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The Things We Do for Strangers

Screams. Thousands of them, every imaginable voice, every human face in sight contorted into agonizing grimaces. Burning. I watch, fascinated as I fail to feel anything but curiosity as these pitiful things cry out for my aid. I want to help... But every time I reach out to one, it passes through me, a final scream escaping from it's lips as it passes into oblivion. So I march on, searching... Ever searching.

I wake up. Looking around. The silence and darkness are stunning compared to the fiery, deafiningly loud hellhole I was just in. "A dream?" I mutter, wiping the cold sweat off my forehead. No, not a dream. But it wasn't quite a nightmare either...

The next night. The same dream, endlessly searching through the pits of Hell itself, but I don't even know what for. I wake up again, a frown plastered firmly on my face. Why is this happening to me?

Another two days pass, normally. I get up in the morning, go to another uneventful day at school, then go home, fall asleep, and have the dream.

Fourth day. Not expecting much different. By now, I'm used to it. Whatever, right? It's a dream I can't really do anything about it. Going to school again, waiting at the bus stop. Boredom induces pointless question. What does it mean? Why do I dream of fire, dream of suffering?

Getting off the bus. The ride over was usual, obnoxious children throwing paper balls and yelling obscenities. I kept to myself, staring out the window. But here I am again, in the schoolyard. The bell rings.

I'm late.

I rush to class, barrelling into the door as the teacher closes it, knocking us both over. I stand up, repeatedly apologising profusely. "I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again, sir. I swear it, sir." Without giving him a chance to reply, I take a seat next to my snickering classmates. I sigh, blocking out the world around me. Time to zone out.

An hour or so later. Second bell rings, class dismissed. I stand up, walking out of the class. I can't be late again, so I hustle up a bit. I get there in plenty of time, the second or third person in class. I pick a seat near the back corner, and immediately doze off.

A white room. Empty. I'm not sure where I am, and I don't think I'm going to find out... But then a voice breaks the unnatural silence that I hadn't even been aware of. "Trace... Do not fear, I come to you only as a messanger. Heed my words. Before the day ends, you will have begun to fufill your true destiny. Shortly after I finish speaking to you, the one you are destined to save shall awaken you. You don't know her, nor will you. You are not the hero of this story, but the role you will play is no less important. You will save her, and in turn, she will save everything." I look around, startled. What? I'm going to save a total stranger, for a reason so obscure, it might as well not exist? "No... You will save a total stranger to secure the safety of all existence. Do not doubt this message, mortal. You shall descend into Hell itself to save her. Most likely, you will die. However, this is something you must do. You no longer have a choice. Unfortunately, time is growing short... I must leave you now. Good luck on your journey... You'll need it."

I wake up suddenly to a girl shaking me, frowning. "Are you okay?" she askes, concerned.

"Uh... Fine." I stammer, having poor social skills.

"You were saying something in your sleep," she said, frowning.

"Wait, what?" I ask. It's my turn to frown.

"Yeah... You said something about hell... Then you said my name."

Silence. I don't even know her, I've never seen her before in my life. "But... Who are you?" I finally ask, raising an eyebrow.

She straightens up, giggling. "My name's Lindsey," she says, smiling. "I'm new here, my parents just moved from California."

"Trace," I say, holding out my hand. She takes it and shakes, giggling some more. I stare, confused. After the dream I just had, I didn't like the idea of being forced into doing anything, even if it was to save existence.

"Uh... Are you okay? You're staring," She said, snapping me out of my almost-trance. I shake my head, forcing away thoughts. Dismissing the dream as just that- a dream.

She laughs. The bright, cheery sound, a full octave above perfect, further convinces me. Everything is fine. Nothing is wrong here.

Class starts, and with it a whole new world of boredom. Luckily, Lindsey seems interested in passing notes, and she's sitting right beside me. There's nothing on the notes, just how boring this class is, how much everyone hates math. But we desperately try to keep the notes hidden, a childish, immature game that both of us delight in.

I finish scribbling something down on my classwork, then respond to her note and drop it on the floor, kicking it over to her desk. She reads it, giggles, and begins scribbling again. And so it goes for the remainder of the class.

Third bell. Lunch time. I stand, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over one shoulder. Lindsey walks up beside me, and follows me to the lunch room. I rush to the line, grab a tray, and head off into the back of the school. That's where I usually eat lunch, away from the bustle of people and annoying children.

Lindsey walks up beside me, grinning. Her tray has the same as mine: A chicken sandwich, wrapped in a paper bag, with fake mashed potatoes as a side, and a carton of government-brand chocolate milk. I laugh, shaking my head. "School lunch. Great, huh?"

"Fantastic," she replies sarcastically, taking a bite of her sandwich. She chuckles, and looks at me after she swallows. "So, what class do you have next?"

"I've got gym," I reply, unenthusiastically.

"Really? Me too!" she says, a lot brighter and happier than me. I smile. Something to look forward to in my least favorite class.

"I hate gym," I say, chuckling. She smiles, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Why? You don't seem like the super-nerd type, and you're way too big to get picked on... In fact, if anything, I would have pegged you as a jock." She smiles, and I shrug.

"I always end up hurting people when I participate."

She laughs. "Oh really? And why is that?"

"Because they try and start something." Simple answer for a simple question.

Again, she laughs. "I don't know, the people around here arent' that bad... Are they?" She asks, a worried look growing on her face.

"Nah, they're mostly decent. I just don't really like people, and people don't really like me." I say, shrugging. "It doesn't bother me too much. You're the first person to actually hang around me for more than thirty minutes," I admit, chuckling.

"Well, that's not very nice," She said, frowning. "I don't see why not. You're alright. Just a little on the intimidating side, is all." She laughed.

I look at myself in the reflection of the tinted window, to see if she's right. Six foot something, bordering on two hundred and thirty pounds. Dark hair, angry face, hands always clenched into fists. "Yeah, I guess you might be right." I try smiling, and opening my hands, slouching a bit, anything to make me look a little meeker. The hands change nothing. The slouch just makes me look thicker, and my smile twists into that of a psychopathic serial killer.

I shake my head, standing up straight and wiping the smile off my face, looking back at Lindsey.

"Told you so."

I laugh, shrugging. "I'm just like this," I say, not really sure of what else I could have responded with. The wind picks up, whispering into my ear. "Your purpose... Has almost arrived..."

I fall silent, remembering my dream. I was going to hell for her, a new girl at my school that I just met today. She wasn't even the prettiest girl in the world- Although I had to admit, she came pretty close.

The fact remained, however; I hardly know her, but I have to go to hell for her. Most likely die. I frowned, shaking my head. That was crazy, people didn't go to hell while they were still alive. And certainly not to save total strangers.

Did they?

Fourth bell. Lunch is over, gym class is about to start. I frown. I haven't even eaten my sandwich yet. I gulp it down on the way, shrugging. Lindsey follows me, laughing. "You're going to cramp up, you know," She says, and laughs.

"I doubt it," I say, grinning. "I have an iron stomach."

I was wrong, of course. Fifteen minutes into the class game of- you guessed it - dodgeball, I'm sitting on the bleachers holding my stomach. Every once in a while, I get a pity-filled glance from Lindsey, but a few times it's an 'I told you so' look. I shrug the pain off, sitting up to watch the game. She's great, dodging every ball thrown at her, catching them and launching them back, hitting her target every time.

I laugh, watching a few kids get pelted with red rubber balls. It's funny, almost, how disappointed they look walking off the court. A few more kids get nailed in the face. The game is over.

I stand, clapping. Walking off the bleachers, still holding my stomach, I look at her and grin. "Great job," I say, and chuckle.

"Thanks," She says, and then the coach blows his whistle, indicating to go back to the locker rooms and change.

A minute or two later, I step out of the locker room, fully dressed in a gray shirt, a black hoodie, and blue jeans. I see her standing against the door, and she laughs. "What took you so long?"

"Nothing," I say, frowning and raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

She doesn't respond. I realize why. Silence has fallen totally and completely, smothering everything. The quiet is so thick, it's almost hard to breath.

I frown, and look at her. "What's going on?" I ask, worried.

"I... Don't know," She says, looking around. She walks down the hallway, and I follow.

She turns to me, and holds out a hand to stop me. "No. You go back, and stay there. Got it?" She commands forcefully, looking up at me.

"Fine," I say, reluctantly taking a few steps back and leaning against a wall.

I stay there until she walks out the door at the end of the hallway. Then I run down the hallway, out the door, and continue following her. She walks into the woods. I'm just barely able to catch a glimpse as she vanishes into the leaves.

I follow, trying to be discreet. I manage to see her through the dense foilage, stalking her all the way into a large clearing. In the middle is what should have been an empty, grassy plain...

Instead, there was a group of figures standing around. They were big, more so than even me. They had pale, almost scaly skin, and their slit eyes darted around. One said something, and I spotted unnaturally sharp teeth. But one of them, standing in the middle, was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

He looked almost like a regular human... From the waist up. Below his torso, however, was the body of a massive spider... Covered with smaller spiders. I shivered. I really hate spiders.

She walks up to them, and holds out her arm, like she's grasping for something. A flash of light, and suddenly she's holding a sword... And she has wings. Big, brilliant white wings. I frown. What the hell is going on?

The spider-one snarls, smacking her sword away faster than I can see. He sticks his hand on her forehead, and she drops like a rock. One of them makes a funny motion, waving in the air. Then, a huge swirling window is opening up in midair. They all step through, and vanish. The portal, however, hasn't closed yet.

I remember the dream. I would go to hell for her... For that? I turn to walk away. Easier to just forget everything happened... When I walk straight into myself. Literally.

I stand in front of a perfect copy of myself, clothes and all... Except, this one has wings, just like Lindsey's... But as white as hers were, mine are just as black. My other self picks me up, laughing, and as I struggle, screaming obscenities and thrashing to break free, he drops into the portal.

We fall, and I watch from below as the door back to my home, to everything I know, blinks out. I'm stuck in hell.