"What I'm about to explain to you may be a little hard to understand." Alex's father said, setting down a cup of coffee in front of Trevor. "So please stop me if you get a little lost."
Trevor sat at the aged wooden desk across from Alex's father in the study. Trevor hadn't been in the room since he snuck in with Alex all those months ago. However, this time around, he would be getting the information he needed.
"First, I want to make sure you're doing alright. How are the brands?" Alex's father asked.
"Well, to be honest, not well at all. They never heal, did you know that?"
"I know, I'm so sorry. How many do you have now?"
"Four. Two on my back, one on my shoulder, then the big one on my chest. You ever try sleeping while your skin continuously burns?"
"I can't even imagine, Trev. I know there's not much I can do to help you and for that, I am truly sorry. The one thing I can do is share what I know. At the very least, shedding some light on them may help you better face the situation." Alex's father said, taking a sip from his coffee. "First things first. Where were you when you received each of those brands?"
"Well, I was sleeping when I got all of them. Oh, and I've worn the medallion every time it's happened, too. Wasn't that supposed to protect me from them?"
"Sort of. When you were attacked, were you dreaming of a specific place?"
Trevor thought back to the eerie field where he had all his run-ins with the Maidens and the other creatures.
"Uhm, yeah, actually. It was this grassy field that was right on the edge of a massive forest."
"That's what I guessed. That's also why your medallion didn't work, either."
"Wait, what?"
"So, this might not be easy to understand at first, but bear with me. That world that you go into with them, that world that seems devoid of any natural life, is a real place. It does exist. However, it is not a part of this universe."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"That world is located on a different plane of existence than our own."
"Yeah, so you're gonna have to elaborate on that for me." Trevor said.
"Alright, so picture heaven and hell." Alex's father started. "They're obviously not going to be found here as a part of this world. They have to exist in some other realm of their own. You know what a soul is, right?"
"Uhm, I guess. I never really thought about defining it."
"A soul is essentially our true consciousness. It's our thoughts and memories. It's our personality and intelligence. It's everything that makes us who we are."
"Doesn't all that stuff come from our brains, though? I mean, faith and spirituality is great and all, but I'm pretty sure our frontal lobes take care of most of that stuff."
"That's actually impressive that you know that. I didn't think schools taught that to your age group yet."
"I mean, I've always thought the brain was really interesting. It's basically what makes us, us. That being said, I'm not so sure I believe your soul thing."
"Ah, well if you're interested in the brain, then you know there's plenty about it that we are still in the dark about. We really don't have a solid explanation of how it really works. There's a lot of things we just don't know about it, right?" Alex's father asked.
"I mean, yeah I guess that's true."
"So, wouldn't the idea of a soul help to explain some of it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I want you to imagine your soul as a living entity. The true you if you will. Your body is just the physical vessel that you travel in. Your soul lives within and controls your body, including your mind. So, your brain isn't working on its own. It's being run by a live being. You are in charge of you."
Trevor sat back and tried to understand what Alex's father was telling him.
"Alright, so I'm kind of following you. Your soul is like a captain and your body is the ship?" Trevor asked with a questioning tone.
"Yes, something like that. Now, as you know our souls aren't something we can physically see. That's because they also don't belong to this world. They can only be here inside a body vessel. When our bodies die, our soul can longer stay on earth and must travel back to either heaven or hell, wherever it originated from."
"Whoa, wait. Originate from? Are you saying that we start out in heaven or hell and then go back when we're done? Don't our lives dictate where we end up?"
"Eh, sometimes yes. Our souls are actually much older than ourselves. Who we are is essentially predetermined. When we're born, our soul is able to leave its home in either heaven or hell and live out its human life here on earth. Then, when we die, it goes back. Now, there's a lot more to it than that, obviously. However, all that stuff isn't really important. What is important is that you get a general idea of what a soul is and how it works."
Trevor's eyes widened. He took his cup of coffee and finished the rest of it.
"Do you follow so far, Trevor?" Alex's father asked.
"Yeah, for the most part. It's just a lot to take in."
"I know. Usually, I'd go into greater detail about it all, but we'll save that for a later time." Trevor's father took another sip from his drink and cleared his throat. "So, you now understand that your soul is the true version of you. It's also a living entity with its own world that it calls home. Now, a soul can only be born in heaven or hell. It can come from no other home, you follow?"
"Yeah, I can understand that." Trevor answered.
"Good. However, heaven and hell are not the only planes that exist. There are multiple other dimensions and universes that are just as real as this one. Some allow our souls to be in them. Some even allow our physical bodies to travel to them. The point is, our universe isn't the only one and heaven and hell aren't the only places our souls can travel to."
"I'm sorry, but this is all too much. How could anyone possibly believe any of this?"
"Well, Trevor, if anyone should believe in this, it should be you. You've been visiting one these realms for awhile now."
"Excuse me?"
"That world you keep dreaming about? The dark field and the deep forest? That's a very real place. It exists in a different universe than our own, but I assure you it's just as real as this one. Now the reason..."
"Stop, please." Trevor interrupted. "This is all just too much. I know some strange and awful things are happening to me, but you're blowing things way out of proportion. Other universes? Different realms where souls can travel to? You're taking a ghost story and turning it into a new religion."
"Trevor, please. It's crucial you understand this all in order to really understand what's happening. Please, let me finish so you can understand."
Trevor took a deep breath and gathered himself.
"Alright, I'm listening. Go on."
"Thank you. Now, usually, the soul can only ever go to heaven or hell. However, sometimes a soul can become twisted in life and lose its way. After bodily death, a twisted soul is not allowed to go back to its home. Even hell itself cannot accept a soul like that. Whatever causes it to become twisted changes it in such a way that it becomes an unimaginable evil. An evil as powerful as a twisted soul can only go to one place. It's earned itself plenty of other names, but it's most commonly referred to as the Abyss. That's where you were."
"Well, how did I get there if I'm not a twisted soul? At least I don't think I am, anyway." Trevor said.
"No, don't worry you're not. The Maidens are the ones who took you there. Unfortunately, you and they share a very powerful connection. The closer you get to the day you're taken, the stronger the connection grows. It's now at the point where your soul can latch onto theirs as they travel back and forth between worlds. They don't mean to take you with them, but the link is strong enough to accidentally drag you along. I still haven't quite figured out what ritual they perform to create such a strong connection, but whatever they do links you to them permanently. Then, when your time comes, the link will become powerful enough to take your full body with them to the Abyss. That's when they're able to fully take your soul."
Trevor thought back to the first time he was there. He remembered what they did with Josh's body and how terrified he was watching it.
"There was a huge fire that they stood around to offer up Josh's body." Trevor said.
"What?"
"I watched the ritual. There was a fire and they raised his body up to the sky. A pure white light shot from his body up to the sky and a massive cloud of black spiraled down it and consumed the light and josh altogether. Does that help you at all?"
Alex's father sat back in his chair in thought.
"Possibly. There're some things I'd have to look up, but that does help a bit. Anything else you remember?"
Trevor thought back to all his terrifying experiences in that place.
"What else is there in that place? Is it just full of twisted souls?"
"There are plenty of other twisted souls that live in it, yes. However, they're not the only things there. The Abyss is home to much greater evils than the Maidens. Compared to some of the beings that inhabit that world, the Maidens are a garden of roses. It is said that Satan himself is far too afraid to ever venture there."
Trevor thought back to the impossibly deep roar of the creature he heard the first time he visited.
"Back to my point." Alex's father said. "My theory is that if we can somehow break this connection between you and them, then they can't take you back there with them."
"Alright, sounds easy enough. How do we do that?"
"No idea, actually." Alex's father said. "That's what I'm working on figuring out. What you saw them doing does help a little and hopefully, I can follow that lead and learn more about it."
Trevor began playing with the medallion that hung around his neck.
"Couldn't this help in any way?"
"Well, kind of. See, that keeps your body safe for now. It makes it harder for them to be around you here on earth. However, it still leaves your soul vulnerable to be taken. Fortunately, as long as your body remains alive on earth, they cannot fully take your soul for themselves. That medallion may be our last line of defense if we can't figure anything out by the time your date comes."
Trevor looked at the calendar in the room. He knew the twelfth was coming up soon. There was a good chance this would be his month to go.
"What if it doesn't work, though? What if they're still able to take me?"
Alex's father grabbed Trevor's hands and held them in his.
"Then, my boy, all we can do is pray for your soul."