Chapter 20: Chapter 20

The night air wasn't particularly heavy or hot, yet I couldn't fall asleep. The thoughts of Izzie were circling in my mind, the freshly remembered scent of her perfume, the feeling of a relief and excitement to have had her accept another date, all mixed with uncertainty of how everything will go. I was so overwhelmed that I barely opposed Ra'zizi's attacks. In fact, they've become like a nuisance ever since... Feigning tiredness after she was done, I allowed her to talk down to me and leave. But in my mind, I was still walking alongside Izzie.
"After all of this is over", I thought to myself, staring at a small crack in the ceiling above my bed, "could I finally get serious... with her?"
I don't know how much tossing and turning it took me to finally fall asleep, but for once I was glad something was going on in my life. Before I knew it, I drifted off.

I remember, I was walking down my familiar route to work, unable to recall what I did in the morning before heading out. I could hear the sounds of the city around me. Neighbors' dogs barking, birds chirping - but there were no dogs or birds to be seen anywhere. I heard a passing car, but when I turned to look, the street was empty. It took me a while to realize that the whole neighborhood looked strangely synthetic - as if too neat, devoid of any human activity.
As I continued on my way to the bus stop, it struck me that the air seemed strangely harsh - not disgusting, but rather missing in smell. I stopped for a moment to look at my surroundings and realized that everything was now bathed in a dull, grey-brown glow. The buildings disappeared into the distance, hidden behind a heavy, crawling fog. The sense of something observing me crept up on me, and I felt the hairs on my skin stand up. It wasn't like when Ra'zizi was around. I then heard a rustling, hissing sound all around me, and turned my head up, to where it seemed like it was coming from.
The sky was overcast, with a heavy layer of dull clouds. As they passed by, they also seemed to ominously hang over me, stretching out their wispy tendrils to reach the ground. I tried discerning any shapes, but everything seemed to be simply a soup of twisting greys and oranges. I turned and began to walk on, hoping that this would just turn out to be some bizarre weather. It was then that I noticed it.
Hanging over the horizon was a black disk - about the same size as the Sun, but absent any light. I froze up for a moment, completely flabbergasted by the sight.
"Matthew," I heard a mixture of two voices, one low- one high-pitched call my name from behind me. I felt the most intense need to not turn around to see where it came from. It couldn't have been too far behind me. It couldn't have been...
I started walking ahead at an energetic pace, but the voice seemed to be keeping up with me.
"We had a deal," it continued. I was now sure it had to be that other demon.
"Yes, I know," I muttered, barely audible to myself, and kept on increasing my walking pace.
"I lent you my aid," it said, "when will you fulfill your part?"
"It's not so simple..." I insisted, "you see, my life right now is very complicated, I have my work to deal with-"

I could swear I've hit something head-on, but there were no objects in front of me. The feeling of pure dread washed over me as I saw the air swirl into a sphere of black mist.
"You are bound by your contract, mortal!" it yelled out, making me jump. "Do what you were told!"
"I swear I will!" my voice came out as almost a squeal. "I am working on it! I just haven't found any women to corrupt yet."
"Liar!" the voice bellowed, and the sound seemed to send a ripple through the air. My legs started shaking. "You are trying to fool me, and I won't have it, mortal!"
There was much less of a feminine overtone in the timbre now, almost all registers lowering to baritone.
"Please, just, just...." I stuttered, putting my hands together in a begging gesture, "just let me deal with the mess I made, my family, work, my landlady, and I will-"
"Enough!" it declared, the echo spreading around like the rumble of an earthquake. I realized the visible area around me has shrunk so much that barely a block ahead, drowning in dark mist, was discernible. "You will obey. Now. Witness power."

You are reading story Hell-bent at novel35.com

Just then I heard a sound of distant thunder and horns. The black sphere opened up. I took a step back, but I wasn't nearly fast enough. Out of the dark vortex came a decrepit, thin hand with spidery fingers. In a split-second, it went through my chest, and I felt a gripping sensation on my heart. Trying to scream, I realized I couldn't make a sound. A searing bolt of heat ruptured up my spine, towards my head. I felt overcome with terror.
I woke up, straightening to almost a sit-up, gasping for air.
The room was pitch black and absolutely silent. Ra'zizi wasn't here. Almost as quickly as I've become terrified, I was now completely calm.
I swiftly got off the bed and stepped towards a bunch of clothes I had ready for the next day. There was nothing on my mind as I went through the motions. I got dressed and headed to the corridor in an orderly manner. I headed out the door without locking it. There was nobody around. The moon was peeking out and then hiding behind heavy clouds, and the air was slightly cold. I heard every nuance of my trainers stepping on the tiles of the walkway as I proceeded past door one, two, three... None of this seemed even a tiny bit strange to me.

I stopped and took a turn to face the door. Without hesitation, my hand straightened out and I knocked.
There was no response, so I knocked again, still in the same measured-out fashion.
Having waited about half a minute, I knocked again, unyielding. There was a sound of someone stumbling about on the other side.
"Who's there?" Suzanne asked.
"It's me," I answered in a polite tone.
"What on Earth..." her mumbling was audible from the other side. She must have made her way to the door by now.
I waited a moment more, and the door came creaking open, with Suzanne's face and the chain lock the only two things visible in the crack. She looked very sleepy.
"God..." she sighed and looked down. "You know it's past three a.m.?"
She looked back at me, but I don't remember saying anything or making any gestures. Looking at me through tired, half-closed eyes, she lazily started to tell me off.
"Don't tell me you've flooded your damned bathro-"
I can't explain what was happening in my head in the next few moments, so I will just describe what I did. My right hand straightened out again and grabbed the doorknob, pushing it forwards.
"Hey!" Suzanne reacted with a half-awake yell, "What are you-"
Having effortlessly pushed on the door, with Suzanne on the other side, I heard the chain whine under pressure before breaking, sending pieces of metal flying around. Suzanne yelped, stumbling and almost falling from the force pushing her back.

I stepped into the very-dimly lit room like it was mine. All of my movements were completely dispassionate, without limbs trembling or twitching, not even a shade of excitement or anger, or any words leaving my mouth. It was as if watching someone else move from the inside of my head. I was absolutely horrified, but also felt unable to stop, which only magnified the feeling.
I remember how Suzanne shrieked when I took another step forward. She had her pajamas and fluffy slippers on, and her eyes were wide open.

You can find story with these keywords: Hell-bent, Read Hell-bent, Hell-bent novel, Hell-bent book, Hell-bent story, Hell-bent full, Hell-bent Latest Chapter