Scrolls Of Shakespeare: Immersed

11: Hell Fire

     A large weeping willow stood in the middle of the field.  There was a simple wooden swing that added a lovely country feel,  reminding me of Capulet. A river's mouth laid right center with a small elegant bridge leading over to a garden with black roses growing in abundance. We meandered along until Thanatos came to a stop.

   "I would like to show you something." Thanastasia said as she took my hand. We walked for about thirty minutes before coming to a well-worn path on the face of a jagged ebony wall.

    “On the other side of the mountain is the darkest point in the realms.” The goddess said.
   "How dark is it?" I asked as we walked up the ascending pathway.
     "It is so dark, that only Nyx herself could bring light there.  A drop of her blood,  and light would flow no matter how dark."
     "So your blood can bring light too."
      "Yes, I can.  But,  in certain places darkness should be kept.  Balance is needed wherever it can be put into practice.  If you kept filling the darkest place in the world with light,  it would no longer be so." Thanastasia poetically put.
     We continued traveling up and around the wall, revealing a previously unseen portion of Hades' realm within an hour or so. There was a deep crevice at the base on this side of the wall,  heat rising up and blistering my face.
"You will be wise not to lose your footing,  Shakespeare.  We are near the worst point to fall.  But,  should you,  I am here to guide you back."

“Is that Tartarus?” I gasped, trying to look down.
  
"Yes. " Thanastasia said coldy and gave me a mysterious smirk, "Hell is there, just a slip below."

"And that doesn't frighten you?  Not even a little? " I asked as a rock slipped and met it end.
  "I have fallen this path once in my many journeys here. The fall... I felt the most excruciating pain and I could do nothing but glide into the fires. Once I landed,  I heard the most frightening sounds. They all were screaming...
      "I tried to find my mother. Once she was killed, Zeus placed her remains in Tartarus,  trapping her in that hole for all eternity."
   
   "Did you find her?"

A tear rolled from her eyes before she could answer my question.

"No.  I did not venture far enough. I passed a Hecatoncheires,  and he threw me from Tartarus." She answered continuing her way.  I looked down again at the pit,  inchig along as I did.  I was trying to listen,  to hear their voices.

“I thought no one could enter Tartarus and return...”

Thanastasia threw her head back and began laughing as we drew closer to the top.

    “That is true, yet I am death, daughter of Darkness and the Lord of the Dead. I possess the ability to enter and leave as I please.” Her disposition changes.  I was in awe as she danced up the narrowing path and into darkness, no longer did fear show itself within her, only courage and beauty radiated.

Soon,  the path grew narrower. 

“You shall place your hands along the wall. There is a rail to keep you from losing your balance.”

“I can’t see a damn thing in this place.” I huffed as I felt along the rough wall for the railing.

“Stay close to the wall, the beginning of the pit is near.”
I looked down to my left and saw an angry red light that filled the crevice,  small shapes down below. They looked like ants.
     I heard a slight sound.  When I looked back up to where Thanastasia had been, there was no one but the black haired man.
   "Now that she has given you a tour,  it maybe as well be my turn Shakespeare." He snarled.  I opened my mouth to scream but his hand wrapped around my throat and we both fell.

Burning. 

I felt like I was in my burning dream again as I tried to call out for Thanastasia. 
 
"She won't hear you,  as you can see,  time has been stopped!" He waved his arms.  Titan after Titan stood frozen in chains.
  "Why did you bring me here? " I asked as I backed away to a wall.  But there was no wall.  Anything I touched turned to molten rock.