Slave Trade in Hell
My sister and I chanced upon a hidden cavern while exploring some deep underground caverns one day. In one of the rough cave walls was a small crack and through this we saw the entrance to Hell.
There were many strange looking demons stalking the halls of the massive cavern that revealed itself to our startled eyes. Some held tridents and stood guard over other exits; others were just traveling to and fro. They were of a multitude of colours, and of bodily shapes and limbs as well, and all looked twisted and abnormal to our innocent minds. Some had the legs of strange and exotic animals; while others had heads that were meant to reside on the shoulders of animals and birds.
We were terrified at first that we might be noticed, but as the days passed into months and the imagined dangers did not immediately occur, we snuck down there often to ease our burning curiosity, and were luckily never seen. Through that tiny hole we saw things that mortal men do not often see until after death, and sometimes not even then.
Many times we saw the souls of the damned being led further into the depths of the earth, wailing and begging and promising anything in return for their freedom. Their escorts either ignored their whimperings or sneered and made sarcastic comments. It was a pitiful sight that affected us deeply.
Then one day we received the greatest surprise of our young lives. About fifty angels were unceremoniously forced into the room. They were battered, bruised and bleeding, and we saw that many had been seriously injured, having arms and legs broken, and had to be either supported, or carried by the others. Obscene giggles and loud yells of triumph rebounded from the walls as the demons pranced and danced around them, tormenting them and hurting them further by poking dirty fingers into their wounds.
Their entertainment value was so great, that they were not immediately led from the room, but herded into a corner just a few feet from where we lay hidden behind the concealing wall of the cave.
One of the larger male angels slowly turned his head in our direction and looked directly at us. His one good eye slowly closed in a wink, and a small smile appeared on his lips, until he was hit over the head with a large rock thrown from a greenish, slimy looking demon, who roared laughing as the angel fell to the ground revealing that one wing had been completely torn from his body leaving a large, gaping wound from which fresh blood had started to ooze once again.
That was too much for me, and with a mighty roar I kicked the flimsy section of the wall down. And Sis and I charged in there fighting. I shoulder slammed the green demon in his slimy chest, sending him skidding across the room on his back, eyes open in surprise, and Sis tackled one of the trident carriers around his goat-like ankles. It dropped its weapon as it fell and One Wing the angel snatched it quickly from the ground.
As one, the angels rose to their feet. They were beaten, but not defeated. Those who could not stand fought from where they lay on the ground. And fight we did, back to back. One angel with broken legs was dragged from between my feet as I fought another demon. She never stopped fighting, until they had torn her apart. I cried for her death, and tears rolled down my cheeks as I fought. So did the angels that were still capable of crying. Sis never saw, and I was glad of that.
We retreated towards the hole in the wall, Sis dragging the badly hurt angels to safety as they defended her from harm as she worked. Some never made it, and lay torn and bloody on the floor, amidst many more demon bodies. They did not fall in vain.
Finally as the last of the wounded were safe, we retreated through the hole I had made, and One Wing, I was never to learn his real name, stood guard with the captured trident, now much bloodied. Barely half of the angels had escaped with us, and most were badly hurt.
One Wing bade us all to leave then. He said he would stop them getting through the hole until reinforcements arrived. Regretfully I left that one brave angel, possibly to die, and slowly we wound our way upwards towards the light.
Sis, with blood streaming down her face from a wound on her forehead, supported two angels, one in each arm, and I carried one on my back and held another in my arms. Other angels carried or supported their brothers and sisters as we moved ever upward.
Finally we reached the light. Far in the distance we could hear One Wing fighting a solitary battle, I hoped he was alright. I liked him.
The reinforcements arrived just as we did, thousands of angels. Some took care of the wounded; one carried a female who had finally succumbed to her wounds, on a silent journey back to Heaven.
As the main body headed downwards towards One Wing, I readied myself to accompany them, but a large angel placed his hand gently upon my shoulder and simply said. "He is my brother. Let the honour of his rescue be mine." I looked deep into his eyes and nodded. I knew how he felt. If that had been Sis!
As the last of the angels disappeared into the cavern entrance, it collapsed after them. And I have only ever seen angels once since that day. It was One Wing and his brother. He waved and smiled, before his brother carried him far into the sky. I heard his voice floating down to me "We will meet again some day far in the future, my friends."
