Heaven and Hell Read Online Free Page A

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    They’d had such noble goals. They would put each other through college, and in time, live the good life. They worked so hard, yet life seemed to have conspired against them. Demoralized and discouraged, Kevin had retreated into a world of computer-generated fantasy. Sitting in front of a video monitor for hours at a time, he became in cyberspace what he could not be in reality, a success, even a hero. At a time when she needed his support the most, Serena was ignored. Her attempts to become closer to him, to even be noticed, earned her a new name—a high-maintenance wife. That’s what Kevin had called her.
    In the end, Serena had found the comfort she so desperately needed in the arms of other men, and at one point, another woman. In their company, she explored her darkest fantasies. She became the submissive, the slave, the witch, and the wench; whatever pleased her partner. At times she took some terrible risks, once allowing herself to be strangled to the point of asphyxiation.
    Kevin knew of her nightly dealings, if not the specifics, at least the generalities. Yet, it didn’t seem to bother him. At least when she was out, she wasn’t disturbing his game. With Serena and Kevin pulling in two different directions, their marriage had lasted less than two years. When it was over, Serena descended into a deep depression that several times brought her close to self-destruction. Yet in the midst of her despair, had come the birth of new hope.
    She first met Chris at the health food store where she worked. A few brief conversations with this charming man led to lunch at a downtown coffee shop, then to a more formal date. When she was with Chris, she was lifted from the depths of despair. He was charming, thoughtful, and amusing. He spoke of such wonderful ideals. He talked about God’s love, about trying to make a difference in the world. She even went to church with Chris, more to please him than to seek out his God.
    After all, if God did actually exist, where had He been these last nine years as her life had gone from bad to worse? If He was so merciful, why had He allowed her grandmother to suffer so much during her last year on Earth? Her grandmother’s faith had remained strong to the end, yet to Serena, it seemed as if God had abandoned her. No, her life’s experiences had hardened her heart when it came to believing in the existence of a loving and merciful God.
    Chris seemed to realize that Serena had no real interest in his church or his faith, though she did a good job at pretending she did. But it didn’t matter. He had fallen as much in love with her as she had with him. Their love led Serena to the altar one more time. This marriage was different—Chris was an attentive, compassionate husband, and Serena was absolutely faithful to him.
    For the first time, love was more than sex, deeper than a physical sensation. Love was caring and nurturing, and in the arms of Chris, it grew stronger as the years passed. Chris claimed over and over that it was Christ within him that allowed him to love her as he did. At first, Serena wasn’t so sure that she was buying that explanation. After all, how could the spirit of a long dead prophet live inside of her husband? Still, there was clearly something wonderfully different about Chris. He had a sweet spirit about him. It was that aspect of his character that had initially attracted her to him.
    To please her husband, Serena continued to go to church with him. That was the goal foremost in her mind. She even became involved in the charitable activities of her husband’s church.
    For Serena’s sake, Chris had done his best to take an interest in some of the things that motivated her, short of compromising his own relationship with his God. Therefore, attending renaissance fairs and the like became an integral part of their lives, and had given rise to the medieval scholar character Chris played at the events. To him, it was a small price to pay for his