89. Blind Faith

        Zara stared at the word 'Hellias' in confused wonder. This was the official doorway to Hellias? It seemed so insignificant, so obscure... So bizarre for such a famed destination. She peered into the dark tunnel but there was nothing to see but a pitch black hole, it certainly looked like it could lead to Hellias... Images of Orien's angelic face suddenly illuminated the darkness of her mind. "Orien..." She pulled back, took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh... They said the TLS Program would guarantee her a safe journey to the Promised Land, she so badly wanted to see him again but it was the TLS Program which smelled and sounded like Hellias.

         The screams started up again, reminding her of the reality that had brought her here and returned to the puzzle presented. The tunnel just looked like Hellias.... Should she dare to venture into the tunnel? 

        Reality was, she couldn't remember all her sins, there was no way she would pass the First Lesson... The likelihood of ending up in Hellias really seemed more realistic, would trying to prevent it really help?
         For a moment she weighed both options. What was worse? Wild dogons tearing her apart in Hellias or the goddess of the Earth eating her sins? Would it be better to endure the suffering that Sophia was going through or try fend for herself in the wild wastelands of the Eternal Winter? Should she at least try remember her sins?
         She flip flopped back and forth... Her palms were beginning to sweat as panic began to set in. The reception was out of the question, wasn't it? Another public flogging would only result in her return to the TLS Program with even more sins to remember. 

        Her head was pounding. Reality was she had little choice, she faced Hellias no matter what. Visualizing the string pulling her up, she turned toward the tunnel entrance, it was the only joker she had to play, no one she knew had ever experienced Hellias, she only knew the stories she had been told... Thus a fresh idea presented itself, all on it's own. What if she found a way to escape from Hellias? If she went to Hellias she would definitely skip the TLS torture Sophia was suffering below. If she went to Hellias, maybe there was a chance she could escape the dogons too, perhaps she could still find her way to the Promised Land without having to be torn to shreds by dogons or go through the TLS Program?

         Zara decided her best chance was to face Hellias, she would be stronger facing it if she didn't have to suffer like Sophia first. Bravely, she inched forward into the tunnel, she could feel the path leading into the blackness. Slowly she shuffled her feet forward, taking care so as not to trip, hands on the rocky walls, smoothened by hands that had passed through here before her... Soon the path felt as if it was descending, the temperature was dropping, the rocky walls became damp as she moved deeper inside the tunnel into an even darker darkness.

         The stench eased up, however, as she shuffled on, as did the screaming. She was growing some confidence too, walking a little quicker as she got used to the path; it was good, there weren't too many rocks or boulders in the way. The walls were almost smooth even this deep into the tunnel, suggesting that hundreds of hands had worn them smooth for hundreds of years...
         She took a moment to catch her breath, pondering the immensity now of so much that was unknown to her. Faint echoes of distant screams still carried in with the draft as it ebbed and flowed in and out of the tunnel, once again reminding her of her alternate fate. Would they learn of her escape soon? Did she leave the door wide open??? She left the medal hanging on the door!!!

         Heart pounding, she cocked her ear to listen for any activity chasing her, now there was a new something to fear; the inevitable discovery of her escape! But there was nothing to be heard other than Sophia's screams. There were no sounds of pursuit, no flashing lights, so far she was safe, her escape had yet to be discovered.

         Once again images of Orien's face permeated her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to shut the sacrificial images out of her mind they continued to haunt her in emotional ways, it was torture. "Orien..." She turned once again into the direction of Hellias and continued shuffling along the pitch black trail with blind faith, determined to keep going. This way she could find him! Because as long as she was alive and free, she still had a chance to find the Promised Land!