C
CelestialCellar
Guest
Original poster
"Next!"
Horace Buckworthy had been working the counter at The Way Station going on 67 years, and it was tedious. Each day, Horace dealt with disoriented travelers as they wandered into the dirty, run-down market, and it was his job to enlighten them about their current situations. The list of names, which had been left in his possession the very first day he'd arrived here, grew each day as more an more people appeared in the Far Side. "Name?" Horace didn't even bother looking up at the faces anymore. To him, they were all essentially the same. "Sign here," he drawled, pointing at the dotted line, "and here."
From there, Horace would stamp the individual's paperwork, approving his or her arrival and allowing them access to The City and their memories.
For some, it would happen right away. For others it was a gradual process. Either way, the first memory to come back was always his or her death, and it was never pleasant to watch. By now, Horace was mostly desensitized to the process. He didn't feel anything anymore as the person in front of him wailed, reliving the experience again, nor did he offer any condolences --- after all, they were all here for the same reason.
Granted, Horace's memories had come and gone by now, so he could no longer really relate. 67 years of living in the Far Side tends to do that to you. First, you're bombarded with the memories of your life, and then with the dreams of your loved ones. After a while, once your friends and family start to move on, so do you. The dreams stop, and your memories fade away again, until all that's left is what you've become since death. After that, there is no redemption.
Unlike Horace, some people get out before reaching that point by coming to terms with the sadness, finding peace, and moving on. However, there is also a second option: if they change their mind quickly enough, if the prove to The Administrator that they deserved it, they're granted a "second chance," waking up in a hospital somewhere, back on earth where they can live out the rest of their natural life like nothing ever happened.
So what'll it be? Move on, go back, or stay here?