[untitled]

This is a short story, still unfinished, that I started a few years ago.

 

Jay awoke to the irritating sound of mainstream radio.  He set his alarm to turn on to the pop station every morning with the hopes that it would annoy him enough to make him get up to turn it off.  Unfortunately, all it really did was make him grumpy.  He hated Jessica Simpson being the first thing he heard in the morning.  Forcing himself up, he stumbled over to the alarm.  Through a sleepy haze, he peered down at the clock.  It read 6:02 AM.  Squinting, he noticed something next to his clock.  Rubbing his eyes to clear his vision, he saw that it was a letter.

It didn’t immediately strike him as odd that the parcel had appeared not in his mailbox, but on top of his dresser.  All his attention was focused on his name written in fancy purple script on this odd little letter.  It was strangely luminescent.  Looking more closely, the letter appeared to be pulsing.  It immediately reminded Jay of a beating heart.  Repulsed, he took a step back, and turned to leave the room. 

Standing in the doorway, he hesitated, and slowly looked back.  The pulsing seemed to have stopped.  It never was pulsing, you silly sod, he thought to himself.  It’s just a harmless letter.  He immediately felt silly.  Who gets frightened by an envelope?  Slightly disgruntled, he charged over to his dresser and seized the letter.  He was shocked by how light it was.  There can’t possibly be anything inside.

It was then that he noticed there was no return address.  In fact, his address was not there either.  Just his name.  A frightening thought struck him.  Who’s been in my house?  Whipping around, he leapt into a karate stance.  Looking around wildly, he caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.  Oh, real frightening.  I look like a bloody idiot.  Regaining his composure, he peered down at the envelope still in his hand.  The ‘a’ in his name drew his attention particularly.  It had an almost hypnotizing quality.  He couldn’t seem to look away…

He suddenly felt he would be sick.  It felt as though something had grabbed hold of his stomach and was grinding and twisting it.  The grinding became a pulling, and his vision blurred.  His knees collapsed from under him and his last thought was, Oh, here comes the floor…

  ***

I’m dead.  I’m dead, I’m dead, it’s done; I’m dead.

“You’re not dead, silly.”

Who was that…?  I didn’t say that out loud, I thought it…how the hell…?

“Hell isn’t a real place.  Just a figment of some very imaginative and extremely bored people.”

Jay was starting to get very worried now.  Not only was this person reading his thoughts, they were also having a theological discussion.  Growing up in this day and age, Jay firmly believed in what he was taught; to accept what those of higher influence told you and keep your mouth shut (especially when it comes to your own opinion).  God forbid you should have a disagreement.

Jay managed to peel his eyes open slightly.  Everything was still in a haze, and he could see no speaker.

“Who are you?  What are you doing in my home?”

Jay heard the invisible voice chuckle.  “We are not in your home.”

Sudden panic flooded his mind.  Oh, my God in heaven…

“Exactly!  You’re a very astute observer.”

…And now he was using big words, too.    

“Astute isn’t really a big word, you know.  It’s actually a rather miniscule one.”

“Oh just stop it!”

Jay heard a soft sigh to his right.  Looking in the direction of the noise, he saw a figure emerging out of thin air.  He blinked furiously to clear his vision; he was obviously seeing things. 

Another sigh. 

Jay was going to lose it.  He was hearing voices, which were clearly becoming impatient, and there was also the matter of his vision…

“Of all the people in the world, we pick the dimmest one…”

“Now hold on just one minute you…you…”

“The word you’re looking for is angel.”

Jay could resist no longer.  Letting one eye peek just a bit, he could see a now fully solid figure.  He looked him up and down, trying to look intimidating.

“Angel, eh?  And how much brandy did it take to get to that conclusion?”

The figure only offered an exasperated look.  Closing his eyes and putting his hand to his head, he asked, “Do you have any idea where you are Jay?”

“No, I have no bloody idea, that’s wha-hold on.  Just how the ruddy hell do you know my name?”

Jay stood, transfixed with the vision before him, once again rolling its eyes.  The figure was short with pale, almost translucent skin, a white beard, and wearing flowing white robes, which were a bit too long for him.  They hung down past his sandals onto the fluffy white cloud (wait, cloud?) they were standing on.  Jay immediately struggled to take in his surroundings.  He was completely enveloped in white; it was everywhere.  There was no…solid…ground. 

“I’m going to fall through!  Where’s the ground?  Get me to the ground!”  Jumping from one foot to the other, he looked at the figure claiming to be an angel. 

“Well, what are you looking at?  We have to get to solid ground, where is it,” he asked in total panic. 

The figure only stared in bemusement. 

“You look like a Mexican jumping bean, now calm yourself!”

Snapping his fingers, Jay froze in mid-air, one leg still slightly higher than the other in mid-jump.  He looked first down at his suspended feet, then up at what he was finally starting to believe was an angel.

“About time we’re on the same page.”  His arms folded, he looked at Jay with disdain.

“How is it that you know what I’m thinking?”

“An-gel.  How many times do I have to tell you before it sinks in, you ignorant boy?”

“Boy?  I’m 28.”

“This is getting tiresome.  Shall I explain things for you now or would you like to keep asking repetitive questions?”

“I’m listening.”

Reviews

[Darl1ng N1kk1]

Trevor: Thanks for reading it again! :) lol
Astrid: I sort of have an idea of what comes next... Just nothing concrete yet. I'll try to get something down soonish!

[Trevor]

I still like it...even since the last time I read it =P

[Closedown]

I'm listening too... I wonder what happens next...