Ancient eyes look at me. ''So, you've come.'' I nod. Of course I've come. ''You must understand, that this isn't the secret correct door, which leads to the real paradise.'' I roll my eyes, of course it isn't. I'm not an imbecile who'd think that they could get one over on the masses simply by taking the least popular choice. ''This is Pride. An eternity in Pride is an eternity where you will work for your glory. You will not have rest, or feasts, or battles for the sake of battles. This is not a place of pleasure or revenge.'' I tap my foot impatiently against the black marble floor. ''You will be cast into a billion worlds, born anew without your memories as a fresh perspective, and you will have to earn glory, crowns, power, and PRIDE. This you will always do, for you are bound by what you are, full of unlimited ambition, and an arrogance the likes of which mortal men can rarely know.'' Now that sounds actually fairly equitable. There will be victories, there will be defeats. But always, there will be unstoppable Pride. Unstoppable determination to win. When the other souls grow bored or mad with their choices, I will live in fame and infamy through eternity. ''It is not a blessing, nor a curse. It simply is. When a billion lives are over, when eternity is at its end, you will return here and remember all that you have earned. Every victory won, every ambition fulfilled, every glory taken.''

''And then what, do I become god?'' I ask in jest. The angel, weathered, tired, and ancient, sighs. ''No. Not really. Once that is over, you will be given the choice to return for another billion lives of adventure and glory, or to become the mind-seed for a new universe. You will become the amaranthine dream of a new reality that shall bring forth its own adventures, own tragedies, own afterlife which might make more sense than our current set-up. You will become everything; everything will become you.'' I shrug. Makes slightly better sense than the traditional ideas about heaven and hell in any case. Doesn't actually sound all that bad, now that I come to think of it, this eternity of Pride. I smile, as I consider the grandeur of this task. A billion lives, and countless new wondrous and terrible experiences. Let it be so. ''Alright you decrepit withered angel, let's get to it. Send me to a new world, where I shall do my utmost to conquer in whatever possible form I can! Let a billion lifetimes of adventure and wonder begin.''

He nods, the creaking bones of his wings flutter. ''Not many dare to make that choice. Behind every door of the seven sins, there is an eternity that will make you happy. Pride is the only door that has an ending though. None in the other sin-realms are mad, brave, or arrogant enough to end. Only the truly proud dares to seek an ending.'' I nod as he begins casting whatever angelic magic that will send me onwards into adventure. ''There must be an ending to the legend, otherwise, the bards and storytellers won't ever speak of it. Eternity is never desirable. It is not the hallmarks of any story I would ever want to hear.''

/r/ApocalypseOwl

The decor is decidedly neutral. There are no flames, no pitchforks, and no lakes of boiling acid. No horned Lucifer, with rotten wings and serpent eyes laughing at our misfortune. It isn't what we'd call hellish. But on the other hand, it isn't exactly heavenly either. No fair gardens, full of peace and quiet. No warm gentle lights, no angelic choirs, not a place by the side of any sort of maker. Mostly, it looks like the DMV. Long lines, leading to countless sets of seven gates. Each are the exact same gates, just existing at multiple locations at the same time, allowing for countless lines of human souls to pass through them at once. At least, that's what the faded and clearly generic pamphlet you get when you arrive says. Other than that, there are low-quality but free machines that dispenses adequate coffee, acceptable snacks, and some not entirely comfortable couches where you can sit if you're not sure which gate to enter. Some of us do sit there, drinking the unremarkable coffee, reading the pamphlet for information about what lies behind the gates.

Once you've entered, you can't pick a different one. Each gate is marked as belonging to a specific sin, of the traditional seven. Enter there and experience that stuff forever. First in the order is pretty simple. Gluttony. It looks to be a fairly greasy door, with a good deal of stains on it. Behind it, there is every kind of overindulgence. Food, drink, drugs, you name it, they've got it. Chocolate oceans, pools of whiskey, mountains of ice cream, free drugs of every kind from dispensaries everywhere. Pretty simple when you think about it, but there is an allure in it for many. Eat but never get full, drink but never have the hangover, feel the high and never the lows. It is understandable. Next is even more understandable, Lust. Less of a conventional door, and more a series of enticing veils. Through there you find exactly what you expect: Endless parlours, countless harems, boudoirs full of everything you can possible want in bed. That one is especially popular. In the infinite office, this DMV of the afterlife, there is a line to get inside Lust, and it is pretty unruly. In there, one can, supposedly, fulfil every passion, no matter how strange, sate every desire, no matter how bizarre. An eternity like that should be pretty eventful.

Greed, or Avarice, comes next. It cannot be satisfied unless it has the most names. But it is pretty simple. Money, gold, wealth beyond measure, infinite treasure, it is the door that is most gaudy and looks so golden and bejewelled that it is ridiculous. High stocks, riches, big business, super-yachts, solid gold jacuzzis, jewels, and more; all that jazz. That's it forever behind that door. Ostentatious if you ask me, but I never sought out such things in life for the mere sake of having them. Those who cannot have enough will perhaps find it, but I don't intend to enter through there. Personally, when I look at the doors, I find it weird that there are only seven, but somehow I doubt that this place is built upon the writings of John Cassian the Roman monk, and his eight sins, because there are no doors marked as sorrow or despair, which was his fourth deadly sin. Then again, who'd ever actually enter that?

Instead, the fourth door is Wrath. And it is dented, battered, and broken. Many enter it. Beyond lies every battle every fought, every conflict ever wrought, every single moment made in wrath, continuing forever. A battle that never ends with no victors in sight. A horrible eternity, and yet many rough-looking souls, and those who could never fulfil their rage in life, gleefully charge through the door. Some men are lost to rage. I've known some such men, who for a brief time become the fire inside of them, as it burns them out. It tears them apart, and leaves behind either death or empty shells that cannot be called back to the men they were. I do not seek what lies behind this door. Next comes Sloth. Seems to be a door leading to a bedroom. According to the pamphlet it is literally just an endless realm of good places to sleep, watch TV, relax, nap, and lie in the warm sun. It is quiet in there, and there is nothing that happens. A fair number of people go in there, and I don't blame them. After a long life, what you probably need is a good long rest, though judging from the hazy nature of some of the souls entering there, they seem to have been slothful in life too.

Sixth door is Envy. Not entirely sure how you'd experience that forever, but then again, this is death, nobody ever said it had to be very logical. Certainly don't recall having ever heard of this place before, but it seemingly exists despite its irrational nature. The envious get revenge. Get even. Oddly enough, that's the only thing the pamphlet says about it. You get even. Sounds vaguely ominous, and not entirely psychologically healthy. The door itself reflects this. It looks like the gate to a prison. Perhaps that place behind it, is the closest thing we get to a traditional hell. Not that I intend to enter there. Any enemy I might have had in life, I crushed. I was envious of no living or dead man. Only a few enter it. And they look incredibly worrying. Those who enter Wrath look either like emotionally detached veterans, returning to the war that hasn't left their heads, or violent lunatics that scream with glee. But the souls who enter the door of Envy look twisted and bitter. Like they've been stewing in that sin to the point that their souls are corrupt or something. I shudder to look at them.

And finally, I come to the forefront of the queue. Seven doors. Gluttony holds no enticement for me, food is good and all, but not so good that I'd spend the rest of eternity indulging. Lust isn't it either, sure I could probably enjoy myself for a good long while in there, but as eternity stretches, how long can you continue to find it interesting when it is constant fulfilment? Greed is out, that's for people with nothing inside of them, empty, hollow creatures desperate to fill the whole hole in them, and the only thing they pour into themselves is empty mammon. Wrath isn't my style either; even Valhalla had breaks in-between the battles to feast and party. Sloth has some merit, but really, I'd go mad without anything to do besides rest. And Envy is not going to happen. Thus, my eyes are drawn to the only door that seems unused. I've been here in this infinite DMV of the afterlife, watching people in a million queues march towards the seven doors of the seven sins, and none has ever used the rusty door of Pride. It is there, I can see it, and yet it isn't described in the pamphlet at all. Even Envy had some pictures with its laconic description. Not pleasant pictures mind you, but pictures all the same.

Pride is just there. And instead of entering any of the other doors, I walk with measured steps towards its ancient rusted frame. Wrenching it open is a titanic effort on my part, which is strange as I am dead and thus should not feel any physical strain, and yet I keep doing it. I keep opening the door. It creaks ominously as it opens just enough for me to slip inside. The noise of the souls behind me cuts off as the rusted gate closes with a deafening boom. Behind the door of Pride, I see it. Vast palatial halls stretch before me. Proud statues hold their heads and blades aloft into the air. In the distance I see a vast and ancient throne, and I approach it without fear. This is what I have chosen, and I do not fear the ramifications of my choice. Let any challenger come, I am prepared. I see a figure upon the throne as I approach it. Once it was a tall man. Once it was a man with a straight back and a imperious glare which could silence lesser men with fear. Once it was an emperor. Once it was an angel.

This is a nice coupling of basic history, and characterization. It sounds forced until you realized it's being embellished for the child.

Oh! I agree!

Nicely done

That could be explained by memories not being replicated. I don't know anything about brains so I can't give a good sounding explanation.

Ok, I’m hooked.

Whirring steel and steam

And yet look at how difficult it is for us to get hydrogen.

Then again, it's difficult for us to isolate hydrogen because most of it on earth is bound up in water molecules...

“Did you seriously have to kill the fucking prince to prevent the curse from killing you?!” “Yes! What, do you not want your daughter to live?!” “Of course I do! But it’s a different thing when you kill someone else & it causes a fuckin war between land & sea!” “Well to be fair, he was a creep.” “What?” “And not the normal kind of creep either, he was even creepier than a Pearlfish.” “Oh my god.” “Yeah.” “I can see why you killed him, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” “Eh, it’s alright, he got what was coming to him. Plus I at least got to live by doing so.” “Alright, I let you off the hook. Just make sure whenever you kill someone you have a good reason.” “Noted.”

I think there was an old flash game called "Learn to Fly" that had this plot in game 2 or 3. It was awesome.

He really was a hero.

Good job.

I thought this looked too familiar

Well, the good thing about reposts in this subreddit is that it allows new people to make stories that weren’t made in the first post.

Pretty sure water is the most common molecule in the universe by a long shot too. Well, besides hydrogen gas.

Given that their replicator can apparently replicate live animals, I'm a little surprised that Cut Cut didn't just try to replicate the crew first. It seems fond of unconventional "medicine".

I'm almost positive I've seen this one before

David stood on the wrong side of the railing along the Old East Bridge, his hands behind him gripping the cold steel, as he stared through the swirling flurry of snow at the icy water churning hundreds of feet below him.

He could lean forward, let go, and that would be it. A moment of cold and dark, and then nothing. All the pain and despair would be gone. He swallowed hard, then closed his eyes tightly, willing his fingers to unclench.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, his hands still clamped down on the railing in spite of himself.

"Can't do it, huh?" said a voice from behind him. It startled him so much he almost did let go, but he quickly steadied himself and looked back. A man in a long, dark coat leaned against the bridge beside him, regarding him with a friendly smile that didn't touch his narrow brown eyes.

"Stay back! D-don't try to stop me!" David warned, unsteadily. He'd already made up his mind, he just needed his body to catch up.

The man chuckled. "Nah! You got it all wrong, buddy. I'm not gonna try to stop ya. I'm a real believer in...whaddya call it...free will. Ya wanna shuffle yourself off the ol' mortal coil? Well, that ain't nobody's business but yours, as far as I'm concerned."

David licked his chapped lips. "Then...then no offense, but why don't you just go away? I'd rather be alone."

"Sure, sure!" the man said, easily. "It's just that, well, if you don't mind my saying, it looks like you're having a bit of trouble taking the next step. I can help with that."

"I-I don't need a push!" David said, reflexively tightening his grip on the railing.

The man in black laughed. "I ain't gonna push you, pal! I'm just here to offer a little encouragement, is all." He lifted a black-gloved hand and snapped his fingers. David stared in bewilderment, as a gigantic silvery moving screen seemed to materialize in the air above him.

"What? How did you..." he trailed off, as a film began to play on the screen. It was his childhood home, just as he remembered it. His brother, sister, mother and father were seated around the old kitchen table, talking and laughing as they had breakfast.

"Notice anything, buddy?" the man asked, genially.

"It's...it's exactly how it was...how is that possible?" he said, staring at the apparition in awe.

"Not exactly, buddy, but I'm not surprised you didn't notice; after all, no one else noticed either. You're not there," the man pointed out.

"I don't understand." David said, as he watched his happy parents and siblings.

"See, everyone wants life -- especially their life -- to have some kinda meaning." the man explains. "It's the part of you that wants that, that won't let you let go of that railing. That's why I'm here to help. Because the truth is..."

The man snapped his fingers again.

David saw his high school basketball team. They'd gone to the State Championship when he played with them, but it appeared from what the man showed him that they would have done just as well without him.

Snap.

He saw his friends from college, enjoying their wild days without him as much or more than they'd done with him.

Snap.

He saw the woman who'd later become his wife, falling in love with and marrying someone else.

Snap.

He saw everything he'd ever achieved in his professional life, being done a thousand times over by other men in other places. He stared wide-eyed, his mouth opening and closing mutely as he saw image after image illustrating his own worthlessness.

"...the truth is, life don't got no meaning. Especially not yours, buddy." the man said, softly. "Those instincts telling you to hold on? They ain't nothing but a con."

He reached out, and squeezed David's shoulder, gently. "I know it's hard to accept. The truth usually is. Most guys wish they wasn't ever born, when they learn the way things really are. Ain't nothing you can do about that, unfortunately -- nothing I can do either, to be honest. But I can help you get it over with, to skip to the punchline of the big cosmic joke, so to speak."

David's head dropped forward, and his shoulders began to shake.

"Aww. There there, buddy." the man soothed. "It'll all be over soon. All you gotta do is let go."

David's shoulders shook harder, and then all at once, he burst out laughing.

The man frowned. "What the...you lose your marbles or something, pal?"

He shook his head. "Ha....no...I just...I just..."

Abruptly, David turned, and hoisted himself over the railing, back onto the bridge.

"What are ya doing?" the man protested.

"Whoo!" David cried, laughing and spinning a circle as he looked at the falling snow.

"What the hell's gotten into ya?" the man demanded, scowling.

He whirled around to face the man, beaming. "Hope!" he cried.

"Hope? How did ya get hope outta what I just showed ya?"

David laughed, crossing his arms. "Well, I mean, you're obviously the Devil!"

The man cleared his throat. "I, uh...what makes you say that?"

"A guy with magic powers shows up out of nowhere and tries to convince me there's no hope and that I should kill myself?" David said, raising an eyebrow. "You kinda telegraphed it."

"Well, uh..so what if I am?!" the man retorted. "You're still in a hole ya ain't never gonna dig out of, your life is still pointless, and you'd still be better off on the other side of that railing!"

David snorted. "Come on. I may have been wishing I'd never been born, but I wasn't born yesterday. You're the devil! You lie! Maybe not everything you say is a lie, but anything you'd go through that much trouble to tell me has practically got to be false!"

The man in black's eyes widened, and darted from left to right, as though searching for a way out. "Er...well..."

David laughed and jabbed a finger at him. "Aha! I knew it! Which means, ipso facto, that I can infer that life definitely does have meaning and purpose, and I can further deduce that my life in particular must have some especially noble purpose to fulfill -- otherwise, why would an actual devil be going out of his way to get me to kill myself?"

"I..." the man stammered, uncertainly.

Then to the man's utter amazement, David embraced him.

"Merry Christmas, you wonderful old demon!" David cried, tears of joy glistening in his eyes as he held the man close for a long moment.

Then, without another word, David turned and ran laughing into the snowy Christmas Eve night, leaving the flabbergasted devil behind.

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This is the exact kind of horror show I was hoping this prompt would bring forth

Welcome to the Prompt! All top-level comments must be a story or poem. Reply here for other comments.

Reminders:

>* No AI-generated reponses 🤖 >* Stories 100 words+. Poems 30+ but include "[Poem]" >* Responses don't have to fulfill every detail >* [RF] and [SP] for stricter titles >* Be civil in any feedback and follow the rules

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This was good stuff. And on a side note, "Annihilatrix" is such a good super name that I'm kind of mad I hadn't come up with myself.

[deleted]

Nice story.

You are welcome.