This Neil Gaiman story provides an interesting perspective on punishment in the afterlife. However, it is not for the fainthearted. Upon entering a room in hell, a man meets the “demon” that will become 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 what seems like several thousand more years. In the last sentence, we learn why Gaiman agreed to change the title of the story from his original choice (Afterlife) to Other People.
Original Text / PDF / Audio (931 words)
Video Version – Reading by the Author
Watch and listen as the author, Neil Gaiman, provides his interpretation as to how this story should be told. Enjoy!