1 Before the accident
Most days were like the last. I went to school, went back home, played single player video games all on my own, then got ready for the next day. Rinse and repeat.
All of this was the case, of course, before the accident. So today was like I just said, normal. On my way to school I walked down the usual path. It went down main street over into church street, passing a kids playground and couple of chains and strip malls
Typical stuff for an average Tennessee town. I made sure to watch where I was going, look both ways before crossing, and kept my walking on the sidewalk, only going onto the street when the sidewalk would randomly die and reappear a few feet ahead.
It's my last month of school as a Highschool senior, so this was the usual routine for me. Once I was around the corner, just a block away from school, I saw from the side of my eye Stephanie walking in the other side of the road.
She walked with her head down and eyes glued to her phone, like she was reading something sad. I knew Stephanie from school, although I doubt she ever noticed me. She's popular, pretty, and honestly nice. Total bombshell (for a highschooler) and way out of my league.
Maybe it was her pretty brown hair, her cute face, or her distracted look, but something about her gravitated my body towards her, in the center of the road. Unknowingly I stepped off the sidewalk and crossed the middle of a busy intersection in front of the school. With the sound of a honk or breaks of a car making her finally look up, she shot a glance at me. With a worries face she mouthed something.
I couldn't read her lips, and the sounds of cars was too loud. I heard a loud honk, saw a big yello school bus right to my side, and that's the last thing I saw for a while.
My world went black. Pitch black. Scarily and eye blindingly black.
My words echoed in the chambers of the dark but no body was attached to my voice.
Hello?
Dang it.
I must be dead.
By a school bus.
A friggin' school bus.
I'm such an idiot.
I'm so stupid.
What am I going to do?
What can I do?
I'm leaving my parents behind, my family, my friends!
Friends? Who am I kidding I don't have any friends.
No friends, no girlfriend, no social life, nothing.
I guess I was already dead in a way
God. God, oh God.
I wheezed, and breathed. Gasped and cried. Tried to touch but there was nothing to touch and I couldn't touch since I had nothing to touch with. In short, I was freaking out. I didn't know whether to pray or beg. The guilt of my listless life weighed on me. So many things I didn't do, so many things I suddenly wanted to do. My pleading continued.
Please God, give me something.
I'm sorry, I know I could have done more.
Give me a sign, please anything.
I promise I'll do better, I promise.
I swear to... well, I swear to you!
A loud roar came from the nowhere above the nothing. A loud, mighty voice followed the thunderous ambience.
CLARK, SON, GET UP, FOR YOU STAND ON HOLY GROUND
I look around, still seeing nothing and being nothing. "Uh, your majesty?" I say, humbly. "I have no body and I see but not a thing."
God replied
OH, MY BAD.
With two claps that sounded like two ginormous dominoes hitting each other, the world became light. Suddenly I felt and saw and existed again, although I was wearing a white robe that covered every inch of my body but my face.
"Where are you my lord?" I ask, feeling up my robe. A tag was stitched to the sleeve, 100% cotton. Pretty nice. Made in El Salvador.
TURN AROUND.
I turn around and see the Lord himself in the flesh, I suppose? He was a skinny man, long white beard. Long white hair, a golden and glowing halo floating freely above his head. He wasn't tall, maybe 5'7 or 5'8.
SO YOU SAY YOU WILL CHANGE? FOR THE BETTER?
I got down on one knee.
"Yes, my lord. I will do whatever it takes to relive my life, but better this time around."
The Lord cleared his throat.
I BELIEVE YOU SON. I SHALL GRANT YOU THIS WISH. BUT I NEED ONE THING FROM YOU.
"Yes, your majesty, anything. You name it!" I exclaim, with a newfound vigor instilled in me. I was going to get a second chance, finally I can do something with my life. My eyes are opened!
The Lord pulled out a pen from under his hair on top of his ear.
CAN YOU GIVE THAT TO ME IN WRITING?
I grabbed the pen. Looked at it.
It has the Arby's logo on it, and the catchphrase "we have the meats" on the side along it.
NOW FOR SOME PAPER.
God patted his pockets, looked around to see if he could find something to write on. When he checked his front pocket he found an Arby's napkin, crumbled up and with grease stains.
THAT'LL WORK.
"Yes my Lord. And what shall I write?".
HM... LET ME THINK. HOW ABOUT; "I WILL CHANGE IT UP THIS TIME SO I'M NOT SO BORING"?
I scribbled the words down. "Oh, okay."
The Lord looked at the napkin with the words I jotted down. Handed it back to me.
SIGNATURE PLEASE.
"Of course, sir."
I signed it.
AND INITIALS.
I initialed it.
PERFECT, YOU ARE NOW READY. ONE LAST THING.
I looked at him confused like. "Yessir".
TO COMPLETE THE RITUAL YOU NEED TO REPEAT AFTER ME- VIRGO ALPHA OMEGA BIG BEN, THIS WAS REAL AND I'LL TRY IT AGAIN.
I almost laughed at the words.
IF YOU GET THIS WRONG IT WON'T WORK.
"Yes, you're absolutely right your, honor." I then said, "Virgo alpha Omega big Ben, this was real and I'll try it again".
IT IS DONE.
The blank walls shattered, revealing where I really was. The screens of the world began to show I was in the hospital. Bandages covering me head to toe, and IV with saline running, nasal cannula with oxygen and an EKG machine monitoring my heart.
To my side was my parents, and on the other end of the room was Stephanie and some other students with their backs against the wall.
My left eye opened, then my right eye.
My mom gasped like she couldn't breath. "Oh my God! He's back! Clark is back! Thank heavens!"
She kissed me on the cheek and my father hugged me, almost pulling out my IV with his arm. The students gathered around me and Stephanie was right there watching with the rest of them.
