Hellfire

I

When Mary Doherty decided to throw a Christmas party at her favorite pub, Daryl, the owner and longtime friend of hers, pledged to make it just perfect for her. She was to invite her vast circle of friends, and he would include a few free rounds of shots on top of the total bill. Ben Worthington was one of the first people Mary invited to the party. They had grown up together, and she was quite fond of him, despite a small rivalry between them regarding cool, adventurous boys at high school. Mary was one of the prettiest girls in their class, but Ben was the top athlete back then, and while not openly flirting guys, rumors said he had his moments with a couple of his classmates. When Ben went abroad to study, Mary kept in touch with him and occasionally kept seeing each other throughout the years. Ben was back to St. Louis for good, working as a logistics manager at a local company, and Mary was eager to get in touch with him.

Ben laughed at her message, saying that she would get him fired if he didn't come to the party since he knew how much Mary loved to flirt with the idea of control as her father owned half the town, including the business Ben worked in nowadays. However, Mary was a decent girl, and Ben knew she didn't mean any of that. He thought that seeing a few familiar faces would be a good distraction for the weekend, especially since he didn't have any family left in the city and he would otherwise be alone for the holidays.

After the company closed for the holiday season, Ben went shopping, not forgetting to get a little something for Mary. It was the least he could do, mostly since she was the only one from his old friends who called him as soon as he arrived home. Among his new pair of black jeans, a grey sweater, and Wrangler ankle boots, Ben bought a Charlotte Simone scarf as a present for her. He texted her asking about the party's time, and he made sure to arrive forty minutes late; he didn't want to be among the first ones at the place. North Broadway street seemed a bit busy for that time of the day, but Ben quickly realized this was because of the people going to the same place as him. It was truly unbelievable what Mary accomplished by gathering all these people at this part of town. He parked his SUV next to a vast inflatable Santa Claus that was waving his raised hand with every gust of wind, creating the illusion he was moving on his own. Stepping in Daryl's Boneville Pub, Ben found himself admiring the effort Mary and Daryl had put into tonight's event. The owner had jam-packed the whole place with Christmas ornaments and decorations. Reindeers and Santa Clauses held bells and sang the Christmas Carol, bright stars of all shapes and colors and little angels with their tiny trumpets and golden costumes celebrating the holidays. The waiting staff dressed in Santa-themed costumes and their bonnets had little blinking red stars that seemed to align with Sleigh Ride's chords by The Ronettes that the DJ was playing. Loud voices, dirty jokes, and funny comments were heard from all around the room while the platers of grill mix and wooden mugs of Weiss beer were traveling fast to the guests' hands.

As soon as Ben approached the bar, he saw Mary having a conversation with a couple of new faces and a Flint guy he remembered back from their high school years. Mary saw him as well and waved for him to join them. Ben hugged Mary and gave her a fancy bag where the seller had put the scarf earlier, whispering that she should open it as soon as she needed some warmth. Mary blushed and laughed, commenting on his cheekiness. While the four of them resumed the conversation, with Mary introducing Ben to the others and Flint almost having a stroke trying to remember a goal Ben scored at high school, a tall, broad-shouldered guy with coal-black hair and matching polo shirt approached them. He sported a trimmed beard that complemented his blue eyes, making Ben noticing him immediately. The man held two rustic beer mugs and gave Ben one of them while taking a generous sip from the other. Mary's eyes traveled to Ben's ecstatic face while he grabbed the cup with both his hands, and a sassy smile appeared on her lips. She put her arms on their shoulders and squeezed them while introducing one to the other. Joss, this here is my old pal, Ben. Ben, meet my cousin, Joss.

II

Three years later, the two men were moving in together along with Ben's dog, Charlie. They picked up a nice spot at College Hill, and Joss even set shop as a car mechanic nearby. It was just an old garage that needed a lot of work to resemble an actual business, but Joss had done this before, and he didn't mind the extra work. Ben was promoted to area manager, something that Mary occasionally used to remind him how much Ben owed her good intentions, not that his success was anything other than mere knowledge, capability, and hard work. Ben had developed a specific mix of tolerance and acceptance for Mary's tasteless jokes over the years, allowing himself not to respond in them. This was precisely what she wanted after all, and Ben wouldn't give her the satisfaction of purring oil to her fire.

Joss and Ben decided that living together would be the best choice for them since spending time together was even more challenging now that Ben's working hours were so long and exhausting. This was metaphorically applauded and very warmingly received by Charlie, who couldn't stop sniffing her new home and bringing the two men her toys to express her happiness of them being all together. Ben threw her red-stripped ball to the lawn, and Charlie cantered to fetch it, while Joss tried to distract her from the game, swinging her leash, inviting her for a walk. The poor dog got confused by that, but Ben and Joss quickly stopped tormenting her and instead took Charlie out for a stroll in the neighborhood. The two men had been visiting College Hill more frequently the last year during their search for a decent house to buy. While the area was notorious for its crime rates, being an inherently family-oriented Black neighborhood was why Joss insisted that it would be better for them to live there. Ben, who was of African-American descent himself, could only admire his partner's thoughtful suggestion. Anywise, their new home was at the Hill's edge, which, according to the locals, was safer than the rest of the surrounding area. Even better, both men had their workplaces at the grasp of their hands now, saving them time on the road.

A couple days later, Joss was at the garage, finishing an odd job so that he could start painting the place. The equipment -various tools, a car ramp, and a few extras- he had ordered would arrive till the end of the week, so everything should be ready by then. The sign he had designed had already been delivered to him, in vivid black and orange, showcasing a sports car and his name at the top left corner. It was around five in the afternoon, and the heat was exhausting. Joss thought that after Ben got home from work, he would suggest they take a walk to O'Fallon Park so that Charlie can run around a bit and they can cool down from the summer hotness. Joss had just opened a can of paint, ready to start giving life to his new workspace when he heard the sound of an exhaust closing in. The car slowed down and stopped right in front of the garage, turning off the engine. Joss stretched his head to see who it was. A man around his fifties, at least two times Joss's size, dressed in a mustard-colored trench coat and matching fedora -which Joss found very strange for this time of the year- got out and approached him.

"Good afternoon. I passed by and saw old Wilson's place wide open, so I thought I would check. I hope you don't mind, mister?" The man said, narrowing his eyes as he looked Joss up and down. Joss put the brush he was holding to the bench near him and extended his hand to the man for a handshake, quickly retrieving it with a blushed face when he realized how dirty it was.

"Sorry for that. The name's Joss. Joss Brite. A pleasure to meet you, Sir."

The man took Joss's hand, shaking it firmly at the young man's surprise.

"Lloyd Masters, the pleasure is mine, son. You should never worry about your labor's marks, you know." Said Lloyd eyeing Joss's hands.

Joss smiled and nodded; at least Mr. Masters was not germophobic, he thought.

"So? Is this your place now? I mean, I haven't been in here since Wilson closed up shop a few years back. I remember it being a dump at its last days, or months perhaps." said Mr. Masters while looking around, his gaze pausing at the sportscar sign.

"Well, you see, I recently moved in with my better half, and we bought this place to host my business. I'm a car mechanic." Joss said, also adding, "How about you, Mr. Lloyd? You are from around here, I get."

"Born and raised Joss. Lived all my Life in St. Louis, never really bothered with the rest of the world. I find College Hill especially very interesting, as you will soon find out, I am sure. Oh, and just Lloyd will suffice, son. No need to get all formal now, right?" The man said, giving Joss a smile that revealed a set of golden teeth. Joss noticed Mr. Lloyd was breathing a bit heavy, and despite his expensive attire, a strange smell emitted from him; something between a rotten egg and tomato juice. The young man felt sick. He couldn't tell why, but something in this man seemed out of place. Joss shook his head affirmatively, briefly looking Lloyd in the eye while successfully hiding his urge to throw up.

"Well met, lad, don't be a stranger now; we are neighbors after all. I'll most probably be one of your first customers as well. This old thing needs some work done for sure." Lloyd said, using his thumb to point to the old Plymouth Cuda behind him.

"Have a good day, sir," Joss replied in his most normal tone. Don't be an idiot; a client is always welcome, he reminded himself.

Lloyd took a few steps to his car and then paused, turning towards Joss.

"Oh, and in case you and the missus need someone to show you around, we can always arrange that. I'll be happy to."

Joss didn't think twice; it came naturally, even though he had occasionally brought this up with Ben, and he was aware of his partner's opinion on subtlety.

"I'm sure Ben will like the idea Lloyd, thanks."

Lloyd Masters narrowed his eyes, his face took a certain murkiness, and for a moment, it seemed like he was trying to process a very complicated equation in his mind.

"I'm sure he will, Joss. Later now." The words finally came to Lloyd before opening the Plymouth's door.

Joss made sure his visitor had left for good before resuming his work.

III

Ben was having his third cup of coffee while returning home after another busy day. The sun was already down, but he felt full of energy, perhaps due to the quick succession of events throughout the day. Closing a significant contract and performing the quarterly evaluation of staff was no easy task, but Ben very much enjoyed his job, which for him was a rare gift. Ben called Joss via his car's Bluetooth speakers; he really wanted to go out for a beer if his partner had finished with his own tasks. Joss didn't pick up, so Ben turned up the music and enjoyed the view on his way back.

Charlie was scratching the locked door from the inside, which got Ben curious. The Golden Retriever only did this when she hadn't been out for some time or when she was hungry and felt his presence. In any case, that meant Joss hadn't been home for some time, Ben thought. He opened the dog, and Charlie jumped on him.

"Hey girl, what's going on? Have you not eaten yet?"

Charlie waged her tail and barked twice, gently putting her mouth on his trouser leg and dragging him towards the kitchen.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'm sorry, I'll get to it right away."

Ben and Charlie walked into the kitchen, with Ben opening the cupboard and taking out a large can of chicken-flavored Pedigree. The canine was drooling, looking from Ben to the can with eager puppy eyes. Ben took her bowl from the dishwasher and threw in a generous amount of Pedigree, placing it in front of Charlie. The Retriever fell with her whole face on the bowl, gulping it down in seconds.

The young man took a look around the house with Charlie following in his footsteps. Clothes were thrown on the couch, the plants had not been watered, it really seemed like Joss had been out for the whole day. Ben took out his phone and called him again; however, he was sent directly to voicemail this time. Stressful thoughts crossed Ben's mind as he got out of the house and opened the car's door for Charlie to get in the passenger's seat. Ben hit the gas on his 2018 Ford Fusion and speeded down Blair Avenue towards Bissel Water Tower; Joss's shop was closeby, at the Bissel and 19th street corner. Closing in, he noticed the front door was open and the lights on. Charlie barked when Ben parked in front of the garage and closed the car's door behind him without turning the engine off. Inside, Ben quickly noticed that something was off. There was spilled paint on the floor, with a couple brushes lying next to it, barely used. Ben got distraught; he started calling for Joss while looking around at the storage room at the back for any sign of him. Charlie's barking outside intensified; Ben could clearly hear the pouch from the slightly open car windows. He heard something else as well, vehicles approaching and stopping outside. Ben took his head out of the storage room's door, looking at the front entrance. He could hear voices now, people talking to each other; one of them sounded like he was ordering the others around. He was ready to come out when he heard Charlie weeping and then squealing with pain.

Ben panicked, he desperately wanted to go to Charlie, but it was clear that something was terribly wrong with the situation. Who were these people? He searched his pockets for the garage's spare keys, the ones Joss gave him. Ben prayed to god he brought them with him and was almost relieved when he took them out of his pocket. Virtually because Ben couldn't be sure that the back door leading to the alley behind the garage would be clear of more people waiting for him. Ben heard two of the men entering the garage. Taking a careful look to avoid revealing himself, he saw that one of them was holding a shotgun. Behind them, a large man dressed in a yellow trench coat passed them and looked around.

"Find him, quickly. I don't want another minute wasted, you hear me?" he shouted at the two men, spitting all over them. They nodded and hurried, searching behind the stacks of cement sacks, mechanical equipment, and furniture Joss had unloaded all over the place.

Ben had heard enough. Not wasting any more time, he put the key on the back door's lock as silently as he could and turned it. The summer breeze caressed his face, along with a few distant house lights. The young man started running towards them; he knew for a fact that it was quite the distance to the nearest Police department; maybe the people living there would shelter him from the bunch at Joss's garage.

Trying to stay as much in the shadows as possible to avoid detection, Ben run, his mind full speculating on what had just occurred. He took it for granted that these people had hurt Charlie, while Joss was still nowhere to be found. Ben assumed that it was unlikely he was the one they were, remaining completely oblivious of the group's intentions. One wild explanation would be that Joss owed money to someone or had a beef with the wrong person, but if this was true, Ben wouldn't know anything about it. Car engines firing up were heard from afar along with loud talking; Ben imagined his pursuers finding the open door at the back, a sign that someone escaped through it. He rushed to hide behind a tree on the nearby pavement and waited till the convoy passed while catching his breath; his chest was pumping like a piston. The young man counted 4 vehicles, three SUVs, and a black old-fashioned performance car running ahead of the others, leading the way.

Ben turned and covered the last hundred meters to the nearest house, reaching the doorstep and ringing the bell repeatedly. He was checking his surroundings when the door opened, and an elderly man appeared.

"What is this? Who are you?" he asked Ben, annoyed by his presence while straightening his glasses and looking at him from top to bottom. In any other case, Ben's expensive suit and impeccable manners would stun the geezer, but the young man's current situation left very few chances of something like that happening.

"Sir, please, I need your help!" Ben said, putting his hands on the man's shoulders. The house owner took a step back and tried to close the door on Ben's face.

"Sir! I'm not a threat, I swear! Someone is trying to hurt me." Ben shouted, holding the door from closing completely.

"Get out of here; I'm calling the Police! Martha! Where are you, woman?"

Ben heard someone talking to the old man from inside, then the door opened and a woman in her 60's appeared.

"Come in, quickly," she said, pushing Ben into the house.

The old man gave him an angry stare and mumbled something between his teeth before walking out of the room. The woman locked the door behind her and shut the window blinds. Ben was trembling when she grabbed his arm and led him to the couch.

"It's okay, you can sit down. You are safe now," the woman said. Ben did as she asked.

IV

Before Fred grew to become the old guy Ben met that night, he was a young archaeologist, much like his father. His travels lasted for years, far around the globe, each one of them feeding his restless nature. Only after he met Lloyd Masters, an antiquities collector, was he convinced to finally settle down. His parents have both perished, so he moved to his family home in College Hill, restoring it to its former glory since the years had not treated it well. He began working for Lloyd, providing insight and research for all his benefactors' purchases. A year later, he married his wife, Liz. They moved in together, back when many more white folks lived in the area. It was no easy task to coexist due to the racial and cultural differences that were easily misinterpreted and quite often misused. However, Lloyd Master's influence was strong, and Fred did his best to stay on the man's right side since he was the closest he and his wife had to a safety guarantee. The Police didn't care about them; hell, most of the locals didn't give a damn for Blacks back then. Lloyd's influence was a force to be reckoned with, though, so Fred made sure to satisfy the man's every need. The two of them became close friends, and Fred never did anything to betray Lloyd's trust. So it was him that Fred was now calling to inform about the young man sitting on his couch. There could be nothing happening in College Hill that was in no interest of Mr. Masters, and the old man knew that well.

In the living room, Ben explained everything to Liz, who now seemed really worried. After the point that he explained what happened to Charlie -or at least what Ben thought occurred to her- Liz got really upset; she was particularly fond of animals. Ben also pointed out that he had not made contact with Joss yet, and he intended to try his cellphone again, even leaving a message this time. Ben asked Liz if she could call the Police, and she assured him they shared the same thought. At that moment, Fred came in holding two glasses. He placed them at the sofa table and walked at the buffet, getting the half-empty Jack Daniels resting on it.

"Don't worry, I called them already. They'll be here any moment." Fred said while pouring whiskey into the glasses. "Bottoms up, boy. I'll be damned if you don't need it right now."

Ben nodded and tasted the whiskey, then gulped it straight down the hatch. He thanked Fred and asked if he could use the toilet. Fred looked at him as if he weighed him down and then raised his glass towards the hall's end. Ben excused himself and walked away. Fred waited till the toilet's door was shut, and then he stood up and raised the side window's blinds. Liz looked at him curiously, but Fred raised his finger to stay silent when she opened her mouth to say something. The woman didn't insist but could not help but feel uneasy. Suddenly, Fred stepped to the front door with his eyes bugging, unlocking it; Liz stood up like a box spring. Ben flushed the toilet and washed his hands, heading back to the living room. He saw Fred at the door and at the same time from the open blinds, the SUVs parking outside.

"Don't move a muscle, laddy. Or I promise you'll regret it." Fred said with his finger raised in the same manner as he did to Liz earlier. Then, he opened the door, revealing the man's immense figure with the trench coat that Ben had seen at Joss's garage.

V

Ben woke up on a cold marble floor. His hands were tight at his back, and his head was hurting. He briefly remembered one of the large man's goon hitting him with his shotgun's handle before losing consciousness. Looking around him, the room was dark apart from a few mount-walled torches that made shadows dance all over the place. While his head slowly cleared, an intense, excruciating feeling filled Ben's mind. His whole nervous system was alarmed; it felt as if something was happening to his body. Ben tried raising his head just enough to take a look at himself. The drops of blood on the marble were the first thing the young man noticed before realizing that his feet had been impaled with something that looked like a steel nail. Yelling from the immense painful feeling, Ben attempted to move them, but each effort led to more anguish. The idea of him either bleeding to death or fainting from the shock kept Ben from pushing the situation further. Turning his focus elsewhere, Ben looked around him.

No further than a few feet away, there was a black altar, and on it laid someone. The man was stripped naked and looked like he was unconscious. Both his arms and legs were in chains that led to iron sticks holding them in the ground. It only took a moment for Ben's eyes to get used to the dark and realize that the man was his partner, Joss. Seeing him in this situation, Ben forgot all about his pain and for a moment ceased caring if he lived or died, but instead, he shouted Joss's name, again and again, trying to crawl his way to him. Ben kept going even when it became apparent that there was no way he would ever reach Joss; he couldn't move more than a few inches and even this required all his body strength. His inventive mind thought about rolling to Joss, and he would try it if a boot wasn't pushed on his chest, completely immobilizing him. The boot owner was no other than Lloyd Masters, who stood above Ben's head like a rockpile or even a golem.

"Stressing yourself is pointless. You are merely here to witness something marvelous." Lloyd's voice was calm, spiritual even. Joss grunted.

Lloyd had taken his trenchcoat and shirt off, revealing a massive body that was covered in old scars and burn marks, some of them looking pretty deep and unevenly healed. The man was sweating a lot, making his bald head shine at the torchlight. Ben noticed that while it initially looked like Masters was overweight, it was now apparent that this was merely the illusion of the heavy clothing he was wearing, revealing a most intimidating mass of muscle and veins as if he was on steroids.

"Wh-who are you? What have you done to Joss?" Ben struggled; Lloyd's boot made it quite hard to breathe.

"Calm down now. Nobody hurt your friend." Lloyd said and then turned his eyes at someone out of Ben's visibility, nodding to them. A pair of hands pulled Ben and placed him to his knees as Lloyd retrieved his leg from the man's chest. The pain from Ben's legs was slowly giving it to numbness, and soon after, he could barely feel them anymore. Lloyd stood between Ben and the altar and opened his arms.

"Look around you, Ben Rider. You are blessed on standing on the holy ground of Ancient Cahokia, a place that has hosted mighty acts of divinity for hundreds of years."

Ben raised his eyes, grasping the absolute massiveness of the hall they were in. Its circular architecture reminded him of an astrodome, while he also observed the décor consisted of a variety of artifacts that apparently originated from different ancient civilizations. Ben noticed leather-bound tomes and burial masks, hands of glory, and pieces of medieval weaponry carefully put in display cases while mounted on the walls laid Native American ritualistic staff. Short Macedonian swords he remembered from history class were called Xiphe were placed on altars similar to the one Joss laid on, some of them being surrounded by enormous statues that depicted Buddhist, African, and Viking deities. In the middle of all this amalgam of historical ecstasy laid a statue of the God Zeus, holding a golden thunder in one hand and a scepter with an engraved all-seeing eye in the other. His face a mix of authority and judgment as he stood ready to decide the fate of mankind. Lloyd looked satisfied with the astonishment in Ben's eyes.

"What you see here, Mr. Rider is our home. Like the precious relic that she is, Cahokia has been the host for the Lodge of Ancient Theosophy for the last hundred years. My name is Lloyd Masters, and I have the honor to be the Lodge's chairman," the man said, putting one hand on his chest and taking a small bow.

"I don't give a flying fuck even if you are Mandela's nephew. Let us go, or I swear, I'll lead the entire Missouri Police department to your psychotic asses." Said Ben, allowing his earlier years as the football team's leader to resurface, along with his street guts. He heard laughter from behind his back, but he couldn't turn to see how many of Lloyd's men were standing there. Ben was trying to figure out a way out of there, but the odds of Joss and himself accomplishing it seemed pretty low at the moment. His only chance was to keep his captor talking, hoping he would find a way to persuade Lloyd to let Joss and him go. Lloyd smirked and took a step towards him, grabbing Ben's jaw and squeezing it.

"Listen here, lad. You will be respectful while in my presence. You and Mr. Brite were brought here for a reason. It is entirely up to me if you will observe the rest of the process with the ability to speak, or I will take it from you by breaking every last tooth in your dirty mouth." Lloyd's expression was blank; he didn't seem upset but sounded quite serious nonetheless.

"Fuck you! You think that would hurt more than the nail you put in my fucking legs?" Ben said while pulling his face back, releasing himself from Lloyd's grasp. The reverse bitch-slap the gigantic man gave him was so fast that Ben was initially more surprised than angry. Then, forgetting all about his disadvantage, he put all his focus on spreading his legs. The young man roared from the pain as the nail fell to the ground, and he jumped on his feet, managing to score a headbutt on Lloyd's nose before losing his balance and whacking his face on the floor.

"Hold him, hold him goddamnit!" Lloyd yelled to his subordinates. Two men rushed to Ben and put him on his feet while a third punched him in the groin. Ben had already given his all, and this just made him surrender entirely.

"Fucking pillow-biters. The only thing you are good at is playing the victim card each time shit gets real. Well, I have news for you, Mr. Rider. I never had sympathy for your kind, but I kept quiet as long as you all stayed out of my community. And then comes you, a fellow Civil Rights Movement supporter -as I learn from your old pals at the Oxford University- and you do what? You bring a white Nancy-boy to my doorstep." Lloyd's fury has spread from the red shade his face took to his temple where a vein seemed ready to burst, while at the same time, he spat on Ben's face with his every poisonous word.

Ben raised his head, glimpsing at Joss still laying on the altar behind Lloyd. For a brief moment, Ben was sure he saw his partner's hand moving, but maybe he imagined it, he thought. In any case, Ben really needed Joss to wake the fuck up and somehow use those chains to strangle Lloyd Masters till his head was detached from his body.

"What is wrong with you? You have done all this because you can't bear the thought of two men loving each other? Is this your definition of social justice, or perhaps the protection of your so-called community? You are a fucking criminal Lloyd, face it and let us go, or I swear to god, I'll rip you apart with my own bare hands." Ben spat back to the mass of muscles in front of him, fully aware that his words would not go unpunished.

"Bark all you want, little man. What I have in stock for you and your loved one, as you described him, is far more poetic than anything you have imagined." Lloyd was now smiling maliciously, followed by evil laughter from the people standing behind Ben. Masters turned to his left and spoke up to someone that Ben could not see clearly.

"Bring me the animal!"

A few seconds later, a woman approached, revealing herself from the shadows. She was wearing a white cloak, with its hood set on her shoulders. In her right hand, she held a leash that ended on Charlie's neck. The Retriever was walking limping and moved with her head held down, tail between her legs, quite clearly terrified. Bloodstains covered her, from the ear down to her abdomen. Relieved the pouch was still alive, Ben faintly whispered her name; the blood loss of his leg wound had severely weakened him by now. Before losing consciousness, he saw Joss waking up and raising his head towards them while shouting to him.

V

When Ben woke up from one of Lloyd's goons slapping his face, it took him a second to realize that he had not been dreaming. The pain on his legs had come back twofold, while his head hurt from the blows he had taken. Joss was still chained and was now screaming to Lloyd. The brute was holding Charlie from the neck, raising her from the ground. The dog was trying to bite his hand and scratch him with her legs, but Lloyd didn't seem to care. He drove the pouch above Joss and extended his arm to the woman with the white cloak. She carefully carried one of the Xiphe from the wall and brought it to him, placing it in his hand. Lloyd raised it in front of Charlie, chanting something that Ben could not hear since Joss's cursing and swearing covered Lloyd's voice. He raised his arm, trying to tell the man to stop whatever he was doing, to leave Charlie alone and cease this madness. The moment Lloyd pushed the sword in the poor dog's belly and carved it all the way down, covering Joss with her intestines, Ben felt something breaking inside him. Every dying sound that came out of Charlie's mouth was like a piece of molded metal dripping on his beating heart. He felt an urgent need to cease to exist, abandon the world that brought him so much misery, hatred, and despair, to put a stop to the feeling of weakness, of loss.

Ben saw the woman undressing; her breasts reminded him of Eldzier Cortor's paintings. The feathered necklace the woman wore on her neck looked familiar. Still, Ben was in no position to pay attention to the trinket or Lloyd's comment regarding its Native American origin. As the people behind Ben formed a group around the altar where Joss was thrashing around, screaming, they began chanting in an unknown language. Ben curiously wondered if the glow emitting from the woman's necklace was real or part of his life's ending delirium. Still, as Lloyd was using his sword to cut Joss's head off, Ben realized none of this mattered anymore simply because he was already dead.

VI

The sound of tweeting birds and the pleasant smell of fresh, warm bread made Ben open his eyes. The light coming from the window blinded him, making him raise his hand to cover it from overwhelming him. He was lying on a cot; in front of him was a rectangle table full of delicacies. There were lots of fruit of different colors and shapes, some of which Ben had never seen before, platers filled with buns, small pots of marmalades and honey, and jugs full of something that, by the looks of it, Ben thought was definitely milk. A woman dressed in a white tunic and her hair tied to a bun was sitting on a marble stool. She was in her forties, quite pretty, with delicate characteristics and a gentle look. She seemed deep in her work, spinning yarn into thin, shinning strings that were secured on a wooden frame. Ben winked a few times, looking around, trying to understand what was happening. It seemed like he was dreaming, but the smells, the sounds, even the cool breeze slipping in from the window indicated otherwise.

"You are awake then. Good." The woman said. Ben turned his head; she was still focused on her work.

"Where am I?" He asked her quite calmly.

"It is not where, child, but when. Come close, please."

Ben stood up slowly and walked to her, passing by a pot on the ground, almost tripping on it.

"Careful now; we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself. Not that you can anymore." The woman's voice was warm, kind, like a mother's. Ben noticed the wooden board with the shining strings; they all seemed to have different colors and shades from up close. Next to the woman's feet laid a straw basket, and in it were lots of similar threads, still colorful, but they looked different. They didn't shine. The woman's eyes flicked for a moment to look at Ben, and she smiled at him.

"Don't worry about them; they serve a different purpose now. Look at this one, right here. What do you see?"

Ben bent to better look at the string she pointed with her eyes. It was bright red, with a few yellow spots. Staring at it, Ben experienced a familiar feeling; his mind traveled back to when he was a child, his dad reading him a bedtime story and his mom kissing him goodnight. Then he saw himself in college, his teachers praising him, his football team scoring while the fans roared on the stands, Mary spilling coffee on his shirt. Then his college years, his travels, Mary's party where he met Joss. The two of them playing with Charlie and walking in the moonlight, making plans for the future. The more he saw, the more he remembered; Ben felt tears in his eyes. He saw Joss chained on a black altar, like a sacrificial lamb, a man that could be the Devil butchering Charlie and chanting his evil incantations in a room full of ghosts of the past. Finally, Ben saw himself, beaten, wounded, humiliated, unable to save Joss, dropped on the floor, bloody and lifeless. Ben fell on his knees and wept like never before; he couldn't have it; it was unreal how his life turned into a living nightmare in a single day. He raised his head and looked at the woman.

"Who are you? Am I dead? I beg you, please, tell me!"

"I come by many names, child; you can call me Clotho. Let's say that you are not dead yet, but soon will be if we don't do something about that. Kindly look behind you." The woman sounded a bit patronizing, but her tone remained warm as a summer night.

Ben turned his head and gasped. It was like the room had shifted; the table with all the food and drinks had disappeared. There was no window, no light. An endless abyssal void, a black fabric covering reality had replaced them, and in the middle, there stood a person dressed in a daunting black armor. Ben could not see her face clearly; it was as if she was one with the darkness. Every step she took towards him was crushing, and the whole place seemed to vibrate in her menacing presence as she drugged an enormous sword that discharged purple flames in her every move. Ben panicky pushed himself back, trying to put some distance between the two of them, but the woman quickly reached him, raising the black blade above his head. Ben closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was back at the Spinner's room.

"What the fuck is happening? What is this place?" the panic in Ben's voice was more than obvious, but Clotho remained calm; she was expecting a worse reaction than that, after all.

"I see you met my sister. Isn't she delightful?" the woman chuckled, still working with the yarn. As she put it in place among the rest of the strings on the frame, she paused to admire it, then turned to Ben. He looked surprised by her response. He frowned and moved his head to show his disagreement.

"Okay grumpy, listen up! What you see in this room is life. Every living being is represented by a single string, although your human eyes cannot see all of them. Now, for the reason of bringing you in this place, allow me to clarify, will you?" She stood up and gave her hand to Ben, helping him get back to his feet. He nodded; there wasn't much he could say now, and it was probably better to let Clotho explain herself.

"Good lad. Let's see now. I brought you here because you are at a critical moment in your Life's Plan. You see, my older sister, Lachesis -not the one you just met- is responsible for deciding what is in store for every living soul, while I'm the one that makes sure you come into existence to fulfill it. While bringing souls here is not standard practice, the circumstances forced my hand. Are you with me?" Clotho made it sound like impatience; Ben nodded to assure her he was still listening.

"Right. So, this man you met, Lloyd Masters, attempted to create a disruption in the fates of you and Joss. As you may imagine, this is not something I can sit back and watch, so I decided to bring you here and stop it before it becomes irreversible. But there is a catch to do so." She smiled at him and waited to ensure he had understood all of that. After the initial shock, Ben had regained most of his consciousness and decided that if this proved to be anything but a dream, listening to her might help. As soon as the woman mentioned a catch, though, Ben became quite cautious.

"Of course. Okay, spit it up already; what is it? " Ben asked.

"Don't be hasty, please. You have to understand that what I'm about to tell you may sound impossible at first, but I want you to really focus on what has happened till now."

"I promise I will; I mean, I am, you know, focusing." Ben thought she would probably ponder he wasn't worth the effort and tried to at least look as sincere as possible.

The woman gave him a captious look and then resumed.

"Mr. Masters tried to perform a ritual at this night. He used an Indian relic that was long lost and discovered almost a hundred years ago at O'Fallon Park's excavation in St. Louis. It was later stolen and finally procured by him in an auction after it resurfaced eighty years later. Tonight, he used it to summon an entity known as Cadejo, which, to put it simply, is what you may know as a hellhound. Your boyfriend and your pouch were the conduits to achieve all that; you were just unlucky enough to be caught in the middle."

Ben looked at her, stunned. His first thought was to burst into laughter, but then he thought about Charlie, the glowing trinket, and Lloyd's chanting. Even if all this was a bunch of horseshit, Ben was sure that Lloyd Masters believed it just enough to end up murdering someone for it.

"You are telling me that the racist fuck wants a puppy from Hell, to do what? Take it for strolls in the park?"

"Hellhounds possess immense power, there is nothing dog-like in them apart from their resemblance, and even that would make a real dog look like a possum in front of them. So, to answer your question, no. Masters craves power, he needs to control something that will give him authority over the ancient gods, and he thinks that the Cadejo is the way to achieve it." Clotho explained to him.

"Okay, let's say for a moment that I believe you. Masters and his group of psychopaths kidnapped my boyfriend, killed my dog, and tortured me. Since I can't find any logical reason for all that, there is a chance I will trust your version of the truth. With that said, I have to ask, what now? Is there anything I can do to reverse all that? Can I save Joss and Charlie?"

The woman took his face in her hands; her touch was soft as the threads she was spinning.

"Lloyd Masters wanted to summon a creature born in rivers of fire and death. I suggest we give him the most vicious of them. And you will be the bearer of its power."

"Shit." Ben suddenly wished he had never asked.

VII

Back in the Hall of Ancient Theosophy, the Faithful -the name of Lloyd's chosen subordinates- were now scattering to avoid his rage. It appeared as though the summoning had failed, and in his disappointment, Lloyd had driven his Xiphos in one of them, instantly killing him. The ancient relic in his priestess's neck had stopped glowing, and she was now examining Joss's decapitated head, trying to figure out what went wrong.

Ben's body stood lifeless on the floor across the altar, and along with Charlie's remains, the tragic story of the three of them was concluded. Some would say that this was the material that dramas are made of; others would suggest that where Hubris, Nemesis follows since the arrogance of Men can never match the Gods' pride. Lloyd Masters had provoked them tonight, and Hades, in particular, was not one to tolerate thieves and petty humans messing with his kingdom. It only took Clotho's word for him to allow his Guardian to do her bidding. And like that, in a structure of rare and magnificent oddities, amidst a pool of lava and blood, Cerberus, the Guardian of the Dead, first among the Hellhound race and devourer of souls, rose from Ben's body. They became one, with Cerberus allowing his essence to be assimilated in Ben's human limbs, creating a hybrid that resembled a bit of both of them.

Both Lloyd and the Faithful stared in awe at the creature's birth. Their ecstasy was such that they only realized Cerberus's true intentions after the hound attacked them. With an unmatching speed that made him almost invisible, jaws that crushed their human bones like matchsticks and drowned their cries in a symphony of weeping agony, the Guardian showed to the Theosophists what their more profound expectations really looked like. It was only after the beast made sure to take the life of every single one of Lloyd's pets that it turned to the man himself. Lloyd didn't beg though, his pride had reached the limits of Olympus, and Cerberus didn't care to change his mind. After the creature broke his back and severed his limbs, it carried him to the top of Zeus's statue and pierced his chest with the god's golden thunder, leaving his body there to rot.

After the deed was done, Ben, who had regained control of his new fused body, called for Clotho. His loved ones still laid dead among the nightmarish landscape Cerberus had painted, but she was nowhere to be found. Ben rampaged in the hall, destroying most ancient treasures and surrendering the whole place in flames in his sorrow. Carrying Joss and Charlie's remains, he left the Ancient city of Cahokia that faded and disappeared as he passed its borders, leading him back to College Hill. Ben buried Charlie and Joss in an unmarked grave up the hills and swore on their souls not to rest until he found a way to bring them back to life. Whoever was to stand in his way while carrying out that task, Ben told himself, would burn in Hellfire for eternity.