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Ch 9: On your right, tortured souls

The grand halls was lined with ornate paintings and elaborate statues carved into the pillars that looked like people trying to escape, one even had hands pulling the figure back into the pillar. A long red carpet lay at the center, spanning the entire length of the hall and took them right past all the gruesome imagery, a pleasant walk as one might imagine. “So I guess hell really is as boring as hell.” Michael attempted to break the silence with a bad joke but it only served to make the silence heavier.
Vincent personally wasn’t aware of the humor in that joke (since the joke was devoid of it), but he didn’t turn around to tell Michael he was an idiot because he would have hated to wake the guards up. He was only slightly aware of Michael absentmindedly fiddling with the strap that held Nirvana when a heavy Ka-thunk echoed throughout the hall. He turned around and saw Michael picking up the sword, but what he saw behind Michael got his attention, something was struggling to get free from the pillars that ran along the carpet.
Michael saw Vincent staring at, no, past him. He turned around just in time to see the figure that had hands pulling it back in break free and set a solid foot on the carpet. As more came out, it became clear that they all had different facial features and physical builds, they moved in jerky motions almost like someone had dumped them into liquid marble and it hardened around their joints. They approached, silently twitching with faces frozen in agony “Run!” Diamond yelled to Michael and took her own advice. Vincent also ran with Diamond so Michael figured it was a good idea to listen.
They crashed through the large double doors and slammed them shut. The room they were in now was something of a foyer with a grand staircase leading up to an upper balcony with a door at the top. It was illuminated by candles strewn across the room. Michael slumped against the door. “What were those things?” he finally asked the other two, who were also against the door.
“Those were guards, made to capture souls that try to escape.” Diamond said “They grab you, then drag you into the pillar where you join their ranks.” She cringed at the thought.
“Are they all around?” Michael asked.
“No, they’re only in the entrance hall.” Diamond assured him and took out a pair of throwing knives.
Michael took a moment to examine his surroundings. He began pacing around the room; it had portraits of people, mostly men. He recognized some of the portraits from his history class, their infamy tied to the war and death they had caused. He approached one he didn’t recognize, It was a young eastern European man, about college aged, he bent down to read the name plate that said ‘Gavrilo Princip.’ Michael disregarded the portrait and made his way over to the staircase, the railing had a lion’s head knob “So,” Michael said “Are there any monsters here?” he asked Vincent and Diamond.
“Look around,” Vincent said “We are in a hall dedicated to them.” He replied somberly, referring to the portraits.
After a minute of reflection, Diamond and Vincent got up; they joined Michael who had already ascended the staircase.
A lion’s maw housed the door handle, looking about ready to clamp down on the fool who turned it. Michael. Knowing he would berated if he didn’t, reached out and gripped the handle so hard his knuckles turned white. He clenched his eyes shut and looked away, bracing for pain, he quickly turned the knob. He didn’t remember it, but both Diamond and Vincent said he screamed like a little girl when the jaws snapped shut. The fangs that would have severed his hand were pushed back into a hollow in the upper and lower jaws that was made when the handle was kept turned. When Michael came to after thinking his hand had been severed, he was greeted with laughter from his companions at his expense, and even the lion’s head seemed to snicker. He blushe4d deeply and opened the door in a huffy manner, which caused humor the other two.
Though they stopped laughing, Michael’s two companions still smiled at his misfortune, not really minding the silent treatment. Michael on the other hand was struggling with the silence, so he decided to cut them a little slack. “So, where to next?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” Diamond responded “That is up to our fearless leader.” she smiled.
“I hate you guys.” He whined quietly, with a bruised ego.
“I know” Vincent said simply.
Michael entered a brightly lit, marble room. The tiles on the floor alternated between black and white while the walls were white with the occasional swirl of black. A lone reflecting pool was in the center, the water sat at perfect height with the edges.
He bent over it and saw the image of white cement brick walls, yellow looking faux wood, polished to shiny perfection and markings along the center. It took a moment for Michael to realize what he was looking at, and to confirm his life long suspicion “So gym really is from hell.” He said in a moment of eureka, minus the running naked, and yelling.