I Have Friends In Both Places

Atlas was burning, and he was burning brightly. His entire body was engulfed in flames, but he was silent. He felt as if he had been falling for years, each body part burning until he couldn’t feel anything at all. He tried the best he could to move his wings and arms, but the rope didn’t even singe. It was terrifying.

As Atlas saw the Earth finally come close, he began screaming. He closed his eyes involuntarily and shook violently, ready to hit the ground, only to fall right through. He let out a breathy screech and opened his eyes in shock only to hit the ground, but this one was different. This one burned him worse than the falling did.

Atlas let out a terrified yell before falling limp, his eyes half-closed and his body screaming in agony louder than he did. He figured he would die there, resting in pain as he looked at the pitch-black roof above him. His breathing was barely there. ‘This is it,’ he thought to himself as his body began to give out, ‘God has left me.’ And as he took a few more breaths, and his eyes closed completely, he gave himself completely to the ground, prepared to die.

Atlas woke up in a dimly lit cell with only slight pain. He was laying on his stomach, and, as he began to sit up, he noticed chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles. He grumbled lightly and looked around himself, taking in the dark walls. There was nothing around him but brick and cell bars. He stood up and stumbled a bit to the bars, looking out to the hallway. His breathing began speeding up as his eyes fell across a huge crest painted on the walls. He moved and gripped his hair, backing away to the wall behind him.

Atlas’s face began turning red and tears brimmed in his eyes. He looked up to the roof and screamed, pulling at his hair. “I’m sorry, Dad! I’m so sorry, but I don’t deserve this! Why would you punish me like this? It wasn’t even that bad! I didn’t do anything bad!” His voice echoed down the hall followed by a loud wheeze as he fell back to the ground, his legs giving out.

“Well, aren’t we Mr. Dramatic today,” a voice spoke up. Atlas turned to see a familiar face, his brown hair and smirk sticking to his face.

“Lele,” He questioned, his lips parting in astonishment. “What are you- what are you doing here? How are you here? I thought you were human.” Atlas remembered the boy as Galen’s boyfriend, someone he had been dating for three years, but every time he had seen him, he had been a human.

Lele grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “We have a bit more magic down here, cover-ups and spells that can hide anything. You guys are too busy worrying about disappointing your dad that you don’t take advantage of the stuff you can do.”

Atlas sneered and pulled himself up, stalking over to him and grabbing the bars separating them. “You absolute piece of-“

“Hey, now. That’s a bit rude.” Lele cut him off and raised an eyebrow.

“He was the only person I cared about, and there was some demon corrupting him? Dammit!” Atlas pushed himself away from the bars as he screamed the last word, feeling tears gather again, his emotions getting the best of him and his anger taking over. “I couldn’t even do my one job right!”

Lele sighed and tapped on the walls. “If it helps any, I truly do love him.”

Atlas looked over his shoulder and rubbed his face, running his hands over his eyes. “How could you? You were born from hatred.”

Lele groaned and rolled his eyes, shaking his head a bit. “What do they brainwash you into believing up there? Do they even tell you the real story?”

Atlas pursed his lips and looked down a bit. “I was never really told any story.” His tone was soft as he spoke. “I was just told rules and the basics.”

“Atlas, have I done anything to ever harm Galen? I’ve been with that boy for three human years, and I’ve done nothing but care for him. If anything, I think he’s messed me up a bit, to be honest.” Lele laughed a bit as his eyes brightened a bit. “I really am in love with him, and it’s disgusting for you to even think I would be bad just because of what I am. That doesn’t define me.”

“I’m sorry,” Atlas whispered, moving back to the boy. “Why don’t you tell me the story, and maybe how you came across Galen.”

Lele nodded and sat down, motioning for Atlas to sit, too. The ground was cold but burned a bit as Atlas sat down. “Do you want me to start with how Hell was made or how I met Galen?”

“How was Hell made?” Atlas was curious as he thought to himself. He wracked his brain for anything about the story, but the angels weren’t taught much besides the face that Alijah Hood, the king of hell, had been shunned from Heaven after disobeying the orders of the high angels. He took many angels with him who had also rebelled, and angels were told the same would happen to them if they ever stepped out of line.

Lele took a deep breath before speaking, his words created perfectly. “Alijah Hood used to be an angel. He was almost as high up as the top three. He was beautiful, and he had so many friends. He was one of the angels who picked souls for bodies, and he sometimes fulfilled missions against the supernatural of the world when things got out of control. This had been a time where there was very rarely evil in the world as there was no one to tempt them. There were no demons. There was no Hell. There were just Heaven and the angels.

“Because of this, the humans soon learned that they could do whatever they wanted. They would still go up. There was nowhere else to go. It turned to chaos, and people died at the hands of others. Alijah Hood was disgusted. Murderers and rapists and the absolutely terrible humans of the world were still granted happiness in the eternal life. It was just disgusting, and Alijah wanted better up there. He wanted punishment, but it cost him his grace.

“Alijah began telling other angels about how bad it was, about what he felt needed to be done, and angels agreed. They knew that the people getting let into Heaven weren’t supposed to be there. They just weren’t. So, angels were talking and telling others, and then the council found out, and they were mad. Really, mad doesn’t even describe it. They were livid at the thought of anyone going against what they wanted, and they punished him.

“They held a meeting, and the three highest at the time, Liam, Jackafall, and Dominic agreed to make him fall. He was the first fallen angel. They sent him down with the words, ‘since you want to punish so badly, why don’t you do it yourself.’ Alijah didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know where to start. He just knew he was hurt. So, after a bit a research and testing, he discovered powers he didn’t have before. He wasn’t under the ruling of God, and he knew how to control souls, so he took people’s souls to make us, the demons. Other angels fell after him, and they agreed with him. Together, they created Hell, the place you’re in right now, and they punish those who have done wrong. Some are able to go to Heaven after, but some don’t deserve any time up there. They’re horrible people.

“And so Hell was created, and Alijah was king. We don’t try to hurt people. Most of us don’t even tempt the humans. They do it themselves. They rebel because they want to, and if they’re not terrible people, they’re treated well down here. We take what Heaven doesn’t want, and some of them don’t deserve to be down here, so they’re treated well. Some are given the options to become demons and work for us, some just sit around and have fun. It’s definitely not as nice as Heaven, but it’s not as terrible as some think.”

Lele took a deep breath after speaking, his eyes changing from hard to soft at the end. A smile slowly made his way to his face. “I’m not going to lie to you. Galen isn’t going to Heaven. He isn’t. He’s meddled with witchcraft and the supernatural. He’s gay. No matter how much he tries to change himself, there’s always going to be something wrong. He was destined to come down here. So, I was sent to see him, see if he was actually bad or someone they’re just going to send after, and I fell in love at first sight. Galen is beautiful and sweet and he’s always learning. He’s not afraid to stand up for himself, but he also knows when to step back and take a second to think everything out. Galen was everything I had wanted, and I took the chance. I disguised myself, and he fell in love with me too. When he dies, he’s going to come down here, and he’s going to be treated like a prince because that’s what he is. He can be one of our scientists if he wants, or he can just live here.”

Atlas smiled a bit at how Lele’s eyes brightened as he spoke about Galen. The entire time he spoke, a smile sat on his lips, and he fiddled with his hands. He really seemed in love with the boy, and the way they acted when on Earth, he knew it was true. They were in love.

“Well, I think you should tell him what you actually are. He already knows about angels and demons. He was my best friend after all.” Atlas grinned at the thought of Galen dating a demon while being best friends with an angel, well, fallen angel now.

Lele tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean he was your best friend?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? It’s why I got kicked out of Heaven. Galen found a way to see me, and we have been friends for a few years now. The angels found out and sent me to fall for disobeying the rules.” Atlas pursed his lips and slumped his shoulders, his wings fluttering a bit, but he didn’t want to think about those.

Lele’s lips parted in shock, and a glare took over his face. “Fucking seriously?”

Atlas jerked back at the word and nodded. “Yeah. It probably didn’t help that I repeatedly said I didn’t care and that I would do it again.”

Lele grinned and shook his head. “You’re a dumbass.”

Atlas laughed and shrugged his shoulders, then he watched in confusion as Lele quickly stood up, the grin still on his face.

“My king,” Lele yelled out, happily.