The Afterlife
Heather Mortimer
Apprehensively, I stumbled down the narrow, dripping, black passage. It was like I was already on my way to hell. I heard piteous screams echoing along the passage – screams of souls whose hearts had been devoured in the room of death or life that could not be named. Should I turn back now? No, I couldn’t, I must get into the afterlife. I sighed. My feet were covered with blisters. I was trembling with fear.
I crept forward nervously. Quickly I peered over my shoulder. Nobody. Fear pulsed through my body with each beat of my heart. What if they discovered I was a house thief? But they would never find out, would they? I heard a deafening roar as I inched closer to the door of death or life. Should I really open the dreaded oak door? Or should I turn back? I wondered to myself. Sweat pouring. Heart racing. Fingers trembling. I opened the door.
Then I saw him. I dared not speak his name. He was the King of Devourers. The mightiest one and worst. His fiery red eyes burned into the depths of my soul almost devouring me in one stare. His jaws were dripping in blood from his latest victim. I took a few steps forward but stumbled and tripped over a jagged rock.
I felt like I wanted to run away but something about this place was pulling me closer, closer to my fate. I turned to face the beast. His blazing red eyes stared transfixed unblinking at me. His scales were as sharp as a khopesh. Then he roared. His roar shattered everything in his path including me. He was obviously hungry. I felt my life force draining away second by second, minute by minute. Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light. I saw two gods standing in front of me: Anubis and Thoth. Immediately I fell to my knees.
Anubis spoke “We now need your heart and the feather. We shall put your heart on the left side and the feather on the right. Remember if your heart is heavier you will go to hell.”
Thoth floated over and gently placed the feather on the ancient scales. Then he turned and looked at me. “Your heart please.” I was too paralyzed with fear to move. I knew what was coming next. Slowly I reached for my heart and whimpering passed it to Toth who immediately put it on the scales.
With a loud bang my heart, still pumping, was heavier than the feather. I screamed. Anubis tossed my heart to the beast. My soul was ripped away, consumed into nothingness.