FF – A Hell of a Day
Here is my little story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s photo was contributed by Dale Rogerson.
I had to cut 39 words out this week so it’s not quite the epic I initially imagined 😦

Copyright Dale Rogerson
Jimbo watched the sun, or what passed for the sun, rising. Everything, as usual, looked a bit grainy. It must be all the sulphur and damnation, he supposed.
Tuesday today. A bit of light torture, lunch, then to finish, something truly horrific.
He’d had a postcard from his mate yesterday. He’d gone “up there”. He was having a marvellous afterlife sitting on a cloud, strumming a harp.
Jimbo hadn’t been a bad man in life. But apparently there was a limit to the number of paper clips you could steal from your place of work and keep your soul intact.
Great story! (Now I must go post a package of paper clips!)
LikeLike
Good thinking. Send them back, quick!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The cartoons are right.? It’s really like that?..
LikeLike
Yep. Who knew?
LikeLiked by 1 person
They send people to hell for any little reason these days!
LikeLike
It’s getting pretty full down there. But it’s okay, G4S has just won the contract to run the place…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Ah…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh hell. See you there!
LikeLike
I bagsie the top bunk!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So, hell by way of Office Manager. 🙂
LikeLike
The temptation’s just too much 🙂
LikeLike
i guess everybody has something hidden in his closet.
LikeLike
We just have to hope it’s not considered too big…
LikeLike
Ha ha ha. But what do they do with the paper clips?
LikeLike
No-one knows. But you can never have too many paper clips.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, Ali, your world is really strict about who goes where in the afterlife. Also, the devil works by a strict daily schedule. 😀 — Suzanne
LikeLike
Very strict! You’ve got to have a routine 🙂
LikeLike
Hehe! I recently started working but now all I want to do is steal some paper clips😅 who would know right😏
LikeLike
Yeah, go on, you know you want to, they’ll never miss a few… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I believe this is just misleading propaganda put out by Kingdom of Heaven Inc. Sitting on a cloud and strumming a harp…. really. Damnation’s where it’s at. I’ll bet there’s a party that literally never ends going on inside of that house. And you know it ain’t the good girls who’ll be there. Behold the wonderful afterlife that awaits the common office thief…
LikeLike
There was a Blackadder episode on just such a topic – he was Archbishop of Canterbury and used that argument to persuade people to leave their land to the state rather than the church so they’d go straight to Hell – where they do fun things.
LikeLike
Oh the terrible affliction of guilt, worse than paper clips is stealing time!
LikeLike
You don’t even want to know what happens to people who steal time…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well written, Ali. Making bathos work is a tricky business, and you’ve done it expertly. Well done!
LikeLike
Thanks! I didn’t previously know the term “bathos” but it fits 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Ali,
I have to wonder. When one goes “up there” do they automatically know how to play the harp? Fun stuff.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
If only I hadn’t had to cut out those 39 words you would have learned that his mate was tone deaf but still having fun! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Ali
LikeLiked by 1 person
Risking eternal damnation for paperclips? Who knew?
LikeLike
Not Jimbo, sadly 🙂
LikeLike
XD
I hope there is no limit on the amount of coffee I can mooch! 😛
LikeLike
Coffee has a special exemption – demons are also fond of pilfering multiple cups a day and felt penalising that would be a step too far 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
XD XD
I like how you think! 🙂
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
And that only for stealing papurr clips…MOL 😀 Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend 🙂 ❤
LikeLike
It’s harsh, but that’s the way it is 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I may be a clip or two over the limit… glad I can keep in touch with friends who went the other way 😉
LikeLike
Uh oh! Yes, Hell is full of surprises.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I REALLY hope heaven is not just sitting around on clouds strumming harps. Booooorrrrring 🙂
LikeLike
Yes, that’s more a cartoon view than the promised Kingdom 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unless he’s playing some kind of rock on the harp. hey, if they can do it on bagpipes and such… 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure rock is allowed up there 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
Then I ain’t going….
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a lightweight. IF that’s the best he can do….
LikeLike
He could have really gone for it had he known. In for a paper clip, in for a bank heist…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uh oh. (lol)
LikeLike
It’s not to late to send those paper clips and biros back!
LikeLike
And I thought you only went to hell for stringing paper clips together like daisy chains when a stressed PA needs to get her hands on one fast!
LikeLike
That too, but there’s a very special place reserved for people who do that… 🙂
LikeLike
Because I work in an office, this made me smile.
Jimbo leave the paper clip where it is, you can do it!
LikeLike
We must all learn from poor Jimbo’s mistake 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear, is overs-stealing paperclips enough to have to go down? Although, looking at that sun up looks quite warm too. I like the idea of postcards from those that have gone before – what are they allowed to tell us?
LikeLike
It’s more than warm, it’s hell 🙂 Postcards from heaven to hell are uncensored – those in charge down below like their denizens to know what they’re missing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story. Who knows, may be you were inspired to give us an honest picture of the things to come, and of the limits 😉
LikeLike
The rules are tightening up, who knows what little thing lands us in the “bad place” 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good story
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike