Terminal (Terminal trilogy #1)

24: Greenhouse

[Above image (do you guys hate my art style yet?) is a brief summery of the story thus far. This entire book in one image. From left to right: Michael, Mannie, and Alexander. I love this image.]

"The fuck does that mean?"

"What?"

"What then happened, I mean, to everyone?" Blake said. The elevator had arrived a few minutes ago, and we were standing in the damp space where it let out. "You told the story, but what about everything... else. There's no structure to it. I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to get out of your childhood."

"You wanted to know."

"I'd like to know more."

"Look, I guess there is some stuff left to cover. And I'll tell you it sometime," I said, "but we're here now."

"What's the point of checking out this empty Earth though? What are we going to do, go on a nature walk?"

"You know, in theory, everything on the cycling loop has a copy here. You could find someone's skeleton and show it to them. Or steal some art and suddenly have a perfect copy."

"Interesting, but I don't have time for that."

Blake followed me out though, up a small mossy incline that was coated in soil and bugs. There was a perfectly square hole above us, and a rusty step stool was in the corner to help ease the climb out.

The air was rich, damp, and green. I couldn't help but feel healthy somehow. Two hundred years with only a few thousands humans left, and they barely left their little cult.

Oh, hey.

"Do you want to check out Heaven?"

"What? Is that up here? I'm pretty certain I don't, thanks. The last two angels I've met haven't been too friendly."

"Pepper's nice."

"I... yeah." Up on top of the Hellmouth, Blake looked around. "So this is, I guess obviously, the place from your story. Does Hell have just one entrance?"

"Is that so odd?"

"Not really. It just feels like it should be more international."

"Souls are reaped from all over, but they all end up here. It's all fairly local, though there is some effort to encourage diversity."

"You'd think, with all your silly magic, Hell could have branches all over the world."

"Hell was built by humans. Not in the dramatic metaphorical way, just, you know... that's a real city down there. Someone put it there, though God knows it's before my time."

"Weird."

Blake followed me as I started to make my way to the highway, even as it started to drizzle. This trip was supposed to be my last chance for bonding time with Blake, and he seemed mostly over his anger with me, but I found myself unsure of what to say. I could finish my story, but then he'd leave me.

"Hey, what did you sell your soul for anyways?" Blake asked, pulling his hoodie up over his hair. "I know you hate personal questions and stuff, but I am pretty curious. You know my whole sob story."

"Oh, it was a boring request. Not even worth your time."

"You know better than to say that around me." He looked up and caught my eye with a smile, and I guess the asphalt and the forest were making him as happy as they were making me, because it was the first time he had smiled at me in a long while.