{"id":2787,"date":"2015-03-17T02:03:26","date_gmt":"2015-03-17T02:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/?p=2787"},"modified":"2015-03-17T02:03:26","modified_gmt":"2015-03-17T02:03:26","slug":"spirit-in-the-sky-by-linda-casper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/spirit-in-the-sky-by-linda-casper\/","title":{"rendered":"Spirit in the Sky by Linda Casper"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Leaving<\/a>
Leaving by Sky Black<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spirit in the Sky<\/h1>\n

by Linda Casper<\/p>\n

The mourners dispersed from the graveside in groups of twos and threes. They paused to pay their condolences to the family, some shaking hands and others kissing and hugging. I couldn\u2019t hear their words of comfort but imagined that they included such phrases as sadly missed and will be remembered and had a good, long life; all of which were perfectly true. I watched the family make their way along the path and I hoped that there would be no regrets for deeds done or not done, just good memories to reflect upon and their lives to live.<\/p>\n

It was time for me to leave too, I supposed. I wasn\u2019t prepared for this at all. How could I be? Maybe I should be making my way to the Pearly Gates, but I had no sense of direction when I was alive so I had no chance of finding my way now as a spirit, if indeed that is what I am. Is it correct to say \u201cI am\u201d if I am no longer, if I don\u2019t actually exist? I tried to take stock of how I was feeling and realised it was just that what was missing. Feeling. Without my old body there were no aches and pains, nor was I experiencing any anxiety. I didn\u2019t feel hungry, thirsty or tired. Time was irrelevant. Perhaps my spirit would just drift along in this way for eternity.<\/p>\n

I had never believed in the concept of heaven or hell. Nor had I had subscribed to that school of thought that your spirit would enter another form of life, but it gave me something to ponder while I still could. I wouldn\u2019t wish to be reincarnated as a human and go through all those stages before you felt comfortable in your own skin; falling in and out of love, swotting for exams and dealing with teenage children. Neither did I fancy coming back as any form of animal. I just wanted to continue floating aimlessly towards the glow of light up ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s back with us\u201d said a voice I didn\u2019t recognise.<\/p>\n

I wanted to ask where I was and with whom but no words escaped me.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been in an accident and you\u2019re in hospital. Can you tell me how you\u2019re feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Actually, I couldn\u2019t. I\u2019d been given a taste of freedom and now it would seem I was back to dealing with the struggles of everyday life. Would that seem ungrateful to the hospital staff?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The mourners dispersed from the graveside in groups of twos and threes. They paused to pay their condolences to the family, some shaking hands <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-short-story"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t