Short Story: What Next

Short Story: What Next

Chandra Kidumba blinked behind closed eyelids. She was finally here…in the grave; in a place that everyone wonders about while they still walk earth.

The minute they had poured the concrete mix onto the iron sheet placed above her coffin, she lost all communication (as it were) to the other side; she neither heard nor felt anything above ground.

Then the grave started shrinking, growing smaller by the second. The walls of the coffin started squeaking as pressure from somewhere started pushing them in toward her. The left wall crashed onto her and a large splinter pierced her side. She flinched, without moving a muscle, and without feeling pain. Before she could fully comprehend what the hell was going on, the whole coffin splintered, showering her with a thousand pieces of wood of varying sizes.

The grave continued growing smaller, until the only space she had was her own body. By now, her terror knew no bounds and it was only exacerbated when she saw a large serpent coming toward her through the earth, pieces of sod crumbling around its slithery body. It had red eyes with yellow irises and huge fangs protruding out of its mouth. It was the largest snake she had ever imagined and, when it opened its mouth, she realized it would be able to consume her whole head in one go.

She thought she would die of terror, but then remembered she was already dead. It slithered to a halt just a few inches from her feet, reared its head and contemplated her. From the corner of her eye, she saw lots of smaller snakes emerge from the earth around her; some small as millipedes, others as big as diamondback rattlesnakes. They all had the same eyes and Chandra guessed that they must be siblings and offspring.

The smaller ones started to enter her body. Some went into her mouth, forcing it open. Others slid into her nostrils and then two went into her rear and front, respectively. Once inside her, they started eating her up; chewing, biting and sucking at anything and everything. When they were spent, leaving her body a shell, they left; the large serpent in the lead.

Next to appear were some huge lizards, even the smallest was larger than a fully grown African crocodile! They too had the red and yellow eyes of the snakes and they set about chewing up her flesh, tearing it off her bones. When they had finished, vultures came next, poking out her eyes and grabbing at any little pieces of flesh left by the reptiles.

Just when she thought the attacks must be coming to an end, a horned creature arrived. It was built like a man but had a tail, red eyes and no flesh covering its body. On seeing this creature brandishing a forked spear, the vultures took off. It in turn grabbed her fleshless body and lifted her up, bringing her face next to its foul smelling snout.

“I’m going to eat what’s left of you then send you to hell!”

Chandra screamed. Then she struggled to get out the creature’s grip. She screamed again, telling the creature to leave her alone.

Her mother pulled her into a fierce hug. “Shhh!” she said. “It’s only a bad dream, Chan.”

Chandra cried onto her mother’s shoulder, glad that she was there visiting this weekend.

“Can we pray please?” she asked her mother.

Her mother was surprised.

“Now?”

“Yes, mum. This was not a bad dream; I experienced everything I was dreaming…it felt like a vision, a bad vision.”

Though it was only 2a.m Chandra did not go back to sleep again for the rest of the night. These days she prays eight times a day, gives charity to the poor, volunteers at orphanages, gives lifts to every stranded person on the road and has given up alcohol and clubbing.