There was darkness.
As I woke up I realised I couldn't breath nor move. The pressure on my body was immense and the surrounding area was burning hot which wasn't helping. I wasn't in my room of that I was certain. Where am I? how I got in such a horrendous situation? will I get out?
I wasn't sure.
I tried to get up but couldnt. The only thing that comforted me and enabled me to not lose hope was that with every big push of my legs. With every pained flailing of my arms I could feel the surrounding somehow fall under me and I moved upwards.
At this point I realised I was drowning.
I paniced and swung faster, pushed harder and struggled more frantically, more desperately then ever.
I once almost drowned. It was when I went with my father, more then 70 years ago. In that time I was only 6 years old and the boat flipped over and the sea sucked me in. Like a monster from a nightmare, it tried to push me under the surface into its stomach. Luckily I didn't reach the bottom. Me panicking and moving around kept me afloat enough for my father to realise that i wasnt next to him and find me. I started to get tired and take in sea water. But dad rescued me in time. I will never forget the taste of those waters for the rest of my life. Even with my old age making a mess out of my head, I can still remember that salty bitter taste clearly.
This water was worse. Far , far worse.
The water was bitter and i wished I didn't have to taste it, this makes the sea water of back then to taste almost sweet .
I wished i wasn't here. As the air had trouble getting in. My eyes started to water. But I don't think it's just because of that. The stress and the fear of death were overwhelming. I don't remember the last time I cried so much.
Wait a moment. I remember, it was just 3 years ago.
As I cry, struggle and fight for my life i wonder from where all this strength comes from. Somehow I feel.. different.
I noticed something peculiar about my hands. Wait What the hell is wrong with my...!!!!
Right when another disturbing thought came to my mind I felt the surface parting and my hand came out of the hot sea. I reached out and touched something that wasn't that much cooler. What welcomed me was scorching hot air.
Soldering hot air. I couldn't make anything out of it. I couldn't make anything out of what i saw. Maybe I'm in the hospital. unconscious and having a nightmare. I hope my family isn't too worried.
The visage that welcomed me looked as if it was carved out of the preachings of a mad priest. Blabbering about hell this, hell that. You are all going to burn in hell if you don't accept jesus as your savior. All the fire. The burning sea that I just emerged from looked like... Lava.
I remember my mother taking me to church. How I loved it and would gaze at the nice nuns and took every word of the priest. Like a man on the verge of dehydration take a glass of water. Not allowing a single sylable to escape.
I remembered how it would mean the world to me as a child and even as I grew older.And how irrelevant and senseless it seems to me now. My mother was so infuriated by the fact that I stopped going and didn't take her grandchildren to church. We didn't talk for 4 months after that. I was when I was 34. It was after that happened.
It was a nice sunny day, in the middle of August. That I stopped going to church.
She forgave me and told me. " Do as you see fit". But still tried to lecture me when she visited. Convince me every time I was visiting her.
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I really miss her sometimes.
I seem to remember more lately. Old memories of an era that was no longer seemed to matter resurfaced. Details that were once covered in the dirt of time and old age seemed to return anew.
Wait. I'm sidetracking again.
I'm in Hot lava that flowed on the ground as if it was a river and demons were emerging from it and swimming towards solid ground.
Let's put aside the demons for a moment.
The flow of the lava was intense, indicating it's temperature. the lower the temperature the more solid it becomes.Atleast for most cases. Or so I tried to rationalize. But I touched it and nothing occured to me.
Except for the horrifying sight of demons swimming. I felt fine. Infact i felt much better then usual. Alert and energised. Sharp and fast. Just like my old self again. Till this point I avoided my reality almost perfectly. I didn't even glance at my hand and how it came in contact with the soldering liquid. I Reminisced the past just not to look at what is Infront of me. Unfortunately, several points were too strong for my mind to ignore. Point A. The demons. They emerged from the lava the same way I did. Which leads me to point B. The first breath I took sounded like a tiger's roar just a bit deeper and lower.
All the demons that emerged sounded like me. Which leads me to point C. If I was like them then it makes more sense as to how I survived. If I was a frail old man I wouldn't be able to dig my way out of the earth. I would have died. I looked at my hand.
Red. Red as the blood of the bitch.
I think I didn't woke up yesterday.
I died.
Died. I died. Oh god, I died!!! James ,jack. What about Andrew. My daughter Eli... Sweet little Anny.
Grandpa is sorry....
Fuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!!!
The sound that came out of my mouth wasn't anything that any man could make.
It's only natural for me to end up in hell. I was a piece of shit in my youth. Then there was that. It's most definitely that. I knew that I deserved to burn In Hell. But what surprises me is the fact that there is a hell to burn in. why I'm a demon? The demons are depicted as beings that their sole purpose in life is to make the damned miserable. Then why me, a supposedly "damned" currently having the same form of the demons? Perhaps the rest of the damned also share this form? Very unlikely....
Sigh
I was saddened by my death. I knew that I had to say goodbye to them but I didn't think I'll need to "live" without my family. As I tried to distract my mind from the thought of my death.
I didn't get the chance to say goodbye. Was it to much to ask? Huh God? WAS IT?!
Still sad, hurt and wrathful but more accepting towards my fate. I took a closer look at one of the demons next to me. He was only 5 meters away and strangely enough it didn't seem to react to me. And I didn't fear it.
The thing before me could only be described as the textbook definition of the word "demon": horns ,tail, red skin and sharp teeth. The only stupid original thing is the face. There is no skin. And there isn't a nose. Instead there are 2 thin slits, like those of a snake.the yellow pupilless eyes didn't add to his charm either.
I made a remark about the teeth haven't I? They are sharp ,pointy and they are everywhere. The front, canine and back teeth are equally shaped and constructed. The only exception are the canines, they are larger. It is a maw that was made to tear apart flesh Although I'm not too certain. I think I would describe the surrounding demons as imps.
I guess ,myself including...
Why would I give such a whimsical description to such horror you might ask? It's just because of the short limbs except for that, there is no other reason. There was something that doesn't sit well with me. This situation... Something is wrong but I can't seem to put my finger on it.
Why am I not burning in hell. I deserve it. I'm not even going to argue. I am immune to lava. Currently I'm bathing in it and it does nothing to me.
Suddenly I froze. A thought came to me.
If I'm here, Where is she? Where is my Eve.i can only assume she is in heaven. I guess She took " my angel" literally.
Will I meet her? What will she say when she sees me?
While i was submerged in the thoughts of my wife and no longer cared for the reason of me being here, I got a friendly reminder of my location.
A huge roar errupted and a giant emerged.
It was more then 3 meters tall as we were about less then 1 meter tall. The giant had 2 long horns that grew from his forehead. We had 2 sharp protrusion on ours. It was obvious that he was at a different league.probably because of the horns. I just got the feeling that he was better... Probably a new demon thing. I frowned as I thought how I seemed to know that. The nearest 3 to him died instantly. A kick here, a fist there and they became meat paste. honestly it was horrible, imagine skinless demons screaming and crying as they are reduced to nothing more then squashed meat patties. Bones and everything. After witnessing such gruesome sight the rest started to run. Some tried to overpower him with number but it was pointless. This thing knew what he was doing and knew what we were Capable of. And that wasn't much. So i did what any other sane person would do in such a situation.
I ran to the hills.