Apparitions Part 1

                   Apparitions

         It followed him everywhere, this feeling of fear and uncertainty. Walter Overland was overcome with these feelings, and the other ones of apprehension that followed him every day, everywhere he went. No matter what he said or did, they never left him alone. He wasn’t sure where they came from, or what they wanted with him. Nothing came from his daily life, from these fears and concerns that he could not control.

         Every time he turned, he was subconsciously aware of them lurking behind him, invading his very realm of thoughts and emotions. They stole these, along with everything else that mattered, from him and then taunted him that they had what he no longer did. They made him stoic and silent, void of any emotions.  He just hoped that one day; he might be able to leave this terribly oppressive place.

         Nothing he thought was private; they snuck into his very body, taking over his mind, his heart, everything that mattered. They dug their claws deep into his very soul. The reason they chose him was unknown to Walter; he was sure of only one thing: that they would stop at nothing to make him and his life miserable. This was the only thing that made them get up in the morning; the only thing that kept them donning their coats of destruction, and their hats of hatred. They were a lot like cockroaches; they existed only to make others’ lives a living Hell.

         There were two of these vicious beings. The more dominant of the two was the Tyrant of the Immortal, also known as Fear. He was truly larger than life, driven by a desperate need for power, and had a heart filled only with greed and demolition. He was the totalitarian of Hell, and ruled the Underworld with an iron fist of depression and loneliness.  Like a great tycoon, he swept away all the joy and happiness that was there in this world.

         The underdog to Fear was Uncertainty. This being was  like the cherry on top of a hellish sundae,  If fear pushed him to the very end, it was Uncertainty that pushed him off the cliff. Together, they were the perfect combination of vicious beings to put him, and anyone else like him, through their own personal variation of Hell.

         There is something that you must know about Hell. It is not a religious thing. Many a  unreligious folk have stumbled upon it and have allowed themselves to be dragged down by it. It is also very different for each person. One person’s hell could be another person’s heaven. There are so many evil beings that see it as their duty to customize hell so that you’re journey through the Underworld will be as uncomfortable as possible. And they had one all set up for Walter.

         He has come to expect their arrival. He no longer fights when they drag him down with them, and whisper “ You’re one of us now!” into his ear. They drag his  down to the place that is sure to make him the most uncomfortable and depressed. He knows what they will do to him, They will suck out what little joy he has left in his soul and replace it with pure hate and misery. They will take away the little thread of uniqueness and personality that he has left. They’ll suck out his memory, his emotions and make him as stoic and evil as they are. How will he ever escape?