Dead Hour

  Dead Hour

  By Andrew Leight

  For my Mother

  “Now Mr. Coil, are you comfortable?” He wasn’t. He was racking his mind as to what possessed him to do this. Arthur was a sensible man, and sensible men don’t just offer their lives to science, at least not in this regard. But like everything Arthur did, it was all for a woman. Shelby had captured his essence, and all he wanted was to paint for her. Her glowing red hair and smooth green eyes had embedded themselves into his soul. He would do anything to be what she needed.

  Painting, however, was not the most recognized form of genius. The colored expression had been left to human kind’s new best friend, the atomic man. Arthur could never understand how something that required passion could be left in the metallic hands of something that couldn’t think for itself. Regardless of the copper competition, he still dedicated his life to his art. While spiritually rewarding, this gave Arthur very little financial security. If he were to marry the woman of whom he dreamt of, and of whom he shared all of his fondest memories, he would have to have some higher sort of income, or at least credits housed in the bank.

  This is what led him to Doctor Masters, a mental transitive specialist. Masters was the inventor of The DreamSet, a small device that goes in one’s ear as they sleep. Using a special type of neurotransmitter, the device records the mind’s function. When the device it attached to a homing port no bigger than the average wristwatch, it displays the previous night’s dreams. Five years after the release of the DreamSet, the first holo-picture was created solely using dreams.

  Arthur was here to help test the limits of a modified DreamSet. Essentially, Masters was going to kill him. More delicately, Arthur was to be injected with a special substance that would kill his mind for an hour, leaving his mind separate from the body. He would have a special DreamSet that track his then gone brain, and give a read out of what happens when someone dies.

  “It’s like a free glimpse of heaven, Mr. Coil. If this succeeds, the world will truly know what happens after death. Imagine, no more religious wars, no more needless death, all because of us.” Arthur looked uneasy. The doctor clearly realized this.

  “And after,” He continued, “The million credits will be in your name, and the world will know you! And you and Shelly-“

  “Shelby.” Arthur corrected.

  “Will be able to live your lives in peace. Now come back tomorrow, ready to breach heaven’s gates!”

  That night had passed slowly, and consisted of Arthur watching movies from ages ago. They weren’t in holo-vision, and consisted of horrible visual effects, but they were still Arthur’s favorites. He wished he had been born another time, a simpler one. He fell asleep on his couch that night.

  The next morning, he awoke with a start. His watch read noon. He went to his bedroom, got a fresh change of clothes, and left. He would normally stop at Shelby’s home, as she lived down the block from him, but didn’t today. He didn’t want to have to tell her what he was up to. He hailed a taxi cab, and headed up town. The buildings passed as the cab flew down the street, stopping at occasional light. He leaned his head against the window, and sighed.

  When he finally made it to the laboratory of Dr. Masters, he was as ready as anyone could be. The Doctor took little time in setting up the odd machine, and Arthur laid down. He was going to expedience something everybody would, yet could never talk about. He just hoped he would come back to Shelby.

  “Now Mr. Coil, are you comfortable?” He wasn’t. But he knew it was too late to change his mind.

  “Three…” The doctor flipped up three switches. “Two…” He turned a dial. “One!” He pressed a small blue button. Arthur went out like a light.

  When Arthur awoke, he was on a street corner. He looked around, seeing tall blue buildings, skyscrapers. The ground he was laying on was a royal purple, and was full of people. They walked this way and that, simply ignoring his presence. He stood up, absorbing his surroundings. He then patted himself down, trying to realize what had just happened. He looked down at the pavement to find it was reflective, and beautifully so. Purple glared back at him in shades he thought not possible. He started walking, one foot in front of another. He had just now suddenly realized how much effort walking was.

  His breathing had also come to his attention. He wasn’t breathing manually, but he was still aware. He could almost feel the individual molecules racing through his body. When he pulled attention away from the newfound sensation in his lungs, all the people were gone. However, there was still one other living creature. Arthur had never seen anything like it. Its body was the color of the sun, its head slim and elegant. All of its facial features pointed upward, especially its ears. Arthur had never seen such pointed ears outside of children’s books. It had no nose, and a very slim mouth. It was fantastically beautiful.

  Arthur approached it, unafraid. Why would such a pure creature do anyone harm? It turned to look at him full on, and stood, as it had been crouched. It was much taller than Arthur, and thinner, yet very muscular. Its body was smooth like gold, no imperfection visible. It lacked visible gender, but seemed masculine. It gave a noise to Arthur, something he would never be able to replicate. The closest he would ever come was ‘La da dot da camalaya’. The creature sang this over and over to Arthur, expecting some sort of response. When none came, it reached out a finger and stroked Arthur’s neck. He shivered a bit, though the creature was warm. Its two silver eyes locked with Arthur's, and refused to blink.

  It opened its mouth, and let its tongue roll out. The tongue was about 4 feet long, and a milky white color in nature, except for the tip, which was an icy blue. The tip oozed blue liquid, which held the viscosity of tree sap. Some landed on Arthur’s shoe, making him glance away from the being, and to his now ruined shoe. With the breaking of the glance, the beast sang again, in a deeper, less angelic, tone.

  “La Ne Ya Soyin Ta.” This song Arthur was able to replicate. The repeated song seemed to offend the creature, as it then bared a mouth of gums, affixed with two sharp golden fangs. Arthur knew well enough that he had offended the beast, and quickly walked around it. After walking a few feet away, the creature got on all fours, and started to whale. This started Arthur into a sprint, his legs moving as fast as possible. He wanted to think about what would happen if it killed him, where he would go next, but deemed it best if he just thought of escaping. He didn’t check to see if it was following him, but could still hear the screaming in his ear, as loud as when he was right by the creature. The sound dominated his ears, leaving him unable to hear anything else. The beast could be directly behind him, or back where it was. Arthur had no idea.

  He had been so focused on running he forgot the changing scenery. The lonely cityscape had become a plain, with knee high green grass. It looked lovely, a place he would want to take Shelby on a picnic. The sun in the sky was a pale blue, and it washed over the land lovingly. Clouds hung in the air dispersing the light evenly, reminding Arthur of what a primordial Earth would look like. Mountains far away seemed to touch the clouds, a rocky path to the heavens. But Arthur was suppose to be in the heavens. There had been no conversation with a mighty creature, unless the golden beast was the omnipotent being. Arthur sincerely hoped not.

  He turned and scanned the literal path he was on. It seemed to go on for quite awhile, until in turned in between to mountains. They looked ominous to Arthur, and he contemplated staying in the plain, which was more of a crater like valley. But if he were to stay here, would he ever wake up? The doctor had never given him a strict answer as to how he would return. Arthur had never really asked though. He was too scared of the dying process to even ponder the re-entry to his own plain of existence. Arthur looked down, and realized he was hungry. Was one supposed to get hungry
in heaven?

  Arthur started walking again, a cool breeze coating his body every few moments. Though it was not hot outside, the breeze felt good. Near the end of the path, a single tree stood. It looked stern and proud, its branches displaying bright scarlet leaves, as bright as flame. Arthur approached the tree, and scanned its canopy for fruit. Alas he spotted none, and turned to walk. A light whistle came from behind Arthur, and he turned. The tree began to shuffle, and a branch laid down. The branch was in the shape of a woman, with her feet planted in the tree, and with hair of leaves. She laid in the air at a heavy diagonal, and smiled at Arthur. Her eyes were citrine, the golden yellow showing off in the blue light. Her hands were branches and attached to her hips, while her mouth was a straighter split in the wood. Like her home and the creature before her, she too was beautiful.

  “Hueist, Hueist.” She called, her mouth in a shy smile. Arthur slowly approached her, careful after his last encounter. She giggled. “You need not fear me, dear Hueist, as you are my company, a very rare title indeed.” An odd look overcame Arthur’s face, and tree laughed again. “Take this offering, my friend.” The woman shook her head as much as possible, and fruit fell out. The fruit was circular, and beige. They fit perfectly in Arthur’s palm, yet weighted next to air.

  “Th-thank you.” Arthur spoke, his voice trembling from being underused. He picked up as many fruits as he could, yet was only able to hold half.

  “Ahh, another present it needed, my love.” Again, the woman’s hair began to move, but this time, it weaved itself into a basket. The woman motioned with her eyes toward the basket, and Arthur pulled it off. It came seamlessly, and felt sturdy. He placed the fruit in the basket, and thanked her again.

  “Now off you go, my only.” With that, the tree woman disappeared into her canopy, and Arthur marched on. He finally reached the mountain pass after what felt like hours. The sun, however, had not changed in the least. Arthur had devoured most of the tree woman’s fruit, leaving only three fruit left. It had been pleasantly sweet, and had a white inside. Arthur ate it like one would eat an apple, but unlike an apple, the fruit only bore one seed. The seed was as big as the littlest nail on Arthur’s hand. He kept one seed in his pocket, and tossed the rest.

  The mountain pass was dark, yet calming. Arthur did not feel anxious going inside, nor on edge. The walls surrounding him seemed more like protection then damnation. He continued on for a short time, before hearing the sound of running water. It almost seemed to sing, the quite yet distinct babble. Arthur approached with weariness, the whole situation leaving little room to think rationally. A final bend was up a way, and moss covered the trail. He continued, his throat drying with the thought of the running water just around the bend.

  The water was indeed just around the bend, as crystal clear as anything could ever hope to be. It was a lake that seemed to flow from nowhere and into nothing. A current could clearly be seen, yet nothing indicated a source of the water. Regardless, Arthur felt quenched after seeing something so pure, and sat the basket down near the lake’s edge. The water lapped gently at the earth. Or was this Earth? Arthur remembered he hadn’t the faintest idea of where he was. This world was so fantastic he had almost forgotten.

  “That is the point.” A rumbling noise came as the words boomed across the waterscape. Ripples came from the center of the lake, and a clear glass stone rose out, shining in the blue sun as a single star shines in an empty night. Arthur gasped in awe at its optical bounty, and knew it was truly something to be respected.

  “The point of this place,” The stone vibrated, the words almost a guess in the man’s mind. “Is to make you forget.” Arthur did not understand. “Come to me my child.” The stone resonated.

  “Into the water?” Arthur questioned, realizing for a moment how ridiculous this was. The stone did not answer, leaving him to think the stone would only say specific things. Arthur stripped himself of his clothing, and placed them into the basket. He then slowly waded into the clear water. Looking down was looking into a mirror and the bottom of the lake at the same time, yet the images did not over power one another. Elegant fish swam by, their assortment of colors swirling around one another. Arthur reached the stone, now noticing that’s base was a triangle, and laid his hand on it. His now dirty brown hair reflected into himself. He clenched his hand into a light fist, and knocked on the stone.

  “Oh, Honey, that stone won’t speak to you anymore.” Arthur looked past the stone to the other side of the lake. A woman stood on the shore, smiling at him. She wore a dress made of many different materials, all a light pink in color. Arthur went back to his own shore and picked up his basket. He then walked through the lake and to the other side again, the deepest part of the lake being four feet. He reached her and she came to meet him.

  “The stone won’t talk?” He turned and glanced at it. “Why would it call to me only to stop?” She laughed. Arthur gauged her to be in her early thirties. She was small, about five feet. She was attractive, not only in a physical way, but also in a plain and simple way. She seemed like someone who would share your burden, someone who wouldn’t mind hard work for a good cause.

  She stretched out her hand, and her and Arthur shook.

  “To keep the evil away. Nothing less than pure could cross into that lake.” She turned and approached her cottage, which was sitting right on the bank.

  “Wait!” Arthur called, not wanting to lose his only normal acquaintance. “Where am I?” She chuckled a sweet, light, laugh.

  “You’re at Heaven’s Gate. Every creature you’ve encountered, that is if you have at all, has died, and is just trying to find their way up.” She spoke knowingly, as if this was fact she often stated.

  “That horrid gold man creature?” Arthur asked. “They don’t have those on Earth. I would have heard about nose less golden genderless men screaming at people.”

  “It’s cute that you think that only creatures from Earth get to go Heaven.” She said plainly. Arthur just stood, and though about how many strange beings this girl must have seen.

  “Oh.” He said, basically incapacitated by the large thought of the universe, and everything it possessed. “I’m Arthur.”

  “Sam.” She opened the door to the cottage. “Come on in, Arthur.” He walked behind her into the small home, and closed the door after himself. There was a bed, a table with two chairs, and a few boxes of things. A window stood opposite the door, below it a small counter. “It’s a humble little place, but it’s mine.” Arthur looked around, and then peered out of the window, seeing the western edge of the lake.

  “Sam,” He turned to face her. “Why do you live here? If everyone is dead, I take it you are too. So why are you not trying to get into the gate?”

  “Well, aren’t you observant.” She smirked, enjoying someone taking an interest in her. “I, like you, am from Earth. But I’m in a coma.” Arthur frowned.

  “What happened to you?”

  “Mugging gone wrong.” She spoke, nonchalantly.

  “Are you ok?” Arthur asked. Sam raised an eyebrow. “Oh. Right. But, how do you know when it’s really time?”

  “You mean if they pull my plug?”

  “For lack of words, I guess.”

  “Trust me, I’ll know… I think.” She dwelled on her other life for a moment, when looked back up at him. “You probably want to see the gate, right?”

  “That’s why I’m here. I’m not actually dead.” She looked slightly astonished.

  “You’re in a coma too?”

  “Nope, science experiment.”

  “Why would anyone die for science.”

  “Why would anyone die for anything?”

  “Love?” She asked.

  “Love.” He answered. She looked him over for a moment.

  “Well, let’s go then.”

  The mountain trail was right by Sam’s home, and seemed simple enough, leading up to a spiral. Flowers grew along the clearly defined path, suggesting a frequent pilgrimage. They walke
d together, making idle chit-chat as they walked. She had tied her blond hair back, and changed into a flannel shirt and pants. Arthur kept on his plain tee shirt and jeans, having nothing else to wear.

  “So where do you get your clothing from anyway?” Arthur asked as they walked, the path having gotten slightly steeper.

  “My grandmother taught me, she was one of the last seamstresses back on Earth.” Sam said, smiling at the thought of her late elder. “I enjoy working with my hands, the busy work keeps my mind free. Arthur?”

  “Yes?” Arthur responded, peering over the edge of the path.

  “What did, or rather, do on Earth?” Arthur grinned and blushed.

  “I’m a painter.”

  “Talk about a lost art. Artistic beauties are so underrated back home. But not here.” A now golden sun shone through the approaching clouds. They walked side by side, and laid down on a slope by the time nightfall came. The air was warm and pleasant, and they watched the stars.

  “We should reach the gate by mid afternoon tomorrow.” Sam said, gazing at the stars. Arthur noticed the stars were different, new unknown constellations dotting the dark blue sky. Sam pointed out constellations she herself had made at night. Shapes and symbols formed in Arthur’s mind as his new and only friend on this planet spoke in her honeydew voice, glancing from him to the stars. Her green eyes shone in the midnight light, and the star light made her features glow. She seemed almost like an illusion to Arthur.