Chapter Thirty-Three

“I taught Shawn to open the gate from this side. What I didn’t know at the time was being dead in the real world would hinder the process. He snapped back to Hell just as fast as he had left it,” Lynda tried to educate.

“We’re willing to try anything Lynda, I’m dead either way, so we may as well try,” Steve begged.

“Sending you two back, honestly I can get Darwin back, I just don’t know about Steve. It’s in my best interest to get Steve out of here-you know where I live. I’d really rather not move. That’s why I never showed Shawn where I lived. As soon as he turns he’s be able to lead them to me.” Lynda mused, “I have an idea though that may help. After Shawn came crashing back, I wondered if we could loosen the grip they have. I gave it a lot of thought and the only solution I came up with was mimicking my own aura. See, Darwin is alive and has an aura, even though it’s quite tainted and I have one too. But a dead person like yourself…your flame is gone. If I give you an aura…that might be enough to trick them long enough for you to escape.”

“Can’t we just use the gate when it begins to collapse?” Darwin reminded.

“You could. You might even be able to walk right out of here. I don’t know the answer. What I do know is you don’t want them in your world. I don’t think we can wait; you must get back and carry out your plan to shut the gate. While you’re doing that I’ll try to kill Marta and maybe I’ll find your friend Tim and try to send him home, too.”

“Is Tim dead?” Darwin asked.

“Hard to say.” She paused. “Probably, but so is Steve. You mustn’t think of life and death as linear, because they’re not. Sometimes things can be undone. Time and space-nothing is written as forever.”

“So, how do I get an aura?” Steve asked, ready to do whatever it took.

“You must drink this tea,” Lynda said as she took the kettle from the flame dropping an oozing, red bag into the pot to begin the steeping process. “It’s the most potent source of soul I can provide you. It’s called Menstea.”

“I know that tea! One of the masters gave it to me in a vision.” Darwin jumped in, hoping he too could have the tea once again.

“The tea does nothing for me; being human, it’s just gross.” She laughed. “Darwin would find the tea appealing, but someone like Steve, with no soul, this tea will for a short time allow you to feel almost human, and that is the aura!”

“It’s good tea Steve, I’ve had it before,” Darwin assured.

“So, what is it exactly?” Steve asked with an apprehensive palate.

“Menstruation tea,” she calmly replied. “My menstruation, so we may as well just come right out with it.”

Darwin leaned over to Steve who he could see was wrinkling his brow, “It’s still a good tea!” Darwin said.

“Okay, I’ll drink it,” Steve said.

“Not so fast, we must be ready to crack the gate. Our time frames will be tight if this is to work,” Lynda continued to educate. “Did Shawn show you an inverted pentagram and some Latin chant when he sent you back the first time, Steve?”

He nodded, saying, “yeah, more or less. We both had to do it and it drained us both very quickly.”

“That might be because it’s something you’re body isn’t allowed you to do. It’s like punishment from the dark masters. Who knows? We’re not going to do that. When Shawn came through the first time—when he died—he brought some stone from the cathedral with him. I can use those rocks like cannons to blast a hole into the next world. They’re hallowed; the sacred part still rests within them. We coat one of them in the blood from the tree outside and give it a light toss. It will explode, blowing a hole into the real world. For a moment, the gate will open for you to return home.” Lynda calculated in her mind whether it would work or not.

“Have you ever done this before?” Darwin asked.

“I dropped one of the stones in the blood by accident when I first brought it back. It was actually a long time after Shawn had arrived. I was on one of my scavenging missions and I saw these stones glistened…it’s the only reason I picked one up at all. I was curious. Anyway, it exploded and I saw the gate open but only for a moment. I saw the green forest on the other side. I told Shawn I thought I had found a way to send him home, but he declined, resigning himself to being a demon. Anyway, with the barrier weak the gate might open up longer than the split second it did for me!” she finished.

“Are you ready?” Darwin asked.

Steve was looking at the pot of tea knowing it was time. It was time to return home and put an end to the story he had started. The future was unknown but for once he was comfortable in whatever happened. He poured himself a mug of the red fluid and went outside.

The trio stood together, unsure if this was a good-bye or just another part in what might become a long battle. Lynda had made it clear her place was in the afterlife even though she remained alive. She wasn’t sure how she would attack Marta, yet she knew her love of the dark arts did not extend to Hell on Earth.

Darwin and Steve knew in the next moment they might never see each other again. Steve was content in his ending, having already felt what it would be like to be a servant of the underworld.

Darwin on the other hand, was emotionally spent. Losing Steve yet one more time was more than his heart could take. It took going to Hell to find his soul and now that he had found it, he never wanted to let it go again.

“You got everything you need Darwin? I still can’t promise any of the magic from here will work up there,” Lynda said as she gave Darwin a big hug.

“Yeah, I’ve got all of it. If it doesn’t work then I’ll go with plan B, scorched earth,” Darwin joked.

“Good bye, Steve,” Lynda said as she wrapped her large arms around the much smaller frame of the young man, “You’re a good soul, even if you don’t have one.”

“Thanks for everything. If you see Shawn, tell him I’m sorry I didn’t get to say good-bye,” Steve requested.

Lynda nodded and smiled. Hating long good-byes she motioned to Steve to drink the tea which he did in several gulps. His body shook and he perked up looking radiant after he had consumed the period. Lynda bent down coating the rock in thick gobs of blood and quickly gave the rock a light toss into the leaves where it quickly began to smoke.

Seconds later, the rock snapped and exploded, tearing a bright light of color into existence. For a moment the air from the real world rushed in. The explosion of air was short lived rapidly reversing direction and funneling back out the breach. Darwin grabbed Steve by the hand and they looked at each other knowing it was now or never. Darwin took a step forward, and found Steve anchored, pulling on his arm. Darwin fell back into Steve’s clutches and again they embraced.

Steve ended the moment, seizing Darwin by his hand and pulling him through the light and in a flash, they disappeared, leaving Lynda to handle the dark side of things.

The gate remained open but Steve and Darwin did not return.