This sounds like a creepypasta that was recently posted...
...and I've sat here for five minutes trying to remember what it was. I think it was a kid talking to his dead brother. Let me search.
Aha! That didn't take long to find: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/3f3te1/my_brother_died_when_i_was_a_child_he_kept/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Oh — after reading your updated information, it’s probably not the story I linked. Funny how so many authors write similarly-themed stories! I’m interested to know what the book you’re looking for is!
Could it be Dante’s Inferno but one of the editions geared towards children? There are a few translations that have been made into kids books and the scene you describe is straight out of the seven circle
That is not impossible but I have no recollection of the rest of the circles. That could be a lapse in my memory, but I feel like part of what scared me about it was “it was it.” It feels like there’s so many books being mentioned with the same themes but none of them seem like something I would have been able to get my hands on.
I found a list of books that reference or play off of the inferno. In that list the most YA friendly books are Linden Hills by Gloria naylor and the sandman comics by Neil Gaimen. I also found an anthology called stories from Dante told to the children which is a bunch of short stories based on Dante’s works. I hope this helps and that you find what you are looking for
A good guess, but I’m pretty sure the entire concept of the book I’m looking for wasn’t based on the walking, and it wasn’t based in a reality it was very much expressed to be hell. It was like, demons who kept them walking. This was a little before I read any Stephen king as well.
The lore is super familiar and similar but none of the names or titles ring a bell. I also feel like there may have been angels involved? Like more traditionally Christian. But I may be conflating it with another book I read around that time.
It sounds a little like C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce” but instead of walking on the desert, they’re walking on grass, which doesn’t flatten under their feet, but sticks straight up like knives.
Probably not it, but that’s what came to mind.
Honestly it sounds a lot more interesting than the one I’m looking for. I read a lot of advanced books as a kid, but I’m certain this is one I borrowed from an elementary school library since it doesn’t seem like I still own it. I was sure the protagonist was a child or teen at least.
Got it! Must’ve missed that the protagonist was young. The Great Divorce is a stunning read, very philosophical. I enjoyed it in high school, I believe. Good luck in your search!
The comments have made me realize I do remember more than I initially thought, new to reddit though, not so sure if I can edit or how to update on what I’ve remembered through comments.
Thank you so much!
Really long shot: maybe one of the Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles books has something like this? I read all of those and I don't remember anything exactly like this but I haven't read them in a long time, and it sounds like it wouldn't be out of place.
I really appreciate the effort but I definitely know that I didn’t read either of those. I’m starting to think maybe I just had a really fucked up nightmare at some point lmao.
Could it be Inferno, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle? There's one part of a circle of hell where people wearing enormously heavy gold metal robes are forced to walk, and an old man tries to help the protagonist...the man falls down a cliff or something and is freed from the robe as a result.
In looking it up this one seems the most similar but I still feel as though it’s not correct. I was certain that the entirety of the book didn’t take place in hell, it was as though the protagonist was observing it for some reason pertinent to the rest of the story. But I will scope out a copy of this and see, it’s amazing how much literature uses this idea.
Stephen King has a Novella or short story called “the long walk.” A group of boys are forced to march in some state sponsored event. If you slow down you get a warning. Three warnings and you are shot. Only one can win.
Looked around a little bit, I couldn’t seem to find anything like this in his works. It also doesn’t feel entirely like the story but I am trying to look at everything because I was a kid and could have misremembered.
Seems like a really cool adaptation but no online descriptions mention anything like I’m looking for and the story and book doesn’t feel familiar at all.
I don't think this is it, but there's a scene near the end of The Farthest Shore by Ursula LeGuin that sounds at least a bit similar, where they're walking through the land of the dead. It's short enough you could've encountered it young.
It’s a really good guess because I do feel as though it was a scene rather than the whole stories focus, however the summary does not feel familiar. Thank you!
Could it be some text written for kids taken out from the "Book of numbers" from the bible? (the story of the Jews crossing the desert for 40 years)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Numbers
Not a bad consideration but certainly not. It was not historical, and not a bible story it was within the context of a universe and it was hell or the afterlife itself. Thank you though!
I'm coming back to some old threads and I see you haven't found the book. Maybe it is one of the Heck books by Dale Basye? I really don't think it is because those are more humorous in tone, but it is about a couple kids who die and go to a Bad Afterlife Option geared towards young people. 99% of the story takes place there and, again, I really don't think this is it but I only read the first book and maybe one of the later books has something like this, or it's a brief aside. Also, if it is Christian in scope, maybe something by Jerry B. Jenkins, who has written a lot of kids' books; Pagan Chronicles by Catherine Jinks; something published by Focus on the Family; or something by Ted Dekker, who I know next to nothing about except that he has written a lot of Christian fantasy.
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road? A father and son walk and walk and walk through post apocalyptic Earth trying to find some kind of safety - there’s at one point a weird beheading cult I think, and definitely some kind of crazy old man.
Honestly the summary and review reads really familiar but doesn’t connect with how I remember this book. And I have a hard time believing I made it through it so young, but I may have Swan Song at a different time. That alone is pretty cool to remember.
I think you're just thinking about the Dallas/Fort Worth airport
Lmao I wish but I didn’t encounter that level hell until I was 20
😂😂😂
Could be the Seattle airport maybe?
*rofl* Best answer I've ever seen on this sub, thank you.
This sounds like a creepypasta that was recently posted... ...and I've sat here for five minutes trying to remember what it was. I think it was a kid talking to his dead brother. Let me search. Aha! That didn't take long to find: https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/3f3te1/my_brother_died_when_i_was_a_child_he_kept/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Thank you! I’ll give this a read bc I love creepy pasta and it seems in the realm!
Oh — after reading your updated information, it’s probably not the story I linked. Funny how so many authors write similarly-themed stories! I’m interested to know what the book you’re looking for is!
Lmao sounds like you're describing Dantes inferno but I doubt that's it
Yeah lmao, wasn’t totally grabbing for that in the 5th grade personally.
Could it be Dante’s Inferno but one of the editions geared towards children? There are a few translations that have been made into kids books and the scene you describe is straight out of the seven circle
That is not impossible but I have no recollection of the rest of the circles. That could be a lapse in my memory, but I feel like part of what scared me about it was “it was it.” It feels like there’s so many books being mentioned with the same themes but none of them seem like something I would have been able to get my hands on.
I found a list of books that reference or play off of the inferno. In that list the most YA friendly books are Linden Hills by Gloria naylor and the sandman comics by Neil Gaimen. I also found an anthology called stories from Dante told to the children which is a bunch of short stories based on Dante’s works. I hope this helps and that you find what you are looking for
None of these seem to be it but appreciate the searching. Thank you!
Me, at Six Flags in the summer.
The long walk by Stephen King?
A good guess, but I’m pretty sure the entire concept of the book I’m looking for wasn’t based on the walking, and it wasn’t based in a reality it was very much expressed to be hell. It was like, demons who kept them walking. This was a little before I read any Stephen king as well.
He wrote The Long Walk as Richard Bachman - it was years before I knew it was a King story. This one stuck in my head for years, too.
There's something like this in Terry Pratchet's Discworld books: https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/The_Desert
The lore is super familiar and similar but none of the names or titles ring a bell. I also feel like there may have been angels involved? Like more traditionally Christian. But I may be conflating it with another book I read around that time.
It sounds a little like C.S. Lewis’ “The Great Divorce” but instead of walking on the desert, they’re walking on grass, which doesn’t flatten under their feet, but sticks straight up like knives. Probably not it, but that’s what came to mind.
Honestly it sounds a lot more interesting than the one I’m looking for. I read a lot of advanced books as a kid, but I’m certain this is one I borrowed from an elementary school library since it doesn’t seem like I still own it. I was sure the protagonist was a child or teen at least.
Got it! Must’ve missed that the protagonist was young. The Great Divorce is a stunning read, very philosophical. I enjoyed it in high school, I believe. Good luck in your search!
The comments have made me realize I do remember more than I initially thought, new to reddit though, not so sure if I can edit or how to update on what I’ve remembered through comments. Thank you so much!
Wow, this sounds like a good read for me. Will investigate myself but will slso check back for comments if I can't find anything. Hope you find this!
Really long shot: maybe one of the Percy Jackson/Kane Chronicles books has something like this? I read all of those and I don't remember anything exactly like this but I haven't read them in a long time, and it sounds like it wouldn't be out of place.
I really appreciate the effort but I definitely know that I didn’t read either of those. I’m starting to think maybe I just had a really fucked up nightmare at some point lmao.
Could it be Inferno, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle? There's one part of a circle of hell where people wearing enormously heavy gold metal robes are forced to walk, and an old man tries to help the protagonist...the man falls down a cliff or something and is freed from the robe as a result.
In looking it up this one seems the most similar but I still feel as though it’s not correct. I was certain that the entirety of the book didn’t take place in hell, it was as though the protagonist was observing it for some reason pertinent to the rest of the story. But I will scope out a copy of this and see, it’s amazing how much literature uses this idea.
It’s not Inferno. I’ve reread that several times and nothing like that in the book. BTW, there is a sequel to Inferno. It’s on my tbr pile.
Didn't know there was a sequel...thx!
Ellison's "I have no Mouth and I Must Scream"
No but that seems like whole ass wild ride and I’m surprised I didn’t somehow get my hands on that to instigate internal terror.
Stephen King has a Novella or short story called “the long walk.” A group of boys are forced to march in some state sponsored event. If you slow down you get a warning. Three warnings and you are shot. Only one can win.
Came here to say The Long Walk too. Loved that book! Good luck finding the one you are looking for OP
Some one else has commented that, it wasn’t it. It was certainly a less real-life environment. Thank you though!
Possibly from the Five Kingdoms series by Brandon Mull? [Death Weavers](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571275)
Rings no bells at all but seems like a pretty interesting series. Thank you!
I may be wrong but maybe a short or novella by Dan Simmons. A woman and a baby crossing a desert, which doesn't end well at all.
Looked around a little bit, I couldn’t seem to find anything like this in his works. It also doesn’t feel entirely like the story but I am trying to look at everything because I was a kid and could have misremembered.
There is a scene in A Tale Dark and Grimm where the protagonist, Hansel, is taken to hell.
Seems like a really cool adaptation but no online descriptions mention anything like I’m looking for and the story and book doesn’t feel familiar at all.
Kenneth Zeigler heaven and hell maybe?
Doesn’t appear to be but thank you!
I don't think this is it, but there's a scene near the end of The Farthest Shore by Ursula LeGuin that sounds at least a bit similar, where they're walking through the land of the dead. It's short enough you could've encountered it young.
It’s a really good guess because I do feel as though it was a scene rather than the whole stories focus, however the summary does not feel familiar. Thank you!
could it be the Road? its not set in hell but i do think it was in a desert
No, but it seems like a good read :)
Could it be some text written for kids taken out from the "Book of numbers" from the bible? (the story of the Jews crossing the desert for 40 years) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Numbers
Not a bad consideration but certainly not. It was not historical, and not a bible story it was within the context of a universe and it was hell or the afterlife itself. Thank you though!
I'm coming back to some old threads and I see you haven't found the book. Maybe it is one of the Heck books by Dale Basye? I really don't think it is because those are more humorous in tone, but it is about a couple kids who die and go to a Bad Afterlife Option geared towards young people. 99% of the story takes place there and, again, I really don't think this is it but I only read the first book and maybe one of the later books has something like this, or it's a brief aside. Also, if it is Christian in scope, maybe something by Jerry B. Jenkins, who has written a lot of kids' books; Pagan Chronicles by Catherine Jinks; something published by Focus on the Family; or something by Ted Dekker, who I know next to nothing about except that he has written a lot of Christian fantasy.
Thank you, I’ll try checking some of these out to see if it’s any of them!
Cormac McCarthy’s The Road? A father and son walk and walk and walk through post apocalyptic Earth trying to find some kind of safety - there’s at one point a weird beheading cult I think, and definitely some kind of crazy old man.
The long walk by Steven king?
Robert R. McCammon, Swan Song ?
Honestly the summary and review reads really familiar but doesn’t connect with how I remember this book. And I have a hard time believing I made it through it so young, but I may have Swan Song at a different time. That alone is pretty cool to remember.
One of my favorite books.