In Memory

Chapter 28

The darkness covered their forms, as the trio crept slowly through the catacombs underneath the Marlyland Mental Aslyum. The slow shuffle of their feet on the cobbled floor the only noise that could be heard. The darkness and absolute vacancy of sound built a truly terrifying atmosphere, and Sarah was really on edge.

"We could really use some light"Sarah murmured, feeling Teo jump slightly as she held him upright, no one responded to her vocally, however the sudden influx of light from Jess's palm shocked her, scarring her retinas for a few seconds. Jess looked round puzzled as to why everyone was covering their eyes and moaning,

"What's the matter?"she said, the orb of light in the palm of her hand glowing like a beacon to warn shipping of harsh rocks ahead. No-one spoke up Teo glanced upwards towards Jess, and scowled before saying,

"Lets keep moving, now we can see where we are going." He gave Jess another scowl before taking another shaky step into the blackness. The going was still slow but with the orb of light that now guided them through every twist and turn the mood was a little buoyed, still the silence pressed into each of them through every corner and crossroads.

It was then they heard it, the scuffle of leather shoes on the stone beneath their feet, and up ahead there was a light, subconsciously the trio rushed for it, bursting into a citadel and being blinded by how light the room was. They took a moment to recover from the sudden influx of light partly blinded by it and how suddenly the catacombs had opened up into this place. All three of them looked around, but it was Sarah who spoke up first,

"I have been here before." She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as a strange new voice replied to her from the distance,

"Of course you have my dear, this is where you would have met your new friend"the last word was spat out as if it disgusted the owner. Sarah looked into the darkness surrounding the room trying to find out where the voice had come from, slowly a figure emerged from the darkness. He was smartly dressed the crimson velvet suit made the portly individual standing before Sarah seem more intimidating than he otherwise would have been.

"Who are you?"Sarah asked her voice quavering a little,

"My dear dear Sarah,"the figure started his voice grandiose and thick with sarcasm, "its not been that long since I put you in here, unfortunately you haven't been co-operative with what I wanted for you."

"What do you mean?"Jess shouted her rage visible even from under her black cloak, the figure snickered slightly before running his hand through his shoulder length hair.

"Quite simply my dears,"he said gesturing to Jess and Sarah "I wanted Sarah over there to be a good little girl and to go insane."

Silence hung thick in the air, like a lead weight had been put in between the 4, it took a while for anyone to speak, and it was Marcus who first said something,

"You see all I needed was for this woman to go mad but instead of doing that, somehow she has befriended the demon I sent to do that job."

"What are you?"Teo snarled he was visibly angry, even if he was having to be supported in between Jess and Sarah.

"Simple my dear fellow,"Marcus began "I am Marcus Russo, Owner of this hear asylum and soon to be ruler of the new world."

"You will never rule anything,"Sarah sneered a new venom in her voice that no-one had ever head, "I may have somehow befriended Cornelius but you will never rule this world."

"Oh you see my dear, all the pieces are here there is nothing you can do to stop this now." As the last word left his lips Marcus withdrew the knife from its holster letting the bright blade glint in the light.

"Gate of Shaz'uul

I call upon your unholy power,

Come and aid me in my struggles

Grant me the power to smite my foes,

Grant me the power to make cleanse all imperfections from this world

Come to me,

Gate of Shaz'uul!"

As Marcus finished the words he drew the dagger back and drew it across his arm, blood flying in an arc, which splattered, on the floor, the room began to shake then out of nowhere a flash of light, and after that the gate had appeared before everyone.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Marcus asked blood dripping down his arm where the blade had made its incision. "With this the Gate of Shaz'uul I will control the world."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Jess snarled she lunged forwards scythe appearing from nowhere, she ran forwards to meet Marcus. Marcus laughed a little before pushing the palm of his undamaged hand towards her, suddenly Jess was trapped in a sphere,

"You're not doing anything without my say so!"he roared his face turning a purple-red colour.

It was obvious to Cornelius that whatever spell Marcus was using it was taking up a great deal of energy to maintain,

"Sarah,"he whispered, "If he opens that gate its game over, we need to stop that gate opening"

"I'll do it,"Teo said standing tall for the first time in a while, the mark on the back of his hand glowing slightly.

"Teo, I wouldn't suggest it,"Cornelius said his voice still quiet, trying not to alert Marcus's attention as he was struggling to contain Jess.

"Just trust me Cornelius"Teo said, it was the first time he had acknowledged the demon, his voice was tinged with that of another. Marcus turned from the squirming Jess held in the sphere from his outstretched hand to the gate

"Open for your master!"he roared even Sarah could tell he was fast approaching his limit, slowly the gate opened the creaking of the stone hinges reverberated around the room,

"Now I have you." Marcus exclaimed his voice now becoming shrill.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"Teo roared as he ran for the portly figure in front of the gate. Marcus didn't see it coming until Teo barrelled into him pushing him backwards into the mouth of the gate,

"I'll take you to hell."Teo whispered into Marcus's ear, as soon as the pair passed through the gate it snapped shut with a thud and disappeared in the same motion.

"What the hell just happened?" Cornelius exclaimed his smokey form suddenly appearing in front of Sarah, "What did that idiot just do?"

Sarah couldn't really comprehend what had just happened, how could she have let someone do that, regardless of whether she barely knew him or not? Jess stood up dusting herself off from her recent fall, she along with Sarah were gob smacked and both fell to the floor leaving Cornelius floating around.

"I can't believe he had the gate."Cornelius carried on, he was ranting by this point but neither Jess nor Sarah was listening. They both were zoned out, how much power did this man possess? Finally Cornelius snapped and yelled

"Don't you understand, now the gates opened we are all well and truly in danger!"