Limbo
My name’s Dan Pierce; whether or not that’s my birth
name, I don’t really know. You’re asking; why don’t I
know my identity? Good question. But there’s also a good
answer; I’m Dea…d, and my earthbound memories have
been totally wiped out. I’m finding the D word kind of
hard to say, so excuse me. That revelation shocked you,
didn’t it? Well it came as quite a blow to me. In fact, it’s
a bit of a bummer, when you wake up and realize you’re
now a spiritual being.
I’ve discovered that entry into heaven is no mean feat.
It’s like starting a new college, or university, the powers
that be want to make sure that you’re qualified for the
tasks ahead. When you reach the pearly gates they don’t
say, “Hey you’re dead, come on in.”
Firstly, your name’s got to be checked against God’s
database. It used to be called the Book of Life; well it still
is, but it’s no longer etched on tablets of stone, or written
on papyrus. No way, Heaven has invested in a high
tech computer system and the gatekeeper accesses the
information via an android tablet. I couldn’t believe it;
the miracles of modern science will never cease to amaze.
Back to the Book of Life, it’s literally a journal of your
existence. You know, birth name, where you were born,
achievements, disappointments, the good and the bad
things you did; of course, it helps if you’ve led a blemish
free life and I don’t mean a life without zits. Finally, it
states where, when, and how you died. Now this data
allows God and his trusted elders to judge as to whether
you’re celestial material.
When I arrived several days ago, or was it several
years ago? Time isn’t measured the same way here. Sorry
I’m rambling, put it down to shock. I don’t even know if
it’s relevant as to when I arrived, what is relevant to me
is the fact that I didn’t actually know my name, never
mind how I died. But seemingly, this isn’t so uncommon.
However, there was a complication in my case and
that was the gatekeeper didn’t know my details either
and he certainly wasn’t expecting me. He had no note of
my arrival, nada. To cut a long story short, I didn’t get
in. I was named Daniel Pierce, for the sake of the records
and whisked away to Limbo, tout de suite.
That’s when I got the devastating news; take a deep
breath because this is a shocker. I was told that if they
couldn’t establish who I was, or why I was there, I’d be
thrown into the Lake of Fire for a second death. Well
knock me down with a feather, if it wasn’t bad enough
that I’d died already, I was to die again. No right to
appeal, no chance of a reprieve.
Well that was until Mikey, sorry, I mean Archangel
Michael, arrived in Limbo yesterday, to speak to me and
a bunch of undesirables. He explained that there was a
chance of salvation, all was not lost, we could prove that
we were worth saving.
He proposed that we enlist in God’s army to help
defeat the Red Rider, aka Satan and his foot soldiers who
are attempting to flex their muscles on Earth. It seems
that Satan has escaped from the burning sulfur lake and
he is determined to seek revenge on God for the years
he has lived in torment. He is proving to be elusive, his
army is growing stronger every day, and Heaven needs
all the help it can get.
Duh, now who would say no to this opportunity of
redemption? Surprisingly enough, some of my fellow
suspected hoods did decline. They didn’t fancy doing
good deeds, obeying God’s word, or Devil slaying. But I
said, “Bring it on.”
Sooo, that’s where I’m at in my celestial career. By the
way, I’m now an angelet, which is another name for a
probationary angel. How long will my internship last?
Well how long is a piece of string?
Guys, I’m about to embark on an important journey
and I could do with good friends like you around. What
I’m saying is, I’d like you to tag along. I’ll need someone
to sound off to. How about it? I believe I’ll be boarding a
bus in Las Vegas tomorrow, headed for Phoenix. I hope
to see you then.
