The Black Poplar Grove was a vast dark forest, just behind the gate to the Underworld. Every tree stood taller than the Cerberus, nearly covering the cavern sky with black leaves and skeleton branches. Below them, the gray grass looked like ashes where death had swept through the decaying woods. In the world of the dead, it made sense why a forest wouldn’t look beautiful where the sun never shined. But somehow, the subterranean world could grow plants with no ultraviolet. Only fungus, mosses, and algae can grow without photosynthesizes. But Roger shouldn’t try to think too much about the Underworld. He needed to focus if he wanted to return to the living.

“Stay close to us,” Labda whispered next to Roger. “There are many unrestful souls here who will attack anything they see. Keep your guard up.”

Roger nodded and followed her. Staring at the spooky tall trees sent chills through his spine. He has never been scared for a while before the monsters appeared in San Francisco. Now he was walking through a haunted forest with no clue what could lurk among the shadows. If this was the afterlife, it might as well be hell.

As he strolled, white mist rose around him. It felt cold as death itself.

With only an armor vest on, it didn't help protect Roger's limbs from the strange coldness. He wondered how the Spartans marched through tundra areas without freezing to death.

The more he strolled, the higher the mist rose over him and the girls. He could still see around the trees, except the far distance. If a car drove through the forest, it would have already crashed.

Something snapped behind Roger. He stopped and swung around to look.

Nothing.

Maybe a tree branch fell to the ground. The trees looked ancient anyway.

"Did you hear-" Roger paused and glanced around. "Girls?"

Katina, Labda, and Cilla were missing as if they had disappeared behind Roger's back. But how could they lose him? He was close to them!

"Katina! Labda! Cilla!" Roger sprinted through the mist, checking around the trees quickly. "Katina!"

He could only hear his voice echoing through the mists. Perhaps something took them before they could defend themselves.

Before he opened his mouth, someone moaned closely. "Girls?"

It sounded like a girl sobbing behind the trees, but only one. More feminine and fragile than the Cerberus girls' tone.

"Hello?" Roger followed the sound, keeping his sword and shield up.

After he stepped through two black bushes, he spotted a girl standing in the middle of a clear spot, crying. Long white hair hung halfway down her gray dress on her back. Barefoot, and her skin looked pale.

Roger placed his weapons down and strolled toward the girl. "Hey….. Are you okay?"

The girl kept sobbing. She could be lost, or she lost someone else. She looked harmless, alone, with no one who could help her. Maybe she saw where the Cerberus disappeared into the woods. If not, she needed help.

As he stepped closer, Roger held his hand toward her. "Hello? Are you lost?"

When he touched her shoulder, the girl swung around, revealing a skeleton face with sharp teeth and blue ghostly eyes, blazing within her empty eye sockets.

Roger's mouth dropped. "Holy-"

The girl screamed so loud, her cry pushed Roger to the ground. She forward, landing on top of him. Her claws reached for his throat, but he pushed her off.

Quickly, he jumped to his feet and grabbed his sword and shield. The girl rose and hissed at him, exposing her fangs.

She wasn't human. Definitely not human at all. Not even a ghost either, although her flesh felt cold and solid.

Roger faced his shield toward the creature while he raised his sword over his shield. Labda taught him the basic sword moves before they entered the Black Poplar Grove. Simple, and he should be able to handle it. At least his first attacker didn’t carry a weapon.

“I suggest you stand down!” Roger shouted.

The girl roared instead, screaming like a siren. With her claws out, she charged toward the cop.

Roger kept his shield up. The moment she gets close to him, he will-

SPLAT!!!

From above the trees, the Cerberus landed on the girl, flatting her with their enormous feet. The dead girl faded into dust beneath the girls’ toes.

Katina pointed her claw at Roger. “You are supposed to stay close to us!”

“But you disappeared!” Roger shouted back. “I was trying to find you!”

“Sorry, we thought you disappeared too until we heard this lost soul scream,” Cilla explained.

Roger stared at the dust on the ground. “Lost Soul?”

The Cerberus stepped off the girl’s remains and shook the dust off their feet.

“She is one of the damned who didn’t reach the River of Styx,” Labda answered. “Those who died in this forest will become trapped here as ghouls.”

“Damn things are like leeches, trying to bite into our skin,” Katina added. “They won’t stop until we smash their skulls.”

“So….. Is she dead-dead now?” Roger asked.

Katina looked down. “For now, until-”

More haunting siren noises screamed from the darkness around Roger and the girls.

Roger’s skin chilled. “I think there are more of them.”

Katina growled. “No shit, sherlock!”