**Disclaimer: This is a writing prompt I found off of Pinterest. This is all original work, so please do not alter or copy any of the details included. Thanks!
I never thought I’d be dead at the age of 23. I guess that’s what texting and driving gets you. My guess is I look pretty bad considering I’m in a closed coffin.
I looked to my left at what my hand was touching. Someone must have seen me at some point because my older sister’s college graduation photo is beside me. And beautiful flowers are lying to my right. Lilies. White lilies, my absolute favorite. I wonder who gave me these? It’s nice of them to put me six feet under with my favorite flowers to keep me company.
Wait, what was I texting about anyway? What was so important that I couldn’t wait? What was so important that it landed me here, in my very own coffin? My eyes diverted to the top of the coffin and I realized- James. A picture of James was taped to the top of my coffin immediately in my eyesight. I was texting James, letting him know I was five minutes from the flower shop and- oh no!! I was only a few months away from getting married. No, God no…poor James! He must have waited for me for hours before realizing that I was never showing up- I can’t believe I did this to him.
I heard a sniffle immediately outside my coffin as a voice drenched in sadness whispered into the dark walnut, “I will always love you.” It was James.
“I love you too, James, and I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” No matter how much I yelled or screamed, he was never going to hear me. I wanted nothing more than to hold him, but no matter how much I wanted that to be true, I was never going to be able to hold him again.
It was then that I looked down at my clothing and saw they (James, my parents, Hallie?) had buried me in my wedding dress…the one that I wasn’t supposed to wear for another two months.
“Casey,” a gentle voice outside my coffin said. “Why did you have to do this? James needed you, your father needed you, I needed you? Why couldn’t you just wait five more minutes?” My heart shattered- well, figuratively, because I’m not even sure I have a heart anymore, and if I do, it sure as hell isn’t working.
It was my mom’s voice I was hearing now. Her small, disappointed and heartbroken speech was interrupted by hysterical crying. It’s my assumption that my dad came and got her and took her to her seat.
My assumption was confirmed as only a few minutes (were they minutes? hours?) later, I heard a rough, deep voice talking to me.
“Casey, what were you thinking? Why couldn’t you just wait? Your mom- well she’s drinking again and your sister won’t even return our calls. She’s too upset to even-. You were only-well, James is a mess. I’ve never seen him look more thin. I don’t think he’ll ever love- well, I love you, Case…Heaven better be good to you.”
Heaven. Wait. Why wasn’t I in heaven? Did I do something wrong? Did I sin too often and not ask for forgiveness enough? Why am I still here?
Minutes passed as I heard voices I could barely recognize, voices of my best friends, and those of people I had fallings out with, talking to me about how they’ll miss me, how I impacted their lives, how sorry they were that we had fallen apart.
Now the preacher was going on how it was my time, how God had a plan for me, and that no one should worry as I was in God’s kingdom now. Little do they know that I’m here, trapped in this box, listening to every word they say.
After an hour (or was it minutes?) of the preacher talking, the crowd singing hymnals and speeches of those individuals closest to me (except James who I can only assume is so heartbroken he couldn’t bear to talk to me), I felt the coffin lift up. I must be getting carried to the neighboring cemetery. I guess it’s time for them to lower me into the ground.
James decided to speak at the cemetery. He went on about how I was his better half and how I truly cared about the people in my life and how I always made him laugh and how I was his soulmate….and lastly, how broken-hearted he was because I will never share his last name. A dream cut short by merely two months.
It was truly beautiful. I wish I could cry.
I guess the speeches are over because an obnoxious hum filled my ears, one that could only be the machine that the church has to lower the deceased six feet under.
Suddenly, I heard a feint “Wait! Wait! Don’t lower her yet!” off in the distance, somehow over the loud machine that had begun lowering me into my final physical resting place.
The yells got louder and finally the machine turned off. My sister’s voice was clear to me now. Hallie- she came! After everything- our constant bickering, her silent treatment of mom and dad, her never having the chance to stand next to me on my wedding day as my Maid of Honor.
And it was then that I realized I was waiting for closure from her- my best friend and oldest confidant, Hallie- before I could make way to Heaven. She was the person who had been missing, since I heard from everyone else.
She said a few words on her journey to even get to the cemetery (losing her keys, missing the turn, traffic- ironically caused by a car accident) but also how she couldn’t let me go before saying goodbye.
“Goodbye, Casey,” she said as I heard dirt fall onto my coffin.
“Goodbye, Hallie,” I wanted to whisper but nothing came out. Instead, the coffin disappeared and everything went silent. Finally, I saw a light in front of me with hundreds of individuals ushering me towards them.
I walked into the white light and was greeted and embraced by deceased grandparents and those family members I never had a chance to meet.
I was home.
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