17

      I notice an orb floating over a large rock in the middle of the opening. I walk up to it. No sound came from it. I touched it and a white flash came fast into vision. It faded and then I saw I’m guessing he’s fourteen year old sobbing into his hands sitting on the rock faced towards the wall. I walk around and tap him lightly. He slowly looks up at me and wipes his eyes. He has short black fluffy hair that slightly covers his eyes. His eyes are a shiny light blue. He wears a black tank top, and a dark pair of jeans with black work boots.  

      My soft side kicks in. “Kid what’s wrong?” I reach out to him but he backs away. I noticed a very nasty scar on the center of his neck. “What’s that from?” 

        “I-It’s…..” I can hear him whisper under his breath that he’s surprised that he can speak and then he continues, “It is from when I slit my throat.” 

      “Is that how you died?” He shook his head no and looked down at the ground.  “Then what killed you?” 

       “An old friend did,” he lifts off his shirt and you can see an old gunshot wound,”he shot me..” He pauses and continues. I let him vent to me. “My name is Abaddon. My little brother, Leo, went missing so I went out to find him..turned out I saw the kidnapper almost all the time and didn’t realize it. When I got there my little brother Leo was horrible. I was trying to help him out of the house when the kidnapper himself came along with his older brother. I tried my best but I failed him. I just hope he’s safe. To be honest I don’t know what to do. Hell…I don’t even know where I am.” 

     “You're in the lost soul dungeon of Hell….You know what,”I point to the hole that I fell from,”The exit is up there. You’ll meet someone named Ubel up there and tell him that Asheem sent you up there and that I’ll be back to retrieve you. Ok?” 

      “Ok,” he stood up and nodded at me,”Thanks.” 

        I go next to Anpu and Amon to see what they are looking at. They are looking up at the ceiling with thousands of lost souls swarming around. A guy stands in the middle of the swarm on the ground speaking in some odd language. Amon notices I am there and turns to me and Anpu, “Can someone explain what I’m looking at?” 

      Anpu and I shake our heads no. Anpu walks out there and rushes through the souls faster than any of the finest athletes. The strange man turns towards Anpu and smiles. He wears a long black coat and dark clothes with a jean chain. His skin is a pale light gray that is almost white. His hair is short and whiter than any snow. His eyes would look human if they weren’t red and orange ringed. He has a star that comes from the bottom of his right cheek and almost reaches his eye. He wears a long black jacket, what looks like a red and black dog collar, a dark gray shirt, black pants, and spiked boots. 

   Anpu shouts at him, “What’s going on here?” 

   The other guy shouts back, “They are disturbed by something. Someone needs to calm them down. They say they want to see a sprinkle of heaven. What the hell does that mean? Did someone leak?” 

    Before Anpu can respond back all the lost souls stop all of a sudden. Like time just stopped. Amon stepped out. His eyes became pure and strong and he put out his hands to the side. “They want reassurance that they are ok guys.” He smiles at us all. Anpu and the other guy come back to me at the entrance of the room. In his right hand he summoned his scythe and in his left he had that mask from before again. He put his head face to the ground and put the mask on. The sand on the old floor picked up and rushed around him. A light formed. 

    Anpu looked over to the other guy, “Apollyon. Get Ubel. We may need him.” They decided to run off and get Ubel but I stayed. I wanted to see what was going on. 

       The sand stopped all of a sudden and dropped back to the ground. The light faded and there before my eyes was something I didn’t expect. Amon was wearing pure white. His wings became white and fluffy. He had a halo. He looked back at me and gave that genuine smile of his. His eyes, the same purple . His hair, a light blonde. The souls came back to life and as soon as they noticed Amon they rushed up to them. “You are safe.” The soul's sobs turn into thousands of questions. They make a circle around him and stand with him straight in the middle. As if they are worshiping him. A little orb comes up to him and stops. A light again and a little kid appeared. 

       “I speak for all of us. You are an angel?” 

       “You can say that.” 

       “We are in heaven?” 

       “You are in a place where you are neither in heaven or hell. You can stay here as long as you want but if you wish to be placed somewhere else we can have you be judged.” 

     The kid smiles. “So..I could see my mother again?” 

     “Are you speaking now for  you or all of you?” 

     “Me.” 

    “Then I see no reason why you can’t. Come. I’ll take you to your mother.” 

      Amon puts his scythe away and puts his hand out to the child. The kid takes it and they disappear. 

       The souls go about like a lost town. Like nothing happened. Some were in orb form and others looked like they did when human. Some lingered in where they were in the circle, some hid in corners and sobbed, some flyed around the room and others just disappeared and became whispers not wishing to be seen. This place, this dungeon is a very sad place to be. I hear a whoosh sound and then feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Anpu. Someone is up there waiting for you. Me and Ubel will stay up here. We asked Apollyon to watch the gate. Well, we’re down here so you can do what you please. See you later.” 

             The kid that I talked to earlier was up there talking to Apollyon. I let them finish their conversation. “Apollyon do you always have to stand here?” 

                “No, I just come here to check on things. When I’m not here I’m in the place of destruction.” 

                  “What’s that?” 

                  “It’s where I reside.” 

                    They finally notice I’m there. Abaddon walks up to me. “Can I ask you something?” 

                     “Sure.” 

                     “I heard an angel was down there. They are whispering about it. Somehow I can still understand them.” 

                      Apollyon interrupts, “I’ll answer this. You are still considered a lost soul. Only lost souls can understand the whispers of lost souls. We can hear you because you want us to. About the angel thing tho. We’re in hell so there are no true angels. That was Amon down there. He’s what you call a fallen angel. That’s why he has wings. That mask of his allows him to take his past form. He carries it with him to remind him of where he came from. He acts like what you imagine an angel would act like. But really they are nothing like that. He was kicked out of heaven for breaking one of the main rules.”

      “What’d he do?” 

      “He went to the earth realm to save a family. Some of us were human once. No matter who they were, we can't choose what happens to us after death. We are immortal. We cannot die really. So some choose to go to a different realm. The mortals have no choice. They can either be judged, roam the earth realm, or they become lost souls and are sent to this dungeon. Amon was fit to go to heaven so heaven he went. He thought things would be different. Heaven is a place for the weak, he said once. He said that it is a place of all lies. Here we teach reality. We punish the ones that deserve it. We don’t allow human intruders and we let the good ones finally decide what they want. You can wander this place all you want, kid. But you can’t leave. If you want we can have someone judge you. Either Ubel or Anpu is in charge of that.” 

       Abaddon turns to me. “I want to be judged but first I want to thank you. I will stay here and wait for what comes my way. Maybe I can stay here. It’s not like I have anything to lose.” 

     I nod at him and walk away. I will return here. But first I remember my unfinished business. I will find Layla on my own. I guess I could try Jax again. He can’t kill me anyway. He was gonna shoot me in the head. It wouldn’t have done anything but hurt for a second. I can find him with ease. All I have to do is imagine myself at the same location as him and I’ll teleport myself there. I actually need to clear things up with him too.