• Chapter 1
    Halloween

    What did this city hold? What was hidden behind the façade? A city of lights, lanterns in darkness. Beautiful from afar, ugly and dead from close. Souls wandered around unseen by those who went about their daily lives, unable to find the light amongst all the synthetic Behemoths that are called buildings.
    It was on a night like this that a rare sense of excitement snaked its way through the streets, infecting children and the young at heart. It was also on a night like tonight that chaos often reigned supreme, throwing its dark hold over anyone who wanted more, who was sick of nothing happening, who wanted to see law and order scramble, unable to do anything but watch.
    On a night like tonight, anything could happen, something someone was about to find out in an all too personal way.

    * * *

    “Halloween again.” Ty scowled at the thought. He hated Halloween. Something bad always happened to him on Halloween and whatever happened, it was never good. The previous year, his girlfriend had left him, before that, his mother ran off with another woman, before that, a car had crashed into his room and he’d ended up in hospital with broken arms for two months.
    The holiday was jinxed and sure enough, a few seconds later, an explosion went off in the building next to him. He was lucky enough to avoid all the concrete but, as luck would have it, a massive piece of glass landed in his arm.
    “Strike one.” He muttered, grimacing as his arm stung. And of course nobody else was on the street to help him or anyone else to get hurt. No doubt something else was going to happen. Halloween liked hurting him too much to let him get away with only a piece of glass in his shoulder. Picking his bag up off the floor, he began to walk again. His shoulder stung but he ignored it. That was one thing that would have to wait until he was home or until he found a clinic where the doctor didn’t dress like Frankenstein and try to scare him. The last guy who had done that had needed his own help from Ty landing a kick in his jaw.
    For a brief moment, the moon appeared from behind the clouds, bathing the street in silver. He looked up. The moon was unusually bright, the craters looking more like a face than ever. “Great, now I’m delusional.” Ty muttered.
    “Better delusional than dead.” Whispered a hoarse voice in his ear. Ty glanced behind him. Nothing. Nothing apart from someone coming out of the alley behind him. Someone in a hooded cloak with a scythe in their hand. A scythe that gleamed more than plastic should. It also looked too sharp to be plastic.
    “Aren’t you a little too old to be dressing up?” The costume was quite good. The black material seemed to move with no wind to aid it and was made of some iridescent black material. The hood covered the face perfectly, giving no indication to what was underneath. Whoever it was raised the scythe. Ty’s eyes travelled along he blade to the hand that held it. Skeleton fingers, bleached white and gleaming like cats eyes from the moon. Those were either really good gloves or the real thing.
    “Does death need to dress up to do its job?” The voice was scratchy, nails on a black board. The hair on Ty’s neck stood straight up. He suddenly felt cold and weak, as if he had cancer again. That was one thing he didn’t want to feel again. He had felt so useless, unable to move without feeling like he would fall asleep. Every movement felt as if your entire body was filled with thick custard. It made you slow and sluggish. He turned his attention back to the cloaked figure. The scythe was gleaming brightly, throwing light inside the hood, illuminating nothing. There was nothing there. Nothing. Just darkness, a darkness that looked dense.
    “Do you get off screwing with people’s minds?” Ty asked, trying to fight the fear that was pulsing in his stomach. Why was he scared? Nothing scared him unless it was his little sister. That kid had a way of freaking him out with her psychic ability to predict his actions. But that wasn’t the same fear. He liked that fear because it made her laugh. He loved it when she laughed. She was so innocent and cute that he couldn’t help but love her.
    The figure said nothing. The way it seemed to stare at him was creepy. It felt like a pair of eyes was watching him yet nothing was under that hood. One bony hand reached up to the hood and gripped the fabric. Ty suddenly didn’t want to see what was under there. He didn’t know why but something really scared him. The fabric moved away and the darkness inside seemed to vanish. Ty shut his eyes. He couldn’t move from fear but he could still look away.
    “Hey, I thought you’d be happy to see me.” That voice. No way. She had told him she would never speak to him again. That voice that had taunted him, telling him she hated him. No way would she come back to him. “Open your eyes, you moron.” He did, unable to resist. He knew full well who he would see. And that was the one person he didn’t want to see. She had made his life miserable, acting as if she loved him and then she’d left him.
    His eyelids slid back, peeling upwards like curtains. “About time.” Alicia said. That face was permanently branded on his mind. Her artificial shock of red hair, brown eyes and pale skin belonged to his ex-girlfriend. He couldn’t help but stare at her eyes. There was always something about them that had captured his attention but this time he noticed it more that ever before. The way they glinted was different though. They seemed to glitter the same way the material of the robe she was wearing was. It was an unnatural glitter, one that visited you in nightmares, holding onto you even after you’ve woken up and know there’s nothing that can harm you.
    “I thought you’d be happy to see me.” Alicia said, scowling in the way he had found cute. Ty finally found his voice. “You said you never wanted to see me again.” He answered. His voice sounded strange, even to his own ears. Alicia smiled, taunting him. The scythe in her hand twirled until the blade faced him. The blade was actually sharp after he got a good look at it. The kind of blade a Reaper would use. A grizzly thought if it had ever crossed his mind. She smiled again and raised the scythe. He couldn’t get his legs to move. Something was holding him, cementing his feet to the floor. Struggling to move his head, his eyes travelled to the ground. Something had to be holding him. He’d never let anything hold him before so what now? It was as if something had gripped his ankle and didn’t want to let go.
    “Nothings holding you.” Alicia said, making it sound as if he was an idiot. She had always had a knack for making him feel like one, even when he was right and she was wrong. He turned his attention to his feet, and just as she claimed, nothing was holding him. “Then why can’t I move?” Alicia seemed to laugh though no sound escaped her painted lips.
    “You can’t move because I don’t want you to. I’m holding you still; stopping you from moving just cause you’re scared of me. You’re scared, which is freezing your brain and giving me more access to your body, which makes it easy to stop you from running away or trying to fight. Though knowing how you usually act, you’d just run away and go hug that idiot sister of yours.” She smirked. The moon shone on her face and for a second her skin seemed to gleam like her hands, shining through to her bones and highlighting the hollows around her eyes, showing the bone of the skull that rested beneath her skin, supporting it like a mother.
    No way was this really Alicia. Sure she had always been scary and a little weird but this was scary personified. No way her eyes had ever been as hollow or dead as now. And there was no way that her skin had been that pale. So pale that it almost looked blue. He was reminded of a horror movie he had watched a few nights ago. The beings in there had been this pale but they were the undead. The only thing that made sense was to think that she was undead. But that was impossible. Dead people belonged in graves, not on the material plane where living humans walked.
    “What's so impossible about it?” Once again, her voice was mocking. Ty worked some moisture into his mouth. It had been dry for some reason. “Ty, you’re so narrow minded sometimes.” That was a laugh. She had always been narrow minded, not him.
    “No matter. Its time I ended this conversation. There are at least twenty other people who I have to send off tonight. Consider yourself lucky that you come first.” She said. Ty raised one of his eyebrows. “Why should I consider myself lucky?” he asked. Alicia glanced at him as she raised the scythe. “There’s some guy a few blocks form here who got knocked down by a car an hour ago. He’s in agony and I’m making him wait. Be glad you’re not in that position.” She replied. The scythe was above her head, silhouetted against the moon. “Just so you know, I still and will always think that you are a total loser.” The words slipped by him as the scythe began to move down, slicing through the air, the whisper of death caressing his mind.
    It seemed to take forever for the scythe to meet his chest. Images flashed in front of his eyes, just like people said would happen. Images of his sister, his mom, the creep she’d run off with, his dad lying in hospital bleeding from the head, the funeral, his sister’s first day at school, her tears after people called her freak. She’d been so upset and he’d been unable to do anything apart from hold her and whisper words of encouragement to her. She still got called a freak but she’d accepted it and simply beat the person who called her a freak to a pulp. Mariah was just like that.
    Mariah. He couldn’t leave her. She needed him. The scythe seemed to stop. “Hey, quit resisting!” Alicia didn’t sound happy. She brought the scythe down again but it missed him. Again and this time, it nicked his arm. The strength he usually had there vanished. It was like his arm was dead. “Next time that will be your throat.” She was really pissed off now. Her face was contorting, the skull underneath pressing through the flesh like some grotesque mask. It was terrifying but he couldn’t look away. Her lips shrivelled, falling to the pavement, leaving lipless gums, which were turning black with mould. Soon that flesh vanished too, leaving gleaming white teeth. Soon none of the flesh was left, only a skull.
    Ty couldn’t move. Alicia’s fury was holding him immobile.
    “Wrong night to choose him, Death.” Said a voice behind Alicia. She froze. If he looked carefully, he would have guessed she was scared. With a shiver that rattled her bones, she turned around. “No, not you.” She whispered. There was no doubt about it, she was scared.
    “There is someone else you should be sending on, you idiot.” That was a different voice. So there were two of them. Whatever they were, they were also dressed up. Alicia finally found her voice but it wasn’t hers. It was the one that sounded like nails on a chalkboard again. “How did you two know I was here?” The two figures looked at her, then at each other as if to say, “idiot.”
    “You can’t go anywhere without us knowing. I take it you forgot that Vanessa placed a tracker on you.” The one said. Alicia looked confused. “That’s impossible, I would have noticed.” She said. The one called Vanessa shook her head. “It’s not something you can take off yourself seeing as it’s not a piece of machinery. You remember what I am. I can place an astral tracker on you. No taste, no colour. It gives no indication that its there. I’d say it works like charm. Alex, get him out of here. Its time I showed him what a pain an astral tracker can be,” Vanessa said to her companion. The one named Alex seemed to grin. She moved past Alicia or Death or whatever her name was, and came to stand in front of him. He couldn’t see her clearly but he could tell there was something unusual about her.
    “You’re not scared of speed are you?” she asked. Ty shook his head. “That’s good.” She held out her hand and Ty took it. Without any trouble, she swung him onto her back and began to run. “Holy s**t!” Ty shouted. She was moving incredibly fast. “What’s the matter? I’m going slow by my standards.” She asked. Suddenly she stopped and he nearly flew from her back. “Why’d you stop?” he managed to ask. “I have to wait for Vanessa. Besides, astral trackers are fun to watch.” Alex replied. Ty turned to look back at Vanessa who was speaking in a strange language.
    “I can only say that I’m glad I’m not in Death’s position.” Alex said from above him. Ty kept his eyes focused on what was happening. Alicia seemed to be unable to move and Vanessa was glowing with an odd light. With a sound of something tearing, the skin at her shoulder blades split and out of each one, shot something large and dark. Whatever they were, they glowed with dark light. Dark light. What a weird thought. How could light be dark?
    “Pay attention.” Alex said, interrupting his thoughts. Vanessa lifted her hands, palms down, the strange language still coming from her. “NOOOO! PLEASE DON’T!” Alicia screamed. “I’ve warned you enough.” Vanessa said, flicking her hands palms up. The ground around Alicia’s feet opened up. It was filled with the same dense blackness that had been inside her hood.
    “Satan, remind your servant to do what he’s told.” Vanessa shouted into the hole. As soon as she said that, dozens of things flew out of the pit. They looked like thin ribbons made of Hell fire, weaving around and latching onto various parts of Alicia’s body. Like snakes, they slid around her, dragging her down into the pit. Alicia’s screams ripped through the night, the cries of a Banshee as they announced someone’s death. Again and again she screamed as the ribbons continued to drag her down to Hell. A voice answered the screams. Evidently it enjoyed them.
    “Oh rest assured, my angel. I’ll enjoy letting him know what happens when he does something wrong.” The voice was coated in the pleasure that the screams created. “Good, then will you hurry up. His screaming is giving me a headache.” Vanessa replied, covering her ears. “I’d be happy to.” Satan replied. Alicia screamed once more as the pit began to close around her and the Hell fire ribbons dragged her down. With an aching slowness, the pit closed, sealing off the screams. The night sounded scarily quiet without them echoing around the street.
    “Finally. I thought he’d never shut up.” Alex said, removing her fingers from her ears. She’d wisely plugged her ears and was saved the discomfort of the screams echoing around Ty’s head. “Yeah, Satan sure took his sweet time.” Vanessa complained, walking over. The wings were still sticking out of her back but they were retreating back under her shoulder blades. Alex glanced at Vanessa’s back. “It’s a good thing you weren’t wearing anything fancy. Those wings of yours always make it hard to fix your clothes.” Vanessa touched her back. “Well, I try never to dress fancy.”
    Alex grinned and turned their attention to Ty who was resting on his elbows, staring at them. Standing in front of him were two girls, two beautiful girls, one who moved with lightning speed and had incredible strength and another who had wings and could summon the forces of Hell. Halloween sure had something different in store for him this year. Not that he could complain.
    Vanessa squatted down next to him and held up his arm, the one the scythe had nicked. “I guess he managed to get you.” She said. Her voice was gentle but there was some hidden quality to it, like a hidden pain. Ty managed to nod. Alex knelt down as well. “Can you fix it?” she asked Vanessa. “Who do you think you’re talking to? Course I can.” Vanessa answered, placing her fingers on his dead flesh and whispering a few words. Warmth spread through his arm, all the way down to his nails. Blood rushed through the veins, determined to get his arm functioning again.
    “That should do it.” Vanessa murmured, standing up and pulling him with. He wanted to say thanks but the words wouldn’t come. He was too freaked out. “Let’s get him home. Maybe then he’ll stop gulping for air like a fish out of water.” Alex said, struggling not to laugh at the way he was flapping his mouth. His voice didn’t want to work, no matter what he did. Vanessa took pity on him. “That’s just the shock. That wasn’t your ex, you know?” He nodded, as it seemed the only way of communicating for him. “Good. Cause you’ll be pleased to know that was the Grim Reaper. Or your society’s one at any rate. If it had been any other, it would have been more difficult to get rid of him.” That came from Alex, who was glancing around the street. “Can we go?”
    “Yeah, lets get outta here.” Vanessa answered, leading the way. “No-one will see us?” Alex asked. “Only humans. I activated my astral defence.” Vanessa replied, waving at a little girl who was on the other side of the street. She waved back and ran off. Alex looked reassured and they continued walking. Ty forgot to ask how they knew where his apartment was. All he could think of was what had happened. As far as he knew, angels and the Grim Reaper were only fictional. He was an Atheist and the only things he believed in was to get drunk if he was in a bad mood and whether Mariah was going to need him after school. The poor id often did as people picked on her all day. They stopped the second they saw him though. He was grateful for that. His appearance did tend to scare people sometimes. He was tall and covered in muscles that came as a result of getting into street fights when he was younger. It was the only way he had managed to make a reputation and he still got into fights now. His face wasn’t that scary. Mariah and Alicia had always said he was incredibly handsome but he took that for flattery, nothing else. The only reason his face was scary was because his hair was long and always hung down over his face. The fact that it was dark contrasted with his white skin. That always had a way of freaking people out for some reason. Underneath the black curtain was a pair of clear, deep blue eyes. He actually wouldn’t look scary at all if he brushed his hair and showed his eyes. Maybe these two wanted to fight him. If so, he would have to say no. There was no way in Hell he’d ever be able to beat them what with their freaky powers. Maybe they were fans. That was a possibility and one he was much more comfortable with.
    “Hey, you awake?” Vanessa snapped her fingers under his nose. Ty jerked and came back to his senses but it took him a few minutes to realize that they were standing in front of his apartment door. He must have gotten distracted with his thoughts as they walked here. Alex glanced at him.
    “Should I let him open it or just kick it down?” she asked. Vanessa thought for a minute. “Kick it down. I’ll get Amanda to fix it later.” Vanessa answered, moving him away from Alex and standing back. Alex walked up to the door, swung around and hit the door with her foot with the force of a small truck. It sung inwards, nearly knocked off its hinges and into the room. It was dark inside. Mariah must have been asleep. They stepped inside but a second later, a soccer ball flew out of nowhere, colliding with the side Of Vanessa’s head. “Not again.” She muttered, rubbing the area where the ball had hit her. Alex snorted, struggling not to laugh.
    “Get out of here or that’ll be a bowling ball next time.” That was Mariah. Her threats were always solid. “Mariah, take it easy.” Ty finally found his voice. It sounded weak. A small head popped out from behind the couch. “Ty?” She asked. “Yeah, its me.” He answered, moving forwards and switching on a light. Mariah stood up. She had been crying again. He could still se the track marks on her pale skin.
    “Who picked on you this time that you had to try to get rid of them like that?” Ty asked. Mariah scowled but ran forward and hugged him. It was a tight hug. She was happy to see him. “Don’t be late again. I might break your arm next time.” The words were muffled against his shoulder but he laughed as she said them. He glanced at Alex and Vanessa, who were standing at the door, looking more like private bodyguards than teenage girls.
    “I’ll let you know that I’m no teenager.” Alex smirked as she surprised him. Mariah looked up at them. Her stare went right through them. “So who are these two? A Vampire and an Angel?” Ty was stunned. She’d never been so frank. Vanessa closed the door but smiled at Mariah. “Yes, that’s exactly what we are. I’m not surprised you can tell.” She said, sitting down cross-legged on the couch. Alex leaned on the armrest and waited. Ty finally leaned back.
    “Okay, I’ll bite. What happened out there?” It felt good to say the words. They had been pressing down on him ever since Alicia had shown up. Mariah looked at him, unable to read his thoughts. Vanessa rested her cheek on her fist. “Well, you had a brush with Death. You saw what happened. Well, let me explain Death first. That, in your culture, is known as the Grim Reaper. We call him Death but he has a lot of names. You already know what his job is. He’s been trying to kill you for years now. You remember that you’ve had some pretty weird accidents that didn’t seem to have a cause? Well, that was Death trying to get you. At first we didn’t know why he wanted you out of the picture. But Alex, I think, has figured it out. Do you remember anything strange from your first years of life?”
    She said it so easily. Someone wanted him dead and she sounded so calm. And how did she know that he had had a lot of strange accidents? And how did she know about his birth. That was something he thought only he could see and he’d never shared it with anyone. So how did she know?
    “First tell me what you two are. There’s no way any human girl would be able to move or do whatever you did out there.” Alex folded her arms and contemplated the question. It gave him a chance to look at them properly. As he remembered, both of them were beautiful but now that he saw them properly, that beauty wasn’t something you found in a human. It was supernatural. Alex was tall and willowy and moved with a natural grace. In that, she and Vanessa were the same. Both were graceful and strangely elegant. Ty looked back at Alex, at her face. Her hair was swept back and hung in a thick, glossy curtain to her waist. Soft curls of it framed her face, clinging to her high cheekbones. It was the most amazing colour he had ever seen. It was brown, but so dark a shade of brown, it looked almost black. How could hair look so glossy and soft? Her eyes were a deep ocean green and looked as if they were constantly alert. Only odd thing was how pale her skin was. Like snow, freshly fallen. There was a small black tattoo under her right eye. It looked like a long black line ending in a curl with small black spikes coming off and pointing down to her cheek. Vanessa, on the other hand, had an ethereal quality to her looks. Her face was oval shaped, her skin soft and pale but tinged with a soft dusting of red on her cheeks. Mariah would have called it a peaches and cream complexion. She had a small nose; full lips and her eyes were an interesting colour. It was like looking the sky in the morning. A mix between grey and blue. They were rimmed by thick dark eyelashes. He liked them the most. Her hair was just as nice. It hung in waves down her back with dozens of thin braids mixed into it. It’s golden colour glowed even though there was not much light in the room. Her body was different from Alex. She was slightly more voluptuous. How could they be human when they looked like this? It was unfair in a way.
    “I’m a Vampire and Vanessa is a fallen Angel.” Alex grinned at his shock. Well, it did explain a lot. The wings, the speed, strength, everything. Wait, what was he thinking? Those kinds of creatures were only found in stories and folklore. Maybe he had been caught in the middle of a movie shoot. No, there hadn’t been any cameras and it had looked way too real. Maybe he was hallucinating. Yeah, that had to be it.
    “Now you’re just being stubborn. We are very real. I’ll show you.” Vanessa had read his thoughts. That was creepy. She stood up and turned her back on him. He could see the rips in her shirt where the wings had come out. The skin there began to move, to stretch and tear. Where he had expected blood, there was none. Instead, the wings unfurled out from under her shoulder blades, stretching to the roof. They were so much more impressive up close. The feathers were an opalescent black, shining beautifully but they looked slightly charred. On each feather was a weird squiggle, glowing in many different colours. Once again, that dark light emanated from them. “They look they way they do because they got burnt when I fell from Heaven and into Hell. The glyphs on them are to stop me from making contact with other angels or trying to get back into the ethereal plane. God keeps a close eye on me and the ones like me. I can’t try anything without the big guy knowing about it. Can’t say that I’m complaining. Satan puts me up and I get to do what I want.”
    Ty stretched out his hand until his fingertips touched the feathers. They were warm, and surprisingly soft. They didn’t feel burned at all. “Sure they don’t. They healed after a while but they still hurt a little.” Mariah stroked the feathers. “What about Alex?” Ty asked, glancing at her. Alex smiled widely, revealing pointed fangs. “Oh, I’m very much a Vampire. Don’t worry though, your bloods a little too spicy for my taste.”
    Ty raised an eyebrow. Alex smiled wider. “She means that she doesn’t like your blood type. It’s got too much taste. Her favourite is AB Positive and it’s kinda hard to find. She’s lucky is she finds it every time she needs to feed.” Vanessa said, the wings sliding back into her body. Ty nodded, not fully following. “How are you two here? I mean, shouldn’t you be stuck somewhere else?” He didn’t mean to be so blunt but he couldn’t help it.
    “Well, usually we’re stuck in Purgatory but since it’s Halloween, a rift appears and we get out. Happens every time it’s some freaky holiday. Friday the 13th, Halloween, anything like that. Exceptions to that rule are vampires, fallen angels, werewolves and Death itself. Vanessa is the current guardian of this area so you’ve maybe seen her around.” Alex’s answer sent him reeling. Mariah was sitting next to him, taking it all in. She looked fascinated. Or maybe that was because she was staring at the dress Alex was wearing. It was definitely unique. It had a tight fitting bodice that looked more like a long sleeved corset with a skirt that flared out nicely. The material was a dark black with blood red frills were on every cuff or collar on the dress. Buckles and straps hung down over the skirt, as if they were trying not to let go of each other, like lost lovers. A little bit of black lace hung out from under the skirt, making it look seductive. The bodice was strapped tightly together, emphasizing her narrow waist. To complete the look, a black satin ribbon was fastened around her neck. “It’s a Gothic Lolita.” Alex answered the unspoken question. Mariah’s face lit up. She loved dresses like that.
    Ty looked back at Vanessa. She wasn’t dressed in nearly as extravagant an outfit. Her outfit consisted simply of a pair of jeans torn at the knees, a black shirt with the rips from the wings, a pair of combat gloves and a mean looking pair of boots. They were black and had large silver buckles with souls that looked as if they would break his jaw. She was examining the inside of her wrist. She looked closely at the skin, then back up at him. “Normally we wouldn’t be do frank about this but you need to come with us.” She said.
    “Why?’
    “Because you are one o the few people who can see us and that makes you vulnerable. Most people can’t see us because they weren’t visited by an Oni at birth. The thing you saw was a corrupted disembodied soul that only revealed itself to you because it sensed that you had a strong clairvoyant mind. Don’t look like that’s a good thing.” Vanessa said as he raised an eyebrow. “An Oni is often working for someone who promises them something. The Oni carries out the job, in this case, to make you sensitive to us, and they were probably given something in return. In actual fact, we try to stop that from happening because when a human is able to see ghosts and other supernatural beings, it drives them insane and they often end up killing themselves. The last one who was given this “gift” was a girl named Misaki. She didn’t want to see these things and just jumped off a building. Right now, Satan is looking after her. He sympathizes with people who have this problem.”
    “So what, are you gonna tell me you’re taking me with you to Hell?”
    Alex scoffed. “Please. If we’d wanted to take you to Hell, we would just have let Death do what he wanted. No. We just want to take you and your sister somewhere where you’ll be a whole lot safer than you are here.” She answered.
    Mariah looked interested. “Oh yeah, and where is that?’ she asked.
    “Purgatory.” Vanessa answered.
    That got Mariah curious. “But that’s the place between heaven and Hell. In other words, where we are now.”
    “Exactly.”
    “Vanessa, how can we go somewhere where we already are?”
    “By crossing over onto Earth’s sister plane.”
    “Sister plane?” Mariah was confused.
    “The place where lost souls go. You see if they don’t know the way to heaven or Hell, they get stuck in Purgatory, the place between. Sometimes they get stuck in the physical world but ninety nine percent of the time, it’s in Purgatory. And that’s where you’ll be safe. Everyone there can see you, you can see them, no problem.”
    Alex rose from the couch, her ears pricking up. “Vanessa, we’ve gotta move.”
    “I know.”
    Both of them had become tense. Ty knew why. The room had gone uncomfortably cold and dark, even though the lights were on. So cold in fact that he could see his breath misting in front of his eyes.
    Vanessa stood up and stretched her hands out in front of her. An aura of black light surrounded her, sending warm waves all over the room. With it came a pressure so rough it felt like he was drowning. The pressure seemed to build until it pressed down on Ty’s ears. It hurt. It was like the room was being crushed under water, pressing in on him and bearing down. A great tearing sound ripped through his ears. He opened his eyes. And stared.
    A massive black hole was in the middle of the room. Vanessa was holding it open, looking uncomfortable. “You might wanna get in. It hurts to keep this open.” It showed. Her forearms had veins pressing up through the skin, which was bleeding slightly. Ty couldn’t move. All he could do was stare. “Move it!” Vanessa shouted, looking angry. Before he could however, Alex had lifted him off his feet and was dragging him towards the hole. Mariah had already jumped through, not hesitating for a second. Alex reached the hole and threw him unceremoniously into it.
    It was like being sucked through a toilet. It felt as if water was buffeting him from all sides, knocking him against wave after wave of pressure. He couldn’t see anything. But there was definitely a feeling of things flying past him, through him. Ty squeezed his eyes shut, scared to see what they were. Only to find it was impossible to keep them closed. The speed at which he was falling, or was it flying, was incredible. It forced his eyes open.
    “Having fun?”
    Ty whirled his head at the voice and found Alex right next to him. “What the hell is this?” he yelled. “The portal to Heaven or to Hell. Our stop is coming up.” She said, pulling a torch from under her skirt and switching it on.
    If he screamed, it was lost in the rush of air. Thousands of hideous black wisps were screaming past him. They were nothing but air, with wide staring eyes, their balls rolling in the rotted sockets. Mouths were just a rip in the fabric of their making, issuing the most horrible screams imaginable. They flailed their arms, trying to grab a hold of Ty as he came past. Every time one of them touched him, it felt as if something was sucked out of him, draining a bit of energy. At least they couldn’t get a proper grip on him. “Souls.” Alex yelled in his ear.
    Ty nodded.
    “There we are.” Alex said, grabbing his hand and yanking him to the side. Ty squinted and saw a tiny rip in the blackness. It was flapping, like material in the wind. Alex reached out her hand and caught one of the flailing tatters, gripping it tight and swinging around to get a better hold. Ty instinctively swung his legs forward and flew right through the rip, feeling warmth touch his skin. He opened his eyes and saw he was in the middle of a town. Mariah was sitting at his feet, looking wind blown. Alex landed gracefully next to him and Vanessa showed up a few seconds later, her wings flapping gently against the air. “Welcome to Purgatory.” She said, flexing one of her arms. Ty looked around. It looked pretty ordinary apart from the massive moon that hung overhead. The sky was so black, the moon looked out of place, like a torn section in material.
    “Sure it looks normal now. Wait until everyone comes out. You might just wanna get rid of anything you ate cause the stink can be real bad.” And sure enough, a second later, doors opened, windows flew ope and people stormed into the streets. Just as Vanessa had said, the smell was awful. Like off meat being boiled in sulphur in a public toilet.
    “Oh, excuse me.” Someone said as the bumped into him. Ty glanced at the person and felt something fall into his hand: a finger.
    Ty raised an eyebrow at the person who was literally falling apart. It looked curiously at him. “you’re new here, aren’t you? Well, you’ll get used to it soon enough. Welcome to Purgatory and you may as well get used to seeing bits of us lying around cause it happens all the time.”