Rapture? ... coming back to life.
BAM!, there’s this flash of brilliant white light, and suddenly I find myself standing in a line of people that literally stretches out and winds as far as the eye can see. Not that I can see very far mind you. It’s all very foggy. I can’t even see the ground I’m standing on, but I am standing on … something. Nobody is saying a word. I try to speak to the woman behind me, but nothing comes out. I try to tap the shoulder of the man in front of me and my hand just disappears into cloudy mist. Periodically, I catch a glimpse through the fog and see the line of others twisting and turning in and out of sight. There’s a small sign ahead that becomes clearer as we approach, all moving forward, seemingly imperceptibly, towards an unknown destination. It has on it one of those iconic seventies, yellow smiley faces and the words below it read, “Six hour wait from this point – Have a Nice Day!”
After what seems like an eternity, I can see what it is we are finally approaching. Gates. We are advancing towards gilded gates of an enormous proportion. The tops of these barricades are so high they’re lost in the fog that permeates this otherworldly place. I notice faint music. It gets louder as we get closer. I haven’t noticed the others ahead of me going through, but I unexpectedly become aware that I’m now at the front of the line and there’s a large velvet rope barring my entrance into these gigantic portals. A man on the other side of the rope asks what I’m doing here. “I don’t know”, I say. My voice has returned. He looks annoyed. He moves away out of sight and I’m left there standing; waiting … waiting. I’m really wondering what’s happening now. This isn’t right. I want to yell to the man and ask him what’s going on, but my voice, once again, has left me. Somehow knowing, the man returns and looks at me questioningly. As I open my mouth, the words spill forth, “Can I go in?” I ask. “I don’t know, can you?” he retorts. Dammit. “May I go in?” I correctly ask. Just then, a small group of young women appear and divert his attention from me. He escorts them jovially up to and through the entrance to this yet unseen Utopia, and then returns to where I am standing. “What was that you were saying?” he asks. “Who were they?” I ask, “Why were they allowed to just walk right in?” His face has that annoyed look again and he mumbles something about virgins and being pure of soul and continues to look past me. There is no one behind me now.
“Please let me in” I beg. “Room’s full” he says. “WHAT?” “Are you with a group?” he asks. “No, I’ve been standing alone in this line forever”. “Forever?!” he incredulously replies, “You’re not even close”. “C’mon man, cut me some slack” I say and start to step over the velvet rope. Before my foot can even reach the solidity of whatever it is we’re standing on, there are two huge guys on either side of me. Each one grabs an elbow and as I’m forced backwards and down through the ethereal vapors I swear I can hear the man at the door saying under his breath; ‘not the way you’re dressed’ and something about ‘a cold day in hell’. So for now I guess, I’m coming back to life ...
Rapture? ... coming back to life.
BAM!, there’s this flash of brilliant white light, and suddenly I find myself standing in a line of people that literally stretches out and winds as far as the eye can see. Not that I can see very far mind you. It’s all very foggy. I can’t even see the ground I’m standing on, but I am standing on … something. Nobody is saying a word. I try to speak to the woman behind me, but nothing comes out. I try to tap the shoulder of the man in front of me and my hand just disappears into cloudy mist. Periodically, I catch a glimpse through the fog and see the line of others twisting and turning in and out of sight. There’s a small sign ahead that becomes clearer as we approach, all moving forward, seemingly imperceptibly, towards an unknown destination. It has on it one of those iconic seventies, yellow smiley faces and the words below it read, “Six hour wait from this point – Have a Nice Day!”
After what seems like an eternity, I can see what it is we are finally approaching. Gates. We are advancing towards gilded gates of an enormous proportion. The tops of these barricades are so high they’re lost in the fog that permeates this otherworldly place. I notice faint music. It gets louder as we get closer. I haven’t noticed the others ahead of me going through, but I unexpectedly become aware that I’m now at the front of the line and there’s a large velvet rope barring my entrance into these gigantic portals. A man on the other side of the rope asks what I’m doing here. “I don’t know”, I say. My voice has returned. He looks annoyed. He moves away out of sight and I’m left there standing; waiting … waiting. I’m really wondering what’s happening now. This isn’t right. I want to yell to the man and ask him what’s going on, but my voice, once again, has left me. Somehow knowing, the man returns and looks at me questioningly. As I open my mouth, the words spill forth, “Can I go in?” I ask. “I don’t know, can you?” he retorts. Dammit. “May I go in?” I correctly ask. Just then, a small group of young women appear and divert his attention from me. He escorts them jovially up to and through the entrance to this yet unseen Utopia, and then returns to where I am standing. “What was that you were saying?” he asks. “Who were they?” I ask, “Why were they allowed to just walk right in?” His face has that annoyed look again and he mumbles something about virgins and being pure of soul and continues to look past me. There is no one behind me now.
“Please let me in” I beg. “Room’s full” he says. “WHAT?” “Are you with a group?” he asks. “No, I’ve been standing alone in this line forever”. “Forever?!” he incredulously replies, “You’re not even close”. “C’mon man, cut me some slack” I say and start to step over the velvet rope. Before my foot can even reach the solidity of whatever it is we’re standing on, there are two huge guys on either side of me. Each one grabs an elbow and as I’m forced backwards and down through the ethereal vapors I swear I can hear the man at the door saying under his breath; ‘not the way you’re dressed’ and something about ‘a cold day in hell’. So for now I guess, I’m coming back to life ...