Gabe was never a religious person. When he was young, he had read everything from the Bible to the Vedas, trying to find something that seemed to call him. Nothing did. Consequently, he didn't have much faith in an afterlife of any kind. Reincarnation was always something that he found interesting, though. Living again would certainly be nice.
When he was faced with judgment, though, he certainly believed. He suddenly regretted not giving a damn.
"We hereby sentence you to the Fields of Punishment," one of the three judges, the one in the middle, said.
"...what?" Gabe asked uncertainly.
"Er...Hell," the one on the right supplied.
"Oh..."
"You are dismissed."
Two skeleton men came up and were about to drag him away when he suddenly said, "Wait, I have two questions."
The skeletons paused. The three judges whispered among themselves before the one in the middle said, "You may ask."
"Can I meet my first wife?"
The one in the middle glanced at the one on the right (who Gabe just realized was Steve Jobs), who said, "She's in the Fields of Asphodel. You can't meet her even if you tried. What's your second question?"
Gabe frowned but said, "What will happen to Perseus Jackson?"
The one on the left, who Gabe vaguely recognized as Marie Curie, barked out a laugh. "We don't know the future! No one does! However, it is very likely that your step-son will die a violent death."
Gabe nodded. "Good."
"Good?!" the one in the middle growled. "You dare-"
Gabe suddenly realized that he had just angered Mahatma Gandhi.
Wait, an Agnostic, a Hindu, and a Buddhist were in the same afterlife. So...what was the real religion?
"I have another question."
"Your two questions are done. You're due in the Fields of Punishment. You are dismissed."
Gabe was dragged off.
-
When Gabe regained consciousness, the first thing he saw was a pair of eyes the color of the sea.
"Perseus," Gabe growled.
The boy just raised an eyebrow. "What do you want, old man?"
"I'm not old!"
"And I'm not the person you most hate."
Gabe scowled and Perseus mirrored him. "What are you doing here, brat?"
Perseus gave him an almost predatory grin. "Torturing you, what else?"
"Well, you're doing a horrible job."
"We'll see," Perseus hummed. "You're a horrible person, you know."
"I don't give a damn!"
"Sure you don't. It's no wonder Mom killedyou. You're a waste of space." Perseus's eyes flashed. "Even your first wife thought so."
Gabe gave a low growl. "What does she have to do with anything?"
"She left you, didn't she? She knew you weren't worth it. Something like that doesn't happen to a decent person, after all."
"Shut up!"
"Another man," Perseus continued. "She left you for someone who cared."
"I cared!" Gabe yelled. "I did!"
"Then why did she leave you?"
"Because...because..."
"Look at you," Perseus spat. "You're so pathetic that you can't even admit that your first wife was a horrible person. I can't believe that I'm associated with you."
"She's not a horrible person!"
"Stop lying to yourself!" Perseus yelled. "You're pathetic! How sad is it that a grown man can't even admit to himself that his wife didn't love him!"
"She did!" Gabe roared. He tackled Perseus and was about to punch him. Perseus wasn't under him anymore, though. He was behind him.
Perseus breathed onto Gabe's shoulder. "Gabe," he said, "accept it. Your life was horrible and it's all your fault."
Gabe couldn't take it anymore. Tears started to stream down his face.
After all, he was dead. This was his The End.
He never even got it Happily Ever After.
-
Hint: For anyone who didn't realize it, that was Gabe's punishment. He was put in an illusion where the person he most hated, Percy, insulted him and spilled all his wost insecurities. Gabe knows this but he still wants to rebel.
FEAR NOT THERE IS STILL AN EPILOGUE!
Hope I still kept Gabe in character and stuff. Again, please tell me how I did!
Anyway, if anyone wants to refer to me for some weird reason, you can call me anna (all lowercase). It's short for annapūrṇā (which is not my real name).Remember to Favorite, Follow, and Review! This is SSSRHA (or anna) signing out!
