"Hello again. I thought I might see you back here," the voice was friendly though the demon's face was without expression as he peered down at me.

"Spike?" my brow furrowed looking at him while I tried to push myself to my feet, only to fall on my ass again, pulled down by a massive weight on my back.

"Don't worry, Mark," he cocked his head to the side, "You'll get used to those."

"Used to what?" I wondered, twisting my head to look behind me.

Protruding from beside my shoulder blades and lining my spine, were two large black masses attached to me...wings. Woah. My mind instantly connected to them, commanding them to move. When the masses extended, I found out that there weren't just two, there were several, perhaps ten making up each side. All were relatively thin, leathery, but there were so many close enough together that they didn't feel or look frail at all. In fact, they made me feel powerful. So I was a demon now?

I put my attention back on Spike, "How did I get these?"

"Well, I assume you died," the demon stated plainly.

My brain shot back to fighting Krueger, getting stabbed, Devin crying as he tried to save me... I attempted to stand once more, this time making note of my new appendages to properly compensate for them. I wobbled catching my balance, but I was finally on my feet. "Yeah, ok," eyes forward on my old friend, "Is it normal to die and become a demon? I didn't make a deal with anyone or anything like Freddy did."

"I wouldn't say it's normal," Spike mused, "It's certainly not unheard of. Don't you humans think you become angels when you die?"

I thought about what he had to say for a moment while also taking a few awkward steps. I guess a lot of people did think that. Or at least, they thought when they died, they went to Heaven where angels were. "Humans aren't exactly walking encyclopedias on what happens after you die...as much as some liked to think they are."

"Fair enough," the demon answered as he watched me get my bearings. "It's different for everyone, but more or less, the spirit takes on a new life after its body dies. Generally with creatures of your world, though, they are simply reborn as what they were last time...or at least another thing from your world."

"You mean like a human could die and come back as a goat?" I asked, attention on my feet as I kept walking, gaining stability with every step.

"Yes," Spike confirmed.

"I think that's called reincarnation," I mused, finally feeling comfortable enough to look back up, "So what now? What do I do?"

"Whatever you want, I guess," although my companion didn't move at all, I pictured him shrugging in his mind.

"I meant, aren't there rules to follow? Laws or Satan or some shit?" my brow was scrunched again.

"Just the law of the land," he shrugged without shrugging again.

"What does that mean?" the conversation was starting to agitate me.

"Take care of yourself, expect others to take care of themselves. Pick your battles," Spike was almost less than helpful...almost because I think I was able to catch on to what he was saying.

"Hell is an anarchist society, then? Everyone fends for themselves?" was my conclusion.

The strange skeleton nodded.

"And that works?" I questioned.

"It does here. I won't say there are never any groups that try to conquer, but it's generally resolved. Nobody here wants to be ruled so when that does happen, the rest of us band together to eradicate the threat," he informed.

"I see..." I started to walk again, Spike joining at my side, "So-"

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

I would have spun around to the familiar rasp if a hand and claw hadn't reached over my shoulders, grabbing and turning me themselves. The burnt man in his raggedy and filthy clothes glared at me, raising his claw to strike my face. Instinctively, I lifted my own hand, drawing my sword out of the air, the blade somehow heavier than I remembered. I was barely able to block the attack before my weapon fell heavily downward though I still grasped its handle. At the same time, my wings extended, pushing the dream demon back away from me.

"You think you're clever, don't you?!" Freddy yelled, enraged.

I glanced over at Spike who once again took a neutral position, simply observing the fight. "It's good to see you back where you belong," I said to my murderer, struggling to, but succeeding in lifting my sword once more though the flame wasn't there.

"You wait! You won't last a month in here!" Freddy growled. "I killed you once and I'll kill you again!"

My response was to say he was only able to kill me in the first place because I had allowed him to. However, he vanished from sight before I could even open my mouth. My vision immediately settled on my weapon as I let it drop and disappear back from where it had come.

"I guess he's mad that you brought him back here," Spike cocked his head, drawing my attention to him.

"I didn't-" suddenly I remembered that it had been Devin who killed Krueger.

Devin.

Stepping determinedly toward my companion, I reached out and grabbed his pointed shoulders, "I need to get to Earth! How do I go back?"

Spike, calm as ever, slowly lifted the bony wings that served as his arms and gently nudged me off of him, waiting for me to relent before speaking, "You're stuck here now. Why do you think those ghost friends of yours used you to get here?"

Taking a pace backward and removing myself from him, I could feel a tear growing in my eye, "But...there has to be another way! I have to check on Devin! I have to know that he's ok..."

"Devin?" he asked with a head tilt.

"My...my..." I choked on finding the right word to describe him.

"Was he your mate?" the demon guessed.

I hesitated...then gave a nod. My mate? My boyfriend...my love...

"I'm sorry," Spike offered even though the sentiment sounded somewhat flat, "The best you can hope for is for him to find a way to reach you. Do you think it's likely he'll die soon?"

"What? No!" I growled, not appreciating the idea of Devin dying.

"Oh," the demon seemed taken aback. I assumed he didn't like the aggression aimed upon him. "I only meant to help," he assured.

I shook my head. It was morbid, though I guess the culture of this realm was very different from that of humans. "No, he's healthy, but," an idea come to mind them, "But what if I die? then can I go back to Earth?"

Spike paused, considering the inquiry, "It's possible, but not probable. Just like being of that realm makes it exceedingly likely you will be born of that realm again, when you're born in this one, you're also most likely to rebirth here. And if you did happen to both return to that Earth and be a human when you did, bodies of physical realms such as that are different from realms like ours...not only would you begin all over as an infant, but you wouldn't have the memories of your past lives."

I sighed in defeat. I felt like crying yet was somehow incapable of letting the emotion come. Instead, I just kept walking, trying to convince myself that Devin was alright. Freddy was dead. That meant that he had made it out and succeeded in killing him. Devin was smart and he knew about the ghosts and how I had been able to astral travel to reach Krueger. Maybe he was trying to figure out how to find me...or perhaps he was just moving on with his life. We hadn't known each other long anyway, even with as much as had happened during that time. Either way, I just hoped he was happy.

I found living in Hell very strange. As opposed to when my spirit had journeyed here by itself, actually being completely in the realm made things seem more...real...less ethereal. Even so, the caves, the trees and rivers, the very ground...everything could be influenced by the creatures walking about. For example, I could stroll up to a boulder and if I willed it well enough, I could wave the a hand through the stone as if it wasn't actually there...even motion my arm through it and change its entire position if I was enough mind. Just as before, though, the colors of the realm were dim...as if washed out through a filter on a photo editor.

I learned there were various different types of demons. There were many, like Krueger, who fed in one way or the other from humans. Most of the others, however, did not actually kill, but rather caused havoc in the lives of their prey and feasted on the chaotic energy or fear. I questioned Spike as to how these creatures were able to attain victims and his answer was the same as when we first talked: that it required a human connecting to the demon in order for them to travel to the physical plane.

I didn't understand, at first, why they would care to leave Hell where they didn't need to feed to survive. Then, my companion pointed the reason out by asking me why I wanted to return. Apparently the ones that longed for the realm of humans were missing something...something the demon world couldn't offer them. For some, it was the simple pleasures of that physical life, fear, pain, sex...even the fucking weather. Others, like me, were infatuated with a particular being and wanted to be around them, though not all for the same reasons. And lastly, there were those who didn't want to go to Earth yet were drawn from Hell by selfish humans- usually those dying or close to death.

All in all, it wasn't an unpleasant place to be. There was far less fighting than I anticipated and most of the creatures stuck to themselves or in small groups. Another thing I learned was that the demons who looked humanoid were stronger and more advanced than those that appeared animalistic. After that, I deduced that Spike was somewhere in a middle ground while I was on a higher tier which was odd considering he said he had lived in his current form for centuries.

But the days started to drag on, each seemingly taking longer to pass than the one prior. Initially, I was able to distract myself by gathering all the information I could about my new home...but gradually, my thoughts returned to Devin. I had lost track of time at that point and became obsessed with the man. Every waking thought was about him...wondering where he was...what he was doing...who he was doing. I found myself in a constant state of possessive rage, taking my anger out on any creature that happened to get close to me.

Soon, I found that word of me had spread and when I journeyed to a place where others were, they quickly dispersed. Few would actually stick anywhere near me with Spike being the only exception...and he was also the only one who didn't inspire my fury. I began to understand that he saw me as a sort of master, as was the demon culture. Weaker beings would follow after any stronger being that took a liking to them, with their loyalty always sticking to the most powerful of these.

One night, drenched in my anger and the strange demonic rain that instead of making you wet, soaked through your core and pricked at the energy inside, I saw an unusual white light in the distance. It wasn't typical for us to venture out into the storm as it was draining, sometimes painful, but upon seeing the beam, I jumped from my perch atop a massive stone pile and made my way for it.

I flew until I was several paces away, then dropped to the ground and put careful steps forward. I hadn't yet seen anything like it. My hand slowly reached out, feeling the light. It didn't hurt. I actually felt nothing. Retreating my hand, however, I saw that it had faded out...gradually coming back once removed from the white energy. What the fuck was this? I stood there and stared, not understanding and not knowing how to react. Yet as I gazed, it was like the beam extended...reaching for me.

It was no doubt the dangerous thing to do, but I couldn't help letting the light consume me...stepping forward until I was within it and saw nothing of the world around me. Looking down to my body, I watched without concern as I faded into nothingness... Suddenly, the light disappeared and I was enveloped in darkness...but then different colors of energy lit in random spots around me in the shape of small lightning bolts. They started as red and eventually were every color in existence...some I had never even before witnessed.

When the fantastic show ended, my body returned though it felt weary...as if I had just been through a difficult battle or a taxing trip. Slowly, everything around me was back as well. I could see the world again...but it wasn't the world I had been in. No. Instead, my eyes fell on a familiar sight...a place I hadn't been in what seemed like years...an old friend standing in the midst of my view...

"Mark?" the dark skinned man addressed me, shock overwhelming him.