Episode Three

As I sat there I let my thoughts run around me. I thought back to the day I met Alice. In the coffee shop a block from my house. She sat there reading a novel by herself. She was unbelievably gorgeous. I finally took a chance to say hello. We talked for hours that first day. I missed my meeting since I didn’t want to take the chance of leaving and never seeing her again.

            I thought about our first date. We went ice skating. I was lousy but Alice flew across the ice like a butterfly. We had our first kiss that day. I fell down and she skidded to a stop above me. She held out a mitted hand to help me up. I ended up pulling her down on top of me. She kissed me. Ill never forget that moment.

            Then I thought about our wedding day. She looked like an angel then. Her head was a halo of pure white as the lace tumbled down her shoulders. She insisted on writing our own vows. As I trembled in front of our family and friends, Alice gave my hand a squeeze and I knew then that nothing could make me stop loving that woman.

            I don’t know how time had passed as I sat there replaying my love for Alice but I heard a chime and I looked up from my lap. As I opened my eyes and blinked to adjust my eyes back to the pristine white glare of it all I gasped and stood up.

            The old man was gone. I never heard him leave. Was he even there at all? I didn’t know the answer but I didn’t give myself time to figure it out. The chime I had heard was from the tiles in front of me. As I stood there the tiles in front of me opened up like a yawning mouth. From that mouth grew a large black box, larger then myself and as wide as my arm span.

            A slit ran down the length of the black metal box and on the top of this was a single glowing red light. Another chime rang out and the slit opened up. It was an elevator. I shakily walked to the entrance and peered inside. It was empty. The interior was the same black material. I walked inside and stood looking around. The same red light blinked above the door and a single red button gleamed to the right of the door.

            I pressed the button and braced myself. Nothing happened for a few moments. Then, right before I was about to step back out of the elevator, the doors slammed shut, inches in front of my nose. The room was blanketed in darkness. The only thing I could see was the single red light above the door blinking rhythmically, casting a red glow around the cabin.

            I pressed my body against the back wall and gripped the railing that was located there. A low pitched hum had begun to resound around me. I couldn’t tell if it was coming from the inside or outside of the elevator. After a few moments it grew in volume and once it became so loud that I could feel the vibrations running through my body, I felt the cabin jerk and then I had the sensation that I was traveling downwards, even though I couldn’t see anything I knew that I was sinking into the tiled floor of purgatory and sinking my way down to hell.

            I held my breath and gripped the railing tighter. I looked up into the red light as it momentarily lit up the room and then left it in pitch black before reappearing. I lost track of how many times it blinked in and out but after a while I began o feel like the light was an eye and it was watching me. I could feel its light on my skin even if my eyes were closed. I could feel its heat washing over me and I gasped.

            I opened my eyes and inhaled. The air felt as though it had been heated to an unbearable temperature and it was hard to breathe. I could feel the heat sizzling around me and I smelled sulpher. I could see clearly in the room now even when the light blinked out, but that was because the walls and the door itself seemed to be glowing a dull orange. I leaned back to grab a hold of the railing again and jumped back from pain. I looked down to my palm and saw a bright red burn streaking across the length of flesh there.

            I was even more surprised to see that my freckles and scars from my lifetime had returned. My skin was no longer the pristine clear white that it had been earlier with Maurice. I lifted my shirt to see the appendectomy scar furrowed into my skin. The effects of being close to heaven had worn off. I guessed that I was getting close to the gates of hell.

            As if to answer my thoughts, the light lit up completely and the same chiming sound rang out just as the elevator shuddered to a stop. I coughed heavily as a wave of pure heat tackled me as the elevator doors creaked open to the world of fire and brimstones beyond.

Reviews

[.quan.011.]

This episode or chapter is a short and sweet. I love the details you put into . I found nothing wrong with the grammar. I can't wait to read the next chapter. Good work.

[gombeggar]

these pages are all very well detailed and well written...my hat is off to you...and i'm realy enjoying the mixes of imagery again reminds me of the twilight zone with maybe someof stephen king's better writings as well mixed in

[Craig2591]

Love it! Can't wait to find out what Hell is like.

[Tabitha t]

Im finding that part difficult to write. should have it up by later tomorrow. Im going to put a lot of thought into it.