Congratulations !
You have been awarded points.
Thank you for !
- Story Listed as: True Life For Teens
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Philosophy/Religion/Spirituality
- Published: 05/28/2013
A Trip to Purgatory
Born 1996, F, from Riverdale, United States.jpg)
Today is B-Day, I have Biology, English, Computer Science, and Math. I need Biology book and notebook. I talked to myself as I was preparing my stuff for school. This morning, I have Biology with Firdaus. I sit next to him, don't know what to do. I don't want to talk to him because every time I do, we argue. But he is too good at talking to not talk to; besides, I have nothing else to do. While I was puzzling with myself, he turns to me and says: "I know someone will do something bad to you." "Do what? Who?” I doubtfully ask. "I don't know, but I know someone will do something bad to you," he says certainly. Then, he turns his head away. I tried to ask him repeatedly, but he refused to tell me any further information. I half believe, half doubt. How can he know about me? I got bullied sometimes at school, maybe that's what he means? He doesn't seem to like me, but I know he would not do anything bad to me either. Perhaps he knows someone will bully me? What he said is quite unbelievable, but I still need to be careful. Plus, my area is unsafe these days. When I go home, I heard the radio warning something about the security of my area. "I will need to be careful," I murmur to myself.
Next day, when I go to school, I feel scared a little bit. I watch around me as I walk to school. At school, I try to not look at people and don't meddle with their business. By that way, they will ignore me and no one will bully me, I think. By the time I got home, no one had bullied me yet. I had a peaceful day at school today. I start thinking that Firdaus lied to me. How can he possibly know about my future? The next day, when I walk to school, I think if nothing happens to me today, then I will be fine. His word is a lie. As I walk toward school, I tried to avoid people by walking on a narrow sidewalk, next to the grass. Nobody will notice my presence to do anything bad to me, I think. There is a black car coming near the sidewalk, but it stopped a dozen steps behind me. Suddenly, I feel somebody is brisk walking behind me. I turn around to see who, and I saw a big man is only a few steps behind my back. Behind him are two other men in black suits and black sunglasses, probably his guards. Before I can escape the sidewalk and merge into the crowd, he already got me. He asks in a low, dangerous voice, "Where is my gold?" I say in fear, "I don't know...” He pushes me down on my knee and demands again, "Where is my gold?" "I don't know what are you talking about,” I answer him as I'm trying to get up. But his left hand grabs my hair and pushes my head down. Immediately after that, I feel his knife cuts my spine. The cut was so deep into my body as if he was trying to split my back in half. I fall down painfully. My hands press against the ground. I open my mouth, but I was too hurt and exhausted that I can only whimper. I can feel my blood rushing out of my body, dyeing the ground beneath me. I remember Firdaus told me that something bad will happen to me, but I didn't think that it could be my death. The guy who killed me had left, and I am alone now. My pain is indescribable. I didn't dare to look back at my injury or try to heal it. I know I couldn't survive. So I close my eyes, and I see the whole world around me become black.
Seconds later, I found myself in a dark room, kneeling in the same way as I did when I was dying. I feel amazed, scared, and then confused. I tried to get up and go see around to find out where I am. But my back is still bleeding and hurt so much like the moment he cut me; I can barely make a small move. So I just kneel here and look around me. All I can see is embers and burning fire all around me in the air. I'm not sure if I'm on fire or not. The room looks like it's on fire and I’m in the mid of it; my body is really hurt, but is not burned. I know for sure that I was dead a minute earlier. And now I'm in a fire room, so I must be in hell, or purgatory. But why my wound is not healed when I die? So I was so unlucky to die this way that I have to be continuing in this horrible pain, plus the pain of this fire room. Why? Why did I die this way? What had I done to deserve this? The man had mistaken me with somebody else! Suddenly, I see a small rectangular piece of paper falling down to me. I pick up the paper and see two lines, the first line is my name, and the second line is the number 2054. I guess I'm in purgatory right now, and the number means the year that I can get out of here. This year is 2013, so I will have to dwell in here for 41 years. Forty-one years? Is it long or short? I remember I had read some stories about some people who have to stay in purgatory for hundreds of years. I am not better than them. So I was so blessed to have only 41 years in here. If God had forgiven my sins to cut my punishment to only that many years, why didn’t he cut it shorter? It should be only a few years, or no year at all. How can I stay in here for 41 years, especially with the injury at my back? The cut alone could give me pain to death, but now I have to carry this pain for 41 years. What did I do to deserve this? I start remembering the things I did in my life. And another thought hit me. My dream, my career, my college, my personal programming projects, all the efforts I made in my life, now, they're all gone. I had been staying late all nights to study, trying to get a perfect grade to get into a good college. I had been working too hard, spent countless hours planning my programming projects, hoping that I will earn some money when I sell them. Just yesterday, I was trying to get my college application done, starting on my programming project, making a trap to hunt squirrels and birds behind my house. Now I died, I can no longer work on them; I can no longer receive the prize for my efforts. Everything - my programs, my properties, my times, became ashes. I have a qualm feeling. I feel regret of what I did. So I look up and pray to my God: "I wish I had not wasted time on my programming projects. I should have not tried too hard to get into college. I wish I didn't spend my hours making a trap. Because now, everything is gone. I had been working for nothing. All my work is futile now."
As the last word came out of my mouth, I found myself laying in my bed in my normal sleeping position. My body is clear; there is no sign of cut or injury. My back is not hurt anymore, though my head is a little dizzy. Thank God He saved me from the death. I am over happy now. I had just escaped purgatory! I know I had not dreamed. I had truly been dead and am truly alive again. God had let me live again when I realized that all my work in this life is futile once I die, and I could die any time. This is morning now, I’m alone in my room and healthy. Wait a second, I have school today, and I might be late. So I just dress up, grab my book bag, and go to school. When I'm at school, I remember that I did not bring my books and notebooks for the schedule today. I was in a hurry this morning so I didn't prepare my book bag. But I don't care, I am so tired today that I couldn't study anyway. I just drag myself from class to class and wait to go home. When school ends, I take the bus to go home. My bus comes really late today. When I get off the bus, I think my house is on the opposite street. So I will have to cross the road to come home. The traffic light is only some dozen steps away, but the light is red now, and I can't wait to get home because I need a rest. There aren't many cars now, so I will just run across the road. I wait for a few cars to pass me, and then I run across. But when I'm in the middle of road, I saw some cars are running really fast toward me. I know I cannot run anymore. So I wait there for the cars to pass me and then continue to run really quickly to get home. I take a step back, and I see another car on the first half of the road is coming toward me too! Where can I stand now? There is no middle lane here, only two lanes on each side of the road. So I adjust myself to stand at the very middle of the line between two sides, hoping that the car will not hit me. Fortunately, it did not. Now I can continue to run. So I run really quickly without waiting for a second. Luckily, I made it to the other side safely. Now I am safe and I can walk to my home as slow as I wish, but I realize a terrible thing - my house is not on this side, it's on the other side. I feel terrified. I was just close to the second death when I cross the road, and now I have to cross it again. It's the only way I can get home. I think this time I will wait for the traffic light to walk safely across, but the light is red again and there are only a few cars on the road right now. Without a thought, I wait for the car to pass, look far to my right and left, and run a straight line across the road. Thank God, I made it my house without encountering any car this time.
A Trip to Purgatory(Behind the wall)
Today is B-Day, I have Biology, English, Computer Science, and Math. I need Biology book and notebook. I talked to myself as I was preparing my stuff for school. This morning, I have Biology with Firdaus. I sit next to him, don't know what to do. I don't want to talk to him because every time I do, we argue. But he is too good at talking to not talk to; besides, I have nothing else to do. While I was puzzling with myself, he turns to me and says: "I know someone will do something bad to you." "Do what? Who?” I doubtfully ask. "I don't know, but I know someone will do something bad to you," he says certainly. Then, he turns his head away. I tried to ask him repeatedly, but he refused to tell me any further information. I half believe, half doubt. How can he know about me? I got bullied sometimes at school, maybe that's what he means? He doesn't seem to like me, but I know he would not do anything bad to me either. Perhaps he knows someone will bully me? What he said is quite unbelievable, but I still need to be careful. Plus, my area is unsafe these days. When I go home, I heard the radio warning something about the security of my area. "I will need to be careful," I murmur to myself.
Next day, when I go to school, I feel scared a little bit. I watch around me as I walk to school. At school, I try to not look at people and don't meddle with their business. By that way, they will ignore me and no one will bully me, I think. By the time I got home, no one had bullied me yet. I had a peaceful day at school today. I start thinking that Firdaus lied to me. How can he possibly know about my future? The next day, when I walk to school, I think if nothing happens to me today, then I will be fine. His word is a lie. As I walk toward school, I tried to avoid people by walking on a narrow sidewalk, next to the grass. Nobody will notice my presence to do anything bad to me, I think. There is a black car coming near the sidewalk, but it stopped a dozen steps behind me. Suddenly, I feel somebody is brisk walking behind me. I turn around to see who, and I saw a big man is only a few steps behind my back. Behind him are two other men in black suits and black sunglasses, probably his guards. Before I can escape the sidewalk and merge into the crowd, he already got me. He asks in a low, dangerous voice, "Where is my gold?" I say in fear, "I don't know...” He pushes me down on my knee and demands again, "Where is my gold?" "I don't know what are you talking about,” I answer him as I'm trying to get up. But his left hand grabs my hair and pushes my head down. Immediately after that, I feel his knife cuts my spine. The cut was so deep into my body as if he was trying to split my back in half. I fall down painfully. My hands press against the ground. I open my mouth, but I was too hurt and exhausted that I can only whimper. I can feel my blood rushing out of my body, dyeing the ground beneath me. I remember Firdaus told me that something bad will happen to me, but I didn't think that it could be my death. The guy who killed me had left, and I am alone now. My pain is indescribable. I didn't dare to look back at my injury or try to heal it. I know I couldn't survive. So I close my eyes, and I see the whole world around me become black.
Seconds later, I found myself in a dark room, kneeling in the same way as I did when I was dying. I feel amazed, scared, and then confused. I tried to get up and go see around to find out where I am. But my back is still bleeding and hurt so much like the moment he cut me; I can barely make a small move. So I just kneel here and look around me. All I can see is embers and burning fire all around me in the air. I'm not sure if I'm on fire or not. The room looks like it's on fire and I’m in the mid of it; my body is really hurt, but is not burned. I know for sure that I was dead a minute earlier. And now I'm in a fire room, so I must be in hell, or purgatory. But why my wound is not healed when I die? So I was so unlucky to die this way that I have to be continuing in this horrible pain, plus the pain of this fire room. Why? Why did I die this way? What had I done to deserve this? The man had mistaken me with somebody else! Suddenly, I see a small rectangular piece of paper falling down to me. I pick up the paper and see two lines, the first line is my name, and the second line is the number 2054. I guess I'm in purgatory right now, and the number means the year that I can get out of here. This year is 2013, so I will have to dwell in here for 41 years. Forty-one years? Is it long or short? I remember I had read some stories about some people who have to stay in purgatory for hundreds of years. I am not better than them. So I was so blessed to have only 41 years in here. If God had forgiven my sins to cut my punishment to only that many years, why didn’t he cut it shorter? It should be only a few years, or no year at all. How can I stay in here for 41 years, especially with the injury at my back? The cut alone could give me pain to death, but now I have to carry this pain for 41 years. What did I do to deserve this? I start remembering the things I did in my life. And another thought hit me. My dream, my career, my college, my personal programming projects, all the efforts I made in my life, now, they're all gone. I had been staying late all nights to study, trying to get a perfect grade to get into a good college. I had been working too hard, spent countless hours planning my programming projects, hoping that I will earn some money when I sell them. Just yesterday, I was trying to get my college application done, starting on my programming project, making a trap to hunt squirrels and birds behind my house. Now I died, I can no longer work on them; I can no longer receive the prize for my efforts. Everything - my programs, my properties, my times, became ashes. I have a qualm feeling. I feel regret of what I did. So I look up and pray to my God: "I wish I had not wasted time on my programming projects. I should have not tried too hard to get into college. I wish I didn't spend my hours making a trap. Because now, everything is gone. I had been working for nothing. All my work is futile now."
As the last word came out of my mouth, I found myself laying in my bed in my normal sleeping position. My body is clear; there is no sign of cut or injury. My back is not hurt anymore, though my head is a little dizzy. Thank God He saved me from the death. I am over happy now. I had just escaped purgatory! I know I had not dreamed. I had truly been dead and am truly alive again. God had let me live again when I realized that all my work in this life is futile once I die, and I could die any time. This is morning now, I’m alone in my room and healthy. Wait a second, I have school today, and I might be late. So I just dress up, grab my book bag, and go to school. When I'm at school, I remember that I did not bring my books and notebooks for the schedule today. I was in a hurry this morning so I didn't prepare my book bag. But I don't care, I am so tired today that I couldn't study anyway. I just drag myself from class to class and wait to go home. When school ends, I take the bus to go home. My bus comes really late today. When I get off the bus, I think my house is on the opposite street. So I will have to cross the road to come home. The traffic light is only some dozen steps away, but the light is red now, and I can't wait to get home because I need a rest. There aren't many cars now, so I will just run across the road. I wait for a few cars to pass me, and then I run across. But when I'm in the middle of road, I saw some cars are running really fast toward me. I know I cannot run anymore. So I wait there for the cars to pass me and then continue to run really quickly to get home. I take a step back, and I see another car on the first half of the road is coming toward me too! Where can I stand now? There is no middle lane here, only two lanes on each side of the road. So I adjust myself to stand at the very middle of the line between two sides, hoping that the car will not hit me. Fortunately, it did not. Now I can continue to run. So I run really quickly without waiting for a second. Luckily, I made it to the other side safely. Now I am safe and I can walk to my home as slow as I wish, but I realize a terrible thing - my house is not on this side, it's on the other side. I feel terrified. I was just close to the second death when I cross the road, and now I have to cross it again. It's the only way I can get home. I think this time I will wait for the traffic light to walk safely across, but the light is red again and there are only a few cars on the road right now. Without a thought, I wait for the car to pass, look far to my right and left, and run a straight line across the road. Thank God, I made it my house without encountering any car this time.
- Share this story on
- 8
COMMENTS (0)