The Labyrinth-Part VI

Joseph was unconscious for what seems to be an indeterminable amount of time. He subsequently gained consciousness. Mephisto was glaring at him, sadistically laughing at him. Jaq summoned Mephisto, congratulating him for his fierce fighting! Joseph started to interject, stating that Mephisto was a dirty fighter! Both demonic entities laughed uproariously. Both entities concurred to him what did he expect.......... in lower hell!

Joseph just glared at Jaq and Mephisto. Mephisto derisively congratulated Joseph, "encouraging" him to fight better the next time. As Mephisto stated the next time, he rolled over on the ground, laughing in a way which deathly unnerved Joseph. Then Mephisto looked preternaturally demonic, progressing towards Joseph. Joseph started to run but Jaq and Baal caught him. This was a neverending battle as he attempted to disentangle himself from the two demonic entities!

Baal and Jaq held Joseph in an unusually abnormal position. They were to escort him to the Galug, an even worse place than The Pits. The Galug is the place adjacent to The Pits. The Galug is where the worst and most incorrigible souls are interned. No soul wants to go to the Galug for it is a place worse than hell itself. Souls interned in the Galug are watched over by Lucifer, Belial and other archdemons.

The atmosphere of the Galug is extremely contradictory. In the inner part of the Galug next to The Pits, the climate is infernally humid with a perpetual jet black, thick fog balanced by intense hot fire. The outer part of the Galug is abnormally frigid and utterly desolate with the exception of a few extremely evil souls and more evil demonic entities.

Joseph was finally consigned to the Galug. He was not pleased with this at all! Baal explained to Joseph that he was consigned there because of his increasingly arrogant and unrepentant nature. Joseph refused to listen to Baal, instead making extremely obscene gestures to him. Baal ignored Joseph, further explaining that there is going to be an itinerary. Joseph looked at Baal completely and utterly nonplussed.

What itinerary Joseph asked. Baal replied that Joseph was to undergo intense soul purification and rectification of bad karma. Joseph attempted to explain to Baal that nothing was wrong with him but was completely cut off. Baal continued with the conversation, listing certain things that Joseph was to do if he wished to leave the Galug and eventually hell.

Lucifer came in and Baal discussed Joseph's improvement itinerary with him. Lucifer concurred with Baal regarding the itinerary, summoning Joseph. Joseph reluctantly went to Lucifer, being incensed at such a proposal. Joseph attempted to explain to Lucifer that this itinerary was totally insipid nonsense to say the least. However, Lucifer forcibly stated that Joseph is going to undergo the purification and rectification of his bad karma. Lucifer then lowered his voice to an inaudible hiss, stating that this was totally unnegotiable!

Joseph again protested what seemed to be a gross injustice. However, as he continued to protest, Baal and Jaq dragged him to the outer part of the Galug. Baal and Jaq decided to strip Joseph of his rag. Joseph was to endure his punishment completely naked. Of course, this would be extremely excruciating and unbearable in such a frigid climate. However, the two demonic entities wanted to teach Joseph a lesson.

Joseph was placed in the coldest place of the outer part of the Galug. He felt the coldness with his wails mixed with utter cursing. Lucifer obscenely instructed Joseph to be quiet; however, he continued with his obscene litany. Lucifer summoned Baal to shut Joseph up. Baal complied by applying intense electrical shocks to Joseph's most sensitive areas.

Joseph attempted to escape the frigid area but as he attempted to break free, he was further encased in ice. It was neverending. What was he to do? The pain was totally unbearable. As he grimaced, Baal and Jaq were watching him, saying nothing. Then a totally incorrigible soul watched Joseph from afar. Baal noticed the soul, bidding him to go away! Joseph called out to the soul to please help him. Baal replied to Joseph that there is NO help here-each soul is to individually work out his/her karma with their help, of course.

Joseph remained immersed in the cold ice for an indterminable amount of time, The coldness increased in ratio to the times he screamed. The screams were mixed with curses and wailings. As he screamed, Lilya gave him another electrical shock to his head. He then looked at Lilya, cursing more obscenely and spitting at her! Lilya appeared to be unmoved by his displays.

Lilya decided to totally immerse Joseph in the extremely cold ice. She summoned Baal and Jaq to do the job. As they came towards Joseph, he began to fight both demons; however, they were thousands times stronger than he was. Didn't he realize this? He was fighting a totally losing battle. He was shocked into an amoebic state, ending up with the two demons totally encasing him in the cold ice!

Joseph was totally immersed in the ice. He could not breathe at all. He felt as if he would suffocate. He was totally immoblized and powerless. As he looked at the surface, there was Baal, Belial, Lilya, Mephisto, and Lucifer. Lucifer looked at him, stating that this is one of his punishments and that he will be encased until he shows some type of remorse. Lucifer further explained that if he shows one iota of remorse, the punishment will be lessened, maybe stopped. He replied to Lucifer to go to hell to which Lucifer laughed heartedly and obscenely!

Then a mishapen and disheveled female demon looked at Joseph. She said nothing but walked on. Then she summoned what appeared to be 9 female demons, some very beautiful and some extremely repulsive. He was realized from the ice by one of the more beautiful female demons. Another extremely beautiful female demon attempted to kiss him; however, he became quite repulsed when he saw her tongue. Her tongue was not an ordinary tongue but that of a venomous snake! He was initially hesistant; however, the second female demon kissed him. After the kiss, he was totally revolted and extremely nauseous.

Joseph started to run from the two beautiful demons. Of course, this was a total impossibility. The first beautiful demon caught him and tied him up, taking him to the worst area of the Galug. This is where there is indescribable Sahara-like heat. He thought that he would subdue the first female demon because of her apparent slight build but to no avail.

Joseph was placed in Amylok, the worst area of the Galug. There he would endure the intense heat and other elements. However, he was not alone-he was guarded by three demonic entities:Baal, Jaq, and Belial. Baal decided to test him by having him undergo all sorts of horrific feats beyond human endurance.

First, a strange entity, a hybrid of a black mamba and lizard came out, spitting venomous fire. This entity was to race Joseph throughout the area. However, this would be an extremely deadly race. He was up for the game. He attempted to race this entity but he lost each time. The situation was extremely perilous. He raced this entity for what seemed to be three year's earth time. He was totally at his wits' end. He was totally nonplussed. The hybrid demonic entity just smiled at him and then disappeared into the abyss.

Joseph was in Amylok for what seemed to be forever. Then a soul appeared, identifying himself as a Tsar in 16th century Russia. This soul maintained that he was the first tsar of all Russia. He further stated that while some viewed him as a saint, others reviled him as a monster equal to Satan. He was very unrepentant. He gladly asserted that he ruled Russia with an iron hand and tolerated no dissention of any kind.

The soul contended that the common people were unthinking and needed an autocratic leader such as him. He added that despite his brilliantly illustruous rule, people had the nerve to rebel. How could they, he vehemently protested, pounding his fists. Joseph immediately agreed, thinking that finally he had found a kindred soul. The soul continued with his litany on the idiocy of the common people. He stated that he had to hire the secret police to squash the rebellion.

The soul then exhibited some evidence of remorse. He stated that his first son was groomed to be the next tsar; however, he got into a violent altercation with him over his wife. Then he cried mournfully being unable to stop. Joseph showed sympathy for this soul. The soul tearfully continued that he killed his son........his heir! As soon as the soul finished his sentence, he let out a soulful Byzantine wail which totally unnerved Joseph to his core! The soul continued to wail until Lucifer took him away.

Joseph showed some empathetic emotion for the first time in his life. He evidently was extremely moved by this soul. As he was lost in thought, Lucifer bellowed to him. Initially, he did not respond to Lucifer's loud beckonings. Suddenly, Baal and Jaq slapped him out of his pensive state and gave him an arduous assignment.

However, before Joseph would be given an infernal assignment, the two demonic entities elected to devise an intensely hellish mindgame. This mindgame consisted of saying numbers on a scale of one thousand to the highest power imaginable. Baal and Jaq know this but very few humans do. They were laughing quite fiendishly...............