A Natural Death

I dreamed last night, a horrible dream. It was so vivid, so real, that I could smell the fragrant flowers that danced on the breeze and touch the coolness of the clay hidden under the shade of the dying trees.

I dreamed that I was a younger self, with brown hair tied in braids, tucked behind my adorned ears. My glittering eyes, so blue, so young, squinted at the brightness of the sun, my cheeks soaking in the warming spring rays that I waited so long to feel. My gangly self wore a yellow dress that clad my middle and reached to my knees, comfortable yet practical. In my hands I held a black book, it's contents unknown to me, yet familiar. 

Before me lay a path, well worn and man made, created for the purpose of arriving at a destination, or follow to find a destination. Ahead, in the shadows of a fading magnolia tree, finished with the blossoming for the season, stretched a decorative footbridge that was in need of repair, and my clad feet were drawn towards it. 

 White petals fell towards me, and fluttered gaily like the evening white moths that flitted around the porch light in late summer. Upon the path, the fallen wings created a soft contrast of nature against man made, petals against asphalt.

The creaky yellow bridge spanned between two long hills that hid the water pipes that once was purposeful, before the asylum for the elderly was closed forever for renovations. In times of rain, and melting snow, the hills harbored a small pool, complete with seasonal weeds and dangerous animals.

The silence of the asylum was deafened by the mating calls of the robins and mourning doves that hid within the darkened branches that lined the winding, purposeful path.  The darkened windows held the illusions of people looking out towards the welcoming land, but when observed, the images faded into the broken glass and undefined darkness. 

Upon the bridge that became my final destination, I paused and observed the world around, teeming with life, death and careful desicions. I placed my weight against the smoothed rails of the bridge to contemplate the mysteries that I held in my hand. The weakened wood collapsed and I fell towards the welcoming Earth, expecting to land among the harmless, beautiful weeds.

Though, as I laid there, expecting the dream to end during the fall, which it never would, I found what danger awaited me.  For, within those beautiful, seasonal weeds, was my undoing. As nature creates life, nature also takes away. Nature had killed me with the shell of an aging turtle against my skull. I laid there awaiting a passing stranger to find me lying among the white petals and soft clay, staring eternally with one eye towards the darkening sky, the victim of a perfect murder. 

Golden Gates

Felicia met me on the other side of the golden gates. She was dressed in pale green and held a clipboard. Not exactly the type of heaven that I was expecting. I looked around. This was a strange heaven, not one that I was expecting. I was in a room with four blank walls and a single light hanging from the ceiling. A table was in the center with a second clipboard and a ball point pen lying next to it. Behind me stood the golden gates open, and the dark beyond.
"I'm glad that you're finally here," she said in a alto voice, "We've been waiting for you to finish your experience."

"My experience? You dragged me through hundreds of worlds and expected me to enjoy it?"

"We never said that you would enjoy the experience, it was only an experience that you agreed to."

"Agreed to, when did I ever agree to this?"

"Please sit, we'll go through each experience." She motioned to the table, turning herself briskly and took the farther seat at the table.

Waringly I took the seat and sat down, still unsure of what I was getting into.

"First, let us go to the first event that you experienced. You were thrust into the world of Molly and Thomas, two runaways trying to survive a war. Molly and Thomas are from two different cultures, and due to their union, they both could suffer if it comes to light that their son is to be born. He is to turn the tides of the world, if they survive. You only caught a glimpse of Molly's fear and Thomas's protection of her. Both are madly in love with each other, as you will find yourself in in time."

"Why did I have an urge to visit a Grandmother that did not live there? And what was the rebellion about?"

"The Grandmother does not exist, she was only a past memory of yours that infiltrated your experience. Let's move on."

"But, the rebellion?"

"A fight between two families. Nothing more, surprisingly. There was no family that you were hunting either, it was again, a question that you infiltrated into the experience. Next memory."

"I was again hunting for my family...?"

"Yes, you were a victim of a war, jailed and separated from your family. You were released however the place that you called home has been destroyed by those who took your family, friends and neighbors. The message that you to decipher was still a secret message that was the secret to life, however, as you know, we don't know the secret to life, we create it in our minds, but we cannot truly know. When we die, we hope to find the answer, but as far as we can tell, the angels keep their secrets, and mortals like us will never know."

She turned the page on her clipboard and continued.

"You were in a different war after that, a war of improvement, a war of changing times. A world war of industrialization. You were an individual who understood the importance of industrialization but lacked the followers. This is how all those who create ideas that can help the world but lack the followers. Unfortunately, it happens all too often." 

"This is all I can tell you for now. Forgive me Annabele, but now is the time to rest. Tomorrow we shall continue in the definitions of your experiences. Farewell."

I was left alone suddenly, with no understanding of what would come upon me in the next few days. A cot materialized in the far corner, and without a second thought, I lay in it and fell asleep, blessedly free from any dreams.