Mohrman - Singular Points

Singular

Points

Copyright 2013 by Travis Mohrman
All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or to start a fire in some sort of dire situation.

Printed by a specially created race of hybrid octopus people in the United States of America

First Printing, 2013

DeadPixel Publications

ISBN-13: 978-1494787394

ISBN-10: 1494787393

Cover Design by www.Rockingbookcovers.com

www.Travismohrman.com

Other books by Travis Mohrman:

Down The Path

Further: Down The Path 2

Finding Their Path

To Kona and all the other dogs who

have left a mark upon us

before their passing.

The rain had been steadily falling all day long. It was autumn, and the November rains had been delayed. In years like that, it usually started raining and didnt stop for a week. The normally crystal clear and slow river they had gathered near had been turned into a raging waterway the color of weak coffee. Multiple drainage creeks had formed, coming down the forested hills as the water rushed down faster than it could be absorbed by the red clay soil.

As the group of 40 friends and family gathered along the rivers edge, David found the weather fitting. It reflected his mood. After all, they were there to release the ashes of his wife into the flowing waters.

People had tried to talk to him, to give him their condolences, to speak about her. It mo stly fell on deaf ears. If he heard the words she was far too young again he thought he might erupt. Truth be told, this was the first time he had been sober since the accident that took her life several days ago. He hadnt planned on sobriety for this little event either, but Brian, his friend since childhood, had pressed the issue. He was regretting his decision as the priest droned on.

He had married Jackie several years after college. She found him in a bar, and saw something deep inside him that no one else, including himself, had seen. Now, after a decade of marriage, he owned a very successful construction company that focused on building environmentally friendly homes. He had jumped onto that bandwagon right as it got rolling, and was now the industry leader for the Midwest, with the most experience.

David knew it was all because of her. Without Jackie to drive him, to inspire him, to give him a reason to be a good person, he would go right back to being the drunken letch he knew he was always meant to be. He simply didnt want to live anymore without her, but lacked the conviction to pull the trigger. His entire world was as furious as the river that he stood beside.

He didnt know exactly when he had fallen onto his knees. He didnt feel any pain as his kneecap clinked off the sharp rock half buried in the earth. He only noticed it when the water from the wet ground seeped through his suit pants, and he felt a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder from his friend standing beside him. He looked around and saw his mother and father, his in-laws, and all of their friends.

He had been so out of it since she died that Brian, along with his in-laws, had handled most of the arrangements. As he looked out over them all now, lined up along the river, he received several knowing nods as well as some stern looks from a few of the older gentlemen. This was not how a man was supposed to act, he knew they were thinking.

The tears were streaming down his face, mixing with the rain, and it was obvious that he was by no means prepared for this event. Fuck them, he thought. His inner monologue continued, I am a widower at the age of 35, fuck them all.

Brian leaned down and whispered in his ear, Theyre ready for you to release the ashes. Take your time, whenever youre ready, man.

David knew he would never be ready to do that. She didnt want a fucking priest, he said, loud enough for the priest himself to probably hear.

I know that. The priest isnt here for her, buddy, but hes a nice man to talk to and many of these folks need a person like that during a time like this , Brian whispered back to him, with his arms now wrapped around Davids shoulder.

David knew what was expected of him. Jackie would have been the first person to argue against the inclusion of the priest. She would have thought that if those people needed a priest they should go talk to whichever one they pleased. This man had never even met Jackie, and he was here telling others about her life and where she was now? It was lunacy.

Brian tried to lift him off the ground, but couldnt do it subtly since David was several inches taller and nearly fifty pounds heavier than him. Do you want to stand up and walk over to the edge with me? He waved over to Davids sister, Debbie, who began walking closer to help him get up. Debbie and I will go over there with you, if you want.

While still staring at the water droplets hitting the puddles, he was able to mumble Give me a minute. Truth was, he was considering just jumping in the river along with the ashes. They were going to release the remains in a small eddy where the water was only gently swirling, but several feet farther out and the flowing monster would certainly grab hold of his body. No one could stop him. Morbidly, he wondered how long he would travel downriver until he finally drowned. Would he be knocked out by a rock or simply be pulled underwater by the raging current?

Brian waved and gave a nod to the small group of people that was meant to convey the message. Most seemed to understand.

David heard a wailing sound as someone started to sob. When Debbies arm wrapped around his shoulders he was surprised to realize that he was making the noise. He didnt know where it had come from. He had cried plenty in his life, but never made noises like this.

He felt the hollowness inside him, the one that he had filled up with booze since the accident, spill forth from his mouth. His world officially crashed down on him. He sat back on his feet and let his arms hang limp at his sides as he continued to wail ever louder. He was the picture of a broken man. David didnt notice the arms of his sister and friend let go of him, but he did see their feet move backwards.

As he felt the pain in his stomach move to his chest, he ached for air. His fingertips began to tingle as the tears fell faster and faster down his face. He heard his own voice become hoarse. He knew he needed to breathe, but all of his energy was being put into releasing his sadness. David felt the tingle in his fingertips turn into burning sensation. He looked up to see that everyone had now stepped even farther back from him, but Brian was rapidly pulling off his suit coat while closing the distance between them.

David looked at his hands and found them too white; almost backlit, like when you put your hand over a light bulb and it seems as if your hand is transparent. He wondered at it for a moment, but then the burning sensation spread all over his body as Brian slid beside him in the wet grass, and tried to wrap him up.

Davids wails became a scream of pain as the heat hit his eyes, and he watched as everyone around him seemed to merge into everything else. Then, as if someone had painted over his eyes, he saw only bright white.

Slowly, his vision seemed to return. Everything still looked foggy, but it didnt seem to be raining anymore. He looked around and found his friends and family to all be missing. His heart rate shot up for a split second before a thought dawned on him. I must be dead. He wondered why he could feel his heart beating furiously deep inside his chest if he was dead.

David stood and glanced at the river. It was still running with enough ferocity to pull him under, but he didnt think he needed to do that anymore. Slowly, he remembered the old tunnel of light stories from so many survivors of near death experiences. So much for all of that.