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Edge of Existence
On a dark winter's night, a family of four perished silently in their sleep due
to a Carbon Monoxide leak. They found themselves walking on a long, flat,
unfamiliar path lined by a few strange houses. They were on the side of the road
on what was presumably a sidewalk, grown over with moss and weeds, next to an
old wooden fence, on the other side of which was pure blackness. A street sign
nearby said 'Road to Heaven' and bill posted on it said 'Heaven, five miles.'
With a shrug they began walking, their bare feet stepping painfully on stray
pebbles. One of them, the teenaged daughter, was wearing slippers that made her
blister rather badly.
They saw a glow on the horizon. The young boy of the
family ran ahead. There was then heard a disturbing 'splat' as he was run over
by a car. the car pulled over, light shining off of its black paintjob even
though there was no moon to be had. He muttered his apologies, saying that the
poor boy's spirit would have to return to Earth and roam the mortal world
forever. The mother if the family asked the driver if there was a rest stop
nearby. The daughter mumbled something about how even in death her mom had a
small bladder. The man at the wheel of the car shook his head rather solemnly.
"If you try to leave this road," he said, "You'll come across the edge of
existence. I'm afraid there are no restops until you reach heaven." With this
the car sped away, leaving the family rather confused.
They trudged onward
until finally the mother couldn't take it anymore. She hopped the fence and ran
madly, the others chasing after her.
All at once the came upon dunes, and
then a wide stretch of flat sand reaching out as far as the eyes could see,
which wasn't very far considering how dark it was. They heard the roar of ocean
waves and they saw a dark figure standing alone and gazing into the
distance.
"This is it," the stranger said, not taking his eyes off the
waters. "This truly is oblivion, and with every wave it steals away a single
grain of sand. Soon it will devour the beach and slip past the dunes and release
its power on heaven itself, the mortal world following close behind. I am here
to guard it, but at the same time I stand and I see nothing, for that is all
there is to see."
So they stood with the man and they watched the inky
tide, and they never got to heaven. If time has not yet stopped, then I believe
they stand there still.
to a Carbon Monoxide leak. They found themselves walking on a long, flat,
unfamiliar path lined by a few strange houses. They were on the side of the road
on what was presumably a sidewalk, grown over with moss and weeds, next to an
old wooden fence, on the other side of which was pure blackness. A street sign
nearby said 'Road to Heaven' and bill posted on it said 'Heaven, five miles.'
With a shrug they began walking, their bare feet stepping painfully on stray
pebbles. One of them, the teenaged daughter, was wearing slippers that made her
blister rather badly.
They saw a glow on the horizon. The young boy of the
family ran ahead. There was then heard a disturbing 'splat' as he was run over
by a car. the car pulled over, light shining off of its black paintjob even
though there was no moon to be had. He muttered his apologies, saying that the
poor boy's spirit would have to return to Earth and roam the mortal world
forever. The mother if the family asked the driver if there was a rest stop
nearby. The daughter mumbled something about how even in death her mom had a
small bladder. The man at the wheel of the car shook his head rather solemnly.
"If you try to leave this road," he said, "You'll come across the edge of
existence. I'm afraid there are no restops until you reach heaven." With this
the car sped away, leaving the family rather confused.
They trudged onward
until finally the mother couldn't take it anymore. She hopped the fence and ran
madly, the others chasing after her.
All at once the came upon dunes, and
then a wide stretch of flat sand reaching out as far as the eyes could see,
which wasn't very far considering how dark it was. They heard the roar of ocean
waves and they saw a dark figure standing alone and gazing into the
distance.
"This is it," the stranger said, not taking his eyes off the
waters. "This truly is oblivion, and with every wave it steals away a single
grain of sand. Soon it will devour the beach and slip past the dunes and release
its power on heaven itself, the mortal world following close behind. I am here
to guard it, but at the same time I stand and I see nothing, for that is all
there is to see."
So they stood with the man and they watched the inky
tide, and they never got to heaven. If time has not yet stopped, then I believe
they stand there still.
The Robber
Once there was a man who had no food, home, or work and had to make a living off of what he took from others. For a few months this went fairly well. But then, one night, when the moon shone bright, he broke into a green house on the wealthy side of town.
Since he was homeless, he carried his possesions wherever he went. So he set his bag down in the upstairs hallway, having come through a window on that level, and soon found his way to the kitchen. It was dimly lit and oddly eerie. A loaf of break sat on the table, so he took it and returned upstairs to get his bag.
He found the cat of the house had thought his bag made a good pillow. He tried to sneak the bag out from under the cat, but it made such a racket that he decided that his belongings were not worth risking the inhabitants of the house waking up. But it was too late, and he heard someone stir in the master bedroom.
He quickly snuck into the study and hid under the desk. It wasn't long before all of the family was awake, and they were up and about and looking for the intruder. One of the children spotted him, and they were crowded around him in seconds.
He mumbled an apology and gave them the loaf of bread he had stolen. They took pity on him and let him stay with them and the robber soon found work and got his own house and was a well-respected man of the community.
The End.
Since he was homeless, he carried his possesions wherever he went. So he set his bag down in the upstairs hallway, having come through a window on that level, and soon found his way to the kitchen. It was dimly lit and oddly eerie. A loaf of break sat on the table, so he took it and returned upstairs to get his bag.
He found the cat of the house had thought his bag made a good pillow. He tried to sneak the bag out from under the cat, but it made such a racket that he decided that his belongings were not worth risking the inhabitants of the house waking up. But it was too late, and he heard someone stir in the master bedroom.
He quickly snuck into the study and hid under the desk. It wasn't long before all of the family was awake, and they were up and about and looking for the intruder. One of the children spotted him, and they were crowded around him in seconds.
He mumbled an apology and gave them the loaf of bread he had stolen. They took pity on him and let him stay with them and the robber soon found work and got his own house and was a well-respected man of the community.
The End.