There are so many customs associated with the slipping of human life to the unknown otherworld's that await us, some believe that the passing should be a celebration of remembrance, others a mourning of those who will no longer share our walk of the mortal coil. Customs litter the passing of life, such as paying the ferryman or how long a body must remain exhumed before being given into the earth's embrace, methods of preparation and even the trappings of burial from mighty pyramids to humble wooden boxes. And for each method of mourning there are as many beliefs in what lays beyond the veil waiting for us, when some pass they go on to the bliss or blasted landscape they deserve, others to have their spirits rekindled into different bodies to live life anew and accumulate more experience for their immortal soul. Whatever the case it's very rare that death is actually the end for a spirit, whether or not they linger is another thing entirely. For Amanda death was far from the end of her Journey though it did make things much more lively, not that she remembered what her life contained as we meet her at the start of our tale.
Amanda's lithe young body lay in the dark dust that seemed stretched on to the edges of the horizon, her blue eyes were closed and her face was peaceful as if asleep. Scraggly trees dotted the wasteland like clawing hands desperately reaching for a sun hidden in the perpetual gloom of the clouded sky and a melancholy wind stirred their bare branches, kicking whirls of grey dust across her pale skin and silken blonde hair splayed out like a halo beneath her head. She was dressed in tight fitting black and red biker leathers replete with thick soled boots and reinforced gloves, of a helmet there was no sign, her body curled up on its side in a foetal position. Through the dark sky came something black and winged, its feathery wings beating the swirling air as its beady eyes glittered on the possible carrion laying in the fields of death, it alighted on the dark swirling dust a few feet from Amanda's prone body and let out a hungry caw.
Something pierced the darkness that held her mind in thrall, it slowly receded leaving nothing but the persistent feeling that something was very wrong . . . where was she? The ground felt hard packed beneath her body, had she come of her bike? Her head throbbed and then it came again the sound that had dragged her from the black, a mocking "CAWW! CAWW!" accompanied by the ruffling of feathers as something moved closer, she peeled her dusty eyes open and coughed to clear her lungs as she looked around, it looked like some kind of nightmare dreamscape, where on earth was she? Her mind reeled as the grey desolation stretched on and on away from her in all directions, and for a moment as she wrestled with memories that would not come, horror and confusion, she blacked out again.
This time when she awoke it was to a pressure on her abdomen, she let out a moan and looked down to see a large black Corvid of some description perched on her stomach, its sharp break picking at the tough leather across her small B cup breasts, causing a reasonable amount of damage for so small a creature, with an angry snarl Amanda batted it away sending it winging into the air with those mocking "CAWW" calls that had woken her the first time . . . where on earth was she. Why couldn't she remember how she came to be in such a hellish place? The thoughts reeled through her mind as the Raven. . at least she thought it looked like a raven, circled overhead, still repeating its mocking cry. How was she going to get out of this desert? Which way was out? She gritted her teeth in frustration and picked a direction, any action was better than standing here in bewilderment and she always felt better on the move. The dry grey dust crunched underfoot as her booted feet carried her forwards, long blonde hair hanging down her back as she moved and overhead that blasted bird mocking her as she was forced to walk while it glided and waited.
Amanda lost track of how long she had been walking for, the only sounds her laboured breathing interweaved with the cries of her aerial tormenter as it lazily circled above her, still nothing could be seen on the horizon and there was no sign of a sun through the dark clouds. She had unbuttoned her black jacket to let it hang open, wearing a simple white tank top beneath which did little to hide the twin swells of her B cup breasts rising and falling as she sucked air into her lungs, gloves tucked into the back of her tight leather trousers smacked against her firm ass with each step. It seemed like hours and she was parched, the dusty air making the feeling worse, grit grinding beneath her boot steps and flavouring her mouth. Eventually she collapsed to her hands and knees her breathing coming in gasps as she despaired at ever escaping this place pleading with whatever gods were listening she begged "Please . . . please get me out of here. . . I just want to get home. . . "She started sobbing not even able to clearly remember what home was.
It was then that there was a thump before her and once again that mocking caw, she looked up her blue eyes filled with fury thinking she had found something to vent her frustration on but those same anger filled eyes quickly flickered and were replaced with fear as she continued to look up, pushing away from the ground and backpedalling as fast as she could. The Raven was huge now, it would have towered over her even if she was standing, its beak as long as her arm easily and beady black eyes regarding her far too intensely. A strange blue corona shimmering on its dark feathers as it moved, massive taloned feet bringing the monstrosity closer to her prone body. She could barely move now for fear of this massive beast that couldn't possibly exist in the world she vaguely remembered still, it was an abomination; surely this was all a Nightmare. The voice rang in her mind without the bird's beak moving at all, speaking to her and neatly cracking the precious sanity she had remaining
"What would you do to get Home Amanda?" she looked around desperately calling out "Please Help!" the strange hollow voice from the air repeated its question as the raven stamped its feet impatiently raising swirls of dust into the choking air.
Her tongue was thick in her mouth as she stopped to consider the question wanting more information and seeing that while talking the Raven seemed to be keeping its distance, if the words were even coming from the beast. "What would you ask of me in exchange for passage home?" she called to the air, feeling only a vaguely remembered sense that hearing voices was one thing. . but replying to them carried completely different connotations. . . overtones of madness, padded cells flashed in her mind, grinning orderly's with rough hands, they flickered and faded as the voice invaded her mind again, bringing her back to her twisted present leaving an unpleasant taste of things forgotten.
"I sense there is much you don't know about where you are or the manner of how you came to be here" the voice spoke with mild reproach "Do you even know where your home is? What waits there for you? "It asked rhetorically continuing before she had a chance to answer, though the thoughts such questions provoked made her heart pound "you should come to see me in person, though I doubt the journey will be easy for you. I can answer your questions and help you back . . . if you decide that's what you want. But be warned Amanda everything has a price here."
She swallowed down the fear in her throat not sure she wanted to really know but asking anyway "where . . . where is here?" the ravens mocking peal of laughter broke the momentary silence as the voice spoke again "This is the world between, limbo I think it's called in your culture though there are many names for it, and its inhabited with many denizens that are somewhat less friendly than I. You're trapped between life and death Amanda, and only here will the fate of your life be decided."
It was a lot to take in all at once and her mind understandably whirled at the prospect that what he said was true, she didn't want to believe it but something about his words struck a chord inside her. They sounded true . . . crazy but true. Why didn't it matter to her that it sounded crazy? She pushed the question aside in lieu of more important concerns. "how do I get to you?, this desert goes on forever and I have no supplies" trying to keep the despair out of her voice feeling hope kindle momentarily in her chest, she was between worlds, apparently . . . but that meant she wasn't dead yet
"My familiar will carry you to me. . . But only on one condition, it seems you hurt his feelings when you encountered each other earlier" She grit her teeth trying not to let her anger get the better of her as the voice continued "He wants some. . . satisfaction from you before he agrees to bring you here" the inclination of that hollow voice on the word Satisfaction made a chill run through her stomach, she looked at the Raven that reared back spreading its wings wide, tilting its head to keep an eye on her as from beneath the feathers on its underbelly something huge and pink hung, swelling by the moment as her horrified eyes watched, unable to tear them away. It was disgusting the shaft big only because of the creatures size, but the head was the most disturbing bit, almost like a drill bit circular ridges around it to anchor itself into its mate presumably. She felt her stomach wrench as she realised it meant to make her that mate. "There has to be another way, what guarantee do I have that your even going to help me!" she snarled at the roiling dark sky taking a few involuntary steps away from the massive avian with its grotesque swaying pink meat.