Layers.
This is the Depression Layer.
Layer 4: Depression
"The mood is so heavy," noticed Lana. "But it doesn't come from me or you, Lucy."
"I know," said Lucy, having it noticed already. "I feel it as well. This happens if you dig down to hell."
"We didn't even saw a demon so far," argued Lana. "Or any flames, lava or brimstone for that matter."
"Hell is creative," explained Lana. "Burning for eternity may sound bad but you get eventually used to it. No, real torture on the long run has to be way worse, has to differ and be unexpected."
Lana made a grimace of discomfort and worry. "Will we meet any people who get tortured down there?"
"Maybe, maybe not," was Lucy's gloom answer. "But it may not be the most obvious torture."
Not wanting to know more Lana continued her work.
Luan's Job as a comedian means that she has to bring people laughter and happiness. She loved to get people to laugh and make them happy. Right now she was at her desk, writing down every joke she could think of.
She had a really good run, the ideas appeared in her head like in a factory but more creative. But she didn't want to overtax her brain and looked over some of the jokes she made so far. She thought all of them had at least some worth, except one, a odd joke that stood out.
"What said the Comedienne to the Comedienne? What you do is not helping anybody."
Luan was confused. She didn't remember writing such a self-deprecating joke. But this wasn't the only one.
"Who is a waste of space? The gal who created this unfunny joke."
Luan's eyes widened in shock. Why would she write this?
"This is a happy place. You should get to the unhappy one where you belong."
Luan started to shiver. "No, I deserve to be happy," Luan shouted and reading another joke.
"What does a bad person like you deserve? Nothing. Not even bad things because that would mean you are worth being noticed for something."
Luan ripped the paper the joke was written on into pieces. She didn't know what was going on. She took another paper to see what was written on it.
"Comes a unfunny clown into a bar. She is so depressed that she drinks herself to death and nobody cares."
Luan felt sick. Why should she write such drivel? She felt good!
"You don't feel good. You lie to yourself. You know that feeling bad fits you better," said another joke that could hardly be called a joke at all.
Luan felt down, seriously down. She had never felt so depressed in her life before. She didn't want to but something in her brain made her to read the next joke.
"Kill yourself. That would be the only funny thing you ever did."
Luan didn't knew why this was hitting her so hard. She had gotten worse, more unconstructive critique over the years but for some reason this was really hitting her. She read another joke.
"Do you know this one? Your presence poisons this planet and everybody who lives on it."
Luan didn't feel good otherwise. She had to start thinking about all the terrible stuff that happened during the ages. Had to think how so many people encountered injustices but never got justice. Everything was unfair and nothing could protect them or herself. Not even the people who did the evil things were safe. Random chance could end them as well and they never could find real peace. Nobody would ever be happy because the system wasn't designed for that.
No hope.
No rescue.
No salvation.
Only sadness.
Luan stood up from her desk and walked out of her and Luna's room. Her plans were unclear even to herself.
She hoped to get away from all these sad thoughts.
Lana stopped working. She felt too depressed. Furthermore, she felt as if somebody she knew was even more depressed than her. She wanted to go into the house to see if everybody was still alive and well.
"Where are you going?" asked Lucy as Lana walked away. "We still have a lot of work to do."
"I feel very sad," said Lana. "And I think somebody in the house needs me."
"Nobody needs you," Lucy said. After a few short Moments she improved her first sentence by saying: "Nobody needy you right now. They are all okay."
"But they are so quiet."
"Is that so unusual?"
"In the LOUD house? Yes, it is."
Lucy looked over to the house. "It is unusual, you are right about that."
"We should take a look," insisted Lana. "Charles can wait."
Lucy said nothing, first looking over to the house and then to the hole they were digging.
"I think we can't reach them at this point."
Lana looked over with a confused expression to Lucy. "What do you mean?"
"I think we are not on the same level of existence anymore."
"What do you mean?" asked Lana. "This still looks like our home."
"We… We are not exactly home right now," tried Lucy to explain. "You see, hell has many forms. One of them can be just another layer that looks like our home."
Lana becoming scared by this reveal looked nervously around. "Can demons ambush us at any time now?!"
"If my incantation worked and I am sure it did we should be safe," said Lucy in an assuring tone. "Still, the forces of hell can trick our ears. What you hear may not be our family but demons imitating them."
Lana looked even more scared than before. "Can they also turn into them?"
"Looking like our family? Some demons can," Lucy confirmed. "But only few demons can do it really convincingly."
Lana looked with an unsure expression at Lucy.
"Just stay close to me and everything will be fine," promised Lucy. "I am your older sister, it is my duty and my wish to protect you because I love you."
Lana hasn't heard Lucy ever talk like an older sister before. She usually was gloomy, dark and scary. She cared for her siblings like anyone else in the family, Lana knew that but taking a big sister role was usually something every other sister older sister of hers did.
It was comforting but it was also a bit scary. But not because Lucy was scary.
"For Charles," said Lana finally and continued to dig.
"For Charles," added Lucy.
Layer 4: Depression has ended. 4 more layers await our two heroines.
Kein Grund sich zu Sorgen.