This Neil Gaiman is not for the fainthearted. Upon entering a room in Hell, a man meets the “demon” that will be his tormentor. After suffering excruciating pain from each of the 211 torture instruments lining the walls, he asks the demon what comes next. The answer: the true pain begins! And so it does for several thousand more years. In the last sentence, we learn why Gaiman agreed to change the title from his original choice (Afterlife) to Other People. Themes include sin and punishment, and the nature of Hell (suffering and inflicting dehumanizing pain and suffering).
Other People Text / PDF / Audio (950 words)