Categories > Original > Fantasy > The Afterlife Unraveled
Chapter 2- The Falling
"Your soul has been judged. You are going to hell," Sophia said to the woman.
The woman didn't look surprised but thoughtful.
"It was worth it," she said with a sly smile.
"You better hope so," Alexander said coolly as he rose from his resting place. Picking up his staff, he thrusted it into the ground. Cracks scarred the dirt and they grew till they became a chasm.
The woman looked fearful now.
"In you go," said Alexander and pushed her in with his staff. She began screaming as she fell. Soon the chasm swallowed her up and shrank back into the smooth ground it once was.
Sighing, Alexander sat down again. This was the part of the job that he hated. He had been a reaper for thousands of years, but he still hated sending anyone to hell, even the ones that deserved it. He never understood why there were only two choices: heaven or hell. Most people weren't saints but they also weren't evil people and were sent to hell nevertheless because they didn't commit themselves to God. Take the woman for instance. Her sins were adultery and lying (because of the adultery). But really was she so evil? She was married for twelve years, and for the last five years her husband ignored her and didn't love her anymore. Was she so horrible to find the love that she was missing in her life? Alexander, despite his attitude of not caring, knew a lot about the people that he helped escort to their next life. The boy, Shawn, had been hit by a car as he was walking back to his house from school. The man, who had hit Shawn, kept driving by and didn't realize that he just killed some little kid. He'll be surprised when he dies. Well, there's another one for the furnace.
The boy. Alexander wondered why his heart was lighter than the feather. It didn't make any sense. But he guessed everything worked out anyway since heaven did admit him.
Alexander looked at Sophia.
"Another one, huh?" he asked.
"Yes, well, she deserved it," she said dispassionately.
"Do you ever wonder if hell has enough room for all its sinners? Do the newer ones have to take a number and wait in line? And do the sinners who have been there for centuries resent the newer ones? Do they think, 'Just wait. If you think it's bad now, think how you'll feel a hundred years from now'?" Alexander mused.
"I don't think it works like that. And hell can't be crowded. The souls no longer have bodies and no longer take up space," Sophia said simply.
Alexander sighed again. Sophia was such a drag to talk to. She could never think about such things because they might be evil and offend God. How annoying would it be to be an angel? To act so noble and be better than everyone else. Oh, look at me. I have wings and a halo and I'm buddy-buddy with God, so I must have a hallow head and not think of anything except good thoughts and peace on earth.
"Anyway, have you stopped gambling?" Sophia asked suspiciously.
Alexander grumbled. Sophia had been pestering him to stop gambling ever since she found out that he did. (All the reapers kept track of all the souls that they reaped that went to heaven or hell and gambled to see who had the most sinners, the most women, the worst criminal, etc. Alexander had been profiting quite a bit lately since he had been reaping mostly women's souls. Because of this, he had the nickname of "the Lady's Man.")
"Alexander! I knew it! How can you participate in such a foul activity? It isn't right. Plus, I've heard your nickname, 'the Lady's Man'! How can you make a mockery of the poor people's souls? I can't believe you're acting like one of those wretched human males who go woman-chasing," Sophia huffed.
Alexander look knowingly at her through lowered lashes as he added, "We get more points if the woman dies naked."
Sophia shuddered, horrified, as Alexander laughed at her.
"Don't be so uptight, Soph," he said. "It's only happened to me a handful of times."
He smirked at her shocked face.
She started to admonish him again when angel appeared.
The air shimmered with light as the angel came into focus. This angel was male and his name was Gabriel. He also wore a long, white robe but with a golden, woven belt to show the gender difference. His perfectly shaped face and golden eyes were solemn and pious.
Both Alexander and Sophia hushed in his presence.
Gabriel spoke fluidly, almost like singing. "The Council requests your presence immediately."
He was obviously talking to Sophia. Most of the angels ignored the reapers because the angels considered them dirty and beneath their holy feet. That was one thing that Alexander liked about Sophia. At least she acknowledged that he existed.
Sophia was greatly surprised, but it was not her place to ask why.
"I must leave. Excuse me," Sophia said politely to Alexander.
Alexander only bowed in response, knowing to hold his tongue. He turned to bow to Gabriel, but he had already left. That made Alexander fume.
Sophia did not know why The Council had any interest in her. The Council was held in heaven and since she was rarely there because of her job, she was on the outside of the circle of the most powerful angels in heaven. Basically, she was lower on the social pyramid. The lowest is Satan, of course, and all the sinners of hell, then the grim reapers (because they have the icky job of reaping all the souls), then the angels who judged the souls (Sophia), then God's messengers (Gabriel), and finally, (and most importantly) The Council.
She appeared in a white marble, circular room. The Council sat around her in a semi circle.
The most powerful angel, Raphael, rose before her. His body was frozen in the age of about forty, just when the wrinkles on the face start to appear but when the body is still strong. His brown hair shined gold highlights in the light, resembling a halo.
Sophia bowed and touched her forehead.
"Sophia, we have called you before The Council because you have committed a terrible sin," Raphael said firmly with a hint of anger.
Sophia stood, shocked. Her heart plunged into deep confusion and shame.
"Your charge is that you allowed a sinner, Shawn Adams, to enter heaven. This is an abomination! The gates of heaven are rusting and everywhere Shawn had stepped, the ground has started to rot. Fortunately, Shawn was contained soon after he entered, or all of heaven would have disintegrated under the sinner's touch!" Raphael's voice ended in a shout.
Sophia cringed.
Raphael continued, "Such an action has put all of us in danger! Your job judging souls is over. Your angel powers are stripped from you. You may never enter heaven again. Your place now is in hell!"
Sophia felt her world crumbling before her eyes. Instantly, she felt her wings torn from her and everything went dark as she fell, tumbling, from heaven.
-End of Chapter 2-
"Your soul has been judged. You are going to hell," Sophia said to the woman.
The woman didn't look surprised but thoughtful.
"It was worth it," she said with a sly smile.
"You better hope so," Alexander said coolly as he rose from his resting place. Picking up his staff, he thrusted it into the ground. Cracks scarred the dirt and they grew till they became a chasm.
The woman looked fearful now.
"In you go," said Alexander and pushed her in with his staff. She began screaming as she fell. Soon the chasm swallowed her up and shrank back into the smooth ground it once was.
Sighing, Alexander sat down again. This was the part of the job that he hated. He had been a reaper for thousands of years, but he still hated sending anyone to hell, even the ones that deserved it. He never understood why there were only two choices: heaven or hell. Most people weren't saints but they also weren't evil people and were sent to hell nevertheless because they didn't commit themselves to God. Take the woman for instance. Her sins were adultery and lying (because of the adultery). But really was she so evil? She was married for twelve years, and for the last five years her husband ignored her and didn't love her anymore. Was she so horrible to find the love that she was missing in her life? Alexander, despite his attitude of not caring, knew a lot about the people that he helped escort to their next life. The boy, Shawn, had been hit by a car as he was walking back to his house from school. The man, who had hit Shawn, kept driving by and didn't realize that he just killed some little kid. He'll be surprised when he dies. Well, there's another one for the furnace.
The boy. Alexander wondered why his heart was lighter than the feather. It didn't make any sense. But he guessed everything worked out anyway since heaven did admit him.
Alexander looked at Sophia.
"Another one, huh?" he asked.
"Yes, well, she deserved it," she said dispassionately.
"Do you ever wonder if hell has enough room for all its sinners? Do the newer ones have to take a number and wait in line? And do the sinners who have been there for centuries resent the newer ones? Do they think, 'Just wait. If you think it's bad now, think how you'll feel a hundred years from now'?" Alexander mused.
"I don't think it works like that. And hell can't be crowded. The souls no longer have bodies and no longer take up space," Sophia said simply.
Alexander sighed again. Sophia was such a drag to talk to. She could never think about such things because they might be evil and offend God. How annoying would it be to be an angel? To act so noble and be better than everyone else. Oh, look at me. I have wings and a halo and I'm buddy-buddy with God, so I must have a hallow head and not think of anything except good thoughts and peace on earth.
"Anyway, have you stopped gambling?" Sophia asked suspiciously.
Alexander grumbled. Sophia had been pestering him to stop gambling ever since she found out that he did. (All the reapers kept track of all the souls that they reaped that went to heaven or hell and gambled to see who had the most sinners, the most women, the worst criminal, etc. Alexander had been profiting quite a bit lately since he had been reaping mostly women's souls. Because of this, he had the nickname of "the Lady's Man.")
"Alexander! I knew it! How can you participate in such a foul activity? It isn't right. Plus, I've heard your nickname, 'the Lady's Man'! How can you make a mockery of the poor people's souls? I can't believe you're acting like one of those wretched human males who go woman-chasing," Sophia huffed.
Alexander look knowingly at her through lowered lashes as he added, "We get more points if the woman dies naked."
Sophia shuddered, horrified, as Alexander laughed at her.
"Don't be so uptight, Soph," he said. "It's only happened to me a handful of times."
He smirked at her shocked face.
She started to admonish him again when angel appeared.
The air shimmered with light as the angel came into focus. This angel was male and his name was Gabriel. He also wore a long, white robe but with a golden, woven belt to show the gender difference. His perfectly shaped face and golden eyes were solemn and pious.
Both Alexander and Sophia hushed in his presence.
Gabriel spoke fluidly, almost like singing. "The Council requests your presence immediately."
He was obviously talking to Sophia. Most of the angels ignored the reapers because the angels considered them dirty and beneath their holy feet. That was one thing that Alexander liked about Sophia. At least she acknowledged that he existed.
Sophia was greatly surprised, but it was not her place to ask why.
"I must leave. Excuse me," Sophia said politely to Alexander.
Alexander only bowed in response, knowing to hold his tongue. He turned to bow to Gabriel, but he had already left. That made Alexander fume.
Sophia did not know why The Council had any interest in her. The Council was held in heaven and since she was rarely there because of her job, she was on the outside of the circle of the most powerful angels in heaven. Basically, she was lower on the social pyramid. The lowest is Satan, of course, and all the sinners of hell, then the grim reapers (because they have the icky job of reaping all the souls), then the angels who judged the souls (Sophia), then God's messengers (Gabriel), and finally, (and most importantly) The Council.
She appeared in a white marble, circular room. The Council sat around her in a semi circle.
The most powerful angel, Raphael, rose before her. His body was frozen in the age of about forty, just when the wrinkles on the face start to appear but when the body is still strong. His brown hair shined gold highlights in the light, resembling a halo.
Sophia bowed and touched her forehead.
"Sophia, we have called you before The Council because you have committed a terrible sin," Raphael said firmly with a hint of anger.
Sophia stood, shocked. Her heart plunged into deep confusion and shame.
"Your charge is that you allowed a sinner, Shawn Adams, to enter heaven. This is an abomination! The gates of heaven are rusting and everywhere Shawn had stepped, the ground has started to rot. Fortunately, Shawn was contained soon after he entered, or all of heaven would have disintegrated under the sinner's touch!" Raphael's voice ended in a shout.
Sophia cringed.
Raphael continued, "Such an action has put all of us in danger! Your job judging souls is over. Your angel powers are stripped from you. You may never enter heaven again. Your place now is in hell!"
Sophia felt her world crumbling before her eyes. Instantly, she felt her wings torn from her and everything went dark as she fell, tumbling, from heaven.
-End of Chapter 2-
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