Too Broke For Afterlife

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So. Hot.

I feel the heat burning through my skin and try to open my eyes.

My vision is blurry at first as my eyes are itching, dried out from the temperatures. I wait a bit for them to get used to my surroundings.

All I can see is concrete below my lying body. Grey, even and clean.

I lift my head up a bit and my eyes land on a window front, showing nothing but red behind it. The wooden crate is lying next to me.

I try to take a deep breath but to my horror I notice that there is nothing to breathe in.

Absolutely nothing.

No oxygen. 

A wheezing escapes my throat and what I taste on my tongue is smoke. 

I try to sit up and look around. But I'm alone inside this room.

So I guess screaming for help won't...help.

Oh my god, I'm going to suffocate.

My throat is aching, it burns like it's been scratched open by rusty nails.

If I don't find a way out, I'm going to die. And I'll have to start over.

Back at square one. Back to being a ghost.

But then the grey double door swings open and a somewhat human-like being struts towards me. The closest term for this creature might be imp.

Their skin is a dark greyish red, their body short and scrawny. It looks at me with small eyes and then hands over an oxygen mask. 

I quickly grab it and put it onto my face. The oxygen bottles I can strap on like a backpack.

I take a deep breath. Finally, my lungs fill with air. 

And my pulse starts calming down. 

After a few good breaths, the imp is still standing next to me, apparently waiting to gain my attention.

I get up from the ground and notice how short they really are. A two head difference at least, they hardly reach my chest.

And with my 5 foot 7 I really am not a tall dude.

The imp stares into my face, their voice is breathy and light.

"The boss wants to see you."

"The boss?"

He ignores my question and turns around to go back through the door. 

I follow it and we enter a wide corridor, again plastered with windows to the outside.

I take a longer look through the glass.

The red is now more defined, different shades ranging from a yellowy orange to dark purple show the contours of rocks and cliffs. There is no sky, the red is everywhere. It's like we are stuck inside a giant, hollow rock.

Other imps are walking around the outside but I can't tell what they are doing.

They look exactly like the one who is leading me, there is just one difference.

The others are wearing hard hats, mine is not.

Is this some sort of construction site?

"Where are we?"

"No questions," it whispers with its croaky voice.

Hmm, maybe I'm dreaming right now? 

Can I be sure that I'm awake right now? What happened during the summoning, was that real? Being swallowed by the ground? The salt?

Yeah, maybe this is just a lucid dream and I'm actually taking a nap at the gas station. Maybe.

At the end of the hallway, stairs lead to another floor and I can feel how the temperatures are dropping slightly. The smell of smoke is getting milder. 

But the rest stays the same. Everything is still held in a blueish gray, even the reception desk at the end of the room mirrors that color scheme.

Behind it sits another imp but their skin is less red and filled with blue splotches.

The red blue reception imp now looks up at me. What if these are aliens?

"The human has arrived. Boss is awaiting him."

"One minute."

The receptionist jumps off their chair and disappears behind a big door. 

I look around.

There is really nothing here. No plants, no chairs, no magazine stands. Apart from the reception desk, the room is completely empty.

Weird.

Last time I was at an unknown reception, I had just died and transported to Afterlife. Right before meeting Karen. Could this maybe be a similar experience?

"Okay, you can go in," the receptionist breathes in my direction.

"Okay." But I don't move.

After all, I don't know what awaits me behind the other door. It could literally be anything. Well, almost.

I am 100% sure that it is not the warehouse with my friends.

"Go." My imp shoves me lightly.

"Fine! Don't touch me."

Without overthinking it further, I walk towards the ominous grey door and step through.

The room behind it is much more interesting than what I've seen so far. The windows are still huge but the office is filled with a desk, chairs, a couch, bookshelves and file cabinets. Still, no plants.

Whoever designed this place needs to be fired.

Against the desk leans a tall, lean man. Everything about him seems human apart from the blue skin and flaming red eyes. The hair is gelled back neatly and he is wearing a suit. 

I quickly lean against the door, knowing that else I might fall over.

This guy is the man from my dreams. The strange uncle. 

What is he doing here? Am I dreaming after all?

The expression on his face is stern but once our eyes meet, he starts smiling.

"Parker. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The deep, clean voice sends a shiver down my spine. Yes, this is definitely him.

He shifts away from the desk and walks towards me to extend his hand.

I shake it hesitantly.

His skin is incredibly warm. But that's probably not a sign of a working bloodflow and instead a result of the hot climate.

"Who are you?"

He chuckles.

"Who am I?"

"And where are we? What is this place? Am I hallucinating? Why do I have to wear an oxygen mask?"

The man is amused by my flood of questions.

"Shouldn't you know? Afterall, you summoned me."

It takes a few seconds until I realize what he is saying.

I step back.

"Y-y-you're S-s-satan?"

Great, now I'm stuttering.

I haven't stuttered since...never!

The man sighs.

"Are you humans still calling me that?"

He turns around and walks back to his desk. I stand there in confusion.

"What other ridiculous names do you have for me?"

"Uh...Lucifer? Devil? The Babadook?"

"Babadook?" He looks at me shocked. "Excuse me?"

"No wait, I think that's something different."

Satan shakes his head.

"This is what happens when you employ someone with bad handwriting. Nobody can read it and then humans start assuming things and before you know it, they call you Satan."

"So what is your real name?"

He sits down on his armchair and motions me to do the same.

I slowly walk over to one of the empty chairs.

The cushion is so hot, it feels like my ass is on fire but I withstand the desire to get up again.

He folds his hands as he leans back.

"My name is Stanislav Heleskov, founder and CEO of Heleskov LLC. But you can call me Stan."

"Stan? Not Satan?"

"Yes."

"And this place...is a company?"

He nods. "It's a factory. You might be familiar with the human-made name."

"And what is that?"

Satan - I mean Stan - smiles.

"Hell."

My mouth drops open and my eyes almost fall out of their sockets.

"This is...Hell?"

"Yes. And the reason why we don't have oxygen…"

Stan looks outside one of the windows, viewing the gigantic red cave.

"We are inside Earth's core. There is no oxygen inside Earth."

"Uhm...what? Inside Earth? The core?"

"Yes."

I jump out of my chair and run over to the next window to press my nose against it.

And suddenly, it makes sense.

The red stone, the cave-like ceiling way above. 

I am in Hell. Inside Earth.

"But..."

I'm trying to find the right words as Stan watches me.

"You were in my dreams. For years. You looked exactly like you do right now. How can I imagine you so accurately when I've never seen you before?"

Stan smiles. "You're smart. I've always known that."

"How do you know me?"

"You said it yourself, I was in your dreams."

I furrow my brows. "So you creep into people's dreams?"

"No, only into yours."

"But why me?"

Stan looks at me for a while. I can see that he is wanting to say something but then he shakes his head. "You are going to find out one day. But right now there are other things to worry about."

What could be more important then the answer to why Stan and I have a personal connection?

Why me out of all people in the world? 

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

"I do."

He nods. "And I will do my best to answer them all.. There is a lot to talk about."