A Few Years Ago – Hell

The rivers of hell bubbled with lava, ash, and pure heat as a wraith bathed and screamed simultaneously. This soul had been sent here many years ago for its sins of the body, of the heart, of deception, of cheating, of fornication, and sometimes it wondered if the pain and torturing would ever end.

As the hot liquids oozed over the abstract form it had taken in the next life, it sensed a familiar presence momentarily that also screamed out in pain, but the suffering was too much to take its attention away from the bathing that was forced. The dark lord himself, Mephisto, oversaw this daily routine for this group of the accursed, and he would be on his way soon, making his daily round.

The doomed soul looked around. Wraiths writhed in pain and screamed in anguish, while others were attacked by stray demons and their souls were gobbled up and spit out, slowly then taking years to reform to some sort of defined mass.

While the suffering was intense, the soul knew that if it had another with it, this pain could become tolerable, even in this place, and it had to try and cut a deal with Mephisto…to offer him an opportunity at something that he wouldn't be aware of otherwise unless it was able to tell him of this rare gem.

As these thoughts flowed, intermingled with feelings of tortune and pain, Mephisto suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and stuck a pitchfork in the soul's chest, sending a shooting pain and a feeling of death through its "body." The screams increased, as Mephisto grinned evilly and yelled "Less thinking, o accursed being, and more bathing!"

The soul gritted its teeth and dared to respond. This was its chance. "O Evil Dark Lord, I can point you to a great opportunity for a soul that would satisfy your hunger for centuries…give me the chance to tell you…"

Mephisto looked skeptically. "This is surely a trick!"

"Oh no, my Dark Lord…look above…the Civil War is in sight…and within the Civil War, three lights…one may go out for the night…but the hero would do anything to make this situation right." The soul peered intently at the Dark Lord. "And I mean, anything. Including sacrificing the love that keeps you away and at bay."

As images began to materialize, the other inmates and Demons of Hell began pointing upward, yelling and screaming and hooting and hollering at the potential new neighbor they might have, but before they could do anything, Mephisto suddenly whirled his trident around and took out the heads of ten souls who then began running around in panic and confusion, while the rest of the gawkers immediately went back to bathing. The Dark Lord then looked back at the offeror. "It seems I will test your proposition myself. I return shortly."

The soul waited intently, and within several minutes, the Dark Lord returned, grinning happily. "Well, it seems I underestimated you my subject! These noble beings have quickly given their soul and love to me…now, you may name your price since this is going to be quite the success for me."

The soul was thrilled. It would finally be united with its long lost love, even if it was here in the pit of eternal damnation. It happily responded "O Dark Lord, I have no price…I gladly and willingly sacrifice any chance to leave this place just to be with my one true love, forever…but send my comrade back to keep them apart…we need him for this plan to work successfully…that is all I ask."

Mephisto looked at the soul that was now being chased by a terrifying demon, and immediately remembered a name, a strong family loyal to him. He smiled, nodded, snapped his fingers, and suddenly the other soul disappeared. "Seize the day, my subjects!" Mephisto yelled while turning to the others suffering the torture, and then he also took his leave of this group.

Our tortured soul managed to smile, then quickly forgot what had just transpired as the pain and suffering took over again. It would eventually remember when the time was right…

…soon.

TO BE CONTINUED!