Slicing My Flesh

54

"Welcome, to my humble abode!"

Kikimora bowed and gestured to the fiery pit of despair. My jaw dropped at seeing the helpless souls. They were in pain since some were starving, others were downing, and then some suffocating. What they all had in common was the pain they were experiencing. Every sound appeared to be begging for a mercy that would never come.

"I guess if you're into torture." Acacia sarcastically stated.

"My favorite activity." Kikimora smirked at Acacia. "Now, let's find your friends." She walked down a slippery path.

I slipped, so Acacia had to grab me. I gave her a thankful smile, but slipped again. Acacia sighed and resorted to holding my hand. I then followed her down the steps. I saw Nyx giving me a thumbs up. I rolled my eyes since that wasn't my intention. I felt Acacia interlock our fingers as we walked through the dystopian world.

"Where are we even going?" Ken looked a bit horrified.

"See that giant mansion over there." Kikimora pointed at a massive mansion floating in the distance. "That's our destination." She chuckled.

"And how do we get to said destination?" Acacia gestured at the massive pit below us. "The castle is floating in the air. Maybe you guys can fly there, but we certainly cannot." She gestured between me and her.

"Ever studied Greek mythology?" Kikimora leaned against the cave wall. "We have a ferryman." She smirked and led us to a man wearing a grey cape. "Chiron." He looked up and bowed at Kikimora. "Take us to the estate."

We sat in the rickety boat and allowed Chiron to move the boat. My eyes widened as we left the cave and began floating in the air. I looked down when I heard the wailing of souls. The fire below spurted out the ground and singed the rocks. I had to doge out the way of floating materialistic possessions. I grabbed a pocket watch out the air and examined it. Acacia moved closer, so she could get a better view. It was dated from the 1800s. Acacia and I looked at each other before I released the watch to float away.

"Everything here feels like despair." Ken commented.

"Now you know why I needed a break." Kikimora turned. "It was getting mundane and boring, so I journeyed to a different realm."

"Why are we going to your house?" Nyx narrowed her eyes.

"Because I want to introduce you to my parents, of course." Kikimora laughed when our eyes widened. "Why else do you think I was bringing you guys' home?"

"You better not be double crossing us." Nyx grabbed Kikimora's arm and burned her. Kikimora didn't seem fazed by the fiery attack.

"I'll have you know that an alliance is mutually beneficial for us." She then shoved Nyx away from her.

"Are you their only daughter?" I questioned.

"The only one that matters." She smirked and looked forward.

"I thought you said this was a place of otherworldly pleasure." I leaned forward.

"It is... if you find the demise of other's pleasurable." She smirked over her shoulder.

I shivered at the coldness and the sounds of the souls crying out didn't help. Acacia gave my hand a squeeze to help ground me. Ken was shaking, so Nyx wrapped an arm around her. I get the impression Nyx has been here before while the rest of us are freaking out. Well, Acacia seems like the only one who is composed.

I observed the castle come into view. It was floating on a rock in the middle of a fiery pit. I had to move away from the side, so I wouldn't get burned. It had a gothic exterior with torches of fire littered on every point of the castle. Chiron stopped the boat when we reached the steps of the castle. Kikimora confidently stepped out of the boat and began walking. We had to scramble after her, so we wouldn't be left behind.