Purgatory

The Rings of Hell

As Luna led Hannah and Leah through the streets, the sisters were surprised by how much it looked like Earth. There were tall brick buildings, stores, houses, apartment buildings, and even trees and animals.

The only thing was that the trees looked dead, the animals were transparent, and the people didn't look human. Some looked more like them or Luna or had animal-like traits, while others looked more alien like.

"Um, Luna? Where are we going?" Leah asked. "We're going to the train station."

"There's a train station here?" Hannah asked. "Yup."

"Why?"

"Because you're new to Hell, and you need to find out which of the 9 rings of Hell you're going to be living in. They'll test your essence to see what sin you committed. That will determine the ring you're going to."

"Essence?" Hannah asked. "Humans call it ectoplasm."

"You mean what ghosts are made of?" Leah asked. "Not really. It's more like blood." Hearing that, Leah placed her hand on her chest and felt her heart beat. "I don't understand," she said. "Don't understand what?" Luna asked.

"If we're dead, then why do we have a heartbeat?" Surprised, Hannah placed her hand on her chest and felt it.

"It's not the same heart you had in life. The heart you're feeling is basically a ball of energy that creates and pumps your essence through your body."

"Do you have essence?" Leah asked. "No, I'm flesh and blood. All Hellbornes are."

"Hellbornes?" Hannah asked. "It's pretty self-explanatory, isn't it?" Luna asked. Hannah and Leah nodded in understanding. As they continued, Luna then started to explain the test.

"When you get there, an imp will ask you what your names are, how you died, and since the two of you died together, they'll ask what your relationship is with each other. Then, they prick your finger and take a drop of your essence. They'll put it in a little device, and it'll tell them what sin you've committed. Once they know your sin, they'll direct you to the train that'll take you to your ring."

"Quick question; what's an imp?" Leah asked. "An imp is a lower rank Hellborne demon, but don't be fooled by their small bodies. They can still fuck you up if you piss them off, especially since you're sinners."

"Okay, and what are the rings of Hell? I mean, we've heard of them but don't know what they are," Hannah admitted. Luna sighed. She was honestly getting tired of explaining, but they had to learn as much as they could before they got to the train station. After that, the two were on their own.

"The rings are based off of the 7 deadly sins. The one we're in right now is Limbo, which isn't a sin. It's for  new sinners before they get sent to their respective rings or if the sinner didn't commit any of the 7 deadly sins. The second ring is lust. The third ring is envy. The fourth ring is greed. The fifth one is sloth. The sixth one gluttony. The seventh one is wrath. The eighth and deepest ring is pride."

"Pride... isn't that Lucifer's ring?" Leah asked. "Yup. He rules that ring along with all of Hell with his wife Lilith."

"What about the other rings? Are they ruled over by the other princes?" Hannah asked. "Yup, but they answer to Lucifer and Lilith."

"Lovely," Hannah muttered. They walked a little farther and found themselves at a large train station. There were seven trains lined up against a black platform. Each train was painted a different color: black, red, green, white, purple, blue, and orange. There were people getting off and on the trains. There was also a very long line of sinners waiting by a booth at the center of the platform.