Please note this is a guest entry.

The fork was an interesting place. It was bathed in the red blood of Kite’s ex-teammates, but the smell of blood was but a faint afterthought. It was the thick smell of guts that filled the entire nose to the point you could taste it on the back of the tongue, like a mixture of raw meat and vomit. The wall, that had crumbled after the nephilim had struck it, was filled with a heap of dry sand gently trickling down from the top.

Kite knelt down. “Though our meeting was brief, may your souls be at peace.”

April and Oliver peered at him for a while, until he got up.

“We’ve got no clue how to get out, it’s up to lady luck. Let’s do a coin flip.” Kite said, pulling out a single coin. “Back is tail, of course.” with a ping, the coin tumbled into the air.

Oliver waved his arms.”No, stop.” he pointed his finger at the hole in the wall. “We’re going in there.”

Kite caught the coin mid-air, shooting Oliver a glance. “It’s heads.”

Olive sighed. “If you’re too dim to get it just start digging.”

Kite narrowed his eyes. “Dim? At least I can hold a sword properly.”

“Then start holding a shovel, big guy.” Oliver took a step closer to Kite.

“Gonna stand there, or are you planning to help?” April shoved sand away with her bare fists.

Kite recoiled in surprise, “Ah, we shouldn’t listen to h—”

“Too late.” April replied.

A dim ray of moonlight broke through the sand, as if it had been digging towards them from the other side.

Oliver stared directly at Kite with a smug smile.

“Ah, of course. Sand, it had to be an outer wall.” April said.

“I’ll send you up.” Kite bent down and grabbed April’s thighs.

April nodded, and in that instant she felt weightless, further enhanced by the fresh breeze from outside. It was a wonderful feeling after days on end in a dungeon.

She squirmed through the sand and her eyes were met by a green field, yet the light from the full moon was so bright she had to cover her eyes with an arm until her eyes got used to it.

After enjoying the fresh air for a moment, she turned around and reached an arm down. “Come on up.”

Oliver glanced over at Kite before shifting his gaze towards the ground.

Kite could not hide his smug smile. “Betcha play a girl in MMORPG’s as well.”

ca-clack.

“Psht! hear that?” Kite said as he latched onto Oliver’s thighs.

Oliver listened for a moment. “It’s footsteee-e.”

April grabbed Oliver’s wrist and dragged him up.

Kite grabbed onto the top of the crumbled wall and pulled, finally getting up with the help of Oliver and April.

Ca-clack, Ca-clack Ca-clack… “My god.” a voice echoed from below. “How many people died here?”

“Someone got them good.” Another voice said.

Kite waved for the Oliver and April go get going, and they walked into the moonlit field.

“Why’s there a field full of grass in the middle of… Hell?” April asked.

“I’ve never seen it before.” Kite said.

“When I got here,” April put a finger to her mouth. “I was on a street with villas.”

“I was in an elementary school.” Oliver waved his hands. “As if that wasn’t hell already.”

“It’s Limbo.” Kite said. “How close were the scales?”

“Slightly tipped” Oliver said. “But enough that I was clubbed and dragged here.”

“Mine too” Kite said. “We’re probably on a not-really-torture plane.”

“Scales?” April said.

“The angel that came down to weigh your sins, y’know, that one.” Oliver said.

“Angel? I was eaten by a house, broke my leg and smashed to bits by a crazy nephilim.”

Kite frowned and looked at Oliver, who shook his head and shrugged.

“How did you get to Limbo?” April asked.

“Drowned.” Oliver glanced over at Kite. “Betcha jumped a hill.”

Kite shot a glare towards Oliver. “Carcrash.”

April narrowed her eyes. “You both died.”

“That’s the point of hell, I believe.” Kite said.

“But you” April frowned. “A nephilim hanged me. Right when I was--” She put her hand to her mouth, silencing herself.

“I’ve heard of that before. The sheer shock of death can play tricks on the mind.” Kite said.

Oliver pointed at a narrow dirt path. “We should figure out where we’re headed.”

Kite pointed down the path. “Away from the dungeon.”

Oliver sighed. “You really are a dimwit. If we follow the road, we might hit a patrol or something.”

Kite smiled. “In an MMORPG there’s less monsters on a road.”

“Solid reasoning there, Alexander of Macedon.”

“We’re following the road,” April pointed towards some nearby trees.

Kite loaded the crossbow. “Very well, I’ll protect us.”

April reached an arm towards Kite. “And I’m taking the crossbow.”

“Not with your shooting skills.” Kite said. “Just trust me to keep you safe.”

“Just give her the crossbow.” Oliver said, latching onto it.

Kite pulled. “You better watch what you say, pipsqueak. I had a Kay-Dee of 10 in chivalry with a crossbow once.”

Oliver let go of the crossbow. ”What? That doesn’t even make any sense, dimwit.”

“‘Course it does.”

“Quiet. Let’s go.” April said.

Kite and Oliver both recoiled. “R-right.”

April pointed at Kite. “Get to a good sniping distance.”

“Ye--Sniping distance?”

April took a few steps towards Kite before she drew a breath all the way down into her stomach and exhaled in a gentle breeze and closed her eyes.

She opened her eyes and yanked the crossbow all the way to her own chest, staring directly at Kite’s hand while tugging on the crossbow a few more times.

Kite’s hand glanced her chest.

“A-a-ah! Sorry” Kite quickly retracted his hand.

She stared at him, as if expecting him to take some action.

He stared back dumbfounded.

April nodded towards Oliver “What’re you doing? Go, we haven’t got all day.”

“Ah. Yes.” Kite answered.

April gently shook her head. “No, not on the road. We’ll split up in each our side, so we’re not all found at once if something happens.“

“I’ll go with you” Oliver and Kite said in unison, both staring at April.

April rolled her eyes. “Pff, wimps. Just because I have the crossbow. Fine, we will stick together. Keep quiet and follow me.”

Kite waved his hands “I didn’t mean it li--”

“Ab-bab-bab. Shush. What did I just tell you? I’m hungry. I’m tired. I haven’t showered in days, and I’m not up for arguing about the crossbow or fighting stupid patrols that hears us.”

Oliver glanced between the road and April. “Uhm… April?”

“What did I just—oh, crap.” She loaded the crossbow.

Kite held out four bolts. “This is all I’ve got.”

April tugged Kite and Oliver as she silently darted towards a lone tree on the side of the road.

“If they see us, it’s another fight.” she whispered. They both nodded.

I hope they show up. Drawing is hard.