I was picking at my fingernails as the elevator moved slowly downwards.

I felt anxious. Agitated.

The elevator had started moving roughly an hour ago and I was already losing my cool. What if I did something wrong while I was down there? What if I got left there? The elevator seemed to move even slower as my breathing got heavier. I was panicking.

"No worries.“ The angel said over the speakers. "No need to be afraid.“

I stared at the ceiling and thought about how easy it was to say something like that when you didn‘t have to worry about spending eternity in Hell.

No worries, I thought and frowned.

"Almost there.“ The angel said. They sounded even more bored than before. I ignored them. They weren‘t helpfull at all.

With a look at the mirrored wall I took a deep breath.

"One day.“ I whispered. "It‘s only one day.“

The elevator slowed down, this time not only in my imagination and I prayed for a last time. I turned around, looked forward at the doors and waited.

"Your day in Hell begins as soon as you set a foot outside the elevator.“ The angel explained. "After twenty-four hours you will come back here. As soon as you get in the elevator a second time, you will be brought to the Gates of Heaven. Understood?“

"Understood.“ I answered. My try to sound more confident failed as my voice cracked. I coughed quietly and took another deep breath.

The angel sighed. "Listen,...“ They said slowly. "This is honestly not going to be as bad as you might think. Sure, it‘s not Heaven, but it‘s not like your going to be tortured or anything!“

I looked at the ceiling and raised an eyebrow. Were they still talking about Hell? Did angels experience this place differently than humans?

"I know it sounds weird but you‘ll be alright, I promise.“ They continued and for the first time since I had set foot in this elevator I felt reassured. "You have a good soul. You‘ll be fine.“

I nodded and closed my eyes. Another deep breath.

The elevator stopped and with a quiet sound the doors opened.

"Welcome to Hell.“ The angel said and now they sounded bored again.

I opened my eyes, expecting to see a world bathed in flames with demons walking around and humans screaming while being tortured. Instead I looked into an office with a few dozen cubicles and just as many people sitting at them.

In front of the opened doors stood a demon. They looked human just with added horns and a tail with sharp spikes and a grin, too wide and sharp to belong to one of my kind.

“Welcome to Hell!“ They said excitedly and extended their hand.

They kept on grinning so I gave them my hand and let them lead me out of the elevator and further into the room.

My first day in Hell had officially began.

“I’m not doing it. No way.”

“You don’t have a choice. It’s a simple exchange: to atone for sin you must spend a day in Hell.” The elevator operator, who’s name tag I notice reads “Nathen” says with a shrug of his black cloaked shoulders. “But it wasn’t even my fault! It was his!” I respond angrily, thrusting my finger in the direction of Rial. The dark haired boy’s eyes glint and he focuses his red pupils on me. “It was your decision to make the deal, Pierce.” “But it was you whole killed them!” I shout, feeling frustration bubble up in my chest like rising lava. “I don’t care which one of you did it.” Nathen interrupts. “It’s God’s word that you atone. And no matter how much you blame the other, you still share the same physical body.” He nods at Rial’s translucent figure. Rial growls. Turning his head away from us, he says, “So what you’re saying is that both of us are stuck in Hell for a day, since this dipshit-“ he motions at me, “-got us both killed.” “Precisely, though from what I witnessed I believe it was your fault.” Nathen responds, a smirk forming on his scarred face. His eyes are covered by the shadowy hood of his cloak, but I can still feel them staring right at Rial. I suddenly feel Rial’s offense like a wave. Anger and humiliation overtake him. I realize I need to stop him before he snaps again...! “Rial, don’t-“ I start, but he cuts me off. “Stay out of my emotions, Pierce!” he yells, spinning around and glaring at me. “You have no right to tell me what to do! If your stupid ritual hadn’t gone wrong, maybe both of us wouldn’t be in this situation!” “Rial, I...” I swallow, suddenly nervous.

(I didn’t feel like writing anything else, sorry.)

The demon is aflame, it’s wings iridescent against the soulless pits of hell. It grumbles, pointing further down the dimly lit corridor. I follow its direction, looking once more at the creature that would sooner tear into my flesh than make acquaintance. There is a certain silence that suffocates hell, one that scares me more than the cries of despair and sorrow. I walk with soft feet that make no sound along the corridor drenched in blood, heavy with the stench of burnt flesh. I would gag, were I not dead. I have reached a dead end- the elevator whines impatiently as its shadowed doors open wide. I cannot see what lies ahead, so like a sacrificial lamb, I blindly follow. The elevator is cold, damp. I want to cry, yet the tears have been drained from this fruitless corpse of mine. I stand for what seems an eternity in this cage, before it drops. My stomach enters my throat as I drop down... never ending and constant. For a time my soul leaves my dead corpse and travels through the timeline of life- all the glory,all the pain, condensed to a thin thread. I see a cloak of night, a slender white hand reaching out towards the moonlit thread. A knife. Long and jagged, it cuts the thread. My thread. My life. I am spiralling down... back to the terror of Hell. My body is weightless, until the elevator stops and this fragile shell cracks at the pressure. Wheezing and broken, I stand. I see blood on these broken hands and scream. My screams are silent. Hell is silent. The door opens and I stumble, falling on the pit of bones that welcome me. I want to die, yet I am already dead. This suffering can not condemn my soul to an eternity of heaven and light. This is not a test of might nor perseverance, but a punishment. I scream, loud and anew. Yet silence still. A figure emerges, green eyes pure, malevolent. “Welcome my friend. Your stay is most... appreciated.” His voice is a deep bass, rich and smooth. The only sound known to Hell. He is Hades, god of the Underworld. “No need of fear my friend,” he laughs mockingly, “Your stay will be permanent.”

“No I’m not doing this.” Jake protested.

“Just come on to the elevator Jake. You have my word you’ll comeback.” Said the elevator conductor.

“No, I’m not going to Hell. I’m already at the pearly gates. I’m not going anywhere.” The conductor sighed. “Jake, this isn’t a matter of debate. You spend one day in Hell. You spend the rest in heaven. Heaven is pointless if you have nothing to contrast it to.” “And you expect me to just believe you? Look at it!” Jake pointed. “A bright red cage with a solid black gate leading straight down.” He said swinging his finger downward in a large arc. “Yes” the conductor replied almost condescendingly “and it goes up too. Look if you don’t want to step into hell thats fine you can just spend it sitting in here with me. The denizens there wouldn’t dream of being near me.” “Why? Some kind holy blessing?” Jake asked sheepishly. “You could call it that.” “Well,” Jake said in a defeated tone “so long as I don’t get any pitchforks to the face, I guess.”

Jake took his steps carefully towards the elevator still scared he would never see the heavenly gates again. And as the conductor closed the fenced gate of the elevator behind Jake that’s the last thing he saw before sinking beneath the clouds.

A sizable chunk of time passed before the silence was finally broken. Jake had just noticed two short black nubs barely poking out of the conductor’s golden blonde curly hair. “I’m s-sorry sir.” Jake stammered still nervous. “What are t-those? On your head?” “Hmm? Oh they’re horns.” The conductor almost tiresomely replied “Visiting Hell tend some lasting effects when you do it as often as I. Lucky for you, you’ll only be entering it once.” “But wouldn’t that make you—“ “A demon?” The conductor said before Jake. “No, no, I’m one of God’s best and brightest.” “But then how’d you get a job like this?” “We don’t pick our jobs, Jake. We just do them. Hold up, your stop is coming up.” “Oh ok. I never got your name by the way.” The conductor was too busy slowing down the elevator to reply. The elevator touched down and as the elevator door slid open a wave of heat, sulfur and agonizing despair swept into the elevator. Choruses of screams of agony and pain could be heard in all directions. Jake instantly fell to his knees coughing at the stench and the heat. “You asked my name? It’s Damien. And by the way, this isn’t a day trip, not for you anyway.” Damien then picked up Jake by his collar and belt and threw him into the searing Hell landscape, and before Jake turn around the elevator and the elevator shaft was gone.