Extinguish by J. M. Darhower

Author:J. M. Darhower
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781484162224
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2013-05-18T23:00:00+00:00

"Can I ask you something?"

Serah turned over a nine, not at all surprised when Lucifer flipped over a queen.

He sighed, sliding the cards onto the bottom of his pile. "How many times do I have to say it? You have to win to get answers."

"It’s not about that stuff," she said, playing a king. Lucifer played a two. Serah smiled as she grabbed the cards. "It’s about this place . . . about you."

Curious eyes regarded her from across the room as Lucifer twirled his finger, overturning a seven. "What?"

"You said you feel everything everyone else feels," she said, playing a three. "You said it was agonizing, that being down here was torment, that empathy was a curse. You said—"

"I know what I said," he ground out through clenched teeth. "Is there a question in there somewhere? Because I didn’t hear one."

"How is it so quiet?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Quiet?"

"Yes. I guess I expected more from the place. The underworld is supposed to be, well, hellish."

Lucifer said nothing. He quietly flipped over his card, regarding her with impatience as he waited for her to play hers. Silence ensued as they played a few hands, card after card going straight to him. He twirled his finger nonchalantly, flipping over an ace, as Serah’s hand hovered over her last card.

They both knew it was a Jack. They both knew he’d won.

The room around them shook, violently vibrating as the ground beneath Serah’s feet fractured in two, instantly swallowing the table and chairs. The moment the floor opened up, horrifying shrieks and cries of anguish spilled from the crack, blood-curdling screams piercing the air. Raging fire spilled out of the hole as the walls around them crumbled. Panicked, Serah’s eyes darted around as her wings expanded in defense. She soared from the ground, hovering above the flames as they consumed the room and everything in it. Lucifer remained in his marble chair, untouched by the blaze. His wings had erupted from his back, massive black shields blending in with the sudden cloud of thick smoke filling the room.

Serah covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out the uproar, but it only made it echo louder, more torturous. The agony seemed to be inside of her, the shrieks inexplicably embedded in her mind, unbearable and inescapable. She squeezed her eyes shut, yelling for it to stop.

All at once, the noise cut off in a screech, like the needle of a record player being torn away, total silence overcoming everything. Serah’s eyes flew open, stunned to find the room back in order, everything as it had been. She hovered in the air as Lucifer remained in his chair, his face a mask of indifference, but red swirled madly in his eyes as he stared at her.

"What was that?" she asked as she folded her wings away, landing back on the ground.

"Hell," he said quietly. "I diluted it a bit for you, but you got the gist of it."

"That’s Hell?"

He nodded. "You see what I want you to see, angel.

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