We approached the exit and he opened the door for me; there was only more fog to be seen on the other side. We stepped carefully through, and the door closed behind us. The light of Hope spread out into the room but didn’t help us determine what waited for us here; the only clue was a dripping sound that was, dishearteningly, very unlike the sound of water.

“What now?” I asked.

“This way,” he answered. “This room is very large, it’ll be a long walk.”

We walked and walked with no change in scenery. I was relieved he somehow knew the way because I couldn’t tell east from west. Suddenly, I became aware of something new.

“What’s that smell?” I asked.

He stopped and sniffed the air with a look of disgust. “I’m not sure, but it stinks in a different way than this fog.”

“It smells like sweat and filth,” I remarked.

His face curled up at the thought. “Let’s keep going,” he said.

We continued to walk and the smell became more and more disagreeable; the ground also was now was soaked in an unknown fluid that neither of us wanted to try to identify. When the smell seemed to reach its zenith, we found the source; before us lay a mountain of skin and flesh. We didn’t speak for fear that opening our mouths would cause us to vomit. I held up Hope and the mountain glistened in the light from some oily coating. I could see it pulsing and rippling with a familiar rhythm; it had a heartbeat. I nearly dropped Hope as I turned quickly away and cupped my hand over my mouth, gagging.

He rubbed his hand on my back and risked speaking, “We’ll have to go around.”

“Who’s there!?” a voice boomed. The mass of flesh twisted and moved, revealing a gruesome face hidden within the folds. A hand came around and lifted up a fatty flap of skin under which the monster’s beady eyes peeked out. It squinted at me. “Master?”

My brow furrowed in anger at the designation.

“It is you!” It laughed aloud, filling the room with its voice and causing the folds of its skin to churn and slap together. “It’s good to see you again.”

“I can’t say the same,” I said.

The creature recoiled a bit as if it felt hurt. “Why would you say that? We had so many good years together.”

“We did not,” I argued. “I spent those years weighed down by you.”

“You don’t mean that,” it said with a sad look on its face. “After all, now you’ve returned to me.”

“I haven’t returned!” I shouted, holding down the bile in my throat. “I regret ever being tied to you.”

“But I shared so much with you; my flesh, my comfort,” it said. “You wanted me to.”

“I know. And that was a mistake.” I breathed in deeply, taking the fetid air all at once into my lungs only to release it in a mighty shout, “A mistake I won’t make again!”

“You ungrateful wretch!” the monster shouted. Its arm flew toward me in a rage, dropping the flap of skin that covered its eyes. I jumped backwards and, in its sudden blindness, its greasy fingers and ragged nails missed but oil and sweat from its body splattered over me. I gagged, holding in my nausea, and noticed the substance quickly congeal, weighing me down. I dropped to my knees and struggled to stand again.

“You need to run!” he shouted.

As the monster fumbled to uncover its eyes again, I summoned my strength and, using Hope for support, I stood up and took a step.

“Good! Keep going!” he shouted.

Spurred on I took another step, and another, picking up my pace. Behind me the monster ran its hand between its fatty folds and hurled a fistful of scum in my direction. I dodged right and avoided the projectile, running on. I ran a long way but my legs were burning with pain, constricted by the congealed scum.

“Just a little more!” he urged, but the doorway was nowhere in sight. “I know it hurts but you have to keep going!”

I looked back and saw the creature clawing the floor and dragging itself after me. I pushed myself onward and soon my burden felt lighter, the thick gunk had begun to melt away due to the heat from my body. I smiled and picked up speed, easily outpacing the monstrous blob.

“Quick! This way!” he shouted.

I turned, following him, and the light of Hope illuminated a massive doorway in which a gargantuan door stood open. “What do we do now?” I asked. “That thing can easily follow us through.”

“We’ll have to close it from the other side,” he said.

We ran around and leaned against the huge gate, pressing hard against it.

“It won’t move!” I shouted, hearing the sounds of the approaching monster.

“You can do it,” he said. “Just don’t lose Hope.”

Don’t lose Hope. The phrase repeated in my mind. I looked down at the orb and I saw its soft glow, I felt its soothing warmth through my hands, and it pulled at my consciousness. For just a moment, I caught a glimpse of what lied inside the orb. Snapping back to the door I felt empowered and doubled my efforts against it; It began to move.

“Yes! Keep going!” he cheered.

The monster approached, shouting in anger, “Get back here!”

I pushed with everything I had and the door swung closed, the latch falling into place. Silence. We collapsed onto the floor, breathing deeply and laughing in relief.