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INDIANA JONES
lxiv. HELLISH

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PRESENT
UNDERWORLD

STARING DOWN AT THE small key in her hand Indiana Jones hummed to herself with furrowed eyebrows. Her ocean-colored eyes moved upward as she gazed at the apartment door just a few feet away from her. It stared back at her, almost attempting to intimidate her. After all, this was the neighboring apartment to her closest friend and student's apartment. Of course, that would be if Indiana was still alive. Indiana wasn't even sure if anyone occupied the neighboring apartment.

See, following her amiable conversation with Felix, one of the waitresses at Granny's passed the brunette a key with a crumpled note. On the piece of paper was a written address and apartment number. It was addressed to Indiana, but signed from "a friend." Indiana didn't exactly have anything to lose, so she made the decision to visit the apartment.

Carefully, Indiana shoved the key into the hole and jiggled it around until the door opened up before her. Inside was... well, it was just an ordinary apartment. There were no ghouls, no witches there to scream and scare Indiana. There were no monsters to ensnare her, and the nightmares couldn't be found. It was just... a regular apartment.

Upon slowly shutting the door, Indiana began to snoop around. The nosy teenager couldn't help but be curious. Who sent her here? Why? Whatever the reason was, Indiana had a feeling that snooping around furniture from the Underworld version of Ikea wasn't going to tell her anything.

"Like the furniture choice? I had a feeling you preferred wooden tables," a woman's voice came. "Gives the place a more... home-y feeling." Indiana instantly whipped her body around to see just who exactly was speaking.

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she noticed who it was. "Cora," Indiana greeted with a soft voice. "You're here, too? What is this—some kind of weird fairytale reunion?"

Cora chuckled at the girl. "I'd heard stories about you while you were up there," Cora mentioned. "They were right. You really have changed."

Indiana raised an eyebrow at Cora's words. "Well, I am dead," Indiana deadpanned.

"You're all grown up," Cora continued, a bittersweet smile on her red-stained lips. Indiana narrowed her eyes at the woman, folding her arms over her chest.

"I can see you've changed, as well," Indiana replied. She began to walk around the apartment, circling her like a hyena. "Cora, why have you summoned me here?"

Cora laughed. "Is that really the tone you're going to speak to me with? I am the Mayor around here, you know, not to mention your childhood friend," Cora replied. When Indiana kept her intimidating composure, Cora continued. "You are standing in the apartment of Peter Pan."

Indiana stopped in her tracks, her muscles tensing up. "What?"

"Ah, now I've got your attention," Cora chuckled. She started to walk. "Follow me." Indiana reluctantly did so, following Cora into another room. This was the master bedroom. "This is where your precious boyfriend will lay when your friends return to Storybrooke due to the next curse. Their memories will be wiped of an entire year, so your death will still be fresh in their minds."

Indiana stared at the floor, silent. "How do you know this, exactly?" Indiana demanded.

"Oh, darling, I'm the Mayor of the Underworld!" Cora exclaimed. "Hades tells me everything I need to know, including everything I need in order to gain your trust back. What I just told you, though, is just a running bet Hades has with some commoners that run the butcher shop."

She clenched her fist. "So you think by telling me that everyone I love and care for is suffering that I'll want to join your little fangirl clan?" Indiana demanded, angered.

"What about if I told you that there's a way to watch over what they're all doing?" Cora compromised. When Indiana slowly looked back at Cora, the woman smirked. "Now I have your attention. Listen carefully, girl. Hades only gives this privilege to a small pool of people, only including you and myself. Rather than wondering and hoping what's going on up there, Hades has a... way to watch over the other side."

Indiana snorted. "What—so like a Netflix?" Indiana questioned.

Tilting her head to the side, Cora asked, "What's a Netflix?"

She sighed. "You know, it has a bunch of shows and movies and you can watch them and—never mind," Indiana attempted to explain. "How does it work?"

"Ah, ah, ah, not so fast," Cora said. "Although you're Hades' favorite... character, as he put it... he needs to know that he can trust you before allowing you such a privilege."

"I'm not asking to see his micropenis," Indiana snapped. "I just need to... I need to see Peter... and-and Killian and Snow, Ruby! And even... David."

Humming, Cora responded with, "Your time will come. I'm sure of it. For now, get some sleep. And be careful on who you trust." She started to walk toward the door. "You never know what will become of you, especially now that you're dead."

Then, Mayor Cora Mills sauntered out ofIndiana's new apartment.

➖➖➖

That following evening, Indiana Jones went to sleep, only to be greeted by what should have been a cozy dreamland.

Meeting the newest recruits for the Lost Boys was one of Indiana's favorite things to do. She loved kids, no matter how much she refused to admit that to her lover, Peter. Maybe that was why she got along so well with Henry in the future. Nonetheless, making the newest Lost Boys feel at home gave Indiana a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart.

None of the boys stood out as well as a small boy with fluffy brown hair and deep dimples piercing his cheeks. "I'm Joseph!" the bubbly child greeted pleasantly. "You can call me Joe, if you want."

Indiana smiled down at him, crouching to his level. "Hi, Joe. I'm Indiana," she introduced. "Call me Indie, though."

Joe thought about this for a moment. He placed his index finger on his chin, tapping it as he thought while his lips skewered to the right side of his face. "But what if I want to call you Indiana?" Joe wondered.

She shrugged. "Then you can call me Indiana, but only because you are my new friend," she decided.

Joseph jumped up and down excitedly, rushing forward to hug her when suddenly, his body stopped. He just... froze. Indiana furrowed her eyebrows together before gasping as Joe's body disintegrated into tiny little pieces. Indiana stood up, backing slowly as the Lost Boys all around her continued to disintegrate, continued to... die.

"Peter?" Indiana called, looking around frantically. "Peter!"

The boy she loved suddenly appeared before her. Instead of that loving look he usually had in his eyes, Peter's eyes were empty and no longer filled with youth and light. Then, he fell onto the ground, unconscious.

"No! No, no, no!" Indiana shouted, falling onto her knees by his side. "Peter! Please, stay with me. I—"

Before Indiana could finish her sentence, Peter's body vanished. Killian's figure appeared before her, bloody and beaten.

"Killian?" Indiana whimpered. That was when her brother's body fell onto the ground. "No, no! Killian! Killian, what's happening?"

Then, the Shadow came flying toward her. "Well, would you look at that?" the Shadow taunted as tears flowed out of Indiana's eyes. "Little Indiana Jones is all alone. Again."

Indiana Jones continued to have this dream for the next three nights. She would fall asleep, only to wake with her eyes fluttering open at once and her heart beating erratically. From her mouth emerged a noise that could not possibly be human, so terror-filled it was. She would release a wail of horror, a keen that would chill you to the marrow. She would gasp for breath, groping her bed sheets and sweating profusely.

Whatever thought Indiana had about living in the Underworld being a walk in the park had instantly diminished. This realm was nightmarish. This realm was horrid. This realm was, well, hellish.