The shortcut off step six.

Dante in his seminal work Inferno provided graphic descriptions of hell and the structure of that dreaded place where virtue’s twin would be punished for eternity once the lifespan of the individual was over. His vision was disputed in his lifetime and still provides fodder for intellectual discussion today.

That heaven and hell exist is indisputable, where and in what form is what matters the most and which no one to date has been able to answer. I called Loyana and in the process I opened up a short passage way that brought me to the gates of hell.

She didn’t waste any time on the usual banal pleasantries.

“You need money to make up your tuition,” she said.

“News travels fast,” I said.

“No, I happen to know that I ‘m your first and last resort, I understand you better than you know yourself.” I don’t think that she ever spoke a truer word in her entire life.

“So do you have any suggestions? I mean, twenty grand isn’t small change.”

“I’m aware of that. Let me see what I can dig up. Mean while you had better ask yourself just how badly you need the cash. I’ll try to call in a few favors. But, I’m warning you this is not going to be easy.”

“If it were easy do you think I’d be calling you?”

“Honey, you’d be calling me any which way. I’m your only hope.”

And so she was. It was better that she knew. I couldn’t place my trust in any one else. No one would understand. I’d tried telling some of my other friends. They hummed and hawed and mumbled something about Personal loans and Credit ratings before hanging up on me. I was desperate and the only straw at hand was Loyana.

I didn’t have to wait long. Short cuts usually take less time. Before I knew it I was standing at the gates of hell and the sight through the bars wasn’t pretty.