Courtney opened her eyes slightly and awaited for them to adjust to the dark light. "Am I dead?" she asked softly not expecting anyone to answer her. "You were drowned by the souls in the river, but Duncan saved you before you died". Danielle was leaning over her with a rag placing in softly on her forehead. Courtney was laying down on a bed and she looked around the room, like every other it was mostly black with the exception of a few skulls here and there.

Courtney rubbed her head and sat up, Danielle was standing opposite of her with a worried expression. "Don't strane yourself so much" she warned, "The phases of the souls take a while to ware off. You're not supposed to get scared of the souls, you're supposed to scare them right back". Courtney smiled faintly but then sputtered and coughed, Danielle stood back as Courtney spit out a small white ball.

"What is that?" she asked looking at it in disgust. Danielle laughed and scooped it up with her paw, "Oh it's a soul! Don't worry I'll return it back to the river for you". Both of their heads turned when the door creaked open slowly as Trouble poked his head in the doorway. "Uh, Danielle Gwen's in need of your services, right now". Danielle sighed and looked back to Courtney "I've gotta go. I'll be back in a little while okay?" Courtney gave her a nod and Danielle hopped down off the bed and woddled out the door.

Courtney crossed her legs Indian style while she looked around the dark room. The room was for the most part black accented by red rugs, curtain, ands various other items. Courtney didn't know whose room she was in so she decided to do a little snooping. She went to the dresser and looked at some dusty old pictures that were standing on the dresser. Courtney picked up one in particular and blew the dust off, coughing as she did so. In the picture was a very pretty woman, whose eyes seemed to stare her down and bore holes into her eyes. The lady was very pretty, her face looked soft and she had a faint soft smile on her lovely features.

"Who is she?" Courtney wondered aloud.

"Someone very close to Duncan" a voice said from the doorway. Courtney gasped and dropped the picture to the ground on accident, Danielle was standing at the door, but her shadow made her look taller than what she was. "You scared me Danielle, I was just..."
"Snooping." Danielle finished for her and tottled over to pick up the picture, she dusted it off with a paw. "It's alright Courtney. If I were new to this place and found myself in a strange room, I'd be snooping to" she handed the frame to Courtney so she could set it back up on the mantle.

"Who is she?" Courtney asked again. They were both staring at the picture, "I don't exactly know but I do know that she's very important to Duncan." Danielle sighed and started to head for the door. "Come along Courtney, it's time for the tour of the underworld". Courtney looked disgusted, "You expect me to go around some freaky underworld place without any protection?"

Danielle crossed her little furry arms and looked difinatley at Courtney, "I'm not as cute and innocent as you may think I am. I'm a grimlin! The first part of that being GRIM! I could tear you limb from limb with my teeth and then eat your bones like they were potatoe chips. Just remember that the grim comes first in grimlin" Danielle gave her one more looked before jumping up in the air showing her her razor sharp teeth. Her eye turned into small slits as she came toward Courtney her mouth wide and revealing.

Courtney gasped and pressed herself agaisnt the wall ready to be attacked. However, Danielle just stopped when she was three inches from her face and fell back to the ground, laughing. "You really thought I was going to rip you to shreds, didn't you!?" She rolled over on her belly, pounding her furry fists on the floor. Her small tail was wagging so fast as she howled with laughter, Courtney huffed and pulled a loose string of hair behind her ear as she composed herself.

"OKay you had your laugh" Courtney said annoyed. Danielle got up from the floor wiping the tears from her eyes, "Okay I'm good. Let's go".


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"Over there is the pool room, where you can go take a dip, to cool off. Over there is the sauna where you can get a amazing dead wraps" Danielle was hopping along pointing out places to Courtney as she gave her the tour. "Whats a dead wrap?" Courtney asked a little afraid to find out the answer. "Oh it's when they wrap your whole body in dead people's skin, very good with pores". Danielle hopped onto a ledge, "And this is where the waterfall ends. All the souls that travel down the river end up right here at the end where they are sorted by their punishments".

Courtney sat down on the opposite ledge of Danielle, looking at the large waterfall. "What do you mean punishments?"

She watched as Danielle swirled a finger in the water. "When people get rejected from Heaven and their sent down here. They get sent to the Judge of Souls which will be your job. The judge decides that what they did was so horrible and they get sent to door 1,2,3,4,or 5. Door number one is reserved for lyers and mutiners. Door 2 is for people who helped in a murder or committed grand theft. Door 3 is for child molesters and rapist-don't ever do down there by yourself. Door 4 is for people who killed children and old people. And finally last but not least, door number 5 which is for major serial killers. There is a door X but I don't know much about it except for that it's held some of the most evilest people who ever walked the planet. I've never gone in there. In fact no one has except master Duncan".

Courtney looked to where the river ended and saw the five deadly doors, and the blood stained X door. She shivered a little a the thought of who could be down there. A couple of names came to mind, Hitler and Bull Conner came to mind. She heard some sort of strange sounds coming from the bridge that went over the river. Danielle noticed her alertness and perked one ear up to get a better listen.

They sounded like moans and groans. However, they weren't the usual kind they came from the poor souls. These seemed more...pleasurable. As someone was enjoying themselves too much. Courtney was completely disgusted that someone would do such a thing in public. She got up swiftly and started to walk toward the bridge. "Wait Courtney! PLease don't go down there, we might be interrupting someone!" Danielle hurried to get over to her.

Courtney felt the little grimlin on her arm tugging her back to the ledge. "PLease don't do this Courtney, it's not safe. Who knows who it could be". Courtney was just a little bit stronger than Danielle and pulled her along too as she marched to the bridge. "I don't really care who it is. They shouldn't be doing that in public, it's disgusting". Courtney was almost underneath the bridge but she stopped when she heard some fimilar voices.

It sounded like whoever it was pulled awat from a long kiss with someone else. "You feel any better?" the voice asked. There was a sigh and another voice answered, "Yeah, thanks. I'll be good for a while at least for tonight when we do our rounds".

The male voice laughed a bit, "I love doing the rounds. Hearing all those suffering cries from suckers and fools is just the icing on the cake. Plus it's the only time we get to go above ground as our true forms. But that all changes in a couple of days or so".

"I know I can't wait to get my pale white color back. So what are you going to do about the whole marriage thing, you've only got until next year" the female voice sounded worried. Courtney heard the male sigh and run his fingers through his hair. "I don't know but I gotta find somebody. I don't want some ditzy chick who I can bang for one night and have her knocked up the next day. I want someone who can really care for me and would be willing to become immortal and have a child. What dumbass out there would want to give up freedom?"

The female patted the male on the back, "It's okay Duncan. Hey if it makes you feel any better I would totally marry you and have your demon child". Courtney gasped from her hiding spot on the wall as she came to realize the voice was belonged to Duncan and the other had to be Gwen. "I didn't know they were so close" Courtney thought.

"Sounds like we got a little nosey birdie" Duncan said sticking his head out from behind the opposite wall. Gwen stepped out also with Duncan, "Look, sleeping beauty woke up from her nap" she teased. Courtney made a face and directed attention back to Duncan, "I wasn't being nosey. I just don't like it when people make out it public" she stated.

Duncan and Gwen looked at each other and busted out in laugheter. "You've got a lot to learn princess. I'd be more than happy to teach you the lesson. But first we have some business to attend to tonight. You can be in charge until we get back princess, that is unless you're scared of all the horrifying souls at night".

Courtney rolled her eyes, "Please I'd be more afraid of my grandma's boobs than a few souls. Besides I can't even tell when it's night because it's dark down here already." Duncan shrugged and took Gwen's hand as they started to walk away, "That's fine princess but you are allowed to come along for the ride to see what it's like. Danielle you can be in charge for a while can't you?"

Danielle nodded, "Yep. Everything will be fine, don't worry a few souls never hurt me". "You coming or not princess?" Duncan called from a purple door he was standing in front of. Courtney looked down at Danielle who gave her a small push foward, "Go I'll be fine" she assured her.

Courtney groaned and walked to the small door where Duncan and Gwen were waiting impatiently. Duncan grinned as he turned the knob,

"Get ready for the time of your life princess"