Good Intentions...

"So this is it?"

"Well, yeah."

"Hunh."

"What do you mean 'hunh'?"

"I mean...it's not much to look at is it?"

"What were you expecting?"

"I don't know. Just something more. I mean this is just basically a hole in the ground isn't it?"

"It's a bit more than that!"

"But is it? I mean...."

"It's the literal Gateway to Hell! I'd say that's a bit more than a hole in the ground."

"There's no gate. There aren't even any guards. It's just a hole."

"Why would there be guards? Nobody is going to want to go in. There are probably guards on the other side to keep things from coming out."

"Or...it's just a hole in the ground."

"So what about that?"

"The sign? Anybody could put up a sign. And why Latin? Like, if it's Hell THE Hell, it's been around a lot longer than the Latin language. There are a lot of languages older than Latin."

"Well, I mean, we are in the basement of a Catholic church so the Latin makes sense."

"Maybe, but that's the other part, why build a church over the Gateway to Hell? Isn't that like the opposite of what you want? Or maybe they just used this to scare people. You know, drag them down in the basement to show them where they'd be thrown if they didn't 'willingly' convert?"

"I think they built the church here as sort of a guard. You know, if anything did break out of Hell the first thing it would encounter is a church which would sort of repel it back."

"So the Catholics were just wandering around and found this place and built a church to protect everyone?"

"Well, no, I mean there's some evidence that this was a Toltec site first, then the Aztecs, then the Catholic church built on that."

"Oh, now I see. The Catholic church zeroed in on an ancient Toltec religious site, that the Aztecs carried on with and instead of trying to win souls with a better message they did their thing and called it a Gateway to Hell and look how we are protecting you from these horrible other religions that wanted to lead you DIRECTLY TO HELL! How very Catholic of them."

"All religions build on other religions, right?"

"Sure, sure...and some just demonize those that came before them and take over. And in this case like literally demonized right? I mean the Gateway to Hell? Seems extreme even for the Catholics, but if that's all they had."

"Maybe, maybe the Toltec and the Aztecs knew it was a Gateway to Hell and they were protecting it as well? And when Catholicism took over they took over the protection? Maybe it's not so cynical as you are thinking."

"Sure, you go with that. Say a few Hail Marys and an Our Father and see me in the morning."

"I thought it was cool."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm being difficult. It is cool. Even if I was imagining the Gateway to Hell as being a little more grand. You know, like big ebony stones on either side, slick and cool and so black they seem to be absorbing the light. And gates that look that they are carved from bone that was then charred to black. Ornate scrollwork depicting scenes of earthly delights flowing into eternal torments. Fallen angels with flaming swords guarding the entrance. Their wings made of the blackest feathers. So shiny and soft looking that you are tempted to reach out and touch them. But their faces stop you. Beautiful. But too beautiful. Too perfect. Something deep in your gut reacting to them the way you would a cobra. Don't touch. Back away slowly. 

But your feet would be stuck. You wouldn't be able to tear yourself away from the dark, glorious, beauty you were seeing. The walls, the gates, the guards. This is your punishment for the life you had lead. This is your reward. When your feet did finally start to move you'd go towards the gate, not away. You'd realize that yes, this is where you belonged. Where you had always belonged. Where you had lived your life hoping to be. And the gates would open for you. And you would walk through them. Shedding your mortal skin to find your own black wings waiting for you."

She finished speaking and watched as he walked through the gateway and down the path to Hell. He had brought her here hoping to impress her with something she had never seen before. Instead she showed him what it really was. What he had really earned. 

She shook her wings out for a moment before tucking them back into her body. Hidden from the world. From the priest she would pass on her way out. 

Protecting the world from the Gateway to Hell. 

How adorable.