After Death 15

I scrambled painfully over the stony ground without any particular object in view except to get away from the crevasse up which I had crawled. This journey continued for some time until, in the distance, I heard a faint sound and made towards it. Presently, I began to recognise the noise. It was the screams of the unfortunate beings flying before the whips of the devils. I stopped. What should I do?

I had no wish to suffer that torment again and yet I dreaded solitude. I was not left long in doubt, for, suddenly, a herd of spirits came rushing out of the darkness pursued by their tormentors. Next moment, I was caught by the crowd and had to rush with them.

After being hunted for some time, I began to wonder whether I could not discover some method of escaping from these terrible whips.

A man was running by my side and I said to him as we stumbled along –

Look here; can we not get out of this?

He moaned – I would to God we could.

Who is that using the name of God here? Take that and that – screamed one of our tormentors and, at each word, his fearful whip lashed us both.

As we still ran on, I noticed that beyond the rough ground lay high cliffs with clefts and gullies in which we might hide. So we began to edge our way to that side of the herd.

Presently, I murmured to my companion – Now.

We raced for the shelter of the rocks but one of the devils started in pursuit.

It was a wild, desperate race and we were recaptured. I shouted to my companion –

Call on God to help us; I find that even here He can.

Suiting my actions to my words, I cried – O God, help us; help us, for Christ’s sake.

Silence! God cannot help you here. He is just. You have rejected Him and now He rejects you. Silence! You cannot pray. If you try, He will not hear. He has other things to do than listen to traitors like you. Are there not enough souls not yet damned who need His aid that He should hearken to you? Back to the others.

Again and again, the terrible whip lashed our bodies but still I prayed on. Soon, however, my companion lost heart and rushed back to the crowd, hoping amid the others to be partly protected from the blows of the lash. Almost at the same moment, I saw that a little nearer the cliffs was a black, shiny pool unutterably filthy. Without an instant’s hesitation, I plunged straight in.

Whatever the substance was, it was not the same tangible darkness I had experienced before in the division below; it resembled filthy water, thick and greasy with slime and dirt. I tried to swim across this, still pursued by my tormentor who lashed at me if ever I rose above the surface. Still calling on God for help, I struggled on and, at long last, reached the further shore.

At the foot of a high precipice, I crouched and prayed desperately. Almost at once, I saw a thin cord hanging round my waist. On looking closer, I perceived it was a chain with many links and, as I studied them, I knew they were the few good deeds I had ever done. I had never noticed them before but now, few as they were, they seemed to give me courage.

An idea came floating into my mind and, even as it did so, I felt the lash of the pursuer again. However, I paid no heed but quickly unwound the chain, which I discovered was woefully thin but much longer than I had expected.

I formed one end into a noose and studied the face of the cliff despite the blows which were continually being rained on me. I soon saw a horn of rock, as it were, which jutted out and appeared to be a narrow ledge. After several efforts, I succeeded in catching the noose over this horn and began to climb up the chain, hand over hand.

Every moment, I feared it would break but I kept on praying desperately and it seemed as if the chain grew stouter as I did so. The devil behind still lashed and struck but I climbed out of his reach and scrambled on to the ledge. I could see nothing because of the awful darkness. I looked next for the chain but this too had vanished.

For a time, I gave myself up to despair but wiser thoughts prevailed and I knelt down and thanked God that He had helped me so far. Feeling calmer, I proceeded slowly on my way. The ledge was narrow and a false step would have meant a fall clean over the edge of the cliff. By degrees, it grew a little broader and soon I was able to walk along in comparative ease.

Well – I thought – it just shows what can be done if one only has a strong will. Most men would have given up the task as hopeless but I am not of that type. Thank goodness, I have an iron will.

This was no sooner thought than, catching my foot on a boulder, I pitched forward over the ledge.

I fell with a fearful speed but did not fall far, as I struck head downwards in a narrow crevasse.

It was only after many desperate struggles that I succeeded in freeing myself and painfully climbed up to the place from where I had fallen. In a more chastened spirit, I continued slowly on my way.

At times, the route was over bare screes on which I slipped and fell, at others, over rough boulders and jagged rocks, while again, at other times, it was along a comparatively easy path.

I came to the entrance of a cave and wafted in. It seemed, strange to say, less dark here than outside. Suddenly, while turning a corner, I was attacked by four men who knocked me down and, after hammering me all over, tied me up.

I should say here that though I struggled to the best of my ability, I found I was much weaker than I had been when last in this division. This was due to the fact that there were stirrings of better things and these, though they helped me to rise higher, yet rendered me weaker in opposing evil to evil and strength to strength.