It was pitch black in that stairway, Charlie and Angel had to use the light of their cellphones to navigate their way down the steps. The further they went down though, the more they second guessed their choice to come here in the first place.
"Oh this was such a bad idea." Charlie said. "I don't know how I let you talk me into doing this. What if we never get out of here? What if we never see the sun again? I can't live underground for the rest of my life, I am not a mole."
"I don't think living underground forever is our biggest worry." Angel said, taking note of a large spider hiding in a corner.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs their ears picked up a sound coming from one of the many tunnels in this crypt. Slowly and quietly, they crept through the tunnel that the sound orginated from and drawing closer to it, they realized that they were hearing music. Jazz music, swing music, blues music, the music of Louisiana. What in the world was music doing in a crypt? Furthermore who would actually be playing music in a crypt?
The answer to that question came when the two reached the end of the tunnel and saw a most astounding sight. That tunnel had taken them to what appeared to be some sort of club, one based heavily on the ones that existed in Lousiana during the 1920's. There was dinning and drinking, a stage where performers sang and dance. But none of it shocked Charlie and Angel as much as the residents of this club did. They didn't see people in this club, they saw supernatural creatures. Beings of different shapes, designs, colors, some who looked like animal humanoids, some who looked attractive yet you would get a vibe to avoid them, and some who were twisted up into unholy abominations and one look at them could possibly petrify you to death.
"Angel." Charlie said blinking her eyes rapidly. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I don't know." Angel said, almost scared stiff. "What are you seeing exactly?"
"I think I'm seeing non-human beings in a club, but maybe I've just gone crazy."
"No I see them too, so you're not crazy."
"Okay, now that we know for certain we're sane, what the hell are we looking at?"
"I have no idea."
"What should we do?"
"Well we don't exactly know if these things are harmless so let's just stay hidden and watch."
"Until what?"
"I don't know. I've never done this before."
So they stayed in the darkness on that tunnel and watched everything that went on in that club, trying to learn as much as possible. The dance floor of the club was huge, and utterly packed. All paranomral beings who were eating or getting drunk, were mixed and mingled in their dancing. Weaving in and out of one another to the music of the band on stage. It was like paranormal surrelism.
"You know if this joint wasn't filled with supernatural terror, I'd join in." Angel said. "It looks fun."
Suddenly the music stopped, the danicng stopped, and the drinking stopped. For a moment, Charlie and Angel feared that their presence had been discovered but they were quickly relieved to learn that wasn't the case when all eyes turned toward the stage. The club grew dimmer and shadows painted the walls, a voice came forth from one of the shadows.
"When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls, whenever candlelights flicker where the air is deathly still, that is the time when ghosts are present, practicing their terror with ghoulish delight."
Something about that voice teased both Angel's memory and his fear, then both were made stronger when the shadow who spoke leapt off the walls on to the stage, taking the form of a certain demon.
"Holy shit! That's him!" Angel whispered horrified.
"Who?" Charlie asked.
But he couldn't answer. He was too afriad. Afriad because that was the very same demon he had met the other night. The one who threatened to kill him if he kept snooping around. But while Angel himself was terrifed beyond all reason by this being, everyone esle save for Charlie, was cheering for him.
"Take it boys!" He said snapping his fingers.
The band broke out into a creepy yet uplifitng song that had mix of modern music and music from the past. Lights flashed and flames sparked from all around as the mysterious demon swiftly slid over to the microphone and proceeded to sing.
"When the crypt doors creak, and the tombstones quake,
Spooks come out for a singing wake.
Happy haunts materialize, and begin to vocalize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize."
The audience cheered and all of them were soon on the floor dancing.
"Now don't close your eyes and don't try to hide, or a silly spook may sit by your side.
Shrouded in a daft disguise, they pretend to terrorize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.
As the moon climbs high o'er dead oak tree, spooks arrive for the midnight spree.
Creepy creeps with eerie eyes, start to shriek and harmonize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out socialize."
Angel may have been shaking in his boots the whole time this demon was on stage but Charlie found herself marveling at him, even as the flesh began to crawl over her bones. His appearance frightened her yet at the same time it intrigued her. She wanted to run from him but she also wanted to know more about him. Who was he?
"When you hear the knell of a requiem bell, weird glows gleam where spirits dwell.
Restles bones etherealize, rise as spooks of every size.
Grim grinning ghosts come out to socialize.
Grim grinning ghosts come out,
Grim grinning ghosts come out,
To socialize."
The moment his song ended, the crowds cheered more wildly than they did when he first appeared. Clapping could be heard at each angle and some were coupled with a few whistles.
"Thank you, thank you." He said bowing. "You are all far too kind."
"No Shadow Man." Boomed one being who had the body of a man but the head of a wolf. "It is you who is far too kind. For making an appearance at my club, it's sure to bring in more customers."
"Yes you're one hell of a man." Swooned a female who Angel suspected to be a succubus.
"Will you be giving us an encore?" Asked a creature who's looks mirrored a goat save for a few human-like appendages.
"No, no, no. I wouldn't want to upstage any of the other fine talents performing tonight. Besides I'm just here on business." The demon who Angel and Charlie now knew to be called the Shadow Man said modestly. "Though I must admit, the call of the stage is very hard for me to resist."
"Ah man if I had your looks and your talent, and your power, my ex wife would want me back." Commented a very strong and brutish beast.
"Didn't you kill your wife?" Someone said.
"She was screwin' the delivery man!" He thundred in a voice of unholy rage. "Bitch got what she deserved!"
"You're a succubi's fondest dream, oh won't you please come back to my place tonight?" The succubus pleaded to the Shadow Man. "Believe me, no man will ever know true passion until he''s gone to bed with someone like me."
"Tempting offer my dear." He said keeping his distance from her. "But alas for you, my frozen heart will only thaw for my bride."
"Ooo, talk about your cold shoulder." She said. "But I can take a hint. Though I must say, she's one lucky girl."
The Shadow Man smiled at her politely, then he casually waltzed off to find a table to sit at. Apparently he was meeting someone at this club.
"Lucky? More like unlucky." Angel whispered to Charlie. "What woman in her right mind would marry that guy?"
"Do you know him?" Charlie whispered back.
"Yeah I know him. I met him last night, he...Oh shit! What if he senses my presence."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't tell you about it now, but we better get out of here. Now."
"And how do we that? The door upstaris is sealed."
"We'll find another way. Let's just go."
They pratically tip-toed back down the tunnel and they were halfway toward the entrance when they heard footsteps coming down the sameway. They quickly ducked behind a nearby pillar and stood perfectly still, not daring to move until whatever was coming through that tunnel was long gone.
"I told you succubi didn't have low standards." They heard one voice say. "Just because sex is their weapon, doesn't mean they'll screw anything that moves."
"But I really wanted to get laid tonight." Another voice said.
"Maybe if you ditched the whole swamp get up and do a few push ups, you'd get lucky."
"Oh and you're such a good looking demon? You don't even have hair."
Their voices and steps seemed to be getting further away. Charlie and Angel both hoped to Heaven that they would be able to escape unnoticed.
"Wait!" A third voice called out. "Wait!"
"What?" One of the two monsters asked.
"I smell flesh. Human flesh."
Charlie turned as white as a ghost and for a split second, her heart stopped.
"Hey genius, we're in a crypt in a graveyard. You can smell rotting human flesh all around."
"No, this human flesh is fresh. Alive. There's a living human down here."
"Impossible. How could a live human get down here?"
"I don't know but I know what I smell."
Charlie and Angel could here the third member of the group sniffing around for them. The hairs on their head ms were standing up like the bristles of a nail-brush and a cold sweat was breaking out all over them. Their hearts were rapidly pulsing like mad and they willed themselves not to faint or scream. At long last, they came face to face with a hideous painted and powdered mug, sporting a large snout.
"There they are!" It declared. "There's two of them! And they're young!"
It reached out to grab Angel but he quickly produced the rosary beads from his pocket. The monster let out an ear-splitting shriek and drew back in alarm. The other two creatures advanced toward them but they too were repelled by the beads.
Charlie and Angel took this moment to make a run for it. As they ran they could hear echoes calling out,
"Humans! Living humans are down here! They've discovered our secret! Don't let them escape! Find them! Track them down! They must be exterminated immediately!"
They could hear a large medley of running feet coming from behind though they dare not look back to check.
"Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!" Angel whined, in rhythm with their steps.
"How many of them do you think your beads can hold off?" Charlie asked, careful not to waste too much of her breath.
"I don't know! But we are not sticking around to find out!"
He noticed Charlie trailing behind a bit, so he latched on to her arm and pulled her in front of him.
"Please God let us make it!" His mind cried. "Please! I promise I'll be a good Catholic! I'll go to church more! I'll swear off drugs and drinking and sex with strangers! I'll get married and have babies! Just please let us make it!"
They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. By God's glory they managed to get ahead and took the opportunity to give the upcoming mob the slip by going down another tunnel. At the moment they didn't care where the tunnel went, they just hoped that it would get them far away from the group of demons and monsters hunting them.