The Embarrassment of Hell
Prologue
It is called by many names: Avernus, Gehenna, Tartarus, Sheol,
Hades, Abaddon… most commonly it is called Hell.
It is a place of pain, misery and despair. Of inferno,
smoking plumes, and unyielding basalt cliffs. Where the
flames are never quenched and the worm dieth not.
It is not exactly a pleasant place for if it were, everyone
would feel kind of cheated, especially the ones looking down from
above.
The damned are assigned to harsh manual labour for reasons
unknown and there is probably no other reason than for giving the
damned actually something to do.
Some are to haul heavy burdens loaded with rocks on their backs,
some are to shovel dirt and rocks to carts, and some are to push
the spokes of a wheel to countless revolutions. Regardless of
what they are to do, the damned slave under the whipping lashes of
fat demonic overlords who are merciless and cruel in every way
possible.
But this day something is about to change.
A man has collapsed due to exhaustion and a hairy overlord is
heading straight for him. It is expected that the demon would
hoist the man to his feet, give a few punches to the jaw for good
measure until there is some semblance of stability standing
upright.
The overlord did not do that. He merely bent down to
retrieve the shovel that is lying by the man, went to the water
trough meant only to tease and frustrate the damned souls and
scooped up some water. He returned to the fallen
man.
“Here, drink.”
Everything ceased, even the intermittent screeches which
constantly fill up the infernal skies.
Damned and demon both stared with bulging eyes, at the two,
ironically also damned and demon.
Even the denizens of Heaven, who excused the suffering below as
none of their business leered and craned their necks over obscenely
to get a look before presuming to be outraged.
This is however just the beginning.