Hammon lived a pious life, and it was coming to an end. His lovely wife and four wonderful children surrounded his bedside in his final moments. Looking at each of them in turn, he offered words of comfort and wisdom. He closed his eyes without fear, and let out his last breath.

There was a moment of darkness then in the distance there was a pinprick of light. Curious, Hammon walked toward it. The light grew and Hammon soon found himself exiting a tunnel, and stepping into the most beautiful place he had ever seen.

Golden light spilled across a horizon of fluffy white clouds. He could walk effortlessly on them, never sinking or slipping. Hammon looked down at his body and found he was hearty and hale again, no longer a frail old man. He wore a loose white garment, similar to a silk robe.

Heaven.

His whole life he fervently strived to remain moral and upright. Though he had to sacrifice a lot to sustain such a lifestyle, here he was about to receive his just reward: an afterlife of ease and abundance.

A queue was forming in front of a large gate made of gold and pearls where a man was standing letting people pass through, while many other people emerged from the tunnel behind Hammon. He wandered over to stand in line with the others. Their smiles were infections and Hammon laughed along with them, sharing their joy.

Soon it was his turn to stand in front of the man. He had rosy cheeks and crown of golden curls. Light surrounded him like a shield. He stood holding a quill and the longest parchment paper Hammon’d ever seen.

_This must be an angel_, Hammon thought to himself.

“Name?” The angel asked.

“Hammon J. Steed”

The angel held a quill aloft while searching the long list for his name.

“Hmmm…”

It was taking him longer than it had for the previous arrivals. Hammon looked around and fidgeted with his garment. The person in line behind him was watching with keen interest. Hammon chuckled nervously.

“The J. stands for James, Hammon James Steed…of Mayville…”

“Ah yes here you are” the angel smiled and Hammon relaxed.

Of course he was there. He lived and breathed piety. He’d learned early in life to stay active and keep a strict diet. He married a great woman and stayed faithful to his wife their whole marriage. He never coveted anything of his neighbors’ always reminded himself to be grateful for the things he had and not wish for more. He never lost his temper and, hardest of all, he stayed humble. He could’ve strayed many times, but he knew it would be worth it in the end, and he was right. He was a good man.

“Mmmm,” the angel frowned, “bad news I’m afraid. Unfortunately you don’t qualify. If you could just step out of line and head to the elevator over there,” he pointed behind Hammon, back toward the tunnel, “We can get you down to the right place.”

_Down_.

Hammon gulped.

He stared blankly at the angel. The angel smiled politely back. When he began to motion for the next in line to step up, Hammon interrupted.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. What do you mean I don’t qualify?”

“Yeah, sorry…” the angel frowned, “Unfortunately, you committed a deadly sin.”

The person behind Hammon let out a gasp.

“Next.”

The angel tried to wave him on, but Hammon would not be dismissed.

“Surely not. Which sin? Lust, greed, envy, wrath, sloth, gluttony, pride,” he held up a finger as he named them off, “I never committed any of the seven deadly sins.”

“No, not those ones. The eighth deadly sin. That’s the one you committed.” The angel looked back at the list and let out a low whistle, “And quite frequently too, I’m afraid.”

The person in line behind Hammon muttered a “tsk, tsk.” Hammon gave them a sidelong glare.

To the angel he said, “I’ve never heard of an eighth deadly sin. What could I have possibly done that would negate all the good I’ve done in my life?”

The angel smiled apologetically at the queue, which grew quite long after being held up for several minutes. He took a deep breath then looked Hammon right in the eyes.

“Deadly sin number eight,” he cleared his throat, ”watching Instagram stories at full volume in public spaces.”

Hammon’s mouth fell open.

“Next in line please!”

Hammon felt an invisible force tug around his navel. He was being dragged supernaturally backward to the elevator. People in line stared at him, some shook their heads in disgust. Hammon’s mouth was still wide open, but this time in a silent scream as the elevator doors shut and it began its downward descent.