Chapter 3 - Half~Hell of A Ride

: The Half-Hell of a Ride

The motorcyclist suddenly broke his frozen pose, by maneuvering his legs on his left side. Without hesitation, he slid off the bike; allowing it to swerve and tumble on this vast freeway. A red hue began to glow in his helmet and three horns shot out with black tar, breaking his helmet off as it reveals a grotesque face all on its own with eye-holes hollowed. His boots began to break up the road underneath him as his leather suit began to grow and expand into black scales; All the while sprinting at 180 miles down the highway after his targets! His talon-sharp nails touch the surface; the hue in the sky began to fade into amethyst saturation! The clouds move rapidly as they change from white to red, making the finish on everything a crimson-blood shine! The buildings surrounding the road contorted and twisted it's bricks into almost unimaginative architecture, the outline of every inch was succumbed to a dark focus as the road began to swivel and sway from left to right. The cyclist was altering reality like it was being tortured for all it's wrong, and all he had to do was touchdown!

“OH FUCCCK!” Ezell yelped as he watch the road shift in front of his naked new eyes. He heard the radio begin to invert into sounds of forced screaming! Utter madness filled the car making him cover his ears,“What the f- what the fuck is- Fucking Shit!?” he abruptly stopped his sentence to point at the road, which was morphing into twists and multiple loops in the distance! “Sira, What the shitting fuuuuck is that?!” Ezell signifying that they’re closing in on death fast; all the while a behemoth 20 feet tall is chasing them down!

Sira laughs watching her friend go bonkers then waves, “Not to worry my friend, I know shit is getting crazy, but I got this under complete control…Still got it-Oh shit I almost forgot!” she leans and presses a button on the car that reads: SHFTMODE; The suspension in the car got lower as if it smoothly slid across the ruby tinted gravel! “This realm’s gravity is ground shifted man, prepare for the ride of your life! By the way that has too many details in itself. Check for seat-belts please!” she say as she grabs the steering wheel after putting the roach out. The roller-coaster from hell reborn was only a mile away!

“Okay, Shit, Okay…” The man quickly checks his seat-belt noticing it was already fastened. He began to calm down to heavy breathing, and then looked at Sira. She looks like the type to welcome death at any moment, her chuckling wasn't making it better either! He slowly turn to face his impending doom; He wondered why he stepped into this…whatever it is in the first place. Not to mention a killing machine is chasing them on foot into a deathtrap, again. “Fuck It!” Was all he could say before the car dips into a dive, ninety degrees: plummeting! He looks around to see if anything would start to crash as they fell. Though nothing went according to what he thought; it was unorthodox! The car suddenly tilts back as the road reverses back upwards. They could see the monstrosity in front of them now, but on the other track! “He’s still behind us or above us!?”

“Yes, and that’s what I thought.” Sira gripped the wheel firmly as she drove, this suddenly got serious. This type of demon would give utmost anything to get it's target. Anything!

The demonic figure catches eye of the automobile above him, and screeches a yelping sound as he bend downwards. With mighty strength, he leaps upward at the asphalt above; defying gravity altogether! His claws grew gigantic as he juts his arms forward. impaling the the road as his fingers reaches impact! To the car it looked like newly built pillars blocking their free path. Ezell curses obscenities as Sira drifts around the huge claws and stayed on course, missing the demon's vascular obstacles by mere inches! The monster growled as his arms that expanded rips off as he hit the ground on both working limbs! It hyperventilates as he watch the car speed off, nodding as it drip black liquid from his growling gnaw. His arm less shoulders stops leaking and slowly regenerates strand by strand, muscle by muscle, skin by skin! The giant arms that was stuck rapidly rot to ashes and it left nothing but craters in the road. It stood staring menacingly at the two escapees in their cool ride, this isn’t over: Not by a long shot...

Sira sighs of relief as she let's go of the wheel, then reached another blunt from the dashboard and pulls out the lighter as well, “Don’t worry kid, those types are brutes. It will take a while before they recuperate for another attack.  The cars in auto-lead, so I suggest you settle down and enjoy the ride. By the time that arm grows back, we’ll be long gone to be tracked.”

The man was about to elevate back to a yell, but the thoughts of his life began to fade as the evidence proves that he was fine! This girl was a hell of a driver, and there was no sign of that demon! A sigh of superb relief erupts from his lips as he finally leans back in his chair. "Geez, I guess that makes it all better now does it?" He pinches his nose as he heard the click of the lighter spark, man did he need that! The calmness incarnate, whatever that was in her rolled essence.'The Truth Huh?' He suddenly blinked uncontrollably as he realizes something, “…But, you was about to fuck up though!” he points at her grinning as he continues “Ha yeah you did! You was about to forget to press that button!”

The woman cough up a whole bunch of smoke as she turns to him, trying to plea as she waves her hands frantically “N-no, I don’t know what you are talking about! You’re kidding yourself! Here, take this blunt and forget about that part!” They chuckle as the view began to blur as they speed down the ominous road like a bullet. They swept and swerved through the course like it was perfectly driven! Sira just shrugs a smile as she look at the kid that was finally getting a grip on himself. “Now that you’re calm, I can teach you a thing or two! You see the road? Picture it as the monorail to a train; or cars to a racetrack...if someone races these things...There’s still monorails in this realm-don’t get me wrong, but only a select few things are altered! Although some altered things take more time to traverse, when you’re back on Earth, everything will be as it seem. I will teach you more about Realms when we get to your father, but I will teach you what you need to know as we step forward son of Aries, in due time. But for now we need to find a passage back to the Earth realm. There’s always one six miles away from a coaster-oh yeah, that’s the name for these things.” she rambles on as they suddenly could see the grand evil coastline as the crimson filled moon shines on a large city from a great distance!

“What the hell? How can this large city be here when we've been only in this car for about an hour?” Asks the curious man, though he was right on that point. During his time in Dallas, he hasn't come across this field of a city before. Eventually, as they drove on the whole view he was familiarized with was totally different! Instead of viewing it at driving vision, he can see the whole city is surrounded by a huge circular steel gate, celestial rotten armor still stands firm. “It looks as if we’re not on a globe anymore.” 

“Because we’re not Ezell, since we've skipped realms, not only the gravity is different, but the terrain, oceans, even the skies are almost different! Since we’re in Half-hell, the gravity is a hard to explain; but I'll try. Since the gravity is lighter, we-meaning the ones who aren't dead; can travel faster, jump higher with the acquired strength. Even withstand some attacks like it was a piece of paper!” Sira exhales a heap of smoke as she finishes her sentence. “Monsters are a sight too; this place holds all kinds of demonic spirits and beings. Don’t get me wrong, some are nice, though most aren't that lucky to be born with such emotion, even intelligence! Anger would ensue and their true forms would sometimes be gigantic, battles and destruction would ring out at moment’s notice! The wreckage would be too much to rebuild, or “so they say”.” she said emphasizing with her fingers, “Ages ago, this place used to be bustling with so many cities and mountains, but now some parts of this realm are just a barren wasteland now since some demons can’t hold their temper in line. You ever hear stories about when people died, and been revived in the nick of time? In said stories you ever hear one say the saw nothing, just nothing?” She began to ramble on as if she wanted to tell an old tale.

Ezell looks at her with widened eyes as he can recall a certain story he heard, then a lot more on the internet. “They were dropped he-?!”

“They were dropped the fuck here, exactly man! If their sight would've gained consciousnesses, they've would've seen a wasteland of dust and rubble. ” Sira finishes his sentence a little too late as she pulls the blunt from her mouth and passed it again, keeps adding on as if she was here witnessing herself, “Though you’d be surprised, some cities down here can have laws. Even to ban demons to never think twice about changing into their form, such cities like this one here!” she points to a sign that was coming up. The city they was viewing from a peculiar angle was now a few miles ahead.

“Now entering…RaZuH CoK City? The fuck kinda name is that?” The man looks at the girl as he pass the blunt. This is really get out of hand here, and the worst part is. He can't do a damn thing about it now. This is happening.

“Because they don’t fuck around...” Sira says to him with the straightest face she could muster. Ezell just stares back as he’s still lost, then she chuckles “No one would ever think of it, c’mon man this is hell region! Almost everything is allowed here! Where are you right now…” she says sarcastically as they drove on. The car suddenly slows down as they were nearing the gate, like a spec on a chalkboard as it draws close until an eventual stop. “Watch this; they even got their own guardian!”

As it stopped, an echoing voice boomed to the car, “WHAT THY BUSINESS HERE?!” like it was trying to push the car back with just loud echo gusts alone! 

Sira rolls down her window a little, releasing fumes of smoke from the car before raising her arm out the window. She flips her badge in the air; the badge illuminated a bright yellow halo as she yelled, “SOLICITOR'S BUSINESS!”

“THAT IS ACCEPTABLE, YOU MAY MOVE FORWARD.” The huge gate folds into sections, just enough for the car to pass through. The city shines bright with lights and flares, some buildings twisted and stuck out in unorthodox sprouts of red vine and black splattered brick.

“Pretty neat right, I wonder how they’re able to do that?” Sira smiles as she watches the door form back in her rear view.

“Eh, it could be a bit quieter.” Ezell pokes in his eardrum a bit, then the man looks outside the window noticing some figures as humans, but with scales, others with horns and wings around joints and collar bones. Some even sported tails and talons galore, the kid was riddled with silence as he watched his sub-par of a human form become toppled! The rare ones outshone the rest with different colors of any other human being, from dark reds, to ridged purples, and the inverted pales!

“Geez, for a “rook” you’re kinda hard to impress…Anyways, where’s a transition point back to Earth.” She pulled something out her pocket; it's triangular with a square grid with red neon blinking lights. “Oh yeah, this is a Solicitor’s wallet; complete with C-dar and a nifty Halo badge.” she flipped the badge so it can illuminate the halo for a second time. “With this symbol, you can gain access to almost anywhere in different realms. Though saying that has many details in itself as well, it has opened more questions also; but we’ll talk about it later. This C-dar however…” she flips it back to the grid, “which is the 'Collective-Radar'. This thing can point you anything you mind want it to, all you have to do is think it! And the nearest transition point back to Earth is…Right there!” They've followed the dot to this inner city plaza hotel; that looks obviously normal besides the rear exit was 4 blocks away! The car pulls into a parking space and Sira shuts everything off as she says, “Here, take this and try not to make a scene. If you think you will, you shouldn't let them see your eyes right?” Sira passed him some aviator glasses as well as the blunt. “That way whenever you try to scream, you’re cut off by coughing…Don't worry, they'll just think you're trying to kill yourself.” That familiar smile directed to the man as Sira patted him on the shoulder.

“Um…Thanks?” Ezell raises a brow as he shrugs his shoulders. 'What the hell kind of reassurance was that! She surely got a flex-able sense of humor.' 

“My eyes are bloodshot right?” Sira looked in the sun-mirror as she checked herself out, then looks at Ezell so he can get a good view as well. 

“Hell yeah they are.” He looks closer into those pink neon, glossy, unreal eyes. If she's motioning a gesture, he surely got it. Though he may be over-thinking it again.

“I look high to you?” She leans a bit closer with her eyes wider, making sure he sees the sides as well. Smirking a little as they both feel the awkward vibe setting in.

“Yeah…Yes.” he nods as he starts to chuckle, taking another puff from the blunt.

“Cool. Stay close son of Aires, and don’t put that bud out either. Remember, this is hell-region. ” She nods and exits the car and pulls out her c-dar. The man did the same, following her towards the Plaza lobby. “Oh yeah, try to easily pul-“ she heard a loud crack as Ezell looks awkwardly at the door. Since his muscles were used to Earth’s gravity, he overshot his strength and cracked the glass! She couldn't get angry because it’s not his fault, little did he know. Sira shrugs as she was too late, “Fuck it, fix it later.” she motions him to follow her. 

The man started to take a step, but his foot sent him a little farther than expected as he lands right by the woman; the gravity was lighter indeed! ‘Oh shit…Tip toe, tips….toe.’ He muttered as he adjusts his footing a little as the onlookers began to notice a man taking larger steps than he should. Looking through the dark tinted glasses at the bystanders he passed, making awkward faces under his shades. He struggles to keep the surprised looks he made under wraps, and the weed helped him a lot. He was coughing every time a demon looked his direction. Sira turns to him mouthing ‘what the fuck man?’ with a raised brow as they entered the lobby. He stops coughing as he held the blunt in his mouth as they pass the front desk. They fitted in like a glove as they walked toward their target, he notices an audience watching a female anatomy with fair blue skin and sharp ears singing Feed Me's ‘Strange Behavior’ upon a lit stage. What kept him looking were the fang that was shown as her voice filled the nearby auditorium. It seemed some Earthly tendencies still linger in the bodies of this place, he wouldn't have guessed it!

Walking towards a public bathroom, Sira opens the door for the guy in tow and guides him in. A demon with three eyes passes them, looking at the couple with its eyes wide! “Aw what, you haven’t seen a couple fuck in a bathroom before? Geez grow up lady!” after blurting the sentence she slammed the door and locked it. "That'll give us some time."

“So we’re gonna travel back to Earth, through a shitty toilet stall?” Ezell says as he smokes on, looking at the graffiti and defecation of the room he was in. He walks idly by as he was trying to adjust his strength to his footing. He was getting there, but practice will always be ensued at this rate.

“Some points can be traveled through stairs, others are through escalators, some are even through space, but for now…It’s a restroom door...”

"Yeah, but why a bathroom though?" Ezell says as he winces as he turns away from a toilet stall, worst bit ever.

"Everybody's true self is in a bathroom, hence the shitty state and all that." Sira focuses on the door knob and hold the door carefully, and closed her eyes. ‘The normal turn is right, so if I turn it left…’ She turns the door knob left, and held it in that position, then began to utter a chant as the outlines of the door slowly flicker from black to white.

Ezell finally looks at Sira after taking a tour in the shitty bathroom. He views her holding on to the door, realizing nothing is happening. “What the hell are you doing? We just came through there…” He puffed smoke in the air, suddenly the air got thinner, as the smoke suddenly began floating down instead of up! He didn't notice until the hue in the room began to change, the light flickered and the room began to shake. He starts to feel uneasy as it became a little tougher to stand. It seems the gravity and everything began to feel…normal! “I feel, heavier…” He said as he starts to walk around in the restroom, it was if he held a cool stride. Then he quickly held his stomach as he felt as if he was about to blow a lake through his mouth! He quickly went to the toilet and began vomiting his body back to normal. 

Sira turns with an announcement,“Welcome back to Earth, you made it through Half-hell…Dude, are you vomiting!? Yeah, you’re vomiting! Hah that brings me back to my first time!” she chuckles as she looked into the sky and held her hips. 

Ezell lifts a middle finger towards the girl as he continued to blow chunks thinking: 'This isn't the last I see of that place...Better get used to it now.'