The deeper I ventured into the tunnels, the more I began to notice things, like the strange mist and the smell of burning hair that was strong enough to make me cover my mouth with my hand. The mist swirled around me, marshaling me forward, and once it cleared I saw that I was nowhere near Pride, the club through which I had first entered. In fact, I had no idea where I was, but I sensed a deep evil, like a chill in my blood. For one thing, strangers surrounded me. I wasn’t sure what to call them, but I knew they had once been people. There was no way you could call them that now. They looked more like wraiths and they walked around aimlessly, vanishing in and out of the dark crevices. Their energy was still present even though they looked through vacant eyes and their hands clutched uselessly at the air. I focused on the apparition closest to me, trying to understand what was happening. It was a man smartly dressed in a business suit. He had a neat haircut and wore metal-framed glasses. After a few moments a woman materialized in front of him along with the domestic setting of a kitchen. The whole scene shimmered like a mirage, but I had the feeling that for those involved it was far more real. A heated discussion erupted between the pair. I felt ill at ease watching them as if I were intruding on a very private moment.
“No more lies. I know everything,” the woman said.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” the man replied in a tremulous voice.
“I know that I’m leaving you.”
“Don’t say that.”
“I’m going to stay with my sister for a while. Until things get sorted.”
“Sorted?” The man was becoming more agitated.
“I want a divorce.” There was a resolve in her voice that made the man crumble and he made a low, moaning sound.
“
“I’ve had enough of you treating me like dirt. I’m going to be happy without you.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” His body language was threatening, but she didn’t read the signs.
“Get out of my way.”
When she tried to push past him, he seized a carving knife from the set on the counter. Even though it wasn’t real, the knife’s blade gleamed and looked solid. He lunged forward and slammed his wife back against the counter. I didn’t see the knife come up, but the next minute it was lodged firmly under her rib cage. Instead of remorse, the sight of blood unleashed a frenzy. He stabbed repeatedly, ignoring her shrieks until the opening he had made was a bloody pulp. Only then did he hurl the knife aside and his wife’s limp body slipped from his grasp. Her eyes were wide and staring, cheeks flecked with her own blood. As soon as she hit the tiles on the floor, she vanished and the kitchen disappeared with her.
I cowered in a corner, my breath in my throat, trying to stop my hands from shaking. This was one scene I would not forget in a hurry. The man looked dazed, turning in circles, and for a dreadful moment I thought he’d become aware of my presence. But then the woman reappeared before him, whole and untouched.
“No more lies. I know everything,” she said.
It was as if someone had hit replay on a movie. I realized the whole grisly scene was about to be repeated before my eyes. Those involved were doomed to relive it infinitely. The other figures scattered around me were each reliving their own crimes of the past: murder, rape, assault, adultery, theft, betrayal. The list seemed endless.
I’d always interacted with the concept of evil on a philosophical level. Now I felt as though it was all around me, palpable and real. I ran blindly back the way I’d come without stopping. There were times when I felt things brushing past me or catching at the hem of my dress, but I shook myself free and kept running. I only stopped when I thought another step would cause my lungs to collapse.
I knew I’d lost my way because the tunnels had vanished. I was now standing in wide-open space. In the ground ahead lay a crater-like opening rimmed with fiery embers. I couldn’t see what was going on inside, but I could hear tortured shouts and screams. I’d never seen anything even remotely like it, so why did it feel so oddly familiar?
The indescribable wailing of the occupants reached me before I was even close. I’d always thought medieval depictions of Hell with its twisted bodies and instruments of torture were nothing but a device designed to frighten and control an ignorant populace. But now I knew the stories were true.
It wasn’t easy to make out what was happening through the ruby glow that emanated from the pit, but there were clearly two distinct groups, the tormented and their tormentors. The tormentors wore leather harnesses and boots. Some wore hoods like executioners. The tormented were either naked or in rags. From the earthen walls hung an array of metal devices designed to inflict pain. My eyes traveled over the saws, branding irons, and rusty pliers. At ground level were vats of boiling oil, a dunking device, and hot coals. There were bodies chained to posts, hanging from rafters, and strapped into cruel devices. The souls writhed and screamed as the torturers relentlessly continued their devilish work. I watched them drag a naked man across the ground and force him into a brass coffin, bolting the lid shut. They slid the coffin into an oven and I watched as it slowly heated up, glowing orange and then red. From inside came muffled screams of agony, which seemed to amuse the demons. Another man was tied to a post with ropes, his eyes turned upward in supplication. At first I didn’t realize that the yellow sheath flapping from his thigh like washing on a line was his own skin. He was being flayed alive.
The images that flashed before me were of blood and torn flesh and festering wounds. I could watch for only a few seconds before the bile started to rise in my throat. I threw myself onto the dry, cracked ground and covered my ears. The smell and the sound were both unbearable. I began crawling away on my hands and knees, not trusting myself to walk upright without passing out.
I’d only crawled a few meters through the dust when a boot crunched down on my hand. I looked up to see myself surrounded by three whip-wielding tormentors who had noticed my arrival. There was nothing recognizably human in their pitiless faces. There was a rattling of chains when they moved but closer inspection revealed them to be no older than schoolboys. It was incongruous seeing such cruelty on their perfect faces.
“Looks like we have a visitor,” said one, prodding me with the heel of his boot. His voice was musical and laced with a Spanish accent. He moved his foot and used it to lift up the hem of my dress, exposing my legs. The tip of his boot was traveling uncomfortably high.
“She’s hot,” grunted his companion.
“Hot or not, it ain’t polite to go wandering around restricted areas without an invitation,” the third demon chimed in. “I say we teach her a lesson.” His eyes glinted like marbles. He had a pouting mouth and spoke with a lazy drawl. His shock of fair hair fell over his eyes and sharp features.
“I get her first,” the other objected. “When I’m done, you can teach her whatever you like.” He flashed me a grin. He was stockier than the others and his copper bangs were blunt. He had a sprinkling of freckles across a porcine nose.
“Forget it, Yeats,” warned the first boy who had a head full of black curls. “Not until we know who sent her.”
Yeats brought his face level with mine. His small teeth reminded me of a piranha’s. “What’s a pretty little thing like you doing wandering these parts alone?”
“I’m lost,” I said shakily. “I’m from Hotel Ambrosia and I’m Jake’s guest.” I tried to sound important but didn’t dare meet his gaze.
“Damn.” The blond one sounded annoyed. “She’s with Jake. I guess we better not mess her up too bad then.”
“I’m not buying it, Nash,” Yeats snapped. “If she was really with Jake, she wouldn’t be out here.”
Suddenly my head was reeling. I didn’t think my body could cope with much more. Yeats looked unimpressed.
“If you’re going to throw up — do it over there. I’ve just had these boots shined.” I felt my chest heave as I dry retched.
“Come on, get up!” Yeats hauled me to my feet. He looked triumphantly at the others as his arm encircled my
