Chapter 7: ch7 – True despair

 

POV: Heinrich Wolfheart

A week. It has been a fucking entire week. We started with ten people. Now we are three. six died because of that scary smiling man that haunted us the entire time without fail. The constant pressure slowly got to us and then one killed himself. Now we are three. Yes we are absolutely fucked and I know it.

‘Haaaaah fuck it all. What did I do to deserve this? Stupid fucking king and his stupid rule to protect humanities honor. Why would I care if the elves arrived before us? I would even be happy. They can die in my place for all I care. Let's just go on and turn right here then we ca…’

 

*PSST*

 

We froze. Oh and how fast we froze. This was the sound that I feared the most. I glanced at my left and saw my two teammates standing still trying to move as little as possible. Sweat was pouring down my back. I don’t understand why I have to go through this. I just don’t get it. We already walked through this town for a week but only found some documents and notes that told us about this place or about the smiling man. But the information was useless for us. We just want to get back home.

 

Maybe I have to do something to get back. Maybe there is some kind of condition to open the exit. Maybe…maybe I have to be… alone? 

 

“hihihihiiiiiiiiihi” (Smiling man)

 

Oh the laugh when he goes back into hiding. It is both relieving and scary at the same time. A shudder went down my back as I thought back to the death of one of my teammates.

FLASHBACK

It has been three days now. We were currently standing still on a rather large plaza in the cursed city. The ‘pssst’ sound just now had stopped us in our tracks and we were all shivering like wet dogs. I just prayed to every god I knew to get at least a little bit of pity from them. I knew gods existed but I also knew that nobody can just call them down to ask for help, so I prayed and prayed and prayed while standing perfectly still.

 

After 5 minutes of total despair it seemed that one of us had finally lost it and just collapsed on his knees.

 

“Thi-this is *sob* This is just f-f-fucking cra*sob* Crazy! I can’t take it *sob* anymore, just kill me already!” (Team member)

 

“Fuck man what are you doing! Come on Henry please stand up or at least stop moving. I really don’t wanna die like that! (Heinrich)

 

But he didn’t listen. I wished I just turned around. I wished I just ignored the shadow that was looming over him from behind but I didn’t. I and the others froze our movements but Henry seemed not to notice him and continued sobbing on the floor.

 

*rrrriiiiiiiipp*

 

It all happened way too fast! The smiling man came down behind him and shoved his fingers into both edges of his mouth and pulled. His fingers ripped off part of his cheeks as blood sprayed all over the street. Henry looked at us. Tears flowing down his eyes but his mouth. Yes his mouth was smiling. The bones were showing and blood was dripping down his chin but he was smiling. He was forced to smile and he couldn’t stop, because half of his face was just a permanent smile.I's kinda like joker in case you have zero imagination <3

 

The smiling man bent down to our height, looked at us with his soulless white eyes and whispered:

 

“SMILE, IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY” (Smiling man)

 

He then vanished before our eyes and Henry collapsed dead. No. No, it wasn't a beautiful day.

 

FLASHBACK END

‘I better not think about that day ever again’

 

I shuddered again and decided to never think about it again. After I gave my remaining three man some orders we started wlaking again. We walked in formation since we could spot the smiling man faster like this. We walked on and on and fianlly we saw something else than houses and streets.

 

"Is that a... What the hell is that?" (Party member)

 

before us was a wall that was so tall we couldn't even see its end. It seemed like it tickled the clouds and streched into infinity.

 

"How the fuck did we not see that wall!?"(Heinrich)

 

In front of us, etched into the stone wall was a huge gate. It was decorated with fine black threads that covered the whole gate and pulsed slowly and eerily. On it was written a sentence in blood red that glowed brightly in this dark city.

 

"Only those that fear and despair shall meet the one that brings horror... What the hell does that even mean? Do you kno..."(Heinrich)

 

I turned around to check on them and ask them for help on what this sentence means, but that was a bad idea. Again. It happened again and I can't prevent it.

 

Behind them stepped the smiling man out of the shadows grinning even more than in the whole last fucking week. My two teammates were standing there, also grinning but tears flowed down their cheeks. They were being controlled. A feeling was welling up inside of me. One I hoped I never had too feel again. One I buried deep inside of me. yes I can handle fear, yes I can handle sadness but this feeling was something I didn't want to feel again.

 

When I was five years old some of the bastard beast slaves of my families household started revolting against us because they said we weren't treating them like sentient beings. Well not like they deserved it but still. They picked up the kitchen knifes, broomes or just vases that were standing around and beat my parents to death... in front of my eyes. 'HOW DOES IT FEEL HUH!?' They asked me. I felt horrible. That was the first time I felt this feeling: Despair.

 

Yes, as the smiling man slowly ripped open the mouth of one of my team members and forced a permanent smile upon him I was feeling true despair again. As the smiling mans grin grew even larger and it seemed like his grin couldn't fit on his face anymore I collapsed on my knees. As he ripped open the belly of my other teammate and his innards spilled on the floor I wept. I did nothing but weep like the pathetic little man I am. And as the smiling man started walking into my direction I simply gave up. I g-a-v-e  u-p. The first time in my life I simply let everything happen. He bent down until his face was infront of mine. He looked deep into my eyes and said in a seemingly satisfied tone.

 

"SWEET TASTE OF DESPAIR"

 

He then laughed like a maniac and disappeared again. Why?

 

"why...why?WHYWHYWHYWHY??? JUST KILL ME"(Heinrich)

You are reading story Alphrike Phobos – The Daily life of the Goddess of Horror and her Wife at novel35.com

 

I was officially alone and in despair. Something I never wanted to be again. Something I feared with the very core of my being. Just as I was about to try and kill myself the door behind me creaked and slowly opened. The text slowly dimmed and behind the door a hallway was revealed. Like a pupped someone took control of me and forced me to stand up and walk forward. I didn't struggle. I knew I couldn't do anything against it, even if i tried. So I just let it happened. I think tears flowed down my face. I think the knife I held to kill myself fell out of my hand. I think I laughed. Or cried. I dont know. Everything is so dull.

 

 

POV: Alphrike Phobos

 

 

I took control of the cute little human and let him walk through the (absolutely badass) corridor my Girlfriend created. I was a little disappointed at his lack of reaction to this masterpiece of a hallway but it couldn't be helped. He fullfilled the condition to escape the cursed city after all. Total fear and despair hehe~. So instead I just force him to clap and cheer for my girlfriend nad through our connection I knew she blushed which means total victory for me. She was currently preparing for our welcoming of the elves. We saw that the elf took two 'wives' which were really just slaves with him and decided to start a little tea party with them, where we watch the elf trying to survive the forest I prepared. 

 

Back to my little human. I continued to lead him through the hallway and created a portal 500 meters infront of him. I made it as flashy as possible so that he can gawk a little more hehe. Anyways as I started to move him in the direction of the portal I thought of what I could do with my girlfriend tonight. 

 

'I have to propose soon. I really want to marry her. Just how? I can't think of a good spot to propose. Hmmmm'

 

Finally after thinking for some seconds and not coming up with a good enough spot I send him through the portal and send a small vision directly into his head to give him a good mission to bring back more esteemed guests for our cursed lands.

 

 

POV: Heinrich Wolheart

 

 

I got seemingly shoved into the massive black and red portal that manifested before me out of a liquid that seemed like pure evilInspiration from the novel: I recommend reading it! and spiraled out of the ground formaing a portal. As I was went through the portal and felt like vomiting my innards out I suddenly blacked out.

 

"Hello hello little human~"(???)

I turned around a froze. Infront of me was the most beautiful woman I ever saw but something was preventing me from straight up drooling and panting. It was fear. Fear so horrible I would have pissed my pants multiple times already and probably even tried to shove a knive through my heart to escape it, but for some reason I couldn't.

 

"Why thank you for the compliment~ As for your little pissing and suicide problem. That's because..." She pointed at herself "...I..." The she pointed at me and grinned. It sent shivers down my spine "...am in your head hehe~ upsies" (???)

 

"W-w-wh-who are y-y-you? (Heinrich)

 

"Hmmm who knows. I am fear... nah that sounds cringe though i technically am. Well you don't need to know... maybe you do? Who cares. Well could you do me a favour?"(???)

 

She was talking a bunch of nonsense and I didn't follow but when she asked me for a favour I nodded like a mind controlle freak. Who knows... maybe I am indeed mind controlled. I hope not. I tried to distract myself from the penetrating fear with useless thought but that wasn't easy when  a being like her was standing infront of you.

 

"Wonderful~ Now could you be a good boy and go back to you king with a stick half a meter up his ass and tell him to send some reinforcements?"(???)

 

"Wh-w-why?"(Heinrich)

 

"huh? Hahahahaha~ haaaaah... WHO ARE YOU TO ASK ME THAT?"(???)

 

She screamed with a force that send me to the floor. I would have died all over if this wasn't in my head. Well I would have died now too if she wanted to but I was truly lucky. I din't even know why I asked her that. That was truly a dumb choice and I was just to confused.

 

"YOU SHALL GO BACK TO YOUR KING AND BRING BACK MORE MORTALS TO ENTERTAIN ME" (???)

 

Something just wrapped around me and i felt it. She forced me to do it. If I didn't then I would need to suffer for millenials. Oh I felt it clearly and I hated the feeling. But I didn't dare to voice out my discomfort.

 

"Now go little one~ bring back some guests ok hehe~" (???)

 

I then blacked out again.

 

 

TIME: 5 minutes later

 

 

*chirp* *chirp* *chirp*

 

I woke up at our camp that we set up before entering the cursed city. I hoped that it was just a dream and looked around. But the fact that I was alone and the uncomfortable feeling of the forceful contract reiminded me: I have a mission. And it was to doom the human race...

 

I stood up and started walking towards the capital like a mindless zombie.

 

'I truly am broken now... hahaaaaah. Just like thos slaves I brought to despair... fucking hell'

 

And so started my journey back. It should probably take around 5 days beacause I am without horses... And without a will to life. I'm just going home and write a book about my fucking suffering.

 

POV: Narrator

 

What he didn't know at that time was, that in the future his book will be one of the many horrible stories about the cursed lands and its victims, and it will be used for research and school material to teach younger generations to never venture into the cursed lands.