Kingsley Benjamin's Blog, page 2
November 12, 2018
Drake Peters: Release Date Announced
We’re finally at the point where I can announce the release date of my debut novel, Drake Peters. The final edit is complete and the book is ready to go!
It will be released on kindle on Thursday 29th November.
Click here to read the synopsis
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October 23, 2018
St Peter
I originally published wrote this story, St Peter, in response to a reddit writing prompt. For context the prompt was: “When people die they can choose whether they go to Heaven or Hell. You are the first in 1000 years to choose Hell.” Check out what others wrote under the same prompt here.
“Settle down! Settle down!” barked St Peter at the recently departed.
“Gather round, yes all of you, make room for the little ones, no wandering off.”
“You two, stop fighting. You’re dead, and you were both wrong anyway.”
He gazed out at the sea of expectant faces, a mixture of surprise, hope and more often than not, fear, etched onto each expression.
“Well the bad news is you’re dead, obviously. No need to dwell on it. In fact, one might consider this an opportunity. You see, the good news is, you all get to go to Heaven.”
This was generally well received by everyone, except a small, shifty looking character in the front row, who silently raised his hand.
“Yes, even you Gary. You dirty bugger,” St Peter said, pre-empting his question.
“So, all you have to do to get into heaven, is to take the shiny door behind me.”
Gary started to raise his hand again.
“Yes, the one with all the Woman’s Institute bunting on it,” said St Peter angrily, “they’re bloody relentless, even in death, can’t move for Victoria bloody sponges…”
“Anyway, as I said, go through the shiny door and try not to go through the door next to it.”
“Yes, Gary, that one. The one that’s on fire, decorated with skulls and has a hideous gargoyle perched on top. Don’t go through it.”
The group started to shuffle excitedly towards the shiny door, when suddenly, a voice called out from the back.
“Oh, that’s just what the devil wants you to do,” it said, causing the entire group to pull up short.
“Who said that?” shouted St Peter.
“I’m just saying,” the voice continued, “doesn’t this whole thing look a bit suspicious. I mean, the test to get into Heaven is to choose a shiny door. Pull the other one mate.”
“Listen you,” retorted St Peter, furiously “I haven’t got all day, so hurry up and get into Heaven, otherwise there’ll be trouble.”
“OOOO. Threats now is it? Doesn’t sound like the actions of one of God’s chosen to me,” said the voice.
“What’s God ever done for us anyway?”
This set off a thoughtful grumbling amongst the crowd, one or two of them even glanced at the shiny door suspiciously.
“I don’t even believe in God!” shouted a bearded professor, to a general round of head nodding.
“That’s right mate,” continued the voice, “that’s because he ain’t ever helped us poor folk out, and now suddenly, here he is giving us a free pass to heaven.”
Couldn’t even be bothered to come down and greet us himself, he just sends this smartly dressed fella, looks like one of the establishment to me. Well I for one, won’t buy it.”
And with that, a tall, regal-looking man, wearing the clothes of a pauper, strode forward, and without a backwards glance, stormed through the gate to Hell.
There was a slight moment of indecision in the crowd, that was, until the professor stormed over to St Peter and spat in his face, before he too went through the gate to Hell.
This opened up the flood gates. St Peter could only watch, stunned, as the entire crowd made its way through the door to Hell.
“No wait, don’t, honestly!” he cried, as they disappeared into the flames.
He couldn’t believe it. Nobody had gone through that gate in a thousand years- not since the Vikings had come through and declared war on Hell itself.
A few moments later, the devil, still dressed in paupers’ clothes, emerged from the gate.
“Busy day, eh,” he remarked, casually.
“How did you do it?” asked St Peter, in a low voice.
“Well,” he said, “you know how they always say my greatest trick was to convince the world that I don’t exist?”
“Indeed,” replied St Peter, with a distasteful look.
“Well, those people have never witnessed the power of group dynamics,” said the Devil, his voice rising to cover the screams from the gate behind him.
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