The Twenty First (Prologue)

The earth cushioned the fall of a big rock that fell from the sky. A group of 20 monkeys approached the rock. They stared as the rock crumbled and shattered, revealing a new monkey. An elderly monkey loomed from the monkey tribe.

"Your name is Monkey Number 21." Said the old monkey.

The monkeys began to search for shelter for a few hours until they stopped for water. While the other monkeys took handfuls from the river, Monkey 21 chose to drink from the waterfall instead. The force of the waterfall pushed him through the other side. When the rocky surroundings became clear, Monkey 21 realised that he had found a cave.

The other monkeys followed in through the waterfall. They were all amazed at the size of the cave. The old monkey walked towards monkey 21 and placed a leaf crown on his head.

"You have found our tribe shelter, so now we thank you by making you our king." The old monkey announced.

After a few weeks of Monkey 21's new life as a king, another rock dropped from the sky.

"Feed me my grapes." The king ordered as he slouched lazily on his wooden throne. However, there were no monkeys in the cave. He walked outside and saw that all his monkeys were crowded around a newborn monkey. The king frowned. He stomped towards the old monkey.

"Who is the one that keeps dropping these rocks?" The king questioned irritably.

"It is god. He lives up in the sky and has created everything." The old monkey replied with his usual calmness. The king snarled in annoyance. He jumped, shaking the ground and disappearing into the clouds as the monkeys stared blankly at his unanticipated power.

The clouds muffled the king's landing. In front of him was a strange-looking person who looked like a monkey with no hair.

"What are you doing here, monkey?" The god asked.

"I want you to stop creating new monkeys. The births are an inconvenience to me." The king ordered.

"I do not listen to lesser beings."

"If you will not follow my orders then I will force you to do so!"

"Begone, monkey!" A bolt of lightning formed in between the god's clutched fist as he threw the lightning bolt at the monkey.

The king caught the bolt and threw it back at the god. The strike from his own attack incinerated him.

The monkey dropped back down to the earth and continued his life as the king for another few years until an unexpected event occurred.

The monkeys crowded around the old monkey's body on the ground, lifeless.

"What happened to him?" The king asked, his face full of worry.

"The old monkey has died from age." The lesser monkey said. The king was petrified.

"Everyone will die one day. It is in the Book of the Dead." Another one of the lesser monkeys said.

"What is this Book of the Dead?" The king asked.

"It holds the names of everyone who will die. The book is guarded by a creature called the devil." The king wasted no time and began to dig the ground until he landed on a rock floor.

There was a book in front of him sitting on top of a rock table. Behind it was a red-horned creature that held a glowing red trident. Raging fire surrounded them and the devil's stare was no less unyielding. The monkey pointed behind the devil.

"Look! It's god!" The devil quickly turned around. The king began to flip through the pages as fast as he could until he found his name. 'Monkey 21' it read. He ripped off the page and tore it into pieces. He jumped back up to the earth before the devil could react.

The king returned to the cave to find that all the monkeys had died of age. Time had passed faster in the underworld than on the earth. He no longer had any servants left. No new monkeys would be born because the god was dead and now, with his immortality, he was eternally alone.