As we were leaving the ruins of my apartment, a wino stepped out from
behind a brick wall "Hey ghost man got a quarter" I didn't recognize him at
first glance. "Do I know you" he gave me a wink "Sure you do, remember
flash of light, where am I". Then it hit me "Paul right, that's what you
liked to be called up there?" His smile was a morning sunrise. "Got it
partner" I started walking, whatever he was selling I wasn't buying "Where
you off to dead man?" I stopped in my tracks "I figure I was on my way to
see a couple of old friends what's it to you" I never had patience anyway "
Hey, I'm not trying to be getting on your bad side Danny just wanted to see
how you where doing" He was beating around the bush, and he knew I could
tell "Look I'm not sure who's game this is, but as I recall I'm here to
straighten some things out, and you seem to want to hold me up for twenty
question's, now unless you have something important to tell me I suggest
you let me on my way" He thought for a moment "Alright, look he sent me to
iron out some bumps Danny, Seems you got the wrong idea about all this, we
didn't let you come back to go on some killing spree Dan, we sent you back
to put a rest to that pain that you keep chained up in side of you" I gave
up "Wait you pull some H.P reanimator deal tell me to put right whatever
it is I got to, but then you happen to forget to mention that I cant do
unto others as others did to me?, you guys have a really fucked
communication system up there" I began to walk again "You know she's
waiting for you Daniel, She's up there all alone, Thinking that when you do
what I think your going to do, that your going to waltz right back in,
clean conscious and all. You need to reavaluate the situation, Daniel
things have changed, the big chief isn't about all that smiting, and
killing of the first-born. He learned along time ago humans don't respond
well to threat's" I could not believe what I was hearing "So what the hell
am I supposed to do here, Forgive and forget...huh you expect me to believe
that I came back to give those freaks a scolding and then let it be, I
don't play it that way, They took something from me, something I can never
get back, our future, they took away my someday son, my someday daughter,
my someday wife, my someday FUCKING FAMILY AND YOU EXPECT ME TO FORGIVE
THEM!" He was smiling "We don't expect you to do anything Daniel, The
choice has been yours since you got back, Free will Danny, But you have to
understand the consequence's of the choice's you make, the others they
don't know yet, But you have the chance Daniel, you alone can show them the
mercy god has for the mistakes they make. You can help them repent for what
they have done to you and your love. But the choice IS yours to make Danny,
each decision you make will affect you for better or worse, but if you
choose the wrathful hand, you will not be able to see Edith" A train had
just hit me "So what does that mean, I go to hell" He had the saddest
expression on his face "Honestly, Yes Daniel, you go to hell, You must
understand Daniel that no one has ever been permitted to enter his kingdom
with that on his conscience'' My blood ran cold "What happens to Edith?"
He glanced up I guess he was waiting for an answer. "She's stay's where she
is, Contently waiting for you to come back to her, Yet knowing that day
will never come, it will be like her loosing you all over again.'' The
thought of hurting Edith turned my stomach "I'm not sure I can play by
those rules Paul, they didn't play by ours" He smiled like he had been
expecting it "Like I said your decision, But the best of luck to you" He
started to walk away. "I'm not the first am I Paul" He sighed "
unfortunately, No there have been a great number of you" The crow still
perched on my shoulder cawed again "How many of them... forgave" He sighed
again "None, some came close, but in the end they always choose the
vengeance by fire routine" there was only one more thing I needed to know "
What about you? What would you do Paul" He smiled "Same thing I've been
doing since I got up there, Leave it in his hands. They always made the
mistake that their aggressor's never had to come to terms with what they
did...They where wrong, just like you are now, Danny, everybody pays there
dues Danny, everybody, for some it just take a little longer" and just like
that he was gone.
