The First Part of the Secret: The Vision of Hell

"As she said these last words," writes Sister Lucia, "she once again opened her hands as she had done in the two previous months. The radiant light [which streamed from them] seemed to penetrate the earth, and we saw, as it were, a great sea of fire; submerged in that fire were demons and souls in human shapes who resembled red-hot, black and bronze-coloured embers that floated about in the blaze, borne by the flames that issued from them with clouds of smoke, falling everywhere like the showering sparks of great blazes – with neither weight nor equilibrium – amidst shrieks and groans of sorrow and despair that horrified us and made us shudder with fear.

"The devils stood out like frightful and unknown animals with horrible and disgusting shapes, but transparent like black coals that have become red-hot."

The vision lasted only a moment, during which Lucia let out a gasp. She remarks that if it were not for Our Lady's promise to take them to heaven, the seers would have died of fright and terror.