fascinated by the occult although some claimed he never practiced it while other went as far as to say he was a murderous madman who took the bone and fat of human flesh to create his most prized creation.
There are said to only be only 200 in existence so this is indeed a rare artifact.
There is a story that always follows this box and that is this: The Box is a puzzle and whoever solves the puzzle within the box will open a Portal to hell itself and unleash hell upon the earth.
However that is just a story, I'm sure it's absolutely harmless, no doubt the stories are based on silly superstitions and pure ignorance.
It's to my belief that Phillp was innocent and completely oblivious to what be was actually creating. I mean he was a kind hearted toy maker with a wonderful wife, who was with child at the time when he made this.
His deep interest and love for occultic art was quite evident in the design of what is known as the Lament Box or more specifically The Lemarchant Box.
He put much of his passion in folklore and old occultic history into his work.
He was eventually well recognized for his music boxes and he eventually made a decent wage selling those to shops and other rich French aristocrats.
Anyway it is quite a find, it definitely is a real gem and it's not everyday people come across such beautiful artifact, so you shouldn't pass up the opportunity to take home such a beauty."
"So you think I should buy it?"
"Oh yes, of course. I mean that box has been on the shelf for who knows how long and then you come along, you spot it right away, I mean you must really have a eye for true antiquity.
Just think of it as art.
You're bringing home a work of art, art has history, so you'll be taking home a bit of history".
"How much does history cost?"
"Well since you've listened to my whole cockamamie story I'll give it to you for 10 bucks."
"Done.
That's a fair price for that charming little yarn you spun out for me.
I'm a sucker for History, so why not?
Plus you've been so nice and friendly towards me, so iy wouldn't mind returning the favor.
Here's another $10 for a tip.
You do take tips don't you?"
"Oh yes. Tips are most appreciated".
"Oh good. Well I bid you good day Mam and hopefully I'll see you again
Some time, another day, I could stop by maybe, when I'm in the neighborhood, look around again, that is if you don't mind."
"Oh please come again anytime."
His eyes glimmered with a joyous splash of love.
She suddenly felt sick the moment he left the antique shop.
I don't think I can do this.
The guy is in obviously smitten with me and I don't know maybe I'm a bit smitten with him.
Wait Amelie, look at this logically you hardly know the man, he means nothing to you. You have no emotional ties to him. It's not as if you're in love with him.
You have to do this.
You can't mess this up.
Stop getting emotional and all sentimental.
Just follow him and get it over with.
Stop stalling yourself.
Don't procrastinate now.
Follow him, be his friend, lead him to Pinhead and have a fainting spell and it's done. Mission over. It's really that easy.
Amelie surreptitiously crept outside to the vast and massive empty parking lot that stretched outside overwhelmingly far ahead of her.
There was smoke rising in the distance and there was a acrid sour smell of burnt tires and cow manure.
The sky was red as blood and there was no moon and no sun and no stars.
This wasn't earth, this was earth in another reality, a parallel universe where earth was up in flames and crumbling, the sky scrapers melted under the unquenchable fires, the houses collapsed like gingerbread, frail and fragile.
There was a great earth quake that left the earth in absolute shambles, the Earth was breaking at the seams, the Earth bulged, buckled and gaped like a soldier's incurable wounds.
However all this escaped her even though she had previously given a entire history lesson on a Man she had had never heard of in her life.
The words she spoke detailing the box's creation absolutely baffled her.
She knew nothing of the box before but all that information had some how flooded into her brain and like water it flowed from her mouth.
Her mouth seemed to act on it's own and she seemed to yet again have no control over the words that were spoken out loud.
She scanned cautiously for her target until she finally found him crouching over the box like a hunchback trying what seemed in a desperate manner to solve it.
She remembered she mustn't be seen until he opened the portal.
So she hid around the corner of the antique shop, out of sight but she still could see the stranger fiddling with the odd little box.
Finally after 10 minutes he was able twist the box in just the right way so that it came together again.
It lept out of his hands and a huge swirling vortex ripped open the sky and revealed a grey bricked entrance yet again.
The entrance plummeted down with a thick but satisfying crunch into the parking lot pavement and it made tiny fractal like cracks by the sheer force of it's arrival.
This was her time to shine, she stepped out in the open and pointed in horror at the Pillar of stones that formed the entryway.
"What the hell is that?"
She pretended to be surprised by the sight if it and she was ever so convincing even though it was hard to tell especially since he was so clearly fixated at the entrance, marveling at it without even blinking it seemed.
"I didn't do it.
It's the box you gave me, I twisted it and it slid back together and somehow it landed over there, then the whole sky tore open and that thing landed right smack dab on the pavement.
I thought you said those were just stories. You said it was harmless".
"Don't look at me. I thought it was harmless before, you know this happened. I just thought it was a music box, honestly. I just did my research, I googled the box and that's the story it came up with.
I honestly thought it was all a folktale, a fairy tale, a work of fiction that was based on some true events.
I mean Philip Lemarchant obviously existed and I'm sure he was the one that designed this but the rest sounded too absurd to be true.
So I embellished a bit but egads if I knew it was going to fling fucking pieces of rocks out of the sky I really wouldn't have sold it to you".
The man relaxed and smiled.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't accusing you of nothing. I'm sure you weren't responsible for any of this, unless you're some kind if witch.
You're not a witch are you?" He grinned rather childishly.
"No of course I'm not.
I'm just a ordinary shop keeper.
I don't look like a witch do I?"
"No but then again I haven't encountered many witches in my life.
If you are a witch well, I shan't hold it against you, there takes a lot of different folks that make the world and maybe you're just one of the good ones."
"Am I witch cause I'm wise or cause I'm running a weird antique shop?"
"No I'm saying you're not one cause you're so kind and pretty".
"You're sweet but oh well don't you want to know where that leads?"
"What the fuck? Oh Excuse me pardon my French, what I mean to say is what makes you think that leads to anywhere?"
"Well it looks like a entrance and I figured the rest out on my own".
Amelie said rather flatly clearly unimpressed my his observation skills.
"Yes I get it. I'm a real dolt
but seriously why in the hells bells would you want to go in there? That could lead straight to the devil himself."
"What if the stories are wrong? I mean it's Google, you think it's 100 percent accurate all time?
I mean it said evil would be unleashed on earth, I don't see any evil around do you? Then look at the entrance, it's all Dusty and foggy in there, Does that look like hell to you?
Hell is all fire and brimstone, demons, smoke and pitchforks.
So why not have a quick look?"
"True but looks can be mighty deceiving and the devil I've heard has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve.
Plus it's dark in there, I don't like the idea of wandering around in the dark especially in a unfamiliar place like that."
"Oh I'm sure it's not that dark and if it is we can stick together.
Aren't you in the least bit curious?"
"Yes I reckon I am but still how do we know this isn't some Portal descending straight down to hell?"
"Well we won't know will we unless we head in".
"Since you put it that way, I suppose there is no harm being curious.
Alright but you better stay close to me you know in case if I have to protect you".
He chuckled rather nervously as they sauntered in, hand in hand, right into the trap that her employer had sent for this unfortunate soul.
She really began to wonder if was she going to regret this.