[ WP ] Once you die , Hell is meeting the person you could have been .

For a little while, there was only blackness. But then I woke up again. The first thing I did was gasp for air, which was something I'd never thought I'd do again when I felt the life leaving my body. It the most unique breath I'd ever taken though, I did n't remember breathing feeling quite like this, and it took me a few more moments of hard panting to figure out why. I did n't need to breath, my entire body felt odd and unnatural, I was dead. I knew I was dead, I could feel the lifelessness of my body. I was n't sure why I had a body. 
 
 My face was pressed against a stone floor. I kept breathing out of habit, although the knowledge I did n't need to made the whole operation pretty uncomfortable. I opened my eyes. I felt like I was waking up after just not enough sleep. There was a pair of shoes, a nice pair of shoes. Black, polished shoes. My brain did n't really start processing this whole situation until I tilted my head up to see who was wearing the shoes. 
 
 It was me. It was simply unmistakably me, sitting on a stool, looking down on me. The other Me was wearing a fitted suit that matched the black shoes. He was looking at me incredulously. I flipped myself onto my back and then propped myself up on my elbows and looked back. Other Me had slightly longer hair than me. He looked in his late 20s to early 30s, the same age as me. He seemed a little healthier. He was still looking at me with deep confusion, a gaze I realized I was probably reciprocating. I decided to speak up. 
 
 `` So, I think I'm in hell. I'm not sure who you are or what you're doing here though.'' 
 
 He sustained his stare but responded, `` Okay... okay.'' He swallowed, his face was that of a man trying to grasp a situation he'd never prepared for, but he kept his cool, ``... so, hell. So you're dead.'' 
 
 I nodded, `` I for sure am, last thing I remember before this was getting stabbed by a guy.'' 
 
 `` Why'd he stab you?'' 
 
 `` I owed him some money. He was a drug dealer.'' I did n't see any point in lying to myself. I always figured that once I hit the afterlife, any facade would be pretty pointless. 
 
 `` Okay... and that's the last thing you remember before you got here.'' 
 
 I gave him a thumbs up, `` that's all I got. What about you?'' 
 
 His eyes shifted upwards and his brain seemed to reach back for an answer, `` I... I think I was headed to my friends wedding. Yeah, yeah Brian's wedding. Then I was here, and you were on the ground, and then you woke up a few minutes later. I have n't been here long. You got stabbed by a drug dealer? Really?'' 
 
 `` Yeaaah, I do n't know, these past couple months I started getting into meth, and that, I dunno, shit goes downhill pretty quickly once you're in that league.'' I shrugged, `` I mean I'm not shocked that's how it went down. I'm a little surprised it took this long. I just been drinking, smoking, and fucking for years now. I mean, I do other stuff, but that's all my life is. Work, drink, smoke, fuck. Parties. I do n't know. Did you say Brian?'' 
 
 He looked back at me, `` Yeah Brian. Brian Whelson? He's a good friend. Do you not have Brian?'' 
 
 The name rung a bell. This was really weird, not what I was expecting for my introduction to hell. `` Brian Whelson. Yeah I remember him. I talked to him a little in high school I guess. He was cool. I never really got tight with him though. You guys talk?'' 
 
 Other Me seemed bothered by what I said for a second, then he responded, `` Yeah. We got really close in the last couple years of high school and we've been buddies ever since. God. I ca n't believe you do n't talk to Brian.'' 
 
 `` Well I get the impression there's a couple things we do n't have in common. Do you think this is real?'' I made a gesture at the surrounding area. We were by what looked like train tracks, but the room was mostly just bare rock, and there was definitely no electricity or anything of the sort. Despite that the room was dimly lit by nothing in particular. It all just carried a sourceless, atmospheric glow. I'd asked Other Me if he thought `` this'' was real, but I mostly meant if I was real. Because I was n't sure if he was real. I mean, I get that I was probably in hell, so all bets were off in terms of whether or not it was realistic to have a conversation with yourself from another dimension in the afterlife. That being said, if there was another world where I was doing alright and not on my way to being stabbed by a drug dealer, I do n't get why I would end up in hell randomly with a shittier version of me. I did n't get why Other Me was here. 
 

