Chapter Eleven

Eddie walked towards the Nacropolis. He was determined to cross the bridge this time, demons or no demons. He approached the gatehouse. He could not see any demons present, but still walked at a wary pace towards it occasionally looking behind, as if expecting the worst. He looked down at the water, and saw a sudden flash of silver across the water. He ran, and as he ran, he heard the beat of running footsteps behind him. His lungs began to feel as though they were going to burst. He had to make it to the gatehouse, and then onto the bridge. He was unsure if making it onto the bridge would make him safe, but he knew if he could make it to the Nacropolis, then he would be Okay. 'You are doing good Eddie,' the voice said. 'Keep running, I will try to slow them down. Don't look behind.' Eddie was suddenly curious. Maybe if he looked around he would see whoever the voice belonged to. It was going to help him. He also knew if he looked behind him, it would slow him down. When you sprint, keep looking forward, he told himself. Look forward and run as fast as you can. He was approaching the gatehouse. He could tell the beats of the chasers were getting closer. They were closing in on him. Just as he got to the gatehouse, the first demon appeared before him. 'Aha!' it screamed at him. It was too late, Eddie leapt over the demons left leg and into the gatehouse. He did not dare to stop and look to see if he was being followed. He just kept running. He was on the bridge. He could not ever remember crossing the bridge. He must of crossed it at one stage, after all, he had been in the Nacropolis. He remembers being there. He remembers seeing the sleeping. 'Well done, Eddie,' the voice said. 'Can I stop running?' 'Not just yet. A little further and you will be safe.' Eddie could not hear the chasers now. He had left them behind. Maybe the first demon had blocked their path, and unwittingly allowed their prey to escape. Eddie smiled to himself and slowed his running down a little. 'Don't slow down,' said the voice. 'A little further to go.' Eddie accelerated again and was at the end of the bridge. A wooden drawbridge was down and he ran across it. It was a long fall into the river below if anyone was to swerve left or right. He was over the drawbridge and under the portcullis and into the drawbridges gatehouse. He stopped and turned to look, panting. A smiled made its way across his face, a broad smile that showed that he knew he had won this round. The demons were part the way across the bridge. Suddenly the drawbridge started to raise. Eddie could not see anyone operating the winches. They just moved on their own. He looked at them curiously. 'Don't worry about them,' said the voice. 'They always raise on their own when there is no one left to enter.' Eddie was curious about that statement. No one left to enter. What did it mean? Was he the last? Or was there just no one left to come to the Nacropolis for a while. Surely someone else was coming soon. Surely the sleeping came and went all the time. Somewhere in the Nacropolis was the soul of Urbano, the truck driver. Eddie went in search of it. He had seen Urbano's soul there before. Was he still asleep? 'He's no longer here Eddie,' said the voice. 'How do you know I was looking for him?' 'I know. I always know.' 'Who are you?' Eddie asked again. There was silence. Who was it? Who was this voice that kept helping me? He thought about the question but could not answer it. Was it God? Was it an angel? Who was it? He wandered amongst the sleeping souls. Each soul kept in a little alcove, with a small bed. It was like a catacomb. Not that Eddie had ever seen a catacomb before. 'Where is my soul?' asked Eddie. 'What do you mean?' asked the voice in reply. 'The demons, they said they were after my soul. A part of my soul they couldn't find.' The voice did not respond. Eddie continued walking. The Narcopolis was a very boring place. Nothing seemed to happen here. Just a lot of sleeping souls, and not one of them awake. 'Am I the only one here?' asked Eddie. 'No, I am here,' replied the voice. 'Who are you?' Silence again. The voice never answered that question. Maybe the voice did not know who it was either. 'Are you the guardian of the Nacropolis?' Eddie asked. 'Maybe,' replied the voice. Eddie walked on. He didn't know what to do. Towers of little alcoves surrounded him, reaching up to the sky. Lots of souls were sleeping, dreaming away. 'Why am I not asleep?' Eddie asked. 'Your soul is asleep.' 'Where is it? Can I see my soul?' Silence. Why didn't the voice respond? Maybe a person could see everyone else's soul, but not their own. Maybe the voice was the wrong person to ask. 'Is there someone else here I can talk to?' 'No,' replied the voice. 'Everyone else is asleep. You and I are the only ones awake.' 'Who shut the draw bridge then?' 'They did.' 'Who are they?' No response. The voice knew a little, but never enough to answer his questions. Even the voices answers raised more questions. Some of the answers Eddie knew himself anyway. He knew what the Nacropolis was, and he knew it was where the soul came to sleep. He knew this, and yet somehow, the voice only seemed to reflect the things he knew, or the things he suspected were true. The voice never seemed to know any more than he did. Who was it? Eddie came upon a large Piazza with a large fountain in the middle. The water from the fountain came tumbling down from the mouth of large urn being held by a large statue. The water tumbled a glowing blue. It hit parts of the statue as it fell, spraying mist throughout the Nacropolis. The rest ran or splashed into a reservoir at the foot of the statue. 'What is that?' Eddie asked, and he already suspected he knew the answer. 'It is the fountain of dreams,' confirmed the voice. 'It is where dreams are made. The mist permeates the Nacropolis giving dreams to the sleeping soul. It makes the souls whole again.' 'Why do I know that?' 'Everyone knows that. Everyone who has ever slept knows of the Nacropolis.' 'Why did the demons take Slim?' Eddie honestly did not know, and the voice never replied. The voice only knew as much as Eddie knew. 'Are you the missing part of my soul?' Eddie asked the voice. 'I don't know Eddie. I don't know what I am.'