Short Story Collection

Children

I am staring at two outfits laying before me on my bed. If I don't choose fast I'm going to be late for work but my indecisive colors are strong today. I sigh and just grab the closest one, it's a flowy black bell sleeved shirt, a black ruffled high-low skirt, a silver and green corset, a silver choker, and a silver bracelet harness.

I get dressed putting on my black platform boots and pulling my hair up into a high ponytail. I have time for a quick makeup look and run out the door grabbing my keys and book that I leave by the front door.

I speed most of the way there but I make it on time, I slide into my desk. I look up and see the tall black gates of hell open right as the clock tolls 9.

Most of my days are filled with people protesting coming to hell, saying that they need to speak with my manager. Yeah, I call these people Bitches. There are a few people that just get their ticket and trudge past me.

I just got done explaining to a middle aged woman that definitely was being a Bitch that I don't sort people. I just admit them for the 20th time when my phone rings. I pick it up and it's the head honcho Lucifer himself.

"Achlys, how is it going down there?" He asks.

"Fine, the usual," I answer.

"May I ask why our statistics are going down?" The tone of his voice made it clear he wasn't asking for permission.

I fumble with the phone pinning it to my ear with my shoulder and quickly start typing trying to get into our database. When I find the information I'm looking for I start reading.

"Sir, it appears that the oldest of our spirits are starting to pass. They have been here so long that their spirits have died. And the flow of new spirits isn't going fast enough to replace the ones we are lo-" I am cut off when the tone that means a spirit is entering the gate goes off.

"I will be right with you," I tell the incoming spirit, not bothering to look up. I scan the page trying to find where I left off.

"Sorry about that sir, as I was saying. We are losing spirits. It's as simple as th-" I am cut off again when I hear soft whimpers. I look up and see a little girl, she's no older than 9.

"Uhm, sir, I'm going to have to call you back," I hang up my phone before I can hear his reply.

I stand up and walk around my desk and crouch down by this little girl.

"Are you lost sweetheart?" I ask.

"I-I don't know. One minute I was in my class then I heard a bang and then I woke up in front of some gates and someone told me that I needed to come here," She whispers.

"This can't be right, you don't belong here, sweetheart," I say reaching up, she pulls away from my hand fear in her eyes.

"Sugar, can I see your card please? I ask.

"C-card?" She asks.

"Yeah you should have got-" I am cut off for the third time today with another toll of the alarm.

I look over her shoulder and see another young boy walking towards us, this one looks older. The girl looks over and her eyes widen.

"Nick!" She cries running towards the boy.

"Jo!" The boy calls, stopping in his tracks, opening his arms and the girl plows into them.

The boy helps her over to me.

"You two know each other?" I ask, then realize how stupid that question is.

"Yeah, I'm her older brother, there was a school shooter at our elementary school," He tells me.

My heart plummets to my feet.

"You guys shouldn't be down here, there's no way you did enough bad in your lives to go to hell. Come on, let's go back upstairs see what's going on,"

We make our way back up the staircase to hell, as we climb I get weaker and my ram horns fade away. My white skin gains some color back as well.

I walk over to one of the angel's up here.

"Excuse me," I tap them on the shoulder.

"Yes?" They ask turning towards us.

"I believe a mistake was made, these two were sent to me, and they're far too young to have done enough wrong to end up in hell." I explain pushing both kids in front of me.

"Let me check," The angel says, turning to face the computer.

"What are your names, little ones?"

"Nicolas and Josephine Wild,"

The angel turns to face the computer and a moment later turns back to us.

"Isn't hell the gateway to The Land for Traumatized Souls?" They ask.

"Yes, but they didn't have cards with them so I didn't know that," The comment was a bit ruder than I meant it to be.

The angel rolled their eyes printed off two cards and shooed us out.

After I dropped them off the only question on my mind is what happened to these kids.