Hellraiser: Elysium

Clive Bradley is an established lawyer who works for the firm Laurence & Ferrell. Clive seemingly has the life that most individuals think they want. He has a great career, big house, nice car and he is socially appealing. He comes from a great family, he has a great circle of friends and a beautiful woman named Claire who has eyes on him who he has yet to make an official relationship with. However, there is one hinderance in Clive’s life that keeps him from being fulfilled: his greedy spirit.

No matter how much Clive has obtained in life, nothing is ever enough. His genuine circle of loved ones is not enough, a good woman with eyes on him is not enough, and his successful career as a lawyer is not enough. Clive is lusting for more out of life, something gratifying beyond limits and has no boundaries of satisfaction. Clive never imagined that his quest for ideal gratification would lead him down a forbidden path of no return.

On Friday evening Clive was driving home from the firm and stopped at an antique store by his house. When he went in the store he found a dark room with dim lights. The store was filled with figurines, small statues, paintings and all sorts of other artifacts that looked like ancient relics and artifacts. As his eyes wandered around the store examining everything in sight they finally became still when they were caught by the sight of a small puzzle box that looked like it had Chinese style ancient ruins as its design sitting on the countertop by the front register. As he walked over to the counter to examine it a man in a black hooded robe appeared out of a door from behind the counter.

“Found what you were looking for, Mr. Bradley?” the merchant asked. Clive was not surprised for one second that the merchant knew his name. “That depends.” Clive responded. “I’m looking for something that will give me…Elysium.” The merchant smiled at Clive with an understanding of what he wanted. “A place or condition of perfect or ideal happiness.” the merchant responded. “You seek a place that goes beyond the surface of the real and this box can certain take you there, but it comes at a price.” “What price?” Clive asked. “Once the box has been opened, there is no going back Mr. Bradley, are you ready to pay the price?”

Clive reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of money and laid it on the countertop. He was so sure in that moment that this is what he wanted. The merchant looked at the money as it was laid down then looked back at Clive in disregard for the money. “Trust me. That won’t suffice the price that comes with opening the Lament Configuration, you shall see in time.” Clive grabbed the Lament Configuration and departed from the store, only looking back to acknowledge the suspiciously light smile on the merchant’s face.

When Clive arrived at his home he walked in his house and went straight to his living room with the Lament Configuration in hand. He sat in the middle of the living room floor with the box in hand and began letting his fingers work. At first he stroked the top of the box, but nothing happened. Clive then noticed a small button on the side of the box and pressed it. After pressing the button the box then began to pull itself apart and light up around its edges. The house then began to shake lightly as if an earthquake was occurring. Once the shaking stopped the wall behind the couch in Clive’s living room began to part ways down the middle like an elevator.

The quaking briefly came to a halt and then wind started blowing heavy in the room as if the house was in the middle of a storm. A bright light shined through the hole in the wall and four figures started to appear through the smoke and lights. They were all dressed in priest like fabrics with distinct mutilations upon their flesh. One of them had a face that was completely stitched up as if their face was sewn together. One was a female with a circular needle going through the cheeks of her mouth and throat. The third individual had a brown monster like head, with a mouth opened with nothing but chattered teeth present and it’s eyes were not visible. The fourth and final being of the quartet had a white head that was covered in needles down and across its skull in a grid like formation.

“Welcome to your Elysium, Mr. Bradley.” the needle headed being spoke. “We have such sights to show you.” A sudden flash of vision of everything these Cenobites wanted to give Clive flashed before his eyes. It wasn’t just the Elysium he was seeking, it was so much more. He felt a rush of pain and pleasure that felt like was going to peak at any moment but the feelings only deepened with no limits. The pain and pleasure uninhibited had exhausted his nerves to the point where he could barely breath and what started as a mix between pleasure and pain had now only become pain. Between the overwhelming pain and overwhelming pleasure, Clive realized that he was trapped in a web of endless suffering. This overwhelming ecstasy was only agony and Clive knew in that moment that it wasn’t what he thought it would be and he no longer wanted this burden.

As the visions left his eyes, Clive had a moment of clarity. He realized he had made a terrible mistake and reached a point of no return. The four cenobites surrounded him with an intention of which he was aware. He knew that this was the part where they would rip his flesh to shreds and take his souls back to their world known as the Labyrinth. As they gathered around him all Clive could think was sending them back to the Labyrinth before they could claim his soul.

Clive decided to make a dive for the Lament Configuration as chains started flying around him. As he grabbed the box one of the chains cut his arm. He quickly rubbed his hands across the top of the box and it began to reconfigure itself. As the box once more pulled itself apart it started shooting out flashes of light that hit the cenobites and blasted them away as they screamed in dissatisfied anger.

The cenobites were sent back to the Labyrinth and the opening in the wall that led to their world was closed. Clive sat on the floor of his living room in traumatic shock over what had just happened. He realized that his greedy spirit made him overlook all the wonder details and people in his life and that he had nearly lost his soul to the a hellish point of no return. Submission to the flesh always kills the spirit and Clive knew he now had a second chance to redeem his spirit. He grabbed the Lament Configuration and left his house and walked off into the heat of the night with every intention of hiding the box where no oblivious soul could ever find it. He knew in this moment that the box could not grant him or anyone else the condition of Elysium.

~~Based on characters created by Clive Barker.