Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Angel Yard


       I was cruising in my Camaro, radio blaring at top volume and enjoying life when the SUV crossed over into my lane.  In a split second I knew there was absolutely nowhere to go and no time to get there.   It happened so fast, an earth shattering crash…then a state of nothingness.  The music died with my pride and joy, now a twisted bit of metal surrounded by a million shards of glass, unrecognizable.  The SUV was gone having ricocheted against the cliff, broke through the guard rail, and plummeted over the side of the mountain. 

Photo by Lyssa Medana
        Up ahead I saw a sign posted on a brick wall I hadn’t noticed before.  Confused, I glanced around and back, hurried toward it, certain I could use a phone there to call for help.    An old guy was standing against the wall, waiting. 
“Sir, I was involved in the accident.  Do you have a phone I could use to call for help?”  He stood alone under a sign that read “Angel Yard”.
“Jon, you are past help.  Why bother to ask for help now?” he inquired peering deeply into my eyes.
Taken aback, I tried a different tack.  “I don’t believe we have met.  How do you know my name?”

     “I know everybody.”
  
     “Okay….”  I looked back at the wreckage and the realization hit me like a ton of bricks.  “Am I dead?”  I asked with a tinge of panic.

        He smiled at me.  “Depends how you look at it.  If you believe you belong here with your whole heart, chances are you do.  Otherwise, if you don’t believe then you belong in the other place and by all that is good and holy you will wish you were dead long before they are through with you.  Either way, you pay your money and you takes your choice.”

    “Money… now I am confused!”  I looked back at the wreckage.  I panicked again and things got real.  Other motorists had stopped to gawk.  The police had arrived, and an ambulance’s siren could be heard in the distance.  Transfixed, I watched an officer leaning into what was left of my Camaro.  He pronounced me dead.  Dead!  The word slammed around in my brain as I struggled to understand.  

       “The money you pay is the forgiveness you request for your sins, the belief you have that you will be forgiven and will be granted everlasting life regardless of all that has come before.  You have to feel remorse so your soul can be sanitized before you proceed.  Otherwise, the money you pay buys you a one way ticket to hell for eternity.  Normally the decision is made before folks get to this point, but often there are exceptions, people who have doubts.   Question is, do you believe or do you doubt?  It’s your choice. ”

      My mind quickly replayed my life, good and bad.    We exchanged smiles, because instantly he knew I did believe.  He nodded and I proceeded down Angel Road to my destiny.


Written for the Light and Shade Writing Challenge Monday Writing Prompt.



50 comments:

  1. OK...a little too close to the bad dream I had this morning..... :(

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    1. JoJo, the story wasn't meant to mimic any nightmares. Thank you for reading and for your comments!

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  2. A literal use of the prompts. Good piece.

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    1. joe2poetry, I am pleased you enjoyed my story. Thank you for stopping in to read and for your comments! ♥

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  3. Wouldn't want to go to that other place

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    1. Pat, I am with you on that one. I don't imagine it would be too pleasant. Thank you for stopping in and for your comments! ♥

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  4. Kathy this is right up my street. Twisty in all the right ways.


    Enjoyed

    Ally :)

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    1. Ally, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! Thank you for stopping in to read and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  5. Love it. Kathy, you address this subject so well. Love it! Such a great piece of flash fiction.

    Oh, and I nominated you today. http://crystalcollier.blogspot.com/2014/06/awards-for-meawards-for-you.html

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    1. Crystal, I am so happy you enjoyed my story! Thank you for stopping by, your sweet comments, and for honoring me with an award! ♥

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  6. wow! That was done wonderfully Kathy! The way you have twisted the prompt is brilliant!!
    I guess it does make sense in away.. :D
    I love your stories!! :)

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    1. pixie, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story. While I haven't died recently to know what actually happens when you enter the hereafter, this story was fun to write and contemplate a possibility. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments and encouragement. It means an awful lot! ♥

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  7. Great story Kathy. Keep up the good work.

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    1. tnkerr, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments! ♥

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  8. Powerful story! We all make that choice every day...believe or doubt.

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    1. Stephanie, yes whether consciously or unconsciously! Thank you so much for stopping by to read and for your kind comments. I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! ♥

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  9. That's a very powerful story. Thank you for sharing. Lyssa M x

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    1. Lyssa, I am so pleased you enjoyed it. Thank you for stopping by to read and comment! ♥

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  10. You certainly kept my attention! Good story

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    1. Carol, I am so happy you liked my story. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments! ♥

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  11. Another terrific story that I enjoyed Kathy!

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    1. Michelle, I am so happy you enjoyed my story! Thank you so much for stopping in to read and for your kind comments! ♥

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  12. I always enjoy your stories, Kathy and think you're an excellent writer. BTW, I used to have a 1978 Camaro Z28 which I loved and cringed at the thought of the car being totalled. Keep writing - you're a natural! ☺

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    1. Debbie, you have no idea how much your words mean to me especially when I am often riddled with self doubt about my skills! Thank you so much for stopping by and giving me the encouragement to continue to write. I am so happy you enjoyed my story. I had a similar love affair with a Ford Probe and a Dodge Shelby Charger. Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  13. That's a nice story...just the kinds I like...a bit twisted with a valuable lesson at the end. We do make choices even when we are alive and well, guess we all need to :) Thanks!

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    1. Kajal, I am so happy you liked my story! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments of encouragement! ♥

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  14. I love how you describe the scene and create images in the minds of the readers. Wonderful write once again

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    1. Rajlakshmi, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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    1. Anita, I believe too! Thank you for stopping by and for your comments! ♥

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  16. What a captivating story, Kathy! So engaging and thoughtful at the same time. Totally enjoyed reading it.

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    1. Beloo, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  17. Oh well done! I admire the way you describe the loss of control in the first part.

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    1. Shailaja, I am so pleased you enjoyed my little story! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  18. I held my breath for a little bit at the end... and then the exhale of relief when he did believe! Wonderful story - one that makes me stop and think.

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    1. jannatwrites, I am so pleased you enjoyed my story! Thank you so much for stopping by to read and for your supportive, kind comments! ♥

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  19. Now there's an encounter you don't have every day. Excellently told

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    1. Thomas, I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  20. I was glued to the words right from the moment it started ... brilliant :-)

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    1. Amrit, I am thrilled you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  21. And as they say all good things must end, such is life... lucky who get the angel road though..

    Richa

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    1. Richa, I agree. That is a bonus! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  22. Your description of the scene before and after is very visual Kathy. every moment of our life is a step in belief, some universal, some personal, while some beliefs hold out true, many get shattered.

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    1. Reshma, so very true and every step another chance to learn and understand! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  23. You had me completely absorbed, Kathy! I love the layers of meaning here!

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    1. Corinne, I am so pleased you liked my story! Thank you so much for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  24. The stress of the accident (I drive a Camaro!) and the resistance to the notion of being dead made me tense. In other words, this is an effectively executed piece. Ouch. The ending, of course, made it all worthwhile.

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    1. Joe, I am so pleased you enjoyed it! Thank you for stopping by and for your sweet comments! ♥

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  25. Great story and message, Kathy. You are so good at these short fiction pieces. Believe me, I know all about the writer's self doubt bit and I've even got the T-shirt as the cliche goes. Keep writing. Obviously others are enjoying it by all these positive comments you are receiving. You go, Girl!

    http://cattitudeandgratitude.blogspot.com/2014/06/thoughts-are-powerful.html

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    1. Cathy, Thank you for the encouragement!! I keep plugging, although not quite as wildly as I once did. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind comments. ♥

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