It took me about 30 seconds to comprehend where I was. Although I didn’t know where “This” was, I knew it was the end of the line. Seems like drinking and driving was a bad idea after all. It wasn’t hard to realize that, especially now that I sobered up in a split second.
Thinking back, I can tell I’ve done a lot I’m not proud of, and to be honest, I probably belong here. Looking ahead of me in this misty damp place was a trail covered in almost grey bushes, with a hint of green. There’s no sun and no moon, but the leaves reflect this blue shimmer.
Taking a deep breath, I take a few steps forward and notice the ground is also damp. Where are my shoes? Barefoot, I continue down the path thinking back to the party. It was my friend's party, but that does not matter anymore. Seems like nothing does.
Even with the curious lack of footwear, I am fully dressed in what I so carefully picked out last night. Although they seem a bit worn out now, as if years have passed. Spacing out in my own thoughts, I barely noticed the clearing as I walked out of the seemingly endless forest. The smell of salt and the sound of water manifested in my thoughts as my eyes started to adjust to what I saw.
An old, crooked man standing on a dock that’s seen some use. I continue to walk toward him without even thinking. He seems tired and his dull eyes were focused on me.
“Payment,” he muttered without losing eye contact. His hand reached out, and I could see years of callus buildup from what I would presume was a lifetime of work. “To pass into the afterlife you need to pay me your worth.” My worth? I stopped just shy of his reach and looked at the weary old man. He was leaning on a pole that almost had the same texture as his wrinkly old skin. To his side, a small boat that should’ve been sinking from the looks of it.
“Payment, human,” he said without his tone changing. Reaching down into my pocket, I realized my wallet wasn’t even with me. How stupid was I? Drinking and driving, even without a wallet. What I did have was some chocolate coins from our party poker game. Thinking, what was the risk? I’m already dead.
I handed him a few chocolate coins, and his demeanor changed. “What is this supposed to be?”, “They’re coins!” I tried to pretend to not know what he was hinting at. “They’re special coins,” I quickly followed up. His eyes left mine, and he looked down at his own hand with curiosity. “They don’t have any value, human. You may not pass.” I could feel panic starting to build up as thoughts of wandering this mist forever entered my brain.
“They might not be coins,” I admitted. Thinking I had to try something. I grabbed one more from my pocket and tore off the foil. The old man shifted his eyes from his hand to mine as he stared attentively. I gave it to him. “Eat it.” I couldn’t really blame his wary response, but he took the coin and slowly put it in his mouth.
A few facial expressions later and some munching sounds, I could see his dull eyes light up. “Come with me,” he said as he turned to the boat and gestured for me to come.
Sitting in the small boat, looking back at the dock that slowly faded away in the mist, the old man didn’t speak a single word. “Am I going to the afterlife?” I asked to break the silence and feed my curiosity.
“You’ve shown me there’s more to life than coins, human.” He said with his same monotone voice. “I’ve spent a lifetime gathering coins and this is the first time someone has given me happiness.” He continued rowing for a while and said, “I’m going to retire now, it’s long overdue and you’ve given me a goal.” His voice lightened, and he continued, “I’d like to see what life has to offer.”
Before I knew it, we reached another dock and he stepped up. Following him, my mind started to race. What is the afterlife like? What myth is the real one? Am I going to meet a god? Or gods? Before I could even take a step forward, he stopped me. Looking up, the pole he had once leaned on was filling my field of view. “Take it, human.”
Confused, I met his eyes and his old face expressed happiness and eagerness. “Take it, I’m retiring. Thank you for guiding me to the afterlife.”
Thank you for reading!