Demon Gate: Beyond the 9th Circle: The Rapture Was Just The Beginning. (25 page)

Vince jumped threw the torch towards the
middle of the lake and jumped in, swimming
down under the surface as it lit up, but beneath
the water the lake started to churn and swirl
turning into a huge cyclonic whirlpool. The
creature was nowhere to be seen, but the water
was starting to get rougher and rougher swirling
around and around until one by one they were
pulled down and down, deeper in the water and
drawn down by millions of watery hands until
they each lost consciousness.
As Spencer lay unconscious somewhere
between life and death, between heaven and hell
he heard a voice.
“Don’t leave me.”
It was the voice of Gretchen.
Spencer woke up screaming, the
screaming quickly faded to deep panting as
though he was roused from a terrifying
nightmare, which was not far off. The nightmare
had not yet begun.
Spencer found himself alone in a prison
cell, outside his cell he often saw black gossamer
guards hovering back and forth, patrolling the
cellblock. After several hours a pair of ghostly
guards passed by Spencer’s cell escorting several
dozen people, many he had seen in movies, some
he knew as leaders, but one in particular caught
his attention.
“Eric.” Spencer whispered getting up
from his cot.
A guard came to Spencer's cell.
“Get back.” The guard hissed. “Or you’re
next.”
Spencer caught a reflection that allowed
him to see down the cellblock where the rest of
the people were coming from, the wraithlike
guards were taking everybody from their cells,
but why, after a few minutes he saw Vince walk
by, his head was moving, looking for Jessie and
Spencer.
“Vince” Spencer whispered catching
Vince’s attention, Vince looked relieved, but
only for a moment, he still did not see Jessie.
“Where’s Jessie?” Vince mouthed.
Spencer shrugged his shoulders as if to say “I
don’t know.”
Finally, Spencer’s cell opened and he was
placed in column, then ordered to march. Spencer
looked up to the next level where he saw Jessie;
she had been stripped of her book, like Spencer
was stripped of his sword.
How were they going to escape, let alone
fight back?
A guard appeared in front of Spencer.
“Lucifer will be pleased that we have
captured you.” The guard hissed.
They were lead to a large courtyard, there
were tens of thousands of people in the
courtyard, yet Spencer could sense something
extremely powerful, and it was close. Spencer
spied a door on the far side of the courtyard,
getting to it would only be difficult because of
the guards that encircled the room. A plan very
quickly formed in his mind.
Spencer punched a random person in the
back of the head and ducked into another part of
the crowd, and disappeared while the guards
checked on the riot that was developing.
Spencer gradually made his way across
the crowded courtyard were several guards had
just abandoned their post to check on the fight
that Spencer started, Spencer slipped inside the
door where he found his sword and Jessie’s book.
Spencer grabbed both items and then peeked out
into the courtyard to find Vince and Jessie were
up on a stage at the other end of the courtyard,
three people were already being transmogrified
into hideous demons, and they were about to start
on Jessie. Spencer had maybe a minute.
The wraithlike guard stepped up to Jessie
while she struggled to get free. The guard held a
bead in front of her. The courtyard fell dead
silent.
Then the courtyard filled with light
causing every guard to flee leaving Jessie and
Vince on stage with three people on stage
suffering the worst fate imaginable, being forced
to serve an evil master. The courtyard erupted
into chaos as Spencer made his way up to the
stage.
One of people latched on to Vince.
“Please, kill me,” The man pled.
Spencer arrived and granted the request, though
wishing there was another way, the other two
would-be demons were also dispatched.
Spencer handed the book to Jessie.
“Come on the exit is around here
somewhere.” Spencer said.
Spencer, Vince and Jessie headed out of the
courtyard into the main building.
Spencer started noticing exit signs; one
such sign pointed the way to the exit, as Spencer
rounded one final corner a single guard blocked
the path.
“Beyond us is my master, and suffering
beyond your comprehension.” The guard hissed.
“If you desire to pass me, then you must banish
me to the pit.
Spencer lunged forward and slashed at the
guard, and he vanished as though he were dust
being blown away by a strong gust of wind.
“We finally have the ninth circle of hell
behind us.” Spencer said.
The exit was a revolving door; Jessie went
through first, then Vince and then Spencer.
As they passed beyond the revolving
door, each quickly found the others were
nowhere to be seen, panic started to set in and
consciousness slowly slipped away.

Jessie began to stir. She was still groggy
as she came to; she vaguely heard a strange
thumping noise. The noise was very close and
repeated every few seconds. Her eyes snapped
open and she found she was in a very small,
enclosed space. It was like a cell and no more the
seven feet long and three feet wide. The top of
the space was within a couple inches of her head.
There was a small window in front of her face
measuring seven inches by ten inches, and it
allowed in the only light source.

Something splattered on the window as
Jessie caught the sound of the ‘thud’ again. To
her horror, she realized it was dirt.

“What the hell is going on out there?”
Jessie asked as she tried to push the container
open, but it was locked; another ‘thud’ sound and
a shovel full of dirt hit the window, most slid off,
but some accumulated.

“LET ME OUT OF HERE!” Jessie
screamed as she realized someone was burying
her alive, panic set in and she started slamming
her fists against the tiny window, somehow she
would get out, she had to.

Another shovel full of dirt hit the window
finally blocking out the light, and then another
and another, Jessie kept hitting the window trying
to break free of the coffin that would contain her
for all eternity.

“SOMEONE PLEASE, HELP ME!”
Jessie screamed.
Jessie bolted up in bed, finally awake. She wore a
bright orange jump suit.

“What?” Jessie asked. “What’s going
on?”
Jessie’s cell door buzzed before a guard opened
it.

“Time to go Monroe, your lawyer is
here.” The guard said.
“What am I doing here?” Jessie asked.
The guard scoffed.
“You don’t remember?” the guard asked,
and then motioned for Jessie to move.
The guard escorted Jessie out of the cellblock;
she realized that four other guards were in
formation behind her, they each carried an M-16
assault rifle.
“Why am I here?” Jessie asked.
“Be quiet.” The guard demanded.
Walking into the visitor area where Jessie
was seated in front of a triple layer Plexiglas
window, beyond the window was a man in a
lavish looking suit that probably cost thousands
of dollars just to clean.
Jessie picked up the phone as the guards stepped
back to a safe distance.
“You’re my lawyer?” Jessie asked.
The man nodded.
“That’s right, Ms. Monroe.” The lawyer
confirmed.
“You mind telling me what the hell I’m
doing in here?” Jessie demanded.
The lawyer almost laughed.
“This is where all criminals are sent.” The
lawyer smirked.
“What was I accused of?” Jessie asked.
The lawyer deflected the question.
“I hear you’ve been making quite a
quandary in regard to the events of last week, I’m
sure you don’t need to be reminded.” The lawyer
said as he buried his smug nose into some paper
work.
“Actually, I do.” Jessie stated.
The lawyer briefly looked up from the papers he
had.
“Moving on,” the lawyer said.
Jessie’s rage started to build, but she put on a
smile.
“I asked you a question.” Jessie reminded,
but the lawyer continued to evade the question
and the answer, which he refused to give up.
Jessie leapt to her feet and slammed both fists
onto the Plexiglas.
WHY AM I HERE?” Jessie demanded as
four guards arrived to restrain her.
The lawyer smirked.
“We’ll talk later; you may be going into
solitary confinement.” The lawyer warned, and
then glanced at the guard in charge. “Let the
warden know I want to speak with Ms. Monroe
when she’s released from solitary. If there’s
time.”
The guard nodded then the lawyer left.
“If there’s time?” Jessie asked as she was
dragged away from the window.
The guards escorted Jessie to solitary
confinement and locked her in.
What did my lawyer mean ‘if there’s
time?
Jessie wondered, tension was building.
“Am I being released?” Jessie shook her head,
though she didn’t want to think about it there was
only one possible meaning for the lawyer’s
statement.
Jessie sat up in the dreary cell for six hours
dreading what she knew was coming until a
guard opened a slat in the door.
“Are you comfortable in there?” the guard
asked.
Jessie stayed quiet, choosing not to dignify the
question with a response of any kind.
The slat closed and the cell remained
quiet for more than twelve hours.
Finally, the door opened, this time eight guards
stood outside the door.
“Ms. Monroe, the Warden called, she
wants to see you.” The lead guard declared.
“Is she going to tell me what got me
locked up in this hell hole?” Jessie asked.
“Maybe, but why, you know what you
did?” the guard said with a laugh.
Jessie wanted to smack the smile off the guards
face, but now was not the time, she allowed the
guards to escort her to the warden.
Entering the warden’s office, she was
chained to a restraining rail so she and the
warden could talk in private.
Once the guards had left, the warden took a seat.
“Ms. Monroe, I asked you here so we
could talk privately about why you’re here.” The
warden began.
“Just what I wanted to talk about…”
Jessie began but the warden rudely interrupted.
“So, are you ready to tell me the truth?”
the warden asked.
“Actually I wanted to know what crime
warranted me being locked up here.” Jessie
explained.
“Let’s not be coy, Ms. Monroe, you--”
This time it was Jessie’s turn to interrupt.
“I have no memory of any crime or
anything else prior to waking up in my cell and
my lawyer needing to talk to me less than twenty
four hours ago, nobody will tell me a damn thing,
and I just want some straight forward answers.”
Jessie ranted.
The warden made a sour expression.
“Let’s be frank, Ms. Monroe.” The
warden began, “you’re on death row for your
crime and unless you tell me something, your
execution will go forward at first light.”
Jessie could hardly breathe; the revelation
was like a kick to the stomach.
“Death row?” Jessie confirmed, “There
must be some mistake.”
The warden shook her head. It was clear
that the warden was like everybody else, she was
only hearing what she wanted to hear, and she
seemed to want Jessie to be found guilty,
regardless.
“What am I supposed to say, you want me
to confess to a crime that I can’t even
remember.” Jessie spat.
“If you don’t give me anything then I
can’t give you a stay of execution.” The warden
warned.
It suddenly occurred to Jessie that
something was not right; she couldn’t tell what is
was that was off, but it was something and that
she had to act.
“I’d like to go back to my cell now.”
Jessie said.
The warden exhaled a defeated breath before she
switched on her intercom.
“Take the prisoner back to her cell.”
The warden paused as the guards entered the
room.
“Your execution will be tomorrow at six
o’clock in the morning.” The warden advised.
Jessie was then unlocked, Jessie made her
moved slamming her fist into the guard and using
him as a battering ram as she made for the door,
reaching for the guards weapon she pulled it free
and shot two guards that stood in her way.
Twisting to the side, she then shot the guard that
served as her human shield and ran for the door
only to find twenty more guards barring her path.
Raising her weapon she found it was out of
ammunition.
“Take her.” One of the guards said and
Jessie was taken into custody and escorted out of
the warden’s office, as she left she looked back at
the warden to see her smile wickedly. Jessie was
escorted back to her cell; the warden’s smile
really bothered her.
Jessie couldn’t fall asleep, the image of
the smug grin on the warden’s face was
everywhere, in her sleep, on the cell wall and
every inmate between Jessie’s cell and the
warden’s office.
It was close to six am when Jessie was
alerted by another guard outside her cell, the door
buzzed and the cell door opened.
“It’s time, Monroe.” The guard said as he
stood outside the open cell door.
Jessie stood from her bed and walked out into the
corridor the area was brimming with guards,
armed to the teeth.
Jessie was escorted out of the cellblock to
a gas chamber. Inside there was a table that Jessie
would be strapped to before lethal gas would be
released into the chamber. As the table fell into
focus Jessie started to feel sick to her stomach
and her whole body turned clammy.
“Do not worry, my daughter.” A priest
declared. Jessie glanced at the priest, and for a
second he looked familiar, almost like a man she
knew from a long forgotten dream.
“Vince.” Jessie gasped, she had no idea
why, the name just popped from her lips. A
crack appeared in the wall, bright light shone
from within the crack, only Jessie managed to
notice it, the guards were oblivious.
“Into the gas chamber, Monroe.” One of
the guards said, pointing a gun at Jessie.
Jessie walked by and into the gas chamber; she
was directed to the table where she saw a pair of
handguns with ivory grips. Jessie took stock of
how many guards there were, she counted no less
than twenty guards.
Jessie grabbed for the guns and then the
guards took notice.
“SHE’S ARMED!” one of the guards
shouted.
Jessie began firing at the guards, one by
one the guards began to drop, until all twenty had
fallen. It was another minute before the warden
entered.
“Why am I here?” Jessie demanded,
enunciating each word, both weapons pointed at
her captor.
The warden said nothing, so Jessie fired a
single shot right at the warden’s face, the warden
smiled as the bullet vanished in a puff of smoke.
“You’re remarkably resilient, Jessie
Monroe.”
Jessie fired again and again, each round
fired had the same result, finally one gun clicked,
the clip was empty, Jessie tossed it aside and
checked the her last clip, there was a single
bullet.
More guards started arriving, not just a
couple dozen, but hundreds of guards began to
fill the room.
Jessie replaced the clip, and racked the
round into the chamber.
“If I am going to die,” Jessie began as she
pointed the gun at herself, “It will be under MY
control.”
The warden reached her hand outward as
if to stop Jessie.
“NO!” the warden shouted, “Not this
way!”
Jessie pulled the trigger.
Jessie snapped awake to find herself in a
small room, probably twenty feet across, lying on
a bed. In the center of the room was a small table
with several beads on it; smooth black beads with
a hole on either side.
Something was eerily familiar about the
beads but Jessie could not remember why.
Standing up Jessie approached the table and
picked up one of the beads to examine it, as she
brought the bead close to her face it began
expelling a thick cloud of black fog, Jessie
dropped the bead and began to hack and cough.
Then all of the beads began to expel the same
black fog.
Dropping to her knees, she could feel her
stomach and lungs began to tingle, then ache
before the aching faded and it felt like her
stomach and lungs were on fire.
Jessie raised her shirt to examine her
stomach only to reveal that the skin was turning a
pale purple, the skin color change was rapidly
accelerating.
Jessie stumbled over to a mirror on the far
side of the room to examine the changes. Her
arms and legs were already converted to a
hideous demonic figure and the change was
creeping up her neck, forcing her to rear her head
back. The pain was too much and a painful,
horrified scream escaped her lips, the scream
quickly changed to a shriek as the change
finished taking effect.
As Jessie looked into the mirror, the last
changes were snuffing out who she used to be,
and replacing her eyes with a pair of cold yellow
eyes. She had become a hive queen, a servant of
Lucifer.
Jessie screamed as she was roused from a
terrifying nightmare, waking up she examined
herself and found her skin the proper color, her
eyes, everything was fine, or was it, a loud gun
shot rang out, memories were flooding in, she
was trapped in a house, but anything else was lost
on her.
Spencer rushed into the room.
“Jessie you have to stop Corbin, he’s
going to try and leave.” Spencer pled.
Innately Jessie knew where Corbin was
and rushed to the front door where a young man
in a stylish, free flowing haircut was being
blocked from the door by Gretchen.
“No, if you leave, then you will die.”
Gretchen reminded.
“We’re dead anyway, maybe I can make
it if I run.” Corbin expressed.
“Like Linda?” Gretchen asked, “She
didn’t make it off the front porch.” Gretchen
asked.
“I don’t care, I can’t die like this.” Corbin
said as he pulled Gretchen away from the door,
opened it and ran out the door.
A shot rang out, and Corbin jolted
backward, the shot struck him in the head. The
force of the gunshot and his forward momentum
caused him to do a back flip and land on his face,
he lay still, he was dead.
“CORBIN, YOU IDIOT!” Gretchen
screamed, then a second shot came in and struck
Gretchen in the heart, killing her.
For some strange reason, Spencer almost
seemed pleased that Corbin and Gretchen had
been killed.
“Spencer, the snipers are pulling back.”
Vince said from his spot just inside by a window.
“They’re probably going to be detonating
the bomb soon.” Spencer said.
Vince moved away from the window toward
Jessie.
“Since we’re about to die, I think I should
tell you something, Jessie.” Vince began as he
tried to kiss Jessie. “I love…” a bullet ripped
through the glass and struck Vince in the back of
the head spraying blood on Jessie.
“VINCE, NO!” Jessie screamed.
An air raid siren began blaring.
“We have just under a minute before the
bomb goes off.” Spencer said.
“And then what?” Jessie asked hoping
there was a plan to survive; she was trying not to
cry.
But at the same time something was
bothering Spencer, something didn’t seem right,
and then she figured it out.
“You’re not Spencer, are you?” Jessie
asked.
“Jessie, we’re about to die and you want
to play a stupid game?” Spencer asked.
Spencer pointed at the door.
“If we both make a run for it, one of us
will make it
“Tell me who you really are.” Jessie
demanded.
“I don’t have time for this.” Spencer said.
Jessie headed deeper into the house where
three other people waited for their untimely
death.
Brittany, Halley, and Mr. Monroe. Jessie
stopped at the sight of her father, as though he
were tied to a painful memory, but where was her
mother?
Spencer noticed Jessie’s father and got really
angry.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Spencer seethed.
“Remember where you really are Jessie,
don’t let him deceive you.” Mr. Monroe pled.
The air raid sirens grew silent and then a
rumbling sound filled the air as a light grew
brighter than the sun.
After a minute, the light faded.
Brittany, Halley and Mr. Monroe got up
and started walking toward Jessie. They walked
uneasy. First Brittany fell and exploded like a
balloon filled with water, there was no blood, no
gore or bones, just a skin filled with a clear
liquid. Halley collapsed next popping in a similar
manner, but Jessie’s father reached his daughter,
and pointed at Spencer.
“Do not fear, my daughter, and do not let
Satan deceive you.”
At those words Spencer grew mad, and addressed
Jessie’s father.
“DON’T CALL ME THAT.”
The jig was up. Spencer looked at Jessie,
and then smiled as Spencer melted away and
Lucifer took his place.
“It appears I cannot best you this way.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Jessie
demanded.
Lucifer smiled.
“You’ll find out, in due time.”