The Otherworld

9.

MATURE: SADISM, VOYEURISM, CNC

SO, THE AFTERLIFE IS AN ACTUAL PLACE. Marcus leads us to a place he said was one of the thinnest line between life and death. It's a bridge, and it looks abandoned and forgotten.

Fog curls around the entrances, giving it an ominous and spooky look. I can't see the other side of it, and it doesn't look stable. We stand at the end of it, working up the nerve to cross.

Marcus said if we cross, we should enter Afterlife's entrance, as long as he crosses with us.

Probably.

"We need to go." I say finally. "Alastor's in trouble."

"Will we be safe?" Arlo says. "We aren't going to die, are we?"

"You should be. It's not an easy passage, however." Marcus answers. " There will be pain."

"We can handle a bit of pain."

Or so I thought. We step onto the bridge, and walk blindly. Arlo's gripping my hand, then he's gone, and I'm falling.

The pain is a sharp, stabbing pain that rips through my body as I fall through the air. A scream rips from my throat. There's nothing to grab onto, and I can't see anything. I'm encased in darkness, and the only thing that gets me through is the thought of Alastor, maybe suffering worse.

I land hard, smacking into the ground. I groan, and look around. I can't see anything.

"Guys?" I call. "Arlo? Felix? Chase?"

I sit up, and see nothing. After a moment, a wisp of glowing fog appears, and I can see Marcus' face.

"Where are we?" I ask him.

"Afterlife. I don't think your friends came through."

We're in what looks like a cave, but it's huge, bigger than any cave I've ever seen. There's a river beside us, but the water is a dark red.

I can see thick, jagged rocks from the glow of Marcus' fog, and they're surrounding us, leading up into the darkness above.

"I believe we fell in a pit." He says. "I'm not sure if we can get out."

"A pit? Can we get out?"

"I'm not-"

"This is the Dark Cavern!" A voice booms. "You are here to meet your fate!"

"What?" I ask.

I hear a huff. "This is the Dark Cavern! You are here to meet your feet! No, fate. Dang it, I messed it up again."

"Of course you did, idiot. You always do!" A woman's voice snaps.

"It's not my fault. I can't read these stupid cards in the dark!"

"Why do you still need to read it? You've said it at least one hundred times!"

"Who are you?" I ask.

"We're the Fates."

A bright fire burns, and I can see them. They're sitting in huge thrones. Both are equally huge, and peering down at us. One, I think the woman, has long red hair and a crown. She's wearing a long dress with lots of different colored patches. The man has frizzy red hair, and is wearing pants and a shirt that are too small. They both have stone gray skin, and huge gray eyes.

"I thought there were three fates." I say.

They both glare at me. "Do not speak of our sister."

"Okay...but weren't you all women?"