Step Into the Light?

By David Gianatasio

So, we're dead.

Looks like it.

This is the tunnel you hear about.

Guess so.

There's the light.

Dazzling.

Let's go.

Not so fast.

Why wait? It's a beckoning light.

Looks sketch to me.

Sketch? How so?

Dunno. I've never been dead before.

Do we know each other?

Don’t think so.

I’ve never heard of two people in the tunnel of light.

You ever been dead before? How would you know?

So, um, how’d you die?

I ate some bad peas.

Right. I'm stepping into the light.

Be careful.

We’re already dead. The risk seems low, if you take my meaning.

How’d you die?

Slipped on a squid. It’s a long story.

*clears throat* What do you want of us, O Creator? Is your magnificent light a sign? Shall we take up angelic arms against the fiery horde? Master of the Universe, shall we defend thy holy realm?

For the love of...

Hey! It snapped off. The light’s gone. I can't see a thing. Maybe it was a test. And we failed.

What WE? You were all ye of little faith, as I recall. I was gung-ho to step right in.

Whoa! the light's behind us now.

That's the way we came.

Should we go back? Step into THAT light? Would we return to our earthly lives?

Do you want to go back?

I’ve got unused vacation days. Yikes, blinding! Now it's coming from both directions.

Quit the exposition dumps.

I get chatty when I'm tense.

A sign. We need a sign.

STEP INTO THE LIGHT, MY CHILDREN!

YOU said that!

Little joke to break the tension.

Hardly the time.

I'M DISPLEASED, MY CHILDREN!

Quit it.

Let's each step into a different light.

I'll try the one shining from the way we came.

That’s mine.

I called it first.

SHUT UP, MY CHILDREN!

Just stop.

That wasn't me.

Really?

No, it was.

You projected your voice so well. Booming. Godlike.

This tunnel’s got rad acoustics.

Angelic arms — what did you mean by that? Broadswords?

Sure. And maybe shields with celestial wings.

But ... What's our move? Can we escape this limbo? What's the point? What does it all mean?

Some say the journey matters, not so much the destination.

That's just crap.

We may well have forever to probe such mysteries. UNTIL THE MISTS OF TIME FALL LIKE COSMIC RAIN AND WASH THE MILLENNIA CLEAN!

*sighs* Eternity with you? Where’s a fiery horde when you need one?

Yeah, I’m obnoxious. Now, tell me about that squid.

About the Author

David Gianatasio's fiction has recently appeared in Space & Time, New Myths, Altered Worlds and elsewhere.

His latest story collection, The World Ends Every Day, dropped in 2024 from Anxiety Press.