I hit the ground running. Ankles burning. Sharp, stabbing pain creeping up my calves and making its way up to my thighs, but I continued to push through. “Go. Go. Don’t stop now. Just keep pushing, you will be there soon,” I heard the voice say inside my head. It's you again, I thought to myself as I pushed on. I wasn’t running out of obedience, as much as I was out of fear. I fell so hard that I was sure if I didn’t try to keep up with the momentum, my legs would break from the sudden impact. Some of the dirt and gravel flew into my eyes from the landing but I pushed past the pain. I didn’t have a choice. I know I can't stay where I am. But I don't know where I'm heading. “They will try to stop you but keep moving,” the ominous voice commanded. I'm getting tired. It’s getting harder to breathe, I need to stop, I thought to myself. "That means you’re getting closer," the voice replied. I could hear the anticipation in his voice. “Where am I going?” I asked my guide, with no reply.

In the close distance, I could see a figure of a man running in my direction. “Yes! Maybe he can tell me where I am” I said out loud. Smiling, I stopped and raised one hand in the air to get his attention but the dark figure continued his sprint in my direction. Oh. Maybe he still can't see me, I thought to myself before trying to flag him down again. Why isn't he slowing down? I thought. Just a few feet away from me I could see that this was no ordinary man. His eyes were dark and boundless. They reminded me of my descent, falling through the cosmos. The wrinkly folds of his dark gray-tinted skin were rough and dry like the earth underneath my feet. If I didn’t know any better I’d say that he rose straight from the depths beneath us.

With each step he took closer to me his features became more clear. He was hideous. His mouth stretched from ear to ear like a gaping black hole beneath his eyes. His arms and legs protruded from his body like half-dead branches that clung to the trunk of a hollowed tree. There was no life in him. No warmth or sense of consciousness. “I need you to keep running,” said the familiar voice. “Just keep going,” he continued. “Don’t look him in the eyes. Keep looking forward and run as fast as you can. You’ll know when you’re there,” he hastily replied, "WHEN IM WHERE!?" I screamed back at him from the recesses of my mind. “This is the beginning of your journey. If you want to survive this you will do as I say. RUN” he screamed.

With only ten feet of distance from the gray figure, I picked up speed. Pushing my legs to move faster. Crossing my arms in front of my face I used my body as a shield. I squeezed my eyes shut, drew out a long breath and yelled out, pushing my legs as hard as they’d go. Soon after, a loud high-pitched screeching noise covered and surrounded me from all sides but I didn’t look back. I could smell the scent of burning sulfur and decaying flesh creeping through the spaces between my arms so I held my breath and pushed forward.

The ground let out deep thunderous moans, shards of rock and plumes of dirt tumbled and dropped as large chunks of earth broke away from its center creating an endless dark pit on both sides of me. “Try to stay on the narrow path. Keep your eyes straight ahead.” The voice commanded. In the distance, I could see a bright light peeking its way between two giant formations of rocks.

The light was bright and penetrating. It had no regard for the chaos that ensued behind me. It didn’t cower back in fear. The sheer brightness of the light sent pain racking through my body. The pain was too much. I stopped running fell on my hands and knees and cradled my head in my hands. “IT HURTS SO BAD. I CAN'T DO THIS,” I screamed out. Shielding my eyes from the light I turned behind me and saw a sea of dark distorted bodies in a cloud of black smoke. I could hear the sound of bones and ligaments cracking as the form inched its way towards me. The dark cloud slowly separated to form a path. A feminine voice emanated from the space between the distorted figure and the silhouette of a woman appeared.

“Hello, Tori. Welcome to the plains. Don’t worry, we’re going to show you a good time,” said an icy salacious voice. She encroached upon me within seconds. Now we were face-to-face. “But…your angel friend’s not invited." She gave out an angry hiss.