Chapter 72

Jeremy’s POV

I watched is go by these mountains and I was nervous because I didn’t know how to protect us against these creatures. I just had to trust Chads words that they were only going to attack with his command. These caves were ginormous. He was right some were slightly smaller but that’s it. They were mainly huge.

I looked around after we passed through the mountains and came upon a weird island to our right. It had skulls and crossbones as a gate as well as a huge fence that spread out to the left and right of the gate that was locked with bones. There were torches that lit up a path that led to it. Emerald shivered beside me and she seemed terrified. I wrapped my arms around her as she asked, “Dad what is that island?”

“It is the island of the damned for humans.” He said.

“I don’t see any though.” She said.

I stared and didn’t see any either.

“The island is bigger than what it seems. That is the outside gate. There is an inner gate further in. I like to have extra security. The outside gate is made of real human skulls and bones. The inner gate is not. The inner gate is nothing but black iron with barbed wire and multiple traps to mane

Sure that nobody could escape it.” He explained.

“Oh. What do they do all day?” She asked.

“Nothing. There is literally nothing for them to do. It is not like a vacation where you can read, write, watch tv and all that stuff. No this is hell to them so literally they nothing but sit in their cell and wish there was something to do.” He explained.

“Oh.” We said.

“They need to think about what they did and now they have all the opportunity to do so.” He said.

“That’s crazy.” I said.

“It is but it is well deserved.” He said.

“Who guards them or is there a guard?” Asked Jeremy.

“Not only do the creatures guard the island but the skulls and crossbones I keep sometimes as humans and they help guard them.” He explained.

Her mom hasn’t really said anything so I cant tell if she was scared and that’s why she didn’t ask anything or if she was curious.

We kept going through the water and found another island to the left. This island looked slightly smaller. It was still imposing with tall black

wrought iron gates and skulls and cross bones just like the other island with torches that lit up the surrounding edges too.

“Daddy what’s this island?” Asked Emerald.

“This island is the island where the bad gods go. They each have their own cell specifically made for them so they can’t get out. There is not door and no way for them to get out. Also that one is way underground. Mainly for the fact that gods are gods and need even more safety precautions than the humans.” Chad explained.

“Oh so it’s probably even darker there since it’s underground?” Asked Emerald.

“Darker, hotter, and hidden away from the world. Basically they are completely isolated. It it to drive them absolutely insane.” He explained.

“That’s creepy and crazy.” I said.

“Creepy, crazy but there punishments are well deserved. Believe me do not feel bad for any of them.” He said.

“Wow I just can’t believe I don’t remember this place at all. But maybe because it is so dark. Maybe the darkness threw me off and made my mind not want to remember this part.” She said.

I rubbed her shoulders in comfort. “Im sure your memories will come back. It will just depend. Right now it is still brand new and you are

still taking everything in.”

“True.” She said with a sigh.

She rubbed her arms almost like she was comforting herself.

Then we saw in the darkness some randomly placed torches in the tar water. But they were next to bodies that looked like frozen in time. Some

had the skin attached to the faces and arms and still looked kind of normal, some had their skin burned and blackened completely melted where only the whites of their eyes were showing. Some had their skin hanging off their bodies randomly everywhere. But none of these bodies were alive from what I could tell. They all looked dead. There wasn’t that many to begin with. But some were still in states of dress where they had some item of clothing still on. “What are these people?”

“So these are people that have tried to escape and I have decided they needed a far severe punishment

than the rest. So I had them stay in the water for all eternity. I made this my own personal punishment. They are dead but a few are alive but they are being tortured forever. They are alive to where they can still feel the pain but they cannot talk or blink or anything. They can only feel pain.” He explained.

“Oh wow. So some of these people are still alive to feel the pain? That sucks.” Said emerald.

“It does but it is for everybody else’s own good.” He said. “Please do not feel sorry for them. They have no right to deserve it for the tragedy they have caused in the human realm. I am doing this to protect the humans so think of it from that angle.”

“Sorry dad. I know you have good reasons and intentions for putting them here.” She said.

“Right.” He said.

Her mom still hasn’t said anything. But finally she said, “Wow I just am shocked. It looks like something right out of a horror movie.”

“I needed to make it look like this. I have no other choice but to do it this way. I cannot stand humans and gods alike hurting each other. It bothers me

to no end.” He said.

“I understand.” She said. “I think I am still in shock and it will take me a little bit to get over.”

We glided through the tar water until we finally reached an island. It was still dark around the outside. The gate wasn’t like the other ones. It had just a black wrought iron gate with lions heads statues on the gate itself and the top of the gate. There were gargoyles around the gate and fencing. There was barbed wire on top. I mean it still looked imposing but surprisingly it looked nicer than the rest of them. Which sounded totally weird to me. The pathway was still lit up with torches and that included the dock. He parked the boat there and it looked more like a pirate ship. He helped Topaz off while I helped Emerald off the boat. I definitely didn’t want her touching the tar water for anything.

I helped her onto the dock and we walked after her dad. He made sure to walk slowly enough for us to keep up with him. The minute he stuck his hand out and unlocked the front gate, it opened up to revel a totally different scene than what we have been seeing. This was the complete opposite. You looked behind us and it was dark creepy and scary. You looked in front of us and it was a totally different scene.