AN EVENING IN HELL - Prologue

 

THE ORIENTATION

“Umm hello? Toin…is it?”

I was very disoriented. Like having the curtains ripped open. And the morning sun attacked your eyes. 

Fortunately, there was a beautiful woman standing in front of me. She held out her hands. A gesture perhaps, to help me to get up.

“Yes, that’s me. Umm…who are you?”

“Oh, so sorry. My name is Darciania. I’m one of Miss Morningstar’s assistants. I am here…”

That piece of information almost flew past me. My brain caught that. And I had to ask again to clarify. Wondering if I heard wrong. Hoping actually, that I had heard wrong.

“W-w-wait. Can you repeat that again? You are whose assistant now?”

She looked at me weird. As if I’m the one who’s saying something weird. 

“Miss Morningstar? Why?”

I heard that correctly, unfortunately. “Morningstar. As in…”

“As in Lucifer Morningstar. The once leader of the angels. Or as you humans know her, the Devil.”

“Oh, yeah. I knew that. And I’m guessing we’re in Hell?”

“Naturally. Where else would the Devil be, right?”

She laughed. I gave a polite chuckle. It was quite funny, but I am in Hell. So forgive me if I can’t burst out laughing at funny quips.

Great. This is just great. Thirty years of being a loser, and now I am in Hell. I can’t catch a break. Even in the Afterlife. And on that note, then I laughed.

“So, where am I going now?”

She looked at me weird again. So I asked her. “What? What’s the matter?”

“Nothing. You don’t ask the typical question people ask when they learn that they’re in Hell?”

I just shrugged. “I’m too tired to care, Miss. I just want to get this over with. So, am I getting tortured or burned at the stake or what?”

“Oh, straight to business. But we can hash out the details later. Right now, why don’t I give you a quick tour of Hell. Is that okay with you?”

This is college orientation once again. Yeayyy. “I got nowhere to be. Lead the way Miss Darciania.”

She laughed. She’s quite cute, especially when she laughs. “That’s a good one. I like the spirit. Let’s go.”

***

We had been walking for a while now. The landscape had not changed much. Doesn’t change at all, I thought. Just acres upon acres of the flat surface of earth.

“Umm…Excuse me Miss Darciania?”

She turned her head towards me. Her face still rocks that cheerful business-like smile she had a few miles ago when we first met.

“Yes?”

“Umm- where are we going actually?”

“Why, hell of course. Didn’t I tell you?”

“I thought we’re already in hell?”

“Yes, you’re technically correct. All this is Hell. But hell as in the divine punishment, that’s where we’re heading.”

“Oh, okay. Is that like the Netflix series? Different hell for different people.”

“Oh, you mean Lucifer? Yes, we all adore that show. Even Miss Morningstar loved Tom Ellis playing her. We, of course, especially loved Mazikeen.”

“Oh yeah, she’s hot.”

“Right? Glad you like her as well.”

I am getting far more comfortable than I should’ve. And this is getting offtopic. I should steer things back to topic. Which, unfortunately, is hell.

“So, whose hell are we going?”

“Ummm, no one in particular. Hell is not a private torture chamber for each person.”

“Oh, so not like Lucifer, then.”

“No. Hell is not some BDSM cult. That’s a misunderstanding we strive to correct.”

My face must’ve shown more shock than it should. Because Darciania burst out laughing when I suddenly stopped and almost stumble.

“That’s the first time I’m hearing about it. It’s not mentioned in the Bible at all.”

“I’m not surprised. The Holy Book had undergone many changes over the years that the real story of the divine got lost over the years.”

Get to the point Darciania. “So, what then, is Hell?”

Darciania thought for a moment. “Hell is, ummm…is like a giant washing machine.”

My eyes must have been like Jim Carrey in the Mask. “What?!”

“Yeah, I think that’s an apt description of how Hell works. As humans lived their lives on Earth, they accumulated sins. Some can be forgiven, some can’t. Much like stains on a white shirt. Hell, washed up the sins through its process. When you are free of even the notion of sins, when you are pure again, you are then permitted to enter heaven.”

“Huh. That’s quite an elegant system.”

“Right. I thought so myself. That’s God fella I tell ya. He’s a genius.”

“Huh. I thought the Devil and her minions loath God.”

“Oh, I don’t know the story behind that.  I’m quite new here. Maybe we can hear all about it from Miss Morningstar herself.”

“Maybe I will.”

“Anyway, we are here now. Our first stop. The first stage of hell.”

I look around. There’s nothing here. Still just a barren land. In front of me was a door frame. There’s not even a door.

“Where? There’s nothing here.”

Darciania stood beside the door frame. Like a doorman welcoming me into the Ritz. “Step right through here please.”

I hesitated. But also curious. If curiosity doth killed the cat, the Imma pounce on it with all I might. 

I stepped past the door frame.