December 22, 2012

Life and Demons


This story is based off of my brother's unconsciousness in the hospital. This is what they do. 
            
Scott Simkin felt surging pain, but he also knew that something was happening - something he couldn’t explain.  He could feel himself slipping out of his wounded body and then saw his suffering body gasping for every horrific breath. Scott knew that he had gotten to this point in his life because of all his ghastly, foul, vile demons.
            Scott looked around at his surroundings and realized that he was in an airport. He had never been to this particular airport, but didn’t all airports look the same? The airport was abandoned. It had this eerie feeling about it. Scott was walking up the dead escalators when he spotted a man coming toward him and realized he was cantering with great purpose in his step.
“Hello” he said with a sultry voice.
“Who are you? Where am I?” Scott asked in a frantic voice. But all the man would do is chuckle and shuffle away. In a very confused manner Scott paraded after the strange man.
“Your life Scott Simkin, is going to be shown to you. Pay close attention to you feelings and actions.”
            Middle school comes to Scott’s mind. He remembered this day. Scott was in the lunchroom with his buddies when one of them pulled out a bag. Scott knew that today would be the day he was going to use the contents in the bag. Not because he wanted to, but because he told himself he needed to. And Scott’s “friends” definitely gave him many reasons to try it. Scott justified it like he had done with all his other so called “choices”. It was okay, no one would ever find out. They wouldn’t. And that faithful day of middle school was the day Scott tried the poison that would bring about his ugly destruction.
            Scott knew his life was made up of a million of these moments, when he was too weak to stand up for something he knew to be true. He felt these demons all his life.
The next moment Scott saw was April 13th, 2008. Scott was a senior in high school, and his family was oblivious to all the wars that had been going on in his head. This day Scott was with his girlfriend when his friends “lit one up”. Scott realized for the first time that the gnawing feeling he had experienced every other time he’d had to make a choice between right and wrong was finally gone. He was grateful for that.
            To understand Scott, you had to understand Scott’s family.  He had a very pleasing, well off family.  He had good parents with Dad serving as a bishop and Mom a great lady. Scott was the oldest of four children - a younger brother, and two sisters idolized what Scott did everyday. Scott’s family members were his favorite people as they were the ones to help keep the demons under control.
Suddenly Scott’s mind floated to one of the many wonderful Sunday nights at his house and all of the happiness he felt there. Scott loved how on this Sunday night, they made no bake cookies, sang and danced to Les Miserable while doing the dishes and laughed a lot.  Scott felt right for a while again.
            But no matter how happy he felt at home, Scott never got rid of his demons. Despite the love he felt for his family, the demons were starting to become a daily horror for Scott until one day when Scott met the love of his life. Her name was Sam and she was one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever seen. His mind traveled to the first time they met. She was crying on his shoulder about her ex-boyfriend, and he realized this girl was more than he could ever ask for. His brain moved to their wedding day and he realized this had been the happiest day of his life.
            Sam made life bearable for Scott for the longest time. Yet as his life continued to unfold, Scott knew what was coming and he was dreading it. The day of Scott’s reckoning was coming into view, but before he let it, he pleaded with his mysterious partner, “Why are you showing me this day? Any day but this one.”
The man just looked at Scott with sadness in his eyes.
“You must experience this pain to know the joy you could have.”
            Scott was lying in his hospital bed.  His beautiful, loving wife and sweet family surrounded him while his mangled body clutched onto each breath. Scott knew that he had screwed up to the point of no repair. He had never felt so much anguish, remorse, and misery in his life. He could feel all of the sadness in that room - all the excruciating pain, all the agonizing regret, and all the heartache from every single loved one in that hospital room.
            From close by Scott could hear his strange escort begin to speak. 
“Scott, you have had many unbearable demons in your life and now is the time for you to make a very important decision.” He continued, “This airport represents a place where people only temporarily stay. There are two planes leaving soon.  One will return back to your life -back to your demons, back to the consequences of your choices, but also to your loved ones and the sweet times with them.”
Then he looked at Scott with those same longing, loving eyes. “The second one will travel to quite a different place where you, my dearest Scott, can progress and become the best person you should be. It may seem easier, but you won’t be with your loved ones. You have to realize, that sometimes the best thing to do for someone is to let them go.”
Scott Simkin chose that day. His family misses him very much.