The Afterlife-side Diner

This is another dream I had. December 31, 2008. It was one of those dreams that stick with you.

I had a weird dream...

There were many things in my dream that were similar to my existing life. I was a college student, for one thing. I lived at home and studied to become an Archaeologist (which is actually something I've considered being, but I prefer musicianship.) I knew a few friends from school and we hung out a lot. Usually at night when none of us had class and we would all be out. Anywhere you could find one of us, you were bound to find a few of us. 

There was this friend I had, I called him Piano Man. He was HUGE! Seriously, his index fingernail was half the size of my hand. He was who I hung out with most often. He was really cool and often funny. But he was kinda stubborn. Amanda (the one I know in real life) was yelling at him for giving some bad advice to a friend and he was just being stubborn about it. 

So one evening (this is the good part), Piano Man and I went drinking. We were walking around to friend's houses in our drunken stupor. Well, in my defense, I was buzzed, he was drunk. We finally settled on a place and I decided to go to the gas station for some smokes. He decided to stay and drink.

The walk wasn't far. I remember noticing the sky. It was dark, and the rusted skyline resonated the remnants of a retreating sunlight. I got to the gas station but it was closed. There were three guys there before me and were just about to leave when James, David's little brother, came up and asked them if they had any weed. I had one cigarette left. I decided to stay and smoke it while James was here. I had a half used book of matches, but it was breezy and they would go out before I could light up. I managed to light it with the last match. James was already done smoking and decided to go across the street to the other gas station for cigarettes. I decided to go with him because I was over 18, and he wasn't.

As we started walking, the wind was blowing strong, but it was a warm wind. There was enough sunlight from the horizon that I could see well enough across the valley that our city was built on. I looked out at the horizon, and suddenly I saw a huge half circle sonic boom explode out of the middle of the valley. I knew what it was before the fire ball erupted into the sky with the sun's intensity. The sonic boom hit us first. I remember being scared, knowing what was coming. James knew as well and he stared yelling, "No, not now!" I braced myself as the explosion engulfed us. I became lucid for a moment, and I remembered thinking this wasn't real, I was going to wake up at any moment.

But I never did. I burned to death for a good minute before everything went black. 

I could hear myself breathing. I saw a window flash in front of me, like a computer screen window, and it flashed a message. It said, "You Have Failed Life. Please wait to be reborn." I saw a pile of what looked like yellow clay forming into the shape of a fetus, and then into the shape of a baby. Then I blacked out again.

When I woke up, I was outside, the sun was high in the sky. I wasn't in the valley where I lived anymore. I was in the front yard of a house. It looked like my Mom's old place in San Bernardino actually. Except the grass was green, healthy and soft. I got up on my knees before deciding to stand. I was shaken, weak, and reluctant to explore my new surroundings. I was pretty sure I was dead.

When I got up, I walked around the building and found the front door. It looked like a diner from this side. As I did, I was remembering my life. Bit's and pieces. Small fragments of what I could actually recall. I don't remember why, I was kind of disorientated, but I said, to no one in particular, "I want to remember... everything." I stumbled into the diner, and I did. I remembered everything. My most recent past life, and all my past lives before. Hundreds.

It was an entirely different environment inside of the diner. It was just a building from the outside, but it was a bustling world from the inside. Seriously. An entire world. I assumed this was Heaven. I really didn't know what else to call it. It sure wasn't hell. I saw my sister and I asked if her name was Vicky. She said, "Of course," like it's something I should have already known. Then I saw my grandmother. I told her that I died and she said, "Well that's too bad." I guess she was dead already by the time I had died, she seemed used to this place.

There were about 6 people where I was. I felt like I knew all of them. Everyone seemed to know each other. Maybe from life, or from our encounters from any of our past lives, or maybe in heaven, everyone just simply knows each other. There are no strangers in heaven.

This is about where I woke up.

It was one of those awakenings where you just lie there in bed, not sure of where you were. I wasn't tired anymore, so I got up to make some coffee.

Author's Note

I copied and pasted this out of my myspace blog from when I wrote it. I spent a whole week after this dream thinking of the journey my character would have taken in this place. Was it the only one? Was he the only one to remember his past lives? Was the whole world dead? Where would he go, what would he look for? What would he learn about this place? I may actually write it someday, I'm curious to see what happens.

Reviews

[Undying Glory]

nice work man, i think this is great. good job

[Ruth]

Great work hon, dark and makes you think!
Really well written too!
You on Myspace, me too! lol
xx

[Sam Severn]

Like a black-as-death comic nightmare this story gets under your skin and tunnels and weaves its way into your brain! Reminded me of Philip K. Dick's hallucinatory sci-fi, especially the "You Have Failed Life. Please wait to be reborn" message the dream imparted. Loved the ending, too....FABULOUS STUFF! ㋡

[Coyote Poetry]

I like these kind of stories. I would love to share lunch with Hemingway, Twain and Kosinski. Just to listen to what they have to say. Their lives were amazing. I like the characters in this story. I like the line. No stranger in heaven. A outstanding story.
Coyote