{"tag":"emotions","articles":{"texts\/fiction\/afterlife-inc":{"key":"texts\/fiction\/afterlife-inc","type":"article","published":true,"meta":{"createdAt":"2019-05-16T20:51:07+02:00","publishedAt":"2019-05-17T15:38:00+02:00","group":null,"category":"texts","subcategory":"fiction","slug":"afterlife-inc"},"content":{"en":{"slug":"afterlife-inc","title":"Afterlife, Inc.","intro":"\u003Cfigure\u003E\n                \u003Cnoscript\u003E\n                    \u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_small.jpeg\u0022 alt=\u0022Empty cinema\u0022 class=\u0022border-bottom\u0022 width=\u0022480\u0022 height=\u0022320\u0022\u003E                \n                \u003C\/noscript\u003E\n                \u003Cspan class=\u0022hide-noscript\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022data:image\/png;base64,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\u0022 data-src=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_small.jpeg\u0022 alt=\u0022Empty cinema\u0022 class=\u0022border-bottom\u0022 width=\u0022480\u0022 height=\u0022320\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n                \n            \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe usually remembered his dreams. Not this time, though. He felt as if he had slept for many, many days, and yet, he couldn\u2019t remember a single thing his subconsciousness had produced over that time. Strange.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOh, wait!\u003C\/em\u003E There was this thing... People were chasing him around the village with pitchforks, they were angry, he was running away, but he couldn\u2019t run, \u003Cem\u003Eclassic dream problems!\u003C\/em\u003E, they caught him, everything went even more blurry... \u003Cem\u003ENah, whatever, just another dream\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis ceiling looks strange, doesn\u2019t it?\u003C\/em\u003E, he realised. \u003Cem\u003EWhere the fuck am I?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Csvg xmlns=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\u0022 style=\u0022display: none;\u0022\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E","content":"\u003Cfigure\u003E\n                \u003Cnoscript\u003E\n                    \u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_big.jpeg\u0022 alt=\u0022Empty cinema\u0022 class=\u0022border\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022640\u0022\u003E                \n                \u003C\/noscript\u003E\n                \u003Cspan class=\u0022hide-noscript\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022data:image\/png;base64,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\u0022 data-src=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_big.jpeg\u0022 alt=\u0022Empty cinema\u0022 class=\u0022border\u0022 width=\u0022960\u0022 height=\u0022640\u0022\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\n                \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n                    \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/evlkOfkQ5rE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003E\n                        \u003Csvg class=\u0022icon\u0022\u003E\u003Cuse xlink:href=\u0022#light-link\u0022\u003E\u003C\/use\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E\n                        unsplash.com\/photos\/evlkOfkQ5rE\n                    \u003C\/a\u003E\n                \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n            \u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe usually remembered his dreams. Not this time, though. He felt as if he had slept for many, many days, and yet, he couldn\u2019t remember a single thing his subconsciousness had produced over that time. Strange.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOh, wait!\u003C\/em\u003E There was this thing... People were chasing him around the village with pitchforks, they were angry, he was running away, but he couldn\u2019t run, \u003Cem\u003Eclassic dream problems!\u003C\/em\u003E, they caught him, everything went even more blurry... \u003Cem\u003ENah, whatever, just another dream\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis ceiling looks strange, doesn\u2019t it?\u003C\/em\u003E, he realised. \u003Cem\u003EWhere the fuck am I?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe pulled up his head and looked around. \u003Cem\u003EWHAT THE FUCK IS THIS MATRIX!?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhichever way he looked, he couldn\u2019t see the end to rows and rows of snow-white hospital beds filled with people of different ages, genders, skin colors and who knows what else. They all looked dead serious.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOh, did I say \u201cdead serious\u201d? I meant just \u201cdead\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of them were laying flat on their backs with no sign of breath or movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe started panicking. \u003Cem\u003EWhat is this place? How did I get here? Am I supposed to be dead?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked at the young guy to his right. He could clearly see bruises around the poor dude\u2019s neck. \u003Cem\u003EDid he hang himself? Is it like a morgue or something?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked at the old lady to his left. At that age she\u2019s more likely to be dead than alive anyway, morgue or no morgue...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuddenly, he heard some voices from a distance. Yup, someone was coming. He could see them. Far, far, away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuck, what do I do? Am I supposed to be dead or what? Are they friendly or not? What the hell is happening? Oh my god... \u201cthe hell\u201d... Is this hell? Nah, don\u2019t be stupid... Hell and heaven is just some bullshit made up to make money.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What\u2019s her story, Jeffrey?\u2019, he heard a male voice from the far.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Not bad, Sir\u2019, he heard an answer. \u2018She\u2019s gonna do fine with the movie, I guess. Quite boring, frankly. Finished school, with mediocre results, found a menial job, found a white straight boring republican guy to marry, had three children, lived long enough, died from cancer, she\u2019ll see that her husband and children miss her, but they eventually manage to move on. Boooooring, but she\u2019ll like it.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Phew... OK, let\u2019s get over with it then.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey were getting closer. \u003Cem\u003EI\u2019m obviously supposed to be dead now...\u003C\/em\u003E, he thought, \u003Cem\u003ENo idea if they are friendly or not, and whatever the fuck is happening here, but I think I should at least play dead for now.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe laid back down, as straight and unnatural as possible, closed his eyes, and tried to calm down to hide his awfully visibly breathing lungs and awfully loudly pounding heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey went just past him. They didn\u2019t notice anything. Phew!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir steps went quiet, and it seemed like they were standing a couple of rows away from him, so he dared to open his eyes and slightly move his head up to see what they\u2019re doing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the men was tiny and bald, the other one \u2013 old and white-bearded. The Sm\u00e9agol stood at the patient\u2019s head and was clicking something on a computer attached to the bed. The Gandalf, meanwhile, stood right in from of the patient and tried to look serious and important.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Light on!\u2019, said the Dobby before clicking something, and suddenly a powerful light started shining around the bed. \u003Cem\u003EIt must look powerful from the inside! She will probably only see the Dumbledore emanating with cool light, and not much else around.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Awake in 3, 2, 1, ...\u2019, said the bald one after some more clicking. Then the lady woke up. She raised her head and looked straight ahead, straight into the eyes of the bearded one.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Jehovah? Is that you?\u2019, she asked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Jehovah? Yeah, sure...\u2019, he answered, visibly crestfallen, but then quickly realised how unprofessional it looked, so he cleared his throat and repeated: \u2018I am Jehovah! Welcome to the Afterlife, my child!\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Is this heaven?\u2019, she asked hesitantly. \u2018Was I good enough for heaven?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018That\u2019s something you\u2019ll have to decide yourself, my child...\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What does that mean?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Get up and come with me, I\u2019ll show you.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo she did and they went. Away. But only a couple of steps. And then they just disappeared. The small guy, the big guy, the dead lady, the blinding light \u2013 everything just faded away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe undead dude got up. He just had to follow them! He had to see what is happening to people who wake up here. He had to know what\u2019s gonna happen to \u003Cem\u003Ehim\u003C\/em\u003E...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe run towards the place from which those people disappeared, but there was nothing there. Just white floor and rows of sterile beds all around. He went back and forth, left and right, until he lost himself in the boring maze of beds. \u003Cem\u003EWhere the fuck are they?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI want to get out of here\u003C\/em\u003E, he thought. And from that moment on, every step he took, everything around him was getting more and more dark. Ten steps later he was in a different place. Just like that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was a long corridor. Horizon-long. With doors on both sides.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd someone was coming. \u003Cem\u003EGod damn it\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe hid behind the closest door.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was just a broom closet.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EActually... that\u2019s perfect! I\u2019m naked, like all those dead people, and unlike those Gandalfy people, who wore those long white robes... If someone sees me here naked, they\u2019ll probably drag me back to that bed and kill me back or something... If only I could find some janitor\u2019s clothes here, I could pose as a cleaner and basically get into anywhere!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo he scoured the closet, and he found some robes (a bit too short for him, but will do), and a janitor cart.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPushing his cart in from of him, he walked along the corridor. Whichever doors he tried to open, were locked. Most had no labels on them, except for a couple: \u201cedit room\u201d, \u201ccinema\u201d, \u201cconservatorium\u201d, \u201cdormitories\u201d, \u201cstaff room\u201d... \u003Cem\u003EAll locked. How the hell do I get there?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAnd how do you get anywhere, here, you moron?\u003C\/em\u003E, he rebuked himself.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe just walked forward and thought loud and clear in his head: \u003Cem\u003EI want to go to the \u201cedit room\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E. And again, with each step he took, the dark gray walls and doors of the corridor gradually disappeared. They got replaced with neon-blue-ish desks and chairs and computers...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe stopped at one desk that looked quite dirty. He grabbed some empty coffee cups, he wiped the table with a cloth... \u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s smalltalk time, isn\u2019t it?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018How\u2019s work?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe girl in a suit working at the desk seemed relieved that she can get a short break.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Horrible, to be honest.\u2019, she confessed. \u2018I\u2019m doing a serial killer today... They\u2019re the worst. Compiling the scenes from their life is damn challenging, as you might imagine.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Hard to watch, huh?\u2019, he asked. \u2018Emotionally...?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Nah, come on.\u2019, she laughed. \u2018I saw so much gore in that job already, it doesn\u2019t really bother me anymore. Although, I can\u2019t help but feel guilty that we try so much to make them suffer... I prefer making a happy compilation of scenes with her parents and her puppy for a girl who died of cancer, not that...\u2019, she said, visibly annoyed by her current appointment. \u2018Anyways, what\u2019s so fucking hard about serial killers, is that simply showing them their crimes only makes them feel proud, instead of guilty. We have to really put on extra effort to make them feel the right thing.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Oh, ok... so how did you approach this one, huh?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018He has a code. To never ever hurt children. So he never did \u2013 not directly. But there\u2019s plenty of orphans in the world because of him. Seeing how they got affected will break him, I\u2019m sure.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Smart!\u2019, he complimented her insincerely. Well, his admiration for her skill was sincere, but his apparent gladness that the serial killer will suffer after all, was not. He was afraid of his own future. \u003Cem\u003EWhat are they gonna show me? Was I a good person?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe started re-examining his life before they can make him watch a movie that will make him re-examine his life.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m sorry\u2019, he said to the girl at the desk. \u2018I\u2019ve got to go.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe walked ahead. \u003Cem\u003EI want to go the the \u201ccinema\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E. And he did.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cinema hall was huge, obviously. But empty. Among the infinite seats, he could only see a single one that was taken. By a person who also seemed to be the lead character in the movie that was currently playing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe guy in the seat was crying bittersweet tears. The movie was about him in prison, trying to prove his innocence. Only after his death they have finally found the evidence that it was someone else who did it. They\u2019ve exonerated him posthumously, his wife finally realised she was wrong not believing him... It might have been a sad story, but at least now he knew that the truth was out there. He looked glad that he got at least a poor, post-mortem substitute of justice.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Hey, what are you doing here?\u2019, he suddenly heard a whisper. He looked at where it came from. An old, bearded man (different from the previous old, bearded man) came into the cinema together with a tiny, bald man (different from the previous tiny, bald man).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I came here to clean up, Sir.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Didn\u2019t they tell you to wait until the patient leaves the cinema for conservation? Stick to the rules, man, or you won\u2019t be working here for long...\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m so, so sorry, Sir...\u2019, he said and started walking away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETake me to the \u201cconservatrium\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E, he thought to himself. And there he was. In a huge, empty, dark green room. \u003Cem\u003EWhat the hell do they conserve here?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen he saw it. It was far away enough not to draw attention to his presence, yet close enough for him to see what\u2019s happening over there. \u003Cem\u003EGod bless my 20\/20 eyesight...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere was a single chair over there. A girl was sitting on it, and she looked quite happy. Yet another Gandalf and Sm\u00e9agol stood around her.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018How do you feel?\u2019, Gandalf asked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Good.\u2019, she answered with a smile. \u2018Happy. I\u2019ve led an exciting life, I kept true to my values, I had a loving wife who made all of my days brighter...\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m glad that\u2019s what you feel. Because that\u2019s what you\u2019re going to feel for the rest of eternity. You\u2019re welcome.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Sm\u00e9agol clicked something on a tablet, and the woman\u2019s eyes went blank. Gandalf waved a hand in front of her eyes, but she did not react. She didn\u2019t talk. She just smiled, absently.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI need to get out of here! Take me to the \u201cdormitory\u201d!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe dormitory, like all the other rooms so far, looked infinite. Almost identical to the room with hospital beds in it, with its white sterility and its excess of nude people. Except instead of lying in beds, they were sitting on a fluffy white floor.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll eyes blank. None of them reacting to the janitor who just appeared among them. Some were smiling, like that girl from the conservatorium. Some looked scared. Some looked tense. Some looked high. Some looked happy. Some looked as if they have been crying for eternity already.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhich one am I gonna be? Fuck, that looks scary! I need to get out of here. Take me to the \u201cstaff room\u201d!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd there he was. Among thousands and thousands of Dumbledores and their Dobbys. Among thousands of janitors and movie editors. They sat on comfy chairs and sofas, enjoying their brakes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe sat down on one of them. He tried to relax.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s not gonna be bad, is it? You weren\u2019t supposed to wake up early. They don\u2019t know you\u2019re awake. At least you know what they do here. Maybe you can avoid it? Maybe you can run away?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Sir! Sir! We\u2019re done with this one. What a challenge it was! But Jake Onion\u2019s movie is finally finished!\u2019, shouted a movie editor as soon as he entered the room.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Thanks, Jeremy!\u2019, answered one of the white-haired old men. \u2018Let me just finish my coffee, and we\u2019re onto that.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFUCK!\u003C\/em\u003E, the undead fake-janitor thought. \u003Cem\u003EI AM JAKE ONION! And I was A CHALLENGE! God damn it, I\u2019m screwed! They\u2019re gonna go to the hospital beds\u2019 room and realise I\u2019m not there. What then?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe panicked. Instead of trying to run away, he went... to the hospital beds\u2019 room.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThere! There\u2019s my bed! Quick, I have to get rid of those clothes.\u003C\/em\u003E He took them off and tossed under some random bed. Then he laid down on his own bed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhat do I do now? I don\u2019t wanna feel. I don\u2019t wanna see my life. I don\u2019t wanna see anything. I don\u2019t wanna hear anything. Fuck, I\u2019ve left the janitor cart behind. It would have something I could stuff in my ears with.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked around. Nothing. Nothing but bodies. \u003Cem\u003EScrew it, I\u2019m too desperate to have morals!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd he just bit off the ear of that young hangman next to him. Dude didn\u2019t even bleed. No wonder, he\u2019s dead after all, isn\u2019t he?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJake stuffed pieces of the hangman\u2019s ear into his own earlobes. He clapped to check if it worked. Fine enough. \u003Cem\u003ENow the sight...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe remembered the blinding bright light emanating from the Dumbledore. He checked out the computer next to the pillow on his bed. The interface was a bit complicated and he had no idea what language was it on, but eventually he did find an icon of a light bulb.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe clicked on it, and indeed, a bright light appeared out of nowhere. There was a slider there as well. He moved it a bit up. Yup, the light got even brighter. Max power then!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA few seconds later, his eyes physically hurt. He blindly turned the light off. Yup, \u201cblindly\u201d is a good word. How he could not see a thing, just blackness.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe laid down and tried to calm down. \u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s gonna be OK now\u003C\/em\u003E, he lied to himself. \u003Cem\u003EThey can\u2019t show you anything anymore. Just relax!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe had no idea what was happening. At one point, he saw the blackness becoming a little bit less dark. \u003Cem\u003EDoes it mean the wizards woke me up now? I mean, I was awake the whole time, but I guess now they THINK they woke me up...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo he got up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Am I dead? Is this heaven?\u2019, he asked. He didn\u2019t hear himself say it, he didn\u2019t hear the answer. But he waited what he thought was appropriate time and he got up and started walking. Until he hit something with his big toe.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe bent down and tried to touch it. \u003Cem\u003EYup, it\u2019s a cinema chair. I made it here!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJake sat down. The more he tried, the harder it was to relax.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJust think positive. Think about the happy things in your life. Think about the studies in Rome. About those crazy parties. Think about the money you had. The villas you lived in. Think about the holidays in Ibiza. Just laying on the beach. Relaxing. Enjoying the sun. Drinking sangria. And in the evening having fun with the boys...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGod damn it, Jake, you idiot! That\u2019s the last thing you were supposed to think about! Don\u2019t think about the boys. No, girls are also off limits!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuck, I can\u2019t not think about them. But I\u2019m sure they\u2019re fine. I just showed them love, that\u2019s it. They came to me themselves, didn\u2019t they? They wanted it. They were already old enough to know what they want. Eight is enough already, isn\u2019t it? Damn, one girl was five... I\u2019m sure she\u2019s fine though...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWherever he tried to point his thoughts to, the children were already there. His work \u2013 just an excuse to meet them. His vacations \u2013 he always brought some kid with him. His studies \u2013 he partied way more than his celibacy allowed him to.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe knew the kids weren\u2019t all right. He met one of them years later. At 40, he never even had a girlfriend. Was it because of Jake? What else could it be? He had heard about one girl who went bankrupt paying for her therapy. He had heard about that boy who took his own life when he was 14... The boy left no note, nobody knew why he did it. Jake knew. He told himself that it couldn\u2019t possibly be \u003Cem\u003Ethis\u003C\/em\u003E, but deep inside he knew it was him. It was all him.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll his life he tried not to think about it. But apparently, you can\u2019t hold it in forever. Try as he might, his guts were filled with guilt. Whatever they were currently showing him on the big screen, he saw even worse things in his head.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe saw the scared, innocent faces of the children he raped. He saw the angry, murderous faces of his parishioners. He saw the pitchforks they were holding. He saw his death again.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI\u2019m screwed. I\u2019m fucking screwed forever.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Csvg xmlns=\u0022http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\u0022 style=\u0022display: none;\u0022\u003E\u003C\/svg\u003E","tags":["afterlife","crime","death","emotions","feelings","film","heaven","hell","morality","pedophilia","priest","suffering","video"],"hasMore":true,"image":"https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_small.jpeg","introLite":"\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_big.jpeg\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_mini.jpeg\u0022 alt=\u0022Empty cinema\u0022 width=\u0022240\u0022 height=\u0022160\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe usually remembered his dreams. Not this time, though. He felt as if he had slept for many, many days, and yet, he couldn\u2019t remember a single thing his subconsciousness had produced over that time. Strange.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOh, wait!\u003C\/em\u003E There was this thing... People were chasing him around the village with pitchforks, they were angry, he was running away, but he couldn\u2019t run, \u003Cem\u003Eclassic dream problems!\u003C\/em\u003E, they caught him, everything went even more blurry... \u003Cem\u003ENah, whatever, just another dream\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis ceiling looks strange, doesn\u2019t it?\u003C\/em\u003E, he realised. \u003Cem\u003EWhere the fuck am I?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","contentLite":"\u003Cfigure\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_big.jpeg\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/avris.it\/image\/cinema_mini.jpeg\u0022 alt=\u0022Empty cinema\u0022 width=\u0022240\u0022 height=\u0022160\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n                    \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/evlkOfkQ5rE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener\u0022\u003E\u003Csmall\u003Eunsplash.com\/photos\/evlkOfkQ5rE\u003C\/small\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\n                \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\u003C\/figure\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe usually remembered his dreams. Not this time, though. He felt as if he had slept for many, many days, and yet, he couldn\u2019t remember a single thing his subconsciousness had produced over that time. Strange.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOh, wait!\u003C\/em\u003E There was this thing... People were chasing him around the village with pitchforks, they were angry, he was running away, but he couldn\u2019t run, \u003Cem\u003Eclassic dream problems!\u003C\/em\u003E, they caught him, everything went even more blurry... \u003Cem\u003ENah, whatever, just another dream\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis ceiling looks strange, doesn\u2019t it?\u003C\/em\u003E, he realised. \u003Cem\u003EWhere the fuck am I?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe pulled up his head and looked around. \u003Cem\u003EWHAT THE FUCK IS THIS MATRIX!?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhichever way he looked, he couldn\u2019t see the end to rows and rows of snow-white hospital beds filled with people of different ages, genders, skin colors and who knows what else. They all looked dead serious.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOh, did I say \u201cdead serious\u201d? I meant just \u201cdead\u201d.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll of them were laying flat on their backs with no sign of breath or movement.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe started panicking. \u003Cem\u003EWhat is this place? How did I get here? Am I supposed to be dead?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked at the young guy to his right. He could clearly see bruises around the poor dude\u2019s neck. \u003Cem\u003EDid he hang himself? Is it like a morgue or something?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked at the old lady to his left. At that age she\u2019s more likely to be dead than alive anyway, morgue or no morgue...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuddenly, he heard some voices from a distance. Yup, someone was coming. He could see them. Far, far, away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuck, what do I do? Am I supposed to be dead or what? Are they friendly or not? What the hell is happening? Oh my god... \u201cthe hell\u201d... Is this hell? Nah, don\u2019t be stupid... Hell and heaven is just some bullshit made up to make money.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What\u2019s her story, Jeffrey?\u2019, he heard a male voice from the far.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Not bad, Sir\u2019, he heard an answer. \u2018She\u2019s gonna do fine with the movie, I guess. Quite boring, frankly. Finished school, with mediocre results, found a menial job, found a white straight boring republican guy to marry, had three children, lived long enough, died from cancer, she\u2019ll see that her husband and children miss her, but they eventually manage to move on. Boooooring, but she\u2019ll like it.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Phew... OK, let\u2019s get over with it then.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey were getting closer. \u003Cem\u003EI\u2019m obviously supposed to be dead now...\u003C\/em\u003E, he thought, \u003Cem\u003ENo idea if they are friendly or not, and whatever the fuck is happening here, but I think I should at least play dead for now.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe laid back down, as straight and unnatural as possible, closed his eyes, and tried to calm down to hide his awfully visibly breathing lungs and awfully loudly pounding heart.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey went just past him. They didn\u2019t notice anything. Phew!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETheir steps went quiet, and it seemed like they were standing a couple of rows away from him, so he dared to open his eyes and slightly move his head up to see what they\u2019re doing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the men was tiny and bald, the other one \u2013 old and white-bearded. The Sm\u00e9agol stood at the patient\u2019s head and was clicking something on a computer attached to the bed. The Gandalf, meanwhile, stood right in from of the patient and tried to look serious and important.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Light on!\u2019, said the Dobby before clicking something, and suddenly a powerful light started shining around the bed. \u003Cem\u003EIt must look powerful from the inside! She will probably only see the Dumbledore emanating with cool light, and not much else around.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Awake in 3, 2, 1, ...\u2019, said the bald one after some more clicking. Then the lady woke up. She raised her head and looked straight ahead, straight into the eyes of the bearded one.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Jehovah? Is that you?\u2019, she asked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Jehovah? Yeah, sure...\u2019, he answered, visibly crestfallen, but then quickly realised how unprofessional it looked, so he cleared his throat and repeated: \u2018I am Jehovah! Welcome to the Afterlife, my child!\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Is this heaven?\u2019, she asked hesitantly. \u2018Was I good enough for heaven?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018That\u2019s something you\u2019ll have to decide yourself, my child...\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What does that mean?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Get up and come with me, I\u2019ll show you.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo she did and they went. Away. But only a couple of steps. And then they just disappeared. The small guy, the big guy, the dead lady, the blinding light \u2013 everything just faded away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe undead dude got up. He just had to follow them! He had to see what is happening to people who wake up here. He had to know what\u2019s gonna happen to \u003Cem\u003Ehim\u003C\/em\u003E...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe run towards the place from which those people disappeared, but there was nothing there. Just white floor and rows of sterile beds all around. He went back and forth, left and right, until he lost himself in the boring maze of beds. \u003Cem\u003EWhere the fuck are they?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI want to get out of here\u003C\/em\u003E, he thought. And from that moment on, every step he took, everything around him was getting more and more dark. Ten steps later he was in a different place. Just like that.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was a long corridor. Horizon-long. With doors on both sides.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd someone was coming. \u003Cem\u003EGod damn it\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe hid behind the closest door.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt was just a broom closet.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EActually... that\u2019s perfect! I\u2019m naked, like all those dead people, and unlike those Gandalfy people, who wore those long white robes... If someone sees me here naked, they\u2019ll probably drag me back to that bed and kill me back or something... If only I could find some janitor\u2019s clothes here, I could pose as a cleaner and basically get into anywhere!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo he scoured the closet, and he found some robes (a bit too short for him, but will do), and a janitor cart.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPushing his cart in from of him, he walked along the corridor. Whichever doors he tried to open, were locked. Most had no labels on them, except for a couple: \u201cedit room\u201d, \u201ccinema\u201d, \u201cconservatorium\u201d, \u201cdormitories\u201d, \u201cstaff room\u201d... \u003Cem\u003EAll locked. How the hell do I get there?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAnd how do you get anywhere, here, you moron?\u003C\/em\u003E, he rebuked himself.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe just walked forward and thought loud and clear in his head: \u003Cem\u003EI want to go to the \u201cedit room\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E. And again, with each step he took, the dark gray walls and doors of the corridor gradually disappeared. They got replaced with neon-blue-ish desks and chairs and computers...\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe stopped at one desk that looked quite dirty. He grabbed some empty coffee cups, he wiped the table with a cloth... \u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s smalltalk time, isn\u2019t it?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018How\u2019s work?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe girl in a suit working at the desk seemed relieved that she can get a short break.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Horrible, to be honest.\u2019, she confessed. \u2018I\u2019m doing a serial killer today... They\u2019re the worst. Compiling the scenes from their life is damn challenging, as you might imagine.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Hard to watch, huh?\u2019, he asked. \u2018Emotionally...?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Nah, come on.\u2019, she laughed. \u2018I saw so much gore in that job already, it doesn\u2019t really bother me anymore. Although, I can\u2019t help but feel guilty that we try so much to make them suffer... I prefer making a happy compilation of scenes with her parents and her puppy for a girl who died of cancer, not that...\u2019, she said, visibly annoyed by her current appointment. \u2018Anyways, what\u2019s so fucking hard about serial killers, is that simply showing them their crimes only makes them feel proud, instead of guilty. We have to really put on extra effort to make them feel the right thing.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Oh, ok... so how did you approach this one, huh?\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018He has a code. To never ever hurt children. So he never did \u2013 not directly. But there\u2019s plenty of orphans in the world because of him. Seeing how they got affected will break him, I\u2019m sure.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Smart!\u2019, he complimented her insincerely. Well, his admiration for her skill was sincere, but his apparent gladness that the serial killer will suffer after all, was not. He was afraid of his own future. \u003Cem\u003EWhat are they gonna show me? Was I a good person?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe started re-examining his life before they can make him watch a movie that will make him re-examine his life.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m sorry\u2019, he said to the girl at the desk. \u2018I\u2019ve got to go.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe walked ahead. \u003Cem\u003EI want to go the the \u201ccinema\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E. And he did.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe cinema hall was huge, obviously. But empty. Among the infinite seats, he could only see a single one that was taken. By a person who also seemed to be the lead character in the movie that was currently playing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe guy in the seat was crying bittersweet tears. The movie was about him in prison, trying to prove his innocence. Only after his death they have finally found the evidence that it was someone else who did it. They\u2019ve exonerated him posthumously, his wife finally realised she was wrong not believing him... It might have been a sad story, but at least now he knew that the truth was out there. He looked glad that he got at least a poor, post-mortem substitute of justice.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Hey, what are you doing here?\u2019, he suddenly heard a whisper. He looked at where it came from. An old, bearded man (different from the previous old, bearded man) came into the cinema together with a tiny, bald man (different from the previous tiny, bald man).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I came here to clean up, Sir.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Didn\u2019t they tell you to wait until the patient leaves the cinema for conservation? Stick to the rules, man, or you won\u2019t be working here for long...\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m so, so sorry, Sir...\u2019, he said and started walking away.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETake me to the \u201cconservatrium\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E, he thought to himself. And there he was. In a huge, empty, dark green room. \u003Cem\u003EWhat the hell do they conserve here?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen he saw it. It was far away enough not to draw attention to his presence, yet close enough for him to see what\u2019s happening over there. \u003Cem\u003EGod bless my 20\/20 eyesight...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere was a single chair over there. A girl was sitting on it, and she looked quite happy. Yet another Gandalf and Sm\u00e9agol stood around her.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018How do you feel?\u2019, Gandalf asked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Good.\u2019, she answered with a smile. \u2018Happy. I\u2019ve led an exciting life, I kept true to my values, I had a loving wife who made all of my days brighter...\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018I\u2019m glad that\u2019s what you feel. Because that\u2019s what you\u2019re going to feel for the rest of eternity. You\u2019re welcome.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Sm\u00e9agol clicked something on a tablet, and the woman\u2019s eyes went blank. Gandalf waved a hand in front of her eyes, but she did not react. She didn\u2019t talk. She just smiled, absently.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI need to get out of here! Take me to the \u201cdormitory\u201d!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe dormitory, like all the other rooms so far, looked infinite. Almost identical to the room with hospital beds in it, with its white sterility and its excess of nude people. Except instead of lying in beds, they were sitting on a fluffy white floor.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll eyes blank. None of them reacting to the janitor who just appeared among them. Some were smiling, like that girl from the conservatorium. Some looked scared. Some looked tense. Some looked high. Some looked happy. Some looked as if they have been crying for eternity already.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhich one am I gonna be? Fuck, that looks scary! I need to get out of here. Take me to the \u201cstaff room\u201d!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd there he was. Among thousands and thousands of Dumbledores and their Dobbys. Among thousands of janitors and movie editors. They sat on comfy chairs and sofas, enjoying their brakes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe sat down on one of them. He tried to relax.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s not gonna be bad, is it? You weren\u2019t supposed to wake up early. They don\u2019t know you\u2019re awake. At least you know what they do here. Maybe you can avoid it? Maybe you can run away?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Sir! Sir! We\u2019re done with this one. What a challenge it was! But Jake Onion\u2019s movie is finally finished!\u2019, shouted a movie editor as soon as he entered the room.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Thanks, Jeremy!\u2019, answered one of the white-haired old men. \u2018Let me just finish my coffee, and we\u2019re onto that.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFUCK!\u003C\/em\u003E, the undead fake-janitor thought. \u003Cem\u003EI AM JAKE ONION! And I was A CHALLENGE! God damn it, I\u2019m screwed! They\u2019re gonna go to the hospital beds\u2019 room and realise I\u2019m not there. What then?\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe panicked. Instead of trying to run away, he went... to the hospital beds\u2019 room.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThere! There\u2019s my bed! Quick, I have to get rid of those clothes.\u003C\/em\u003E He took them off and tossed under some random bed. Then he laid down on his own bed.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhat do I do now? I don\u2019t wanna feel. I don\u2019t wanna see my life. I don\u2019t wanna see anything. I don\u2019t wanna hear anything. Fuck, I\u2019ve left the janitor cart behind. It would have something I could stuff in my ears with.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe looked around. Nothing. Nothing but bodies. \u003Cem\u003EScrew it, I\u2019m too desperate to have morals!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnd he just bit off the ear of that young hangman next to him. Dude didn\u2019t even bleed. No wonder, he\u2019s dead after all, isn\u2019t he?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJake stuffed pieces of the hangman\u2019s ear into his own earlobes. He clapped to check if it worked. Fine enough. \u003Cem\u003ENow the sight...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe remembered the blinding bright light emanating from the Dumbledore. He checked out the computer next to the pillow on his bed. The interface was a bit complicated and he had no idea what language was it on, but eventually he did find an icon of a light bulb.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe clicked on it, and indeed, a bright light appeared out of nowhere. There was a slider there as well. He moved it a bit up. Yup, the light got even brighter. Max power then!\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA few seconds later, his eyes physically hurt. He blindly turned the light off. Yup, \u201cblindly\u201d is a good word. How he could not see a thing, just blackness.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe laid down and tried to calm down. \u003Cem\u003EIt\u2019s gonna be OK now\u003C\/em\u003E, he lied to himself. \u003Cem\u003EThey can\u2019t show you anything anymore. Just relax!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe had no idea what was happening. At one point, he saw the blackness becoming a little bit less dark. \u003Cem\u003EDoes it mean the wizards woke me up now? I mean, I was awake the whole time, but I guess now they THINK they woke me up...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo he got up.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Am I dead? Is this heaven?\u2019, he asked. He didn\u2019t hear himself say it, he didn\u2019t hear the answer. But he waited what he thought was appropriate time and he got up and started walking. Until he hit something with his big toe.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe bent down and tried to touch it. \u003Cem\u003EYup, it\u2019s a cinema chair. I made it here!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJake sat down. The more he tried, the harder it was to relax.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJust think positive. Think about the happy things in your life. Think about the studies in Rome. About those crazy parties. Think about the money you had. The villas you lived in. Think about the holidays in Ibiza. Just laying on the beach. Relaxing. Enjoying the sun. Drinking sangria. And in the evening having fun with the boys...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGod damn it, Jake, you idiot! That\u2019s the last thing you were supposed to think about! Don\u2019t think about the boys. No, girls are also off limits!\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFuck, I can\u2019t not think about them. But I\u2019m sure they\u2019re fine. I just showed them love, that\u2019s it. They came to me themselves, didn\u2019t they? They wanted it. They were already old enough to know what they want. Eight is enough already, isn\u2019t it? Damn, one girl was five... I\u2019m sure she\u2019s fine though...\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWherever he tried to point his thoughts to, the children were already there. His work \u2013 just an excuse to meet them. His vacations \u2013 he always brought some kid with him. His studies \u2013 he partied way more than his celibacy allowed him to.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe knew the kids weren\u2019t all right. He met one of them years later. At 40, he never even had a girlfriend. Was it because of Jake? What else could it be? He had heard about one girl who went bankrupt paying for her therapy. He had heard about that boy who took his own life when he was 14... The boy left no note, nobody knew why he did it. Jake knew. He told himself that it couldn\u2019t possibly be \u003Cem\u003Ethis\u003C\/em\u003E, but deep inside he knew it was him. It was all him.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll his life he tried not to think about it. But apparently, you can\u2019t hold it in forever. Try as he might, his guts were filled with guilt. Whatever they were currently showing him on the big screen, he saw even worse things in his head.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe saw the scared, innocent faces of the children he raped. He saw the angry, murderous faces of his parishioners. He saw the pitchforks they were holding. He saw his death again.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EI\u2019m screwed. I\u2019m fucking screwed forever.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","words":2949,"readTime":12,"lang":"en"}}}}}