"I told you to know what you only need to know, didn't I? You're taking too long to decide," the old judge told the young judge. It was the young judge's first case. Only one needs to be condemned to hell. The other should be given the chance to live out the rest of their lives, accepting the consequences of their past actions and reaping the punishments for those actions.
"But who should it be?" the young judge muttered to himself. "The one who constantly cheats or the one who abuses?"
The woman had been cheating since the start of the relationship. The man has anger issues and would sometimes hit her for cheating. Maybe it was too hard a case for a first time judge.
"It's been almost a month. You need to decide now."
"But there are other factors—"
The old judge sighed exasperatedly. "You and your factors."
"The punishment needs to be justified. This is life or death we're talking about!"
"Either one could suffer in hell. And either one could suffer on earth. It's only your job to decide which is which. Why would it be so hard?" The old judge shook his head. Back in the day, he would only toss a coin to seal the fate of these humans. But the new breed of judges are meticulous. They study every detail, every day in the life of a human. They consider every thought before they give their judgment.
He discreetly looked at the stack of papers on the corner of his old office. Those poor humans... still awaiting their judgment. Maybe he shouldn't have retired early?