A Moment's Worth Of Forever

Benny leaned back in the barber's chair as Charlie wiped the last traces of shaving cream from his neck and applied his favorite aftershave lotion. He splashed it on generously, yet carefully, making sure none spilled on Benny's suit. Charlie backed away and looked down when he was finished. Benny got up and looked in the mirror.1

'Nothing beats a barber's shave,' Benny chuckled, 'except a free barber's shave, that is.'2

After adjusting his tie, Benny pulled out his comb and gave his slick, well oiled hair a couple quick strokes. He pocketed the comb and gave Charlie a playful slap on his left cheek.3

'See ya next time, Charlie Boy, ' he proclaimed confidently as he wiped the hair tonic from his hands on Charlie's apron.4

Since the Santini family had taken him in, life had been very good to Benny. Everyone respected the Santini family; or feared them. Either way, he always got whatever he wanted. Sure, he had to bust a few heads now and then, but some people were slow learners and had to be taught who's running this part of town.5

Benny checked his Rolex and turned toward the door. It was time to visit the corner grocer. Mr. Cholinski was behind on his protection payment and it was time to remind him who he needed protection from.6

As he stepped through the doorway, Benny tripped on a loose board and stumbled forward. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. The skin peeled from his hands against the pavement as he tried to break his fall. He got up slowly and looked down at himself, causing his hair to tumble into his eyes. His black, leather shoes were scuffed and his suit pants had a small tear at the knee. Flipping his hair back in place, he tried to brush the dust from his pants. Instead, he smeared small streaks of blood across the fine silk from his raw hands. Anger seethed from every pore as Benny stomped back into the barbershop.7

'You're gonna pay for this Charlie, ' he shouted, ' you're gonna pay dearly.'8

Once inside, he looked around; Charlie was gone. Being a notorious coward, he was probably hiding in the back room, but that wasn't going to save his sorry hide. Benny stormed into the back room eager to beat Charlie senseless.9

Benny stopped abruptly in total shock. The back room was gone. It was as though he had stepped onto an alien planet. He stood dumbfounded at the fantastic scenery before him. The sky was orange while the ground and the various rocks strewn everywhere were red and yellow. There were strange plants around him and trees which had neither bark nor greenery. They were dark, the color of oxidized blood and seemed to move without the benefit of wind.10

Turning, Benny hoped to find refuge back in the barbershop, but it was gone. All signs of familiarity had vanished. Instead, he spotted a creature that had been sneaking up behind him. Benny quickly spun in a full circle, checking for other threats. Seeing none, he returned his gaze upon the beast as he pulled his gun from the chest holster under his suit coat.11

The hideous thing sped up. As it got closer, Benny stared in disbelief. It moved upright like a primate, yet looked more like a wolf. It had huge bulging eyes and drool dripped from its snarling jaws. Its head was covered with shaggy hair, as were its hands and feet, but its body was hairless: and sexless.12

As it closed in, Benny shouted, 'That better not be you in a Halloween costume, Charlie. I swear to God, it better not be you.'13

The thing was nearly upon him when Benny fired three rounds, directly into its chest, in rapid succession. The bullets passed cleanly through it without leaving a mark. The fiend lunged with outstretched claws at Benny's chest, but he sidestepped the attack and only received a glancing blow. With its next advance, Benny dodged the claws and delivered a stunning chop to its throat which staggered it momentarily. He grabbed it from behind and snapped its neck with a practiced headlock. As the beast fell in a heap, Benny checked his wounds which burned as though red hot acid had been dumped on him. His chest had been ripped open exposing his ribs, and yet, there was no blood.14

Clutching his chest, Benny dropped to the red dirt in anguish. He shook his head slowly as he tried to make sense out of the insanity which had been thrust upon him. He wondered how he could rationalize anything that had happened. A list of improbable possibilities ran through his mind: nuclear war, alien invasion, attack from chemical or biological weapons. . . None seemed plausible, but any other explanation was beyond his comprehension. How could he find reason in such unreasonable circumstances?15

A piercing screech from above seized Benny's attention, reminding him of his perilous situation. He looked up, but it was too late to escape. A huge, winged demon swooped down on him. It had gigantic, black, leathery wings with gnarled hands protruding from their tips. Its body was covered with streaming blue feathers. Its head was elongated horizontally with an unmistakably human face. It had a hooked nose, maniacal eyes and a thin, wispy, white beard. Its claws demanded immediate attention. Razor sharp talons dug into Benny's shoulder as the beast tried to carry him away. Benny, unwilling to be easy prey, twisted onto his back, pumped both feet into its feathered belly and ripped free from its merciless grip. The being flew off squawking; taking most of Benny's suit coat and a sizeable chunk of his shoulder away in its claws.16

Writhing in bloodless agony, Benny's screams echoed across the eerie landscape. His horrifying outburst drew the interest of dozens of creatures who began to migrate toward the sound with eager eyes. His moans faded to a whisper when he heard bestial growls approaching from all sides. Leading the pack was a monster of gigantic proportions. It walked upright on well muscled, bovine legs. It had the upper body and arms of a huge man which bulged with chiseled, iron sinews. Its head was that of a horse, with large ram horns growing from the top and iridescent blue eyes. The legs were covered with a brown hide while the rest of the body had vibrant, pink skin. A sinister smile crawled across its equine lips when it spotted Benny. It shouted a thunderous command and the horde came to a halt.17

The giant approached him, it flexed its chest and arm muscles. It bellowed out a tremendous roar which knocked Benny flat on his back. As he laid there frozen with fear, the beast extended its arms and pointed them toward him. Its fingertips started to glow, and with a ghoulish smile, it shot lightning bolts from its fingers, striking Benny in the chest. His body arched and heaved under the electric onslaught. Breathless and speechless, his body screamed in silence. He watched in horror as the fingertips, once again, began to glow.18

“Clear.”19

A surge of electricity raced through Benny’s body, jumpstarting his heart. One of the paramedics checked his jugular for a pulse as the other recharged the defibrillator.20

“We’ve got a pulse, John. Shut it down.” The first paramedic was speaking to his partner as he adjusted the oxygen mask over Benny’s face. They high-fived as Benny’s eyes fluttered open.21

Too weak to speak, Benny looked at them with questioning eyes. The paramedic named John spoke to him. “You’re a lucky guy, buddy. You can thank Charlie here. His quick thinking saved your life.” The paramedic nodded toward the barber, then spoke again, “When you collapsed in the doorway, he called 911 and started doing CPR. He kept you going ’til we got here. You flat-lined on us.” Benny’s eyes raised slightly. “Yeah, that’s right,” John continued, “for a few moments you were dead. Technically, but not officially, dead. Thanks to Betsie here,” he patted the defibrillator, “we got your ticker ticking again.”22

Benny glanced in the direction of the paramedic’s nod and saw Charlie. Benny managed a small smile, but it went unnoticed under the mask. Charlie looked at the ground sheepishly. So Charlie Boy saved my life, he thought, and I had wanted to kill him.23

His shoulder felt fine; was it just a dream? They said that his heart had stopped. He was actually dead for a short time. Dead? What if it wasn’t a dream? What if it was a preview of what was waiting for him when his time was up? A cold chill shivered along his spine. My God, he thought, had the paramedics snatched him from the clutches of hell itself? Was it his destiny? Would it still be waiting for him when his time on Earth finally came to a close?24

The stark realization that his past was rapidly catching up with him became an epiphany for Benny. He closed his eyes and silently prayed, “God, I know I got it comin’. You know better than me I got it comin’, but there was a time when I was good, remember? It wasn’t that long ago. I can do it again, Lord, I can do it again! You know I can. Is that why I’m still here? Is this my second chance? I can’t undo my past, but I can show you the other me. I will show you the other me. I will prove my worth. I promise.”25

As they prepared to transport Benny to the hospital a wave of tranquility washed over him. He motioned to the paramedic to remove his oxygen mask. When it was off, he called out, “Charlie!”26

Charlie came along side him and Benny clasped both of his hands around Charlie’s right hand. With tears in his eyes he looked up at him and said, “Thank you, Charlie, with all my heart and soul, thank you.”