By Palomi Sai Vemala
He slowly washed the blood off of his hands as the sound of wailing was heard outside the shack that he called home. The blood-ridden clothes lay beside him as he tried to wash off the deep stain of red. It didn’t work. Sighing, he made his way to the kitchen to quench his thirst, but before the water even touched the poor man’s lips, someone started to call out his name loudly before his front door while banging on it. sighing, he put the glass down, the weariness weighing heavy on his tired shoulders.
With dragged steps, Sebastian shuffled towards the door, dreading the inevitable confrontation that awaited him. With a heavy heart, he swung it open, revealing a figure enveloped in silk and gold, a face of evil and savage.
“Sebastian, how lovely it is to see you again, dear,” said the chief.
“Another one?”
“Another one.”
The chief handed the executioner a letter with details as always and left without a word. The man sat down and read the piece of paper. It was religion to Sebastian to read about the people whose lives ended in his hands. Sebastian's heart sank as he read the contents of the letter. Another life, another soul.
Days turned into nights as Sebastian wrestled with his conscience, the echoes of his victims' cries haunting his every waking moment. He felt the need to wash his hands over and over, but the blood on his hands refused to wash away, a stain that mirrored the darkness in his soul. With each passing execution, his spirit grew weary, suffocating under the weight of the lives he had taken. It was almost as if the lives he took were the same ones wrapped around his neck, calling to him and asking him to join them.
The sun rose just as it always does, and Sebastian went to the grounds just as he always did. As he walked up the raised ground, the crowd started to fill in, chattering and buzzing about who’s next in line for Sebastian the Cruel to end.
The chief began, “Dear citizens, we have come to another unfortunate event: the execution of a fourteen-year-old betrayer, Freya Wood. Not only has she abandoned her child, but she has also tried to kill it. And for such a heinous crime, no mother would do; she must be punished.”
Sounds of agreement rose from the crowd, and Sebastian felt repulsed by the reaction as he thought of the poor girl he was about to face. Freya had come up to the ground, and everyone had begun to yell at her, calling her a monster, a demon, and an unworthy being. She turned away and faced the man wielding the knife. Looking into her pleading eyes, he felt ashamed and guilty. He wanted to give her a life, not the one she is in right now, which resembles a thrashing bird in a small cage. She was just a young kid, barely at the age to even make her own decisions. She didn’t deserve it. As he sat her down, his rough hands being gentle with her, he whispered, “I’ll make it quick.”
Freya trembled and cried, “I didn’t know what to do; he was just a baby, but I panicked, and I don’t want to die.”
She wept and wept, and the weeping stopped as the blood splattered all over the ground and seeped into the soil, rejoining the earth again. That night, when Sebastian went home, he stopped by the church. He prayed, for the first time in his life, to God for that little girl. For her to be sent to heaven and for her to be reborn in a life where she was allowed to be a child. That night, when Sebastian went to sleep, he didn’t realise that he would wake up to be greeted in a realm beyond his wildest imagination. He found himself standing at the gates of Hell.
Fear and despair filled his heart as he faced the tormented souls. However, much to his surprise, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a radiant creature with golden wings and a gentle smile.
"You have been chosen, Gabriel," the ethereal being said with a soothing voice.
"You have been given a chance. Your path does not end here in Hell."
Sebastian's eyes welled up with tears as he listened to the angel's words, the weight of his past bearing down on him. With a trembling voice, he whispered, "Is there truly a way to find redemption for all the lives I have taken?"
The angel nodded. "You shall be granted a gift, Sebastian. A chance to seek forgiveness and embark on a journey of redemption. But you must carry with you the weight of your past and learn to atone for the lives lost." Sebastian's heart swelled with hope. He accepted the angel's offer, surrendering himself to a new purpose—a chance to make amends for the darkness that had consumed his life.
In the blink of an eye, Sebastian found himself in the depths of Hell, a place where tormented souls resided. But unlike the eternal damnation he had expected, he was met with a different fate. The angelic figure accompanied him, guiding him through the fiery depths and allowing him to witness the suffering and pain of those condemned. As Sebastian beheld the depths of despair and remorse, an ember of compassion was lit within him. He dedicated himself to easing the pain of the lost souls, offering them a shoulder to rest on. With each act of kindness, his own burden grew lighter, and his soul gradually purged itself of its darkness.
Time lost all meaning as Sebastian helped them, extending his hand to the forsaken and guiding them towards redemption. He wept with them, shared their anguish, and offered them the hope he himself had received. Eventually, the day came when Sebastian faced the angel again, his soul cleansed of the sins that had once consumed him. "Sebastian," it said, "you have redeemed yourself; your spirit is now unburdened by the weight of your past. Enter now into the realm of eternal peace."
“Kind angel, who has given me this opportunity, I thank you for this, but I shall decline. I have committed grave sins, and these tarnished hands of mine cannot enter heaven. I have found my place and my people. I wish to help more of these souls down here, and I wish to heal myself here. You have given me this gift. This gift of redemption is something I will be eternally grateful for. Thank you, but I decline.”
By Palomi Sai Vemala
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