The Department of Hate - A Love Story Read Online Free Page A

Menzies recognised him from some old and forbidden books he’d studied when he was much younger. Asmodeous leered at him and then patted the bed beside him beckoning the priest to join him, his intentions quite clear. Father Menzies stepped back shaking his head.  Asmodeous sighed theatrically then exclaimed
    “Oh come now Father, we’re beyond all that. Time’s up for you, you know”. Father Menzies screamed again, turned and ran from the room. Asmodeous watched him run off, amused and bored at the same time. He called after him
    “There’s no use running you worthless piece of shit.”
     
    Father Menzies ran out of the church grounds and out onto the road – the world around him just a blur. He ran down the road towards the main intersection – thinking only ‘run, escape’ , not looking.  A truck smashed into him from the right slamming him into the ground. He lay there broken and bleeding and in terrible pain. Someone from the side of the road rushed to his aid. Cars around them had stopped. He heard someone yelling for an ambulance. He just wanted to die, he craved the emptiness of death and a final release from the terrible and unrelenting guilt and shame which had long since eaten him away. As the stranger bent over him Father Menzies tried to say as best he could
    “Please let me be, let me die .” The stranger tried to reassure him. Father Menzies just moaned over and over again
    “I want to die, I just want to die.” And then ... he did. The world continued on but he was no longer in it. However, in his pain and his panic he hadn’t really thought it through. For him the true horror was only just beginning.  Twenty six years later he would meet Jarrod again, though only briefly. And the twenty six years which to him seemed more like a million was less than a moment in the eternity of suffering he now faced.

Chapter 3 – Inferno
     
     
    Jarrod stared at the stranger. There was something oddly familiar about him. He thought about it for a few moments.
    “Who did you call me?”   The stranger stared back at him, amused.
    “Beelzebub, my Lord .” Jarrod responded sharply
    “And how is that possible?” The stranger was not put off by his scepticism and continued patiently
    “You incarnated as a human my Lord. All of the senior demons do it. This was your ninth incarnation.”   Jarrod was not at all amused.
    “You must be joking .” But the stranger replied
    “No, my Lord .” Jarrod could tell he was being quite sincere. But he could hardly let such an extraordinary claim go unchallenged.
    “Why don’t I remember?” The stranger continued, still carefully, patiently
    “Don’t be concerned my Lord. Sometimes it takes a while, but you are who you are. You’ll remember before long.” Jarrod wasn’t particularly happy with this. He needed to know more. He asked
    “So, who are you?” The stranger replied
    “Your assistant my Lord, Abaddon. I’ve been running the department in your absence. Busy time it’s been too, my Lord.” Jarrod asked him
    “And which Department is that?” Abaddon replied
    “Your d epartment, my Lord, the Department of Hate.” Jarrod looked quite astonished.
    “Department of Hate?” Abaddon explained
    “Yes my Lord, there are seven departments in Hell each one of them run by one of the major Lords: Pride, Envy, Hate, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Lust.” Jarrod was listening carefully
    “Oh I see, the seven deadly sins – but the third one should be Anger or Wrath not Hate.”   Abaddon replied to this quickly
    “Yes my Lord, but you renamed your department several centuries ago – and changed our mission statement. You decided that Hate was the real quality we wanted to focus on whereas Anger was just one of its precursors.” Jarrod was surprised by that. He replied uncertainly
    “I did, did I?” It seemed vaguely familiar.
     
    He didn’t know what to say to any of this. He turned to Cassandra who had been listening carefully.
    “What do you