Satan's Request

By Jon Welman

Evan’s life isn’t going the way he wants. At a job he hates and is unsatisfied with his life; and the worst part is that his wife died recently. After a long day at work, he decides to take a drive to help clear his mind. Lost in thought, he finds himself on an unknown road, and to top that off, his car breaks down. With nothing else around, he follows the only beacon of hope for him; a light off in the woods. Coming to an old building, a mysterious stranger comes to his aid. The only thing is, this stranger is claiming to be Satan.

Satan says he has guided Evan here to ask for his help. It would seem that Evan’s wife had recently become a tenant of Hell. Unfortunately, though, she has gone missing and Satan can’t find her anywhere in Hell. His last resort was to get Evan to help find her. Dumbfounded by the situation and in disbelief, Evan eventually agrees.
This leads the pair on a journey through Hell and several other religions afterlife; including Duat, Helheim, the Greek Underworld, and others. While in these other afterlifes, they run into the deities and tenants of these religions.

On this journey, Evan can’t help but be full of wonder and has to ask Satan questions. Evan eventually comes to realize that Satan isn’t the bad guy he’s made out to be. Not only that, but Evan comes to learn all sorts of things about life, what comes after it, and about his wife’s death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jon Welman
• Release date: Sep 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005269203

Book preview

Satan’s Request

A Novel By Jon Welman

Satan’s Request

Copyright © 2022 by Jon Welman

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only; please support the author and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting and supporting the work of this author.

Special thanks to Christine Schlotfelt for being so generous and spending their free time to edit this mess.

Thanks to Lily C. for putting things in perspective and helping keep the dream going.

Special thanks to all of those that purchases this, take the time to read it, and help support me.

Table of contents

Forward

1. Here We Are

2. Welcome To Hell

3. Wife

4. Hell Tour

5. DozaKh

6. Chinvat Bridge

7. Yama

8. Naraka

9. Greek

10. Elysium

11. Reincarnation

12. Khalil

13. Yomi

14. Izanami

15. Duat

16. Hall of Final Judgment

17. Hel

18. Helheim

19. Back in Hell

20. Hell, But for Animals

21. Back to Earth

22. Reunion

23. The Beginning of the End

Forward

This book started when a question popped into my head, ‘What would Satan be like if he was real?’ This set off a series of thoughts and ideas that eventually came to me deciding to write a book. Which was on odd idea at the time, because during my time in school and college, I always hated and struggled to write papers and was consistently an average student.

Deciding to write this book, I wanted to present and convey my thoughts and ideas of life, the world, and religion. I ended up reading multiple books and spending hours reading on the internet about numerous religions.

I grew up Christian. Over the years, with experiences and things I’ve learned; my views have changed numerous times. And I feel like I should admit, I now have a bit of contempt for Christianity. I tried not to let this show in the book for the most part, but I may have put a jab or two in.

When it comes to the aspect of a god, I would consider myself agnostic. I do not believe in any sort of afterlife or any deities.

The book doesn’t cover all religions, but I’ve included the ones I thought would be able to get my views across and to get a good, concise story written. I tried to be respectful and accurate for each religions beliefs. However, for story and entertainment purposes, I took my creative liberties.

Overall I’m happy with how the book turned out. I know it’s far from perfect. There are some aspects I’m not happy with, but for the plot, I couldn't come with another way to do it.

Mostly, my goal was to just write the book. But, I wanted it it to be entertaining, thought provoking, and to teach some things to the reader about religions. If you read this, I hope you at least get some amusement and knowledge from it. And also, thank you for taking the chance and the time to read it.

1. Here We Are

I’m in Hell?

No.

There’s no way this is possible. How can this be? It can’t be right. I’m still alive. At least, I don’t remember dying. I remember driving, getting lost, my car breaking down, then coming across a creepy factory with a creepy guy, saying he’s Satan and the factory is Hell. No, no, no. This is too much.

Alright, alright, for my own sanity, let’s try to recall how I got here today and make sure I’m not losing it. The morning started off normally; woke up, ate, fed and walked Barg, went to work, got home, took care of Barg again, ate dinner, then decided to go for a drive. Which is where things started to go wrong.

When I get stressed, I like to take a drive to help clear my head. Today, work was particularly annoying. I usually take a specific route, though, so I don’t have to think about the drive and can focus on thinking and processing, which is why I am very confused about how I ventured off my usual route. Being lost in thought, for some reason, I must have taken a turn somewhere along the way and wound up here. This doesn’t help my stress level at all. Just another thing to add onto everything else.

Why, God? Why does my life suck so much? Just plain matter of fact, straight truth; life sucks. Plain and simple, that’s what it is. I’ve put up with a lot in my sad little life. Granted, it hasn’t all been bad. I’ve had my ups and downs. But crap, it’s been running the gambit lately.

The major reason my life sucks is that my wife, Candace, died. Horrible, right? That truly sucked. I really loved her. Our relationship was going well. We don’t have any children but we were talking about it. We do have Barg though, our dog, so that’s sort of like having a child. Everything was going just fine, until she died.

And here’s the icing on the cake: she killed herself.

It doesn’t make sense to me at all. We seemed happy. She seemed happy. I never cheated on her, or beat her, or neglected her, or coveted my neighbor’s wife. I got along with her parents. I feel like I did what I could to make her happy. I mean, I suppose I could’ve done more to make her super ecstatic about things. Occasionally I would buy her things she wanted. We got Barg. We went on trips. She wasn’t super happy with her job, but who is?

I don’t know, there could have been more I could have done for her, but I thought I was doing enough. And I have to take care of my happiness too, right? Well, there’s nothing I can do for her now.

Finding her was pretty traumatic, too. There’s nothing like coming home from work to find your lifeless wife, laying on the couch next to an empty pill bottle with a note reading, I just can’t do it anymore. Makes you feel truly numb. So, now it’s solely me and the dog.

That’s how I’ve been since. Numb. Since I thought we were happy, I had no idea she was thinking that. A vague note doesn’t help with closure by the way. It doesn’t explain or answer anything. The unknown just creates more questions.

But wait, there’s more. Onto the other things going on in my life.

Work. Do I really need to do an in-depth explanation for that? Work’s horrible. Never been a big fan of work. Of any kind actually. Something about driving in heavy traffic for thirty minutes, then sitting at a desk for eight hours, then driving back home in heavy traffic for another thirty minutes. All to do it again the next day. It’s all a bunch of crap to me. There’s something so completely soul sucking about an office job. I took this job to support my wife and I. You know, get the whole ‘American Dream’ thing going. Since she’s been gone, my motivation for sitting in a cubicle for hours staring at a computer has dramatically decreased.

In retrospect, work isn’t that bad. I’ve now come to realize this line or work isn’t for me. Unfortunately, it’s just comfortable enough and well paying enough that I don’t want to quit and look for something else. Funny how they get you like that.

Which also lends to the saying, ‘Do what you love and then you’ll never work a day in your life.’ Well, I’m in my thirties and I still have no idea what I want to do with my life. There have always been thoughts and ideas, but nothing major to the point where I want to put myself out there to go for something. Which means I get to work a job I hate, day after day. Hooray.

Having gone numb, I have lost interest in most things I used to find enjoyable. I’m not sure if it is a result of my wife’s death or if it’s been happening gradually. Life completely seems to be a dull haze now. Watching TV, playing video games, getting together with the few friends I have; it’s all absolutely blah to me now. Not sure what’s going on with me, but let’s have another hooray for life. Most days when I get home from work, all I do is watch whatever is on TV or play video games even though I’m not interested. It feels like I’m just going through the motions, not genuinely living. What is wrong with me?

My friends were there for me after my wife died. They were super supportive. Now though, we hardly talk or go out. It might be because I’ve been more withdrawn after my wife died, or maybe I’ve lost interest in things. I’m not sure. Slowly though, I’ve heard less and less from them.

God, what did I do to deserve this life? I could use a break here.

Ok, what’s next? Oh, I don’t know? Oh, my dog, Barg, bit me the other day. That happened. Not hard or anything. He was laying on my lap and I went to pick him up so I could move and he got me. It was a quick flash of fur and gnashing of teeth. He jumped down after biting me. He did always like my wife better. And now it’s getting close to bedtime, and I’m not there to let him out, so I hope he’s not pooping or peeing inside.

He hasn’t been the same, either, since she passed. He went through his own period of grief, I believe. Occasionally, he still looks towards the door around the time Candace would be getting home from work. I also believe he might be picking up on how I’m feeling, because he too seems to be glum and just going through the motions. We still go to the dog park, which he loves. But it still feels like something is missing and he can tell.

Ah, I hate complaining. It helps to vent once in a while though. Even if it is to myself while driving. Alright then, I think I’m done complaining for now. I could go on, but I think I’ll stop for now.

Which leads me back to the being lost situation. Being lost. Taking a drive is what I typically do when I try to clear my head. I used to take some detours driving home after an extra stressful day at work. Or sometimes I would let Candace know I needed time to think. She knew what that meant. There was a park I found. It seemed to be the perfect distance to drive to and drive back that gave me just enough time to work through whatever was giving me issues. It took some time and searching, but this place and method works for me.

Tonight, I was headed to the park, absentmindedly following my normal route there. All while thinking about life, not really knowing what I need to think about and what I need to figure out. Not registering where I was driving, I figured I was going the right way. Boy, was I way off.

All these thoughts running through my head have not been constructive either. It’s all leaving me more depressed. It’s been a bad day. Work particularly sucked and, for whatever reason, I can’t stop thinking about my wife. And now I’ve started complaining again.

Great, getting lost; exactly what I wanted to do today. Since when is there a dense wooded area in the burbs? I swear I haven’t driven long enough to drive out of town.

My thoughts returning to my wife again; I can’t help thinking how she would have found this amusing. Saying getting lost like this is an adventure.

Having been watching the road now, the single lane stays straight for only about a hundred feet, so I consistently can’t see that far ahead of me or how long this road is. The trees are incredibly thick. This time of year, it’s usually not this dark at this point of day, but the trees have blacked out what light that was left of the day. It almost seems impossibly dark. The only light is what’s coming from my headlights.

No car has passed me and there are none in the shadows of the rear view mirror. Aside from the trees, I see no signs of life. Not even any cute little forest animals running around at the tree line. I haven’t even seen any street signs anywhere telling me what road I am on. Trees, darkness, and the road. That’s all.

Great, so now what? Do I try to get myself out of wherever I am, or should I use my phone right away? Well, it is already dark. I should use the GPS to get myself home. With how long I’ve been driving, it’s going to take me forever to get back home anyway. I’ll endanger my life for now and dig into my pocket while driving, and then distract myself while operating my phone. Aaaaaaand no service. Absolutely nothing. With how my life has been going, I should have seen that coming. Frustrated, I throw the phone onto the passenger seat.

Crap, I guess that leaves solely my brain to get myself out of this mess. Time to come up with a plan. The only thing I can think of is to double back, try to recall which way I came from, and get to a point to where I at least get some service in order to look up directions. Wish I had a physical map with me. But, once again, not seeing any signs to help me there. I haven’t even come to a crossroad yet to turn around, or even enough room on the side of the road. The ditch dips down almost immediately, leaving that as not an option. No one else is around, so I suppose I could turn around in the middle of the road. It would be just my luck that a cop comes around the bend as I’m doing it. Or some crazy driver going eighty t-bones me; once again, with my luck, not killing me, but crippling me, leaving me in a hospital bed, paralyzed for the rest of my life.

Not feeling too risky and desperate at the moment, I decide to drive on for a while longer. Only a few minutes pass when, thank God, I see a curve coming up and then a place to turn off. It appears to be a little path jutting off the road. Not so much a road but a makeshift dirt path. Just wide enough for a car to pull into. I can see a bit past it and there is a tiny break in the sea of trees where the path leads. I can’t tell how far back it goes, though.

Even though I’m the only one on the road, I turn on my blinker like a good citizen and start to turn onto the path. With my car now on this new path and the headlights shining into the darkness, I take a moment to look into the woods, down the narrow path. Again, nothing. No other lights further in, no animals stirring, or bugs flying around. Even the branches on the tree are still, with no signs of a breeze.

Deciding I’ve had a good enough look, I throw the car into reverse. Immediately, there is a grinding noise, followed by a loud clunk, then a small lurch of the car, then the car dies.

Nooooooo. No, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. Of all the times, why now? Anxiously, I try to start the car. Nothing happens. Not even a click. I try again. Nothing. I try again, and again. The same result every time. Great, thanks again, God. I rack my brain for an answer to my dilemma. In my mild panic, I can’t come up with anything.

Looking outside through the windows, I am still unable to see much. Even now with the headlights out. Looking around each direction the road goes, no sign of any other vehicle coming. I grab my phone and check. No service still. At least I can use it as a flashlight. Until the battery runs out, I guess.

Am I going to have to wait here? I hope someone passes by soon and is able to rescue me. If not, I guess I’ll start walking in the morning. I contemplate walking now, but I would rather not wind up in some horror movie situation where a murderer chases me and I end up bloody, screaming, and traumatized for life.

This is going to be such a fun night. My boss will be super happy when I don’t call in or show up tomorrow. I triple check my phone. Still no service.

Setting the phone back down, the stress from the day catches up to me. I tell myself to calm down and take a couple deep breaths. Doing this does help a bit. So much so, I can feel the weight of my eyelids. Alright, here’s what I’ll do; I’ll take a short rest, which will hopefully help my problem solving abilities. Or maybe someone will come across my car in that time.

Making my decision, I lock the car doors, recline the seat, and close my eyes. A catnap might clear my head. Brain, come up with a solution while I sleep, please. Sorry Barg, I’ll try to get home soon.

I close my eyes, but suddenly, I’m wide awake. Trying to relax, but also becoming very aware of my surroundings. I am all alone out here. Strangely alone. Even seeing some bugs flying around would help. The emptiness of the situation amplifies the alone feeling. It is unusual how void it is around here.

‘It’s all in your head’, I tell myself. This attempt at self reassurance does nothing. I do my best to relax, but the unfamiliar area and being surrounded by darkness is keeping my mind busy with uneasy thoughts. I again adjust the seat, hoping that getting into a comfortable position will settle my mind. It does not. Starting to feel annoyed, I open my eyes and sit up. I look around again for anything that can help in any way. Out of habit, I check my phone again. Still the same.

Out of desperation, I try the car once more. That, too, is still the same. Growing more uneasy, I look around again outside.

Wait.

Is that something? Straight ahead, through the trees, is that a light? I can’t tell how far it is, but yes, it looks like a dim light. How did I not see that earlier? This could be promising. I hope.

Now to weigh my options. First, I think I would stay in the car for the night. The next is, potentially walk for however long until I find something or someone. It seems like not wanting to leave the comfort of the car, sitting here and waiting won’t get anything done. After some internal struggling, I decide to go with the second option, braving the unknown to find the source of the light. Let’s not prolong this. Hopefully, whatever the source of the light is, it ends up being helpful.

Summoning some courage, I unlock the car door and step out into the darkness. I unlock my phone and turn on the flashlight. Even with it not being the best light, it does help my fear. With the fear pulling back some, I will myself to start walking forward. With the path being a few feet wide, I feel the trees and the darkness surrounding me, almost pushing in on me. The whole scene still feels unnatural and eerie.

The silence is still the worst part. No owls hooting, no animals moving around in the brush, no wind making the leaves dance. It almost seems fake, like it’s a set.

I haven’t felt this alone in a long time. Since Candace died, I haven’t really felt alone at all. I guess my dog has been enough company for me. At work, I’m always surrounded by people, even if I don’t like them. Even though I haven’t been spending time with friends, it hasn’t made me feel alone, even though it sucks not hanging with them. Perhaps I’ve not been allowing myself to feel lonely, or something psychological like that. But here and now, in the darkness and silence, I can’t help but feel alone. Truly alone.

I also feel like at any moment though,