Twisted Dimensions

Everyone needs a vacation and everyone does something nice, even death.

Some people live in ivory towers, some live in the everyday normality that the majority refer to as reality and then there is me. I live in a world where I travel dimensions, where reality is what I make it. I am the ultra-terrestial. I am always at the end I am what is good, bad, right, wrong, beautiful and ugly. I am the ever unfolding existence; I am death.

Often times, such as tonight, I needed a break a vacation. I didn't cause death or force death, I was there to help people cross, sometimes even to change their course in life. I guess I have been burned out. It's hard to watch people's fear, pain, destruction even when people were ready, there was still a lingering sadness that seemed to etch itself in my mind; for me an eternity of these is a long time. 

So I walked into a bar called the Red Lion. It was a broken down, ramshackle pitfall for drunks and for people that were teetering on the criminal side of life. The bouncer at the door was sleeping and the bar tender was drunk and loud, so I knew that the drinks would be stiff and cheap.  Then there was Shirley Andrews who sat on a barstool alone and sad. The woman that was supposed to be accosted, beaten and left for dead. 

Tonight was going to be where her luck began. She would live to see another day as long as she heeded my warning. She was going to be given the option of life or death.

I took a seat next to her at the bar. Immediately she grew tense. It was almost if she knew who I truly was. In my long years I had often wondered if people could sense me though they weren't on their last breath. Then again I had never been human and I could not say for sure. I could only assume that I understood human traits that I knew the human mind. 

"Shirley Andrews." I said without looking at her, "Do you frequently go to dive bars unaccompanied?"

She stilled. I could feel her fear. "Do I know you?"

"No, you do not." I laughed. "But I know you."

 "How do you know my name?"

"I know everyone." I flagged the bar tender down, " In fact I know everything about a person when I choose. I know that the bar tender's name is Macy O'Brien and she has twin boys. The bouncer's name is Matt Johnson, who isn't much of a bouncer because he has an alcohol problem. And those two men in the corner to your left are Joe and Mark, two very awful human beings with anger problems."

"Okay, how and why do you know this?"

"It's sort of a psychic intuition." I smiled. "Hold on, Can I get a jack and coke?"

I didn't intend to scare Shirley away, my intention was to save her from a gruesome end. It was easy for me to forget that people are scared easily. I could sense her searching for a way out of our conversation. But then  I relaxed when she shifted her curiosity to start to question me.

"So you can read minds?" She asked.

I could tell her intrigue was growing and i had to keep her occupied for at least another hour. "Something of that nature."

"Interesting, what's your name?"

It's funny that I had many names non of which I would ask a person to call me, so each time I made up a name for myself, "Darren."

"So, Darren where are you from?"

I was hesitant to tell her, to tell anyone but I was feeling homesick and the urge to be honest overcame me. "My home is called lost hills, Its beautiful." I paused for a moment to take a drink. " The sky is like a stained glass window set against a back drop of mustard colored flowers and mossy trees with autumn leaves. It's always a bit lighter than twilight. The grass was tall enough to run your fingers through it as you walk, there were fireflies that danced over crystal clear lakes and rivers even the breeze seemed to laugh and tickle your nose."

"Wow, sounds like a book." She laughed. "I don't believe you."

At this I was upset. I was in love with my home. It forever remained untainted. It's inhabitants were a select few that has been granted eternal passage. I knew that I possibly sounded insane, but it was my home and I had the love for it like any human loved their own.

"Maybe I should go." She got up to leave. I stopped her from getting up with my arm. She looked  at me wide-eyed, "This was a mistake, talking to you."

"Shirley, listen." 

"What do you want?"

"Tonight, those two men were going to accost you, hurt you and leave you for dead. They know you come here alone. They have been watching you. I came here to tell you to stop coming to bars alone, to stop going to this one and the Brown Recluse in particular."

She sat back down on the barstool." She was utterly in confusion, but also in shock. I knew what was going through her mind. She knew there was truth to my words. 

"Who are you really?" 

"I think you can figure it out on your own." 

"Death?"

I didn't look at her.

"Why would death save someone?"

"I save many people, many beings." I told her. "It's not always the right time for a soul to go." 

"Oh, she said, "I assumed you just took life."

"No."

I knew what was going to come next. Curiosity is usually provides the same questions. But Shirley seemed more a a deep thinker than most, so I was interested in what she was going to ask.

"Can you tell me something about the past that humans have wrong?"

I did enjoy this question, it made me smile. "The Holy Grail is wisdom."

She laughed. Is there such thing as Heaven and Hell?

"That's not my department."

With this she was upset. She tapped her fingers on the bar in irritation. "You really won't answer that?"

I was quiet for a moment, there were rules that I had to live by and I could never break them. Telling her would put me in a position of giving away too much valuable information. Humans always think that there are no consequences for beings such as myself and there are. Everyone always asked this question, wanted to know for real were there angels? What did the Devil really look like? Was the end near? However, it was never my job to tell. I was just the messenger. 

"Be happy that you were given a second chance and all other questions will be answered in time."

Shirley relaxed a bit and finished her beer. She smiled at me, "Well since you are here to save me, could you please walk me home?"

"

Author's Note

Please feel free to let me know if things make sense. I want to know if it flows. Thanks.

Reviews

[Katie]

I liked your twist on a kind of "Grim Reaper" character and the idea of putting whether or not they will live or die up to the person's own decisions. Overall, it flows pretty well but some of the parts where she changed her mind about talking to him seemed a little abrupt and maybe you could ease into them a little more. I don't know though, just my opinion. You did a good job (:

[Phantom Heart]

Thanks. I do think it needs a little more too. It seemed too fast. I am glad you read it!!!

[Maryam Mottahedeh]

It got me in to stay and keep reading and the ending of: "Be happy that you were given a second chance and all other questions will be answered in time."
Shirley relaxed a bit and finished her beer. She smiled at me, "Well since you are here to save me, could you please walk me home?"
is my favorite part... what a Great Ending, a nice way to seal the story.

[Phantom Heart]

Thanks! It's funny I edited it today and changed it to make it flow better and when I went to save changes the Internet failed! Thanks for finding the good in it!