Celestial Waiting Room by celisnebula
Summary: One person’s impressions of the afterlife.
Categories: Short Stories Characters: None
Genres: Fluff
Warnings: None
Challenges:
Series: None
Chapters: 1 Completed: Yes Word count: 734 Read: 962 Published: 04/08/2005 Updated: 04/09/2005

1. Celestial Waiting Room by celisnebula

Celestial Waiting Room by celisnebula
Funny, this sure wasn’t what I expected when the ole Grim Reaper came along. For years, hell, practically my whole life, I was told the good go to heaven – spending eternity in pleasurable pursuits, and the naughty go to hell – paying for their earth bound stupidity. Now, I can’t claim I lived the life of a saint; I like my beer a bit too much, like the horses even more, and well, let’s just say I liked variety far too much to ever settle down with just one person. I wasn’t what you would call exactly pious, but I sure as heck wasn’t one of them genuine freaks heading for glory’s ole barbeque pit.

The reality of this whole death deal is definitely different from what I say most expect. Instead of gleaming cities, full of rapturous loved ones, it’s like one big room, of well, nothing. It’s like when you’re waiting in the dentist office, that annoying non-threatening happy music piping in, surrounded by strange looking people you’d rather not talk to unless you have to. That’s what this whole thing feels like, only sans the mind-numbing musical crap. So far, I’ve not seen one spiritual loved one. Actually, come to think on it, I’ve not really seen anyone I know, no one famous or infamous, saintly or otherwise. I’m pretty sure I’m dead, cause I don’t feel no pains or aches, in fact, I pretty much don’t feel a thing. So, that must mean I’m dead.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been here, sitting in this big ole nothingness. The only thing that changes is the sensation of being around others. Sometimes it feels like there is a bunch of us, just sitting here waiting, but I’m not really sure what we’re waiting for. Other times, it’s like a door opened somewhere, and all the other people shuffled out, but forgot to tell me it was time to go. So I sit, alone again, in the nothingness.

All this waiting gives you too much time. Time to think about the life you lived, how things were done, and lots of time to regret not doing the things that should’ve been done. Kind of makes you want to call “do over” and get a chance to do it right. Though I ain’t sure if you can get “it” right.

Like I said before, I’m not exactly sure how long I’ve been here. Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday I got here. I can still faintly recall the fear of letting go; I don’t have that feeling anymore, or any other feelings, just faded impressions of them. It seems to get harder to recollect anything the longer I’m here.

Something new just started happening. There’s a steady rhythmic beating pounding away in my ears. Actually, it’s all around me thumping steady. Sometimes, as I stretch (I think that’s a reflex of remembering my ole body) I feel almost claustrophobic, as if I’m being closed in. It makes me want to kick my way out at times, but then that steady rhythm lulls me; it’s a very comforting sound. Every now and then, I believe I can hear voices, muffled and faint, as if far off, probably a memory of something long forgotten. From time to time, I think I see sunlight, though it’s a distorted red tinged light, those multi-textured reds shifting in patterns that remind me of a warped sunset. Strange how remembered things become warped like that. I can’t remember what I once thought was important, now everything is shifted and muted.

I think I felt pain. No, I’m sure I felt pain. It’s like everything is squeezing in on me. I can’t move. I feel so scared. My body is being crushed. My body? Oh God, I don’t have a body. It hurts everywhere. I am so scared. What’s happening to me? I can’t breathe. Oh please, please, someone help me. I see a light up ahead; it is so bright. What does that light mean? A scream builds up in my belly…


“Congratulations Mrs. Lawrence, you have a beautiful baby boy.”
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