The Hellbeast King by Stephanie Hudson

2

Indiana Ella

“Jesus, Ella, where did that thought come from…? Definitely time to get a grip,” I said before shaking these creepy thoughts from my head, knowing that my dreams were messing with me. I also needed to get my ass in there before I chickened out and left my cousin to her crazy mission. So, I approached the door and took one last look up at the building. It was one that was mostly built from dark brick, with the lower part faced with dark-brown wood panelling, that once I was inside, I saw matched that of the outside.

“Wow… homely,” I muttered sarcastically, looking round and already getting an even creepier vibe than I was from the outside. For starters, the pub looked empty, but the door was open. I mean, who did that in a city… unless it had been left open for Amelia?

Well, it wasn’t exactly what I would have called a welcome if that were the case. I mean, I was older than her, but even I wanted to run from here screaming, it was that scary. Then again, the girl did grow up in what many would consider a bloody castle. The infamous Afterlife nightclub was one her father owned and a place she actually lived in.

Of course, it wasn’t a nightclub in the conventional sense, as it was basically a really old building that had once been situated somewhere in Europe, but I forget where. All I knew was that someone in my uncle’s family had been rich enough to have the building sent over to Evergreen and rebuilt there, brick by brick. Or should I say stone block by stone block as the place was incredible. It looked as though someone had cleared a space in the woods and dropped an old Manor house there. Not surprisingly then, the front of it was a Nightclub for Goths and the back part was where my aunty and uncle lived with Amelia. Oh, and a load more people that Amelia called ‘family’ but wasn’t really. Well, other than the fact she had aunties and uncles on her father’s side who lived with them. I mean, yes, it was a close family but then it wasn’t exactly like the place wasn’t big enough for them all.

Honestly, family gatherings were a Gothic riot as I had never seen so many beautifully eccentric people in all my life! But then again, I had kind of got used to it, seeing as I too had grown up with them around, and well naturally, I adored my Aunt Keira and Uncle Dominic. I used to call him Dom Dom, and my Aunt was always known as Kazzy or Aunty Kaz for short. But then as I grew up, I became very aware of how important and powerful a man my uncle was, seeing as he was mega rich and basically owned most of Evergreen.

Needless to say, this made me quite popular in school, as Afterlife was and always had been the talk of the town, along with the mysterious Dravens. I had also heard rumours and even stories from my parents of the day things started to change, and it all started with my mom’s sister, Keira.

The story goes that before I was born, Keira arrived to live with my mom after something traumatic happened, a story I still don’t know to this day. Anyway, before she arrived, Dominic Draven was like this Godlike figure that was worshipped by those who went to the club just in hopes of a glimpse of the mysterious man. But seeing as he kept mainly to the upstairs in the VIP area, one that no locals were ever allowed to enter, then not many knew anything about the handsome billionaire.

But then, one look at Keira one night in his club, and that’s when it all changed. He fell in love, and being a man who always got what he wanted, he put his plans into motion of getting her. Which, according to my mom, first meant offering her a job at the club working for him in the very place he wouldn’t allow locals inside…

Afterlife’s VIP.

The rest was history, one I had always wondered about. But then even Amelia had always been tight lipped about it, making me question it even more. Because after Keira became his wife, the Dravens started living life less in the shadows like they had once spent many years doing. Of course, that didn’t mean that my uncle didn’t still make an impact whenever he was seen, as it was still like living with a celebrity in the town. In fact, whenever he was seen at the school for some reason to do with Amelia, my popularity would skyrocket for months after. Of course, even I knew that it was all just superficial, as they only wanted to be my friend because they thought I could get them into the VIP. So, the shiny coating of popularity didn’t stay shiny for long as I never brought my friends to Afterlife. Besides, I wasn’t blind as I became very savvy to all the bullshit early on, as did Amelia.

But even I had to admit, there had always been an air of mystery surrounding the Dravens, and one that you could never fully shake, no matter how much you tried to rationalise the things they did or the strange way they lived. Which made me wonder if there was some great secret to them, and being here now was the time I was going to discover what. Of course, I had asked Amelia about it, but she had always just laughed it off, as if I was being funny. Saying things like,

‘What do you think? That we have a dungeon in the basement or temples where, as a family cult we worship the Devil?’

After this I would just end up feeling silly and laugh it off with her. But I admit, I would always go to bed wondering. Because if it wasn’t dungeons and temples they kept in the lower levels of Afterlife, then what was it? It was true, I had only been in their home part of Afterlife a few times, but it certainly made an impact. So much so that I would never forget all those castle-like walls filled with endless staircases and hallways, ones that I knew had to lead somewhere. And well, facing the facts, the immense building wasn’t exactly being used as a hotel.

If I had to guess, then looking around this place now, it was something to do with her father, no doubt about it. Meaning that my catfish theory soon went out the window. This, even despite its lack of immense looking wealth and opulence I was used to seeing surround my uncle Dominic.

I mean, the guy had a car collection my dad would have wept over. In fact, whenever we got together for family days, it was one thing that my dad and my uncle would talk about as they were total gearheads. Which was why, for my dad’s 40^th birthday, my uncle had given him a rare Aston Martin known as a One-77. Meaning that there was only 77 of them ever made, and it was rumoured to have been worth well over a million when first bought.

Apparently, it had also been a car that my dad had fallen in love with the first time my uncle had used it to drive my Aunty Kaz home from a nightshift. Something he did after she injured herself at work or something like that, I can’t remember all the details. Either way, I thought it was a cute story and that it would have made a good romance book. Although, one look at Afterlife and it would have no doubt been turned into Paranormal Romance for sure!

And speaking of paranormal, well, I was just hoping that this one wasn’t going to turn into a horror story, as this place was a big ten on the creepy o’meter! Of course, it wasn’t just that it looked old and well used, but more the lack of life that gave it that sinister vibe. The small bar area on the right was only big enough for a few tables, making me wonder what the point was. Ten people, and this place would have felt packed full. Making me wonder if there were other rooms like this? Was it just like a honeycomb of small rooms that each held a bar? Well, the sign off to one side said as much, as it had arrows pointing both up the staircase and onwards telling me the names. Like the one named the ‘Chop Shop’ that was a sign held over a closed door to my left.

“Blood hell, are they serious?” I muttered, at both the name and the painting that hung above the door that was of an older woman in a black dress who looked to be in mourning. A string of three pearls at her neck and one of those faces that seemed to follow you as you walked. I mean, where was the fighting supposed to be, with the rest of the antiques and motheaten drapes over the dusty windows? Not exactly what I would have called threatening, but definitely more Hitchcock than Brad Pit Fight club and weird ass soap making.

I decided not to look at the woman again, as I swear I was seeing things as her eyes turned more white, as if some light was being reflected back off the glass… but wait, there wasn’t any glass.

“Okay, time to move on now,” I said nervously, and continued on to where the only light was, telling me that it must have been where Amelia had gone.

Downstairs.

“Please don’t be a dungeon in the basement, please don’t be a dungeon in the basement,” I repeated like a useless mantra that would do shit at protecting me. Okay, so I was glad I wasn’t tall, this staircase would have only been comfortable for children to walk down as it had both narrow steps and seriously lacked head height. Even the sign telling you to watch your step would have been close enough to lick, should the insane urge overtake me.

But then, when I reached the bottom, I actually found myself disappointed as it was a serious anticlimactic moment, being that it led to a pair of restrooms and what looked like a broom cupboard.

“Well, Fae, you couldn’t have disappeared, so where are you?” I mused, before getting to the bottom and seeing a door to the left that looked as if it led to an old cellar that had now been converted into a place to put tables and chairs for customers. It was quite cool actually, and with its cream painted brick walls, it was definitely more welcoming than the upstairs.

The low ceilings were vaulted in sections and there seemed to be little nooks for a single table or two. Like a little labyrinth of steps up and down, with different levels so any space available was used to seat someone. Then, as I continued down to the very lowest point, I found another bar along the wall, and a space big enough this time to hold long tables and bench seats for bigger groups of people. That, or strangers would have to share a space together. Of course, there was a few smaller tables but nothing else in this room to suggest anyone had been here recently. For example, nothing like a fallen baseball cap I knew Amelia had been wearing to try and conceal her identity… now, if I could just figure out who she was trying to hide from then that might be a start.

Jesus, where was the Scooby Doo gang when you needed them? I decided to work my way back up, and the moment I felt something digging in the ball of my foot, I stopped and sat down in an arched brick alcove. One that only held a single small table with a stool either side. It felt as though I had something stuck in my sneaker, so I leaned over to take it off and give it a shake to get rid of whatever it was.

“That’s strange,” I said aloud, something I will admit to being something of a habit of mine as I was often found mumbling to myself. But there was no mistaking the single piece of silver confetti in the shape of a tiny skull with horns that had somehow got in my shoe.

It was the type you would have found scattered on some party table for Halloween or something. However, this didn’t end up being the strangest part, as it was after I repositioned my shoe that I saw it. The same horned skull was burnt into the underside of the table. In fact, it looked embossed, as it was slightly raised from the rest of the wood and I didn’t know what compelled me, but I found myself reaching out to touch it. The second I did, its snake like tongue flicked up as if it was made of metal and spiked my fingertip, making it bleed.

“Oww!” I shouted, snatching my hand back and instantly putting it in my mouth to suck. I hated needles, it went beyond a phobia but was more like a deep-rooted loathing and for good reason. But I wouldn’t let my mind wander down that road now, not when I was currently living out these strange series of events.

That’s when I heard it…

The sound of others above.

“Is anyone th… Ah!” I shouted after being cut off when suddenly the whole section I was sat on moved and quickly flipped around as if I had unknowingly triggered a rotating secret door. In fact, it reminded me of that movie that Amelia loved so much, one she would always make me sit through as she was a huge fan of the Indiana Jones films. I couldn’t remember the name or all the lines like she could, but I was pretty sure I do remember him being tied back-to-back with his father at one point and a whole fireplace spun around.

Well, that was what was happening now and before I could do anything about it, because soon my cry for help was cut off with a resounding echo of stone hitting against stone. Meaning only one thing…

I Was Trapped.