Purgatory

Human Request Form1

Name: Samantha 2

Age: 173

Appearance: Black hair, yellow eyes, paper white skin4

School: Catholic5

Uniform: White blouse, Red miniskirt, Black Converse6


Reason for Request: N/A7

8

Chapter one: The day I died…9

“What a dream….” I look at the bedside clock, “Crap! I’m gonna be late!!” Mind you, late isn’t a new concept for me. “Oh Jeez! My alarm clock cable is chewed up!” I look at my dog, Pooch, “Good going, dog!!”
I scramble into my uniform, grab my lunch, (after I make it, of course), and run down the stone path to the gate. I throw it open and start the 8 block dash to school.
When I’m about 4 blocks away I see a little boy. I greet him as I run by, “Hey, Danny! What’s up?” I back peddle when I notice that his face is red and puffy and his eyes are full of tears. I drop to my knees, “Danny? What’s wrong?” I ask, ignoring the mud I feel soaking into my Socks. “Can I help?”
“I lost my toy! And Mommy won’t buy me a new one!” Danny says and starts crying again. “I want a toy!”
I think and remember that Dancer Boy I made for History class that I had named Bunny. I hesitated for a moment, then got it out of my book bag; ‘I’m going to fail History anyway,’ I thought to myself. “Here, Danny. Have Bunny.” He looks at it and shakes his head. “Com’n Danny, It’s a gift. You can’t turn down a gift!” He looks at it again then grabs it.
I run off and get to the school yard just as the late bell rings. I run into my class and turn around to close the door quietly.
“You’re late…Samantha.” I turn toward a voice that makes me tremble with fear. “Late! Mrs. Samantha, you are late every single day!” Sister Mary Evangeline is the type of nun that makes kids not want to come to Sunday school. Yeesh.
“I’m sorry, Sister. I meant no disrespect! I’m afraid my dog chewed through the cables in my alarm clock.” ‘Please don’t hurt me,’ I beg silently.
“Sit down, then. I see you failed to notice our visitors.” She grabs my arm when I try to walk to my seat,”Turn around.”
I spin around and see a young woman: 22-ish, long chestnut brown hair, beautiful hazel eye, clear pale skin, and a black torn dress and barefoot. The only thought that pops into my head is: she’s an angel, an angel in black.
Behind her is a tall man-in-armor. I’m guessing he’s her bodyguard. Who is she to need a bodyguard? Whatever. I go sit in my seat and hope that’s all the embarrassment I’ll get today.
Now, Sister Mary Evangeline writes “purgatory” on the board. The strange woman goes to the front of the class. “Hello, I’m here today to tell you about purgatory. A lot of people know little to nothing about purgatory. It’s a medieval village,” She gets laughs for that, “The Government is a sort of monarchy, except there is only a Queen and then peasants. Every 300 years there is a new ruler chosen. Thank you.” As she walks out she gives me this ‘See you later, human’ look.
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It’s time to go home. I don’t want to go home; it’s just a big empty house. I finally settled for going the long way through the forest.
I’m walking along and someone grabs from behind. I hadn’t even heard anyone! When I draw breath to speak, they cover my mouth with a cloth, soaked in some sort of liquid. Slowly, painfully, I feel my body go limp, the life trickling out of me, drop-by-drop. I’m on the edge of consciousness when the strange woman’s face appears in front of me.
A quote I once heard plays in my head: “The shit we suffer from is the shit we make, the shit we climb though is the shit we chose to take.”
Then I drop into weightless darkness…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
‘What? Oh, I’m dead…That’s way I’m floating…no, not floating, someone’s carrying me.’
I open my eyes and see that woman’s face. “You saved me?”
“No, I didn’t, human, you’re dead…Wake up, Samantha…Wake up! Your entrance exam to Heaven awaits you.”
All of a sudden I get flashes of memories, Forest, cloth, the woman. I jump off her arms, see she has wings (and I’m in a toga), find that I am floating and holding a flaming sword. “What the Hell?”
Suddenly there’s a boy standing in front of the gates of heaven. He turns toward us and he’s got a floating God figurine on his shoulder. The figurine says: “Not Hell, my dear, Heaven.”
Me, being me, float over to the figurine and poke it.
“AH!” I fly back as the figurine leaps at me, “Who do you think you are? Poking me! I am God! Just for that I ban thee from entering the gates of heaven! You will be stricken from the books of life! It will be as though you never lived!” Suddenly a boom sounds and I fall back though the clouds. That woman shouts with glee and a quote I once heard plays in my head: “Sometimes you’re the windshield and some times you’re the bug.”
Then I drop into weightless darkness once again…
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‘What? Oh, I’m dead…That’s way I’m floating…no, not floating, someone’s carrying me.’
I open my eyes and see that woman’s face. “You saved me again?” I float up and sit Indian style in front of her. She looks at me, and blinks. There’s this huge flash of light and I’ve got my uniform on. Oh, yeah I forgot to mention: WINGS!!! “Thanks.”
“No problem….well, there is a problem, you’re in hell.” I look around ‘cool’ “So, find a way to mess this up…Now where is Cerberus?!” She whistles and suddenly a five-year-old girl is standing there holding a wet sword.
She has a floating devil figurine on her shoulder. I, being me, decided not to test my luck and stay where I am…Oh, but she wanted me to mess this up! Sweet!
“BITCH!” I fly back as the figurine leaps at me, “Who do you think you are? Poking me! I am Satan! Just for that I ban thee from entering the gates of Hell!” Suddenly a boom sounds and I fall up, but not as far as a fell down. That woman shouts in joy (again) and a quote I once heard plays in my head: “I will never be a memory….”10

Wait! If I was banned from Heaven and banned from Hell…where is left to go?
I get an Image of a woman sitting on a stone pillar. The Gatekeeper.
“Welcome to Purgatory.” 11


Chapter 2: I’ve always wanted cobblestone streets.12

“Purgatory?” I think, and think, and think… “Huh!” I jump up and float Indian style while thinking hard. “Huh!” ‘I should know this…’ “That’s what you told us about in class today!”
She hits her head with the palm of her hand. “Yes! Jeez, you act so stupid! Com’n we need to find you somewhere to live.” And she walks of and leaves me here.
Here? I turn around and see a huge medieval town. It’s got cobblestone streets, houses made out of stone (ground stone, not cement stone) and wooden roofs. It’s got a well and a town square. I start running after her and see a big castle. Omigod! It’s awesome. You know I never got to see a castle before I died, and I certainly didn’t expect to see one after I died! Gee willikers, Batman! This is so cool!
I run up to her and she stops in front of me! And because my reflexes are shot to Hell, (Ooh, let’s not say that), since my reflexes are BAD, I bump into her and she falls onto the ground…in the forest. Where the hell, no wait, just where did a forest come from?
She gives me this your-so-mean watery eyed look and jumps up. She stands up and dusts herself off.
“Now what did you do that for, Samantha? Here I am, totally minding my own business, when I get trampled by a newly dead teenager! I am several millennia old and you’ve only been dead for less then a day!!”
I glare at her. “It’s not fair that you yell at me when I don’t even know your name!!! Huh?! Should I just call you Rumplstiltskin?” That was mean. I feel evil. I then giggle in a very un-evil way.
She blanches and blinks. “You’re right…that’s unfair. My name is Christene. Now, HOW DARE YOU!!!” I jump back 8 steps. She turns and points to a building with the sign ‘Orphanage’ on the door. It’s in horrible condition and three children are sitting in front of it, sad and dirty and you can tell just by looking at them that they are hungry. “I have found you a place to live!” and she just stands there watching. Grr.
I walk up to the three children and kneel in front of them. “Hey.” I say softly, “Are you guys ok? Is there something I can do to help?” They all look at me.
Its two boys and a girl. The girl is obviously only two or three. ‘That’s horrible. To die at two years old…and she’s probably been dead for millennia.’ She’s been crying and lonely. All she’s wearing is a white dress and garland of holly and solid white wings. ‘She had fun before reality kicked in.’ I decided to try something. “What’s you name?” I ask her.
“Jesse, ma’am” I put my hands behind my back and create a teddy bear for her. “ma’am? Are you going to be living with us?” she has such hope in her eyes that it almost makes me cry. Christene’s eyes soften.
“Yes, Jesse, I’m going to be living with you, but first, I want to give you this.” I show her the bear and just see her become less hungry and happier. Her eyes light up and she turns into the kind of child that every parent wants.
“You made this….for me? Just for me?” She looks like she’s about to cry. Of course, being two she does.
One of the boys jumps up and yells at her, “Don’t cry you stupid girl! You just got a gift! A stupid gift!” He looks at me with tear-filled eyes. He dashes them away and turns around. “A stupid Gift…”
I look at him closely. “Oh, Danny!” He turns and looks at me. I put my hand behind my back and make my doll again, Bunny the dancer boy ‘If only I could have done this the first time.’ I thought with disdain. “Here, Danny,” I whisper, “Here’s Bunny. Don’t ever forget: your mommy loves you always.”
He, too, become less hungry and happier. He takes it and just drops, hugging it closely. Christene walks over and puts her hand on my shoulder.
“How about that boy?” she points to the last remaining boy. He’s just been sitting there, watching. I walk over to him and he scoots back. “Go help him, then we’ll talk…” I look at her and nod.
“Hello, Young sir, what might your name be?” I ask in a weird voice. He mumbles something, but I don’t know what it is. “Can you speak louder, Young Sir?”
He jumps up. “My name is not Young Sir! It’s Alexander!” He runs toward the castle.
Christene grabs my hand and starts running after him. “Don’t let him cross the bridge! The Queen, Victoria, will have him killed!” Sensing my confusion she says, “She was killed in 300 AD! She keeps getting rechosen and rechosen because everyone is scared of her! She was killed for desecrating the Castle in her home town! In other words she tripped on a stone, landed on a bridge and was killed for getting the bridge dirty! She’ll kill him if he does the same thing! “
“Gotcha!” I pull out of Christene’s grasp and run, towards the castle. Christene’s voice sounds inside my head: “At the Bridge sits the Storykeeper, She is the queen’s spy, everything she writes in that book goes straight to the Queen. It doesn’t matter who the queen is, she’s just always there!” I see the Bridge and a young girl sitting on an Egyptian style chair. She’s writing in a book, just like Christine said. The storykeeper! ‘I’ll never be able to stop him, so I’ll make them take me instead. And he’ll see me and run back to the orphanage and Christene will get him. Can you die once you’re dead?’13

Chapter 3: I’ll marry you!!14

As I’m running I see this brown-haired boy peek his head out from a tree, then he disappears. ‘Huh’ I think slowing down. ‘NO!! I’ve got to save Alexander!’ I speed up again. I pass Alexander, see him slow down and turn around. ‘Good, we’re a good distance from the bridge, I’ll slow down and no one will get hurt!’ Then I try to slow down again, and can’t. I can’t slow down! I can see the bridge getting closer and closer. ‘No! I’m supposed to stop! Stop! STOP!!’
Suddenly the brown-haired boy jumps in front of me and I hit him and we roll on the ground together. We come to a stop right in front of the bridge, about two inches from touching it. I push up on my arms, Look down and find I’m on top of a very cute boy. “Do you like dolls?” ‘ What in the world made me say that?!’
“Not particularly, why?” He crosses his arms behind his head. “Are you doing a survey?” He looks at me expectantly.
I blush. “No, but, ah, I’m going to get up now…” I get up and dust myself off. I look down and he’s still lying there. I’m confused… “Oh! Sorry!” I reach down and offer him my hand. “Here.”
“No thanks.” He stands up. “I just wanted to look up your skirt.” He jumps back as I try to hit him.
“NO! You’ll land on the bridge!” He panics as the Storykeeper looks up. I jump for him just as he flies up. Now, I’m going to land on the bridge! He flies down and grabs me just a scant INCH from the bridge. “Thanks!” The Storykeeper looks down at the book again.
As we fly up he lets go of my hand and I grab his neck. We circle higher and higher. “I’m Michael. What’s your name?”
“Samantha.”
Just when are faces are one inch apart, and I am full to bursting with happiness and content, the ground explodes. Damn it.
I let go and fly down as fast as I can, with Michael at my side. “There are people down there!!” I told him. ”We have to save them!” he slows down and stops. I turn and fly back and stop in front of him. “What?”
“NO! I’m not going to risk my life for people I don’t know!! They’re not worth it-“ He flies back when I slap him I fly to him and slap him again and he flies back again.
“How dare you! How dare you! There are people dying down there and all you can think of is your life! You don’t even have a life, you’re dead!” If you’re not going to help then stay here and don’t interfere!” Just to prove my point, and to make me feel better, I slapped him again with all the strength my body has. He flew back and kept going.
I turned and flew back down, twice as fast as before. “Satan!!!” He Ignores me. “SATAN!!” He jumps and turns around. He’s a Huge (and I’m talking about 7 twin towers (3 tall and 4 wide)), Red monster. I just put my feet forward and kick him full speed in between the eyes. “How dare you!” Smack “You’re Horrible!” Smack “You’re foul” smack “evil” Smack “Mean” Smack “Loathsome” Smack “Ugly” Smack “Beastly” Smack! I’m running out of Insults!! Smack, Smack, Smack! “Crap!” Satan grabs me in his large, dirty hand.
“YOU DARE! I AM SATAN, RULER OF THE UNDERWORLD AND CHALLENGER TO GOD IN HEAVEN!!!!! I HAVE COME TO KILL ALL OF PURGATORY, UNLESS THE NEWEST DEAD VIRGIN AGREES TO BE MY BRIDE AND LIVE WITH ME FOREVER!”
I gasp! ‘That’s me! But, I can’t marry Satan!’ I shake my head in confusion. ‘I can’t marry Satan!! I Can’t! But if I don’t…I bet Sister Mary Evangeline would love this.’
I look down: Demons are chasing people, Houses are on fire, the Purgatoryan Guards (Storykeeper, Gatekeeper, Heavenbane, and Hellbane)are protecting the Castle, the Queen and Michael are dead.
“I’LL DO IT.” I whisper as tears start falling down my face. No one hears me. “I”LL DO IT.” Once again no one hears me. I toss my head to the skies as tears pour down my face with a heavy heart. “I’LL DO IT!” I scream with the most strength my dead body possesses.
Everyone freezes and turns to look at me. “I am the newest dead Virgin of Purgatory…I will go and marry Satan!!”
“NO!” I jump and look down. Christene was flying towards me. She reached me and faced Satan, himself. “I am the oldest dead Virgin. Take me instead. I will go to marry you, Satan!”
I gasp! “Christene…” She kneels down In front of me and puts her hand against my cheek.
“Go, Samantha, forget all of this. I am here to save purgatory; you were just a piece used by me…the Queen of purgatory.”
“Queen? You need to fix that Orphanage.” She smiles through her tears.
“of course, but you’ve got to go now.”
“Why did you need me?”
“We needed a human to sacrifice themselves, and since we can’t trust men…” I laugh, feeling my body weakening, “You did awesome, Samantha. I saw your potential in class this morning.” She wipes here eyes, “Jeez, it was only this morning, thank you, now I can combine Purgatory and Hell. But you, you have so much potential, you’ll go on to do great things. But, for now, It’s just a dream.” She shoves me backward, through Satan’s hand, right as the sky breaks open and Heaven breaks through.
“You’ll need me to help fight off Heaven.” I start falling asleep.
I land on my bed and Just before I fall asleep Christene leans down and kisses me lightly on the forehead, and pulls the blanket up.
“Sleep, Samantha, who saved Purgatory. Your time will come soon enough.”
Then I drop into weightless darkness.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -15

“What a dream….” I look at the bedside clock, “AAAHHHH!!!! I’m Gonna be late!!”