STORYSTAR
Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Miracles / Wonders
- Published: 01/06/2026
Life is fleeting...
Born 1951, M, from Wilmington NC, United States.jpeg)
“Oh, man, how in the world did you get here?”
I just stared at the guy. I mean, if it wasn’t for the suit being out of fashion for more than a hundred years…and who in the heck wears a bowler hat anymore….he didn’t look any older than me.
And yeah, that was another thing, why do I look young? I was 85 just a moment ago…and now, well I am dead. So that’s what I told him.
“I don’t know how I got here. I think …I died.”
The guy laughed. It was a nice laugh too. No malice behind it. His smile was genuine too But…who was he?
He chuckled.
“Me? “I’m the guy in charge of dead things.”
“Did you just read my mind?”
He laughed again. Doggone it, laughter is contagious- because I couldn’t help but join in. Although to be honest, I think my laugh was closer to the edge of hysteria than his was. He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder to reassure me.
“No, I read our mind. You, my friend, no longer have one…or at least one that is on its own.”
“You lost me.”
“No, I found you.”
“Whatever, none of his makes sense. I mean, I am dead…aren’t I?”
“Technically. Yes. But as you can plainly see…you still have a sense of self. And that body you are wearing…well, that isn’t real. As far as having any matter in it. It is just a thought. It will wear off. “
I just sat down. Right where I had been standing. This was all too much. I wanted to cry. He sat right down too. And looked right into my eyes.
“Now listen here. You are dead. One of the things life should have taught you, is that everything that ever lived, will be dead way longer than when it was alive. And that…my friend…should give you a huge hint about what you are now.”
“Me? I am dead!”
“Exactly! That is Life’s default position. You were alive for what? (He looked up at a bundle of sparkling energy - it glittered as he read it.)
Let’s see: 85 years, two months, twelve days, four hours, thirty two minutes, and nine seconds. You have been dead…for….?”
He looked at a different group of sparkling motes in front of his face. He whistled.
“Well, I didn’t expect that. You have been dead - not counting now- for more than 9 billion years. Man you were an early riser!"
I was lost completely now. I have been dead longer than I have been alive? WTF? What hint does that give me about Life?”
He chuckled.
“Don’t you see? Dead is what all of us are most of the time. We only live…because well, where matter is involved, you can feel, experience and do things…that well, us dead cannot do. But you need some of those experiences in order to have a good Life when Dead.”
Now my head was hurting. He reached over and…I swear to God, just smoothed out my head with a wave of his hand. My headache was gone.
He laughed again. I joined in.
“That’s a pretty cool talent to have. Wave your hand and pain is gone.”
“Well, I would like to take credit for it, but you see …well, there is no pain here. Remember? You are dead. Living people feel pain…not us. Just like that body you imagined so we could “talk”…it isn’t real. Nothing here is. That’s why we go “live” every once in a while. “
My mind was whirling.
"Wait. What. Life is abnormal and fleeting. Being dead…is normal?”
He read “our mind” again.
He beamed:
“Precisely!”
“I’m lost again.”
This time he hugged me.
“No, you are not. Welcome Home.”
I lost my mind. And found everyone’s. It made me one with ….well everything. I realized that everything that was ever alive, was dead a lot longer. Life was fleeting, because it had to be.
“Oh, My. God.”
And everything answered me at once:
“Yes?"
I just stared at the guy. I mean, if it wasn’t for the suit being out of fashion for more than a hundred years…and who in the heck wears a bowler hat anymore….he didn’t look any older than me.
And yeah, that was another thing, why do I look young? I was 85 just a moment ago…and now, well I am dead. So that’s what I told him.
“I don’t know how I got here. I think …I died.”
The guy laughed. It was a nice laugh too. No malice behind it. His smile was genuine too But…who was he?
He chuckled.
“Me? “I’m the guy in charge of dead things.”
“Did you just read my mind?”
He laughed again. Doggone it, laughter is contagious- because I couldn’t help but join in. Although to be honest, I think my laugh was closer to the edge of hysteria than his was. He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder to reassure me.
“No, I read our mind. You, my friend, no longer have one…or at least one that is on its own.”
“You lost me.”
“No, I found you.”
“Whatever, none of his makes sense. I mean, I am dead…aren’t I?”
“Technically. Yes. But as you can plainly see…you still have a sense of self. And that body you are wearing…well, that isn’t real. As far as having any matter in it. It is just a thought. It will wear off. “
I just sat down. Right where I had been standing. This was all too much. I wanted to cry. He sat right down too. And looked right into my eyes.
“Now listen here. You are dead. One of the things life should have taught you, is that everything that ever lived, will be dead way longer than when it was alive. And that…my friend…should give you a huge hint about what you are now.”
“Me? I am dead!”
“Exactly! That is Life’s default position. You were alive for what? (He looked up at a bundle of sparkling energy - it glittered as he read it.)
Let’s see: 85 years, two months, twelve days, four hours, thirty two minutes, and nine seconds. You have been dead…for….?”
He looked at a different group of sparkling motes in front of his face. He whistled.
“Well, I didn’t expect that. You have been dead - not counting now- for more than 9 billion years. Man you were an early riser!"
I was lost completely now. I have been dead longer than I have been alive? WTF? What hint does that give me about Life?”
He chuckled.
“Don’t you see? Dead is what all of us are most of the time. We only live…because well, where matter is involved, you can feel, experience and do things…that well, us dead cannot do. But you need some of those experiences in order to have a good Life when Dead.”
Now my head was hurting. He reached over and…I swear to God, just smoothed out my head with a wave of his hand. My headache was gone.
He laughed again. I joined in.
“That’s a pretty cool talent to have. Wave your hand and pain is gone.”
“Well, I would like to take credit for it, but you see …well, there is no pain here. Remember? You are dead. Living people feel pain…not us. Just like that body you imagined so we could “talk”…it isn’t real. Nothing here is. That’s why we go “live” every once in a while. “
My mind was whirling.
"Wait. What. Life is abnormal and fleeting. Being dead…is normal?”
He read “our mind” again.
He beamed:
“Precisely!”
“I’m lost again.”
This time he hugged me.
“No, you are not. Welcome Home.”
I lost my mind. And found everyone’s. It made me one with ….well everything. I realized that everything that was ever alive, was dead a lot longer. Life was fleeting, because it had to be.
“Oh, My. God.”
And everything answered me at once:
“Yes?"
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
.png)
COMMENTS (8)