Chapter Twenty-Four

Even before they opened their eyes, they could feel the heat. And when their eyes did open, they were looking into another world. With their hands they shielded their eyes until they became accustomed to the brightness of this new place. Fires blazed sporadically throughout the place which allowed them to view the cavernous environment better.

As they took in their bearings, Tracy and Rick discovered that they were standing on a peninsula of rock surrounded by a great chasm before their feet. It didn’t look as if they had traveled to another dimension at all; with the stalactites and stalagmites, tunnels, and rocky terrain, it seemed like a typical cave.

“Is...is this hell?” asked Tracy and Rick shook his head.

“I don’t know.” Rick replied and then looked over at Tracy. “I know we’re dead and everything, but it’s important that we do not let anything happen to ourselves, otherwise there will be no going back,” he said and she nodded.

“Do you,” she began and looked across the horizon of rock. “Do you think we’ll feel pain?”

Rick paused for a moment and then sighed. “I don’t know. Our souls are still with us, so maybe there will be pain, too.” He turned to face her again with a concerned expression. “You know, we kinda cheated death in a way. We played God and chose when to die. I don’t know what kind of senses we’ll have.”

“God cast Satan into hell to feel the eternal fires. He is trapped in his own pain. Hell is pain, Rick. I guess there’ll be pain for us, too.”

There was another contemplative pause. He didn’t want to think about being in pain while being dead. “Come on, we’d better get moving – I don’t know how far Orion is.”

Tracy agreed, but, “Where? We’re standing on a cliff,” she said and glanced down toward the ground which was barely visible from where they stood. It was a very long way down to the rocky floor.

Rick followed her gaze and sighed. “I guess we’ve just gotta make do and climb down – very slowly.”

Then she thought of something; she recalled their trek through Connor’s hallway when they headed toward the door and Rick was attacked by a snake-like creature. He had pulled a sword from his pocket and severed its head like it was nothing. “Hey, you pulled out a sword from your pocket before. Can’t you pull us out a glider or something?” she hoped.

Her hope was smashed when he grinned and shook his head. “No,” he answered. “You must’ve forgotten. We’re dead, not dreaming.” And as an afterthought, “Let’s get moving.”

Tracy bent down and lowered her feet over the ledge and looked up at Rick. “You sure are a killjoy,” she said and began to lower the rest of her body.

Rick followed close behind, careful to watch his footing. Half way down Rick had to fight to block out the excruciating pain from his hands as they bled profusely – he didn’t want to have to tell Tracy that the pain in hell was as real as before.

He glanced down and saw a rock break from beneath Tracy’s foot. She slammed her body against the wall trying to regain any hold, but it was no use.

Rick let his hand-hold go and slid down to Tracy, quickly stabilizing himself and reached his arm down to her and grabbed her wrist with a bloody hand. “Hold on,” he yelled down to her. The horrible situation worsened when he scanned their area and found nowhere that she could grab onto – from here on down, it looked as if the rock wall was smooth with no crevices.

“Shit,” he whispered – he could see that Tracy was in no angle to see what lies below them. “We’re going to have to fall the rest of the way down,” he called to her.

“What?” Tracy yelled back and looked up into his eyes. “I know you just didn’t say that we have to fall all the way down,” she said, trying to read Rick’s eyes. The tears of fright began to run down her face and she shook her head and buried it against the wall. “Oh God. No,” she cried out.

Rick’s arm felt as if it were going to snap off from holding Tracy and he knew that now was not a time to level with her. “I’m sorry, Tracy.”

Head still against the wall, “How far?”

He cautiously looked down past Tracy and judged the fall to be at least a hundred feet and he looked back at Tracy with fear in his own eyes. “Twenty feet,” he lied. “We can do this. I know we can – we didn’t come all the way to this hell just to let some wall stop us.” Rick called out to Tracy and whatever other presence may be listening to them.

“Okay. On three. One…two…three!” Tracy shouted and Rick let her slip out of his hand as they accelerated down the side of the wall. If it wasn’t the jagged rocks cutting into their hands, it was the smooth trip down that burned their stomachs and backs as they flip-flopped down.

A ludicrous plan entered Rick’s head as they quickly approached the ground. He put his back against the wall and reached out and grabbed Tracy. He pulled her to him – they were now face to face. “When I give the word, roll!” he shouted over the howling wind and she nodded. She didn’t know what he had planned, but anything’s worth a shot.

Tracy dared to look down and a sick feeling overwhelmed her when she saw the ground coming up to meet them. “Roll!” Rick yelled and kicked her away from him with a hard shove from his legs.

Tracy, at first, forgot what she was to do, then put her body into a ball and she quickly found herself rolling across the ground so fast that she crashed through several stalagmites before stopping. She was knocked unconscious before she came to a complete stop.

Without lifting her head, Tracy slowly opened her eyes and moved her head to the side and looked into the battered face of Rick, who was kneeling at her side attempting to bring her back to this side of consciousness. “What happened?” she whispered. She didn’t dare move or even attempt to lift her hands.

“We’re on the ground. We made it that far.” Rick explained without any emotion.

Tracy’s eyes became more focused and she became frightened by the Rick she saw kneeling in front of her. His head had several gashes and his nose had been split. Both eyes were blackened and his bottom lip had been ripped.

When Tracy was able to lift her head, she saw that Rick had been leaning on one leg as he knelt beside her. The way his left foot had bent outward caused Tracy to fear the worse and Rick nodded.

“Yeah. Ankle’s probably broken,” he responded to her fears with a grim smile. “You’ve got to make the rest of the journey alone.”

At once, adrenaline took over and Tracy stood up. “No,” she began and almost fell down once again from the dizzy sensation running through her still-clouded head. “You’ve come this far with me; I won’t let you give up that easily.”

Rick threw her insane laughter. “Jesus, Tracy!” He stood up, tried to walk over to her, and then fell back to the ground. “Does it look like I can travel with you?”

She still would not give up on her friend. “No, not like that,” she agreed and then leaned over and grabbed his shirt and pulled him to his feet with what strength she had left. “But, with me by your side.” She looked at him and they smiled at each other.

Tracy pulled his arm up over her shoulder.

“Do you think you can walk me all the way through here?” Rick asked as he glanced around their location. It did look as if they had reached whatever bottom this place had to offer. Their only concern now seemed to be the rocky terrain and the fires burning sporadically throughout.

“If I have to.” Tracy replied and looked up at him with a serious look in her eyes that told him that she would never give up.

Nodding and accepting the help, “Fine, have it your way.” Rick grinned and took a step forward, knocking Tracy off balance – almost causing her to fall down once again – Rick chuckled by the surprise.

She looked at him and saw that he was playing games with her. “You know,” she began with a look of mischief in her eyes. “I could easily guide you into one of those stalagmites.”

Rick was about to tell her how cruel she was but an odd sound caught his ears. It had the strange likeness of wet leather flapping in the wind. Daring to look up, he saw what he was hoping not to see.

The winged demon circled high above, its skeletal bird-like head moved back and forth searching for prey. Its front claws were open, ready to snatch anything that it thought savory. Its back claws were closed and pointed behind it. The creature’s mouth hung slightly open, revealing sharp teeth. Its long tail shot back and forth, searching the air behind it for anything that it might have missed.

“Tracy,” Rick whispered and lowered his head to her ear. “We need to find shelter quickly and very quietly,” he said.

Tracy followed his eyes and almost screamed, but Rick covered her mouth with his hand. “Don’t make a sound.” Rick warned and looked around. “I don’t know what it is, but I really don’t want to stick around and find out.”

She nodded and helped Rick over to the far wall and found the mouth of a cave. She propped Rick against the wall and crouched in front of the cave and peered inside. There wasn’t all that much to see – it was too dark for her to see more than the length of her arm.

Tracy pulled her head out and stood back up. “Well, all I know is that we’ll have to crawl – the ceiling’s too low,” she informed in a sympathetic expression as she glanced down at his ankle.

Rick looked back up at the winged demon who was about to make a turn in their direction. “Doesn’t look like we’ve got much choice,” he said and slid his body down the wall onto all fours. “Let’s go – you lead,” he concluded and she nodded and crouched down as well.

Rick followed closely behind Tracy, he wished he could block out the pain in his leg, and every so often found himself grabbing her shoe by accident. It actually relieved Tracy when he mistook her shoe for the ground – at least she knew that he was still behind her.

Blind to everything around them, their sense of scent and sound strengthened. The scent of mold and something rotting had become almost unbearable. Ahead of him, Rick heard Tracy coughing, violently at times, and grabbed her leg. “You all right?”

Tracy stopped moving. “I’m…yeah, I’ll be alright. Just the smell,” she reassured Rick and continued moving.

A new chill blew through the air causing them to shiver almost immediately after they began again.

“Must be an exit somewhere.” Rick replied to the darkness. “Wind doesn’t come out of nowhere.”

Tracy chuckled quietly. “I only wish I could see my damned hand,” she replied, off-subject. “I think I need a small break. You don’t by chance have a lighter do you?”

Rick shook his head. “Sorry. I never took up smoking,” he replied and shivered once again from a wind coming from some unseen source.

“I’s got a light for you’s,” came an odd voice from out of the darkness, startling them.

Neither Tracy nor Rick recognized the strange mousy voice. Both had agreed without words that they would be better off not knowing who the voice came from.

A sudden single flame was lit right in front of Tracy’s nose. And when Tracy looked up, she found herself almost nose-to-nose with some man who at one time resembled a human who was smiling at her behind insane eyes.

Tracy screamed, scaring the stranger and he quickly extinguished the flame with a loud squeal of his own. “Me’s no bother to yous,” squeaked the stranger in the darkness.

“Who are you?” It was Rick who broke the ice and strained his eyes for any glance of the thing that he might be able to get.

A short pause filled the darkness and then a quiet chuckle. “Me’s name was James. James Whitaker – or, that’s what it was a long time ago, during the Great War,” replied the thing in the dark. “May I sees your face?” it asked with sincerity.

“Yeah,” Tracy nodded. “Sure,” she said and the flame was instantly lit once again. This time, she found that James had scurried several feet away and was now cowering in an indentation in the wall.

Tracy studied the thing closer this time and her eyes first recognized his albino-like flesh. His white hair had thinned with age and had grown down past the middle of his back. His face was sunken, which made it look as if his black eyes were too big for his head. He couldn’t weigh more than sixty pounds as she could see his ribs and collar bone sticking through his skin. She glanced down and noticed his long fingernails. She could not even guess an accurate age; although she knew he was very old.

She pitied the man. She could tell that he had been normal at one time and was left to waste away in this hell.

“What are you doing here?” Rick asked as he, too, studied the man. Tracy may have pitied him, but Rick wasn’t too sure yet. He needed more proof to let him trust this very old thing.

The man began flinching his neck and shoulders. “Names. Names. You names.”

Tracy and Rick glanced back at each other with confused expressions. He shrugged and Tracy looked at their stranger. “I’m Tracy, that’s Rick.

The man smiled, showing very little teeth. “Tracy-Rick. Rick-Tracy. Tracy-Rick. Come,” he squeaked and headed off in the opposite direction.

They watched the flame’s light dim and headed after it, not wanting to be left in the darkness again.

“Why are you here?” Tracy asked while they crawled.

James flinched. “Yous…yous don’t know? Dear me, I think you were here to take me way out of here for good,” he closed his large eyes and tears began to well in them. “No,” he told himself. “Must be strong still.” He let a loud sigh escape his mouth and looked up at them. “Come with me – I’s tell yous everything yous want to know.” He looked further down the passageway.

Tracy turned and faced Rick as Rick kept his eyes on James, who was breathing heavily, his chest bone heaving with his every breath. “If there’s an exit to this cave, we’ll go with you.” Rick said to James, who got on all fours with a large smile on his crooked lips.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Yes, yes. This way,” he gestured down the unlit cave. “Follow me’s. This way. Must save flame’s power.” James called back to them and extinguished the lighter.

“How do you know where to go?” Tracy asked, utterly amazed by the fact that James had been crawling quite quickly with ease. “I mean, can you see in this darkness?” she clarified what she was thinking.

They heard the shrill squeal of James as he laughed. “Me’s? No. No.” He stopped crawling and relit the flame and turned to face them. “I’s been here for several hundred years – maybe even a thousand, I’s don’t know – so I’s gotten used to these caves,” he explained behind a grotesque smile. As he turned off the lighter, he thought of another warning. “Don’t go squash any rats, please. These are powerful allies of mine. They tells me’s evything going on in caves.”

Rick flinched and he felt his right eye twitch and his stomach churn. “Rats?” he asked in a voice sounding his obvious fear.

“You, Rick? Afraid of something?” Tracy mocked him and he shook his head in disgust. “Those long tails, big bodies, claws, beady red eyes and large teeth? All that scares you?” she almost laughed.

“Shut up,” he replied and she grinned.

“All right,” she smiled back at him and began to follow James once more. “Sissy,” she said in her best mocking tone and picked up the trail of James once again.

“Bitch,” he countered, causing Tracy to burst out laughing.

“Please, hurry,” called James in a worried expression. “Me’s thinks He knows yous here,” he said and both Rick and Tracy gave similar expressions of concern.

“Is it far?” asked Tracy, who was straining her eyes to look past James for any sign of light. “This place you’re taking us?”

“Several more minutes – I hope,” answered James and they heard his long fingernails clawing at the ground to give him more speed.

Tracy thanked the Lord when she saw the dim light of a fire burning in the short distance ahead. “There.” James called and was the first to enter the open area.

Tracy looked around and saw that they had to climb about a foot down and so she helped Rick when he came into the chamber. They looked around the enormous stone chamber with a high ceiling. They followed the walls with their eyes and were shocked to find that it was completely circular, consisting of several other cave entrances.

The caves themselves weren’t what Rick was paying attention to; it was the skeleton figures which were sitting on stone ledges above each entrance.

“We are the Guardians.” James explained when he saw them eying the skeletons with confusion. They turned to face James. “Orion desires entrance into the Forbidden Realms. That we cannot allow.”

Rick threw James a quizzical look. “You speak much better than before,” he said and James smiled.

“It is this place,” he began and gestured to the entire chamber. “It holds powers beyond your imagination. This place gives me my strength and knowledge of words.” James turned and gestured to the fire burning bright and tall. “If this flame ever dies, then he has won and will have access to the Forbidden Realms.”

Tracy looked down into the fire and saw what looked like a huge iron gate lying across the floor at the base of the flames. “So,” she spoke up and placed her hands in her pockets. “That’s the Forbidden Realms?” she asked and Rick followed her gaze and they both shared a similar frightened feeling in their stomachs.

James nodded. “It is.”

Rick shook his head and turned to face James. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but, what the hell are you and a bunch of skeletons going to do when Orion does come barging in here?”

James smiled and closed his eyes. Rick and Tracy were witness to the awesome power of the chamber as they saw James become younger and even his garments had altered to those of slacks, shirt, and a sword hanging at his left hip. “Me and my skeletons?” he mocked and lifted his head and arms toward the walls of the chamber.

It only took seconds and then they appeared out of nowhere. Hundreds of them. The skeletons animated themselves and flesh had grown over their bones. Each had grabbed their swords which had lain at their feet and stood, every eye had been locked on Rick and Tracy.

“You see, my new comrades, it isn’t just me.” James corrected Rick, who felt as if he could no longer move out of fear.

Tracy paid special attention to James’ words and cut in. “Wait a second,” she stepped in front of Rick. “We aren’t comrades. You are here to protect the Forbidden Realms, we are here to kill Orion,” she explained, which brought James to a climatic frenzy of laughter.

“My dear child, no one can kill Orion. My lineage has been cursed to find a way to do it, but that was hundreds of years ago – and nothing has been found.” James replied and Tracy shook her head.

“Well, maybe you haven’t tried that hard,” she said, James threw her an offended expression. “There’s got to be a way – he was mortal, wasn’t he?”

James shrugged and turned his back to them. “Some say he was born human and then became what he is through age. I tend to believe that he was a monster from the beginning,” he answered and walked over to one of the cave entrances farthest from them and reached into the darkness.

Rick and Tracy watched as he pulled out a thick stack of old paper with leather bonding. “This,” James turned back to face them. “This is what my ancestors chronicled hundreds of years ago.” He handed the papers to Tracy, who began looking it over. “It tells from two viewpoints – Alexius, the boy and his confidant Barbus Whitaker, who eventually became the first Guardian. This is the beginning of Orion.”

Rick was watching the flame as Tracy was skimming the words written on the old pages. The flame began a flickering dance at a rhythmic pace. “Uh, Tracy,” Rick began and James nodded his understanding. “I think you should skim faster or else get the hell out of here,” he forced himself not to yell. “I think he’s on his way here.”

“Quickly, throw it into the flame. I will know how to retrieve it. There’s a tunnel just beyond that opening – it should be tall enough to walk in and bright enough, too.”

Rick smiled and held out his hand, which James grabbed enthusiastically. “Thank you very much. You will not be forgotten.” When they released hands, Tracy tossed the manuscript into the flame and helped Rick to the cave James had motioned to and began entering it when James called to them.

“Tell Vincent I shall see him soon.”

Tracy looked at Rick behind confused eyes. Rick shrugged and looked back at James. “I’m sorry, Vincent died a couple days ago,” he replied and James shook his head.

“No. I’m referring to Vincent Hopman – your son.”

Chills quickly raced down Rick’s spine but he did not have the chance to inquire any further. The footfalls of Orion could now be heard close to them. “Go, he is close. You still have possession of the book he wants,” called James as he held out his hands in a pushing movement.

Tracy stared back at James. She didn’t remember having the sacred book with her when she killed herself. She turned to Rick. “You don’t have the bible on you, do you?”

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the book Orion has been killing for.

“I better hold on to that,” she said and took the book from Rick’s hand.

He said nothing further and climbed through the entrance and trudged down the tunnel. Rick sighed as he limped beside Tracy. “At least there’s more moisture here,” he commented as he ran his fingers over the wall.

There was plenty of light as promised by James and it did seem that they were actually making progress through this wilderness of hell. The only problem that they could see is that they were here looking for Orion, and now here they are – running from him once again. “Must be a river down here, somewhere.” Tracy found herself responding, not really thinking about what she was saying.

Rick grinned and leaned closer to her. “To tell you the truth, I really don’t know if this is ‘down here’. This place could be anywhere in the afterlife,” he said and saw a sudden change in Tracy’s eyes.

“Do you have the dagger with you?”

Confused, Rick checked his back pocket again, felt something, and pulled out the dagger and handed it to her. “How,”

Tracy accepted what she had been newly burdened with. “When Allen forced the blade into his chest, I was holding it – not him. If I’m not mistaken, you were still holding the blade when you took your life,” she explained.

Rick thought about this and shrugged. “Okay,” he agreed. “So?”

Tracy looked at the blade in her hand and turned it over and studied the snake. “We could use this against Orion,” she answered and grazed the still-sharp point across the palm of her hand.

“Okay. Is there anything else you think I should know?” he asked as his adrenaline began pumping. Hell, he thought, I’m a higher academic student.

“Yeah,” she lowered her head and leaned closer to Rick. “Orion’s right next door – in the other tunnel.” Tracy whispered with fright in her eyes.

Rick and Tracy quieted and listened as they heard Orion speaking in an irate manner. They heard his feet scraping the ground and heard his breathing as if he were right behind them. “You let them escape. There are no excuses. You will be punished just as soon as I have their souls.” They could almost see Orion clenching his skeletal fist in anger. “Now find them and bring me my book. Victory is just around the corner”

Rick and Tracy threw one another a scared expression and looked down the tunnel. Rick turned to Tracy. “Should we try to beat them to the end?” he inquired and glanced down at his foot. He felt certain that it would have to be amputated – it felt that bad.

“I don’t think we’ve got much choice.” Tracy replied, placing the dagger in her back pocket and putting the book in her other pocket. Once they were protected, she grabbed Rick’s arm and draped it over her shoulder.

As Rick was pushed up against Tracy, a small “umph” escaped him. He was surprised at the strength she put forth. “I guess you don’t even need that book for muscle,” he replied with a grin and she tossed him a concerned look.

Just as her arms dropped to her sides, a fire erupted before them standing three feet above their heads, blocking any further movement down the tunnel away from James. And before the flames stood Alexius, almost equal in height.

Again, Rick looked down at his foot, then up into the Dreamkillers red eyes. “If you wouldn’t mind stepping aside, we have some killing to do,” he said as he stood up and straightened his back to show some strength.

Alexius chuckled beneath his stale breath and looked at Rick. “To kill him, you must get through me,” he grunted and extended his long clawed arms. “Kill me – if you think you’ve got what it takes.” I’ve been longing for a good fight, Alexius smiled to himself. It’s been a long time since I’ve had equal prey.

How long do I need to bluff? “Shouldn’t be too difficult.” Rick shrugged the comment off as if it was last weeks’ news and Alexius almost choked on his own spit when he burst out in laughter.

“Oh, really?” he asked and brought his right claw up to his face and placed his index finger up to his chin. “I’m betting my soul that you won’t even come close to making me sweat.”

Rick limped his way closer to Alexius and Alexius almost fell to the floor in laughter. “You – fight me? You don’t have a leg to stand on, Boy. No pun intended, of course,” Alexius replied and Rick nodded.

“You know, your boss may be the leader of the Dreamkillers, but never bet your soul to the devil himself,” he said, which now seemed to cause Alexius to lunge forward with rage.

Just when Alexius was about to grab Rick’s throat, “Alexius, how long has he really been controlling you?” Tracy cut in, causing him to stop in mid-attack and glance over at Tracy, who stood where she was with a defiant posture.

“You shut up, Bitch. You don’t know anything.” Alexius spat as he stared at her behind both confusion and outrage.

“How long has he held your soul?” she asked, trying to cut through his outer shell.

“No one controls me.” Alexius replied and found himself trembling. “I am my own master!” he screamed.

“You were once human, Alexius. Don’t you remember?” She saw in his eyes that he was beginning to break. Now she had to go in for the kill. “Leigh forgives you for everything,” she said and witnessed the Dreamkiller shed a tear at his own memories of a time when castles and kings ruled the land; when Orion had fantasies about killing people in their dreams; when Alexius actually succeeded in entering Leigh’s dream, only to have Orion slaughter her right in front of his own eyes. “Rage,” Orion tells him, “is what makes us powerful.”

When Alexius found himself looking into Tracy’s eyes, he was kneeling on the ground before her feet. “You truly are a Dream Crusader. I didn’t believe it,” he said and then lowered his head and closed his eyes as tears fell more easily than before. “It is my wish – as controller of my own soul! – to walk with my Leigh once again; to feel her skin with my human hand; to kiss her soft lips and smell her beautiful perfume.” He reached out and took hold of the bottom of her legs. “I apologize, Mistress Tracy,” he said and said no more.

Tracy looked into Rick’s eyes and together they seemed to come to the same conclusion: that Alexius had been in mental anguish for centuries and it is now time to help end the anguish by allowing Alexius to once again be reunited with Leigh.

She reached in her back pocket and found the dagger and pulled it out as she gently held the back of Alexius’s monstrous head as he wept at her feet. As Tracy brought the blade to her front, it was the glistening steel that Rick concentrated on – not Alexius. She took the dagger in both hands and raised it above her head. Rick watched as she held the dagger in mid-air for a moment, wondering if Alexius was wondering what was taking so damned long, and then bringing it down hard into the back of Alexius’s neck.

Alexius did not scream or try to avoid being killed. In fact, once he felt the blade come through the back of his neck and then out the front of his throat, he let out a sigh of relief.

Rick bowed his head and whispered a silent prayer, praying that the Lord would show him mercy for his sins. Tracy, too, lowered her head and closed her eyes, but instead of praying, she was weeping. She had never had to perform a mercy killing before – and she hoped that she would never have to perform another one ever again.

A minute later, they opened their eyes and she found that she was now looking down at a brown crown. Alexius the Dreamkiller had returned back to his true form as a young Alexius, who was no more than fifteen years of age.

Tracy found that she was paralyzed in sorrow – all she could do was stare at the dead boy. It was Rick who walked up to them and pulled the dagger out of Alexius’ body. Once the blade was taken from the body, Alexius fell to the ground on his side, still in a kneeling position, naked and wet with perspiration. Alexius had long brown hair which was matted against his face.

“May God have mercy on his soul,” whispered Rick as he took the blade and wiped it clean of Alexius’ blood with the bottom of his shirt and with the tip of the blade, he made the sign of the Cross.

Tracy closed her eyes and recomposed herself once again. “I hope he’s in a better place than we are,” she commented and turned to face Rick and held out her hand.

Rick glanced down at the dagger and then to her open hand. He walked over to Tracy and placed the hilt of the blade in her waiting palm. “What’s your plan now?” he inquired – a bit of sardonic tones could be heard in his voice. Tracy picked up on the tone and bit her lip to force herself not to sneer at him.

She glanced over at the wall separating them and Orion. “We have no choice. We came here to kill Orion,” she replied and Rick felt a wave of nausea fall over him – deep down, he was not ready to fight Orion.

He was about to open his mouth to agree, but he then felt a peculiar pressure brushing against the inside of his head. “Tracy, wait,” he whispered and was knocked off balance as the pressure began fingering its way to his brain. That’s when he heard the voice whispering inside his head.

For someone that’s of academic excellence, you sure were easy to get into, Richard.

What the hell do you want? Rick asked. Deep down, he felt proud that Orion had chosen his mind to converse with, and not Tracy.

Everything. I want to give you your desires, and I want to teach you those religions long thought dead.

Rick lowered his eyebrows as he pictured what it was Orion wanted. Tracy looked over at him with a worried expression on her face. “You okay?” she asked and walked over to him.

Rick did not see Tracy walk over to him; all he concentrated on was the conversation going on in his mind. You want me to be a Dreamkiller, don’t you?

There was a short pause in his mind followed by a sigh. In the end, yes I will wish for you to be one of my Dreamkillers. He felt Rick begin to struggle. Wait! There are things that even she doesn’t know.

Rick resided in his mind. Go on, and he let himself listen to what Orion had to say for himself.

The Forbidden Realms is what was known as the Garden of Eden. Imagine, Richard, Orion sighed in rapture, to step in the same place where God first put Adam and Eve – to see the tree of knowledge. Can you handle that much information in your brain? Orion gave a little chuckle.

Orion could feel the temptation welling inside Rick’s head; and it pleased him to no end. Together we can force our way into Eden, but I need your help.

Rick looked over at Tracy and she saw a different shine in his eyes. His gray eyes emitted a red glassy luster, which scared her. “Rick?” He had a maddened look by the way his lips curled up in a sadistic grin.

The book, Rick replied and Orion laughed. Then Rick heard another voice. This voice seemed to have been coming from behind Orion, as if this person were actually standing behind Orion.

This is easier than I thought. The fucker’s not as strong as you thought, the voice said and was cut off by a muffled voice of Orion warning him to shut his mouth – Rick may hear him. It took him only several seconds before Rick recognized the voice of Allen.

Rick closed his eyes and sighed. No deal, he called out to Orion and then used every method he knew of to block out any invading enemies.

It didn’t work. Orion was outraged and screamed into Rick’s mind, then you will both perish in your own private hell. I shall enjoy this very much indeed.

Rick blinked his eyes and Tracy was relieved to see that his own eye color had returned. “What happened to you?”

Rick glanced around behind worried eyes and took the girl by her shoulders. “Whatever happens, whatever you see, it isn’t real,” he tried to warn her of evil to come, but the message would never be fully understood.

“What’re you talking about?”

“We’re about to have to fight.” Rick exclaimed and then everything went black before their very eyes. He heard Tracy scream from some faraway place but could not find her to help fight whatever demons she was facing.

As for Rick, himself, having a conversation with an outraged Orion frightened him badly enough that he wasn’t sure at all what would lie in front of his eyes seconds from now.