The Key To Eternity

Chapter 1-7

In the corner of Venice Beach, not too far from the jetties, sat a tumbledown shack. The weather-beaten boards had become warped and twisted from exposure to the salt and sun and water until it seemed impossible that anything other than magic held it together. It was too much of an eyesore even to be picturesque, and many people walking by tutted at its disgraceful condition and lamented its impact on the view.

Inside, a disgusting, moldy-looking tarp covered a gapped and peeling wood floor. It was so horrific that even the bravest of teenage boys on a dare could scarcely be compelled to touch it. No one ever moved it aside…

Well, almost no one.

The Dark One kicked the tarp aside with the toe of his boot. Underneath, a cleverly concealed trapdoor in the floor could only be opened by one with specific knowledge of the combination of spells and traditional locks concealing it.

The door sprang open under his knowledgeable fingers, revealing a rickety staircase heading down into the darkness. Light flared on the Dark One’s fingertips as he descended.

At the bottom, the detritus of black magic—candles, a goat skull, and other, viler objects, not good to mention aloud or even ponder too deeply—littered a small room. In one corner stood a small cage with iron bars and an iron plate for a floor and ceiling. A nude man huddled inside, his skin deeply burned. He crouched on a piece of burlap, desperately trying not to tip over onto the floor. Rail-thin and haggard-looking, his reddish hair hung around his shoulders, greasy and matted. His turquoise eyes shone bright as lamps in the dim basement.

“Hello, Roark,” the Dark One said in a teasing, seductive voice.

The man bared his teeth but said nothing.

“Oh, come now, friend. That’s no way to greet me. Have you finally become an animal altogether, or is there still a sentient being in there? I’ve come with an offer for you. Would you like the opportunity to get out of that cage?”

The man made a growling noise, and then paused, considering. He looked at the Dark One with curiosity.

“Good. I see you’re listening. I have a very simple task for you. Do it for me, and you’re free…”