Page 35 of Death Trap

Leaning in, I cleared my throat, and the sound reverberated all around the room in a strange, distorted way. As if I were talking through a bad radio connection or something.

Glancing back at Eli, I said the one word we both wanted to hear more than anything else: “Exit?”

We waited.

And waited.

Nothing happened.

“Uh, elevator?” I tried this time, hoping for a better response, but like before, nothing happened. The shadows didn’t so much as stir.

“How about…Styx Corp?”

Nope. Nothing.

“It’s not working,” Eli said.

No. Really?

“Do you want to give it a try?” I gestured for him to step up to the microphone.

He paused for a second, but then took my place and leaned forward. He repeated me.Exit. Elevator. Styx Corp.But unfortunately, this wasn’t like the elevator thing where only an angel could operate it. Nothing different happened. We were still surrounded by darkness.

“Maybe it only accepts places in Hell,” Eli suggested. “You said you had a good reason for tricking me into bringing us here. Why was that?”

“Uh…” I did have a good reason for it. I did. “That’s right.”

“And?”

“Well, actually, I had two reasons,” I began. “One was that I think a friend of mine’s wife was sent here by mistake…”

“You think?”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’m pretty sure.” I changed my tone. “She isn’t showing up in my soul database, and the only people I can’t access are in Hell.”

Eli ran a hand over his face. “We’re here on a hunch, you’re telling me.”

“On a strong, ninety-two percent certain hunch,” I said firmly. “In most schools, that’s still considered an A.”

He sighed heavily. “Jade, the soul assessment and assignment divisionsdon’tever make mistakes. The person’s soul is judged and put in its rightful place. It’s been like that since the beginning of time.”

“Who judges the soul?” I asked. “Maybe they’ve been corrupted in a way.”

He shook his head. “Impossible. Souls don’t judge other souls because of that reason. And biases, etc.”

“So it’s magic, then?”

“Yes and no. It’s pure, untouched, and divine energy that was designed for the sole purpose of taking the souls reapers cross over, reviewing their lives on earth, and choosing their final afterlife destination.”

So…magic, basically. That was always the easy answer. Well, at least I sort of knew what happened after my part was done now. I could stop envisioning a job interview-like atmosphere with the three Greek fates as the people in charge of everything. Or an auditorium filled with souls, much like a college orientation might go.

I had a very vivid imagination, didn’t I?

As for some otherworldly energies never messing up? I wasn’t buying it.

“But what if theydidmess up? What if someone came in and tampered with things, screwing the way things were run? Even if just temporarily. Then what?”

“Impossible,” Eli said. “This soul you’re thinking of must have done something in her life to warrant her a place in Hell. That’s the only explanation.”

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