Limbo And Lust

Published: January 11, 2026 · Updated: January 11, 2026

As soon as my feet landed on the shore, I was surrounded by other souls. They were all clamoring and yammering at once, asking for news of the living. Loved ones, distant relatives, locations, fashion, and technology. Not all the questions were necessarily aimed at me, they appeared to be asking more of Charon. I took this opportunity to slip away from the dock. It was around this time that I noticed the other docks with ships coming and going, all with similar hooded figures helming the boats. Every dock was swarmed with other souls still enamored with the world of the living. There were souls jumping into the river hysterically, trying to dive back into their bodies.

“I see the trap of Limbo”, I thought to myself, “To be so close, just on the other side of a window, from everything they've ever loved. They may think that if they wait long enough they will reunite with their loved ones, but even here there is no guarantee of where on this sprawling plain you'd land. They could wait forever for someone that already passed them. Charon has recognized me through my reincarnations, I wonder if other souls can too.”

I began walking away from the port, into the town of thatched roof and stone houses. There were others everywhere, none seemed to be in a hurry, everyone appeared to be trying to live a regular life, one that would emulate what they had before death. The fashions and adornments were quite plain compared to what I was used to. It appeared that status did not exist amongst the dead. Were all men equal, only in death?

The pedestrians milled amongst the alleys betwixt the houses, visiting friends, collecting the latest limbo gossip. Everyone seemed very close-nit, I suppose that the lingerers are of the same cloth. I began my way into, and through the town. I had no need of this place, I will not wait to be found and face any potential shame, or love, of those I had known. As I made my way through town, dodging other souls in the orderly, narrow paths of the town, I felt the same chill run through my spine I had before. It set me on edge, I slowed and kept my eyes open for whatever is making me feel so uneasy. I fell in line with the other souls as I tried to find my way out of the town, eventually I made it to what appeared to be the town square. In the square were a set of performers.

I was so taken by their music I had to stop to enjoy it, to fully drink it in. There were three of them in total, a pale slender man with a medium height, dark hair, and darker eyes played the lyre. The next was a pale curvaceous woman with fiery red hair, she sang the most beautiful, and entrancing music. The final was a short, wild looking man playing the reed flute. Their harmonies and melodies moved me so that I just sat and watched until they finished.

Once they had concluded, to a roar of applause from fellow on-lookers, I watched at they greeted their fans and packed their instruments. After the commotion subsided, I approached. “Hello! That was lovely music that you were playing, I'm a new arrival, and honestly it helped calm me quite a bit.” I said to none of them in particular.

“Thank you for the kind words, I am Lilith, and this is Orpheus and Liber.” The red-headed woman said as she gestured to her companions.

“And you are?” The slender, pale man asked me.

“I was born Ya'akov, but in my adolescence changed it to James.” I replied, I don't know why I felt the need to disclose that information. Was I trying to be charming, disarming? Trying to impress the beautiful woman in front of me?

The woman's eyes flared, then smoldered. She seemed to be inspecting me, then the wild man spoke up. “I'm Liber, it's very nice to meet you. We come out here to give the souls of Limbo some entertainment, and get some ourselves I suppose. The alternative is… well you saw the monotony.”

“I guess that makes you Orpheus” I said, looking toward the other man. He simply grunted and sat down by the fountain they had been performing before.

“Not much of a talker, eh?”, I jabbed, hoping to get some response.

“He prefers to keep to himself, all he wants to do is make and perfect his music. It was once said that his lyre could move mountains, even open The Gates themselves. Though he certainly hasn't tried since he died.” Liber said as he glanced toward Orpheus. “I guess we make a good pair down here, he prefers solace, and I prefer nature. There is much solace in the nature of Limbo's plains, and together we play such beautiful music for all the plains to hear. Lilith here is also a new addition. She found us some time ago, practicing, and joined in. She was the perfect addition to our group.” He finished, smiling at Lilith.

Lilith appeared to glow from the admiration. She blushed a bright pink, and managed a meek “Thank you, Liber”.

“Could you help me find the way out of town, I really don't plan on staying long. I want to get to the gates to begin my retribution and rebirth. Maybe on this next life I won't get so hung up on myself.” I asked, noting my own oversharing.

Lilith jumped in with, “I can take you all the way to The Gates, I'm actually headed there myself. I was thinking the same thing.”

Liber looked mortified and said pleadingly, “Lilith, we've only just got you. Think of the music we can make! It will be another half century at least before someone with your raw talent finds us again!”

“Well, we can make music all the way to The Gates, as a grand send-off to our… rehabilitation” he replied.

Once we made it out of the town I could hear Liber and Orpheus having a heated discussion, but Lilith had my, nearly, undivided attention. She was enchanting, dare I say she made me feel alive. Talking with her was exhilarating, she made my heart hammer in my chest. Lilith spoke with such passion and authority about whichever topic we landed.

I have no idea how much time nor distance has passed, the sun sat eternally low in the sky. Lilith and I followed the well trodden path to the mountain ahead, just lost in conversation like two old lovers. I could see the flare of passion in her eye, it was around then that I started to think that she might be attracted to me. Some distance longer and I was convinced I was in love. I'd never gotten to know someone so seamlessly, it was like we'd already been friends forever. She was easy to talk to, beautiful, and interested in all the same things as I was. It truly was a perfect match made in Hell, or so I thought at the time. Thinking back on it, I think it was the light that I saw in her eyes that drew me in, and then kept me captive in their flickering depths. I was so captivated by her that I didn't even notice the mountain drawing nearer.

At some point Orpheus and Liber started playing their instruments as a way to pass the time, and Lilith joined in humming. Words cannot express how truly beautiful their harmonies were. I couldn't help but feel jealous at my own lack of participation, for I had no musical skill. I had tried for many years as a boy to learn a brass contraption, but could never seem to progress the skill.

The music continued as we walked, and we walked for a very long time. Time? It allegedly didn't flow here, which would explain the stationary sky. Time is a unit relative to humans on our planet, so it must simply mean that our sun does not move, and the souls don't experience age. Rendering the appearance of time not flowing…

Eventually we came to a halt. “Let's set camp off the trail here for some time. I'm tired of walking, let's drink!” Lilith announced to the rest of us. The three quickly set their camp, which was really nothing more than a series of blankets propped on sticks. I worked on gathering the tall dry grasses, and whatever sticks I could find, to build us a fire. It's not particularly cold, but this is what one does in a situation like this, isn't it?

So I built a fire, we all sat together and drank the wine that Orpheus and Liber had brought rolled in their blankets. I suppose the dead don't need food, I was neither hungry nor thirsty, but the wine did taste delicious. I sat and watched as they played wild music, it was nothing like I'd ever heard before. It was truly lively, I swear I could feel an electricity in the air as they all played. An excitement began to well, one that I hadn't felt in years long before my death. I began dancing to the music and Lilith soon joined in. We danced wildly to the music for some time, before falling together in an embrace in the dust, panting and sweaty, but laughing. She looked deeply into my eyes, and I returned the stare. I wetted my lips, and before I could even move forward she was kissing me. It was a long, deep kiss. I felt completely enveloped in her, her taste, her smell, her touch. I caressed her thighs, before grasping her ass. I needed her, and she returned every bit of it.

Suddenly, she pulled away. “That's enough for now” she said, then “Off to bed with you”. I gaped at her, it seemed like things were going so well.

“What happened?” I asked, blushing. “What did I do?”

“Nothing, nothing at all” she responded with a smirk, then walked over to Liber and gave him the same kiss she had given me. I was truly devastated, I didn't know what to think. I certainly couldn't say anything to her, for what claim do I have? I just stood up, and walked off from the camp completely numb.

As I wandered the plains, admiring the serenity, I tried to console my own bruised ego. What was the purpose of that display, and why did it cut me so deep? I ambled amongst the tall grasses, just trying to comprehend my own reaction to this situation. A low rumble started in my ears, then a circle of blue flame appeared before me. The circle expanded, revealing a pentagram with various runes adorning the spaces between lines. Out of the flames stepped a tall, red, muscular, and positively demonic entity. His bald head was adorned with twisted, winding horns, from his back sprouted leathery, bat-like wings. His eyes glowed a deep lapis lazuli blue, with gold flecks, very similar to the color of his pentagram's flames.

“I don't have much time, if our father knew I was here I would be Cerberus' next treat. I have a particular interest in you, and your future actions. Should you accept my gift, we will be able to commune discretely, and hopefully I can guide you through your trials. Do you accept?” said the figure.

I stood for a moment, mouth agape. What did he mean 'future actions', I'm dead? If I learned anything in my life, it would be to not trust a stranger offering gifts, let alone a demon. For some inexplicable reason the next words came from my mouth without warning, “I accept”.

“My name is Hadakiel, I have watched each of your cycles with great interest, and I especially look forward to the conclusion of this one.” He said as he vanished in a plume of blue flame. I decided that now was the time to return to camp, and with haste. I rushed toward camp, so lost in my own thoughts I didn't hear or see them until I was nearly to the edge of the fire's light.

What I saw made my cheeks heat. I blushed so deeply I could feel it in my ears, along with the sensual moans coming from the combined bodies on a blanket. I could see Lilith on her back, while Liber had his head buried between Lilith's thighs, jaw working slowly and steadily. She was slowly panting and moaning in ecstasy, her hands placed firmly on his head, her fingers deep in his long brown hair. I couldn't help but watch as her chest heaved, and her breasts moved, her peaked nipples begging for their own attention. Suddenly, as if alerted by my very presence, Lilith locked eyes with me in the tall grass. I kept her stare as she squirmed under the ecstasy from the pleasure, she was beautiful, and I was exhilarated. This shared secret, and memory would be something that bound us. She kept my stare as Liber mounted and started thrusting, slowly and deeply. He bowed his head to kiss her, a long kiss filled with all of his passion, and lust for the beautiful woman beneath him. I watched as they came together, and then separate to wipe the sweat from their glistening bodies. For a long time I sat in silence, playing the scene over and over in my head. Analyzing the looks she gave me, the stare we shared. I should feel… dirty or shamed for having spied on their intercourse, but the look we shared told me it was by design.

You're already in Hell, live a little I heard, from no particular direction. It seemed to come from within my head, and it sounded an awful lot like… Sorry, forgot to warn you, this is Hadakiel. Your gift links us psychically, that is how I'm able to communicate. As long as you remain in the realm, I will have direct access to you, and with some training, you to me. They're asleep, I suggest you do the same. So I did, I made myself a bed in the prairie grass, then slept.