The First Week in Hell

MONDAY

The trip begins at the Portal of Death. Departures are made daily, often on short notice, or no notice at all. No round trip tickets available - admission for one. Luggage not permitted. As you pass through the Portal of Death, it becomes visibally darker, as if progressing through a tunnel toward a pinpoint of light, until even that is swallowed by stygian blackness. You are quickly overwhelmed by the absence of music, happiness, and familiar faces. Then abruptly a faint yellowish light allows you to see that you are crossing the dry River Styx. You become aware of faint sounds of moaning and wailing coming through thick clouds of black smoke, as near total darkness (Matthew 8:12) envelopes you.

TUESDAY

Suddenly, you are surrounded by odorous and grotesquely shaped figures (Matthew 25:41) that taunt you without mercy. Flames lick at your feet. You scream and cry out to be released (Luke 16:24) from this place. No one hears. Fear overtakes you, but this fear is indescribable. Heat mells with fear and places a constrictive band around your body. It increases to the degree of being unbearable. There is no conforming to a thermometric scale in this place of horror. The heat is intolerable, intolerable, intolerable. You crave water. There is none. You are so thirsty.

WEDNESDAY

You are walking around on what seems to be a path with levels above you and levels beneath. It reminds you of a multi-level prison, each floor giving different punishments for crimes (Matthew 23:14). There is a sign reading "Punishments Are Eternal" (Matthew 25:46). No friends. Where are they? Soon you stumble into a group of people and try talking to them. They open their mouths to respond, but no words comes forth; only shrill cries. Others are gnashing their teeth and bent over as if in horrible pain. You decide to move on and maybe, just maybe, you think you will wake up from what has to be a nightmare; but, no, the nightmares become worse and worse until you feel you will go out of your mind.