Pathway Chapter 5 revised

     Chapter 5    Ichabad flew across Master’s chamber. But only because Master had just chucked him like a useless ragdoll. Ichabad slammed into the wall with a loud crack, bouncing off and down onto the floor. He struggled to his feet and whimpered  when he discovered his left wing would not move.

     He looked beseechingly to his master. “Master, what have I done wrong? I’ve done everything you asked.”

     Indeed, he was certain he’d flawlessly executed Master’s plan. Kidnapping the seven humans, he’d taken them to an open area of forest, per Master’s instructions. There, Yeshmuel would surely find them, and Master’s legions would begin moving in for the kill. In fact, the legions were at this very moment setting up a wide net around the humans. There would be no escape. The only thing holding the shedim back now was their wait for Yeshmuel, who had not revealed himself thus far.

     “The boy,” Master’s breath blew across the room with enough angry force to throw Ichabad back against the wall. “Why did you bring the boy?”

     “He…uh…well, you see…he was the first one to appear. He was quite bold. Bold and unruly in spirit.”

     “He’s bold in the ways of Yeshmuel, you fool. You couldn’t have chosen a worse candidate.”

     “Forgive me, Master, I did not know! I had only your best interests at heart.”

     “Don’t you realize, the boy is dangerous! He is pure and upright. PURE and UPRIGHT!”

     Ichabad was frozen stiff by Master’s outrage.

     Master thoughtfully tapped a claw on the stony floor, and  Ichabad  knew  Master  was now deciding his fate.

     “Don’t worry, Ichabad, I won’t kill you,” said Master softly.

     Ichabad sighed, relief relaxing his muscles.

     “Though it makes no difference. The outcome will be quite the same.”

     Ichabad’s heart suddenly thumped so hard that his body moved with the thump. His heart pumped harder, faster and faster. Could his master really be considering…?

     “As punishment for your impudence, I’m sending you back to the lower realms.”

     Pumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppumppump.

     No, it couldn’t be!

     “No, I’ll rectify my mistake!” Ichabad screeched. “I’ll kill the boy! I’ll kill him at once!”

     The thought of the lower realms was enough to bring Ichabad to suicide; yet death would usher him there as well. It was his soul’s eternal home, a place far more torturous than the sweltering environment here above. The shedim’s spirits were predestined for Sheol, aka the lower realms, by the will of Yeshmuel. But Master also held the power to send them there, if he so wished. Anyone who displeased Master and aroused his wrath was often thrown down to the worst parts of Sheol, where they were imprisoned until Master had further use for them or until they were sufficiently chastised.

     “If the mistake is to be rectified,” Master boomed, “it will be by me or a more competent servant. Your purpose here is finished.”

     “But, Master, I…”

     “Good riddance…worthless imp.”

     “Master, I beg of you…”

     An inescapable force yanked Ichabad back, and his vision of Master receded. The world that he hated – yet loved compared to Sheol – spiraled away and away. Unimaginable hotness seized him. Not hotness from a literal fire, but from searing coldness, emptiness, nothingness. He wondered how anyone could experience such despair and live for one second, let alone centuries, as his case would probably be. He shrieked until his lungs were close to bursting.

     Here there was no love or joy whatsoever. Just unadulterated evil. Typically, there was love and joy even with evil, for evil loved itself and found joy through its wicked thoughts and deeds. But here, not even evil could love or enjoy itself. It only wallowed in its self-inflicted agony.

     Ichabad saw nothing but blackness, which only heightened his pain and isolation. He screamed as he dropped down and down, from the highest level of Sheol to the lowest.

     Lower and lower… into sorrow upon sorrow.