Salvation (The Keepers of Hell Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

closed, he could see the inside of Greed.
         People, men and women alike, were shackled to the floor by their ankles. In front of each soul was a pile of rocks of various sizes. Ash watched as each soul picked up the heavy rocks, some of them as big as boulders, and placed them into their piles. “What are they doing?” he asked.
         “Well, honey, this is greed. These folks spent their lives taking and taking, with no respect for others. They had it all and they still wanted more. Therefore, they will spend the rest of their eternity gathering their payment to leave.” Shelly smiled wickedly. “Of course, no one leaves.”
         “Why do they think they can leave?” Ash asked.
         “Because that is part of this hell. Each of them sees gold and silver all around them. They believe that if they gather enough riches they can buy their way out of Hell. But you see, once their piles of rocks get high enough, it disappears. They must continue to nurture their sin.” Shelly shook her head. “It is really quite boring.”
         “What if one of them gave their rocks to someone else?” Ash asked her.
         Shelly’s eyebrows rose. “As in to help another person? Knowing they wouldn’t be able to gather enough for themselves?”
         “Yeah,” Ash answered. “Wouldn’t that be a selfless act?”
         She thought about that for a moment. “I guess that would have some kind of effect, but I have been here for a thousand years. It’s never happened. I doubt it ever will.”
         “That’s pretty sad,” Ash remarked more to himself than to anyone else.
         “Yeah, but that’s the way of it,” Mali said. “Come now, we still have a lot of ground to cover.”
         Ash followed Mali back to the elevator.
    ***
         By the time they reached Gluttony, Ash had a better idea about what to expect. He wasn’t as taken back by the sight of souls that were bone thin and surrounded by excess. There was a buffet, a feast, really, fit for a huge party. Cakes and chocolates lined one never-ending table, while steaks and hams lined another. There was yet another table filled with breads and crackers.
         Everywhere he looked, there was stuff. Clothes, designer perfumes, any and everything anyone could want. But the tenants could never have any of it. Each time they touched something it turned to dust in their hands. It was their punishment for overindulging in life.
         The leader of Gluttony was a jolly man; he rather reminded Ash of Santa Claus. He was round in the belly and had a white beard, and boy did he laugh. Every time one of the souls gave in to temptation.
         Envy and Pride were about the same. Ash met their leaders as well. In Pride, the souls had to beg for everything, including toilet paper. In Envy, they were forced to watch others have what they coveted but could never have.
         The leader of Wrath was more like a demented Marine Sergeant. His name was Marcus and he looked human. Mostly. His eyes were weird though…solid black with no irises. The souls trapped there were the object of their own sin. They were beaten repeatedly and were subjected to the leader’s anger.
         He wasn’t at all surprised when he saw the inside of Murder. The souls there were sliced and diced, then put back together for another round. It was an eternity of torture, delivered by Adule, the demon leader. Adule looked every bit the demon that should run Murder. He was tall, black skinned, with one horn protruding from the top of his head and curling over his skull. His shoulders were broad and muscular and his arms led down to hands that had sharp claws at the tips of his fingers.
         He had a small situation while in Lust.
         He was talking to the beautiful leader, Ameris, discussing how the sanction worked. The souls there were shown something, whether it was a man or woman, to stoke the soul’s desire. Once they acted upon