The Tragedy of Gia

      The image of his love’s face remained in his mind, when he had lifted her chin to look into her gem-like eyes. The picture slowly faded away as he forgot who she was, or where he was that he could have seen her. All Gia knew then was a biting heat ripping at his body. Gia awoke half-buried in wind-blown sand, the grains caked into scabs and cuts in his flesh. His body ached as he leaned onto his elbow to observe his surroundings. The sand around him stretched off into the horizon, which was covered in red and black clouds. What looked like tree roots somehow seemed to be prying between the cracks of the clouds and binding them together, as if to deny all those below any glimpse of light or hope. Dead, ancient trees dotted the sand, all far apart from each other.

      Gia had fallen into mortality and had a body, which he took immediate notice of. The most prominent trait of his body, he noticed, was that he was a rather small man. Lean in weight and somewhat short in stature, he was not an imposing figure for sure. He was muscular, though, he noticed, as all his muscles burned from his fall. His clothes were wrapped loosely around him: a flexible but heavy canvas robe with long sleeves tucked into matching canvas pants. Everything he wore was white, although lacking in its original purity due to the sand; the only exceptions were a blue cloth belt, which was tied across his midsection; a blue-rimmed head-fitting brimless hat; and the robe’s lining, which was also blue. His hat was made of lightweight cloth that coned out behind his head, holding his golden knee-length hair. Gia’s dry blue eyes looked dull after surveying such a gloomy scene as was around him.

      He turned around and noticed the only man-made structure in sight, a pair of heavy metal doors emerging from the ground. They resembled storm-cellar doors but much grimmer, as cracked skulls were riddled across them. A burning red light shined behind him; he sensed a need to move from it instantly and hid behind the nearest tree. The light was coming from behind the clouds, which were parted by the strength of will of a few dark human figures floating down. Gia saw as they approached that they were five adult men. One was an injured man being held back by the four wraiths—the one he had faced at the border of heaven and his three allies. When they set foot on the ground, Gia could hear them speak to one another.