extend The night was cold and wet. A chilling wind swept through the city. I was sitting in a bar nursing my 7th beer. It had been a horrible day, starting with the fight between my wife and I. Then nearly loosing my job, car trouble, a leaky pen staining my shirt. You know the type of day, the type when the ledge outside of your high rise office window looks really inviting. A really BAD day. I staggered out of the tavern and caught myself on the stair rail. I was drunk...great, JUST what I needed. Cautiously staggering, I managed to make it to my car. Where is that damned key...? Ah, here it is...Damnit, not it. Great, dropped them. I bent down it retrieve the keys and found myself landing flat on my back. You could say it was the straw that broke the camel's back. I sat up and leaned against the door, tossed my head back and laughed at the world. For that instant nothing mattered, nothing. My wife, my baby on the way, my job, parents, friends. You know, I was majorly suicidal. Still laughing hysterically, I drove off into the night. I do not remember anything from the trip, where I went, how I got there. The door slammed and I walked over to the bridge railing. Looking down I realized how calm and dark the wa ter looked...it was at peace, restful. Totally opposite from me...a 39 year old balding drunkard. I wanted to be there, there in the water. I wanted to feel that calmness. I closed my eyes and stepped forward...feeling the wind on my face as I drifted downward... It was dark there, peaceful...just like I had imagined. I felt a lifting sensation...my body was rising. This was it, I was going Home. My body was cold, this was not the warm feeling I expected. My eyes would not open, I did not know where I was. I felt a pair of cold lips upon mine, blowing life back into me. I shot up, my face in a grimace. On hands and knees, gallons of water exited my mouth. I lie there hacking and coughing. I remember feeling woozy, the already dark world was growing darker. My eye lids parted and I saw a figure before me...it was a short humanoid...thing. A wide rimmed hat protected his head from the punishing environment. The last thing I noticed were his radiant yellow eyes...then darkness. I do now know how long I lay there unconscious, but it was not long, for it was still night when I awoke. I sat up and propped myself against a near by log, at least I hoped it was. The memory of that horrid creature I say before I passed revived. I opened my eyes and looked in front of me. There he was, although not nearly the monster I had remembered. He was about 5'4" and chubby. Not evil looking at all...in fact he was rather cherubous. Except for the slightly glowing yellow eyes, black trench coat and matching wide rimmed hat. Hello there, Matt. I'm Baku, welcome to your world. Look behind you. It was a nice night for a suicide, eh? Terrified I turned and saw the most horrible thing one can never imagine that you'll EVER have to see, yourself- d.e.a.d. My log was my own dead body. I lost it...on my own body. Is it such a surprising sight? This IS what you wanted most, after all. Isn't it? Hmmmm? Gasping and reeling from what I saw, I faced him. Ummm, this is NOT what I wanted. What kind of after life is this? This is no different from the hell I just left! This is even worse! Is it really? How do you feel? Sick, other than that...well... It was totally unexpected. I actually felt GOOD. Not just good, but good. All of my stresses, pains, and problems had been lifted. I still knew of them, but they didn't affect me. ...I feel great. No, I can't. That is me! I just blew on myself...I can't pos sibly feel this great... But I was lying to myself, I felt like a god. Exactly. This is YOUR afterlife, your eternal world. This is what you imagined, that is what you wanted-this is what you got. Welcome to eternity, you've earned it. With that he shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to walk away. WAIT, my lungs shouted. This is it?! What do I do now?!! Sit here looking at my dead self? What then...when I get bored? Where is Heaven or even Hell? Under his breath he muttered: Surprising... What do you want to do? Honestly, you created this eternity, you do what you want to with it. As for Heaven and Hell, those are for others. You have never been religious have you? Doesn't surprise me, ending your life the way you did. What?! Others? What others? Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter?! What the hell kind of an answer is that?! A fitting one. Now excuse me, I have other disgusting souls to look in upon. WAIT! What if I don't want to exist here? Can I go back to the...the... The what? ...Way I was before? You mean return to the living? Yes...I...I guess I do. Hmmmm, figures. Yes...there is a way; although, it is not what you are wanting. HOW!? If it means returning to my...my wife and my unborn child then yes, it is what I want. Sigh, very well, then. I can offer you a way back but there is a complication- Tell me...it doesn't matter- As I was saying, the complication is this: You can return to the living world but you will not lead a normal life. Life for you will be extended, for having touched death's hand you will be among the living for 500 more years. You mean, that I will live for 500 years? I won't see you...er, death again for 500 years? I believe that is what I said. You will suffer no illness, no injury, no physical pain for 500 years. After the time is up we will return to claim your soul and you will be brought back to this spot just as you are now and be forced to dwell here for eternity. Well, do you accept? Don't you want to see your wife again? Your unborn child? Think of it, you will outlive your children's children's' children. Their lives will be nothing compared to yours. Yes...it was a tempting offer. Near eternal life, no pain. I would be happy, I could set the things that I furbared right. I could make amends for today, fix it. My loving home, parents, wife, child and friends. I would live to see my greatgrand children. Watch them grow...also watch them die. Watch everyone die...all of my family, all of my friends. While I wouldn't age...I wouldn't age. But...I...I would be alone. Everyone I met would die before my eyes, growing into dust while I stayed fresh and supple. It would be more of a hell than I was living now. Alone for 500 years only an observer to the nightmare of other's deaths. That isn't what I wanted. NO! No?! That is a funny answer. Most people jump at the chance. Why do you refuse my offer? Alone...I...would...be alone for those 500 years. My fam ily, my life would die around me while I only watched. Interesting. Hmmm, I see. You would rather suffer in this hell than to return to the living for 500 years of life... Perhaps it would be a worse hell than this. Well, then. I will leave you. I offered, you refused. It is the way. Farewell, Matt. Have a wonderful after life. Was this all this...this Baku could say. Having refused his offer of 500 years of heaven in hell, he was just going to let me stay here? As he said, it was the way. I reached out my hand, but he was gone. I sat there for at least an hour reflecting on what had happened-maybe longer. Until a noise broke the silence. I heard a boat slowly drifting down the river, a search light scouring the shore. It hit me in the eyes, blinding me...but I was dead...how can a light blind me? I voice shouted, but I couldn't respond to it. My eyelids become heavy and then they closed. Then I went numb. I awoke on a soft surface. The room where I was was much different from the cold darkness of the night before. It was pastel and bright. A warm air circulated about. I sat up and looked around. It was a hospital...I was in a hospi tal room! I fell back onto the bed smiling...it was a dream. I hoped it was. Maybe it was a dream...maybe... Lit By hFaze trying something a little different....enjoy