A kiss under the Velvet Moon

Plane 3 " My personal hell "

The further we descended deeper into the pits of hell, the more my stomach dropped.

This was starting to feel like a cruel joke rather then a tour, like Grey's dear old dad was trying to prove how much bigger his pecker was.

I had nothing to prove to the man, and he shouldn't feel so insecure that he feels the need to throw his " Prowess" in my face.

" Grey I hate to say this but, this s**t is getting more depressing each level we descend. I don't know what your father is trying to prove but it is not effing funny anymore. "

I ran the palms of my hands through my hair, beads of sweat was beginning to form across my forehead. I was thankful for the air-conditioning that just evidently kicked on.

" Elias, your right about one thing, father doesn't trust you but he doesn't trust anyone." Gina braced herself as the elevator came to an abrupt stop.

An Elvis song played quietly around us, the air-conditioning dulled the sound to a slight hum.

"He is the Lord of Flames, he has alot is on his shoulders down here. Keeping track of so many damned souls, isn't exactly an easy job. He doesn't understand what you are, why you are! "

Gina grabbed ahold of my hand but I pushed it away.

" I don't even know, why I am who I am! " I spit the words out, it more like a hiss the a word. I was so done, with all this crap. I needed a shower, a warm cup of fluid, the "red" coppery kind, and a pillow to lay my head.

" Nikolai will warm up to Eli, well, as much as a Man of his caliber, is able. He thinks of me as his little girl! I was his first child, he grew attached to. He loves Rachel, she's his ." She paused her eyes closed for a second and then she continued. " She is one of his, however many spawn, he has created, I am human, he made a bond with me, something special. He thinks rather highly of me. "

" Gina, the way you talk about, " Your dear old step dad", I had come to the conclusion, that you couldn't stand the dude.

Besides, that fact that he is F*cking Satan, is beyond the point! " I braced myself for what was to come and what her reaction would be . Shifting my feet one to the other, I shoved my hands into my jeans pockets.

Stepping toward the look out to the next part of this effing "tour", I glanced out at what nightmare of a scene my next vision of hell would bring.

Behind me, Gina stayed quiet, a loss for words I suppose, that or her "dear old dad" was whispering nonsense in head again.

Tier Three

Gina pushed at my shoulders pushing me ahead , I held my stance, not letting my feet move an inch underneath me.

" What the hell Grey? " Shoving her hands away, I folded my arms right up against me, blocking the doorway, into the unknown. I hadn't yet had a chance to see this part of hell, not even a peek.

" Sorry, Elias! I promise, this is the last glimpse. I've been arguing with father inside of my head. He understands our need for rest but insists I take you out inside this level.

Don't worry he promised, he would let us out.

He just wants to make it very clear, in his words. " *F*ck, with my little girl, I will f*ck you up!"

" What the f*ck ? Does he think we are dating or something? I'm not going to freaking hurt you Gina! Why would I ever do that? Your my only friend! Well other than Mr. Fin, but he works for me."

Gina's beautiful face appeared tired and worn out. Her eyes held mine for a minute before she everted her gaze to her feet.

" Nikolai, is afraid of you! Crazy, that the Lord of Hell, is afraid of the power you hold and yes he did, does think we are dating.

Doesn't believe someone who looks like you, would want to be " just friends" with someone like me.

I am like Hello! I am not a child anymore, I am allowed to have sex."

Grey stomped her sandalled open toed foot down.

" I told him, we are best friends, insisted, that he stop all this " mine is bigger than your's, " Bull crap. It's getting rather old. This is the last stop, I promise, we will take alittle stroll, let him believe he is the "Bigger" man and be done with this s**t. "

I nodded, confused and a little elated, considering, the all powerful, man of the hour was afraid of me, of the "power" I held?

My infected blood, was the powerful one, I was only a vessel, holding it safe inside me, until it tainted and needed to be renewed.

Shaking my head back and forth, I grabbed ahold of Gina's hand, to come face to face with the inevitable, a journey we were heading toward and no clue what was in-store.

Moving through the "gate way" felt heavy, like gravity was pushing our bodies down into the ground below. The edge of the doorway practically vanished, only a soft hue of golden mist remained around it.

I almost turned to run back, make sure it was still there , I did not want to be stuck in this version of my own hell, what ever lie ahead couldn't be good.

Grey assured me grasping my hand tight in hers,

that even though this was a one way entrance, we would find our way out of the darkness. Once through, you can not go back. It would leave a gateway for souls to find there way back to earth and that would lead to bad repercussions.

Once through a doorway you could never leave it open, under any circumstances.

I put my full trust in her, I mean what else did I have to lose ? It wasn't like I was going to find my out of here without her.

She had to have known away out, otherwise she would have never brought us through. I mean, that had to be the only logical explanation as to why the hell we were here.

The sky above was dark, millions of warm yellow specks of color covered the blackness like an infection, the emptiness trying it's best to escape but was only to be strangled in a tangle of sparkles.

Beneath our feet dry debris crackled and broke apart. Tall trees stood above us, so tall and broad that they looked as though they could quite possibly meet the heavens.

The smell of evergreens and pine needles made me long for home, the home I shared with my love, my Alexandria. Our only light, was above us, to guide us to whatever, wherever we were supposed to go.

The sound of bubbling water could be heard out in the distance, and crickets played a familiar tune all around us. This place was quite, actually very peaceful. If we were still in " the bad place", it sure didn't feel like it, this place was so memorable.

Like, I'd been here before but I just couldn't place it.

Grey's hand was still in mine, the way I was squeezing it, I thought for sure the sheer pressure of it would have sent her reeling but so far she just held on.

" Gina, this place, I know it. This place holds special memories. Memories I shared with my wife. "

We stopped and Grey stood before me then, arms reaching to touch me . Hands cradling my face. On her tippy toes she reached up, pressing a her warm lips onto mine.

Brushing the tip of her nose against mine she withdrew and let her feet fall from their stance.

" Eli, things are going to get crazy okay, my father warned me about " this private" hell of yours. Nothing is going to be what it seems, okay. You've got to trust me! You will have to go through this, to leave with the truth. The truth hurts and father might be called the Lord of Lies but that is the worst lie of all, my father sees what's inside the very depth of your soul, into your heart. Believe me, trust me, as all hell is about to break loose but know I am here Eli and I love who you, have become, killer or not, your my best friend, always. "

Grey's hand loosened in my grasp until her hand hold disappeared. " I will meet you on the other side, I promise, I will be here waiting, but this is a journey that must be made on your own." Grey was crying, I'd never heard her cry before. Such a strong women should never have to shed a single tear.

I turned to reach for her but she was no where to be seen. I was here in the middle of the forest, alone, alone in this place so familiar yet I'd never been to hell before? Had I ?

No, for f*cks sake, what was this about ? Why the f*ck am I being played? Was this supposed to be some kind of effing joke?

" Why ? How could you Grey? How could you abandon me in f*cking hell, alone! "

I screamed into the mountains air, forgetting all to well the strength behind it. Trees in the distance twisted and snarled against their footings. Creaking, shifting, and then cracking sounds filled the air. Pine trees fell all around me, none hitting me directly but behind and infront of me.

It sounded like a elephant or rather dinosaur was ripping through the woods, destroying everything in it's path.

Even in this place, I was still a vampire, not a man, not a human. A freaking un-dead, not fully alive freaking vampire.

As the last of the trees settled, I made my way ahead, letting my feet do the walking and my head, well my head was all over the place.

I would have never come here , if it were for Gina, she said she wanted someone there, to stand next to her against her family, the ones who treated her so badly as a child. Had that all been a ploy to get me here ? To see what made me tick?

I wasn't playing this damned game and I wasn't the least bit interested in being someones pawn. A was not toy to play with, to experiment with, no... F*ck this!!

I walked what seemed like a hour, but was probably only twenty minutes.

A pale red sun was beginning to appear over a thicket of dense trees and mountains far ahead. The color made the green grass appear to have a cloud of red dust over the top of the moist lush tips.

A couple of deer lay in a open meadow near the forest. As soon as I came to close, they darted behind the thick open field behind it.

As I came closer the field was not a field really at all. Cobblestone was beneath it, I knew this, the moment my boots came in contact with it.

Pushing aside some brush with my hands was also an old sign, withered and worn by old age.

I could barely make out the carved letters , G.R.E.Y.V.A.L.E.

This brought back memories from my childhood. This was the town, we'd come to, to sale our farm fresh foods and enjoy the festival, this is the town, I first met my beloved.

Pushing back the tall overgrowth, I struggled with a pocket knife I had deep with in my back pocket. This would be my only means of cutting back the brush, good thing it was killer sharp, although bit small for the look and feel of these weeds.

Taking pieces inside of hands I cut and hacked what I could, trying my best to keep one foot on the path and an eye infront of me.

As the sun rose before me, things were starting to get warm, but not too warm considering my body did not hold on to heat well, so I barely noticed it but was a nice feeling. I almost forgotten what it felt like.

To most souls here, it was probably quite miserable but to me it felt like a luke warm shower of warmth against my skin.

Maybe I was mistaken, because this place, could never handle intense heat, or the trees would not be as vibrant as they are. The grass wasn't withered, and trees were taller and darker green.

Continuing to keep moving forward, I realized what I originally thought was a walking path, turned into a large street. Broken down ruins, of a small city I once knew, deserted.

It was so life then, full of smiling faces, stalls of fresh food, an abundance of crafts, and everything you'd ever need to purchase.

This place always held such happy memories, now only a spark of a moment in time, when I was but a man.

I found the tree, where I'd first set my eyes on Alexia and her mother. She was such a delicate flower then, so young and full of life. I could picture her spinning around and around, in that sweet white ruffled dress, she wore that day.

Her honey golden eyes lit up under the glow of a sun. Her rosy cheeks, like a flowers blossom, gently creased too much by the sun's touch.

If I'd never met her, I'd often wondered what her life would have been like, would she have lived a full happy life ? Found love with another ? Had beautiful children?

For a brief moment I almost thought I'd felt a single tear drop fall down my cheek. If it was it would have been a drop of blood and dried up far too quickly for me to even have time to wipe it away.

This place, was waking up feeling inside me, feeling I really didn't want to feel, memories I didn't really want to reminisce.

Whenever I did, it caused feeling inside me to rise and depression set in.

Feelings, colors, raw emotions, I closed them off a long time ago, the moment my eyes meet those silver ones.

They broke me, shattered even, everything inside me, that meant something, that made me human.

All around me soft light glowed, it wasn't the sun because that was now taking on a blood ruby red tone. This was soft vanilla cream toned, I turned to see the ruins of the town, slowly forming into solid pieces. Rubble, from the building and the cobblestone, was rebuilding right before my eyes.

Sounds were now becoming more pronounced as well, it was as if the whole town was coming back to life.

Looking down, my clothing had changed, my shoes were brown leather and ragged, my hands young, my stature less noticable.

I was no long the adult version of myself now but when I was only a young lad. Smells of rich meats, breads, and soups filled the air, peolpe gathered in the center of town, chatting, smiling, and eating roasted corn. Husks, were beginning to pile up below my feet.

" Son, don't just stand there, help your mother, at the booth. The crowds are large and their purses full. Let us help them quickly empty them my son. " A tall man with a full red beard stood before me, a teethy smile and his hands pulling an egg cart.

Father, my father was here , alive and well.

Running to him, I touched the sleeve of his linen and then his arm. He was solid, his green eyes wide and questioning.

" What is wrong my son? Do I smell funny ? Are my clothes not appropriate for this day my child? "

I just shook my head vigorously, " No Papa, I am just happy to see you is all. I will be steadfast, and help mother Anna at our stall. "

Don't let yourself get lost in this dream, this is a fake reality. Don't loose yourself in a fantasy, this isn't real Eli!

I kept repeating this inside my head as I strolled through what was, only a few moments ago, a ghost town.

Being here, made me miss town, my family, and most of all, my beloved.