[ WP ] A device has been invented that allows the user to gaze upon Heaven or Hell . Hell is terrifying , and those who see it often need counselling . But their terror pales compared to those who witness God 's domain .

Decided to take a different approach and explored the ramifications of humanity discovering Heaven/Hell. Hope this is legal, it's my first time. 
 
 Prologue: We shouldn ’ t have looked, but we did. 
 
 I had heard the rumors, well I mean, everyone did. It was the only thing on the news for months, on every cycle, every channel, every website, it was all the same. It dominated the conversations at work, at home, everywhere, because who ’ d want to talk about anything else? It was the biggest discovery in the history of the human race. I don ’ t know how they did it, what the technology behind it is, or why it was done, but a group of Vatican scientists ( I know, ironic right? ) created a machine capable of peeking into the other side. And what did they find when they looked? Heaven and Hell. Proof that eternal damnation or eternal bliss is what waits for us at the end. Proof that a 5,000 year-old book people had started to doubt was in fact true. So what happens when the world discovers something like that? Well, it went to shit. 
 
 
 Part 1: The Church 
 
 I have a friend who was a priest. On discovery day, I don ’ t think he stopped smiling. It was a validation of his life purpose, and any doubt he ever had about any missed opportunity in the past vanished. He told me the relief he felt was indescribable, that he would ’ ve spent the entire afternoon crying with joy, if the knocks at the door didn ’ t happen. But they did, and they happened every other minute, until the entire town had packed into his tiny derelict church. There had never been this many people inside, well, maybe half this during Christmas, but that was with a generous memory. No, this was different; the whole town had shown up. And at first he was thrilled, delighted even that these people had so quickly come for guidance during this marvelous time. It was a testament to his faith; the congregation he ’ d always dreamed of had arrived. 
 
 But that sense of bliss didn ’ t last. The people didn ’ t show up to the church to celebrate, they came for a different reason completely; fear. Hell had become real. This “ fairytale ” the church told people of brimstone and fiery damnation was real. And when D-day happened, every sin each one of these people had committed, was running through their heads on a never-ending loop. These people had no interest in celebrating the lord; they only wanted to save themselves. The priest told me how there was pushing and shoving on the long snake-like line that protruded from his confessional booth. Everyone wanted him to tell them they were absolved, that what lingered below was not where they ’ d spend eternity. Each day was the same. No one wanted to hear his sermons; it was only a confession they sought, a get out of hell free card. And each day it broke him a little more, because according to the church, if they confessed, that ’ s exactly what would happen. 
 
 At the end of the first week of the discovery, my friend revoked his vows and quit the church. When I asked him why, he told me, “ I have a feeling that an afternoon of reciting my sins isn ’ t all it takes to get past the pearly gates. ” He paused, and with a shaky voice he said, “ And if it is, I don ’ t think that ’ s the type of God I ’ d wan na spend eternity with. ” I asked him if that meant he ’ d given up on God. He didn ’ t, he told me he still believes in God, his version of God at least, but the church no longer made sense to him. So he moved on and got a job at his family ’ s farm out in the country. He decided to just live a simple good and honest life, and that ’ d be enough. 
 
 To be continued.....
