The Road

I didn't know how long I'd been walking down this road. It could have been hours, days, or months but strangely, I didn't feel the least bit tired. I don't remember anything before walking down this road. I only knew that I had to keep going.

The Sun hung high in the sky and cast a pleasant warmth upon my skin. The flowers that grew on the right side of the road filled the warm air with a thick fragrance. As nice as it was to walk down this mysterious road, I knew I couldn't stay here forever. I looked as far as I could see but the road seemed to go on for eternity. I sighed. There was still a long way to go.

Suddenly the fence on my left began to blur and images began to appear. A girl. She was running, and she looked so scared. She dove in front of an old man who looked equally as scared. Then there was another man standing in front of them. Before I knew it, he had pulled out a gun. There was a loud bang and s blinding flash of light. The girl fell to the ground and the image dissolved as if it had never been there. That's when I fainted.

When I opened my eyes it was dark outside. A vast array of stars twinkled above me. I felt extremely groggy but the effect was wearing off quickly and it seemed that the more alert I felt, the brighter it became outside until it was so bright that I couldn't help squinting. Since the Sun was up, I figured I should be too so I got up and continued walking.

While I was walked I tried to remember anything before being on this road. I couldn't remember anything and after a while I started to get frustrated. As I thought about the situation more and more, I began to realize how strange it was. There didn't seem to be an end to this road. I haven't seen anyone else for as long as I can remember and except for when I passed out, the Sun never changed position in the sky. What does one do in a situation like this?

I glanced up at the sky as if the answer to my question was just going to fall from the heavens, but all I saw was a bird and a particularly large bird at that. It seemed to be making large circles above my head. I heard the loud offensive noise of a crow. However, this didn't seem to be coming from above me. I looked to the fence to find the source of the noise, and sitting there was a big fat crow. Oh great, first a bird starts circling my head and now a crow. This can't mean anything good. The crow looked right at me and made the noise again as if to tell me something. I just stared at it and as I stared, it seemed as though it was getting darker. Then I noticed, it wasn't just the crow that was getting darker, it was the whole area around me.

I looked up and saw the bird from earlier. Since it was so close I realized it was much bigger than I thought and it was coming right at me! I tried to run but it was still closing in on me. It swooped down to grab me and I dove for the ground in an attempt to avoid its grasp. It rose back up into the air and I caught a glimpse of it up close. It was not a bird as I had thought but a person with wings.

The winged person disappeared into the sky and all was quiet. I searched the sky trying to see if he would come back but all I saw was the Sun and a vast expanse of blue. When I was finally satisfied that he wasn't coming back, I decided to survey the damage I'd taken from the fall. I checked my right arm first. I knew from the pain that I had scraped it and when I looked down, I could see that it was pretty bad. I hardly got a chance to get a good look at it before it healed up right before my eyes. I was so stunned that I couldn't move. What the heck was going on?!

Suddenly it all came back to me. I remembered my life. I remembered being raised by my grandpa in Ohio after my parents died. I remembered how me and Grandpa loved to go to the movies together, but there was something nagging at me though, that I couldn't quite remember. How did I get here? No matter how hard I tried to remember, it just wouldn't come to me.

Maybe if I figure out where I am, I can figure out how I got here. I thought over everything that had happened. It was all so strange. This couldn't be the real world.

"Maybe I'm dreaming." I said aloud.

But if I'm dreaming, why didn't I wake up when I got hurt? Why have I been here for so long? Above all else, why would I dream about that scene on the fence when I..."

Oh my god!"

I couldn't control the tears that streamed from my eyes or the sobs that escaped from my mouth.

"Am I-"

"Dead?" A voice from behind me finished.

I turned quickly to find a man with big black wings standing behind me. The same man that had tried to grab me earlier. I was mildly aware that it was quickly getting dark outside as though it was reflecting my mood.

"Who are you?" I demanded to know.

"Azrael," He replied, "I was sent to collect you after you died but you had already gone to Limbo before I got there."

"This is Limbo?"

"Yes, I'm sorry you had to stay here for so long but I couldn't bring you to the other side until you realized that you had died."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?"

"No," I admitted, "It's still hard to take in"

"I know honey, but we can't stay here, we've got to go."

Azrael gestured to the road behind me. I turned and there was a bright light as though a train were ahead, but there were no tracks and there was no whistle. There was only a light that seemed to come from nowhere.

"Is my grandpa okay?" I asked, turning back towards Azrael.

"He's just fine dear."

Relief for my grandpa's life and sorrow for my own washed over me and I cried as though I would never stop. Azrael held me in his arms, wrapped his wings around me, and when I was ready, he lead me into the light.