Post by Miss Fifi on Jul 15, 2009 20:12:35 GMT -4
Axel kicked the door open and lazily trudged into the cold room. He slammed the door behind him with his foot, looking around with disinterest. He removed his long coat, shirt, and bandana, revealing a gnarled scar that stretched from his right cheek down to the left side of his chin. He ran his finger over it and stumbled around, shirtless, looking for something to help him forget the events of this past day. An old, rusted glass cabinet caught his eye. He threw the doors open, yanked out a glass bottle, pulled off the cork with ease, and took a big gulp. Ah, the relieving magic of alcohol. He walked around in circles, still shirtless, taking bigger and bigger gulps of his refuge. Just as he felt like he was about to pass out, his amulet began to boom, almost like a heartbeat, against his chest. Groaning, he placed the half-empty bottle on the long red lounge chair against a wall with shuttered windows.
Axel reached for his scythe, which he also threw on the ground, and concentrated deeply on the source. Black, shadowy hands extended from his body, traveling far out of this world.
The woman lay on her bed, her body cold and lifeless. Her family was gathered around her, sobbing. Her husband was pleading for her, calling out to her, but she heard nothing but the voice of Death. As the shadowy hands drew closer to her, the husband jumped in the way, begging for them to leave. The hands could hear nothing other than the commands of their Master. The hands delved into the woman's body, taking with them her soul only.
The woman woke up, rubbing her eyes and looking about. Everything was pure black. She could hear the sound of sloshing water as if she were on a boat. As she looked on the ground and saw nothing but black, she started to panic. "What-what's-?"
"Relax. You are safe."
She looked up to see a man with black wings and silver chains. A scythe was in his hand. Suddenly, it all came back to her. "Am I...?"
"Dead? Yes, you are." His voice wasn't exactly cordial, but there was something familiar, close, about it. A bird raced past them, one she recognized to be an almost extinct species. "Animals don't need to be guided like people do..?"
The man laughed. "No. Animals know where to go when they pass. It's instinct. Once they're gone they don't hold on to life, unlike humans."
She nodded; that made sense. She looked around; everything was purely black. A faint, small light was only visible at the end of the tunnel. "They always said it was like a tunnel... I guess they were right."
He smiled. "Yes. What's at the end of the tunnel, however, is not up to me."
She was surprised. "So... you don't decide where we go? You aren't.. well, a god..?"
The man, who she took to be Axel, laughed again. "No, no. I am not a god. I am simply.. a delivery man for God." He winked at her, and she chuckled.
"I never expected to be traveling this slow." She had always thought it would be a rushing feeling, watching everything go by within a few seconds.
Axel nodded. "It all depends on your readiness to depart. Your death was very untimely, and you weren't prepared for it. This is to give you some preperation time."
She thought that made alot of sense. She would certainly need that preparation time. She looked up at him, seeing the faint glow of his red eyes in the darkness. "Do you like what you do..? I mean, does it give you a sense of satisfaction, choosing this path?"
He looked down with a solemn face. "I did not choose this path. It was chosen for me. The only thing that would give me any satisfaction..." He glanced longingly toward the light. "...Is to cross that border myself."
She felt guilt for some reason even unknown to her. Hoping to offer some condolences, she said softly, "Well, I hope that you will find your own path someday."
He smiled sadly at her, knowing he would never have that chance. They stopped suddenly as they reached the border between the dark tunnel and the light abyss. "May your rest be... restful."
She laughed lightly and gradually put a foot toward the light abyss. "Good luck to you, my friend."
With that, the light engulfed her, and she was gone. Axel grunted as he rushed back into the tunnel, and eventually he was thrown back into his chamber. Getting out of that tunnel was never a gentle process. He looked around, searching for his alcohol. When he found it, he picked it up and swigged it once more. He looked in it with one eye and frowned. No more booze. Throwing the empty glass bottle against the wall, he stomped out of the room and down the hallway to the Iron Gate, toward Enthel Castle.
Axel reached for his scythe, which he also threw on the ground, and concentrated deeply on the source. Black, shadowy hands extended from his body, traveling far out of this world.
The woman lay on her bed, her body cold and lifeless. Her family was gathered around her, sobbing. Her husband was pleading for her, calling out to her, but she heard nothing but the voice of Death. As the shadowy hands drew closer to her, the husband jumped in the way, begging for them to leave. The hands could hear nothing other than the commands of their Master. The hands delved into the woman's body, taking with them her soul only.
The woman woke up, rubbing her eyes and looking about. Everything was pure black. She could hear the sound of sloshing water as if she were on a boat. As she looked on the ground and saw nothing but black, she started to panic. "What-what's-?"
"Relax. You are safe."
She looked up to see a man with black wings and silver chains. A scythe was in his hand. Suddenly, it all came back to her. "Am I...?"
"Dead? Yes, you are." His voice wasn't exactly cordial, but there was something familiar, close, about it. A bird raced past them, one she recognized to be an almost extinct species. "Animals don't need to be guided like people do..?"
The man laughed. "No. Animals know where to go when they pass. It's instinct. Once they're gone they don't hold on to life, unlike humans."
She nodded; that made sense. She looked around; everything was purely black. A faint, small light was only visible at the end of the tunnel. "They always said it was like a tunnel... I guess they were right."
He smiled. "Yes. What's at the end of the tunnel, however, is not up to me."
She was surprised. "So... you don't decide where we go? You aren't.. well, a god..?"
The man, who she took to be Axel, laughed again. "No, no. I am not a god. I am simply.. a delivery man for God." He winked at her, and she chuckled.
"I never expected to be traveling this slow." She had always thought it would be a rushing feeling, watching everything go by within a few seconds.
Axel nodded. "It all depends on your readiness to depart. Your death was very untimely, and you weren't prepared for it. This is to give you some preperation time."
She thought that made alot of sense. She would certainly need that preparation time. She looked up at him, seeing the faint glow of his red eyes in the darkness. "Do you like what you do..? I mean, does it give you a sense of satisfaction, choosing this path?"
He looked down with a solemn face. "I did not choose this path. It was chosen for me. The only thing that would give me any satisfaction..." He glanced longingly toward the light. "...Is to cross that border myself."
She felt guilt for some reason even unknown to her. Hoping to offer some condolences, she said softly, "Well, I hope that you will find your own path someday."
He smiled sadly at her, knowing he would never have that chance. They stopped suddenly as they reached the border between the dark tunnel and the light abyss. "May your rest be... restful."
She laughed lightly and gradually put a foot toward the light abyss. "Good luck to you, my friend."
With that, the light engulfed her, and she was gone. Axel grunted as he rushed back into the tunnel, and eventually he was thrown back into his chamber. Getting out of that tunnel was never a gentle process. He looked around, searching for his alcohol. When he found it, he picked it up and swigged it once more. He looked in it with one eye and frowned. No more booze. Throwing the empty glass bottle against the wall, he stomped out of the room and down the hallway to the Iron Gate, toward Enthel Castle.
