Story: Part 1

We start our journey where we left off, with Nicholas and Spencer made their way through the Inferno. The two make their way through fields and spirits. After a while Nicholas saw that the fields were thinning, and the ground was becoming hard with no loose soil. Soon on the horizon Nicholas noticed a cave that sloped down. The two of them entered the cave. On its wall Nicholas noticed dried mud. They followed the cave, leaving Purgatory.

After walking for a while Nicholas noticed the cave widen into what seemed to be a new world. He saw all around them the ground had turned into mud and Spencer was leading them along the only path that is solid ground. After a while Nicholas asked,” Where are we?”

Spencer replied,” We have descended into the next level of the Inferno. We are now in land for the punishment of those who had lust. This is the land of Lust. They wallow in their own filth within the mud you see around you. As you look some suffer more than others depending on how much lust they had in their previous time spent on earth. If you look closer there may be people you know in the muck below.”

Nicholas looked closer at the people in the mud. He noticed many people he knew from his lifetime. He saw Charlie Sheen, who in his lust for other would make them suffer by giving out his sexually transmitted diseases back on earth. He noticed that Charlie Sheen had more of a thicker mud around him. He was suffocating but unable to die for he was already dead. The mud was also steaming, so Nicholas thought it was also burning him. He saw Bill Cosby rolling around in the mud also. His lust was for other women and he went out of his way to fulfill his lust. Nicholas also saw many people who he didn’t recognize. He ask Spencer,” Why are there so many people in the mud?”

Spencer responded, “There are so many people in the mud because they all had lusted for something at one time or another that they could not have. These people will suffer for eternity for the lust in their souls.”

Nicholas thought to himself that he would hate to be a part of this land. He knew that he has never lusted for anything he does not have. He feared that if he lusts for the return of his wife he may end up there. Knowing this he chose not to lust for his wife until their meeting in Heaven. Spencer then stated,” We have to keep moving for there is more to see.”

Nicholas and Spencer continued on the path through the land of lust. After a while Nicholas had noticed that the path starts to widen leading to a gate. Soon he heard barking in the distance. After going through the gate, he noticed the fabled three-headed dog Cerberus. The dog barked intensely at them as they passed but he was not able to attack them due to a chain at the base of its neck. While passing by Cerberus Spencer threw the heads a big slice of meat that he made appear out of nowhere. After quieting Cerberus Spencer said,” We have reached the land of Gluttony. For that our time is short we will be moving along in our journey. "

Nicholas and Spencer made their way through the land of Gluttony and found themselves soon approaching the next level of the Inferno. While approaching the next level of the Inferno, Nicholas noticed the area around them began to brighten. He saw a land with many people being tortured in many ways. Noticing that Nicholas looked at the area around him, Spencer stated,” We have now entered the level of Greed. All those you see are suffering the penalty of their own greed. Each of them gets a special torture technique depending on how much greed was in their souls before they died. Look around you and you will find people you may recognize.”

Nicholas looked around to see if he recognized anyone. He immediately saw what he believed to be the the entire board of executives of the company Walmart being tortured with flames and being prodded with stakes that bored the Walmart logo. Nicholas Asked," Why do they suffer?"

Spencer stated,"They were suffering because they were so afraid to let their employees make more they pulled their company from two states that raised minimum wage laws and refuse to let their employees unionize."

He also saw Donald trump being stretched out on a medieval rack. Nicholas knew he suffered for the sin of buying smaller companies and letting them fail to further gain for his companies. He made money off the suffering of others. He had learned this knowledge on the news. He also saw many people being burned from even his own local neighborhood. Nick looked to Spencer for explanation. Spencer understood the look and said ,” People were greedy in their own ways. They are here for wanting more than they had or had the chance to help someone but thought they were above it.”

Nicholas knew that in his life he had moments where he was faced with greed, but had rose above it. He knew that it was greedy to only think of himself and want his wife back. He knew that to avoid ending up in the greed level he would have to continue to rise above. He looked over to Spencer and said,” I have seen all I believe I need to see. We should move on from this place.”

Spencer looked over and nodded in agreement and they continued their journey onto the next level of the Inferno.

There is still more to see, and we will continue Nicholas and Spencer’s journey in the next part of our story.

Author's notes: We start the journey of Dante’s in a dark forest such as was in my story. He finds his guide through the Inferno who was Virgil in Dante’s Inferno and was named Spencer in my version. In Dante’s Inferno they first make their way through the level of Purgatory. I did the same for my story. The next part of the story Dante and Virgil make their way into the level of lust and speak to many people in the level of lust. For my story I have chosen not to speak to people but have my guide explain the level and describe those who suffer in the level along with the general knowledge that Nicholas has of the people who suffer there. In the next part of the story Dante and Virgil came upon the level of gluttony. In gluttony they saw Cerberus which I thought was important. I included Cerberus, but left out the level's description for I thought it was not important. I believe the level was almost the same as greed based off the sins for it . After gluttony Dante and Virgil move on to the level of greed. I once again described the people who suffer there and why they are there. This what I based my story off.

head Image From Istock

image by Gonzola Ordonez Arias

bibliography of source story: Dante's Divine Comedy, translated by Tony Kline