Brian McDonald was walking home from work one day. He was just laid off. Rent was due and he had no idea how he was going to find a new job. Life always seemed to kick him when he's down.
Brian was a man in his early 30's, skinny as a toothpick due to being malnourished, and had rundown clothes. This was all because he worked a job that didn't pay the bills. Now without a job, his life is about to get worse.
I might as well just end it all.
Brian never took bad news well. When his father died, he found himself in the bottom of a bottle. It took his best friend intervention and some rehab to get him off the booze.
Now he has hit rock bottom. He walked to a bridge and looked out over the river. It was a nice night tonight. It would be a shame for Brian to kill himself but that's exactly what he was thinking.
Before he could deside to jump, Brian was hit by a random lightning bolt though there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
Next thing Brian knew, he was standing in a pure white space. The purest of white one could ever know. Everywhere he looked was white. No features, buildings, plants, animals, nothing. Just blinding pure white everywhere.
Brian, you have been brought here to face your life and face judgement for it.
The voice rang out from nowhere and everywhere at once. It sounded like a thousand voices but also a single voice at the same time.
What judgement?
Brian never gave much stock to an afterlife of any kind. But now fear grips him.
Maybe that old woman was right from that little old church, he thought.
But his thoughts were now in the open so as this thought entered his mind he could hear his own voice ring out in the void. But he didn't say anything. He can't hide even his very thoughts.
Suddenly a bright light flashes for just a second. Before he knew it he was standing on a college campus. A man was running towards and into one of the buildings. It was him when he was a freshman at college.
This was when his life took a turn downward. He was late for his finals. He spent the night partying and now has a hangover and running late.
This day? No not this day.
This was what he considered his first big mistake and the worse day of his life. He watched as his younger self ran past with blood shot eyes and almost ran into the door. He watched as his younger self swang the door to the building wide and almost hit someone behind him, who was also running late, in the face.
Brian turned a shade of red as deep as cherries due to embarrassment from watching his younger self ruin the rest of his life.
Then there was another blinding flash and Brian was inside the college class room.
Professor Hines!
Professor Hines was Brian's favorite professor when he attended college here. The professor didn't budge when Brian yelled his name. This is only a flash of a memory.
Professor Hines, why are you ignoring me?
Then the voice that seems to be everywhere and nowhere at once spoke up.
He can't hear you or react to you because this is but a memory, a recording of events that has already come to pass. This is the evidence by which you shall be judged.
Suddenly, from right behind Brian the doors swung open and younger Brian ran in our of breath. As younger Brian walked to his seat younger Brian passed through Brian as if he wasn't there.
The professor spoke.
You're late.
Sorry professor.
Younger Brian had his head hung low.
Well, today is the day for the finals. Pass or fail this class is determined based on today.
Still with his head hung low, younger Brian replied, I understand professor. I'll do my best.
Today was the day Brian failed is finals and was forced to drop out of college. Younger Brian took his seat and started the exam. Hours later he turned it in feeling smug.
Don't feel smug you idiot. You failed out right here.
The voice replies to Brian, Your younger self can't hear you. This is just a vision of things that once was.
Brian slumped his head. Then another blinding light. Now he stands in front of a restaurant. It's a couple years later and a pretty young woman is sitting at a table waiting.
Then a time lapse occurs and Brian can see people coming and going, and time passes. In the matter of a minute, three hours pass. The woman gets up and leaves.
She was there? I thought she didn't show.
A minute after the woman left a 21 year old Brian walked in.
You worked late and never bothered to let her know. She thought you stood her up.
How could I have been so stupid. She was the best thing to ever happen to me since I failed the exams.
The voice replies, You were too busy still making mistakes. Partying and being hungover to make something of yourself.
Tears began to flow down Brian's face.
Please no more, no more.
Then a blinding light and Brian was back in the white space.
Are you ready for your judgment?
Brian said nothing just nodded. The voice with a booming sound, passed judgement.
Brian McDonald, you have waisted every opportunity given to you. Though we only saw two events there were much more just like them. Also you had attempted to harm yourself to escape this life rather work to fix it.
Brian swallowed hard. Fear gripping him.
For this you cannot pass into the afterlife. You must try again. However it will not be easy. It will actually be harder. You will be sent to a world to be reborn and prove you deserve to pass into the afterlife.
With that there was another blinding light and pitch blackness but also cramped space.