The Goddess of Hell #ReedsyOctober

The Goddess of Hell

by Tucker Bradley Sloan

Trigger warning: Some Strong Language, Sexual Content, and Hellish Themes. Now, are you ready for a bedtime story?

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As Persephone gathered souls in the underworld for her husband, Hades, I summoned angels. There was to be a spiritual battle at midnight, and I would win. Nothing was going to stop me. Not even the gout in my feet.

The soul in question, a young, innocent named Angel. Her mother, Stephanie, loved that name. Stephanie prayed every day for Angel as she saw Angel slipping further into the darkness. As Angel spat blood all over her mother, possessed by Persephone, Angel proclaimed:

“Those who blunder, and don’t call out my name as master shall be, henceforth, banished to my darkest gates where the demons will rape you. Oh yes, they’ll do at least that. You know nothing till you’ve been there. Nothing!”

Poor Angel then passed out, and Stephanie was so confused that she forgot to turn off the stovetop as water for potatoes boiled over. Was Angel losing it or was she?

Angel sat at her bedroom desk and cried. At the age of eleven, Angel had published over forty worship songs, and was known all around the globe. Her distinctive voice made people cry and change their lives for the better, but for Persephone, the bitch must be stopped.

“Hades, my god for the season, help me help you. Angel is gaining strength. She resists me when I enter. What do I do?!” And Hades said nothing. The disappointment was clear on His face. This goddess of war would soon need to be replaced.

“Angel! Come to me!” Hades screamed at Angel in her sleep for sleep was what she lacked. Every time she lie down, she couldn’t catch her breath. The devil was on her back. In these Ondine-like situations, Hades would attack Angel with everything He had. Night terrors of rape and incest, night terrors of being crushed by boulders, night terrors that would never end for her as long as she clang to God’s side. God and His glorious guardian angels had saved Angel’s life many times. When she thought of this- she cried again.

My name is plain. It’s Jeffrey. I used to work for the church. It’s a family name that I always saw as childish. Why not Jeff? Simple. Still plain. Jeff. Anyway, Angel spoke to me in a song. Her lyric, “And He shall have me,” disturbed me deeply. Who would have you? I needed to ask her this in person, and I needed to make sure that she was still pure and safe.

Angel and Stephanie lived fourteen blocks away. Since I walk everywhere, it was going to be a long, cold evening, and I did not own a jacket. On my way, it misted on me softly. I began shaking so bad that I thought I would puke up my chicken piccata dinner. I did not. It was too good to lose.

Persephone only saw her husband every six months, and that was enough for her. “ I do not like Him.” She told her father, Zeus. “I do not like hell, but if I must learn to enjoy it, will you visit me there?”

Zeus did not reply. His place was in the sky. In the clouds. In the heavens. He would never visit the dark world. Just because He and Hades were brothers did not mean shit. Hades had his task, and Zeus had His. And whether she liked it or not, Persephone, his most beautiful daughter, would herald that place. After each season spent in hell, Persephone would bring back all sorts of news from hell that Zeus did not want to hear. Stories of dead celebrities, mostly politicians. He worried for her. Hell was getting to her. It was becoming an obsession.

”I gave her crabs the last time I entered, soon, she’ll beg us for mercy, daddy.” Persephone told Zeus who was still not impressed. This was evil, bizarre behavior that Zeus did not condone. Torture of an innocent as a way of persuasion. Not okay. Not okay at all. Even the pedophiles and hermits raised voices in strict protest. They did not want to see the innocent one condemned to such a place. Zeus had never been to hell, and never wanted to. He did not like the heat. His understanding of hell and their policies was little.

“From now on, you must spend the rest of your time out of hell season on earth with your mother!” He ordered. Persephone actually welcomed this idea. Demeter and Persephone could bond while planting and growing things in the sunny months- then back to hell. Six long months in hell. Then bad things happened. Terrible things.

Zeus finally intervened. “All of Greece has succumbed to famine during hell months. Death! So much death! I divorce you and Hades! Persephone, you are to spend the rest of your days working the earth until your hands are broken like Demeter’s. Then, my daughter, you will surely die.”

“No!” Persephone shouted in defiance of the great god. She flew straight to hell, and resided there with Hades and His billions of souls. They ate seeds of pomegranates. She had a mission. To take that innocent soul who would be the first child in hell. Angel. Poor Angel.

Angel awoke from a nap. She had heard Hades call to her, and she wrote another lyric, “Flee from me all who are evil,” and she couldn’t write anymore. She cried again and slammed her head on her desk so hard that the skin broke. “Out of me!” She cried. “Please! Get out of me!”

Persephone had called an intervention of sorts.

“No more writing for that damned, wretched bitch! Kill her! Bring her soul down here to rot!” Persephone ordered, and all hell broke loose. Demons groveled at Persephone’s feet begging to get at Angel. They tore on Persephone’s white dress while salivating. Her breasts were revealed in glorious fashion. She learned to love it when the demons would ravish her. Every moment. Every second. Bliss. Power.

”You! The green one with the horns, you shall go fetch Angel, and bring her to me! Use whatever force you must, but do not damage her face. Her head is soon to be my trophy.” The demon came forth and did his duty to the goddess. His hands were so big, and so sharp, that he could easily capture her, and fly her back to hell. If he was lucky, he would be able to have his way with her as he flew her to the pits.

Angel was a morning person even though she spent most of her time recovering from the night terrors. She was such a beautiful and strong soul. She knew she would be going places. She just didn’t expect that one of those places would be hell. The complete, fiery hell. Where the damned go.

Angel was singing in the shower when the demon showed up to grab her. He busted through the bathroom window, and nearly shocked Angel to death. She was bleeding from her second period, and scratching from the crabs. This pleased the demon. He flew her naked and bleeding straight to Persephone who grew a quick attraction.

“You’re so beautiful. What a body.” Persephone became speechless for the first time in her life.

”I’m cold!” Angel cried.

“You may sit closer to the fire. Sit closer. I want to see into your eyes. Sorry, only the gods wear the clothes of hell.” Persephone’s heart began to race as the beauty approached a fire pit close to Persephone’s throne. By then Angel had dripped clean, and she saw something in Persephone. Perhaps a changeable heart.

Angel had never been presented in that way. Naked and nervous. She did not know what to do, so she used her one and only talent. She sang for Persephone. The lyrics were so powerful, shocking even- that Persephone forgave Angel for denying her her soul. She realized Angel belonged in heaven with daddy, and the other lovelies. After many years in hell, Persephone had a change of heart. Maybe she could be better? Maybe she could change. Maybe she could see daddy again if she made hell a better place. Maybe. If Zeus would have her.

I arrived at Angel’s house. I was late. The mist had got so thick. Pea-soupish! All was done. I saw Angel, who had been returned safely draped in Persephone’s dress, and immediately got down on all fours begging for her to forgive me. I needed to hear her say it. That she forgave me for being late. I was not able to guide her. My slow, damn feet! I tried! I tried. When I met Angel, I loved her. She sang for me, though I did not deserve it. She sang for me, and it was beautiful.

“Fate is resourceful. Have you heard that quote, my child? The willing are led by fate, the reluctant dragged.” Cleanthes. “You were not dragged, my dear. You were chosen. Chosen to be great! Now, I beg of you. Let me hear you sing again?!”