by Carl East
“Yet they know where they are? Is that not so?” I said.
“Oh yes, they know they just choose to ignore the fact. They are also quite aggressive, as each one thinks and even believes that they have a right to lead the others in revolt of their captivity,” replied Sonia.
“You seem to accept all of this in your stride, like nothing down here could ever bother you or make you turn aside from the path you have chosen?” I said, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
“As I said before you either accept your fate or drown in a life of remorse and regret, I chose long ago to accept my fate,” she replied.
“How long ago, and were you always a part of the succubae?”
“Almost three hundred years now and yes I was always part of the Succubae. It took me a hundred years to attain this post, and I’m not about to let it go now,” she replied, seemingly with pride.
We walked further until we once again came to an opening in the tunnel, only this time what lay ahead was desolation and sounds of battle. It would appear, that war was the creed by which these souls lived by and nothing would turn them away from it. I witnessed people slaying one another, and the dead disappearing only to be able to come back and enter the fray once again moments later. It seemed like a battle that would never end, and at one point in our trip across this area, the battle threatened to involve us. Sonia dispatched those that came too near with ease, and only the foolhardy even tried.
It all saddened me, and the way they seemed not to care made it even more depressing. I found myself looking forward to when this particular realm of Hell was behind us, but of course I didn’t know what I would see further down the road. The cries and sounds of battle would forever be etched in my mind as we approached yet another grand looking door.
This time it was a large metal gate that didn’t need guards, and when we stood at the foot of this impressive doorway Sonia made a gesture with her hand before the doors creaked loudly and slowly opened up. The inside looked like a medieval dungeon, with hallways leading in several directions, and hideous statues of demons slaying and feeding upon humans. The artwork, though macabre, was never the less stunning.
“This is the place for the torment of evil souls, those deemed by mortals as well as God and the Devil to be far from redemption. They are tormented for millennia before being allowed to go on to the next level of Hell, sector four,” said Sonia, leading the way once again.
“Isn’t that where Bale said he came from?” I noted.
“Yes, he was once tormented here, but now serves the Master,” replied Sonia.
I didn’t question it any further, instead I was intrigued as to how these wretches were punished and foolishly asked. Sonia led me down one of the many corridors that filled the hall, until we came to what appeared to be a dead end. She then raised her hand and we could see through the wall, and a person on the other side.
“This is one of the torment chambers, and that is a psychopath from your world. He never got caught in his mortal incarnation, so he is paying for his crimes here,” said Sonia, standing to one side so that I could see.
“Can he see us?” I asked.
“No, it is like a one way mirror, we can see him but he is not aware of our presence,” she replied.
For a while, he just stood there, and then he opened the door that was next to him and stepped through. Seconds later, we could hear screams coming from the room he’d entered and then he reappeared back where he started from.
“He has been told that the door to his left leads to safety, but that it is the most dangerous route to take,” said Sonia.
She then led me around another corner that I could swear wasn’t there before, and we could see into the room he entered. Inside were blades of various heights spinning around in the darkness, we could see them from our vantage point but when the psycho entered the room it was pitch black for him. The door opened again and once again the tormented walked in, I could see that he was aware of the blades as they spun because he edged forward only slightly.
He then took a run and dived over the first blades that were ankle height, and then rolled forward to a standing position and tried to jump over the next. We could see he was heading straight for the blade and the moment he touched it, was the moment he was cut in half and thrown to the floor in pieces. Seconds later, his bodily remains vanished and Sonia took me to the end of his tunnel. He was now in one piece and seemed to refuse to go back into the room. This it turned out was a mistake, for as his decision was made the wall in front of us moved forward pushing the tormented towards the end of his tunnel until finally the two ends met and he was pulverized between both of them.
Seconds later the tunnel had reset, and he was back at the end trying to make up his mind what he should do next. I’d seen enough by this stage, but strangely felt no compassion for this man. Back on earth, I was against the death penalty, but the punishment met out here was significantly more brutal than any we had devised. If this man had gotten away with multiple murders when he was alive, he deserved what was happening to him now.
Sonia now led me away from the insanity part of the tormented realm and into the suicide section. This was something I had always disagreed with, especially where the Catholic Church was involved. They maintained that suicide was not forgivable by God, as that would mean they had lost faith in the Almighty and turned their backs on Him.
I’d known several people in life that had taken their own lives through either tragedy or suffering and to be punished further seemed unjust to me. However, who was I to question God’s judgments, and so I suffered the wails of torment and the sobbing that flooded my senses as we passed through this dreadful part of the tormented realm. I think Sonia could sense my disapproval, but said nothing.
When we finally reached the end, I could see a portcullis being lowered at the end of this vast area. It was as if we’d traversed an oversized castle and were now leaving via the front door. The next realm was sector four, and this, it turned out was where the truly evil came to be turned into demons. I already knew one such demon, but was unlikely to see him here and now.
This place was a hive of activity, with horned demons going about their various duties completely oblivious to our presence. They were whipping women and men into loading up carts of coal that seemed to be just lying around for anyone to pick up. These souls were then forced to push their loads up a great ramp before emptying the contents into a lake of molten lava.
Please…that’s a bit of a cliché isn’t it?” I said.
“This is punishment for the lazy and the underworked souls of your world, you’d be amazed at how many souls we get that never did a day’s work in their life,” replied Sonia.
“Yes, it’s called the privileged few,” I replied, sarcastically.
Sonia didn’t seem to understand that, so I let it be. I soon noticed as we walked further into the fourth sector, that Sonia seemed to be more on her guard here than at any other point thus far. Therefore, I asked her why.
“Demons do not always follow orders laid down by the Master; some actually challenge his authority to rule and even try to incite an uprising. It has only happened three times in my tenure, but it was three times too many. My Master rules supreme down here, but sometimes they tend to forget that and it can become very messy. I and several of my sisters were ordered down here the last time it happened, to quell the uprising before it started and we lost a few good succubae that day,” she replied.
“Doesn’t the Devil have his own body guards?” I said, naively.
“The succubae are his body guards, we have great powers given to us by the Master and can be ruthless when needs be,” she replied.
We walked and talked for some time after that, with no incident to speak of until we reached the lair of the succubae themselves. I was looking forward to seeing this part of Hell, and I had to admit when we turned that last corner and saw the temple in all its glory I was impressed. It towered over the landscape, and w
as an imposing structure that Sonia was proud to be a part of.
When we reached the doors, we were greeted by three stunning beauties, each more lovely than the last and were ushered into the temple proper. The lush décor was of a stark contrast to what we had just walked through, and the marble floors and staircases shone with a gleam of cleanliness I hadn’t expected to see in Hell.
“Refreshments will be served shortly Geoffrey, if you’d care to sit here I will arrange it,” said Sonia, actually using my name for only the second time.
I sat and waited, and while I did, I watched the girls coming and going and noticed that more than one of them seemed to want to flirt with me. When Sonia returned with refreshments, I was talking to five of them.
“Okay girls, give the poor man some air, he is in need of refreshments,” she said, clearing a path to my seat.
“How can I eat when this is not my corporeal body, but the essence of it?” I said, thinking she had forgotten.
“We are all the same down here these are not our real bodies either but even your essence needs nourishment. It is created to feel and taste the same as food in your world, so that we may live a life that’s not too dissimilar to the one we left behind,” explained Sonia.
I tried the food offered and found it to be quite palatable, so I ate and drank and watched the various succubae going about their daily routines. After finishing, I asked Sonia if I was permitted to look around the succubae’s living quarters, to which she said yes. I was then given a tour of this magnificent structure.
“This is the great hall, where we get our assignments and meet daily,” said Sonia, after leading me through several corridors.
There was a lot of activity in here, as the girls went about their business.
“Is beauty a prerequisite to becoming a succubus?” I asked, noticing that there were no plain women in sight, only beautiful ones.
“Yes…looks mean everything to the Master, without good looks the missions become harder, so it was decided long ago that any new recruit would have to have certain qualities in order to be allowed into our ranks,” replied Sonia.
“It’s the Master that gives you the powers you talked about earlier, so what are those powers?”
“The main ones are of strength and travel, but we have other powers that we find useful from time to time. For instance, you are now thinking some very sexual thoughts of what you would do if you had Janet there,” she said, pointing to the beauty that was just passing us, “all to yourself for an hour or so.”
I felt a flush in my cheeks as she said that, and realized that she was right. I’d let my imagination wander a little too far, and was indeed thinking very erotic thoughts.
“I apologize, I didn’t mean to embarrass you or myself,” I replied.
“I would find it strange if you didn’t have those thought, it tells me that I am dealing with a man who has needs. You are like any other hot blooded male, and for that you need not apologize,” she said, carrying on with the tour.
By the time we reached the living quarters of this temple, I thought I had my erotic thoughts in check, boy was I wrong. There were half-naked and fully naked succubae going in and out of their rooms. I’d never seen so many beautiful women in one place. Moreover, I probably never would again. I think Sonia could sense my discomfort and quickly moved on to the final part of this structure.
“Here in the Master’s hall is where we await the Master whenever he’s summoned us, and through those doors is my Master’s personal chamber,” said Sonia.
She was pointing at the most intricately carved wooden doors I’ve ever seen, it had scenes of debauchery and magnificent depictions of armored Angels going into battle carved into both sides. ‘What I wouldn’t give for a photograph of that masterpiece,’ I thought as Sonia indicated that we should move on.
“Is it not possible to see the Master’s chamber?” I said.
For the first time on this trip, she paused before answering.
“I will consult the Master,” she said, and then stood perfectly still with a look of concentration written all over her face, “yes you may.”
I realized that she must have been using her mind to contact her Master, and he had given her his permission to enter. She led the way and as we got nearer to the door, I was fascinated by the artwork on its wooden frame. The sheer detail carved into the wood was a masterpiece, and one that I would never forget. As the doors opened, I glanced inside and I completely forgot the door. There on the walls of this large room were multiple carvings of the succubae in various forms of undress, all performing a sexual act. It was quite breathtaking in its design, and on each side of this room stood magnificent marble pillars, even the floor was made of marble.
Up ahead was the Devil, the same man who had made the deal with me in the basement. We walked up to his throne, and Sonia knelt down in front of him.
“Master…I give you Geoffrey Morgan?” she said, not looking up.
“Ah Geoffrey, I see you made it then? So what do you think of my domain?” he said, standing up and walking over to me.
“It’s quite magnificent sir, at least this part of it at any rate. I have to say I admire your art work, it’s simply stunning.”
The Devil laughed, before looking at me again.
“You mortals never cease to amaze me, here you are, a guy who has lost his soul or will lose it in ten years’ time and you’re talking like this is just a passing visit with all the pleasantries that go with it,” he said.
“I have gained the knowledge I seek by making this deal, so I am happy with our arrangement,” I replied.
“Yes, you now know that your parents did indeed go to Heaven, but you cling to the hope that others who read your story will somehow be saved as well, and I tell you that you’re a fool. Mortals will read your tale, but they’ll ignore the message, and do you know why, because they are stupid and ignorant and only when they enter Hell and see for themselves that what they read should have been heeded will they know the truth,” he said, arrogantly.
“Maybe so, but what if just two people believe my story and it does affect the outcome for them. That’s two people you didn’t get thanks to me, and I can live with that,” I replied.
“I can see you live in a fantasy world and nothing I say could deflect you from the mission you’re on. I will say one thing though, I admire your convictions and wish you well,” he said, taking me totally by surprise.
Sonia stood up then and beckoned me to follow, which I did.
“Is that the end of the tour?” I said, taking one last look at the artwork on the walls before leaving the room.
“No, there is one other section of Hell to see, and then it will be over,” replied Sonia.
With that, we moved out and came to a back door, on the other side I found myself in another dark and gloomy looking place, and the smell was almost over powering.
“Where are we now?” I said, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the lack of light.
“Despair, this is where all those that despair of their journey through Hell come to try and end the torment. They have lost their minds and want it all to end. Nothing and no one can get through to them, and so they are left to dwell in their own self-pity. They throw themselves off cliffs, or onto knives just to stop the thoughts that invade their minds, but nothing they do will ever stop their self-loathing,” said Sonia, with a passion I’d not heard before in her voice.
“You pity these people?” I said, having no need to read anyone’s mind.
“My sister ended up in here, and though I tried I couldn’t get through to her. So yes, I do pity these people for I can understand how they feel. Moreover, with all of my powers, I am powerless to help them. I try not to come here now if I can help it, but on occasions like now I have no choice,” she replied, looking out over the depressing area as if to spot someone.
“You can take me back now Sonia, I’ve seen enough,” I said, wanting the feelings she was suffering to end.
Sonia turned and looked straight at me.
“You are a good man Geoffrey, it is a pity that you will end up down here one day,” she said, “but know this, I will be looking out for you when you arrive,” she added, and then waved her hand.
Suddenly I was waking up in the corridor next to the basement in my friend’s house. I got up and looked down the tunnel before turning and re-entering the basement proper. When I turned back, the doorway was no longer there, just a wall. I called out for my friend who came down straight away.
“I’m back,” I said, greeting him at the foot of the stairs and noticing a look of puzzlement on his face.
“You’ve only been gone for five minutes,” he said.
I realized then that time must be different down in Hell and I told him so, before recounting my tale to a captive audience.
***
So now, I’ve written it all down, and you the reader must decide what path to take during the rest of your life. I will pay a heavy toll for bringing you this tale, but if I can save just a handful of souls from following the path of some of the wretches, I saw, it would be worth the sacrifice.
I will do nothing but good with my remaining years, and it will be interesting to see how the Devil can justify taking me to Hell, based on my selfless act of the need to share with all of you the one inescapable truth, that Heaven truly exists.
To Hell and Back - Part 2
It was the 15th of November 2008 and I had one day left to live. In the ten years that I had left after bargaining my soul for a tour of Hell, I’d done a lot of good. I founded two charities, one that helps the homeless and another that feeds hundreds of children in the Sudan. Although I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you of all the help, I’ve received, over these last ten years.
After publishing my story in several prominent magazines around the world, I slowly but surely built up a following of sorts with people who believed my tale. One in particular whose name was Brian Colfax, was a multi-millionaire and he’s dedicated this last ten years to helping me spread the word.
