STORY: Katabasis
A short horror story about a human who gets the opportunity to see a vision of hell. May seem a bit nasty, but the last line may put things into a different perspective.
Katabasis
By Christina Nordlander
When Julian opened the door to the men's room with its red stall doors, there was only one guy in there. He stood leaning his hand on the edge of the sink, as if waiting for someone. Julian's gaze fastened on him for a couple of seconds. It was nobody he knew, but there were so many other students here at the university, he couldn't have met a fraction of them. His age was uncertain, but possibly too old to be a student. That alone made him unsuited for their association, though his face was not unattractive.
“I need your help,” he said.
It was more of a demand than a plea. Julian froze.
“What with?” he said at last.
The man smiled as if to soothe him.
“I want you to see hell. It's not an easy task, but not impossible.”
His voice was no less kind than before.
The words called up images of Dante and a nightmare he'd had in adolescence, about a lift that kept descending after it had reached ground level.
“You'll have to show me some kind of proof if you want me to believe that.”
The man didn't seem drugged or confused. If he got violent, Julian would only have to call for help in the worst case.
The man gave a smile, as if he'd only been waiting for that, and showed him his hand.
A wound, red and wet, almost big enough to cover his palm. What had he done to himself? Julian glanced at the edge of the sink, but there wasn't any trace of red on the white porcelain. His gaze shot back to the hand when something moved inside - it wasn't a wound, it was a mouth. He couldn't see any teeth, but a tongue stretched and licked up in the spaces between the fingers. He wanted to stick a finger into it to see how deep it was. Did he have one in his other hand as well?
“What are you?”
His voice sounded light. The man sighed.
“You would call me a demon.”
He should have guessed. Hell, and a demon. He had to support himself on the nearest sink.
“Oh, don't scream,” the man went on. “If anyone comes in, I will leave you. I am not here to show myself to anyone else.”
“If I come with you, how do I know you'll let me go?”
“I give you my word,” the demon replied. “I will bring you through hell unharmed and restore you to this place. But it is your choice.”
He had an idea of what he was going to have to see, and he would not be untouched when he got back. His mind would have scars from the horrors. But he must be dreaming already, and a dream could do as much. If this was a dream, it was possible that he didn't have a choice, and hell would be outside the bathroom door if he pushed it open.
“Only if I'll return,” he said, taking one step forward.
The demon gestured for him to follow into the furthest stall. Nothing in there was different.
He never saw how they travelled, because he blacked out as if he had lost consciousness. It hurt, but the pain vanished so quickly it was as if he'd never felt it.
* * *
There was no sun where they were, so he couldn't measure time. It must have been more than one day. He didn't get any opportunity to sleep, but his body didn't seem to need it.
They were reborn in the bathroom stall. He staggered and tried to throw up in the toilet, so perhaps that was why the demon had chosen it. No matter how many times he whacked his hand on the wall he couldn't be certain that he was on Earth.
“It's over,” the demon said, as if he could read his thoughts.
Julian managed to stand up.
“I have been proud,” he said. “I have been lustful, and I have been manipulative.”
He wasn't going to be able to forget the circle where those addicted to lust became pregnant with reptile spawn that gnawed their way out of their bodies.
“Is that why you showed it to me? So I would learn... so I can tell others?”
The demon shook his head. It looked oddly learned. Perhaps it was a gesture that he only needed to use while he was among humans.
“No. It is so that you can rate it. We created it for your kind.”
THE END
Katabasis
By Christina Nordlander
When Julian opened the door to the men's room with its red stall doors, there was only one guy in there. He stood leaning his hand on the edge of the sink, as if waiting for someone. Julian's gaze fastened on him for a couple of seconds. It was nobody he knew, but there were so many other students here at the university, he couldn't have met a fraction of them. His age was uncertain, but possibly too old to be a student. That alone made him unsuited for their association, though his face was not unattractive.
“I need your help,” he said.
It was more of a demand than a plea. Julian froze.
“What with?” he said at last.
The man smiled as if to soothe him.
“I want you to see hell. It's not an easy task, but not impossible.”
His voice was no less kind than before.
The words called up images of Dante and a nightmare he'd had in adolescence, about a lift that kept descending after it had reached ground level.
“You'll have to show me some kind of proof if you want me to believe that.”
The man didn't seem drugged or confused. If he got violent, Julian would only have to call for help in the worst case.
The man gave a smile, as if he'd only been waiting for that, and showed him his hand.
A wound, red and wet, almost big enough to cover his palm. What had he done to himself? Julian glanced at the edge of the sink, but there wasn't any trace of red on the white porcelain. His gaze shot back to the hand when something moved inside - it wasn't a wound, it was a mouth. He couldn't see any teeth, but a tongue stretched and licked up in the spaces between the fingers. He wanted to stick a finger into it to see how deep it was. Did he have one in his other hand as well?
“What are you?”
His voice sounded light. The man sighed.
“You would call me a demon.”
He should have guessed. Hell, and a demon. He had to support himself on the nearest sink.
“Oh, don't scream,” the man went on. “If anyone comes in, I will leave you. I am not here to show myself to anyone else.”
“If I come with you, how do I know you'll let me go?”
“I give you my word,” the demon replied. “I will bring you through hell unharmed and restore you to this place. But it is your choice.”
He had an idea of what he was going to have to see, and he would not be untouched when he got back. His mind would have scars from the horrors. But he must be dreaming already, and a dream could do as much. If this was a dream, it was possible that he didn't have a choice, and hell would be outside the bathroom door if he pushed it open.
“Only if I'll return,” he said, taking one step forward.
The demon gestured for him to follow into the furthest stall. Nothing in there was different.
He never saw how they travelled, because he blacked out as if he had lost consciousness. It hurt, but the pain vanished so quickly it was as if he'd never felt it.
* * *
There was no sun where they were, so he couldn't measure time. It must have been more than one day. He didn't get any opportunity to sleep, but his body didn't seem to need it.
They were reborn in the bathroom stall. He staggered and tried to throw up in the toilet, so perhaps that was why the demon had chosen it. No matter how many times he whacked his hand on the wall he couldn't be certain that he was on Earth.
“It's over,” the demon said, as if he could read his thoughts.
Julian managed to stand up.
“I have been proud,” he said. “I have been lustful, and I have been manipulative.”
He wasn't going to be able to forget the circle where those addicted to lust became pregnant with reptile spawn that gnawed their way out of their bodies.
“Is that why you showed it to me? So I would learn... so I can tell others?”
The demon shook his head. It looked oddly learned. Perhaps it was a gesture that he only needed to use while he was among humans.
“No. It is so that you can rate it. We created it for your kind.”
THE END