The Long Hallway

He lived his entire life in this house but, he was standing in a hallway he had never seen before.

     Garvey Jones was getting on in years. He had lived his entire life in this house with his wife Martha and their two sons Bill and Paul. But now Martha had passed away and his sons were long gone with kids and families of their own. It seemed there was no one left to keep him company except an old picture of Martha and his own reflection in the bathroom mirror. Garvy did well though, with little problem getting around and his mind still intact; though he did sometimes forget things like birthdays and phone numbers. But on this particular morning Garvey seemed to have forgotten much more than names and numbers. You see on this particular morning he found himself standing in a hallway he had never seen before.

     How very strange thought the old man as he turned around and walked back out into the kitchen. How is this possible? He picked up his glasses from the table and placed them firmly upon his nose and then peered back down the long hallway. “Hmm, now I know I’m old and my eyes are not what they should be but, come on this is ridiculous. This hallway is NOT here.” He reached out slow and cautiously to touch the walls of the hallway just to make sure they were NOT there; but sure enough they were solid and smooth with a little pink flower pattern on them. I must be dreaming he thought and he rushed back to his bedroom and curled up in bed. He pulled the blankets over his head and shouted, “Hallway, you are NOT there. Go away!”  

     After about an hour had passed he stood up on the hard wood floor and went back out to the kitchen, being very careful not to look in the direction of the anomaly that had been in his house. Out of the corner of his eye though he thought he saw a shimmering light and he jerked his head around to see. The light was coming from way down at the other end of that hallway; and it was a very long hallway. Garvy hesitated at first just simply pondering the possibilities. But as he came up with none, he took a firm step toward the light. He was getting curious as to what it might be. And though he was afraid he took another step down the hallway. And then another, and another, and another. And as he walked the light seemed to get brighter and brighter and brighter. Soon he could barely see and he held up his arms to block the light as he walked. At last he felt like he was almost there when he thought he heard a voice. His ears perked up and he stood still to listen. He heard nothing and so began inching forward again. But wait, there it was again, much clearer this time. It was a woman’s voice. “Martha? Is that you?” he spoke in a soft voice.

“Of course it is you silly old fool, did you not know you were dead? Come along now and quit dawdling.”