So, I died.

I assumed nothing existed, or everything really. I’d given death a lot of thinking and couldn’t have hoped on any possibility at this point. I spent my life promising myself to do everything in the sake of good and tried not to hurt people! But I guessed that was wrong when I walked up to those pearly gates, and fell right outta their grasp.

Looking around, I had never seen anything so... confusing! Fire and brimstone as they say, creatures of all shape and variety, people screaming people burning.

“Hello!” I heard a gruff voice speak onto me!

“My name is, well; who do you think I am,” they asked.

“The devil” I said unnerved.

“Not afriad?” They asked.

“What did I do? What the hell did I do wrong?” I screamed. They just looked on.

“Ahh, you people all have flaws, you couldn’t possibly imagine what you would’ve had to do to truly be good, it’s not your own perspective that matters!”

I looked on as they did.

“You spent years causing chain reactions on people lives so horrible, that you couldn’t have guessed the evil you’ve caused.”

“So, the things I did aren’t my fault?”

“And they are at the same time,”

I thought of how I’ve affected others, the lives I’ve ruined.

And then a flash behind my eyes. I was confused by what I could see, but the memories of others now onto me.

Different perspective soon perspective touched me, leaving me dirty with the word of men and women.

I had died young, I had yet to even think about others as much as myself. But now I regret that.

My friends, how we weren’t as happy go lucky as I remembered. or my first love, but now that I can see more, seems like me just using somebody else.

I never wanted that, I didn’t treat anybody the way their lives led them to believe.

“You do understand how much you’ve done to others. Even if you don’t think you caused it, they’re feelings only happened because of your direct influence.”

This devil...

“You don’t seem to be that regretful, why are you so upset,” they questioned.

I didn’t, I didn’t want this to happen, I shouldn’t. Be down here! I beckoned. I loved those people!

“You hurt them,”

I thought about that a little.

“What about the people that hurt me and don’t know! Will they get punished too?

“They’ll go through the same as you, but the outcome will be different,”

“Outcome?”

“They will have their time.”

I stood with a slump, my memories whizzing past as I connected all the dots between me, and even more one off friends, teachers, my parents... I never got how they could know so much about being my age, until now. Now I realize we are all the same, hurt people alike.

“Why the hell am I down here I asked? “

“You thought you hurt people, you get what you asked for”

“I thought everybody hated me!” I yelled.

“You only hated yourself,”

“Well...”

“Child, do you think these things matter now more than before?

“No!” I yelled,” I should’ve known these things before! Before all of this, I could’ve fixed it! Helped everyone! “

“Would you have helped everyone, or helped yourself. To feel good”

I paused , I wanted to say help everyone, but really I’d only do it so I feel good, but I do want to make others happy. But in the end it makes me happy.

“Is it bad to feel good when you help other people do the same?”

“No, but a lot of people do it specifically to feel good.

“Well then” I spoke, “ I’d do it to help others be happy! Even if It doesn’t make me happy! Or feel good”

“You say that, but the pitfall always creeps up on people,”

“How about this, child,M you will continue to sit on this purgatory plane, until you truly know, if you’d help people for them, or for you. Just because you say your pure doesn’t mean you are.”

“And ?”

“And you’ll stay, until you can change”

How long will that take?” I asked

“Sit and wait,”

They left

I sat down, and took in a breath of the hot air, do I even need to breathe down here? I asked myself.

Well I am human, and it’s what I do.

I stayed unmoving, firm on what I believed.

I felt, good. I felt, light.