Purgatory part two

Two young girls were laying in a nest of duvets and pillows that they had made on the balcony of their bedroom. They were supposed to be sleeping because their parents were holding a celebration to all the new souls that had recently arrived. They were never allowed to go and if they asked to they was always told they were too young, they had a Nanny that would stay with them until they fell to sleep and then she would join the girl’s parents in celebrating, returning throughout the night to check on the girls. After sealing the door shut, only the girls' parents and their nanny could enter their bedroom. They two young girls were sisters, and they lived in a palace, which was in a special place called Elysium which could only be found through the stars at least this is what they had been told all their lives. They were only a few years apart in age, neither one knew how many years were between them, just that one was here before the other one. In Elysium, birthdays weren’t celebrated, they were just allowed to be here, no one really aged - not properly any way. Life was different in Elysium, because no one was really alive here - people came to Elysium after they had lived and carried on life in a different way. But where they were from birthdays were not celebrated, life was celebrated differently here, where they lived, it was only when people died that they were celebrated. No one here ever spoke of age, people could and did age here, but it was not spoken of. Thes young sisters were taught from their parents that it gave life a sense of freedom, to just exist without counting the years their parents explained to them that the souls that came here had spent their previous lives being told from birth that they only had a certain amount of years to live, so most of them spent their life time in that life counting down the years and never being truly present in life. It was not how the next life would be lived and that is why age and life was celebrated here instead once a week a celebration called the passage of light would take place where souls that was ready to leave was giving a ceremony with everyone else wanting to leave and go on to another life. Tonight was one of those nights and as another celebration was happening in the palace grounds, the eldest of the two Sisters had worked it out that every five days a ceremony would take place and they really were spectacular and so magical especially when they would have their aunts and uncles come down from the stars setting off explosions of colours in the sky like fireworks, each aunt and uncle had their own colours lighting the sky up like an electric rainbow. The palace grounds would be filled with the sisters family and all the guest that would come here no one ever missed it, there was villages that surrounded the palace and would display it on large screens that hung from the sky so no one ever missed a ceremony, in each village homes were being built constantly for new arrivals, some days thousands would arrive. The girls were never too sure why so many people came here, most of them appeared sad when they came the other ones were happy. It was the sad ones who would stay for a while and the happy ones would leave at the next passage of light ceremony, even if it was on the same day they arrived. When the souls who arrived here attended the passage of light ceremony the girls would see them in the palace, they would be dressed in the most beautiful clothes, men would have velvet ties to match their velvet suits and women wore silk dresses. There were children to who would have soft matching pyjama sets, with slippers and fluffy dressing gowns the sister liked the children because they glowed and sparkled the most on the day of the passage of light. Most children would come to Elysium with an adult, but some children came alone these children were allowed to play in the palace with the sisters on the day of their passage of light ceremony. They were brought in with a land guardian this would be a god or goddess who would meet them when they arrived they were like guardian angels they would take care of them as when they arrived often they thought they had just fallen asleep and had entered a dream so the land guardians believed it was kinder to let them stay that way, others would arrive scared of a monsters that were trying to hurt them these children were given extra care. All the children who arrived alone be it in a dream like state or scared would be taken to a park the biggest park they had ever seen they would meet friends there and have ice cream from a truck that had every flavour and every topping. After they had been to the park they would be taken to a stuffed toy makers shop where they would get to sit and a draw whatever stuffed toy they wanted some children would draw bears, some would just draw their favourite shape, some their favourite animals others just wanted their stuff toy to look like the person they had drew. Whatever they chose it was theirs the children would take their drawings and go into the next room where they got to choose a blanket, they would go into another room where they would put their drawings into a warm oven it was only small and glowed ambers and gold it never got hot, so the children were allowed to get close to it. They would sit with their blankets watching the drawings coming to life in the oven, the guardians of the land would never get tired of watching the children’s faces as they saw their creations coming of the pages and filling out, it only took five minutes, but it was five minutes of complete innocent magic that made the children feel safe and special. After they collected their stuffed toys, they would be taken for more food they were allowed to eat whatever they wanted here chocolate pizzas, never ending crisps, cheese balls, popcorn pyramids anything they wanted it was theirs., get whatever they wanted to eat. They would finish off their day by going to their new home. There were lots of homes for children in Elysium sometimes the children had already met in the park when they arrived at their new home. There was something very magical about their children’s home in Elysium they were all filled with something that made the children happy no child was sad here and the ones that came in scared was no longer scared by the time they arrived at their new home. They all had their own bedrooms which would be white when they arrived it would be just four blank white walls with no furniture the guardian that had greeted them showed them how to make magic with their minds allowing them to create anything they wanted in their bedroom they could have whatever colour they wanted on the walls, they could have floor like a bouncy castle or floor that was fluffy, a giant bed or perhaps a bed that they needed to climb up to get into and a slide to get out of. Whatever they wanted they was allowed this was now their home and until they were ready for their light of passage ceremony this is where they would stay, the homes had a huge garden with slides and swings and a big castle fort climbing frame, every home had an indoor swimming pool and cinema there was a food court for breakfast lunch and dinner. The children were safe and happy here. When the day came for them to attend their passage of light ceremony, they would come to the palace and have a big picnic with the sisters that lived there, they would play and eat with other children who were attending the passage of light ceremony that evening. They would spend the day having fun with new friends when the sun started to set, they would be meted by the land guardian that had collected them on arrival. They would be taken to have a giant bubble bath were they could soak and play a little longer before getting in their soft matching pyjama sets, big fluffy dressing gowns and slippers they would take the blanket and stuffed toy they had created with them, their guardians would stay with them right till the end the land guardians would always create special bonds with each child they care for some of them would cry and some of them smiled as they watched the children transform and leave to go to the next place filling the sky with their special glow and sparkle as they left. The sisters never knew where the next place was, they weren’t sure if their parents knew either as it was never spoken about. They had never seen a ceremony but was so desperate to. Usually their nanny would lock all the doors including the balcony so that they could see any of it, but tonight the balcony doors had been left opened, so the girl had pulled their bedding out on to it and made themselves a nest, they peered over the balcony to look below, there was a gold and bronze musical instruments floating on the stage playing music by themselves, their aunts and uncles were sat at the front, and their mum and dad was on the stage, they watched as someone went onto the stage, they couldn't hear what was being said but people were laughing, their girls mum hugged the person on stage and the girls watched as the person started to shake, shooting off into the sky followed by a huge bang and flashes of light it was so loud and so bright the girls were thrown back as the air of the person who on the stage shot passed them so fast it sent them flying back down into their nest they had made, they stared up at the sky watching a new star being created it was shining bright as it dazzled and sparkled silver white and blue all at once, the people below at the ceremony stayed quiet, the girls stared at the new star watching it twinkle, it looked like it was dancing in the sky and then it looked like it was completely sucked out of the sky from the other side, where ever the other side was. When it was completely gone that is when everyone below let out a cheer and the floating orchestra started to play again. The passage of light was complete.

.

When the girls got older, they discovered that their parents were Gods just like the guardians of the land were and Elysium was a celestial realm that was one part of the three celestial realms of Purgatory. They also learnt that their aunt and uncles that came down from the sky to be part of the passage of light ceremony, were their ancestors and ancient gods who created the stars and underworlds. They was taught how there was three underworlds and they lived in the underworld for good people and children, the passage of light ceremony was where the souls of people that came here after they died, would have a ceremony to acknowledge all the good deeds that they did in another celestial zone called Earth where only mortals lived before they get to go to their final place they was allowed to grant one wish for someone they left behind on earth as a part of their passage of light ceremony. Everyone when they left would wish for their loved ones that they had left behind on Earth to be happy, the children always got really excited when they were told they could make a wish because they was now so happy in Elysium and knew how magical their little souls were, they would jump up and down in their fluffy pyjamas holding on to their stuff toys and wish for their mummies and daddies too be magic and happy like them so when they left and became a star they twinkled bright for a moment, just long enough for people on earth to look in the sky and see that glimmer of hope they had asked for that everything was going to be ok, the girls were taught that people from earth needed these signs to continue with their lives and move on to better things. Mortals needed confirmation for loved one who were no longer there that everything was ok, and they were still with them somehow. Often after receiving a sign, they would start following their path and finding their life purpose, until one the day came that they would end up here, this is what their sisters mum had explained to them. The eldest sister was intrigued and wanted to learn more and asked if they could attend the next passage of light ceremony because she wanted to see for herself how people from earth turned it to stars, she wanted to everything she could and find out if she could travel through the stars. When the youngest of the two sisters found out the truth of everything she didn’t have the same reaction as her sister she was quiet and didn't say much until her mum asked if she was ok and had any questions liked her sister, she did have questions lots of them but was unsure of how she was feeling because it was so different to her sisters reaction, she chose to ask just one question she wanted to know where all the bad people go, she just want to know she needed to know if this was the place for the good people and there was two more celestial realms for people who died then where was they and where did the bad people go. The sisters mum could see her youngest daughter’s question had unsettled her eldest daughter and stalled her answering, but knew the importance of this question so explained to her daughters about the other realms. She told her daughters that their own realm and the other two realms made up a realm called Purgatory. The other parts of Purgatory where in the grounds of Purgatory Palace, Elysium was the realm for the good. Then there was the middle realm where lost souls went this was in the palace, it stayed hidden and could only be accessed by the gods that ruled it they were the only ones who knew where it was in the palace and the souls that went there was not good or bad they were souls of people who just existed throughout life and never chose to do anything different, when they reached the palace they were numb from their experience of life on earth, these souls had given up years before passing, life was mundane from the start, they never achieved anything, nor did their families or the people they left behind, life just wasn't for them and death wasn't either, some gods believed these people were the creations of a life that went wrong and the gods never disposed of it so it was sent to earth to have a half-life because that’s what it was at best just part of a life that created and never finished was made from just enough to exist but not to fully live there wasn’t much of them but too much to throw away because they would still be of some use to mankind in some way, they were damaged when they was created and the gods finished them early because of this refusing to put life or give them a personality or put energy into them, so they spent their life on earth doing the same thing they would work hard in school, work hard at work, meet a person that did exactly the same have the same view on life that you are born to live and die never understanding other people who felt a desperate need for more than the ordinary. They would spend the first months of the year saving for a summer holiday and the spend the last few months of the year saving for Christmas. Some of them would have children and some wouldn’t it wasn’t something that these people craved it would just be something that happened and if it did happen they would then be working for the rest of their lives saving every penny until they died so they can leave it all behind because they never saw the point of spending money of materialistic things living in the same house and driving the same car for their lives was enough they would stay in the same job because that was enough. They would never waste money on new clothes even for special occasions they just didn’t see the point in treating themselves so they would wear the same suit to weddings and christenings and funerals. They were put on Earth to exist and co-exist with other just like them then when they died and came to Purgatory these would be the souls that went to the middle underworld this realm was called the ASPHODEL MEADOWS.

The youngest girl was quiet again, staring at her mum who looked like she had reservations about continuing, the eldest girl told her mum she didn't have to continue but the mother knew she needed to as she had not answered her daughter’s question. They now knew where the lost souls went so where did the bad souls go. The mother continued to tell her daughters where the souls of people who did wrong on earth go when they enter Purgatory. So, the last place is the place for the bad the entrance to this place was in a lake on the place grounds. The youngest sister told her mum she didn’t want to hear any more but her the oldest sister told her younger sister to shut up because she wanted to know more. The oldest sister was showing the same excitement to learn about the bad the bad place that her younger sister had shown to learn about the passage of light. The mum corrected her eldest daughter for her being rude to her younger sister which she completely ignored and didn't even apologize to her. The mother contemplated on continuing seeing how her daughter was changing when she spoke about the realm for bad souls but decided because of this she felt it was important to continue. She told her daughters that when you stepped outside of their own realm you would step straight into Purgatory palace which was unlike ELYSIUM that had fresh grass, rolling hills, crisp fresh air, beautiful clear pastel pink skies every day, radiating a perfect warmth every day, people were kind and friendly, the buildings in Elysium where made of ivory and had roofs of diamond crystal, the whole place was filled beauty and warmth this was not the case at Purgatory Palace, in Purgatory it was dark all the time even in the day it was dark. It rained most of the time and storms would happen every night souls would arrive on horse and carriage; the ones that went to Elysium and the Asphodel Meadows would be taken straight there. The ones that was to go to the other place would have be assessed first make sure they defiantly couldn’t be saved some souls are born to cause pain other souls are born to feel pain those souls get sent back to earth to be given one more chance at life and live their lives helping others who are going through the pain they went through when they was first on earth these people are known by humans as Earths Angels. The ones who can’t be saved are sent back to where they were created from the bad place. They were evil and there was only one realm that would contain them this realm was called Tartarus after souls had been assessed in Purgatory Palace they would be shackled in chains casted by the gods and taken to the grounds, they would often talk about how if they could do it again they would go back and cause more harm showing no remorse but instead joy at what they had done. They would reenact their victims screams and the voices of scared children crying for their parents they were sick at how they found humour in the pain they had caused and the more vulnerable the person the more joy they got from causing them pain. They would speak boldly of how the Devil would reward them when they entered his realm, they believed they were superior to all other beings, and they truly believed that when they met the Devil he would reward with them with whatever they desired. This is not how the Devil worked at all little did they know the Devil rarely meets with souls that come to Tartarus nor does he reward anyway for the suffering they caused on earth it was the opposite, the more proud a soul was of the pain it had caused the harder it was punished in Tartarus the Devil made sure he would show those souls that they was nothing compared to him and no one could fear them in his realm the only one to be feared would always be the Devil. He was known as king Lucifer by those that lived in the surrounding city to his castle, they were the ones who had got close enough to know him and work for him in whatever way he ordered them to including torturing the souls that came in expecting to be rewarded by him he found now pleasure in rewarding people it added to their ego and eventually they would think they were capable of ruling his realm, The Devil only found pleasure in torture the more bold you are the more pain you will suffer it was that simple. The evil souls would get walked across the Palace grounds to the silver lake, the Devil would send lightning from the lake in the grounds the lake looked like melted sterling silver swirling around, giving the twisted and sick souls the impression that would be encased in this liquid making them god like for their arrival when instead it was there to was any charms or curses they had to use against The Devil. Before they entered the lake the sky sends down heavy rain which is sharp and scrapes their skin as it hits them, the thunder get louder as they line up, waiting their turn, you can start to see the fear replace the once bold energy, they was expecting a meet and greet the with Devil and to be rewarded for all their sins but instead they are faced with eternal pain and suffering, there is nowhere else for those sort of people, the chains they are shackled in have a magnetic effect to the silver lake they cannot escape their destiny. The only screams you hear are no longer the evil souls imitating the victims but in fact the sound of their own screams as they get sucked down through the silver lake becoming the Devils newest victims. The eldest sister was now clinging on to her mother, who stroked her hair and reassured her they never had anything to worry about they will always remain safe as they were gods and could not be taken from their own realm nor could the Devil leave his realm. The youngest sister wasn’t afraid she was laughing and dancing pointing her finger at imaginary souls pretending to condemn them and laughing she said it sounded fun to be the Devil.

As the years went by the eldest sister followed in her parents footsteps and learnt how to turn people into stars, she loved connecting with souls that came to Elysium, she loved hearing about stories of earth and pictured going there herself one day, her younger sister however wasn't interested one bit, not long after discovering the truth about the three realms of Purgatory she stopped playing with the children who would visit the palace she stopped talking to her family like she use to and would only talk to them if she needed to. She would stay in her room and chose to distance herself from everyone, her head was full of intrusive thoughts that she struggled not to act on. Ever since learning about the Devil she had been wishing for him to arrive she wanted to meet him and see for herself if it was possible for such a being to exist or was he just a myth that had been created to scare people into doing the right thing something her mother had created to scare her as a child Every week she would watch as people were turned into stars and sent off at the passage of light ceremony and couldn't help but wonder if the Devil had some sort of passage to pain ceremony where the souls there were incinerated to dust Years of her thinking this way started to send out messages to him little did she know the more she thought of the Devil the stronger she connected him to Elysium. A war had gone on for years between the three realms, but Elysium was always protected so the Devil couldn't enter not without being invited in by the gods who ruled there or their heir, and that is exactly what the youngest girl unknowingly did by thinking of him all the time he was finally allowed to enter Elysium.

He destroyed Elysium and killed the sisters’ parents. She was left feeling foolish guilty and in pain, her sister blamed her and banished her from Elysium. She left to go and find the Devil and seek revenge only she ended up somewhere else she ended up on Earth her sister tried to find her but centuries passed before her she found her, she brought her back to Purgatory Palace with a plan where they could both get revenge by working together, by using the Devils daughter and the son of the gods form APOSAL MEADOWS, but again her sister betrayed her, and made a deal with Devil behind her back and only this time it cost her, her life.

Purgatory Palace, Present Day

"I'm really sorry about killing your sister Eliza" said rose flicking a piece of Adelaide's nose from her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it Rose she was always out of control if I'm honest I'm actually relieved, and to be honest I actually think she self-destructed the rage inside her destroyed her not you. She spent so much time on earth she picked up habits of humans, many of them destroy their lives through being angry and bitter. Adalaide was a god with no self-control or understanding of herself because she refused to learn how to obtain that skill, She always though she knew best, now look at her" Eliza said holding Adelaide’s lips, she held them dangling from her fingers like a worm, she threw them onto the of Adalaide remains chuckling to herself.

Eliza reached over and removed some small sheets of skin of her sisters’ skin from roses hair she watched as they floated down landing on top of the pile, she put her hands over the pile not touching it just hovering her hands over the top of. She was turning the pieces of her sisters remains into sparkles until they were one big ball of white twinkling light that she took outside with her. Rose followed watching Eliza from the entrance of the palace. Eliza held the ball of light in her hands a tear fell down her cheek as she sent her sister into the sky, she used the finger to spell out a word for a moment in the dark damp sky, the word “CUNT” was spelled out before it faded to nothingness. She looked to rose who was laughing.

“It's what she would have wanted” said Rose putting her arm around her and returning inside.

"What now?" said Eliza.

“Going to show me the way to my dad" said Rose with venom in voice. of white twinkling light that she took outside with her.

“I must say I dint think you would be laughing about it" Rose said confused.

"She was always mouthing off and now her mouth is literally off, bring a whole new meaning to mouth ache" Eliza said laughing.