Fated Through Hell

Chapter Two

"What... What do you mean I'm dead?" Jack questioned, looking around anxiously, "And why are you white?"

"Proof that you are dead". The white man replied.

Jack felt a sting in his throat. "So... Is this heaven?"

The man chuckled, "Does that look heavenly to you?" He asked, pointing in the direction of a man who was being swallowed by a dinosaur.

It was a terrible sight, certainly not heavenly.

"So.." Jack asked again, "Is this... hell?"

"Not really," the man replied, "Call it the middle world".

The Middle world? There is a middle world? Jack wondered in despair.

"I'm Jay!" Announced the white man, "What's your name, black fella?"

"Jack". Was the unconscious reply, "Jack Dean".

"Sounds familiar.." Jay noted, "Well, Mr Dean, welcome to this unpopular version of the universe."

Jack didn't say anything. Was he supposed to give a thank you reply? Who would welcome someone to such a place? He wondered as he watched in awe of the bizarre things that unfolded before him.

Over a little distance to where he stood with Jay was a woman who seemed to be floating and drowning in the air at the same time. She was literally flying above the ground, yet she looked like someone who was struggling underwater.

Jay looked around again. This time he saw a weird looking man who wore a familiar hat and clothing. He also had an eye patch and held a sword in his right hand. "Is he a pirate?"

Before anyone could answer, rains of arrows fell on the pirate looking fellow. "He is dead!" Jack's eyes flashed.

"No he's not," Jay replied, "You'll see him again. We don't die in the middle world."

Is this a dream? Jack rubbed his eyes.

When he opened them, a wolf was staring straight at him. He screamed.

"Don't worry, he hasn't come for you." Jay pulled him away from the animal's path. "Come, let me take you to my home".

Jay's house was not far, and unlike most things in that place, it looked quite normal, like an everyday duplex. He offered Jack a drink.

"Is this supposed to be tea?" Jack questioned while tasting the hot liquid.

"It's the best you can find" Jay sat on one of the chairs opposite Jack. "So tell me, how did you die?"

Jack tried to remember. He recalled being in his father's company, signing documents and witnessing tech demonstrations. No. He didn't die there.

He remembered! His car! "I think I had an accident," he replied, "But how did I end up here? Don't people go to heaven and hell? What is this place?"

Jay stood up and walked to his window. "People do go to heaven and hell," he said, "but not people like us".

Jack wondered what his words meant. He had a lot of questions on his mind, yet this bum was only speaking in phrases. He was losing his mind.

"Those of us whose sins and good deeds are equal, we find no place in both worlds." Jay declared to him. "We are trapped in the middle, and tempted with the chance to go back to the real world. But they will follow us", he turned his gaze at Jack. "And hunt us".

The coldness in his eyes could be felt by Jack, as the latter found the word, "Who?"

"The demons!" He replied, in a cold tone that resembled a whisper. He then moved from where he stood to the opposite side of the room and lifted the curtains. There, behind the windows far away, stood a very tall building, wide and magnificent. "They run this place!" He said.

Jack knew he couldn't stay here. If there was truly a way to go back to the real world, he had to take it, regardless of the dangers. He thought of his mother, the image of her weeping over his dead body lingered in his head. He could not contain it.

In anguish, he attempted to take a gulp from the teacup. After a sip, he dropped it down in disgust. Then his eyes caught something. On his left wrist beneath his long sleeved shirt was a red dot. "What in the world?" He muttered, as he pulled up the arm of his shirt to examine the spot.

"Yours is red," Jay said, "Mine was blue."

"What does it mean?" Jack asked.

"Your last action was a sin," Jay explained. "If it had been a good deed, you'd be in heaven now. In my case, one more sin and I wuduv made hell. Close call."

Jack remembered his last actions. The girl in the pictures. "She is beautiful," he mumbled.

"A romantic sin!" Jay lit a cigarette, "Pathetic!"

"I have to go back". Jack stood, "I can not stay dead".

Jay told him not to think of running away. He himself had done it before, four times he said. "They always find us, no matter what".

Those words had no impact on Jack, he only wanted to leave. He asked Jay to show him the way, but the white man declined and left the room. "You need sometime to yourself," he said, as he shut the door.

Fine. If he was not going to help, Jack would find his way out on his own.

He paced back and forth in the dimly lighted room. Should he stay dead? What would happen to his family? His friends? Not that he cared that much for his father, but he could not die without proving himself. No, never! He had to go back.

He looked out the windows, it was already evening. He could see people living normally in that realm, apart from those who were obviously abnormal.

Then he saw the place where Jay had picked him from, beyond that spot was a barrier. It looked like an half invisible hardened glass. "There!" He gasped. "I guess I just need to find a weak spot".

He took another look at the tall house, it was way taller than the cocoa house in his country. Was there really people in there who would hunt him?

Replacing the curtains, he turned to the opposite window, picked up something and broke through it. Then he climbed down through a ladder attached to the building.

He then took to his heels towards the barrier. Along the way, he saw the pirate who had died earlier. He picked his sword and made away with it.

When he got to the barrier, he found that he could not pass through, so, he used the sword to try and break open a way out. This, he continued for a long while, testing different parts of the barrier but nothing happened.

Then he got tired. In frustration, he hit the end of his sword on his obstructor and a blue light shone all over the barrier.

Was that It? Did he find the weak spot? He made to try a second time before he felt a strong pull from behind. Someone turned him over and kicked him on the chest.

"Trying to flee, are ya?" A voice said as he hit the ground.