Darkness.
And then the smell of summer lilacs, a gentle breeze in the warm air ruffling his fur, and her sweet voice whispering to him. He twitched an ear.
"You're finally up, Rook? About time. I thought you'd be asleep forever."
Rook opened his eyes to see the prettiest collie he's ever known, and the only one he ever wanted. Her dark brown curls looked golden under the bright sun, her bronze eyes gleaming with affection when they locked gazes. Alexandria.
He'd just told her how he felt towards her last night, and they decided to celebrate their mutual love with an afternoon picnic. The weather was perfect, Alexandria was perfect. This was the first time Rook felt bliss in his entire life.
He had a bit of a rocky start to life, abandoned by his mother as a puppy and spent a few years in foster homes, never really fitting in anywhere. Until he came to the house where Alexandria was and everything changed. She was kind and gentle, she didn't judge his past. Rook never even know he had a chance with her. She was gorgeous, and he was plain and simple, just a regular blue and tan dog with a white belt. But Alexandria always reminded him that he was handsome, and he started to believe it.
"Alexandria. I promise I'll never leave you."
"I know, Roo."
He leaned into her warm fur and closed his eyes again, drifting to sleep.
Darkness.
But this time I woke up to urgency.
"Roo. Wake up, something is wrong. Rook! MOVE!"
Alexandria was tugging Rook to his feet, but it was too late. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. A shadowy figure of a dog appeared beside Rook. It was pitch black with glowing red eyes, but most horrifying of all was at it had was a skull in place of it's head. Alexandria screamed and barked but Rook could not hear anything. He was focused on the creature, leaning it's head in towards his neck. He couldn't move. Time stopped. The shadow dog clamped his skeleton teeth down on his neck and bit hard, and the world went black.
Rook opened his eyes to see she shadowy skull figure who had bit him. They were in a cold dark, and endless looking cave. He leapt up.
"You! Where did you take me? What is wrong with you?"
The figure glanced at him with a blank stare. "You are in the underworld. You died."
Rook reeled. How could he be dead? He was a young, healthy dog. This wasn't right. "Take me back. At least take me back to Alexandria."
"You're dead," he sneered. "Dead do not get to be with the living."
"But you took me to soon," Rook protested. "Please, let me return to the living world. I have someone who needs me. I made a promise!"
"Looks like you'll be breaking that promise. No-one returns from here." He turned and left.
Rook had been running for hours. He was screaming and howling for help, for someone to come and rescue him, but nobody answered.. He ran until his legs collapsed, and it surely seemed like the dark cave was infinite. This really was the underworld. He lay his head on the ground, defeated, and closed his eyes.
A soft thunk made him raise his head. A small black dog was approaching him. This dog also had a skull-face.
"Hello. I want to help you. But we must be quick - before the reaper knows what I am doing."
The reaper must have been the shadowy dog who bit him. Wary but willing to accept any help he was offered, Rook got to his feat and cocked his head inquiringly at the small dog.
"I can get you out of here. But at a price."
"Anything," Rook said desperately. "Whatever you want from me. I wasn't supposed to die yet."
"That doesn't matter," The black dog said, sounding irritated. "Just listen to me. You have to go through two gates to leave here, but each gate costs a price. I cannot tell you what they are, since I have not left. The two gatekeepers guard each gate, and they will tell you the price to pass through. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes, I understand. Take me right now, please!"
The small black dog turned hastily and started walking away from him. Rook almost tripped over himself, moving with so much enthusiasm.
Soon they arrived at a huge, looming gate. A glowing black dog stood poised by it's entrance.
"This is where I leave you. Good luck.." They paused. "May you return in one piece."
Rook started towards the gate without looking back.
The gatekeeper spoke to Rook without hesitation.
"To pass this gate you must swim through the acid river."
Rook blinked. "Acid river?"
The gatekeeper grabbed a bar and slowly swung open the creaking gate, to reveal a fast flowing red river. One the other side Rook could see the faint outline of the second gate. This was madness. Swim through an acidic river? Surely he wouldn't survive the journey. But he realized, he was already dead. What else did he have to lose? He needed to get back to Alexandria.
Rook took tentative steps forward until he was staring into the churning red water. It had an awful stench. He knew if he stood there any longer, he wouldn't do it, so he leaped in and immediately yelped in pain. The acid river was burning away his fur, his skin. He swam, strong and powerful stokes, making it to the other side and tossing himself on solid ground when he made it. He was in agony, and looking at his burnt legs made the pain somehow worse. The fur was completely gone, and his skin was raw and red.
But Rook made it. There was only one more gate standing between him and freedom.
When Rook found the strength, he got up and limped over to the second gatekeeper. This one did not say a word just raised his jowls in a creepy grin and swung open a gate. There was just darkness, and a small mirror behind the gate.
"Have a look," the gatekeeper rasped. "If you dare."
Rook took a step forward. One, two. And recoiled in horror.
He saw himself in the mirror. He was hideous. He was a monster. He, too, had an exposed skull for a head. He didn't recognize his expressionless sockets where his eyes should have been. With even more horror he realized his scars from the acid river extended all the way up his chest, onto his neck.
"How do I make it go away?" He whispered. "My face.. my face.." He drooped his head in shame.
The gatekeeper bared his teeth in the creepy grin again. "I can make you look better... but it will cost a price."
Rook opened his eyes to see the harsh glare of the sun. He leapt to his feet. Grass, trees, the wide open sky. He was back!
There was a lake nearby. He rushed over to the edge and yelped in horror upon seeing his reflection; his chest and legs still bore the scars from the river and thick white scars lined his face in place of the skull. But he had a face again.
"Rook! Rook! You're alive!?"
Rook looked over to see Alexandria plummeting towards him. She crashed into him and they both fell to the ground, overwhelmed with happiness. But he remembered this unfortunate appearance and shied away. He quickly explained what had happened, where he had gone.
"Don't look at me Alexandria... I'm a monster. I'm sorry, I can explain."
There was only adoration in her eyes as she exhaled and whispered "I think you look more handsome than ever. These markings don't define who you are, but instead how much you've overcome. This is only the start of our journey."
