Going Home: Part 10
At the bottom of everything
Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I’m so glad you’re here. Below you’ll find part 10 of my fantasy short story Going Home. It’s about a young girl named Nani who gets tangled up in fate, tradition, and a giant hole in the ground that leads… somewhere else.
At the end of this post (and most of my other ones), you’ll find a song I picked out that I feel matches the mood of this chapter. I encourage you to give it a listen!
Want to start at the beginning instead? Here you go:
The crane’s flight was smooth and gentle, a welcome relief after the free fall she had gone through earlier. Still, Nani tried to not let herself get too comfortable. She had her arms wrapped around Key’s neck, holding on slightly tighter than was necessary.
They flew in silence. Nani was still not used to the idea of a talking animal, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to know details of what was to happen next. She had acted brave before, but the choices she made had seemed easy at the time. There had always been a map to follow. Now, she was completely in the dark. The stories never spoke of any transition between her world and the next. You jumped into N’Uata, and then you were with your ancestors in Ki’Kiri’s army.
She wondered about what must be happening up above. Were they celebrating? How many people had seen her dive into the hole with the demon? And poor Suli, what would happen to her now? The Chief had seemed to understand what she was doing, at least. Had he known all along that something like this would happen?
The questions were pushed from her mind as she saw a faint red light in the distance. It was accompanied by a slight rise in temperature and a hint of something rotten in the air. She looked around her and could just make out the shapes of walls. N’Uata had narrowed significantly down here. As they moved further downward, the light grew stronger, as did the heat. Key continued his flight, sure and stable into the growing illumination ahead. Nani could see now that the light was coming from many different sources. Hundreds, even. As they moved closer, her breath caught in her throat.
Each source of ruby light was a demon.
They clung to the sides of the wall, moving back and forth like flickering torches. Key slowed, then hovered just out of their reach. The heat was stifling, and the smell made it hard to breathe. Some shied away from the crane’s light, but others reached forward hungrily.
“I’m afraid, Key,” Nani said as she clung to the bird’s neck.
“You should be,” he said, “for you look upon the damned. But hold fast and trust; your faith has brought you this far. Remember what you believe in.” Nani bit her lip, but nodded, tightening her grip.
“I’m ready,” she whispered.
Key shot forward, hurtling through the mess of snarling bodies. He moved erratically, darting left or right to avoid claws and barbed tails. Nani clung to his back, trying to stay as low as possible. As they moved deeper into N’Uata, the heat intensified, almost becoming a physical force trying to push them away. Nani felt as though her skin would catch fire. She brushed sweat from her eyes, trying to watch every direction at once.
The demons were becoming more agitated as Key flew deeper into their midst. Several leaped at him. The crane dodged the first two, but the third landed near his tail. Its skin began to hiss and bubble as soon as it touched Key’s feathers. Nani screamed and kicked at it with her foot. The demon fell off, but not before raking at the bird with its claws, leaving deep gashes.
The passage narrowed again, and Nani could no longer see the walls as they had become so polluted with the monsters. Again and again they swung at Key, and the bird was soon covered in angry red marks. He kept flying however, and seemed to grow brighter as the redness around them also deepened. Nani soon had to shield her eyes from the brilliant lights as they fought for dominance. For a moment, Key’s light faded slightly, and the heat and demonic glow threatened to engulf them.
The demons grew wild as they sensed their opponent’s weakness. More and more flung themselves from the side of the wall. Miss, miss, hit. Miss, miss, hit. The creatures fell off quickly, but not before leaving their mark. Key’s light blinked out for a second, and Nani felt a sense of dread overtake her as they began to fall instead of fly.
After a few weightless seconds of terror, light exploded from the crane. Nani felt as though she had looked directly into the sun. A cooling sensation rushed over her, beating back the heat. The demons yelled in a horrible, haunting language, but were powerless to fight back. A few more jumped, but dissolved before doing any damage.
The walls were now exposed as Key flew past the last of the demons, and Nani could see another light up ahead. They flew straight into it, not slowing at all. There was a slight resistance, as though pushing through a waterfall, but then they were through. N’Uata was gone.
In its place was a land unlike any that Nani had ever seen.
Suggested music for Part 10: Until it Sleeps by Metallica
Note: this video scared the CRAP out of me when I was younger. You are (probably) a grown up and can watch whatever you want, but maybe wash this one down with the Spanish rap from Community afterwards.
You’re so close now, and I’m so proud of you! Only one chapter left, and it’s ready for you:
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