"Teuuuu," her friend whistles softly, and Elina climbs out to follow her once more. Careful of where she is walking, Elina avoids steam vents that release some of the pressure, only to stop as she sees a larger steam vent ahead of her. Jewel is resting on a rock next to it, and stares at her. After few minutes, Elina sees a pattern emerge in the pocket of steam.
"Thank you, little friend, you should go now.” Taking a deep breath and sending a prayer for guidance, Elina waits for the next pressure release and dashes through the opening. She knows that she will have only twenty eight seconds left, so she runs, timing the release in her mind. Frantic she dives headlong into the crack behind the vent. Now inside the mountain she finds the transparent walls provide and ember glow for her to see and her eyes quickly adjust. Desperate now, she looks for a direction and finds a worn path in the floor. She follows the path in the tunnel and feels the pressure around her begin to build. She sees a large doorway and heads towards it. Shaking, with terror, Elina can’t believe she is in the Mountain of Death. The heat is so intense she feels her skin blistering. Her sweat evaporates, bringing little relief, and her eyes feel heavy with sand and grit. “What I wouldn't give for some water now,” Elina thinks. She stops short as she hears a new sound. It sounds like chanting with many voices raised in harmony. She heads towards the growing noise, and stops outside a small crack in the wall to look through.
Inside is an enormous cavern with rows and rows of the Fallen, all stomping and chanting in unanimous accord, “Skin Him, Skin Him, Skin Him!” The very volcano itself seems to breathe in time to the rhythm of their hate. The ground beneath her rumbles with their pounding feet. From her ledge Elina looks down and screams a silent scream.
Malach is kneeling on the rocky ground. With his head down, his long black hair shields his beautiful face as his blue wings look broken and bloody, drooping in defeat. His wrists are shackled; his arms are chained to the floor, and his body is riddled with wounds seeping fresh blood.
"My Sons," a deep voice calls out in triumph, "I have brought you a gift!"
The Fallen cheer wildly, continuing their chant again. They fall silent in a moment at his raised hand.
"Did you think I had forgotten you? NEVER!!" he roars! “Today I bring you a promise. You will be free from this prison and we will claim our rightful place and all in Heaven and on Earth will fear us!!!!”
Waves of deafening cheers spill out rolling over Elina, but she hears only the sound of her breaking heart. The voice walks into view and her heart stops.
"It can't be!" she whispers in horror.
Micah, the medicine man from her village, stands laughing. He grabs Malach by his hair and jerks his head back revealing the true depths of Hell on Earth. His beautiful emerald eyes are gone, gouged from his face, leaving only a dried, bloody trail. A deep rumble in the volcano masks Elina’s scream.
"If only you could see this, it really is beautiful. Poor angel, you are just the bait for the real prize."
"They won't come." Malach says in a gravelly voice.
"Really, humans are so predictable, especially the females!" Laughing, he continues, "It really is funny to see an angel in love with a human. You judge us, condemn us, leave us to be tortured, but you are just as guilty as the rest with your coveting of her. We see, even if you cannot, the way you crave her body, her spirit, and her freedom. Tell me I am wrong?" he whispers in his ear.
"No,” Elina moans, her tears pouring unchecked. "What have I done?"
Malach shakes his head and roars, "I Will Not Fall as You Did!” Struggling against his chains, “I will not Fall!!!” he screams again
“Why do you think you are here, Brother? You have been forsaken.” They all laugh at him. Releasing his head, Micah turns to look directly at where Elina hides.
“Your precious Keeper will be mine, just as her brother was! I will take pleasure in her screams for mercy, and when she thinks she can take no more, I will give her your eyes and wings! When I am through with her, I will eat her heart and take her power just as I did her brother.
"My children” Micah roars "Save his wings for ME!!”
Like a wave, they fall on him, ripping him to pieces and Elina's screams free her from her nightmare!
She jumps out of bed, runs to the bathroom and empties her stomach. She rinses her mouth and she rushes back to her room. Elina begins dressing whimpering, “Follow the thread, follow the thread,” she chants as she hurries to write a note. “Need paper, where is some paper? Damn!” she says digging through the nightstand drawer. When she turns to leave, she sees Ruby standing in the doorway.
“Elina, I thought I heard you; are you okay?” she asks noting the panicked look in her daughter’s eyes. Elina raises a trembling hand to her black hair to push it back and looks at the woman who has been her mother for so long. She begins to cry.
“I have to follow the thread, Mom. I have to follow it now!” Ruby hurries to Elina and pulls her daughter into a hug to give what comfort she can.
“Tell me what you saw, Elina” Ruby says while guiding her to the bed, and sitting with her, she waits for Elina to speak.
“It was Malach. He was in Hell! It
