-Strange – 1 Page –
As Sebastian Street laid there in his hospital bed, he realized his time was quickly fleeting. At only 50 years old he had managed beat many obstacles in this life…But there was no way could bribe or out maneuver the rampant prostate cancer that fate had callously dealt him.
Yet, he had had a successful life, with few regrets. He had been one of the first-generation computer hackers and he had delighted in creating havoc upon the World Wide Web. There was no computer he could not crack and thusly in his time he had managed to embezzle millions of dollars into his account, from hundreds of unsuspecting companies.
Now here he was very rich and very doomed. He looked about him at his so-called friends and family. His 23-year-old Barbie doll wife was obviously feigning concern over his deteriorating condition.
“Heck everyone knows that a girl as fine as that only marries an old fart like me for one reason-Money. Now she believes she is going to get a fortune.”
He smiled to himself despite the pain
“I wish I could see her face as they read my and discover I have left it all to my brother” he thought.
He then looked at his frail bespectacled brother, Julian, who was no more than a humble albeit talented author.
“Hell! He God damn deserves the cash” He reasoned knowing full well that there was little financial reward in a lifetime spent writing poetry.
Then he felt a sudden pain in his belly, quickly followed by another. Then there were no feelings whatsoever, just darkness.
As he closed his eyes for the final time one carefully rehearsed alligator tear fall from his wife’s eye.
Sebastian opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.
He looked at the remarkably well dressed red faced gentleman sporting a pointed forked tale.
“I suppose I am in hell” he asked
The man nodded at him methodically.
“Am I to assume that I am destined to spend eternity burning in a ball of flames?”
“Oh no!” The man replied with surprising gentleness in his voice.
“Hell had been upgraded these days. Those are very old fashioned views of us that you mortals still have.”
He flashed an evil grin, revealing a mouthful of rather unpleasant pointed teeth and he pointed towards a cluttered desk.
“We now have computers to figure out the best punishment for ones crimes.”
He looked Sebastian straight in the eyes and whispered.
“That is where you come in, we need someone to man the 24 hour a day Computer support system”
Sebastian released a blood curdling scream. Hell was going to be far worse than he ever had imagined.
