Inferno

Chapter 1 Inferno

I wasn’t sure where we were or how it was that we got there, but wherever we were, it was not a place where you would choose to go, if you’d have had the choice. 

The town was large, and you could tell also well inhabited, because from the corner of your eye you could see shadows dash quickly across the windows and dark transparent figures that moved so swiftly between the buildings and through the streets that you could blink, then look again, and they would be gone. It made me question whether they had even been there, but a burnt surfer-like stench that lingered in the air hinted to the fact that it wasn’t just our imaginations. 

Yet, at the same time, it was eerily quiet, it felt as if that moment of suspense when you hold your breath, so as to not miss even the slightest sound, in the vast ocean of silence that whispers clues of what might suddenly happen next. Just like that very still, tense moment that happens just before the hunting lioness, lying in hiding between the dense grass, her eyes fixed, paralyzed, and fully engrossed on her prey, holds herself in likewise suspense seconds before making her deadly strike to take down her unsuspecting prey. 

We glanced around trying to figure out where we should go and how to try and leave this dreadful place, but everything looked either closed down or unwelcoming. Windows were boarded up and the doors to each and every one of the brick townhomes that lined the street had makeshift barricades in front of the doors, with so many boards nailed across the entryway that you could barely see the surface of the wooden doors beneath. Padlocks could also be seen on the doors and the message was clear that something was desperately being avoided and trying to be kept out of the homes, at all costs. It was clear to us that we were not safe here. Then we noticed, up and off in the distance, some movement and some occasional flashing and flickering lights, but because of the dense fog at that higher elevation it was hard to make out exactly what it was. 
 
We looked at each other bewildered after realizing there was not a single place that felt acceptable approach, so we decided it might be safer to head over to the area where we saw the lights flashing and flickering from time to time. Hopefully, that’s were we could find our way out. 

Without words we glanced at each other and then immediately started to briskly walk up the hill.

As we made our way up the steep road, I began noticing small, dime-size, black figures scattering away across the floor just before our feet would hit the ground. When I glanced over and looked at my uncle, I was horrified to see little black bugs crawling on his back. I tried to brush them off but at the same time I felt something crawling up my arms and in a panic, I looked down and saw the same beatle like bugs crawling all over me. I screamed, started swating them away and ran and jumped onto a tall pile of debris. My uncle followed me and with his quick thinking and a calm, steady and confident demeanor, acquired from his years of crime fighting and heroic rescues as a sheriff, he grabbed some things from the ground and, fast as lightning, made them into a torch. The homes lining the streets had lanterns with flames burning, so he quickly lit the torch there and came back to where I was. By that time the bugs had covered all of my body but as he approached with the flame you could hear a sharp screeching sound and they scattered away. My uncle said, “They must be afraid of the light! Hold this and I’ll make us another one!” While my uncle made the other torch, I scanned the floor and stared at the bodies of some of the insects I had managed to crush. I could now recognize that type of insect they were, Scarab beetles. 

I reflected on and remembered that scarab beetles are also known as dung beetle and they are appropriately called that way because they toil for, defend, and eat excrement. Why had they been so attracted to me?  As disturbed as I was, soon my gaze focused on what rested beneath me. The debris pile I climbed onto was actually a snake den. Snakes started pouring and slithering out of every crevice. They all stated to quickly slither toward my uncle who was returning from lighting the other torch. They slid past my feet and were everywhere but they actually showed little interest in me. within seconds, More and more came out and they were hissing and staring at my uncle. 

As my niece and I scampered away down the hill our hearts beating with panicked hysteria we saw behind us transparent figures and dark shadows just behind the top of the hill. Then we both stumbled and rolled until we smashed into a cherry tree, I looked at my niece's face trembling with tears. At that moment, my face radiated rage. 

I ran back up that hill thundering out "In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Precious Blood I bind you and send you to the Lamb of God." Suddenly, the figures and shadows appeared to be scampering and disappearing back to the place,

I came back and found Anita offering me cherries. Just as we were each about to bite into a handful of cherries,  a deep voice spoke to us. He had a serious tone, with a hint of sarcasm and he said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Our jaws dropped and we spun around to see who was there. A man stepped toward us and as he stepped into the glow of light coming from our torches we could see he wore a long black cassock. He had short dark hair, glasses, and he held a rosary in one hand and a thick leather bound book in the other.  We immediately recognized him as an exorcist we admired greatly, had listened to often and had learned much from. My uncle stepped forward, "Father Wolfferger?" He replied, "I'm glad I found you. We need to get you out of here, immediately!"He began praying in Latin and walking away, and we immediately followed him, staying closely behind. Between prayers, Father spoke with us.  “Our Lady of Mount Carmel sent me to be your guide. There is no way out of here except to pass through the depths of purgatory first. Turn around and I'll explain more after I show you something . We had reached the top of the hill and as we turned around we could now have a clear view of where we had ascended from. It was a city built just around the outskirts of a deep, dark cavernous abyss. Right now you were at the gates of Hell. The only reason why you were not sent past the gates and devoured by this place to be tortured here for all eternity is because the Queen of Heaven has interceded on your behalf and Our Lord has not permitted it.”  My uncle and I, at the same time, reached for our scapulars which clung around our necks, we grasped them and closed our eyes as we prayed short but fervent prayers of thanksgiving. Father Wolfferger briefly explained that the beetles had been attracted to me because of my predominant fault of sloth and the snakes had been attracted to my uncle because of his predominant fault of vain glory. “The vermin at the gates here can “smell” the state of your soul. Each has its favorite stench. The longer you are there the more The stench of sin and vice ferments, and thus the greater appeal you have. It begins with the vermin, but there are much bigger and more sinister things that would have soon come for you.” I will lead you both to the bus that will carry you out of here. It will cross a large, dark body of water and drop you off at the shores of purgatory. 

Chapter 2 The bus

Anita and I sat at the back of the bus, well away from the others and said quietly a Our Father and Hail Mary.

Almost immediately a bright eyed smiling woman sat next to us. As she did we moved off.

I heard you saying the Hail Mary so I thought you wouldn't mind me joining. All the other people in this bus are idiots.

"Why do you say that?" Anita asked.

The her bright eyes and warm, friendly face turned to whimpering and a few tears. Her face remained frozen that way for a moment, while you could tell that she was replaying something in her mind. Then a suddenly, she smirked and perked up, and replied, "Many of us were friends at one time or another." It's very sad, really, after all I did for them! Not even a single thank you!"

"I hope someday they will realized all I did for them. They only think of themselves. "

A man with a long gray beard appeared to overheard our conversation and hesitatingly turned around to face us. He looked up at the smiling woman and whispered, “Hi my name is Thomas. I couldn’t help but over head your conversation and thought I’d share with you a prayer that helps me to be generous with my time and possessions. When I get tempted to count favors, I ask God to help me be more generous and not to expect anything in return. Hope it helps.” He turned around and went back to reading a book he had in hand. 

The woman's face turned sour and she return to the front of the bus.

I said to Anita "It's amazing the reception our phone get here. I wonder how they got the technology into the borderlands of heaven and hell."

Anita said "Let see if we can google here."

We both stayed on the phones for hours until...

The bus driver called out “alright this is the last stop!”

We looked around and realized we had been so absorbed looking on our phones that we missed our stop and the last stop was certainly not heaven. Reluctantly we stepped off the bus. The driver immediately closed the bus doors and sped off like a cat with its tail in fire :) we could see why. As we looked around...