Thrown into hell, part 2

Geez, it’s been over 4 weeks since my last post already? Where does the time go? Anyway, I actually would have had this chapter up a couple of weeks ago if I hadn’t been busy with sorting out all the details with starting out at university. That, and how lazy I am didn’t really help as well…

Like before, the rating for this chapter is still T since while it doesn’t into much explicit detail it does have a fair few curse words and a ‘mentioning’ of a adult scene. However, this time I’ve made sure to read the whole chapter out loud to make sure I didn’t leave any mistakes in like last time. Still, their always is room for improvement, so enjoy… and review. I’ll make sure to return the favour if you do.

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Letting out a small groan of pain, Mark’s eyelids opened slightly, revealing a small crack of blue and white, right before they opened completely as they saw the dimmed state the light of the room was in. Letting out another groan, this time slightly louder, he used his hands as leverage to raise himself into a sitting position, or was about to, right before he realised his hands had sunken into the ground slightly. The very soft and comfortable ground.

“Okay, why am I lying in someone’s bed? Actually, forget I asked that, I’m just glad I’m not being tortured right now.” Letting out a small sigh, he pushed himself up into a sitting position properly this time, right before he dejectedly shook his head as he saw the room he was now in. “Well, this definitely proves that what just happened with the Grim Reaper wasn’t a dream… that and my wife is somehow a demon, and a very powerful one, by the sounds of it…”

The room was finely decorated, as he would have expected for a demon’s; the bed that he was currently sitting on was huge in size, the size of kings at least, If not more perhaps. It was also covered in the softest sheets that he had ever felt before, rivalling even that of some of the finest satins. Finally, the four poles that supported the blood red drapes hanging around the bed seemed to be made out of some of the finest polished wood that he had ever seen.

On the left hand side of the bed he could just make out a large, finely polished and ornate oak wooden dresser through the curtain of red made by the drapes, with a vast chest of draws placed on it’s right. On the right hand side of the room the drapes weren’t drawn this time and he could clearly see the two large white doors in the wall; one directly to his right and the other near the end of the room, both with golden door knobs. Placed between them was a reasonably sized redwood study desk, with a lampshade placed on top, while a few pieces of paper could be seen sticking out of the top drawer of the desk.

Directly in front of him he could see a huge oval shaped mirror hanging in the centre of a wall, while a small, beat up wooden trunk was placed beneath it. Just below all of that he could see a powder blue fur rug that completely covered the floor. Finally, he could just manage to make out the tip of a huge chandelier, swinging gently from side to side through the drapes.

Starring around the room, his eyes locked onto the beat-up trunk placed below the mirror. Shifting himself into a kneeling position, he couldn’t help but let a small snort at how misplaced the trunk looked when compared to the rest of the room. “Wow, that’s pretty crap compared to the rest of the room.”

However, the least thing he was expecting was a reply from the trunk itself. “You won’t believe how many people have said that about me.” Blinking in surprise, Mark could only stare as two large oval shaped eyes with green irises opened near the top of the chest, while the lid opened slightly, making it look like a bizarre mockery of a human face. “In fact, I think the same number of people have gaped at me like a fish as well.”

“… You have got to be kidding me. First I get thrown into hell, then I get confused for the mass murderer that killed me, nearly get tortured, find out that a demon looks like my wife, and now I’m talking to a wooden chest! What next? Are pink elephants going to suddenly appear and start flying around the room? Or are you going to start hitting on me?”

“Actually, I do think your pretty good looking.” Taking one look at the open-mouthed expression on the human’s face, the trunk couldn’t help but burst into peels of laughter. “Relax, I’m kidding. I’m actually a demon being punished for disobeying orders.”

Mark could only stare incredulously at him/her/it, whatever it was. “… You’ve been turned into beat-up wooden trunk as a punishment?”

Judging by how it’s eyes rolled up, Mark could only guess that the demonic trunk was shrugging, even with the lack of arms. “I haven’t been able to feel pain properly for the last 40 billion years, so of course I can’t be punished like a normal human. Besides, my crime wasn’t that bad. Anyway, do you mind if I ask you something now?”

“… Sure, no problem, talking chest…”

“I don’t mean to seem rude, but this one has been bugging the entire realm of hell for the past 65 years… how the hell did someone like you land a demon like echidna?”

Despite how confused he felt at the moment, Mark still had enough of his senses to feel indignant at the demon for what it had just said about him. “Excuse me?”

“Well, no offence but, it’s just that basically the entire population of hell have been trying to get into her books like you have, even some of the strongest one’s. To tell the truth, it feels pretty embarrassing for a human to succeed where a demon hasn’t. Then again, it does kind of make sense, considering where she comes from…”

While the last part had really been the demon just muttering to itself, it was the part that got his attention the most. “What do you mean by that?”

For a while the demon trunk just gave him a long, hard stare, before speaking in a tone that suggesting that the words had been carefully chosen. “It was about eight centuries ago that our lord, the almighty Satan, gained his most useful and powerful subordinate. But this one was different from all the rest, this one wasn’t created by Satan or god himself, oh no; echidna actually created herself.”

“… What?” that didn’t make sense at all; for one thing he knew that the demons ranks didn’t grow in size since demons can’t give birth due to the lack of physical bodies and angels can only be born by the unification of two souls. At least, that was the only way he knew…

“We all remember that day well, especially our lord Satan. It was day that king John was forced to sign the Magna Carta by the English nobles, 1215. That was also the day when he lost the biggest sacrifice of innocent souls in the entire history of the universe. Therefore, this day is considered one of the worst and best days in the entire history of hell… and I am aware of the oxymoron in my previous statement, thank you very much.”

“Anyway, this joyous or grievous tale begins approximately 4 mouths beforehand, when the 1st Earl of Chester Ranulph le Meschin began collecting proofs of allegiance from all of the communities and soon to be city in his domain. But it wasn’t under the order of the earl, oh no, he wasn’t even aware of the document’s even existing, even in his death four year later. It was actually under the order of his wife, only known as Countess Lucy, that the documents were made.”

“It was the perfect cover, while all the other earls or any one else could stop her were to busy dealing with King John, she began her monstrous plan. She had grown bored with normal mortal life, she had never been really satisfied with the marriage she was in, and there was good reason for that. So, in order to escape her boring life she decided to join the demonic rank of hell itself. And no…” It paused for a moment when it caught sight of the look on Marks face. “She is not Echidna, nor did she ever become a demon properly due to events that even the fates themselves couldn’t have seen. But, before I go into that, tell me, how much demon lore do you know of?”

Mark pursed his lips in response. While he couldn’t exactly call himself an expert in the subject, he did know far more than most people did. “Enough, I surpose.”

“Well, any person truly adept in the lore of demons or angels should know that there is only two known ways for either to be created; the first is where two souls are unified and create an entirely new being. While this is known to only work for the creation of angels, it can, in theory, work in the case of two truly evil souls unite. Unfortunately, the nature of people here works against them, so, as of yet no such being exists… for now.”

“The second can again work both ways but has only spawned demons so far. That is the method that the countess tried here; by sacrificing the entire population of Chester she tried to become a demon herself. Naturally, her plan failed, as I have said before. Then we come into the third and presently, final way of creating demons or angels.”

Mark blinked in surprise, right before his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I thought you said there were only two ways for a demon or angel to be created?”

“Only two ‘known’ ways.” The trunk corrected him. “It’s pretty funny actually, we demons ourselves weren’t even aware of it until the first demon created through this method appeared, Echidna. Her creation was actually all down to a single servant of the countess at the time, her maid to be more correct. Not only did she screw up the ritual, oh no, but she actually replaced herself as the sacrifice instead of all those people.”

“Now, usually this is not possible since those people were spiritually binded to her through the contact in order to stay on the Earl’s land and were legally hers through their marriage contract. However, since it was actually the maid who collected the signatures instead of the countess, she could negate it, surprisingly enough.

However, since the ritual was already underway she couldn’t just negate it as a sacrifice was still needed for it to be completed. And thus, one of the most powerful angels among the Seraphim was born that day.” Again, Mark blinked in surprise and was about to open his mouth when realization hit him, while slowly began to spread over him like a disease.

“… You’ve figured it out, haven’t you? You’ve been wondering all this time why someone who you trust so much and who cam be so kind is a high level demon, haven’t you? Well, it’s not that she chose to become a demon, it’s more like she was forced to. When she agreed to replace herself as a sacrifice for all those people she became his slave in their place.

However, in return for her freedom she has been given immense power, rivaling even that of Satan’s himself but still not quite his level. The only reason why she’s not like the rest of the people down here is due to her powers, if it weren’t for that she’d be our bitch.”

It’s not that bad though. Due to her ability to adapt so well to a situation and the amount of powers she has the respect a high level demon would have in hell. Also, due a clause in the contract, the only real person she’s a slave to is Satan, and he does treat her pretty well since she is actually one of the very few beings that he actually respects. Believe me, not many people can trick him like she did back then, and even less has the amount of guts she had to become a sacrifice to him like that. Hell, I know I wouldn’t do it.”

“Well of course you wouldn’t, you’re a narcissistic moronic lesbian, who has only ever cared about herself and always will.” Ever so slowly, Mark’s head began to turn to the left, right before stopping at the sight of a furious Echidna glaring down at the small trunk by the wall, hands on her hips.

Unlike before, she had not just come out of the bath and was completely dry and clothed. However, like he probably would have expected if he had been given some time to think over her clothing properly, they didn’t leave much for the imagination, if not anything at all. A dark blue mini skirt that went down halfway to her knees covered the top part of her thighs, exposing her muscular creamy white legs, while a pair of black stilettos covered her feet. A skin tight, blood red belly button top covered her voluminous breast, while her well-toned stomach muscles were on display to the world. The only other pieces of clothing on her were to gold manacles on her arms, with what looked like words in a language he had never seen before faintly carved into them.

Glaring down at the sight of the wooden trunk now nervously starring up at her, Echidna could only shake her head in disbelief. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t catch you, ‘countess’?” Mark couldn’t help but notice the amount of venom that was present in the last part of the sentence. “God, even after 800 years you still haven’t changed a bit. I’ll deal with you later.” And with a click of her fingers, a zipper suddenly appeared over the trunk’s mouth, right before sealing it’s mouth shut.

For what seemed like a long time, the two of them just stared at each other, before Mark let out a loud sigh and lay down on the bed again, all the while with the sounds of the trunk struggling with the zipper over it’s mouth. “…It’s just one thing after another, isn’t it? God, this has not only got to be worst day in my life but one of the worst in the history of mankind.”

“Believe me, what has happened to you today doesn’t even come close to what has happened to me.”

Opening his mouth to reply, Mark paused for a second as thought over what she had just said. “… Actually, you’re probably right about that. So, what’s it like being Satan’s bitch?” He let out a small chuckle when he saw the startled look on her face. “Relax, I’m kidding, I already know that your okay from the talking trunk. Although, I don’t really know exactly how much of that was the truth…”

He could see the disappointed look spread across her face even before it was there. Frowning slightly, she moved to sit down on the bed next to Mark. “Aren’t you at least the slightest bit worried about me?”

“Well, I would if your chest hadn’t told me… The trunk’s actually the countess, isn’t it?” She nodded curtly in response. “Why on earth did you turn her into a trunk though? I mean, she’s the reason for why you’re here, doesn’t it seem a bit lax?”

“Well, it’s just that it’s far more easier to use simple irony spells than spend all you’re time and energy tormenting sinners, plus I can’t exactly torture her since she’s a demon herself, damned regulations…. That and, like with a lot of old timed sinners here, have been able to become more resilient to pain.”

“And you turning her in to a trunk was the next best thing? And how on earth can the people here become resilient to pain here with all the stuff you do to them? ” He couldn’t help but ask incredulously.

“She absolutely abhors anything second class and, for some reason, hates wooden trunks… I think it might have something to do with the time when someone locked her up inside one for a day…” Shaking her head, she looked at the trunk who was now glaring at her out of the corner of her eye before continuing. “Anyway, for the your second question, it has become quite a regular thing in the lowest levels of hell. It’s become so bad now that Satan himself has been forced to stop chewing on his victims and make up new ways of tormenting them… that it was making his jaws really raw as well. (Wouldn’t yours after chewing on people, some with particularly hard skulls, for over 2000 years?) Actually, it probably didn’t really help when he somehow chipped one of his teeth when biting on Hitler’s upside head, how that happened we have no clue…”

“Anyway, none of that would have really mattered since the countess was pretty much immune to pain before she was thrown into hell, she’s what we call her an extreme masochist. They’re always the most annoying to punish physically without the use of spells, that’s why we use irony so much. Hell, the number of times she made me whip her or just generally ‘punish’ her during intercourse was ridil… ah crap.” Looking at the bewildered expression on Marks face, she hurriedly stuttered out a reply. “Just ignore the last part, you’ll save yourself a bigger headache in the long run, it’s a very complicated and long story, trust me.”

“Right…” Shaking his head of the somewhat disturbing mental images of his wife dressed up dominatrix style while whipping another women, he paused for a moment as he looked over her dressed, before saying dryly; “Nice outfit by the way, it really makes you look like a hooker.”

However, the least thing he was expected was for her to turn a very bright red colour, right before hurriedly muttering something he could barely make out. “Look, its not like I have a choice in the matter, aren’t you even concerned about why you’re here anyway?”

Frowning slightly, with his eyebrows shot up in amusement of the sight a high-ranking demon shaking her head desperately about in an attempt to calm down, he couldn’t help but ponder over what she had just said. “Actually, I am curious about how that one happened.”

A slightly amused grin slowly spread across her face, right before she began to chuckle slightly. “It’s actually happened before a couple times actually, a completely innocent soul being sent here by accident.” A small smile spread across her face. “Basically, you’ve been confused with someone who died around the same time you did, the bank robber who shot you, I believe.” Taking one look at the aghast look on her husband’s face, the amused grin changed into a somewhat more sympathetic one. “And I thought I was fate’s personal bitch.”

“H-how is this possible? I’ve been confused for the bank robber that killed me? That sounds like something that the British government would do! This is ridiculous!”

“On the contrary, the government wouldn’t even be able to cope with a quarter of the number of people that go through that department in a year alone, let alone the number of people they have to deal within a century. In truth, most of the demons down here are deeply impressed with amount of souls they can deal with, it’s surprising that it doesn’t happen more often, actually. Of course, none of them will actually admit that of course, since the entire department is made up of angels and Jesus most faithfulest followers.”

For a few moments, he just stared at her in disbelief, right before letting out a loud sigh. “… And do they know of this mistake yet?”

“Nope, master Satan has ordered us not to tell them of any kind of mistake involving a mix-up like this. However, word is though that a new soul by the name of Mark Stone was caught stealing from another soul soon after he got into heaven.”

For a long time, he just silently stared at the ceiling, before quietly murmuring; “… am I ever going to get out of this mess? Or am I going to end up like you, a slave to a demon?”

“No, your soul is your own and once this had been cleared up you’ll be free to leave.” Standing up, she waved off the questioning look that was present on Mark’s face as she began to head out of the room. “I’ll give you the grand tour of hell a little later, right now I’ve got to sort something out. By the way, how’s your back feeling?”

Mark blinked. “My back? Well, it does actually feel a little sore in a few places…”

Pausing right before she opened the door leading out of the room, the same amused grin was present on her face that he had seen earlier. “That should be the wings getting ready to burst out of your back.” Taking one look at the open-mouthed expression on her face, the grin on her face increased a few notches. “I’m pretty sure it’s six.”

“S-six?! But… that would make me…”

“A Seraphim, yes. Bet you never expected that, it was shock to me when I found out, believe me. You’re quite a high one as well, not as high as me of course, but still, you’ve got to be close to Seraphiel level.”

“… Isn’t he surposed to be the chi…” Taking one look at the grinning face of his wife, he let out loud sigh, before lying down on the bed. “That’s impossible, I haven’t done anything like you have…”

“I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, you really don’t credit yourself enough, believe me. Besides, true power isn’t measured through good deeds alone, one day you’ll understand that. Anyway, I won’t be back for a couple of hours, so try and amuse yourself until then.” And with a final swish of the door, she was gone.

Starring up at the ceiling, alone in the completely silent room (the trunk had given up and accepted it’s fate a while ago and didn’t really count as a person.) he couldn’t help but wonder how he had got into a situation like this as he slowly began to drift off to sleep again. “This has got to be the biggest joke in the entire history of the cosmos itself, it’s so ridiculous it’s not even funny. I… I can’t just leave her like this though, it’s just to cruel…What am I going to do?”