A Hole in Heaven’s Gate
Michael Jones
Copyright 2014 by Michael Jones
Chapter 1
“There’s a spot, not too far off to the left of the main gate, I found another way in. It’s much smaller of course, but no one’s ever guarding it, and there’s a hole inherent in the design of the gate big enough to fit through. You should come check it out with me.”
“There’s no way, no one’s watching who goes in and out of there,” Neil replied.
“That’s the thing, there isn’t! Or if there is, most likely whoever is watching it is a softy.”
“But what about Him? He sees everything; or so they claim.”
“That’s what everyone says, but either he doesn’t see everything, or He’s a softy too.”
“I don’t know Alan, I guess I really don’t see the point in going in there. Honestly I imagine it painfully boring, I know a few people in there, a bunch of humdrums and stodgies.”
“That’s what I think is so entertaining! To mess with them.”
“So you’re saying, you’ve broke in there, and messed with people, and nothing happened?”
“Yeah! It was awesome!”
“Hmmm… I don’t know. I can’t imagine you could even get a good reaction out of the good ol’ emotionless prigs.”
“Yes, but that’s the funny part, I think I can break them down, and give them some character.”
At that he just laughed, “oh Alan.”
“What” I questioned.
“So you’re trying to break into paradise to give the people there more character?”
“No! Of course not. You were just saying it would be impossible to get a reaction out of them.”
“Oh so you’re doing the impossible,” he scoffed.
“You can’t say you’re not impressed.”
“It wouldn’t be impressive unless you messed with Him.”
I knew who he meant, but the idea had a hard time processing in my mind. What could I even do to mess with Him? I thought for a few moments and then the idea came.
“Alright, unbeliever. I hear He has a thrown, I’ll cut one of the legs off it, so when He sits on it, it breaks on him.”
Neil roared with laughter.
“What?!”
He laughed even harder.
“So you want to be in on it?”
“In?” he blurted and then laughed even harder.
“Come on. It will be fun to get him back for all He did to us.”
“You know I don’t really hate the guy as much as I thought I did. In fact I would almost say I like Him, He doesn’t mess with me, I don’t mess with Him. It works for me. I’m not going to go in there to piss him off, just so he gives me trouble. But you can. Go right ahead.”
Chapter 2
“I really am going to do it whether you come or not.”
“Then do it already.”
“You don’t believe I will do you?”
“I really don’t care what you do. It’s not like He is going to chase you back in to hell, and whip all of us for it, He’ll torture you from the inside. Now on the other hand if you were going to saw a leg off a different throne, I definitely would stop you.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“You do come up with some stupid ideas; like the bar.”
“What was wrong with the bar? I set up a stage for live music, and a pool table.”
“Well what do you think everyone else thought was wrong with it?”
“I have no idea why no one else came, you liked it didn’t you?”
“It had potential, but we could have just drank and played guitar at home.”
“I thought it would get people together.”
He just stared at me as if he wanted to laugh.
“I know we’re in hell, but I don’t care what anyone says, were not all demons. There are some shady people for sure, but I think a lot people here just have different tastes than those on the other side of the gate.”
“I can’t say for sure not ever being over there, but I assume you’re right.”
“Really though, why didn’t Johnny ever come by the bar, he said he would?”
“I don’t know man; I think he’s just got some stuff on his mind right now.”
“Which is precisely why I build a place to come relax and hang out.”
“I really don’t know man.”
“Well what is Sarah’s excuse?”
“Who knows.”
“And I've been trying to get Brad to play the drums with us again. I don't know what his deal is, it’s not like he has other important things pressing.”
“I don't know man, I heard he was working or something.”
“What the hell? I really don’t see the point why people still work. I mean I built the bar, which was a lot of work, that had a purpose though; albeit an ultimately useless purpose. But I don't understand the busy work that everyone else seems to get caught up in.”
I waited for a response from Neil, but I guess he has a single track mind.
“Weren’t you going in there?” he said gesturing at the gate. “I mean I don’t want to distract you from you mission.”
I turned to look where he was pointing and laughed.
“You do want to come sneak in there with me,” I coaxed.
“No, there’s no way,” he said with a laugh.
“You totally do.”
“You must be as dumb as you look, because you are dead wrong; I have no desire, not even a curiosity to go in there.”
“Just come through the gate and into the first alleyway, no one’s ever there.”
“You cut the leg off the throne and bring it back and then we’ll see.”
“Are you sure you want to miss all the fun? I mean, what else besides legitimately raising all out hell in heaven, could we do that would top cutting a leg off the throne of God?”
“We’ll figure something out when that time comes. For now, we’re still at you bringing a piece of the throne out here. As of right now, all you’ve really done is skulk around a few shadowy corners of the outskirts of heaven.”
“That is not true! You don’t even know how far in there I’ve gone.”
“Yeah?” Neil replied condescendingly.
“Dude whatever. I’ll show you.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying, show me, but your just stalling because you’re scared.”
“I’m not fourteen, I could care less what you say.”
He laughed, but then got quiet as I turned and headed toward the gate.
Chapter 3
I laughed to myself as I contorted my way through the hole in the gate. I didn’t look back as I then stood up, and continued inward as if I had done it a million times before (which I definitely hadn’t).
I felt bold walking through the alley, but as soon as I knew Neil couldn’t see me, I tried not to get noticed. I stopped and slipped between some bushes and a fence.
I was chickening out, I had come prepared, but I was too scared. The fact that Neil hadn’t notice that I cut my hair and shaved, I was second guessing myself whether I would blend in with others and just be able to walk freely through the city.
It wouldn’t be like Neil not to mock me for my idea to cut my hair and try to fit in. But then again, I really do think he’s curious, and he was trying not to sound too interested in the whole idea.
I finally came to the conclusion that if I was going to pull this off at all, I might as well try out my disguise now, before there are guards or anything. It’s not like I was afraid of a scuffle; I could probably take a half a dozen nebs here that have never thrown a punch in their life.
I stood up, and not seeing anyone I quickly sat back down.
I was angry with myself for being such a coward. What was I so scared of? I groaned and then realized how loud a noise I made. I peered through the branches, and I could tell there was someone there. They stopped and turned towards the bush I was behind. I held my breath.
He just stood there and stared. I started to breath as quiet as I could as I waited to see what he was going to do; but he didn’t do anything. I couldn’t see his face; all I could make out was that he was facing my direction.
My anxiety started to turn to impatience and then aggravation. I just wanted to get to the throne, and get out of there, but whoever it was, was going to ruin my chances.
I was just about to get up and confront him if I had to, but just then he turned and walked off. People in heaven are so weird; there isn’t a person in hell dumb enough to not catch a person hiding like me hiding in the bushes. If this were hell, he would have pulled me out of the bushes and beaten me just for assuming he was too dumb to see me. I think it’s better to know what someone’s thinking, even if it’s bad, I just have to assume what this guy was thinking, was worse.
A few more people passed by, and then I didn’t see anyone. I stood up and mustered the courage to just walk down the street. My heart almost stopped when a couple started walking toward me. I was so scared, but they must have been really focused on each other, because they didn’t even seem to have noticed me. It was like I was invisible.
After that it was like a ghost town; that couple were the last people I saw from there all the way to the throne room. The temple wasn’t hard to find, every house faced toward it.
I took a little bit of an indirect course at first, but after not seeing anyone for quite a while, I forgot I was even trying to not get noticed.
I casually walked past the temple where the throne room was. I couldn’t see anyone in there… or anywhere actually. Still I made a few more passes by the entrance to glance in.
There’s no way everyone was just gone. I wanted to just walk in, but I decided to sit on a bench outside the temple, and pretend like I was just enjoying the garden, and see if anyone came by.
It must have been an hour that I was sitting there. Nothing even moved short of a couple birds, and the leaves when a breeze rolled by. I tried to imagine if there were people here, what they would be doing. I laughed as I imagine grown adults feeding the birds as excited as little children.
If I didn’t know better I would have thought that the disgust I felt was jealousy. But I don’t know how I could just pretend simple things made me happy. Is it brain washing? I mean if someone could hypnotize me to be happy, how bad a thing could that be?
I don’t know, it’s all just so frustrating, I’m either tied to one thing or the other. Hypnotized believer, or inebriated skeptic, either way I’m a slave, but at least I can drink when I want.
Why was I even still sitting there?
I got up and walked toward the entrance to the temple. My stomach dropped as I entered; it was beautiful. I shook off the thought, I had gotten this far, not that I’m doing this just to prove to Neil that I would do it, but I don’t want to not come back without a piece of the leg of the chair.
I reached in my pocket for the filing rasp I had brought, and I crouched down to start cutting a wedge out of the leg.
Chapter 4
I was shocked as I started filing at the leg, it wasn’t making much of a mark. I really didn’t imagining it not working; it was quite an aggressive file. I was discouraged to say the least, but not at the point of giving up. I had to lie down to really get leverage on the leg of the throne. As I laid down and tried to position myself, my arm bumped something.
I turned and noticed that it was a diamond bladed rasp saw. It had a note attached.
Dear Alan,
I figure you'll probably need this; things around here are pretty solid.
With all the love in the world,
I couldn’t read the signature.
How did He know? Why did He even care to know? It wasn’t like He was trying to stop me. I was touched, and I almost felt myself falling into Him.
Hell if I would let that happen! He's trying to call my bluff. He doesn't believe I have to guts to do it either. I'll show Him, I'll cut everything in here.
I wish I could describe what I did, but the anger just seemed to feed on itself, to the point where I think I blacked out and still continued to tear, break and cut anything I could get my hands on.
I exhausted myself, and tried to catch my breath with my hands on my knees panting. I was mad no one was even there to witness it.
Just then I looked up, and I don’t know how I knew it was him, but it was Christ, and with what I had to assume was feigned friendliness, he greeted me.
What was I stupid? He could see the saw blade in my hand and the room a wreck. I knew it and I knew he knew it.
Everything boiled over inside me and suddenly more emotions than I had ever experienced in my life erupted; everything from gratitude to betrayal, but in a panic I held on to the hate. I threw the saw through the window I hadn’t been able to reach, and just ran as I heard the glass crash to the ground behind me.
I ran, and ran. Straight from the temple in the center of the city, right towards the gate; it was farther away than I remember.
I could see the main gate open as I neared it, and didn’t stop. It wasn’t till I was out of the city walls that I realized how tired I was.
I stopped, but I heard the footsteps of someone running behind me. I turned and saw it was Christ. How did I not realize he was following me? I never thought he’d leave paradise.
I started running again and still heard footsteps following behind me. I wanted to run straight through the center of hell, but there’s no way of explaining afterwards why I brought him there. I’m sure he wouldn’t be welcome, and I’d get the fattest whipping of eternity for bringing him there.
So I ran along the outskirts of hell; I knew them well, I had explored pretty much every corner of hell, especially the farthest part from the city.
It didn’t matter how well I knew where I was going, I couldn’t run forever.
I felt my lungs burn and my legs slowly responding less and less, but I couldn’t stop, he was still behind me. I could barely hear his footstep over how loud I was panting, but I knew he was still there.
Sweat and fatigue were blurring my vision, so I closed my eyes and kept running; the ground was flat and there was nothing to trip me up.
The first few steps after I closed my eyes gave me a burst of energy, and with that a burst of speed, but my mind seemed to pounce on itself. If he had wanted to hurt me, he probably could have already. But why would I give him the satisfaction of knowing he had me?
My mind twisted and turned on itself and I felt my tie to consciousness break, not that I could feel my legs anymore anyways. I definitely could feel my face… when it smashed in the dry hard clay surface of the valley floor.
It hurt, but it still didn’t feel real. I just laid there as the dust settled in a crumpled heap on my face.
I laid there in disbelief of my situation, but I couldn’t ignore the burning on my face and hands. As I curled up to the side pulling my knees to my chest, I could feel that they were dripping with blood. I wished I could call out to someone, but I felt so alone. I wanted anything rather than to turn and face my pursuer.
All I could hear was my heartbeat, and a slight ringing in my ears.
Chapter 5
I hoped so much that he wouldn’t still be there behind me, that I almost started to believe he wasn’t. I laid there for quite some time, and once my heart stopped racing, it was perfectly quiet. Too quiet; even the hillside next to heaven wasn’t perfectly quiet. Ever since arriving in this world at the train station, there has always been noise.
I felt so vulnerable like my mind was completely left to itself, not occupied by hearing some jangle, clamor or clank around me.
I still held my eyes tightly shut, and
my head tucked tightly in my arms.
“What do you want?” I finally blurted, but there was no response.
I waited to see if I could hear anything, but it was still perfectly quiet. I slowly open my eyes which were still shielded by my arms. The light came in, and in the small window in front of me, I couldn’t see any trace of him, not even a shadow. I was sure he was still behind me though, but then again maybe he got bored with me, maybe he wasn’t getting the reaction out of me he hoped, or maybe he already had.
“Ha! So you don’t care much for hell eh?” I jeered, but still there was no response.
I quickly grew aware of how uncomfortable I was laying on my side on the ground, and slowly I sat myself up, but didn’t turn to look behind me.
“You’re quiet, and can run I’ll give you that,” I joked trying to convince myself that no one was really there.
Then I turned and saw him.
He was crouched down, looking at the ground and drawing in the dirt with his finger.
I didn’t turn away, and he didn’t look up either.
I just watched him draw in the little sand there was on top of the hard clay.
I turned my whole body toward him, and watched as he just continued to draw.
“What are you drawing?” I finally asked.
“It’s actually more of a song than a picture; it’s a weird way to write it of course, but I see it best that way though,” he answered still not looking up.
“What’s the song about?” I said completely forgetting about anything up to this point, especially why we were both in the middle of the dessert valley or why I was bleeding.
“That’s the thing, I can see it from a far off, and I feel like I know what it is supposed to be, but I still can’t see it well enough.”
“Writer’s block is the worst,” I added.
“But then when you finally have the song, it’s amazing,” he said and smiled, still looking at the ground.
I sighed as I wished I had my guitar. Then it dawned on me where I was, and with whom I was with, but the impulse to just get up and run felt silly.
“Why did you chase me out here?” I asked and he still didn’t look up, which I was glad, because I started to shake out of nervousness.
“The same reason you went in there.”
“I’m guessing not to mess with the people here to get a reaction out of them.”
“I thought you said you were trying to give them personality,” he replied.
A Hole in Heaven's Gate Page 1
