Magazine, website & books written by teens since 1989

Journey After Life

By , Yelm, WA
The sun had fallen and its rays fade the road was getting harder to see as the darkness pushed the trees into my path. A funnel that became narrower to the eyes with every foot. My cars lights were on trying to fight off the darkness that conquered all in its path, but it didn’t seem like they could do it. A candle in flickering in a seemed like all hope for an easy and safe journey home had been lost. Checking my seat belt I told myself that “You can do this. You will get home and you will still be in one piece.” I let off the gas paddle a bit to take it slow but constantly I felt this strong urge to get out of there. Every time the urge got more powerful and every time my foot turned to lead. The speedometer climbed by tens as every second ticked away. The street signs because streaking blurs of yellow and white. Nothing to me was more important than getting home and being away from the darkness. Never slowing now I only had five miles to go. Any way I knew this road like the back of my had, the lights only illuminated the first twenty feet or so of the road, but still like I said I knew this road like the back of my hand.
I was at the last straight stretch till I would come to my driveway. So I floored it. Then it happened. The first thing I saw was a pair of glowing blue eyes. The short distance closed quickly and the legs and the mane were visible. It had four legs each the size of a large child. Its dark brown mane was nearly black and it blended softly into the rest of the fir on its body that was grayed from the years that it had managed to survive. His antlers spread the width of the windshield and came into a crown at the top. I only had time to think “oh s***.” In fact that was the last thing I thought before I was taken by the darkness. It was only a few moments that everything was dark. Then I was looking at my car from up on a hill. The tail lights lit up the back and the hazards like a strobe in slow motion. Dim but still on the head lights lit the front giving a clear picture of the animal. Slowly I descended form the hill. Each step my legs got heavier. I went towards the front of the car. The roof part way pealed up and separated from the windshield which was cracked into a thousand different sections. Smoke rolled out from under the hood that was stained with blood and crinkled more then you could a sheet of paper. A bull elk was what I hit and he lay with his rack puncturing through the windshield in multiple places. His head rested against the window and his neck stretched down the hood. His body lay sideways partially on the fender and the rest on the asphalt. Blood trickled out of his nostrils staining the grays on his snout. I ran my hand down his mane and told him that it must have been our time. I looked towards the driver’s seat. Hesitantly I took the few steps towards the door. The window was shattered into nonexistence. There I was in my seat. Head slumped over, face covered in a red mist and my chest impaled by two of his antlers. Coffee mug was still on the floor from the day before.
Looking at this I could only wonder what next. It all happened so fast. Then I felt a soft nudge on my back. Slowly turning around I saw the bull elk. We looked at each other for some time. Searching for something but we didn’t know what it was. I guess we were just trying to comprehend what was going on. He broke the stare and slowly turned away. He took a few steps and then turned his head looking over his shoulder to see if I was following him. Standing there I got the feeling that following him would be a good idea. So I started walking with him. We disappeared into the woods following a game trail. I had no clue where we were going I just walked in faith following him. The trails lead us to a grassy meadow. He made a straight line to the back corner of the field. There were three figures in the field. One was large and the other two were smaller. He walked straight up to them and they didn’t react. They just kept playing and eating. He stepped back and froze. You could see the terror in his eyes. These three elk were his family. I understood that now. I took him from his family and they didn’t even know it. An explosion of light went off and lit up the sky like a beacon just outside of the meadow. He took off in a split second charge at the light. I ran after him. Jumping over logs and ferns while ducking low hanging branches. The light grew intensely as we closed the distance. He stopped inches from a wall of light and glared at it. He snorted, blew out his nostrils, bugled and tried anything he thought would make himself look intimidating.
The section in front of him started do dim and become clear. You could see a giant set of highly detailed oak doors moving in closer to the spot that the elk had been glaring at so long. The clear spot grew as the doors drew closer. Then the wall of light and the doors collided. The world shook as if it were splitting in half. It knocked us to the ground. I looked around to see if any trees were going to fall on us but they were still. Nothing disturbed the area except a few chipmunks yelling at each other to get off their turf. The doors creaked open and a whirl wind of dust escaped as the seam broke. I took a few steps of curiosity in the doorway. The bull didn’t follow me though. So I stopped and turned to see what he was doing. He was just standing there. I told him “I think we’re suppose to go in.” He started to follow and when we were clear of the doors they closed. There was a long hallway with the ceiling that was 300 feet up and on fire. I couldn’t see the end of the hall but I knew it was the only way to go so I started walking. He followed closely behind me. All the while walking down the hall I could scratch the feeling that I was being watched. I thought that maybe I was being watched to see how I managed walking down this seemingly endless hallway. After a while my legs felt like Jell-O and my eye lids had bungee jumpers diving off them. Pulling them closed as they fell and letting me open them back up as the flung toward the sky. Quickly I came to means that I needed to stop and rest. So I found a spot on the wall and squatted with my back against it. I crossed my arms and rested them on my knees then my head on my arms. Within second of closing my eyes an over flowing darkness over took me and I was out.
When I came to it I had no idea what time it was but I didn’t even know if time changed in this new world. I figured that it didn’t really matter. I would get where I am suppose to go in time. Slowly I stood up and began to stretch. When I had finished stretching I got back to the long walk. Time seemed to be going buy I thought. I was able to get tired any way. The end of the hall emerged from the horizon. Reaching the end there were two elevators. Bothe surrounded by white marble and the doors were solid gold. The buttons were the only difference between the two. One side had buttons shaped like hands and the other looked like elk tracks. I pushed my hand up against the button shaped like a hand and the doors opened. I took a step in, turned and looked to see what the bull was doing. The other elevators doors closed and it began to ascend. I brought my head in the elevator and the doors glided to a solid close. I could feel my stomach drop as the elevator started rising. I knew what was next. The judgment at the golden gates like grandma always told me about. After a few seconds the elevator jolted to a stop and the doors shot open. Peeking out I could see a dimly lit room with a red glow. I stepped out and a loud screeching voice yelled “Christopher Jericho! Take a seat at once!” Quickly my eyes darted around the room looking for the person that barked the orders. A dark figure slouched in a chair in the corner of the room caught my attention I calmly walked over to the figure. I tried so hard to fight back the obvious signs that I was scared. I took a seat to the right of the figure. Trying to stay calm I leaned back a bit, put my left foot over my right knee and folded my hands in my lap. Then the figure leaned forward. It wore a dark purple cloak with a hood that stretched out far enough to cover the persons face in its shadow. The figure leaned forward more and I got this feeling like they were trying to pear into my soul. Tension in the room seemed to be increasing. The figure then said in a stern voice “Confess all your sins.” The idea made me uncomfortable. I knew though that I had to do it so I did. I told the person about when I stole an apple from the town grocery store, when I cheated on my tax returns and now most importantly how my mistake took the life of an animal that had a family. When I finished there was a large pause I figured the person was taking in everything and processing it. My judgment time I thought. Then the figure leaned back and said “I guess you’re not so bad after all.” They turned on a light and removed their hood illuminating their face. It was an old woman. Her face was scared and drooped from her years of wisdom. Her hair was silver and reflective. It seemed to demand you respect when you looked at it. She reached behind a picture frame and pulled out a pot of tea. She offered a glass and then poured one for herself. She went on telling me of how things were going to go now. After our little conversation she got up and told me to follow her she would lead the way. We went down a hall with daisy wall paper and in a door to the right.
It was the opening to the heavens. I was confused though the entrance to heaven was through golden gates but this wasn’t a golden gate it was just a well detailed oak door. Either way I didn’t really care what I walked through to make it in here. I was just glad I made it. Now that I was here I was worry free. I never had to eat or sleep. I only had to gibe praise. The old women lead me to a small shack in the clouds. It had a golden door with a key who the size of a person’s finger. She put her finger in to hole and the knob glowed. She then quickly removed her finger and turned the knob. A blinding light burst from the room and for a moment I could have sworn I heard a light harmony. She pushed me into the room and closed the door behind me. “Put on whatever you like.” So I pick out a pair of jeans and a shirt. Both white. Everything in the room was white. Then I went to the door and it opened. I started walking around and enjoying the peace. Kids were running around playing kick ball in the clouds and the adults watching and cheering with no worries. Then I walked over here and met you Abraham. I know it’s not as traumatic as how you got here but I’m okay with it. Since you asked that’s my story. Checkmate.

Post a Comment

Be the first to comment on this article!

Site Feedback