echo and a cling; I open my eyes to find a rather large sword planted into the ground. I drag myself until my paws touched the hilt of blade and pull myself upward, my legs felt like jell-o.

The two creatures charge me once again; I tugged at the sword in the ground until it finally came loose from the ground. I lifted it, but then my arms give into the weight and they fall. I lug at the sword and start swinging, clings and bangs accompany them as the demons block every crazy attack I make. They twirl their staves and with perfect synchronization and send me flying, the blade knocked out of my paw and spinning like a buzz saw over my head.

I saw red as I hit the ground; my body was becoming numb at the pain. I open my eyes in time to catch my sword plant itself just a few inches from my face, the urge to faint was overwhelming, but I shook the feeling off. I kick up my legs and jumps up from the ground, my legs barraged me with stings, but ignored them. My concentration too much on the task at hand to even care, I wanted to see my friends again, I wanted to at least be away from this place!

I pick up the sword and out of the corner of my eye, I see both of the creatures charging at me from both sides, I hold my ground, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. I take a deep breath, and then as the first creature swings his axe staff, I duck and the demon instead in one hard swoosh, decapitates his comrade. The window of opportunity had finally opened up to me and I drive my blade within the other demon’s chest, issuing a loud, blood curdling roar.

I watch both bodies fall to the ground with an enormous thud that reverberated off the coliseum walls. The imps in the stands were not laughing this time, they only cowered in fear, though the fear wasn’t of me, it was of their furious master.

Lucifer’s hand crashed into his throne, a snarl erupted from his mouth. The force of his fist nearly shattered the arm rest, but managed. I stood up straight and tall before him, panting heavily, numbed from the pain in my bones. The urge to laugh in his face was too great for me to overcome. The fiend arises from his throne and leaps of the stand and lands just a few feet away from me. He lifted a devilish hand and it becomes engulfed with raging black fire, I prepare my self as he launches the inferno my way. I jump out of the way and look back at Lucifer as he brings his index and middle finger upwards. I feel a sudden burst of heat and I turn around to see that same fire ball being redirected to me once more, it hit me dead on and sends me flying, having me spin rapidly in the air.

I hit the ground with a bone crushing force; my body was too numb to even feel the surging pain going through my body. I rolled onto my stomach and started to lift myself from the ground, only to be met by another accurate fireball. I fell back onto the ground; the pain hit me at once as it broke through my numbness and ravaged my nerves, it felt like a billion white hot knives being driven into my skin. I closed my eyes, breathing heavily, falling into darkness. The cold loneliness consumed me, I have never felt so helpless in my life, and my friends… were no where around to give me strength, no one to support me, only the dark loneliness remained in my heart…

“You’re not alone!”

Huh? Am I going crazy? I’m hearing random voices and I’m seeing a bright light shining through my eyelids, I open my eyes to a brand new environment, No darkness or cold, just a warm light that enveloped my senses and brought a feeling of being whole.

“Hey, Charlie!” says the same voice.

I look back and found a small dachshund’s paws wrapped around my waist…Itchy?

“Itchy? Wh-what are you doing in hell?” I asked perplexed at my friend’s sudden appearance, he looked up at me with the same look.

“Hell? No silly, you just found the light.”

“The light?” I looked even more confused, Itchy’s paws loosen from my waist and he glides away from me so we were face to face with one another and soon another slender figure began to appear before me.

“The light within your heart, Charlie.” Flo’s face emerged from the light; her smile was just as lovely and caring as ever. I reached over to touch her but she slipped from my outstretched paw, I felt hurt.

“Charlie, I’m… sorry… but, you must move on, both of us, must move on.” She says, as tears start to form in her eyes. “But, I will never forget you Charlie, I loved you and I still do, and I will always cherish the times we spent together, take care Charlie.” She glides towards me and plants a small kiss on my lips, I felt the tears welling in my eyes. Flo flew back next to Itchy and both of them held out their paws for me.

“Now come on, you’ve got a task to complete.” They both say at once, I smile at both of them, my best friends. I couldn’t hold it any longer, I let my tears fall from my face and I reach forward and touch their paws. The second I did, everything had begun to become very bright, I only heard Itchy’s voice as I faded away.

“Ann-Marie would still like to see you one last time Charlie…”Ann-Marie, yes, I will see her, even if it be my last time. I nodded to them as the light grew brighter and the darkness had been forced into the depths of my heart, where it could never be tempted to take control ever again.

The light faded as my eyelids open slowly, my strength had inexplicably returned to me. The pain that ran through my veins had evaporated like a puddle on a hot sidewalk. My eyes opened fully and I find myself on my feet, standing straight and tall, as if I wasn’t even in a battle at all. I look over at Lucifer, who is looking at me in shock, I guess he wasn’t expected me to be standing, or not show any signs of unspeakable agony.

“This-This is impossible!” he bellowed, the entire coliseum rumbled and his servants cowered in the stands. I only stood, feeling a sense of complete courageousness in my heart; Lucifer formed an enormous fire ball and shot it at me in anger. I dodged easily and it hits the stands eradicating about half of the coliseum’s walls as well as his minions. I had a victorious grin on my face, I felt empowered and totally confident. I continued to stare down the face of pure evil and hatred, my heart was rejuvenated with new life and the light of my friends and also, with the new found knowledge that I was never alone, no matter what realm I was in. Hell can do its worse to my body, but it will never touch my heart.

“You lose.”

Lucifer took a step back, and for once, he was afraid, afraid that his evil and sadistic methods of torture haven’t broken my morale or the hope of seeing the ones I loved once more. Ann-Marie, Itchy, and Flo, my friends, not even the Devil himself can keep me from them. I took a step forward and Lucifer took a step back, as if he can feel the light in my heart shine through his darkness. I grabbed the sword that had still been embedded within one of the demon’s chest and points it at him.

“I think I –the damned- is entitled to a final request, don’t you think?” I smirked and kept the sword pointed at him. He growled in his throat and lifted his hand into the air; I could tell that he knew what I wanted the most. I watched as red smoke enveloped us both, Lucifer’s eyes were filled with hate and spite. Personally,  I could have cared less, the only thing I cared about was finally being able to say good bye to the young girl that had been the key to unlocking the good within my selfish heart…


The End