I never held a firm opinion on life after death. Never grew up religious, but I always liked the idea of there being something after we pass. The idea of just shutting off for eternity brought no comfort to my mind. And so, when my heart stopped beating after swallowing the first bite of my chocolate croissant in the hospital cafeteria, I was thrown into a new realm, the realm before the afterlife.
My mind and memories were still intact, yet my physical body felt weightless. In a wall-less room filled with neon reds dancing around me like lightning bolts, I floated forward. Rows and rows of what I can only describe as escalators. I was on a horizontal one, but to my left and right, I saw people ascend vertical escalators and disappear from beyond my sight.
Silence filled the air, my own voice non-existent. An intense feeling of hunger took hold of my stomach, as if I had not had anything to eat for days. I salivated at the thought of eating a juicy bacon burger.
“Graham, welcome to the correction of faults,” a familiar voice spoke.
“Lily, is that you honey?” I said, but my voice did not register.
The moments before my heart stopped flashed before me. My wife Lily in the hospital, swaddling our newborn daughter Grace. Me exiting the cafeteria after picking up some snacks. Collapsing to the ground. Everything going dark before I emerged in the realm.
“Your addiction to unhealthy foods has brought you here today. At the end of this hall, you will be presented with an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, and to grow as an individual. If you can successfully pass the test, I will help bring you back to your world, the world of the living. But if you fail, you will ascend to the province of faults, carrying with you, your addictions.”
Again, I attempted to speak, but no sound came out. The escalator stopped. Thrust into a pitch-black room, the weight of my body returned. A spotlight shot down from above and landed on a dining table filled with junk food: burgers, ice cream, pizza. I rushed over to the table and stuffed my face. My body jolted with satisfaction. I devoured everything on the table.
After wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I sensed a presence from afar. Something or someone was watching me. I tried to speak again, asking who was there, but again, my voice refused to participate. The looming figure grew closer and then appeared just to my left. A giant fork, taller than me. Each of its tines had an eye. The pointy parts at the top curled and aimed at me, each piece resembling a sharp blade.
As the fork lunged and tried to prod me, I retreated into the dark. The floor lit up, helping to guide me down a path. After about thirty seconds, I was out of breath, huffing and puffing like the overweight thirty-year-old I was. The fork caught up with me and stabbed me in the back. The pain was unbearable. Blood poured down to my legs. That feeling of being hungry returned in an instant. I felt like I was in a desert at night. I grew thirsty as well, and just as I was about to give up, two more tables appeared. One had bottled water and the other soda. I grabbed a water and chugged it. The fork stood behind me watching, waiting for my next move. I pushed ahead.
Two more tables appeared. One with candy and one with fruit. I really wanted the candy, but as I extended my arm out, I stopped myself. Instead, I ate the grapes and blueberries. I turned back to check on the fork. The fork sizzled and then evaporated. I continued walking down the lit path, not knowing where exactly I was headed.
The floor reconfigured itself and suddenly resembled a cheese grater. Thousands of holes and mounds ahead of me. For awhile I dodged the holes, but then I missed, and my right ankle fell inside. The grater activated and sliced into the bone. I cried out in pain, but silence continued to fill the air. I picked myself up and hopped as best I could from mound to mound.
More tables of food to choose from. I continued picking the healthy options. I understood the test. Obesity had been something I struggled with my entire life, and if I wanted to stay alive, I knew I needed to live a healthy lifestyle.
“Graham, you have successfully passed the test. You now know the power of discipline. Your family awaits.”
Lily’s voice transitioned from the realm to real life, as I opened my eyes in the hospital and saw her standing above me.
“Graham, I knew you would come back. I just knew it,” she said.
The Doctor who was working on me told me I was I out for forty seconds, that I was lucky to be back. And he was right, I was lucky. After examining me, they noticed marks on my back. To them, they were unexplainable, but I knew exactly how I got them. I just hope I never get a new set of them.