Heaven's Gates

THE CAR

As I look up at the huge golden gates, I look around at where I'm at. I don't know. It's calm and quiet, its gentle and warm. There's someone there. It's a man. He's tall. He has giant wings, like an angel's. He stands there, tall and confident. I run up to him quickly for answers.

"umm, sir? Sir? Could you tell me where I am." I say quivering slightly.

"why, well you're in heaven." He says.

"heaven??? What do you mean heaven?? I am not dead. I assure you."

"you are dead. You may not remember but yes you are dead. Here, take a look." He says and opens up the cloudy ground.

As I look down, I see a cemetery. Me in a casket. My mother crying, frustrated, angry, she just lost her daughter, she had already lost one child to a miscarriage, and another son in Iraq. She's losing it. After my mother's divorce, all she had were her children. Now that's gone from her. Ripped from her arms.

"You see her? She's suffering. All because of one choice you made. That one mistake you made." He says.

"Mistake? What? What do you mean?" I say tearing up.

He shows me a picture of a red Honda. I stare in shock.

"That's my friend's car..." I say.

"Now think Emily. Think real hard of what mistake you made." He says

I stare blankly thinking hard and I have a flashback.

"Emily! You have to stop hanging around those people! They aren't your friends! Please! Don't leave!" my mother yells at me.

        I don't care what she had to say. i know who my real friends are, although, i probably should apologize for what i said. but i'm not going to go back in the house. My friend Tony comes through and picks me up to go to the party. He pulls up in his red Honda a 2008 model. i jump in and put my seat belt on, and we start making our way to the party with Tonya and her boyfriend Rico.

        As we enter the party, there's loud music and beer kegs everywhere. Girls wearing half shirts showing there stomachs and boys with no shirts on out in the pool. There's weed and cigarettes everywhere and i sit waiting patiently thinking about everything. After 4 hours of partying from the others, i start to feel out of place. I go to find Tony to ask him to take me home. People ask me if i want a drink constantly and i just tell them i don't drink. then i find Tony.

"Tony! There you are!" I say happily.

"Emily come here girl." He says clearly drunk.

"Tony, lets go i'm ready to home." I say to him.

"Alright, well under one condition. If I take you home you have to drink 1 cup of beer." He says, playfully hitting my shoulder.

"Tony, come on you know i don't drink, can you please just take me home enough games." i say firmly.

            He starts yelling to the crowd of people that i'm going to drink and gets the crowd to call me all types of names like loser and punk and another word i'd rather not say.

"OK fine! I'll do it!" I yell and Rico hands me a cup filled to the brim with beer.

             I anxiously stare at the crowd of people as they wait and watch me holding the cup. i can't fake it, and i really need to go home, so without wasting another minute i start drinking from the red plastic cup.

              The beer is cold and crisp and has a disgusting taste to it. It's weird and sweet but also pungent. as i finish the cup i hold my throat and i shake my head. Well, it wasn't that bad. Later on Tony and Rico and Tonya and I get into our car, and Rico starts driving. they made me sit in the front seat because Tony and Tonya wanted to make out and Rico didn't mind it at all. As we're in the car, Rico decides to speed up. I yelled at him to slow down but he decided to drive faster. Tony and Tonya are in the back seat and Tonya sticks her upper body out the window and flashes her breasts to the other drivers. i yell at her to get in the car. Rico goes to transfer into the next lane and sidetails the wheel of a flatbed and before i can yell stop, the car flips over and over and over and once more. All i heard was screeching of tires for a few short minutes before everything goes to black.

                 As i snap back and look at the man, his face still remains the same as he looks back at me.

"Do you realize your mistake, or to be more specific mistakes?" He says with a firm tone.

"I either should've stayed home and listened to my mother or called her to pick me up." i say and my eyes water up.

"How are you feeling now? Ms.Emily?" he says.

                    I fall to my knees and cry out in pain and guilt.

"I want to go back. I WANT TO GO BACK!!" i scream out.

"you want to go back?" he says not changing the tone of his voice.

"yes, please let me go back" I cry out to him.
"Step through these gates then" He says to me.
I look at the golden gates tall and it looks like they have no limit. In ever thought something like this could exist. Is he real? Is God real? Questions asked by everyone everyday. The gates open all I see is a bright light. I turn to look at the man behind me but he vanishes. I look back in front of me and I start walking. I don't look back. I just. Keep. Walking into heavens gates.