FicWad

Chapter 5: Adam and Eve

It's freezing. I am so cold. Every part of me is biting cold. My back aches...it feels like its being torn apart, like iron bars skewering into me, tearing me apart...I would bleed...except that my blood is so cold, it's frozen solid.
"Sophia," She could hear Alexander's voice in her ear, urgent and worried. "Are you okay? Wake up! Sophia!"
"Alexander, where are we?" Sophia asked, disoriented. She felt like she had been out of it for awhile.
"We're in Cocytus, the Ninth Level," Alexander said softly as if saying it as quietly as possible would take away the truth: that once they arrived here, they would never leave.
She looked into Alexander's bloodshot eyes. He hurt too even though he was trying not to show it.
Sophia shivered, so Alexander held her closer even though it made no difference.
"It's so cold," she said.
"I know," he replied, and she realized that he held her close to not only keep her warm but to keep himself warm as well.
"Contrary to what humans think, hell is a frigid place," Charon said, standing above them. "No warm light of God shines down in the very core of hell, where Satan dwells. Hell is like Pluto, a dwarf planet named so because it is a rock of ice that is so far from the sun that no warmth reaches it. The only difference is that the gap between us and God is much farther than any number of light years."
Sophia shivered again, not from the cold but from the memory of that wrenched, hateful soul that mocked her. Even when she was cast out of heaven, she felt no resentment, no bitterness. God knew best; he knew that she deserved the punishment that she was given. Only shame...that's what she felt. Shame because she went against God's will. Shame because of what she was reduce to. But now....
That soul...that soul touched me with his wrenched hands, mocked me with that acid tongue...is this what I've been reduce to? I am so low that the most hateful son of bitch can touch me when once I was one of the holiest beings? That even the lowest sinner in hell can mock me as if I was less than him? How can God do this to me? Because I believed that someone didn't deserve to go to hell?
Sophia bit her lip as if that would stop her bitter voice in her head. No, I shouldn't think like that...I don't know why but until now, I thought a mistake was made and if I was good and stayed true to God, I would somehow be saved from my fate...But no, nothing can save me now....
A chuckling resounded around them. They didn't know where it was coming from until he stepped out in front of them.
"Never have I been so pleased! Two of my most favorite people!" Lucifer walked toward them with open arms. His features kept changing; he was many people at once as he was the master of disguise and lies. The only thing that stayed consistent was his eyes. His charcoal black eyes bore into them, haunting them with their look.
"Alexander, the head Grim Reaper; Sophia, the fallen angel; and we can't forget of my most loyal servant, Charon! It is an honor for me to finally meet the people everyone has been talking about! You've been making quite a stir in heaven and hell!" He laughed gleefully, but now the laughter was darker and lost the cajoling tone. "Especially in heaven. Do you realize what has been happening to heaven? Well, of course not. You've been in hell. Well, I'll tell you."
Lucifer sat down on his high-seated throne. The hall, which all of them were in, was fabulously grand with an impossibly high ceiling. Thick, tall Doric columns lined the edges of the hall. Ice encrusted everything like thick, bluish glaze, and it reflected the faint light that lit the entire hall. Staring closer, they saw that souls were frozen within the ice, trapped for eternity.
"Yes, those are the traitors of God, country, and family," Lucifer replied to their stares. He pointed to one soul next to his throne. "This one is Judas. Definitely my favorite, but sadly, he has been here for so long that he too became frozen in this wall for eternity. Rather makes a boring existence for me since we used to talk a great deal."
Looking around, Alexander murmured to himself, "I wonder if Benedict Arnold is here, too."
"But! Now, I have two new favorites because you two have done even better than Judas ever could! Because of you two, especially Sophia here, all of heaven is being destroyed as we speak!"
Sophia breathed a "NO!"
"Ah, but YES!" he contradicted her. "Ever since the sinner stepped into heaven, gradually at first, but now at a faster rate, heaven has been crumbling and there is nothing to stop it! Since all the angels up there on their pretty pedestals are all touched with the sinner's corruption, no purification can take place."
"But God...God can-" Sophia argued.
"But God can do what?" Lucifer interrupted, very sarcastically. "God? Where is God?" He paused and stared down at the pale, weakened angel. "Is he in heaven?" Lucifer sneered. "Do you think that God would let this happen to his precious Kingdom of Glory? Do you? Where is this so-called God?!"
"Sophia! Don't listen to him! He is lying!" Alexander shouted, trying to break through and reason with Sophia, who was close to tears.
He can see through me. He sees all my weaknesses. He knows that I doubt God, that I doubt if God is really there. I can't shut him out. I can't...all I hear is his voice in my head...drowning out any hope....
"She can't but help to listen to me. Besides, everything I'm saying is true, isn't it, Sophia?" Lucifer said softly with a laugh.
"Bastard! Stop all your lies!" Alexander fumed.
"But it is true," said Charon, sitting now, weakened by his wound. "It's true that heaven is being destroyed. Some of the souls manage to be saved and were taken Purgatory. But- most of the souls have been touched with corruption, so they reside in hell now."
Alexander couldn't believe it. "God, what have we done? To save one soul, we destroy a million others."
Lucifer laughed. "How true. How very true. And do you know what I have been thinking? I have realized some parallel exists between you two and a previous couple. Adam and Eve. Alexander and Sophia. Well, the parallel does not seem to be in the names. Can I call you Elizabeth? Alright, now that works. But as I was saying, a strong parallel exists. Eve ate the forbidden fruit because by doing so she would gain powers that of God- the power of individual judgment, also known as free will, and the realization of good and evil. Free will is sinful, but to realize sin is sinful in itself. That's why Adam and Eve had to cover their nakedness after eating the fruit.
"Does this sound familiar? Sophia, you believed that your judgment of a soul was better than God's. Because of your pride in your individual judgment, you allowed the sinner to enter heaven. Then because of your sin, you influenced Alexander to sin, much like Eve influenced Adam. Alexander had to save you from your horrible fate, but by thinking this, he then believed that his judgment was better than God's!
"See, Sophia? It's all your fault! Now, the whole kingdom of heaven will pay!"
His rich laughter shook the entire hall and made icicles break and fall around them. They clinked against the ground and shattered.
Sophia watched the icicles fall with numb eyes. The pure ice formed on the ceiling was shakened from its place and crashed to the ground because of Lucifer. Because of Lucifer. She realized that all sin, all evil came from Lucifer. If this was so, then Lucifer's reach was pretty far already if he could affect her in Purgatory. But why? Why her? There were things that he wasn't telling them. She realized this and held on it. She felt that knowing this was important.
"Humans always think that they are better than everything else. They think they are immortal; they think they are invincible; they think they are equal to gods!! For centuries they even believed that the whole universe revolved around them! Ha! Look at the Christian religion! 'Man was created in the image of God.' How in hell to they know? God could look like a formless blob or a turd for all they know! Not this iconoclastic old man!
"You think the same, don't you, Sophia? You think that you are better than the other souls in my domain, don't you?" Lucifer asked.
In surprise, Sophia thought quickly to the acid-tongued soul.
"Well, I have news for you," he smirked. "You are no better than them. You're even worse! You're in the ninth level of hell! You can't be any lower!"
He chuckled again.
"You're one to talk! You're a fallen angel, just like me! How can you think that you are better than me?" Sophia stabbed back at him, anger rising within her.
Lucifer stopped laughing and stared at her.
"You were cast out of heaven because of your pride. How dare you lecture me? I'm tired of hearing you talk! You talk too much!"
"Sophia, I don't think it's a good idea to back talk to him," Alexander whispered at her side.
Sophia didn't know where this surge of anger was coming from. She just knew that she was tired of hearing this fallen angel proudly talk as if he was still better than God, even though it was God who allowed Lucifer to have his satanic powers. She found it disgusting that Lucifer had sweet-talked himself into believing his own lies.
"I think that you're forgetting that I'm not some pathetic fallen angel. I'm the Prince of Darkness, the Evil One, Satan, Beelzebub, take your pick. I am ruler of the underworld! We are not the same! Insolence! If it wasn't for me, the harpies would have been tearing at you for eternity. But no, I sent the gate just in time so you wouldn't have to suffer that punishment. Now you mock me? How dare you?!" Lucifer screamed in rage.
He stood, now gaining height as he grew with anger. Earthquakes seared through the hall. All of them fell to the ground, clutching onto it, trying to hold onto something solid.
"Yes, all of you must tremble at my power! Abaddon! Asmodai! Astaroth! Leviatan! Samael! Samyaza! Come and appear at my side!"
At his invocation, the six fallen angels swooped down and stood three on each side of Lucifer. Sophia's eyes widened in horror as she gazed at their bat-like wings and blood-tipped fangs that hung over the corners of their mouths. She knew that she was beginning to grow wings and fangs herself, but while she was still in the developing stages, these fallen angels were fully grown and fully evil.
They were naked. Horribly, hideously naked. They provoked no lust, only abhorrence and repulsion. Their skin was filthy black, but their privates were rubbed raw from masturbation. In their blood-red eyes, Sophia saw intense hunger, lust, greed, and anger. Roaring throat-gurgling shouts, they spread their bat-like wings and waited for Lucifer's signal before devouring the souls that stood before them.
But Lucifer didn't give the signal yet. He was still waiting....
Sophia's hair on the back of her neck prickled. A gliding, scratching sound came from behind her. Twirling around, she looked down, expecting to see what it was. But she only saw a part of it. She kept raising her head higher and higher until she locked eyes with the great serpent. She only had time to notice its huge fangs that dripped with green venom before it snapped its jaws around her right shoulder and sunk its poisonous fangs into her.

Alexander heard Sophia shout in pain, and turning around, he instantly shot a bolt of power from his staff. The serpent hissed furiously in response and let go of Sophia, but it was too late. The snake's poison flowed freely within her and she fell unconsciously to the ground.
He had no time to try to help her because right then Lucifer gave the signal and all the fallen angels descended onto him. Already weary and drained of power, he hopelessly began fighting the minions.

Sophia's inner eye opened, and she saw a red apple floating above her, out of reach.

You don't have to suffer anymore. All your suffering can finally end....You'll have peace...forever...

The voice was sweet and soft. Sophia reached for the apple, but the apple remained out of reach. The apple was spinning, totally oblivious of gravity. Sophia strained even harder, but the apple remained untouched. Suddenly, feeling tired, she dropped her arm. She questioned why she even wanted the apple.

Everlasting peace...

The voice began again, a sweet, syrupy sound that dripped into her ear. Her whole body felt heavy and she struggled to breathe. Looking down, she saw the great serpent was wrapped around her in a spiral with its mouth to her ear, dripping venom in it. They too hung in empty space.
Now realizing that she was holding something, she glanced at her hand. It was the apple. 'How did it get in my hand?' she wondered. 'Then what is above me?'
Looking up again, the apple was still spinning as if nothing had happened.

Eat the apple...taste its sweetness...

'Which apple?' she wondered. She knew it had to be the one in her hand. After all, she was very tired and she couldn't reach the other apple. Slowly, she lifted the apple to her lips as she continued to watch the spinning one.
She stopped short when she saw the spinning apple starting to bleed. She felt the pain from the apple, the pain from the wound that made the apple bleed. Her lips quivered. She wanted to cry, but she didn't know the reason why.

Why would you want that apple? It will only cause you pain, the suffering that you so desperately want to get rid of?

Now, the apple throbbed, and with each throb, the blood spewed out, gushing everywhere. The throbbing could be heard all around them.
"Please stop bleeding....Please let me stop your bleeding!" she cried.
Without thinking, she reached up again, but this time she easily grabbed the apple. She heard the serpent protest, but she didn't listen. She bit into the bleeding apple.

Alexander cried with pain. The fallen angels had overwhelmed him, and with a big gash on his chest, he fell with a thud. The fallen angels piled on top of him and began feasting on his soul.
WHACK! WHACK! went Charon's cane.
"Come and get me, you vultures!" Charon taunted.
With the unified shriek, the six tore at him.
"Charon!" Alexander choked.
He realized that Charon had given him time to get to Sophia before the fallen angels did. Struggling, he crawled to her. He was bleeding badly, and he knew that he couldn't last much longer.
"Sophia, I'm sorry. I never had a chance to save you," he whispered hoarsely.
He laid beside her and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek when he realized that her lips were bloody as if she had blindly put on red lipstick. Horrified, he saw that her teeth were also blood-stained and in her hand, there was a bloody apple.
"It is the manifestation of her hallucinations," Charon said calmly. "Lucifer finds much pleasure in messing with people's minds."
Weakly, Alexander looked up at Charon.
"Why, you don't have a scratch on you."
Charon chuckled. "I'm stronger than you think. Strong for an old man, huh?" and he pointed. Following his finger, Alexander saw all the fallen angels and the great serpent perfectly still. The fallen angels were poised downward as if to eat the soul that wasn't there, and the serpent was stuck in the middle of striking its victim (Alexander).
"Just like ice sculpture, and forever they will stay that way."
Alexander felt confused as if he was missing something, but before he could think what it was, Charon knocked him unconscious with his cane.

-End of Chapter 5-