Filed to story: Sorry Alpha I Am Wolfless Novel
****
Riviana
****
Seeing all of those people stuck on some sort of endless loop broke my heart. I didn’t know what had caused this to happen to them. I mean, this couldn’t be what death was like for everyone, could it?
“What is going on here? Where am I? What part of the underworld is this?” I spoke that last part out loud without even realizing it. To be honest, if I hadn’t heard my own voice echo back to me, I wouldn’t have known that I said it, I was so distracted by the events going on around me.
‘No, Riviana, this is not what the afterlife is like for everyone.’ The other me started to speak to me inside of my head.
“Then what is going on here?” I asked her as I started to walk around the sidewalk and look at all the different people that were around me. There were more than those that I noted before. some of these others I hadn’t noticed before because they, like Franny, were just standing there and looking in a window or at a wall. Some of the people were even wearing clothes from times that had passed long ago. Were they looking at things that were not part of my memories but theirs instead? Were they looking at the historic Colorado Springs? Just how long had those people been here? What was it they were seeing? Why were they here?
I just couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop all of these questions from running through my mind. All I could imagine right now was myself in the future, standing at one of these street corners while I whispered pathetically about whatever it was that had brought me here to this place. I was picturing it all so clearly in my head that it almost brought tears to my eyes as my heart threatened to shatter into a million and one tiny little pieces.
“What is happening with these people? Why are they here?”
‘All of these people have refused to move on. Whether it be from a fear of the unknown or from a feeling that they did not do something truly important to them, all of these souls you see here are stuck in this place until they let go of those feelings and choose to move on.’
“So, what is this, some sort of Limbo?” I didn’t know what type of place this was, but I knew that it was the saddest place that I had ever been. Just looking at all of the souls around me, I could tell the emotions that they were carrying with them. All of them were filled with either sorrow or regret.
‘You could consider this place to be Limbo. According to theology, Limbo was the in between or the edge of hell. It was where the souls that died in original sin were sent because they had not been assigned to purgatory or the Hell of the damned. In truth though, this place, this ‘Limbo’ is where those that refuse to be assigned end up. They are stuck here for eternity, basking in their own sorrows.’
“That is the most depressing thing that I have ever heard.” It truly was. I mean, who would choose this for their final stop? Who would choose to not move on?
OK, I guess I could answer that. Everyone that was doomed to the torture chambers of hell would choose this land of Limbo. They would most likely want this sad existence over anything else.
‘Fear not, Riviana. Those that belong in the halls of damnation are assigned there automatically. These souls are not evil, so they are left here to wait until they allow themselves to move on.’
“So, none of these people would be receiving punishments in the afterlife, but they still can’t give up their attachments and move on. Is it just that their attachments are too strong for them to move on? That is the only thing that I can think of that would hold them here.”
‘That is indeed correct, Riviana. These people have yet to give up on the attachments that brought them here. Their desires. Their bonds with other people, places, or things. Their love for family and friends. It could be any number of things, but they just cannot seem to let go.’
“Is there some way for me to help them? Is there anything that I could do? I am a Goddess for the moon’s sake. I should be able to help these people.”
“You cannot help them, little Goddess, but you can help me!”
That voice wasn’t from inside my head. And it most definitely was not the voice of the other me that had been talking to me inside of my head.
“Who’s there? Who are you? What do you want?”
Like an idiot, I started to shout questions back at the mysterious voice that had just filled the entire city around me. Yeah, that was really smart of me. Haven’t I learned anything in my life? I mean, the last time that I heard someone shout through the air like that, I was issued a declaration of war by my great great great grandmother. So, you know, you’d think that I had learned my lesson and knew better than to shout at the voices in the sky.
“You do not recognize me, Riviana? How sad. And to think that we have so much in common.” The voice chuckled through the air as I spun around and searched the sky. I was checking everywhere but I didn’t see anyone at all.
“I have never heard your voice before. I am very certain of that. If I have never heard your voice, then how could I know who you are?” This wasn’t a lie at all. I had never heard this voice before, not once in my entire life. I would recognize it. This person had a strange quality to their voice. It was like whenever they spoke, I could hear birds.
I wasn’t hearing the sound of birds singing. No, this sounded more like the cawing and screeching of other birds. It was like ravens and crows or something. The carrion birds that always seemed to be following death. It was so eerie that it was making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up whenever she spoke. Not only that, but I also felt goosebumps prickle their way up my arm and to my neck as I shivered involuntarily at the sound that was echoing around me. Whoever this person was, she was bad news. That was the only thing about this situation that was easy to figure out.
“I have spoken to you and many more of your kind over the ages, Riviana. I have done my best to guide and mold my children in my image. I mean, it is the least that I could do since they all descend from me.”
“And what others like me are you talking about?” I was at a loss here, confused and on edge as I tried to process the meaning of her words.
“Well, the magic users of course.. I am the mother of all magic.”
****
Riviana
****
The mother of all magic users? If that were true then that would mean that she was.. she was.. she was Hekate. On my Goddess! I was in the underworld talking to Hekate. What the hell was going on here right now.
Well, there was one thing that I knew for certain now. This meant that the other me had most likely been right. I was here because of this evil Goddess. But what I wanted to know was how? And why? How had she managed to bring me here, and why did she bring me here?
“Do not ignore me, Riviana. That could be very unfortunate for you.” Hekate snapped at me after a few moments of silence. I could hear the sound of thousands of angry birds screeching in her voice as she spoke. In my opinion, that alone would scare most human beings. Good thing I wasn’t one.
“I am sorry. I was just stunned by the realization of who you are.” I did my best to placate her since I didn’t know where she was at the moment.
“So, you have figured out who I am. Go on, tell me. I want to make sure you are not just some ignorant girl. I would very much like to know that you have correctly ascertained my identity from this short conversation.”
“How could it be anyone else? The mother of the magic users, of which I am one, is none other than Hekate. You are the goddess of magic and darkness, isn’t that correct?” My voice was still calm as I did my best to reign in my anger.
“Very clever of you. I am happy that you are not as stupid as you look.” OK, she was intentionally trying to piss me off. If that was how she was going to play it, then I was going to piss her off by not rising to her bait.
