[ WP ] When you die , you are sent to Heaven or Hell . If you go to Hell , you are sent to one of the seven circles of Hell . You 've been sent to the 8th circle of hell , that everyone including Satan has forgotten about .

I blink my eyes open. Hot, humid air swarms into them, stinging them as I squint. The same sticky heat rolls over my body, lapping at my already sweaty skin. 
 
 *Am I naked? * I think to myself. *Where am I? * 
 
 Blurred objects slowly come into focus. My eyes finally adjusting. Stretching out above me is a giant rope, the top out of sight. I cautiously sit up, trying to regain my bearings. Beneath me lies a tiled floor, made of perfectly square, grey stones. I raise my head, following the pattern of the tiles. They simply grow smaller and smaller into the distance until they disappear. Rotating my head I find this to be the case in every direction. 
 
 *The light. * I do n't know why I thought of that. *Where is the light coming from? * Looking up again, I search the entire sky seeking out the source of light. Nothing. The sky simply turns into a mass of grey. 
 
 A sense of fear creeps in. Shivers run through my spine as my skin turns clammy. *Where the hell am I. How did I get here? * Thoughts fly through my mind uncontrollably. Suddenly the tiles begin to sink away from me. The light reddens as I feel myself falling. Still I fall, while the tiles move away even faster. 
 
 With a jolt I wake up again on the floor. *What the hell. * I bolt upright, looking around. Nothing has changed. The tiles are still there, the rope is hanging. 
 
 *Am I crazy? Okay, focus. Focus. How did I get here? Why ca n't I remember? * 
 
 Timidly leaning forward, I place some weight on my feet. Slowly I rise to my feet and begin to pace a bit. 
 
 *Okay, this morning... wait, what day is it? Okay, that does n't matter. This morning I went to school, right? Yeah, yeah. Today was the test. Alright, I was at school. I took the test, and then... then... * I shake my head. Waves of heat slam into me constantly, sweat dripping from my brow. Nausea overcomes me as I sink to my knees for a moment, clutching my head. 
 
 *Focus, come on. Focus. I took the test. Than Rebecca and I... we had lunch together... yeah, lunch, at the Huddle. * I focused on the memory of my girlfriend and I at the burger joint. The memory seemed far, and distant. *Am I drugged? or is it the heat? It has to be the heat. Why is it so damned hot in here? 
 * 
 
 Slowly again I stand up, beginning to pace again. *Okay, we had lunch. And than we went for a movie. We saw that new Marvel movie, right? Yeah, that was it. Then we went for a walk down town. Got some ice cream. We were on our way home when... * 
 
 The sound of a thud echoes out as my legs collapse. Screeching. Flashes of blinding light all over. Yelling, all the yelling. People screaming. I'm on the ground. Why was I on the ground? Looking behind me, the bus... The bus... Rebecca was under the bus... 
 
 I'm crawling over to her, the blood... Oh god, the blood. Why was there so much? She's looking at me. Her eyes. 
 
 `` No, God, no. Please'' I'm begging. I'm crying as she looks up at me. `` Please, not her, please not her. Do n't take her.'' Memories flashed in my head of the two of us. Our dates, our plans, our dreams. I kneel there weeping, even as someone tries to drag me away. I refuse to move. 
 
 `` Take me instead.'' I pleaded. 
 
 I lay on the tiles, weeping without tears. My body convulses as the memories flood back to me. Wave after wave of shiver pass through my body. 
 
 A shadow appears above me. Hours seem to pass before my eyes drift upwards. Blurry lines and shapes refuse to focus on the shadow. Only the faint outline of a face can be seen from the tall pillar of darkness. 
 
 `` It has been quite some time.'' A voice echoes out across the expanse, seemingly from nowhere. `` Since one has truly meant it.'' 
 
 In a moment of clarity I realize where I must be. I sniffle my sorrow under control. Pulling myself together, I half kneel, half sit under the shadow. 
 
 `` I loved her.'' The words barely escaped my lips. 
 
 `` I know'' echoed the response. To my surprise, it almost sounded sorrowful. 
 
 Time passed in silence. How much I could n't tell. Neither of us seemed to eager to speak as silent tremors still rocked my body from time to time. 
 
 `` What now?'' My voice, feeling almost detached from my mind, asked. 
 
 The shadow turned away, slowly fading into the distance. `` Pull the rope, and you will be returned to the moment you traded your life. She will die, you will live. It can not be undone. Make it to the end, and she will live out her life.'' 
 
 With a thunderous explosion he was gone, and I was alone again. *Make it... To the end? What end? * 
 
 Answering my question, the tiles roared to life. Bright lights, greens, blues, reds, all over. Flashing and blinking, sputtering in and out of existence. Slowly they synchronize into a single picture. No, not a picture. A video. 
 
 *What the... * I watch as I pull Rebecca out of the way of the bus just in time. We stand at the edge of the sidewalk as I hold her in my arms tightly. The feeling of her in my arms absent. My lips move, producing no sound. She says something I can not hear and my body laughs. 
 
 *What... what is this? * My eyes widen as I watch the night progress in real time. Myself and Rebecca carrying out our usual routine. Tears begin to flow down my face as observe the two of them... us... apparently laughing, talking, crying. Eventually they, we, both fall asleep. Everything around me goes dark. 
 
 I lay there, sweating, my mouth dry. Tears moisten my cheeks as I begin to sob. *Why... why? * 
 
 An eternity passes. Sleep never comes. *Is this the end? Was this it? * I wonder. The images of what I had seen play over and over again in my head, Rebecca, laughing with me, or whatever that was. Myself, my body, or whatever, responding in kind. Eventually my focus turns towards our earlier days, before the incident. How we had met that first day in class, how I had first asked her out. Our first dance. 
 
 Suddenly the lights awoke. There we were, asleep in bed. Rebecca stirred as she woke up slowly. She was always up first. Again I watch as our usual day continues. 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 Heat still assails my body. Sweat rolls from my body, never evaporating. *How can I still be sweating? I've had no water for a week. * I ponder as the seventh or eight day ended. I'd lost count already. Above me loomed the rope. I looked up at it every so often. *This is n't so bad* I contemplated. *She's happy. I'm... him.... it, is happy. * 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 The irony of it was nearly overwhelming. *One year* I thought as the sweat drips from my brow. *One year after my death we get married. * The cruelty of it almost made me laugh as the tears dripped from my face. She looked so beautiful. 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 He could n't hear the screams, but they were obvious. Her face was contorted in pain, her hands turned white from gripping his own. *Oh Rebecca... * Tears again flow freely as I watch the umbilical cord cut. 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 *Her eyes are just as beautiful as ever. * I think to myself. Despite the years, the heat has never gotten any better. The rope looms behind me, and every once in a while I look at it and smile. *He ca n't beat me* I'd think to myself. I turn back to the movie, a sad smile on my face. *She looks so peaceful. * 
 
 I stand above her bed, stroking her hair. The years had been kind to her. She smiled even as she slept. I lean down to kiss her, and her eyes flutter open slowly. I still ca n't hear anything, but the words they exchange are obvious. Tears roll down both of my faces as she closes her eyes. 
 
 I sit there in silence for what seems like hours, slowly crying to myself. Finally I regain myself, standing up. Looking at the rope, a sad smile crosses my face. *I won. * 
 
 `` I won.'' I say out loud. Minutes pass as the heat rolls over me, my hair long since permanently stuck to my scalp. 
 
 `` I won!'' I yell this time. 
 
 I stumble as the lights turn on again. *What? * 
 
 I almost do n't recognize the two of us. It had been decades since we looked so young. We are nothing but students again, young and fit. *What, where are we? * 
 
 The bus barrels down on us. *No, no, not this! Please, no! * I scream in my head, at him, at myself. At the last minute I pull her out of the way. I stand there, holding her. The memories of this moment flood back from all those years ago. 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 The rope taunts me. Our child runs in the grass, playing with the puppy. Sweat still drips from my face, my hands, everywhere. Her smile though... 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 *How many years? * I think as we sit on the porch swing. *How many years have I been here? * Still the rope hangs from where I can not tell. 
 
 -- -- - 
 
 I did n't cry this time. I'm not sure when the last time I cried was. *Have I run out of tears? * I wondered as I watched her slip away again. I could not remember how many times I had seen her pass. I could not remember the how many centuries I had been here. 
 
 The only reason I remembered why I was here is because it always repeated. Each time it was slightly different. Each time it was slightly, barely, shorter. 
 
 But I had forgotten my name. 
 
 I had forgotten her name. 
 
 And the rope still loomed.
