Pit and the pendulum continuance..

If I wrote a continuance of the pit and the pendulum, this is the way I would start it. It was an assignment for English. I don't have any plans to continue the story. Hope you enjoy.

The desire to live filled my entire being. Was this truly happening? For so long my hopes have been mocking me. Do I dare to believe that I’m actually being saved? Was this man finally my angel? The angel that has come to rescue my soul? It must have been an angel, because somehow, he managed to slip me out from underneath the persistent blade. The men that stood beside him, held me up on my feet. I felt their warm hands press against my skin. I was weak and powerless, and I knew I was upright, only from their strength. My General spoke. Or shall I call him my angel, my savor, for labeling him a “General” was not enough to describe what he actually meant to me that very moment. I could tell by the blurred vison of movement that his lips were moving. By the way he shook his head, he knew I had no understanding of what he was telling me. The excitement of it all drained my vision. The black and grays of my surroundings mingled and overran my eyes. My muscles relaxed, finally feeling sleep without frustration or fear. The tranquil color of darkness took over and left me to rest.

Upon waking, I felt my head resting on a solid, uncaring ground. My thoughts automatically switched to dread. Was I back where I started? Back to where the endless creatures of my imagination had resided and haunted me? My eyes stung as I slowly opened them. I was in some kind of apartment, but certainly was not the same cell that had contained me before. With much of a struggle, I sat up. Getting a better grip on the environment around me, I glanced across the cell. To my surprise, another figure sat across the room, only outlined from the small amount of a red light falling from the very top of the endlessly tall ceiling. This figure appeared to be sitting in a casual position, with his back against the wall. A low hat pulled over his face, a shield that left my mind wondering over who this mysterious creature was.

The feeling was that of a dreamlike state. The entire room was glowing with a hellish tint. Was I still dreaming? Was this shape another of my imaginative beings? I tried to speak. The sound that escaped my lips was only a grunt, a foul note. 
It caught the attention of the mysterious figure . A deep melodic laugh followed my ugly attempt, with a pure intention of mockery.
“You’ve finally awaken I see.”
This figure’s voice was almost soothing. It carried a dark tone in it’s vowels, but sharp accents on it’s consonants. I only answered with silence, for I was still stunned. Where exactly was I? 
“Having trouble? Perhaps it is because you do not understand the situation that you are in.”
The man lifted his head a little bit only displaying a small grin that cast upon his dark face, showing teeth as sharp as the blade that once hung above me, taunting me, devouring my courage.
Was he a demon? A creature of the unknown, or just another creation from my mind? The devilish grin still lingered. His dark skin creased with signs of age, knowledge, and pure enjoyment. Looking in detail at this figure, I could see he wore strange attire. Dressed in a suit like design of dark purple. The hat that so elegantly tipped over his eyes, was ragged and faded. The grinning, knowing look scared me yet, at the same time, I was strangely calm, for his presence was that of sereneness. His body was shaped like a man’s, except when his chin and face. He had an extremely acute chin, and his cheek bones were highly structured. I found myself lost in admiring these features, but I knew that it was my turn to speak and I fought to do so. My mouth dry, and my throat blazing, I managed to say a few simple words.
“Wh-where am I?” 
“Well, I’m afraid that answer depends on you.”
“Am I saved? Is this some cruel joke?”
The demon chuckled. His wide white teeth gleaming. 
“A joke? No. Definitely not.”
He wasn’t answering any of my questions. My strength was almost giving. I was entirely dumbfounded but still anxious to find out the truth. 
“Tell me who you are.”
“I am what you’ve made me.”
“ Why do you persist on answering me in riddles?”
He tilted his head back revealing what was once an enigma to his features. What replaced the dark shield was unbelievable to my eyes. They were replaced! Replaced with two brightly colored embers of a thousand burning fires! Scorching my soul! Stealing all of my breath! I tried Sucking in air, but it only led me to gag. The shock of such an unnatural thing turned my inside! I finally fought for my breath, trying to compose myself! 
“Ah! I’m not alive! I’m in Hell aren’t I? I'm in Hell!”
The terrible thought sank in as my cracked voice broke off and smacked against the stone walls. I was to be tormented for eternity! 
“Oh! What a sickening and hideously brutal jest it was to persuade me to think that I have been saved! When actually my entire being is to be rotted, wasted, and bruised in a timeless existence in Hell!”
I hung my head in my own sorrowful guilt. The knowledge of never again being able to experience life and light. Forever paying my debts of sin, in the burrows of hell.

I glanced toward the demon, who was sitting quietly the entire time I completely broke down. The demon, sitting half in the shadows, stared contentedly with his burning eyes. I asked him one last time. Knowing it was to only feed my hopes, but will end up tarring down my faith. 
“Am I in Hell?”
The demon stared cooly towards me. He replied as smoothly as he first laughed. 
“Hell? It depends on how you see it. For example, not knowing the broad lines between fact and fiction, well, that can be a living hell! What you want to know, only you have the true answers for. What you see here, at this very moment, only exists because it’s what dwells in your mind.”

Author's Note

Criticism should always be constructive. ;)

Reviews

[Katerina C]

very deep. very good. very kick a*s. i love it