Blasphemy: A Like Story

Chapter Nine

The noise hit me first, a high pitch whine that wasn't unbearable, but was intensely irritating. The cold came next. It was insufferable. The chill bit at the edges of my soul. I could feel it deep within me, aching and gnawing, clawing at my mind like a great abominable beast. When my eyes took form, and the vision before me came into view, it was quite obvious we were not on Earth. I felt heavy, weighted down by burdens I couldn't identify, and troubled by self-consciousness. I was sad in a way I had never been before, and I sank into it. Beside me, Asmodeus was furiously taking in our new surroundings.

The towers of ice were like shard of broken glass. The red sky which seemed to bleed wet snow. The very air tasted like freezer burn and made my front teeth ache when I opened my mouth. Despite the cold, flies buzzed around our heads in profusion, biting when they landed.

"Hell!" he said. "Why are we here?"

Hashut gazed at us dispassionately. "You are here because you are meant to be. Kokebiel is here because the Holy High has passed judgement upon him."

"What judgement?" I asked.

A demon in a wool sweater passed by, stopped and stared at Asmodeus who ducked his head and avoided eye contact.

"Isn't it obvious?" said Hashut. "You have fallen. You have been cast down. Conspiring against Heaven. Steeped in sin. Fornicating with the Enemy."

Both Asmodeus and I quickly dispelled that last rumor.

"Besides, Kokebiel," he said. "Don't you envy the fallen?"

Had I said that? So, I had said that...

"I didn't mean it! I was trying to sound cool. I don't want to be a demon. Please, Hashut. Help me."

But Hashut simply stood there looking grave. When I sank to my knees before him and clutched his robe, he kicked me off.

Asmodeus pulled me up by the collar, placing me roughly on my feet, and I slapped his hand away. Then I bent double as a searing pain overcame me. It started in my heart and seemed to tear me in half. I found myself suddenly blazing with yellow flames, the smell of sulfur was thick in the air. I screamed in torment as the fire burned iron hot. Then quite suddenly, it was over.

My soul was blank as deep space.

So quickly I had been made a fallen angel.

"No!" I cried.

For the second time in all the time I had known him, Hashut smiled. And in a split second he was...

"Oh no you don't!" Asmodeus cried.

The demon, grabbed me by the hand, pulled me forward, and leapt on top of Hashut.

"I am not staying here," he yelled and soon we were fading again into the mist.

This time when we became aware, we found ourselves lying in a ditch at the side of highway. Above us loomed a cactus wearing a fedora and a wide smile.

Slowly and not very carefully, we climbed off of Hashut, who was lying face down in a puddle of drainage. He looked much less dignified than usual when he stood up and I saw, a glint of what I thought was anger in his eyes.

"You dare defy the Holy High?" he whispered.

"Well... yes," I said.

Firstly, let me tell you, there is no noble way to climb out of a deep, garbage strewn ditch. But if it could be done with any sort of decorum, Hashut managed. Once out he, towering above us, he pulled a sword out of the Waning and pointed it at Asmodeus.