Rebirth

Reincarnation, in detail.

 

          I lie in my bed, dying.

          All around me, faces of loved ones crowd around. Tears, some sobbing, some silent, drip down to the wooden floor. The dark room, lit only by the faint twilit horizon out the open window, holds it breath. A cool Autumn breeze floats through the window, caressing my wrinkled hand for the last time.

          The last hours speed by in a whirl of tears, laughter, song, and, surpassing all, memories. Memories of my life, the years of childhood among the golden trees of Maine, the bitterness of my time in the army, the raising of my three glorious children, and the mourning of my precious wife May. All these things and a million more live again, brought to life for a brief time by the conflicting magic of Life and Death in these last moments.

          With a shutter, I feel my heart fail at last. The monitor next to my bed sends out a long, yearning BEEEEEEP… As I lose awareness, I hear distant calls, a name cried out… My name? Perhaps… It seems foolish to maintain any identity now………… Though my eyes have long closed, and my heart lies still, I see the last beams of the fiery sunset flash in a burst of blazing purple, pink, and gold.

 

          Nothingness…

 

          Through the hazy darkness, a light. Weak at first, but it quickly grows. Has the sun risen again? Is time unraveling its weave?

          The wave of radiance approaches quickly, gaining momentum. Faster and faster the crystalline glow rushes forward, banishing the shadows of the Abyss.

          Though I know this cannot be happening, I meet it with calm acceptance. After all, isn’t God supposed to be a great light? Isn’t there a Heaven waiting for me?

          My murky ponderings are interrupted as the multi-faceted light surges forward even faster. I can distinguish between the pure diamond white now, see the sparkling colors of the rainbow dancing on the edges.

          Then, it hits. The wave envelopes me, casting my spirit in an iridescent crystal cocoon. The dazzling brightness is like every light on earth merged in a heavenly flame. Firelight, starlight, sunlight, moonlight… I see all of them in the brilliance, just as I see the tinge of every color on earth.

          Not only can I see the wave, I can feel it. Like flowing water, the shine contains countless currents, overlapping and combining in a tapestry of silver streams.

          The ebb and flow of the radiance washes against me, cleansing my soul of all earthly recollection. There is nothing but the light, and I, I am simply an extension of this wholeness.

          Finally, the swirling light begins to fade. The phantasmal swirl dissolves into a maelstrom of silver sparks, revealing a new darkness, this one close, warm, and comforting.

          Screams pierce the comfort, and the chrysalis of warmth throbs, convulsing and pushing me around. Distantly, I remember similar cries, though there’s no real memory to match.  However, this new, harsh cry reverberates all around, vibrating the womb.

          There’s a burst of light, not the veil of diamonds as before, but a new light, familiar but unfamiliar. Years later, I will learn that it is the light of morning.

          Suddenly, faces surround me again, happy faces flushed with joy. They surround me, beaming, as I’m wrapped in warm blankets. I’m washed, and soon I’m held in the arms of the most beautiful woman in the world. Around her is a shining silver light, reminiscent of… something. Even recent memory fades, replaced by the seen before me. She coos at me, and I can’t help but gurgle back in love. She passes me to a man, strong and quiet, yet overcome with amazement at some miracle. He gazes at me in wonder, a green glow pulsing through his golden light as he rocks me back and forth.

          I can’t understand their words, but I can tell they’re happy. And it makes me happy. I gaze at the ceiling above, warm and safe. A new life is ahead of me, filled with tears, and laughter, and songs. And, surpassing all, memories.

Author's Note

As always, feel free to critique. I'm not quite sure where I landed on this one, and I'll probably edit it quite a bit before I'm happy with it.

Reviews

[Dani California]

What I've always admired about your writing is the imagery. You have a way of bringing the reader into the moment as if it were happening to them, and that is not an easy task. To some it comes naturally, as appears to be the case with you. I like the transition of death into rebirth. Tears of sorrow transcend into tears of joy, offering hope.

A pleasure as aways, Justin. Very nice! :)

[Phoenix Alleena]

Wow this is a really interesting work here (: It was really awesome to read,
and all at the same time, it's spiritual. Awesome.

Keep Writing!

[Wildfleour]

I will await edits then. Until that time, I think you have an interesting idea here, just be careful not to narrative. Let the story tell itself.

[Daiku Maryu]

"Autumn"--does it need to be capitalised? Months do, but I always thought seasons didn't.

"now����"--only three of those are neccessary.

"and I, I am simply an extension of this wholeness." --the second part would work much better as a separate sentence.

Nicely written, but you chose a very... odd topic to write about. In itself, it just doesn't make a very gripping tale, so unless this some excersise in writting, I don't see what the point of it is. Don't get me wrong; it does read well, but there's no real action here, no conflict.

[Bhavya Kaushik]

Ah! This is such a masterpiece, as a reader I was totally into it while I was reading it...
It is very descriptive and deep and such a different topic to write upon!
Great work :)

[Siddartha Beth Pierce]

Beautiful tale of death and rebirth. This is a timeless piece - it crosses all boundaries. Really great description. Thanks for sharing you talent.
Light,
Siddartha

[M. Amphet Salt]

Great story and I love the idea of it as I am studying Hinduism and Sansara right now. Thanks for sharing.