“Second Chance”
He sits on an old milk crate, worn and faded from the weather, his hair softly blowing in the early morning air. His
clothes damp from dew.
His features darkened from the smoke and soot of the engines of passing trains.
The .38 now laying on the ground still smoking. It seems like an eternity since it was fired, but it’s over now, the
deed, done.
He thinks back. This was the fourth, the fourth time the gun had been fired. The tears stream down the left side
of his face, as the memories crash in on him, crushing his soul, once again, even as he tries to shake off the
chill that clings to his back.
He smirks, despite himself.
“Ha, Oh, That’s a good one, …me dead, heh.”
“Okay, who’s that lying there on the ground?”
“Him, heck if I know, but he sure looks a lot like me.”
He looks again at himself lying there looking back at him.. . –He swallows hard.
“um, do you know what’s going on here?”
“Oh please, it’s so simple. Are you going to make me draw you a picture?”
“You’re dead, you shot yourself. And thanks to a little loop hole in the books, . . .you’ve become a problem.”
“I have been sent down to deal with you, and tie up any loose ends.”
He pauses, and rubs at his face, as he sorts out his thoughts.
“So . . .what am I to do with you?”
“What do you mean by saying that I’m a problem?
“You are Daniel Managhan, right?
“Yeah, so?”
“Did you not just blow a hole in your head, here in this train yard?”
“No, well, uh –yeah, but. . .I don’t know”
“Ok, sigh –Let’s get to the basics. I’ve got work to do.”
“You have plagued yourself for a year and a half over the death of your fiancée, Page.”
“Hey don’t go there!!!”
“I’m just stating the facts as I know them.”
“You were scarred from the incident, both physically and emotionally.”
“Recently you have lost your will to go on, so you decided to take the easy way out, and become a loser. . .”
“A loser!!?”
“Yes, a loser. You just lost your faith, and your pathway to salvation. So you came out here last night, half drunk,
still blaming yourself for her death, for not helping her. . .”
“Hey, Damn it, I told you!!”
“..and as the night went on, . . .an please watch the language. . .the night went on, in your drunken stupor, you
gave up, shot yourself hoping to ease your suffering.”
“Well, I didn’t do it did I!!?”
“Um, I think you might ought to look at that body lying at your feet once more.”
“Check his ID, I believe you’ll recognize the name and picture on the license.”
“, …But he’s dead!” “or I’m . . No, no. . .he’s dead.”
“so, he’s dead. It’s your pocket, and I guarantee, he’s not going to do anything to you.” “The rigor-mortis is
already starting to set in.”
Now get the wallet and find out, so we can get on with this.”” I have a schedule to keep.”
Reluctantly, Daniel reaches down and starts to pull the wallet from the dead man’s pocket. Slowly he slides it out.
. .
“ARGHHHH!!”
Daniel jumps, flaying his arms, screaming.
“Ahhhyyeah!” “What the hell!@”
“Why did you do that!?”
“Because it’s funny.” “In my line of work, a good laugh is such a rare commodity, and if I do say so myself, I
believe I’m starting to really get the hang of it. . .AND I told you to watch the language!”
“Well, it’s not funny to me” “Sheesh!”
“You should have seen yourself. Believe me, it was funny.” (He, heh, heh)
Angrily Daniel picks up the wallet and looks inside, frowns, then throws the wallet at the still smiling Angel, who
catches it without even trying.
“Who are you, you popped up, knowing all this sh--, all this stuff”
“…Much better.”
“Then tell me I’m dead, and am personally your problem?””But I’m not dead, I’m standing right here, talking to
you. . .so . .who are you, and just where the hell are you from?’
“well, I’m not from Hell, and I will let that one slide.” “I’m from Elysian, and as far as who I am, I’m just a friend”
“No, Uh, Uh, I’m not settling for that. I want to know.”
“What you? The Angel of death or something. . .He he..”
“What’s so funny?” “I’ll take that as a compliment, but I’m not Michael.” “I am an Angel of the order of Sceraph in
the company of arch Angels, and I’m here to decide your pathway to eternity.”
“Yeah, right. . .so where’s your wings?”
He straightens himself and flexes his shoulders in a pair of alabaster wings that extend out of the rising sunlight.
As if the brought the shining glow with them. As they softly flap blowing Daniels hair back to reveal his awe.
As quickly as they appeared, they fold back into his shoulders and are gone.
“Who, I know I didn’t drink that much, and I’ve not popped any pills, so that rules out any hallucinations.” : So oh,
I’ve got it. . .it’s all a bad dream. That explains everything.”
“This place, that, that body. . .the wings, heh. ..you me, oh, and the wallet. It’s all just a bad dream.”
“Yeah, that’s it, yeah . . .”
“That’s it? .. Awe crap!”
“Oh, it could be a bad dream, if you look at your death as a bad dream.”
“Am I gonna have to go through the whole dog and pony bit?’
“Why are humans all the same. They can’t believe in something, or except anything as being real, without having
concrete evidence, or expect something in return for their belief in it.”
“OK. . .there have been some exceptions. . .there are a few who believe without question.””They offer
themselves wholly. . .with open arms and open hearts.”
“But they are so few and far between.”
“OK –I’ll bite. If you’re an Angel, then I’m assuming you’re here to hall my butt off to hell, for killing myself –right?”
“Well not exactly, remember that loop hole I mentioned?”
“ Yeah, so?”
“So yes –you killed yourself, so you can’t be allowed to enter the gates of heaven, but because you killed
yourself over the love of someone, you were willing to die for.”
“So you can’t be sent to the pits of hell.”
”Now I have to figure out what to do with you. . .any suggestions?”
“You mean, I’m a ghost?” “Then I can go wherever I want to , or ooh, ooh, do whatever I want to - cool!”
“No! –sigh – you are a spectre, yes, but it is my job to decide where you should be sent, and what your
punishment should be.”
“Well I don’t know about you, but, if I’m gonna be whipped, I would like to make a request before you pass
judgment.”
“What?!!?”
“Well I could really, use a drink. . .Angels do drink don’t they?”
“We have no need of nourishment, or rest or. . .”
“Oh let me guess, a drink!? –man that must really blow!”
“Fine where do you want to go?”
“You serious?” “ I thought you didn’t do anything like that.”
“I didn’t say that, I said we have no need for it.”
“OK –in that case let’s go.”
As Daniel turn to leave, he pauses, turns to face the Angel and asks. . .
“Hey , wait a minute, what about me, , ,or um –him?” “the –body”
“We can’t just leave him.”
“Yes we can, The officer will find it, and file the case under suicide if no one comes to claim the body it will be
buried in the county cemetery. . .end of problem. .”
“But. . .”
“No buts! It’s over and done with. You’re not going to need it anymore.”
“Man, I really do need a drink”
As the two men walk off, almost fading in to the hazy morning glow, Daniel pauses once more looking back at
himself lying in this lonely train yard.
“. . .so, can I see your halo?””
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, the halo, the wings, the . . .”
“Whoa, not all it’s cracked up to be, those wings rocked!”
“ It’s all part of the uniform. . .more so for deremony. If we wore them down here, how much work woukd we be
able to get done?”
“Oh, amn –you would change the face of the earth, you would prove once and for all, that there is something
other than us. And. . . .”
“Half the wordl would want to capture, and dissect us.”” There would be a holy war of differences of faiths.” “We
wouldn’t be able to move, for the ones wanting miracles, or just a magic show with flaming swords.”
“Whoa –dude! You have a flaming sword!!!?? Really?!! Can I . . . Oh. . .oh. . .” Point made sorry!” “But I woud
really like to see it.!!”
“But I always saw angels as either cute little fat kids with bows and arrows, or read about smiting this or that, but
you’re just a guy, nothing to write home about. . .Honestly”
“We are servants, messengers, even warriors if need be. But it’s easier to walk among mortals as a mortal.”
“Man I think I should have just stayed in bed this morning.””This is really starting to get deep.”
“Look you asked, I answered. So we can get going.”
They walk on in silence until they reach the first tavern that’s open. Just on the outskirts of the train yard.
As the two men enter. The bar is nearly empty except for a few tried individuals, tyring to wind down from the
night shift, and the bartender propped up against her elbow, finishing the last few pages of a wore out old
paperback.
“Looks like they spent the night, guess we picked the right place, everyone here looks like the walking dead.”
“Hey, are we invisible?”
No –and they can hear you too. . .”
“Crap!”
As they sit down at the bar, he sees her close the book, only for it to flip back open as if it reuses to fold. He tries
not to catch her eye, but still does. Seeing the lines on her face, exceed her looks by years.
“What can I get you?”
“Morning good lookin’!” “I’ll have a shot. . .no make that a double. The strongest wiskey you got!”:Oh, and a
beer back.”
“And for you?”
“He’ll take the same, believe me, he needs it.””Oh, and sweety, the tabs on him.”
As she truns to walk away. . .
“Why did you tell her that? “I didn’t desire a drink.”
“Didn’t fugure you did, but this way I don’t look like a full blown alcoholic.”
She returns with two glasses cupped in one hand, and two bottles in the fingers of the other.
After placing them before the men.
“Will you guys be needing anything?”
She returns to her open novel.
“You’re going to be disappointed.”
As the words pass his lips, Daniel down the double bourbon and gags.
“What the!!!!!???!”
“As I said, you’d be disappointed.”“Your taste as well as all of your other senses have become nullified.”
“That’s why I couldn’t understand why you needed a drink so badly.”
“Damn it! I aint believing this!!!” “Why didn’t you tell me? “And befor you say it, yeah, I know. . .no curse
words…I know.”
“You didn’t aks.”
“You didn’t tell me I needed to. “ “First you tell me I’m dead, then make me mess with the dead, me you know. . .
my momma always said, don’t play with dead things. . .and then you make me do it.” :Then you tell me I’m a
Specker. . .”
“Spectre”
“Whatever, now you tell me.””I can’t taste nothing when I really, really needed it.””Oh yea, all my senses don’t
work “
“Well buddy you screwed up and missed one, I can still feel the hurt.”So whatcha gonna do about that? Huh?”
“That’s something you will have to vanquish yourself.”
“Well I tell you, I don’t want it, if you hadn’t noticed that’s what got me into this mess in the first place.”
The angel looks him in the eye.
“See that’s the problem with all of you humans.” “You are given this incredible gift, the ability to feel, wheather it
be good, or bad. Happy or sad. You can feel it, and all you do id abuse it. You turn it to greed and hate, envy
and lust.’
“Yeah, yeah. . .the seven sins. I know.”
“Silence!!! You learn to hate and destroy, then pass it on to your children, so they can follow in your footsteps,
destroying that much more.””There’s times I have wondered why we must fool with you.””the human race is like a
virus spreading, slowly devouring everything the earth provides for you.”
“The all mightly dollar is worshipped more than our father who art in heaven.””Can you tell me why you can’t
relish in the gift befallen unto you. . .instead of tryin vainly to destroy you lives?”
“I don’t know.”
“Fine, let’s take you for example, you were lost living in an apartment, working at a dead end job, with nothing to
gain, and nothing to loose. Those were your thoughts.”
“Then you met Page, and realized there was a reason you were placed upon this planet and once you helped
her out of her abusive relationship she was trapped in, you found happiness and the love, realizing you would
do anything for her. But as all things begin, there must be an ending.”
“I told you, don’t go there.!!”
“Let me finish!” “After you move in to a larger apartment, the you began to plan your wedding, your future, your
family. You were a completely different being, were you not?””You were happy. . .such a simple little thing”
“In the midst of this time with her, disaster srtuck, and her time has ended.”
“I know, I still have the scars!””Did you now that they didn’t even tell me she was dead? For two months I begged
to see her. If she was ok. . .why wasn’t she here for two friggin months?”
He pauses choking back the lump in his throat and takes a long swollow of his beer.
“Yuck! That’s nasty!”
“Don’t you understand Daniel, that her time had come to an end? “No one lives forever.”
“I admit, the way it happened was the handy work of the devils that prowl around among you humans.”
“That blows! I understand that everyone has their own time to go, but why that way? She was a good person.
She got away from the S.O.B. that beat on her.””Did you know I knew her for seven months before I saw her
smile - - -sniffle. . .you talk to the big man, right? –Ask him why she had to die that way. . .what did she do to
deserve that? She was the best thing I ever had! . . .Why man!! –Ask him, I wanna know, do it ask him why.”
“It’s so unfair to have to go through that! To have to suffer, and then die on the table. And why couldn’t they
have told me.?”
“That information is beyond my knowledge. I cannot control the wills of the people. That is not my purpose. But
to help ease some of your pain. I do know that once Page went into shock, during the assult, that she no longer
felt any pain that her body endured. When she left her shell, she was at peace. . .”
“Then why did she never stop screaming?”
As the tears streamed down on to the bar, Daniel finishes his beer, reaches over to takes the shot from the
angel, and slams it back, never once wincing.
“Man life sucks!”
“ones life is what he make of it.”
“Whatever, it still sucks!”
Trying to comfort Daniel.
“Well you don’t have to worry bout it anymore>’
“Heh –you’re right. I don’t have to worry about my life. Now I got to go throughout all eternity with this miserable
feeling in my gut, and the scars on my face. And you were talking about punishment huh?”
“gimme you best! The loss of Page is more punishment than anything YOU can dish out.””everytime I look in the
mirror, I see that night, hear her cries.”
He pulls back his hair.
“Here take a look, nice huh?”
“I lost my hearing in this ear. But these scars are petty compaired to the one on my heart.”: Do you understand
what I’m saying?””I mean you threw your pitch about us wasting what is given to us, well catch this, I cherish what
was given to me. I loved her, I’d do anything for her, I promised her That I would take care of her, and I failed,
OH GOD how I failed!”
“Then to pour a little more salt on my woulds, I had to keep going, I had to live without her. But I had the hurt and
the pain of knowing I let her down, tat I was a failure.””I tried hoestly I tried, but eventually it got to the point I just
couldn’t take it anymore”
“and now. . .huh. . .now you say that I have to deal with it as if I can do better now.””Oh and that’s right, I have all
of eternity to deal with it.”
And at that moment Daniel loses it completely and cries uncontrollably.
The angel sits on his stool somewhat dumbfounded at the event occurring before him, something he has never
experirnced, yet in all of his long years, he has never spent this much time with, let alone, had a conversation
with someone like the broken man beside him.
Daniel tries to regain his composure and reaches for the angels beer.
“sniff. . .you’re not gonna drink this are you?”
“Oh no, you can have it.”
After a long swallow Daniel remins calm, and give the angel a slight glance, waiting to see what happens next.
“I can’t help you with your heart or your sorrow, that is one thing that I have no control over, sorry. “
“S’all right. . “
“But I can take away your scars.”
As he raises his hand and reaches for the crying man.
Daniel pushes his arm away, then stands and looks down at the angel with a frietful scowl.
“You don’t get it, you can’s help me.”
He then turns to leave, but before he can take the first step, he is herked back, slamming down on the wobbly
stool.”
“You;’re a;ll alike.”
The angel refuses to release daniels arm. He places his free hand on the scar.
What happens next cannot be described.
In that instant, man and angel share more than either knew possible, the evnet was a cleansing of mis-
understanings on both sides.
The shackles of their being released and set free.
The Angle finally understood the concept of free will. That not all people foolishly abused their gift, and some
choices had to be made for the better, by having to do worse, but still believeing that a better day will come to
the someday.
But he learned something even more interesting to him, that love is a strange powerful and confusing thing.
Daniel is released from his penance and stares into those fro\zen eyes once more.
His scars remain both on his flesh and soul, yet from his soul he has a feeling rise up to engulf him.
For a long moment he tries to figure out what it is that he feels, it was something lost for so long. He was
confused until it burst forth and Daniel realized that he had hope.
The two men resemble statues.
“Um excuse me. . .but is it safe to collect the tab?”’My shift is about up, and I need to talley up the draw.”
In that moment the two men burst out in to laughter!
“Huh! -Pay thye lady and lets get out of here.”
The angel opens Daniels wllet ,and lays down all of tha cash in it.
“Hey! That’s a hundrend and seventy four bucks, and it’s MY money!”
“I like leaving tips. . .”
The woman smiles and grabs the cash, winks and turns away as she thanks him.
“You boys have a good day, I know mine just got better!”
“I bet.” Daniel grumbles to himself as he rises to leave the bar –the angel pats his shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it. . .It’s only money.”
“I know, but I still feel like I need it.”:”I guess old habits are hard to break.””so have you decided what your gonna
do with me, and my punishment?”
The angel stops and turns
“There will be no punishing, you’ve suffered enough. There’s no need for anymore.”
“…Huh, fine with me, but what about te other?”
The angle stands silent, gazing upward. Rubbing once more his face.
“Tell you what, Why don’t you think about it while I take a walk. I feel like stetching my legs””I got a couple of
tings I need to think about. . .you know, clean out te attic.”
The angel looks down, then at Daniel
“Allright -“
Daniel grins
“See you around”
The angel smiles
“See you aroung Daniel”
And fades away to nothingness….. END