A Late Calling

There was fire everywhere; big, orange flames coming up from the floors, making dark shadows against the walls. The place seemed to be underground, an endless inferno. There were holes in different places on the rocky floors, deep holes, and if one glanced down below they were not dark, but lit by flames that were reaching up as if to grab someone. Delicate measures had to be taken not to fall down one of the holes, they were everywhere. But, it wouldn't matter if someone did, not where they were. The flames would not kill them, as Kate had witnessed. There had been someone who had fallen right in front of her. Their screams could be heard as they fell into the inferno, where they would stay. They didn't die from the flames, but lived in them; a torture they would continue to bear. Kate made sure she knew where to step.

She was not alone. There were men and women, but no children. Nobody spoke to anyone else. The only sounds were crackling of fire, and the screams of people that had fallen. There were some people hanging on the walls by chains that held their wrists and ankles against the sizzling surface. The flames were licking at their flesh, and they wore no clothes; they were still alive.

The fiery dungeon seemed to go on for miles. It was a wide, endless tunnel of no escape. There was nothing but rocky floors, fires, and distant screams. She couldn't remember how long she'd been here, or why she was here. Her flesh was red from the heat, and blisters were forming on her arms. There was no sense of time; no clocks, windows, no telling if it was night or day, but time did not matter now. The only thing one could do was wait, for what no one knew.

Kate tried to remember the events that led to this, but to no avail. The last thing she could recall was Megan being at her apartment.

Megan felt like shopping. Saturday and Sundays were her only days off, and usually on those days, she liked to relax at home with a good book, or watch her favorite movies, one of them Sleepless in Seattle. She could watch that over and over, and never grow tired of the movie. She didn't do this every Saturday. There were times when she would call a friend, and they would go to a party or club. Megan didn't go to those places very often because they were crowded; after a while she would get Closter phobia and end up with a headache, however she went to one every-once-in-awhile with her friend, Kate. Kate was always going to a party of some sort, and she's had to turn down many an invitation so she could just sit at home and relax. Tonight she didn't feel like staying home. After trying to call a few friends that resulted in no answer, Megan decided to grab her coat and car keys, and go shopping.

She had not been to the strip mall for months. There were new shops that had been added to the strip. After a couple hours of window shopping, and trying on clothes and shoes at different stores, she came to the end .The air was beginning to become cold, and wind started to blow her blond hair against her face. Pulling the coat more firmly against her small body, she started to make her way back toward the car with her shopping bags; a pair of black boots, and tan slacks was the items along with a silk scarf, which was then taken out of the bag to wrap around her neck.

As she was getting ready to leave, she noticed a small store just to her right, disconnected from the rest of the strip mall. It must have been a new shop; Megan had never remembered it being there before. It was strange; if the store was new, you couldn't tell that from the outside. It was constructed of old lumber, and Megan was sure she could smell the wood in the breezy air. Two small windows were in front on either side of the door. Looking into those windows would be impossible, or out of them; apparently nobody ever cleaned them. There were layers of dust and dirt, and one window had a crack in the glass. There was a sign above the brown door that had big bold letters: HADES BOOKS. At first Megan couldn't tell if it was open for business, but noticed the sign that invited people in.

Megan was sure that it didn't attract many customers. The shop gave her the spooks, and didn't seem to belong here at all, which made its presence very strange. Curiosity got the best of her, and she began walking toward it until she reached the door. Her hand grabbed the cold door handle, and she pulled, which caused the door to creak. She stepped inside, and instantly the scent of wood, perfumes, and dust filled her nostrils.

The room was empty of people. Along the walls were shelves of books. Displays were set up in the middle of the shop. One table had glass tubes of different sizes that were filled with liquids of red, blue, and yellow. She picked up a small tube with the red substance; taking the little cap off the top, Megan took a sniff. It wasn't a perfume smell as she was expecting. The odor was strong and pungent that caused her eyes to water.

"What's this supposed to be?" she whispered out loud. She placed the small tube back on the table.

"Athalome," a voice said.

Megan jumped, almost knocking over a tube, and catching it with her hand. She looked around trying to find the person that had spoken. The place was dim, the only light available was the flames of scented candles throughout the small space. That was the smell that she'd noticed when coming in, and not from the glass tubes.

"What?" Megan asked.

A tiny voice said, "The red liquid...it's called Athalome."

An old woman sat in a dim corner of the room between two bookshelves. Her body was tiny, and her skin was wrinkled from age. The woman looked to be 100 years old. Her long grey hair was thin and looked like it was falling out from a few bald spots on her scalp. She looked tired, and ready to drop dead any minute. The woman began moving toward Megan, and she noticed her frail body was in a wheelchair.

"What is Athalome, a type of perfume?"

The old woman stopped beside the display. With a bony hand, she picked up the red liquid. Examining it, she said, "Not perfume. You pour the whole bottle on an area where there is a demonic presence, while saying a spell. The demons then leave that area. That is if you do it right."

"I don't believe in that," Megan said.

The old woman looked at her with grey eyes. "They exist, Hell exists." She motioned with her hand toward the books on the shelf. "Those are all about demons and gateways to Hell. Some of them are spell books that can take you to hell, or bring someone back if need be. Each spell requires a liquid. The blue substance will take you down to Hades, and the yellow substance will bring someone back. The red, as I said, will get rid of a demon in any room or person."

"Why would someone want to go down to Hell?"

"For their own reasons," the old woman said. She started coughing, and took a handkerchief from her pocket to cover her mouth. When the coughing ceased she continued, "Some want to go to bring back a loved one, and others just want to see what it's like. You don't have to die to enter hell; some are taken while they are here on earth, just snatched up and taken down below. Maybe they ask for it to happen or perhaps their way of life is wrong, so the demons want to take them to their world. Sometimes there are others present when this happens, friends or family. They disappear in front of them."

Megan knew it was getting dark now. The old woman was scaring her with all this demon talk. She thought this was nonsense; she was listening to a crazy woman of 100 years old that will probably die in her sleep very soon, perhaps tonight. The lady didn't know what she was saying.

"I have to go." Megan headed for the door.

"So soon, would you like to take a spell book...it may come in handy?" the woman said.

Megan turned at the door. "I doubt that...thank you...goodbye." She exited quickly, the door squeaking as it was pulled shut.

It was 10:00 pm when Megan arrived home after meeting that strange woman. She wasn't denying that hell existed, but the thought of being able to bring someone back, or going down there from saying a spell and pouring a weird liquid on the floor, was just bogus. She didn't believe in spells and potions.

Megan sat down on the leather couch in her living room; a brown entertainment center with a 35' TV sat in front of the couch. A few pictures of flowers and landscapes hung on the beige walls, and an area rug was lying on the wood floor between the couch and television center. Next to the couch, was an antique end table that had a remote control holder, a black lamp, and telephone, She reached for the remote, and flipped through a few channels, but there wasn't anything worth watching; Blind Date was on though. The show was funny enough and kept her interest. Hell, maybe she needed to find a boyfriend. Megan was 26 years old, and hadn't been in a relationship since her senior year in high school. It wasn't because she lacked beauty; people would describe her as cute, with an average size, dressed considerably nice when going out, blond hair that reached her shoulders, and a cute face, but she wasn't a knock out.

Her friend, Kate was gorgeous though. She had more than one boyfriend, and always tells Megan that she could pick one of hers if she wanted. Megan just laughed at that, and told Kate she'd better be careful, because one day she'll end up heartbroken by some guy. Kate doesn't care; she likes the attention they give her. She meets most of them at parties she attends; parties that involve lots of people, liquor, one-night-stands, and drugs. Which is why Megan turns down most invites; she's not into any of that. She likes to have fun, but her idea of fun, and Kate's idea are totally different.

Blind Date was over, and as Megan was channel surfing the phone on the antique table was ringing. Before she answered, a look at the caller ID said who was calling. Speak of the devil.

"Hey, girl, what are you doing home on a Saturday?" Kate sounded chipper.

"Nothing much, was watching Blind Date." She took off her boots, and shrugged out of the coat, placing them on the floor by the couch.

"Yeah, you need a blind date." Kate giggled. "Come to this party my friend is having, there are so many guys here. I'm here right now. One is really checking me out, he's really cute. Come on, it's better than sitting home all night."

"I haven't been home all night. I just got done shopping at the Michael's Center. I tried calling you earlier, but you weren't home. Hey, have you heard of a store there; the Hades Books store?"

"No, doesn't ring a bell. Why?"

She thought about telling Kate about it, but said, "Just wondered."

"Yeah, I was at my boyfriends earlier."

Kate could be heard popping her gum on the other end of the line. "Which boyfriend is that?" Megan asked, teasing her.

"Very funny, actually it was Mark. He is more of a friend with benefits than anything else."

Megan rolled her eyes. This wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation. Mark wasn't the only one on the list of friends with benefits.

Kate said, "So, are you coming or not?"

She stretched her legs out on the couch; head resting against the arm, eyes roaming the ceiling. "No, I'm going to stay in for the night."

"Girl, you need to live a little." Kate sighed. "Okay, I'm going to talk to this dishy guy, do you want me to mention you?"

Megan laughed. "Goodnight, Kate." Then she hung up.

Kate had always been popular with the guys, but mostly because of her good looks. They didn't care about her as a person; they admired her body. Kate knew this, but she didn't care, and enjoyed being flocked over. Kate had the physical appearance of Barbie; long blond hair, blue eyes, slim, perfect teeth, a nice smile, and a personality that was enthusiastic.

Megan admired her; mostly because Kate knew what she wanted, and she was always blunt and truthful to people. Kate was not afraid to speak her mind. If she didn't agree with something, or didn't like a particular person, she would not hesitate to tell them. She was also a good friend.

Megan worried about Kate, though. She was afraid that one day her friend would meet the wrong guy, and he would take advantage of her, and that she would develop an addiction to some of the drugs she used at parties. Megan didn't think she used them at home; it was only when she went to social gatherings. She just hoped Kate wouldn't start using drugs on a regular basis.

It was 11:30 now, and Megan went to her room to get ready for bed. Usually she didn't retire so early on a weekend, but her eyes were beginning to get heavy. Her bedroom was a decent size for an apartment. It fit a king sized bed, a walk in closet, and a small bathroom. The room was in need of some color, the whole area was white; the carpets, the walls, drapes, even the bedspread. The bathroom was tan, with a white sink and counter, and no tub; the main bathroom just when you walked in the front door had a shower with sliding glass doors. She had chosen a dark green color for that one, because it had matched the counter top.

Megan slipped into black pajama pants and shirt. After brushing teeth and washing face, she pulled the white comforter down on the bed, and turned off the lamp that was on the nightstand. She started to set the alarm out of habit, but realized she didn't work in the morning, and got into bed. Sleep came suddenly.

Megan was aroused from sleep, and realized that the phone had awakened her. The alarm clock said it was 1:53 in the morning. Who the heck is calling? She answered, grumpy.

"Who's this?" Megan sat up in bed when she heard Kate's voice, she sounded scared.

"Can you come over...I know it's late. Please I can't be alone right now." Her voice quivered, and she was breathing heavily.

Megan was already getting out of bed. "Kate, what's wrong?"

"I'll say when you get here, please." Then there was the dial tone.

She didn't bother to get dressed. Grabbing her coat, and pushing her feet into a pair of slippers, Megan took her purse, and locked up the apartment as she left.

The white door burst open after the second knock of Megan's fist. Kate stood there in her long pajamas, and barefoot on the grey carpet. She rushed her inside the apartment.

"What is going on?" Megan inquired, and looked around the living room. "You sounded scared on the phone." She glanced at the stove clock in the kitchen; it read 2:23 in the morning.

Kate closed the door behind her, and walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass out of the cabinet. Reaching inside the refrigerator, she took out a bottle of wine and poured it into the glass. She took the glass, and drank.

"You are going to spill it," Megan said.

She brought a shaky hand down, and placed the glass back on the counter. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, she finally looked Megan's way.

"How long have we been friends?"

"Since we were kids," Megan said.

Kate paced the room and stopped, looking toward the door to her bedroom. Then she turned to her friend again.

"So we can talk to each other about anything, right?"

Megan let out a sigh. "Kate, please tell me why you called me in the middle of the night, dragged me out of bed, and now keeping me in suspense." she sat down on the tan couch.

Kate said, "You look tired."

"Of course I'm tired, it's almost three in the morning."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you over the phone, you would have never come over if I had. You would have called me a crazy psycho, and hung up on me." She looked in the doorway of her bedroom again. The light was on. From where Megan was sitting, she could see Kate's Queen-sized bed. The comforter was pulled down, and the bed pillows were piled on a chair by the window. Megan could tell something was bothering her friend. The look in Kate's eyes couldn't be mistaken for anything else, only fear. Megan was growing impatient.

"Now why on earth would I call you a crazy psycho?"

"Follow me, but be very quiet." Kate walked into her bedroom, and was motioning Megan to come with her. She stood just inside her door, a few feet away from the bed. Kate was just staring at her bed as if she'd seen it for the first time, and like she'd seen a ghost.

"Well?" she stood next to her friend, looking at the bed because Kate was. "Why do we have to be quiet?"

"Sssh...don't talk so loud, whisper."

"Kate, you are freaking me out here."

"This is going to sound really weird to you, but I need you to do something. Go and look under the bed for me. But, do not get to close to it, just kind of peak under there."

"This is crazy! You woke me up just so I could come over and look under your bed?" she touched her hand to Kate's forehead. "Are you high?"

"No! I told you to whisper!"

Huffing, she knelt down on her knees near the bed and peered down below. Megan couldn't see much of anything, but her eyes began to adjust, and the only thing under the bed was a shoebox.

"Do you see anything?" Kate whispered.

She shook her head, and got up from the floor to sit on the bed. "Is that what you wanted me to see, a shoebox?"

"What?" Kate came toward the bed and knelt down. She took a good look for awhile, then just sat there on her knees; thinking about something. "But, there was..."

"Kate, I'm going home now. If you ever call me in the middle of the night for something like this again, I'll wring your neck!" Megan started to get up.

"Megan, listen! I didn't call you over here for that. Something happened, but I'm afraid you'll think I'm crazy and have me committed if I told you. Promise me you won't do that?"

Out of all the years she'd known her, Megan had never seen Kate like this before. Whatever happened must have really scared her. It was her job as her friend to be here and comfort her, even if she did sound crazy. Megan continued to sit.

"I promise. For the last time, what happened?"

Kate stood up and sat down next to her. She began to talk, and Megan just listened.

"I came home from the party around Midnight, and did what I always do before going to bed. I went to my room, and changed out of my clothes to take a shower. Then after that, I put on my pajamas, combed my hair, you know just getting ready for bed. Everything seemed fine and normal, like it usually does. But, as I was sitting here, like right now, I felt a thump. It came from under the bed. At first I thought it was imagined, because it was so soft; then it happened again, harder this time. I started to get up and investigate, but the next thing I knew....next thing I knew something grabbed my ankle from under the bed. It grabbed me really tight, and when I was getting up I tripped and fell to the floor. Whatever had me was trying to drag me under the bed, and I was screaming. I finally got away, and it took me awhile to calm down before I called you. I couldn't see what had grabbed me, it was dark. The bedroom light was off. A thought occurred to me that maybe someone had broken in the apartment, and I thought about calling the cops. But I stood in the living room watching, and expecting them to come out from the bed, but no one ever did. I figured if a person had been under the bed they would have came out to keep me from calling the cops. Something, Megan, was under my bed. I didn't imagine it."

She didn't know what to say to Kate. Megan thought she was crazy, but wasn't going to say that. This had to be a figment of her imagination.

"Are you sure you didn't dream this whole thing?"

"No, of course I didn't," she said. "I'm telling you it was real. I didn't expect you to believe me."

Megan got up and moved toward the door of Kate's room. "Well, it sounds far-fetched don't you think? Can you blame me for being a little skeptical?"

"I'm sorry for waking you so late. I'm glad you came over for me. You're a good friend."