Road to Hell Read Online Free

nauseating when an overweight woman emerged from the small restroom. The odor of human waste almost made me gag before she closed the door. I now realized why the last few seats were empty.
    There wasn’t enough room in the aisle for both of us, so she stood there impatiently as she waited for me to choose a seat and to get out of her way. Picking the seat on the right, I sat down and scooted over to the window.
    “Finally,” she muttered. She stomped down the aisle to where she’d left her purse, trailing a noisome odor behind her. With a final glare in my direction, she plopped down on her seat hard enough to momentarily propel her husband into the air.
    Even with the horrid smell lingering around me, I was glad to be off my feet again. With my backpack clutched tightly on my lap, I stared out at the view. The bus lurched into motion and we slowly and ponderously left the small town behind.
    Exhausted and heartsick from losing everyone and everything that I’d cared about, I eventually leaned against the window and fell into a restless doze. I had the vague sensation of stopping a few more times. Then my sleep became so deep that all sound and sensation faded. I was drawn into a dream that was so vivid it almost felt real.
    Opening my eyes, I saw that I was standing on a grassy field in the middle of nowhere. The grass was long enough to brush my fingertips. Turning in a circle, I saw a hill and headed towards it. When I reached the top, I found myself standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking an unknown ocean. Waves crashed on the rocks far below. I felt dizzy and on the verge of falling when I stared down at them.
    “I will not let you fall, child,” a voice said. I started hard enough that I almost lost my balance. I’d been alone a moment ago, but now a woman stood beside me. Her voice was strangely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Dressed in a hooded black cloak, she was the same height and build as me. The hood was drawn forward so her face was hidden in shadow. Her long black hair stirred even though there was no breeze. A strand reached out towards me and I instinctively drew away from it.
    “Who are you?” I asked. “Where am I?”
    “We are in your dream,” she replied. Her voice was hollow, as if it was coming from the far end of a long tunnel. “As for who I am, you may call me Fate.”
    “Fantastic,” I muttered to myself. “Now I’m dreaming about Fate.” I shook my head, wondering at the exact point that I’d lost my sanity.
    “Your mind is intact, Violet,” Fate said.
    She was in my dream, so it didn’t really surprise me that she knew my name and could apparently read my thoughts. “I sincerely doubt that. As far as I know, it isn’t normal to see people turn into monsters that apparently can’t die.”
    “You are not normal,” she informed me, which did nothing to ease my mind. I sensed her studying me from beneath her hood. “You are different from everyone else in your world, which is why I have chosen you to be my champion.”
    “Uh huh,” I said, humoring her. “What makes me so special and why do you need me to be your champion?” Now I knew why she sounded familiar. It was the same voice that had spoken to me just before Bob had pulled up to give me a ride. She was the owner of the mystery voice who had told me I was going to save the world.
    She turned away, giving me the impression that she was avoiding the question. She gestured towards the cliff with a cloaked hand and I saw a door hanging in midair. I was pretty sure it hadn’t been there a moment ago. “You have already faced trials that would have broken lesser souls,” she said gravely, “but I am afraid that this is just the beginning. You will be tested and you will be sorely tempted to give up on the quest that I have given you. You are the youngest warrior that I have ever chosen, but I believe you have the strength and courage to save your world from the coming disaster.”
    My expression