It's not going well

“Argun, I need to speak to you!”

A portal shimmered open, and Argun’s head poked through. He was casually sipping coffee.

“Yes, little one?” Slurp, slurp.

“Why do you look so… dismayed?”

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“I’m aware.” Unbothered. Slurp.

“Do you know what happened to her?”

“You mean the one you call Ricky?”

“Yes.”

“She’s in Hell now.”

What?

“Her journey has ended.” Slurp.

Charlene’s face twisted in disbelief. “Argun, what happened to her?!”

“You’re doing well, little one.” Argun stirred the bottom of his cup with a straw as if searching for the last sip.

“Why so glum?”

“Did you not see when she got crushed?!”

“It wasn’t your fault. She caused that.”

“How could she have caused that?”

Argun raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Things like that happen here all the time. It’s the ugliness in them that comes out.”

“What comes out?”

“What’s on the inside… will be revealed.”

“You’re talking in riddles, Argun.”

“Her true nature,” he replied coolly. “The evil inside her caused the beam to decay.”

“Wait—are you saying that what’s inside a person can affect the world around them here?”

“Yes, little one.” Slurp. “Exactly.”

“That’s why—” Slurp. “I assume they taught you this before you arrived—to keep your emotions subdued on the journey?”

“Well, yes. I’ve been told that several times.”

“You’re doing well.” He nodded. “Keep up the good work. Stay sharp—another one will reveal themselves soon.”

Argun suddenly froze, eyes scanning the atmosphere.

“The one named Darla…” His pupils flared with golden light. “I sense her true nature being revealed.”

“You’d better continue on, little one.”

“Thank you, Argun.”

“By the way, how was the coffee?”

“Good. But next time… I’ll need a bigger cup.”

“It’ll do.” Argun lifted the cup to check for any remaining drops, then disappeared.

Charlene blinked—and returned to the concrete stairs where the others waited: Mike, Tony, the old woman, and Darla. They were still dusted in the residue left behind from Ricky’s demise.

“Are you ready to continue?” Charlene asked. “Then follow me.”

She crossed the adjacent field, where daisies and buttercups danced in the breeze. The sight was beautiful—yet ReNew couldn’t shake concern about Charlene.

“Char… with everything going on—how are you holding up? I sense uneasiness. Are you able to go on?”

“I need to focus on what’s in front of me… and then get back home to Dad.”

“No!”

“ReNew, I can’t even think about it. If I do, I’ll lose it. I just saw a woman get crushed!” Her voice cracked. “Let’s move on.”

“But how do you know where you’re going?”

“I don’t,” she admitted. “I’m just moving. From what Argun told me, they’re the ones really in charge. I’m just here to make sure it gets finished.”

“Like a warden with a group of prisoners?”

“Something like that.”

“Well… I’m here if you need me.”

Behind them, Maggie—the elderly woman—grazed her fingers across the daisies. It stirred a memory. As a girl, she’d made jewelry from flowers just like these.

She knelt in the grass, made a daisy ring, and slid it onto her finger.

“Maggie…” a soft voice called. “My magpie.”

“Charlie? Where are you?”

A shimmer of light fell on the daisies, and they transformed—into Charlie, her late husband.

“I miss you so much!”

“I miss you too, my magpie!” He reached toward the ring on her finger. “My Maggie Mae… oh, how I long to hold you.”

They both extended their arms, but their fingers passed through each other.

“Oh, my Charlie Bear… I’ll be with you soon. I promise you, my beloved.”

A tear rolled down Maggie’s cheek. A gust carried the daisy ring across the field—and Charlie vanished.

“Hi, I’m Mike. And you are?”

“I’m Maggie. Maggie Templeton.”

“Nice to meet you, Maggie Maggie Templeton,” Mike chuckled.

“Let me help you up.”

“Did you see him? Did you see Charlie?”

“Yes. It wasn’t your imagination.”

“No… we all saw him.”

He helped her up gently, and they continued walking. Tonya began whistling a tune. Darla trailed behind.

Suddenly, Tony rushed up from behind Charlene and put her in a chokehold.

“You know who I am…" and what I’m capable of. Now give me what I want.”

“And what is that, Mr. Tony?”

“I want to go home. And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll make it happen.”

He squeezed tighter. “It’d be a shame to hurt someone so pretty. Back in the day, I used to do all sorts of things to girls like you… Oh, so pretty.”

He leaned in close, tongue poised to lick her—

“No!” ReNew screamed. “Don’t, Char!”

Charlene blinked.

Her eyes turned white.

The ground shook violently. In a flash, a crystal wall shot up between them—severing Tony’s arms. They hit the ground like dying fish. Tonya screamed.

The glass wall expanded outward, separating Tony’s flailing body from his arms.

A portal opened on Tony’s side.

Argun appeared and dropped a massive chain.

“Asbeel,” he commanded, “retrieve the soul. Take it to its final resting place. Now go, beast.”

Clack-clack-clack-clack.

The sound of chains sliding quickly across the ground.

A deep howl echoed as Asbeel emerged—snarling, ash pouring from his nostrils.

He paused before Darla, sniffing the air.

But his prey wasn’t her.

It was Tony—screaming, writhing.

Asbeel lunged, jaws snapping down on him. A fiery portal opened, and he dragged Tony’s bloody body across the burning earth. Kicking. Screaming.

Darla reached out—but the heat was too much.

She recoiled in pain.

And the portal snapped shut.