Story

Barbara was once again strolling her way through the Gates of Heaven. She loved this place. Her boyfriend lived there. And she was visiting, as she did every weekend. Barbara strolled through the woods, whistling her favorite tunes, one of which was "Row Row Row Your Boat", and as she whistled, discovered herself singing a few of the lyrics as well. "Well then, good thing nobody was around!"

Barbara was a very shy girl, not prone to public displays of any kind. Thinking back on her past (which she could really remember nothing much of for some reason), Barbara recalled a time she had to sing at a school play. It was her turn for the spotlight, her turn to be a star, and she only ended up with dreams shattered as she wet herself on stage in front of what seemed like the whole world. Barbara shook the thoughts from her mind, as she reached her boyfriend's house. She knocked. And knocked. And knocked. Finally, after 10 more knocks, an answer. "Oh... hey Barb. Please, come in."

"What, I don't get a kiss?" "Please, Barb, just come this way. Thank you."

Barbara entered the familiar room of her boyfriend's antechamber, surprised to see another man sitting in her boyfriend's familiar red couch. "Uhhh... hi," Barbara said sheepishly. She turned to her boyfriend, quietly asking him, "Uhhh... Who is this?"

"You're not gonna want to hear it. He's a priest Barb. He's here to cure your dementia." "It's not fucking dementia Mark! God damn it! I'm leaving you idiot." "Barbara. Sit. Down."

Barbara had never heard that tone from Mark before. "Uhhh... OK. I'll set down, fine."

The priest smiled. "Hi Barbara. I'm Father Custer. It's a pleasure to meet you. I understand you have schizophrenia. Now, it's quite alright, there's nothing wrong as long as you fix it. Here."

Barbara's look on her face betrayed a sense of insult and anger despite the priest's kind words. He handed her a bible. "You expect me to read this? Haha."

"It's no joke Barb." Mark was very serious about this. It scared Barbara a little bit, but she wouldn't admit it. "I just can't believe this. Shit. I'm sorry Father, I gotta get some fresh air."

Barbara could not get out of that house quick enough. She looked down, ready to dig into her pocket for a smoke, but saw that she still clutched at the bible. Forgoing the smoke, Barbara opened the little black book. "Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." Hmph. "Stupid book." Barbara tossed the book aside, the book falling hastily to the hard ground.

Once again, Barbara looked down for a smoke. Her hands once again held the bible. "What the..." Barbara tossed it aside once again, making sure to look at it as it fell this time. It hit the ground, same as the first time. Barbara turned to re-enter the house, but instead of reaching for the doorknob, she found herself impeded once again by the haunting presence of the dark book in her hands. "Oh damn it all!"

Barbara entered the house still holding the bible. No one was inside. "Hello? Mark? Father?" Barbara set the book down on a side table, sitting down on the once occupied couch. She finally reached into her pocket for a smoke, lit it up, and took a nice long, heavy drag. "Ahhhhh. Now that feels good." Thoughts of where everyone could be slowly faded away, and Barbara felt herself drifting asleep.

Her dream was dark and frightening. Barbara was once again strolling her way through the Gates of Heaven. The place was normally so beautiful and serene, but now it only represented the coldness of the people around her and the sudden stress brought into her life. The place seemed to be burning, but as Barbara continued her stroll, the place became colder and colder unitl Barbara's breath could clearly be seen. Barbara shook these thoughts from her mind, as she reached her boyfriend's house. She knocked for a total of 14 times, and her boyfriend finally answered. But it wasn't her boyfriend. It was... "Oh... hey Barb, please come in."

Barbara swallowed as she stared into the soulless eyes of her not-boyfriend. "What... what are you?" The thing that was very clearly not Barbara's boyfriend smiled. "I guess you can say I'm you. Why don't you open that bible Barb?"

Barbara looked down at her hands. "Enough with this blasted bible damn it!" The Mark-imposter's smile turned into an ambiguously angry frown. "Come on Barb. You want to be cured don't you? Don't you? Or... maybe you like living in your little fantasy world. With your made up memories of school time embarrassment, a loving boyfriend in a dream house, comfort in smoking and your own self-loathe. What do you say Barb? It's just a book. Open it."

Barbara swallowed hard. The thing in front of her scared her, not just from not-Mark's creepy frown and bleached white skin, but from the realization that it was right. "Fine... fine. It's just a book..."

"Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

Not-Mark laughed and laughed. "See Barb? The bible knows all. Your situation can end Barb. Stop hating yourself and learn to LIVE." Bleached-white-Mark slammed the door in Barbara's face, jolting the real Barbara from her sleep. "Oh fuck!" The cigarette that she was enjoying burned a sizable hole in her leather jacket. "Ahhhhh!" Barbara looked over at the side table for an ashtray. The bible she left there was open. "Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit."

Barbara's dream came flooding back to her. She smiled. And let reality take over for her. Barbara awoke once again. A buzzing fan by the window was the only noise in her small apartment bedroom. The sun was just coming up. Barbara tossed the warm covers off of her, sitting up for a stretch and a yawn. "What a dream that was... Gates of Heaven... How ridiculous! Mark is gonna get a kick out of it. As long as I don't forget it!"