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HEAVEN'S DOOR by Terry Wright
The afterlife. The light. Bathed in a warm glow, Justin felt only torment, for he could never crossover to eternal peace and happiness as long as this hatred boiled inside his heart. Billy Denton had to be destroyed. “Christy!” Justin cried out and fell to his knees, his tear-swollen eyes now focused on the light’s bright center. “I tried to save you.” Mist began to swirl. “Justice, beware,” said a deep voice from the light. He removed his cowboy hat. “It’s too late.” “Your
troubles have just begun.” “But she’s gone.” The light parted, drowning the afterlife in a crimson glow. Now roiling, the mist became billows of black smoke. Yellow flames licked the air. In the middle of it all, Christy appeared, dressed in a red bikini, her black hair long and flowing, and her sweat-soaked skin coppery tan. She sat on a throne of fire. Chains made of human bones shackled her ankles to a lava-rock floor. Forlorn eyes stared straight forward, blankly. Cynical laughter echoed. Justin’s heart lurched. “Look what’s become of her.” “She
did this to herself, Justice,” “But it’s my fault…for being such a lousy father.” “She
is where she belongs. You cannot save her from this.” “I failed her.” “That cannot be changed. Her place in hell was not negotiable, no matter what the devil made you believe.” “But a hundred souls…” “Not a million souls, Justice. She would never be allowed up here.” Justin wiped away a tear. “What did she do that was so wrong, so unforgivable?” “She embraced evil.” “That was Billy Denton’s doing.” “He gave her the opportunity and she took it. She shunned her father. There’s no changing the penalty for that.” “What about forgiveness?” The vision faded and the light dimmed. “She never asked.” “She was too young to understand.”
“She doesn’t belong here, Justice. But you do. Don’t let the devil take
away your eternity. Let go of your hate and crossover.” Justin bowed his head. “Not until Billy is destroyed.” “You should reconsider. You have much to lose. ” “Like what?” The light brightened. A soft mist formed all around him. “You have a visitor.” “Who?” “Justice, beware.”
From out of the mist, a woman appeared, her face a blur in the bright light. She wore the white gown of an angel and floated in the air as she approached. Her voice carried the harmony of a church choir. “Justin? Justin—is it you?” Music drifted in, soft classical music that soothed Justin’s pounding heart. He stepped forward, somehow drawn to this beautiful creature, as if by recognition or déjà vu. When her facial features came into focus, Justin felt a surge of ecstasy. “Eleanor?” She stood in front of him now and put the palm of her hand on his smooth cheek. “I’ve missed you so.” “Oh God.” Without a moment’s hesitation, he dropped his cowboy hat and gathered her up in his arms. “How did you get here?” he whispered in her ear. “I don’t know.” Her voice sounded soft as a summer breeze. “Just hold me.” Her body, so warm and familiar, set his head to spinning. The sweet smell of lilacs and roses tantalized his senses. Something stirred inside him, something that had been dead for twenty years. The music got a little louder. A violin. A harp. Now flutes and a cello. He closed his eyes. Every nerve in his body tingled. A voice from the past came to him. His voice. “May I carry your books?” He found himself standing next to her on a sidewalk shaded by oak trees, their leaves turning yellow and red and burnt orange. A bell rang from the halls of Deckers High, just across the park. Someone had told him her name was Eleanor. She’d just moved here from California. He didn’t think she looked like a California girl: no blonde hair or bronze tan. Black curls cascaded over her shoulders, like mink, and her deep brown eyes reflected a glint of sunshine like the twinkle of a star. “Thank you,” she said shyly and handed him her books. “My name is Justin.” She smiled. “I know.” Things became a blur after that, the light revealing memories to Justin at a breathtaking pace: high school ball games, cheerleaders, sock hops and the Senior Prom. That night, dressed in her dazzling silk gown, she looked like a princess, an angel, the way she looked right now. He held her a little tighter. “I love you,” she said in his ear with a whisper-soft breath. Wedding bells chimed. Organ music filled the air. “I do.”
“I now pronounce you man and wife. What God has joined together, let no man
put asunder.” He remembered how the police academy had taken him away from her for a while. Then FBI training at Quantico. He recalled his rookie year with the Deckers Police Department, where he met Captain Holland during a murder investigation. The Texas Rangers occupied a lot of his time after that. One muggy night, between assignments, he’d gone home. His back hurt from the long drive up from Houston. Eleanor met him at the door. “This is for you.” She handed him a small box wrapped in pink paper with a white bow. “I didn’t bring you a gift.” She smiled. “Your being here is enough.” Inside the box, he found a tiny pair of pink booties. His heart leapt for joy. Then the cries of a newborn child followed by the steady wail of a heart monitor filled his memory. He didn’t want to remember Eleanor’s funeral or the preacher signing the cross. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, I commend you to the house of the Lord.” Twenty years of heartache. Twenty years of sorrow. Twenty years of mistakes. And now eternity awaited him, wrapped in Eleanor’s arms, her smell intoxicating. A pulse rose in his loins. But guilt dampened his rising passion. He couldn’t get Christy out of his mind. Her affliction in hell was his fault. Surely Eleanor knew. “I’m sorry about our daughter,” he said. She placed a finger on his lips. “Shhhh.” “But I let her down.” “Pray you don’t do the same to me now.” Her lips covered his with hot anticipation. He pulled away. “I can’t.” Her eyes met his. “I grant you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Desire overwhelmed him, as if her heavenly words had taken away all his guilt.
“Justice, beware.” Music. Music. Music. A symphony played on in the afterlife, drums beating feverishly now, tubas and trumpets blaring. The light began changing colors from yellow, to blue, to passionate red, a kaleidoscope of emotions twirling around in a sensual whirlwind. He touched her flesh, smooth and inviting. Her gown dropped to the floor next to his cowboy boots. Embracing her nakedness, he drew her to his chest, felt the hardness of her nipples against his bare skin. “It’s been so long,” she said faintly. “I want you so bad.” A bed appeared in the light, its white satin sheets folded down. The orchestra let out a crescendo as they tumbled onto the mattress, their bodies locked together in a passionate embrace. She kissed him, rolled him on his back, and sat up. He felt her fingers skitter down his chest, across his stomach, and down to his throbbing member. Her lips touched his nipples, ever so slightly; her breaths came warm and fast. Hot blood coursed through his veins. The symphony played Love is Blue, the instrumental version, their favorite song back then. Shivers of delight shot up his spine as her long hair swept across his skin like a soft breeze. She raised her eyes and met his. “I can’t wait any longer.” In a motion as smooth as the song’s melody, she sat down on him, engulfing him completely. A tingling sensation rose from the depths of his soul.
“Justice, beware.” That haunting voice from the light kept resounding in his brain. What was there to beware of? A while ago, he truly believed he had nothing to lose by destroying Billy. Was the light simply trying to prove him wrong? Could Eleanor be the one thing that would bring him peace? Eternity with her would be his reward for abandoning his deal with the devil and his vendetta against Billy. Let them have Christy. They all deserve each other…deserve each other…deserve each other. “NO!” “It’s all right, Justin.” She moved up and down on him with perfect rhythm. “We don't worry about Earthly problems on the other side.” He tried to wriggle free. “I can’t do this.” “Please, Justin.” She wouldn’t let up, kept moving and moving. He couldn’t stop her. Her strength seemed super human. “Stop it! Our daughter is in trouble.” “You cannot change that, Justin. You heard the light.” “I’ve got to try.” “Forget about her. Love me, Justin. Think about us together. Forever.” Her words acted like anesthesia, his mind going numb again. Her relentless motion on top of him seemed to suck the will right out of his bones. That rising fire in his loins inched higher and higher with each down-stroke of her body. Each up-stroke caused his lungs to take in air with a gasp. She began to tremble, to breathe harder and let out little moans of pleasure. Violins. “Blue, blue my love is blue. Blue is my love when I’m without you.” The back of his throat clutched. Thigh muscles tightened. Toes went stiff. He had no control over the rapture now overwhelming his body. Higher and higher he climbed. Harder and harder she pushed. “Oh, Justin!” “I love you,” he said and exploded. She shrieked. “Yes! Yes! Yes!” The depths of hell were never hotter. The light was never brighter. Clinging to him, she dug her fingernails into his back and pressed herself down on him with more force than he could have imagined possible. His body throbbed in waves. She moaned with each undulation. He couldn’t breathe. He didn’t want to. Moments stretched on and on, until finally, he went limp underneath her. Sitting up, she put her hand over her heart and gasped air. “As terrific as you ever were, Justin. You are incredible.” “You did all the work.” She smiled. “I’m all yours, Justin.” Was this her promise to him, an eternity of bliss? He felt sure she meant it—meant it with every strand of her heavenly being. “Come with me through Heaven’s door, Justin.” She rose up and floated above him. “Crossover.” “I can’t go.” She disappeared. “Wait!”
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