{"id":2829,"date":"2025-11-15T16:20:19","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T23:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2829"},"modified":"2025-11-15T16:20:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T23:20:19","slug":"clear-conscience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2025\/11\/15\/clear-conscience\/","title":{"rendered":"Clear Conscience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt: Write a story from the point of view of a ghost, werewolf, vampire, or other supernatural creature.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abalon looked at the visitor. In his centuries as Hell\u2019s Arbiter, he\u2019d never met his counterpart from Heaven. In fact, he\u2019d never met any celestial being any higher ranked than a lowly worker. \u201cWelcome, Arbiter Galadriel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If this was a first for Galadriel, she didn\u2019t show it. \u201cWell met, Arbiter Abalon. I\u2019m here to help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease, have a seat,\u201d the demon said, materializing a large, cushioned chair behind the angel. \u201cIt will make room for your wings as needed.\u201d He spread his leathery wings and folded them again in demonstration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galadriel didn\u2019t sit down so much as go from standing one instant, to lounging casually in the chair the next. \u201cListen, Abby, I\u2019ve been at this for millennia. Since before you were created. If you don\u2019t know the story of how you were selected as Arbiter, I can fill you in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know the story, Galadriel.\u201d He wanted to tell her not to call him \u2018Abby,\u2019 but he didn\u2019t want to provoke her. \u201cI can assure you, I have no designs on capturing or injuring you or any other celestial being. We just can\u2019t figure out this human.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He waved his clawed hand and the human in question appeared in a holographic image atop his desk. Unlike the others in Hell, her cell displayed nothing. There were no scenes from her life to relive, no guilt, no regrets. The door stood open, yet the human sat leaned against the wall, eyes closed, humming a tuneless song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat else has she done?\u201d Galadriel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe showed up in her cell, which means she believed<\/em> she belonged in Hell, but\u2014\u201d he threw his hands up in exasperation. \u201cThere\u2019s never been any sign of guilt or remorse, no failing of empathy, nothing to review.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPsychopathy? Did she somehow bring it with her?\u201d Galadriel leaned forward, studying the image of the human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. We scanned her and found her empathy fully engaged.\u201d Abalon sighed. \u201cI even \u2026 threatened to torture her to get her to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou what?\u201d Galadriel\u2019s gaze grew hard. \u201cIf you don\u2019t want to follow in the footsteps of your predecessor, you\u2019d better have a good reason for\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was not<\/em> tortured,\u201d he cut her off. \u201cIt\u2019s obvious she doesn\u2019t belong in Hell. I appeared beside her in the cell, but she felt no fear. I told her that she should leave her cell and go to Heaven where she belongs. When she refused, I told her we would torture her, flay her alive, burn her with fire, and repeat it over and over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abalon shook his head. \u201cShe just said, \u2018If that\u2019s what it takes to stay here, then do it.\u2019 I felt sick at the idea and haven\u2019t bothered her since.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galadriel\u2019s eyes softened. \u201cAbby, may I go talk to her?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abalon nodded and pointed at the wall where the open door to her chamber appeared. Once again, Galadriel didn\u2019t so much move as just shift position from one millisecond to the next to be standing inside the chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChild, why do you stay here?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The human woman opened her eyes and looked at the Arbiter of Heaven. \u201cOh, an angel now. You can go away. You\u2019re not going to convince me to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not why I\u2019m here.\u201d The angel seemed to float down to a seated position on the floor. \u201cI\u2019m just curious why you\u2019re staying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo I have your word that you\u2019re not going to force me to heaven before I\u2019m ready to go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d the angel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTandy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTandy, I\u2019m Galadriel, and you have my word that no-one<\/em> will try to force you to heaven before or after<\/em> you decide you\u2019re ready to go. All we can do is tell you the doors are open.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tandy took a deep breath and blew it out. \u201cMy brother.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat about him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a believer.\u201d Tandy shrugged. \u201cI wasn\u2019t. I didn\u2019t believe in all the god, devil, heaven and hell shit. I found no evidence of anything supernatural to support any sort of belief in it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tandy laughed. \u201cI figure there are two possibilities. The first, it\u2019s all real and I\u2019m in a place called Hell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abalon had gotten tired of watching from a distance and moved to stand in the door. Galadriel focused on Tandy but didn\u2019t prod for her to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe second possibility,\u201d Tandy said, \u201cand the one I most prefer \u2014 is that I\u2019m unconscious, maybe close to death, and all of this is my brain firing wildly and making shit up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou prefer solipsism to the possibility that what you\u2019re experiencing is real?\u201d Galadriel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonestly? Yeah. I mean, I\u2019d rather be fucked in the brain than have to admit my brother was right about all this.\u201d Tandy laughed, even as tears began welling in her eyes. \u201cI love him, you know. I\u2019d do anything for him. I used to say I\u2019d go through hell for him, and now it looks like I\u2019m making good on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat does that have to do with you staying in Hell?\u201d Abalon asked. \u201cYour brother is a believer and, I presume, believes he\u2019ll go to Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just it. I was in the hospital, hours left to live. He held my hand and told me that he thought he was going to Hell. He didn\u2019t say what, but he said he did something terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galadriel set a hand on Tandy\u2019s shoulder. She didn\u2019t say anything, but Abalon could sense the comfort flowing from the angel to the woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnyway, I promised him that if Hell was real, I\u2019d wait for him there and get him free.\u201d Tandy sniffed. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t belong in Hell, he\u2019s a good kid, even if he did something stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abalon chuckled. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what he did, what matters is how he feels about it when he gets here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? What does that mean?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means,\u201d Galadriel said, \u201cthat everyone comes to Hell first. If there\u2019s nothing eating at their conscience, they can move on to Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh boy, my brother\u2019s screwed.\u201d Tandy chuckled. \u201cHe is constantly wracked by guilt for things like thinking he didn\u2019t tip enough, or he didn\u2019t let enough people go in front of him in the checkout line at the grocery store.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tandy tilted her head. \u201cWait. Doesn\u2019t that mean all psychopaths go right on to Heaven?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galadriel laughed. \u201cOnly if they get past their guilt. Every bit of guilt they were unable to feel in life, they will experience when they get here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abalon\u2019s curiosity got the better of him. \u201cEven those that end up leaving for Heaven have some small thing to relive here. Why is there nothing in your chamber?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSince I had no belief in an afterlife, I made it a point to address my guilt and deal with it as it happened. I hoped to leave the world no worse than when I came into it, and maybe a little better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Galadriel smiled. \u201cShe figured it out on her own, without religion or holy books or anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tandy looked back and forth between the Arbiters of Heaven and Hell. \u201cSince you know I\u2019m not going anywhere until my brother gets here, could you maybe bring me some books or something?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

prompt: Write a story from the point of view of a ghost, werewolf, vampire, or other supernatural creature. available at Reedsy Abalon looked at the visitor. In his centuries as Hell\u2019s Arbiter, he\u2019d never met …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[208],"tags":[216,210,209],"class_list":["post-2829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trunk-stories","tag-fantasy","tag-fiction","tag-short-story"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pxT7i-JD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2829"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2829\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2830,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2829\/revisions\/2830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}