The Chamber of Sins
Chapter 9.3 "The hell is here"

Inside the lyre, the space was incommensurable, lights glimmering like Christmas lights in the profound dark. Some of them sent out orange light, others came out dark red or violet. Margo perceived pressure on her chest, a pain that made her stop and seek support. The first man on the moon must have felt the same, she thought. By accident, she touched one ball and felt light electricity discharging in her body. Images unreeled. She got blood on her hands, and the pungent smell of gas was filling her nostrils. Two bodies laid on the floor. Margo watched terrified as one of them, a woman with her head crushed, moaned, her eyes fill with tears.

By her side, a smaller body was lying lifeless.

“Please, honey, spare the little one. He is innocent. Please,” the woman said with her last breath.

A crazy laugh filled the air as Margo faltered towards the hallway. She could see through the murderer’s eyes! A heartbreaking cry erupted from an adjoining room. The girl closed her eyes, terrified, and her hand touched another ball as she sought to lean on something.

This time, voices lamented and wailed desperately.

“You thief, give my money back. They are my son’s college money.”

“Give me my money back. It is my mother’s money. She has an important operation. Please,” another voice said.

Margo gasped as she retreated her hand off the last ball. She sensed an invisible hand cutting her air while grasping her throat. She left her body to slide slowly against the shelves.

People are so mean, she thought as feeling her legs numb and the sick sensation was zapping her body. Margo gasped in pain, closed her eyes and woke up in Heaven again. She stood still for a while, the victims’ image unfolding before her eyes.

The girl grabbed the lyre and strode towards the exit. Nobody stopped her as she left the heavens. Her stomach growled, and she thought about Sister Mary’s buns.

Adrian was in pain. His leg hurt like hell. He leaned against the wall and bandaged his leg rudimentary. The pain drilled into his flash wound, making him confused and disoriented. He panted and wiped his sweaty forehead as he was measuring the distance between him and the bed.

Limping and supporting his body on the wall, he advanced slowly and at the end, when he reached the bad, he collapsed, totally incapable of moving.

Heavy steppers echoed from the hall, and he grabbed quickly the blanket and covered his lower body. With significant efforts, he moved his body in a more comfortable position.

Lionette entered the room, her eyes scrutinising the floor as she lost something precious. The boy closed his eyes, pretending he was resting and hoped that the woman wouldn’t detect his pallor. She left the tray on a small table by the opposite wall, and without looking at the boy, she exited the room.

The boy coughed a little, but she didn’t react.

“What is wrong with her?” He wondered as reflecting on how lucky he was. No way she wouldn’t remark his state. With his left hand, he rummaged in the nightstand’s drawer.

Where are those pills? He wondered. His fingers touched the blister pack, and he sighted relived. Two of these will ease my pain, he thought. Now he had to consider how is going to explain his state to whoever will notice.

Robert was lying on the living room comfortable sofa while changing the TV post every few seconds. He was bored, and none of his mighty friends had visited him for days. Lionette was so pensive that he had to look in the mirror to be sure he’s not invisible. Something wasn’t right.

The boy nodded.

I can’t miss them, he thought distrustfully. But I think I do. Really?

As he switched off the TV, the phone rang.

“Yes. Wait a minute!”

He switched back on the TV and searched for the news program. For a few moments, his eyes spotted something, but his mind couldn’t process it. People’s bodies lay scattered on the entire length of Main Street. Un unexpected event gathered hundreds of people in front of the Town Hall. They seemed to protest against something. As the camera zoomed on the first line, Robert noticed they tried to escalate the iron gates, stepping on the bodies without mercy. The door supervisor asked for help, and tens of coppers responded to the calling.

“Is this a movie?” Robert asked as gawking at the screen. “What do you mean by that? What happened?”

Something terrible may have happened; he realised as he put the remote down.

“Of course, something happened. The Book of Sins disappeared. That’s happened. The sins fled back into the world, which means we are in big trouble,” Derek exploded, making the boy’s shoulders jumping.

“Demons?” Robert asked, refraining himself from other remarks.

“Worst! That crazy girl stole it. I knew she is going to bring misfortune. Damn girl! Where is she?” Derek thundered.

Robert looked around, surprised. “She is not here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am. I haven’t seen Margo since,” the boy stopped a little searching through his week memories. “Since the day before yesterday,” he confirmed, his voice fainted. What happened?

"You say the reason for this," Robert said, pointing at the macabre show running on TV, “It’s her doing?”

Derek nodded as eyeing at the boy. His eyes glowed red as if he was about to change into his horrifying form. Robert’s mind searched feverishly for a solution to this problem.

“Any place she said she liked or lingered?” Derek asked.

“The orphanage?”

Derek disappeared, only to come back in a second. His face showed disappointment and despair.

“She is not there,” he said dryly.

“Can you track her?” Robert asked.

“Unfortunately, I cannot,” Derek confessed. “Maybe the book is jamming her presence,” Robert said. “Before you go, I have to tell you something. It may not be the right time, but that day when you had pushed me down the demon’s pit, I found something terrible,” Robert said and described the terrible discovery.