Soulless

By Ramsey Austin-Spencer

Pulled from the darkness of Hell, a demon named Gil finds herself on Earth in a human body, though she didn’t acquire a soul in the transition. When Gil runs into the necromancer and trickster Meros, who coerces and traps souls into his mirror to gain power, she finds someone she forges a kinship with. As the pair travel around playing their tricks on people, they fail to realize the Lord of Hell, Rahee is looking for the missing demon.
With the help of those she meets while on her journey across Earth, Gil takes on her fate and the Lord of Hell with an odd kind of innocence that endears her to angels, lost souls, and mystics alike. Being a demon means she does what she is told, so when she finds herself in control of a powerful talisman, everything changes, and without a soul, she has no say in what the outcome of a war for that power will be.
Death is final when you don’t have a soul.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ramsey Austin-Spencer
• Release date: Dec 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005002756

Ramsey Austin-Spencer

Ramsey was born in Salt Lake City, UT, raised in Salt Lake City, UT, married and had a family in Salt Lake City, UT and will more than likely die there as well. Don't feel too bad; Ramsey also enjoys traveling to places other than Salt Lake City, UT. In a motor home with a Jeep towing behind it she tours the United States just for fun. An accounting technician by profession (odd, I know), she does payroll for one of the municipal entities in (you guessed it), the Salt Lake City, UT area. Writing is the passion that has driven her since she could pick up a pencil. Receiving her Associate's Degree from Salt Lake Community College, and her Bachelor's Degree from WGU, she continues to work on perfecting her trade by continuing to take classes. Always looking for new educational experiences, she is a certified diver, studied sign language and French, has been in local plays and even went through a Citizen's Police Academy. Two sons and a wonderful husband are the reason you have a chance to read the work Ramsey has written. They encourage, irritate and force her to do better. Hope you enjoy.

Book preview

SOULLESS

By: Ramsey Austin-Spencer

2021 Copywrite by Ramsey Austin-Spencer

Smashwords Edition

Special thanks to Melanie, my amazing bookcover artist who’s potential and awesomeness is just beginning.

CHAPTER ONE

Although pain ruled everything in her life to this point, Gil never felt anything like this before as pure agony rushed in, consuming every part of her. Her focus went complete to the torture she now endured making it nearly impossible to process what was happening to her, because even her life as a demon in Hell didn’t prepare her for this; this was different. Gil theorized this is what death felt like; or maybe even what being born felt like, though she didn’t know anything about either of those things. Attempting to crawl forward, she found the melted mass that once comprised her body couldn’t really move, making the effort look more like a glob of goo bubbling slightly rather than actual movement. She stopped any further attempts, not sure where she would go if she could move.

Concentrating on the burning and aching kept her from having to try and figure out what she should do to fix this because she honestly doubted if there was anything she could do besides lay here and let fate do whatever it intended to do to her. The smooth brown stone, which lay in what was once her clawed hand, offered the only thing still resembling what it did back in Hell. She believed the stone caused this, but she couldn’t say what ‘it’ was. She wondered that something so small and insignificant could possibly cause her so much grief. If the stone she found contained this kind of power, everyone would try and take it from her when she got back to Hell. Of course, with what she endured right now she figured she would never be able to get back there. The idea didn’t comfort her, but it didn’t bother her either. She held no control over any of it, but then again she never did, so all she could do now was lie here in the empty field thinking about the fateful moment she found the stone. She remembered it vividly.

Wandering along the edge of the lake that sat on the far side of Hell, over by where the Shadow Walkers resided, Gil looked around in furtive movements to make sure the other demons weren’t spying on her and that the Shadow Walkers remained in their alcoves like statues. The three intimidating figures didn’t do anything regarding the day to day business of Hell, and she actually never witnessed them move, but they were more powerful than Rahee, the Master of Hell, in the overall scheme of things and she wanted to make sure they didn’t object to her being here each time she came. It was unknown what they would do to her if they didn’t want her here, but she didn’t want to find out.

She came here often because the other demons avoided the place. The lake itself was deadly and the water poisonous to all creatures. It turned anything that touched it to stone. Many demons lay at the bottom of the serene lake, frozen forever, unable to move as they burned for eternity. Still, it was here where she managed to find some solitude from the wretched souls that crowded Hell and the other demons that tortured them.

Her squat little black leathery body scuffed along, kicking up puffs of the shale grey dust and overturning rocks along the shore. Always making sure to stay back from the edge of the water, she paid close attention to where she went. She would walk over toward the place where the shoreline turned into a cliff wall that cradled the lake. You couldn’t go any further from there without getting into the water, but that was impossible and she never even gave it the slightest thought. She didn’t actually go all the way to where the wall stood. You only needed to go halfway around to be away from the Shadow Walkers, which even though she never witnessed them do anything, made her a little nervous. It was said they held the power to make any angel into the Master of Hell, and though there weren’t any rumors about what they could do to demons, she knew anything with that kind of power should be carefully avoided by someone of her status.

Sitting down she pulled her little bowed legs up to her paunchy belly and looked at the beautiful but deadly water. It held a peaceful feeling to it and it almost glowed ever so slightly, making it just a little brighter than everywhere else in Hell. There in the shallow water, she saw an oblong, tan-colored, smooth stone. It caught her attention because it was different than all the other stones in Hell and she crept forward to get a better look at it. She wanted it. Unfortunately, even though The Stone was right there in the shallows, the water covered it completely. The idea of touching the water terrified her because every demon knew better than to touch the lake. She personally witnessed demons screaming and thrashing for the briefest of time as Rahee tossed them in for some perceived offense before they solidified and sank out of sight. Gil didn’t want that and her little body shuddered slightly at the thought.

Still, she wanted the odd-looking stone, which didn’t shine and wasn’t big and didn’t even seem like much, but it was smooth. Nothing in Hell was smooth and so it offered a uniqueness that would make her special just by possessing it. Of course, if you got something that no one else had, then everyone else would want it and then they would destroy it. That was the way of Hell. Then there was Rahee. She assumed if he found out she possessed something out of the ordinary and didn’t tell him about it and didn’t turn it over to him, that he would punish her. It was more than an assumption; she witnessed him dole out punishment for even the slightest supposed disloyalty.

It was just a rock, she told herself. It wouldn’t be of any interest to Rahee and so it didn’t matter if she managed to get it out of the water and keep it to herself without telling him. In fact, she reasoned, he would be angry if she offered such a useless item to him, so it would be best not to bother him with such a thing.

Crouching down at the side of the water staring at it, she tried to formulate a plan to get it out. Her sharp claw scratched absently at her tough dark skin where a tuft of wiry black hair sprouted on the top of her head as she tried to think of how to get it without causing irreparable harm to herself. Looking around her briefly, she searched for something she could use to pull it out of the water, but there was nothing in Hell. Sharp rocks and demons were all that really existed here. Sometimes souls brought emotional trinkets with them and the demons would snatch them up and keep them as souvenirs, but they were hidden and kept close to those who managed to find them because if anyone realized you possessed something, they would immediately steal it, so nothing was left lying around for her to use.

Getting the stone out wasn’t her only problem. If someone saw her here not working they would tell on her, and then she’d be punished by Rahee. He punished everyone for everything. It was his job as Lord of Hell’s Pit. Several of the demons she spoke with said he became increasingly cruel since he experienced a taste of being out of Hell for a short while before once again being cast back into the darkness. She supposed she couldn’t blame him, but since she knew very little of life outside of Hell, only the stories that people told, it didn’t matter to her if she never got out. No one got out and Rahee should consider himself lucky, she thought as she gave a quick bobbing nod in agreement of her own thought as her pudgy body shifted uncomfortably.

Sitting here wouldn’t solve anything and she either needed to get the stone or forget about it, so risking the acid water of the lake, she reached forward and using the long claw on her first finger, she pulled the odd stone out onto dry land. The tip of her claw burned the moment the water touched it and turned it a chalky grey color in such contrast with the total blackness of the rest of her. Still, it was a small price to pay for gaining the rare stone. Scurrying away from the lake and as far away from the Shadow Walkers as she could get, she went the other direction into the bowels of Hell until she came to the pillar that rose up to the Crossroads. Souls wandered aimlessly about in the dark, but she could easily avoid them as she sat with her back against the rock tower and admired her prize.

She liked it here at the tower, almost as much as by the lake. At the top of that mesa was the only place in the Universe where Hell, Earth and Paradise connected. She could never get through the stratosphere above the tower that led to Earth and even further up to Paradise, but it offered an odd kind of light that didn’t make it all the way into Hell. If you looked way up, you could catch a very small glimpse of it shining at the top of the tower. She didn’t need light to see. Demons could see in the dark and in fact the light burned them, but down here at the base, the light from the other realms wasn’t strong enough to offer the human souls any solace or to hurt the demons.

Wrapping the stone up in a cloth, she placed it in a small satchel that she wore around her neck. She hated placing it there because everyone knew that’s where you kept things you found and they would often try to take whatever you stored there. Most of the demons carried small sacks around their necks and someone always wanted what you had, so nothing remained with you for very long. She thought about hiding it somewhere in Hell, but that would be just as dangerous. If someone spotted her going to the same spot often, they’d search it and steal it from her.

Loud clattering in the distance told her she better get moving because if the others believed you didn’t work hard enough, they turned on you and if they became vengeful, they told on you to Rahee, who would crush you over and over again. Demons couldn’t die, at least in Hell, but being crushed left you, well, crushed. Rushing off to torture the new arrivals, she couldn’t get her mind off her stone. It infected her. She wanted to look at it again but held herself back. She could never take it out around anyone, so she needed to wait until she could find another moment to slip away and check on it.

As her claws scratched at the man who wailed in misery, she stopped to touch the satchel around her neck. It amused her that the man cried even harder after she stopped. She barely needed to do anything to increase the despair of the wretched souls who found themselves in Hell. Leaving the man to continue his lamenting, she scuttled off to hide beside the lake to pull out her stone again. She needed to make sure it was still there, she told herself. Staring down at the polished-looking rock, it appeared richer somehow; the color a deeper brown, turning almost a reddish color. It was a special stone, she confirmed to herself, once again wrapping it up and putting it in her neck bag.

You hide? Himsfield hissed at her.

Not really hiding, just being alone, she defended, grateful she’d put the stone back in its pouch before he came upon her. The man, he cried when I left, so I left.

Himsfield nodded. You do strange things, he offered, turning to leave.

You know much, she told him, making him stop. Standing by the lake she looked over the smooth surface wondering if the older demon would know where the stone came from. The trick was to get him to tell her without revealing she found it. This lake. It has story?

Humming slightly, Himsfield nodded again. Its water, once it came from Mnemosyne; before time. They say Hell, Earth, and Paradise were once one.

But Mnemosyne give life. This water dies.

Well, the large demon said, tapping his clawed finger against the side of his head. His red eyes turned to her and she believed they glowed stronger at the idea of telling this story. Demons didn’t often get a chance to share things other than pain, so it was always pleasant to do something different. It is life, but when split, you have both.

Gil shook her head in confusion.

Life come and go. You see? Two sides.

Nodding now, Gil wasn’t sure she understood, but she didn’t think Himsfield would give her something that cleared it up anymore for her. So, it can give and take life?

Yes. But life, it doesn’t end. You know that. It changes like the body of those who come here. Body wilts to the vision of the soul.

And what of those with no soul?

Laughing in the screechy high pitched way that all demons did, Himsfield bent over, as much as squatty little demon bodies could bend over, and slapped his leg as though she truly amused him. We are the only soulless creatures. You know that.

Can we change?

The laughter stopped and Himsfield moved closer, grabbing her face in his sharp hand and twisting it from side to side. You speak of strange things, he said in a whispered voice. You be careful. Glancing behind him across the lake to where the Shadow Walkers stood like sentries in their alcoves, his body shuddered slightly. Go. Scratch another soul.

Running to take care of her duties, she gnawed and kicked and tore at those she chased down and caught. When Himsfield disappeared and she bored with her usual routine, she found herself wandering off to once again take a look at her prize.

What are you doing? Theyan said, startling her slightly. Pulling on her wiry little arm to turn her around, he looked down at the stone she had taken out of her pouch and now held in her hand. It was too late to hide it. She wanted to yell at him, but she was small compared to most other demons and understood he would pound on her and take her stone. What is that? The hefty demon tried to grab the rock, but Gil pulled back in time to prevent it from being taken from her.

I found it. It’s mine. She tried to wrap it back up, but again the demon pulled on her, making her unable to hide her prize. His claws went into her back and she growled at him. Pain was something common here, so it didn’t register as anything unique or even necessarily unwelcome, but the idea of losing her special rock made her head spin. She rarely found anything. She’d only ever found two other things to keep in her satchel, both of which were stolen from her shortly after taking them from the weary souls who carried them into Hell. She didn’t want this taken from her.

I saw it, Theyan said loudly and Gil began to panic.

Several other demons turned to see what was happening. Everyone always wanted in on a fight. Gil began backing away from the massing of red eyes. Theyan smiled wickedly at her and she knew he would take her stone. He would get the others to jump on her and while she fought them off he would snatch her special trinket and it would be lost to her forever. She would never be able to wrest it away from the much stronger demon.

It’s special, she said quietly as she backed up, but she couldn’t imagine getting away from this with her unique stone still in her possession. There was no way to win, but she didn’t want to give up without a struggle, so she began to run. She could hear those behind her starting to yell. Demons tended to be disorganized and did their own thing, which is why they were always telling on each other and leaving some souls alone while large numbers went after another, but this time their lack of cohesion gave her the time she needed to get a head start. It wouldn’t save her, but at least she might be able to save the stone. She would happily take the beating as long as Theyan never got her special rock.

The Tower to the Crossroads loomed up ahead of her as she ran and even though her little bowed legs didn’t gain her any real ground, she believed she could make it. She threw herself against the harsh, jagged rocks of the tower and began climbing before the small mob reached her. They were right on her heels and reached up, clawing at her as she climbed, trying to catch her with their sharp talons and pull her down, but thankfully no one got a piece of her. She was agile, which was one of the only benefits of being a smaller demon, plus she’d climbed the rocks here before, so she was more adept at it than the others, which gave her a larger lead.

Scrambling up onto the platform she looked around her and saw the little leather bodies pulling themselves up over the edge to converge on her. She knew they would be dragging her down from here and tearing at her in seconds. She didn’t take notice of the gouges the rough rocks took out of her hands and legs as she climbed and she didn’t worry about the chunks of flesh they would take off her when they caught her. The only thing she could think about was saving her unique and precious stone. Looking up at the strata that unfolded above her, she gave the approaching horde one last look before tossing the rock up, hoping she had enough strength to get it past the threshold. Of course, she didn’t even know if the rock would be able to pass through the layers that separated the worlds and she honestly thought it would crash back down, but at least that would give her a brief reprieve while they fought over who would get it.

The stone began to glow as though the light set it on fire. She stared at it in wonder before she felt the tug. It was pulling her and she realized that she no longer stood on the top of the tower. Her body rose up and panic welled up inside her as her pudgy little body writhed like it was caught on a hook. The demons below her turned silent, which was more disturbing than the idea of floating up toward the Crossroads. She looked down on them, wondering if they would help her, but knowing that was ridiculous. Demons didn’t help; it wasn’t what they did. She also wondered if she wanted help because even though it hurt, she would get a chance to see the Crossroads up close and it sounded remarkable and would make her special; different than all the other demons. They would never forget her.

The small group that came to hunt her down cowered on the flat rock. The way they covered their heads let her know that the light from the Crossroads hurt their eyes. It pained hers too and they began burning as the light got brighter and brighter the higher she went. The last time she heard of any of the other demons coming up here was when the Gemini Angels came here to escape this place. That was a story the demons told often. They spoke of how the first Gemini came into Hell after Rahee escaped and was made Master, but then the other came and saved her. Apparently, they tricked Rahee into falling back into Hell to once again rule. It was a great story and she would come up here and imagine it all happening, but she didn’t get to participate in that because she was just barely created at the time. She always wished she had a chance to get a glimpse of the two angels. They were supposed to be glorious and the man angel apparently slew dozens of demons on his way out of Hell with a flaming sword. Now that would have been something to see; well, as long as she didn’t get killed by it.

The story went that Rahee attempted to smite the pair, falling through the strata in his effort. The demons banded together, as much as demons were able to coordinate, and dragged him back into Hell. He still fumed about it, so she knew at least some of the story must be true. She figured they would do the same to her once she came back down, but here she was, flying like the Gemini Angels instead of falling like Rahee. It was exhilarating in a way, but in another way, it terrified her because no matter how good the story would be, she would eventually have to face Rahee and the demon horde. After all, she couldn’t cross over the plain onto Earth.

Demons couldn’t die in Hell, but once out they were like a fragile vase that could be easily shattered. Getting out was supposedly impossible, so it didn’t really matter, but there were stories of one or two who did; there were always stories. Those that were somehow thrust out of Hell in some freak event died almost instantly. The only way a demon could survive for any amount of time outside of Hell is if Rahee sent them to possess someone on Earth. That also rarely happened because they were usually expelled and killed quickly by an angel before they could perform whatever task Rahee set for them. He hadn’t sent anyone out since Gil was created.

Now Gil would be one of the stories the demons told endlessly, she thought with mild happiness. She might die, but they would talk about her. That was something. That made her special.

The pain she felt at being pulled up toward the Crossroads paled to the agony that consumed her the moment she passed through the threshold. Coming out on the other side, her body no longer held the form it maintained in Hell. Lying on the grass she was nothing more than a black spot in a field. Her body turned into a mush-like substance. This was going to destroy her, she thought in a moment of remarkable clarity and she once again thrashed slightly, which ended up just being a bubbling of the black muck that was now her. It was a terrible end to her story, but even more terrifying was the idea of not dying. What if she lay here for all eternity unable to do anything? It would be like being tossed into the lake; forever still, forever in pain, forever, forever, forever. Hope wasn’t something you held onto in Hell, so she vowed to resolve herself to a future of being a puddle of mud.

After a moment, she saw a finger. A human finger forming out of the black goo. Then another one. Amazing. They stretched out with the skin appearing soft and smooth and the finger thin and delicate. Toes. She almost giggled. Slowly the process continued, each body part slowly forming. She wondered how much time passed as she lay there developing into a woman. It was an odd thought because time didn’t mean anything to her and so she didn’t really know what time actually felt like, but she could feel its passing clearly up here on Earth. Of course, it didn’t matter. She had all the time in the world.

Once she found herself able to move, she held up the fingers to look at them and then softly touched her face. There she felt the lips, a little nose, and eyelashes. They were so funny and she giggled slightly. Opening her mouth she felt her tongue and teeth; no sharp teeth, just regular teeth like a regular person. The pain subsided with each body part completing and eventually, she lay naked in the grass looking up at the watery blue sky with one cloud drifting along above her. She somehow turned into a human woman. It was remarkable. She didn’t know how this happened and it was something she could have never even dreamt of happening to her, but here she was on Earth in a human body. She smiled, but then that disappeared as she searched her soul, or at least tried to. She held no soul. She may have a human form, but she was still a soulless creature.

CHAPTER TWO

Sitting at the outside table watching the people go about their daily lives, Meros sighed. He didn’t care for the warm sun splashing down on him, or the light aroma of the pies