Black Heaven

Black

Midway in our life's journey, I went astray

From the straight road and woke to find myself

Alone in the dark wood

So did I turn, my soul still fugitive;

From death's staring image, to stare down

That pass that none had ever left alive.

I am the shade.

[Dante Alighieri's Inferno CANTO I]

It was warm. A warm sensation filled me, as I lay. Although the warmth in summer always wrapped me in its covers, tightly and elegantly, this warmth was rough. It was warmth no more— it was heat; intense heat that engraved its very fangs on my flesh— seeping through it, devouring it, and making my being dull and numb.

I lay there, motionless and without a living breath.

Heat was not the only thing that disturbed me. I also felt pain— immense pain that no human could ever bear— unimaginable pain that felt like being roasted alive as cannibals would feed on my flesh— tearing it apart, drinking the blood that flowed through my veins and slicing off the skin that covered my nakedness. It all felt like that except for one thing— no one was touching me nor where there cannibals who fed on me.

The pain was there, but no force drove it to be.

My consciousness slowly returned and my mind now ticked with reason. I forced my tired eyes to wake, as I still lay on what seems to be water.

A stream perhaps? I did not know.

My eyes were now slightly open as I faced heavenward into the blackness that surrounded the place. It was dark, but not completely. Dim would best describe the setting. The open sky was staring down on me, a lifeless doll of insufficient reason.

Warmth was still there, and it still wrapped around me as my eyes were now fully awake, and still, I stared at the emotionless sky above me. As I moved a limb, I noted that beneath me was nothing solid. It was warm liquid that formed ripples whenever I would move. I looked below me, on liquid that touched my flesh. As I did so, pure confusion engulfed me, and it turned into fear.

I was, in fact, floating in a river of blood— a lagoon that reflected no stars.

I immediately stood up and jumped from where I lay, and surprise hit me when I knew that it was not too deep of a river, in fact, it was no river— it was a stream. I panicked, and I looked all around me when there was nothing but pitch blackness, still. And then, someone grabbed my arm.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice broke in the silence. "You are lost. Are you not?"

I felt the hand grab mine, and, as I turned around to see who was speaking, my confusion grew even more.

What I saw was a man who looked like he was in his 40's, with deep set eyes that glowed a bright yellow. His hair was long and golden, and it flowed below his shoulders. He wore all black from top to bottom. I looked at his hand which grabbed mine, and noticed that he had a tattoo that resembled fish scaled on a part of his hand. I looked up at him, who was staring at me.

"Where am I? This is a dream. I am sure of it. A dream!"

"A dream where the dreamer does not wake." The man replied.

"Who are you?!" My voice was shaking.

"Die." The man replied; his tone, cold. "My name is Die."

I stared at his eyes that bore no emotion, as I heard such an unusual name come out of his pale lips.

He grabbed me by the wrist as he turned around. I followed obediently to avoid conflict.

"We have to go." He replied as he dragged me out of the stream and into dry land. What I was in was a wasteland where life would never sprout. It was pure darkness— the atmosphere, chilling.

In the vast blackness, was a door that shone white light. It was there— right in front of us, standing in all its glory. We slowly walked through the light and as we reached it, it brought us to a church-like building.

I was awestruck. The man was still in front of me, and as we walked, what I saw was like paradise enclosed on four corners. It was a church, with a high ceiling. Embedded on it were painting like those of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. There were paintings of humans, Pharisees, and God. On the walls were paintings inspired by that of of The Last Judgment by Michelangelo. Humans were slain, most were slaughtered by decapitation, beheading and other brutal means of torture was portrayed in the form of paintings. It was a terrifying sight, and fear crept inside me once again.

As I stared up at the ceilings that were filled with different glass tile mosaics— those that were beautifully arranged with different colors. Light passed through it from the outside, and it glowed bright reds, greens, yellows and oranges. It was like a cathedral, with statues of men and women, probably saints, on all corners of the building. There were also sculptures of Cherubim that hand on a silver string, attached to the top of the ceiling. Cherubim looked like baby angels and they were one of the most powerful celestial beings that ruled the heaven.

Die was still walking, and as we passed through the enormous building, we stopped on an elevator. I raised a brow and questioned him.

"Where are we going?"

"Soon, you will know." He replied.

The man ran his pointer finger on the options of the elevator. I watched as my intrigued and curious face says so otherwise. Seeing the options, there were only two. And I was dumbfounded. It only had these buttons:

HEAVEN

HELL

And I completely froze when the man pressed the latter.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" My voice rose and it was shaking even more. "WHAT IS THIS?"

As he pressed the second button, the elevator ticked open. As the doors slid aside, another man was in front of us. He had long, jet black hair that reached his waist. His eyes were deep set and he wore a sleeveless top and pats all coated in black. Die entered the elevator, still grabbing my hand as we walked in.

"Toshiya." He called out. "I found him."

"I missed one?" The latter replied. "My apologies."

I did not know what they were talking about. But I was sure it was me. I stood there, silent, with two men I did not know of.

As soon as the elevator was shut closed, the chamber we were in shook. The screws were lose from the outside, and without a split second passing, the elevator dropped faster than the speed of light and the acceleration slowly had my flesh deteriorate. The moment that happened, I knew where we were headed.

We were about to go to the 8th Circle of Hell- the Malebolge.

I knew I have sinned, and this is my punishment.

We are alone after all, after Death has come to our doors.

I knew I was in Inferno.