Sishuo

“Open your eyes and look upon me!”

The hollow voice carried the weight of a thousand blue moons. Dan reluctantly opened his eyelids and felt a cold shiver race up his spine. Standing before him was a tall slender phantom wearing a black hooded robe. His face was an empty shell—nothing more than a skull with hollow eye sockets. There was no doubt in Dan’s mind who the evil spirit was. Death.

Dan quickly took in his surroundings. He was in a large oval chamber constructed from frozen bricks that shimmered a blue hue. In the middle of the room there was a single foot bridge made of ice that ran for at least a hundred miles in one direction—down. Blackness engulfed the bridge on both sides like an endless pit into the void.

“Where am I?” Dan asked, voice trembling.

“Do you not recognize your damnation?” Death asked in a menacing tone. “This is the road to Hell.”

After a deep swallow, Dan replied, “I thought Hell was fire and brimstone. Not a frozen temple.”

“You are not in a position to assume anything.” Death pointed to the icy foot bridge and glowered, “The path to Hell is paved with ice. The flames...will come later.”

Before Dan could utter another syllable, his beatless heart fell into his stomach. The last thing he remembered was running toward a young woman named Sishuo, who was about to be hit by a speeding car on her morning jog. The situation obviously didn’t work out in the end.

Death yanked on a thick black chain that was locked around Dan’s neck. He didn’t notice it before, but given the circumstances, the only thing he could think to say was, “Did I save her? Is Sishuo still alive?!”

“....”

The silence made Dan wrinkle his forehead and clench his teeth. “IS SHE ALIVE!”

Death gave the chain another tug and asked, “Who is Sishuo to you?”

“She’s—”

Bells rang from deep within the pit just below the icy bridge and cut Dan’s words off like a sharp blade.

“We do NOT have time for this,” Death roared. “To the depths we go.” He pulled the chain once more and Dan had no choice but to follow like a broken dog.

For a brief moment, everything was quiet until Dan gathered his courage and blurted, “Why am I here? I thought I was a good person in life.”

Death paused his hasty march and lowered his head. “The reason is unknown to me. Perhaps your time in the war, or not heeding your true purpose has something to do with it.”

“You know more than you’re letting on, vile creature!”

“Silence!” Death roared as he yanked the chain once more.

Dan narrowed his eyes, steadied his feet, and defied great power. “How is it that you know about my time in the war, but you don’t know who Sishuo is? IS SHE ALIVE?!”

Death paused once more. “I do not know everything. I’m just a harbinger. I can sense her essence in the living world, so yes, she is still alive.” He reached into his black robe and pulled out a long scythe with a silver blade. “If you continue to slow me down, your end will come sooner than you think!”

The threat understood, Dan nodded, and took a weary step forward.

“I first saw Sishuo running in Beihai Park, which is northwest of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. I was admiring the stones in Lake Tai when she accidently brushed against me. The wind was fierce and I suppose she lost her balance. After a brief exchange we agreed to have lunch the next day.”

Death shook his head. “You can talk as much as you want, but it won’t save you. As long as you keep moving,” he paused and slammed the hilt of his scythe into the ice—a thunderous echo filled the hollow space, “I won’t have to use my blade.”

Dan swallowed his apprehension. He knew this was the last time he could speak about these things. “We met for lunch at FangShan Restaurant and ordered Sichuan Cuisine and Tanghulu—sugar-coated haws. We spoke lightly, but there was an instant connection. I laughed when she told me how much she loved bagels and wanted to be a Bagel Queen! She thought my facial expressions were funny after eating all that spicy food. I think we both knew we were going to be good friends from that moment on.”

“Move faster!” Death snarled. “I do not wish to listen anymore.”

“If you are walking me to my final doom, then I feel I have the right to speak my mind and tell my story while I still can!”

Dan cleared his dry throat and was thankful that Death didn’t slice him half. “Over the next few weeks, Sishuo and I took the time to get to know each other. She was the only one to ever laugh at my silly jokes and I shared her sense of adventure. We went to Tibet and stared for hours and hours at the monasteries. My roaming eyes couldn’t help but wonder to her star-filled gaze as she marveled at the historic buildings. I don’t know if she noticed. Ah…she was the sun in my eyes! But…I dared not tell her for fear of scaring her away. Our friendship was much too important to me.”

“I don’t know why I tolerate your disparaging story,” Death said, gripping the chain tighter, “but, go on…. I will allow this little annoyance because we have a long way to go.”

“Thank you,” Dan said, surprised by the odd gesture.

The icy pathway bit Dan’s feet like a sneaky Ophiophagus Hannah—the King Cobra! Despite the chilling effect, a soft glow erupted in his chest. The memories of Sishuo allowed him a small reprieve. How he yearned to see her one more time.

“I…remember when I got the draft notice to enter the war. Sishuo was struck with grief. She didn’t say a word, but I could tell it on her face. Her quiet strength gave me the courage to go. It wasn’t even our war. The Americans started it. They were following a demented old man with orange skin who thought he ruled the entire world. His stupidity started World War 3 and in the desolation and chaos that followed, my heart longed to hear Sishuo’s voice.”

“Months went by,” Dan continued, “and the only way I could communicate with her was by email. I spent many nights telling her about the hardships I saw and faced. Still, she instilled in me the courage to go on. Sishuo never gave into despair. One night, there was an ambush in our camp. The Americans ignored the rules of war and slaughtered most of my comrades. I remember the alarm—it was like a hurricane warning. I was writing Sishuo when it happened and I didn’t want my message to be the last one she would ever get. So I hid, while everyone in the camp was murdered.”

Death halted his advance and Dan crashed into him like a brick wall. “Maybe now you know why you are here. You cannot be so naive to think that that wasn’t a sin. You could have saved someone, but you hid like a coward and for what? A woman?!”

“Sishuo is not just a woman!” Dan yelled.

With another tug, Death ventured further down the bridge. Always down.

“Anyway, the Americans were driven back by our jet fighters. They dropped missiles and rained down the bullets like a fierce storm. It was a complete disaster. Later, when my superiors found out what happened they wanted to kill me and by all accounts, maybe they should have. I was dishonorably discharged and was sent home to live the rest of life in shame.”

Dan lifted his index finger to his cold cheek and wiped away a frozen tear. “I didn’t see Sishuo right away. I was ashamed of what I had done. I became a recluse and hid from everyone I knew. I saw her messages and yet, I could not bring myself to write back. I was dead inside.”

“One day, I heard someone banging on my front door. I thought the world as I knew it was dead. Without thinking, I answered the call. Standing before me was my best friend, Sishuo. She didn’t say a word and gave me a hug that warmed my soul. She came to visit me everyday and slowly brought me back to life with her delicate ways. She told me that I needed to forgive myself for what happened. If I had done anything different, then I would have died with the other soldiers and she would have been lost for an age. In time, I followed her advice and my heart and soul healed.”

Death twirled his scythe and blurted, “I wouldn’t have been so forgiving to a cowardly scumbag like you. I would have twisted your head off and fed your entrails to the Hellhounds!”

With his chin held high, Dan said, “There was a time I would have agreed with you, but not anymore. I paid for what happened. I didn’t kill those men, the wicked Americans did.”

“So you say…” Death bellowed.

“My mind was restored with a new sense of hope. All thanks to Sishuo. We made plans to have dinner one night at her place. She wanted to get a good run in before we met up so we could spend the entire evening together. In my heart, I believed it was time to tell her how I really felt about her. How she was my happiness, my hope, my—”

“Spare me your heartfelt emotions!” Death screamed. He pulled the black chain so hard, Dan’s face hit the ice like a crashing bowling ball falling into the gutter. “Your story has no merit now. Hell is the only place you will ever know and the hot flames from Satan are all that you will feel. So, don’t you see? Your story means nothing down here. NOTHING!”

Dan rose up and wiped the gushing blood from his nose. His mind sparked behind an odd feeling—pain. And if there was pain, was there a chance for redemption?

“It’s not a story to me!” Dan yelled. “It’s my life! Don’t you see? I died before I could tell her how I really felt. All this time she thought we were only friends that cared about each other.”

Death held his composure. He didn’t utter a word because he knew the Gates of Hell would soon be upon them.

“The morning I died,” Dan said emphatically, “I went to the market to buy Sishuo a bundle of white lotus flowers. They were a symbol of purity, perfection, and spiritual enlightenment, but to me, they were the tip of my emotional sword that hungered for blood.”

“When I left the flower shop, I saw Sishuo running across the road. Her smart watch fell to the pavement and broke. She stopped in her tracks to pick it up and didn’t see the oncoming vehicle headed her way, but I did. I ran out screaming through the bustling crowd in the town market and pushed her out of the way. Then I woke up in this frozen hell hole!”

“Your story is at an end and so is our journey,” Death said, with a hint of satisfaction.

The Gates of Hell were pitch black and stood two-hundred feet high. Sharp spikes lingered on top of the iron bars like gargoyles ready to stab anyone or anything that wasn’t allowed to pass. Beyond the fearsome entrance was a sea of red sand surrounded by volcanoes that spewed fiery ash and soot. A large gothic castle stood in the foreground like a menacing beast showing its ugly fangs.

Death turned to Dan and saw the fear in his eyes. “Welcome to your final destination!”

“No,” Dan pleaded. “Don’t take me in that foul place!”

“Time to go,” Death said, as he pulled the chain once more. To his surprise, he felt a return tug.

Dan stood defiantly before Death. With both hands gripped around the black links, he pulled with all his might. “NO! I won’t go through those gates! I have unfinished business!”

Death swung his scythe strong and true. He was tired of playing games and he was annoyed at Dan’s resistance. It had been a long journey and the wretch before him was not going to win. “You’re beyond unfinished business!” Death thundered. “I’m tired of listening to you!”

Dan dodged the downward slash by jumping to his left side. When Death swung again he grabbed the chain and timed his move with precise anticipation. As the scythe came down again, Dan twisted his torso and threw the links on the ground to match the jagged impact of the blade hoping they would break and set him free. It did not work.

Holding on to the last grasps of hope, Dan allowed his emotions to boil over. “I gave Sishuo all I had and still fell short by not telling her how I felt! Her heart filled the roots of my soul and I will spend the rest of eternity trying to take that mistake back!”

“That won’t happen where you’re going,” Death screeched, swiping his deadly weapon again.

Dan ducked below and noticed his chest glowing red with a hot pulsating light. The warmth spread to his shoulders and flowed down his arms. He didn’t know what was happening, but he grabbed the chain once more with both hands and as the red embers reached his fingers, the links exploded into a thousand metal splinters.

“NO!” Death screamed. “That’s impossible!”

Before Death could swing again, Dan disappeared like a flash in the night.

CLEAR!

CLEAR!!

BOOM!

Dan opened his eyes and lost his breath because he was back in the living world. He was lying on the pavement with a small crowd gathered around him. Two paramedics were busy wrapping bandages around his waist and pumping an oxygen bag over his mouth and nose.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sishuo crying in the crowd. He brushed the air bag off his face and called out to her. “Sishuo…Sishuo…” His voice was coarse and weak, but she heard him and rushed to his side.

“I’m here, Dan. I’m so glad you came back to us!” she sobbed.

Dan spoke again, but Sishuo couldn’t hear him. She knelt down closer to his mouth.

“Sishuo…” he said. “I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

The next thing Dan felt was Sishuo’s tears dripping down his cheek. She placed her soft lips on his and their passionate kiss swooned the crowd. “I love you too!”

With that, the cold harsh winter thawed a special secret between two soulmates, and gave birth to an everlasting love. It was something that time and Death himself could not break.