On top

The lights of the football stadium were incredibly bright and created an impressive hue of yellow illumination that completely covers the oval edifice like a halo.  It stood out ever so obvious and brightly in the midst of the darkness.1

Inside the seats are packed as usual.  On the field the two teams have battled for control of the ball and the game, but without a clear victor with the score deadlocked in a tie.  On each sideline a band plays its fight songs in competition with the one on the opposite side of the field.  Facing the crowds, two squads of cheerleaders attempt to lead the crowds on different sides of the stadium in some cheer they hope will inspired their team to victory.  There is the predictable chorus of cheers echoed by the crowd.2

Below on the benches the players sit and wait to go out on the field, but for some strange reason there are no coaches visible.  The athletes are strangely quiet and reserved.  They aren’t cheering or showing any signs of excitement as if this wasn’t a game being played to win.  From time to time some of the players will run out onto the field to replace others.  There isn’t any rhyme or reason to the process.  It is more like some kind of mood reaction when one athlete decides for whatever reason it is his turn to play.3

Another oddity is that there is no refreshment stand.  And the crowd never leaves it seats to use the bathroom or move around.  It is as if they are glued to them.  Even though the air is brisk, none of them is wearing any kind of jacket.  They just sit, seemingly transfixed with the mindless need to watch the game.4

Down on the field the actions plods along.  Play after play, the two teams struggled for that one break that would bring victory.  The advantage and momentum shifts sides constantly.  Along the way, there were individual moments of pure glory as some gifted athlete shines with a spectacular play.5

It was the one time that always brought a huge reaction from the crowd.  They filled the stadium with their cheers over and over again at any sign of excellence.6

Then at last the visiting team had the ball and the quarterback stepped back for one long “Hail Mary” pass.  A hush came over the crowd as the ball streaks through the air towards a receiver.  The halfback races ahead of the defenders.  At the exact and perfect moment he leaps into the air and extends his hands just as the ball touches his fingertips.  His body lands on the ground in the end zone only inches passed the goal line.  The referee raised his hands and the scoreboard revealed six new points.7

As usual the onlookers screamed their shouts of adulation.  The shear energy of passionate admiration for the victory turned the stadium into a womb of emotional electricity.  It took endless minutes for the roar to die down.8

Then the lights slowly faded like they were dying.  The stadium becomes a cold, dark and lifeless shell.  What makes it even more amazing was that there are no signs of anyone having left the stadium.  In fact there isn’t even a parking lot anywhere nearby.9

Of course one would have no reason to expect cars parked near a stadium that isn’t built on anything, except air.  The night sky doesn’t just appear overhead, it surrounds the structure as it floats deep in space and light years from the nearest planet.10

Eventually the lights come back on.  This time the players on the field are different.  They have the faces of some that were in the crowd and those who were players in the last round have taken their places in the seats.  Likewise the cheerleaders and band members have also switched places with some of the crowd.  Nobody seems to complain though.  It is like they have done this same thing for countless times.11

Besides it is kick off time.  And nobody ever misses that.  Who will win?  Well that remains to be seen.  But to those in the stadium they aren’t really too concerned it appears.  They just begin to cheer like they have so many times before.12

“King of the world!” The words rang in Mel’s mind when he puts down his pen from writing numbers in log.   Like on so many other occasions as a form of mental escape from real life.  Wouldn’t it be great if the words were true?  But reality is such a cruel host to the mind when you are a dreamer.  For a guy who slaved away at his grunt job in security work, being king of anything was a stretch he couldn’t begin to turn into a fact.13

Like too many people Mel’s life had somehow gotten off track from his desires.  In high school he had been a god.  He had been an athletic warrior, a champion with no tolerance for those who didn’t give their best and he was even a decent student.  His football coach had assured him as earlier as his Sophomore year that by the time he graduated as a Senior the big colleges would be knocking on his door with tantalizing offers.  He even fantasized about ignoring them all for a pro contract.  It was all his goal and passion till the middle of his Senior year.14

At the time he was truly on top of the world.  His football team had taken the state championship and he had gotten more than one write up in the papers as a starting fullback.  The buzz in his town nearly always included speculation about his future.  Everyone expected him to become as bigger a hero in college than high school.15

Then his life suddenly experienced way too many wrong turns.  In a period of a few weeks, his football coach came under suspicion of having violated several high school athletic competition rules.  A disgruntled parent had filed the complaint whose child hadn’t made the team.  The complaint wasn’t true, but the man had rich and powerful friends.  Even though it eventually turned out that all the claims were false, the damage in the press had taken its toll on Mel’s school and the credibility of their championship.16

That alone was not enough to have interfered with his dreams.  However having his dad die unexpectedly from a heart attack certainly didn’t make things better.  And later while trying to cope with the strain on his family due to the death along with all the scandal Mel also ended up with a very serious bout of pneumonia.  Despite his indomitable spirit of wanting to win and regardless of his talent the sickness nearly ended his life.  In a serious of unbelievable blunders at the hospital Mel had to stay in the hospital so long and took weeks after to make a full recovery.  He missed enough school in the spring that he couldn’t graduate.  He was supposed to make up the time in summer school, but just as with too many shadows of misfortune darkening his life at the time, it never happened.17

Eventually he did get his diploma.  However the delay resulted in his attempts to go to some University getting lost in the myriad of college applications and paperwork that just missed too many deadlines.  It was as if fate personally was trying to destroy his life.18

Mel never could truly answer what inspired him to find himself that spring sitting in the Army recruiter’s office.  There was no war, no real reason for him to enlist, but he did.19

Sadly once again life seemed to rain lemons.  He had an accident in jeep that left him without any permanent injuries, but it was enough damage to his body that by the time he finished his tour of duty he was no longer in the kind of shape to try to compete athletically at the college level.  Oh he tried to overcome the obstacles, but it never worked out.  Mel just became another story of heartache nobody wanted to hear.20

That was the past.  Not as distant as Mel wished, but one that haunted his thoughts as he sat at the security desk that morning sipping on a cup of coffee.  The memories were regrettably a constant companion to his day.  It was one spent most of the time sitting at the security desk watching the executives of Festorn Industries file by on their way to their plush corporate offices.  Once and a while they would manage to say hello, but most of the time he was just that blur the ignored on the way to the elevator after flashing their ID badges in his direction.21

Still Mel had managed to salvage some quality of life despite it all.  His high school sweetheart, Elaine had stood by him.  Together they had carved out a life, had two kids, bought a home and lived a comfortable enough life.22

There were just times like with everyone that the routine just dug at his brain and mood.  Then his mind would indulge in that precious remembrance of limelight days and a near deity level of worship by his classmates.  It helped to keep him from using his gun for other than defending himself or preventing a crime.23

Today was “sequel” it seemed just like too many of the days in his life.  Mel set aside the brewing sentiments of frustration that simmered in his soul.  It was an exercise he had forced himself to practice on occasions.  Being a security guard wasn’t the worst job in the world, just not the source of pride he had envisioned with his life.24

He had simply been a victim of circumstances.  Mel had been skipped over by fate.  That was all there was to it.  Too many dead end dreams, too many detours from hope had taken him from the land of youthful promise and into the uncertain and dismal wilderness, which was his adulthood.25

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried.  Lord knows he gave it his best shot.  Even summoned the courage to swallow his pride and go to junior college when he couldn’t afford to attend one of the four-year schools.  Mel took up a course of study in business administration and accounting.  But like too many parts of his life it just turned way too sour when he was expecting dessert from his labors.26

So here he was years later, doing his best to cope.  Living his version of the American dream in a low paying job with some sergeant’s stripes on his sleeve.  And along the way he had even managed to cultivate a few interests such as reading.  It didn’t pay the bills, but it did give him the illusion that he was improving.27

Mel stared up at the clock.  His shift would soon be over.  He was glad this week was coming to an end.  It had been his turn to fill in for one of the guys that was on vacation.  So instead of his day hours, he had worked the graveyard shift.  That meant he got to leave work just as most of the “suits” where coming in.  Not that he minded so much, but on the inside he still envied them.28

Soon he would be tooling down the road with visions of sleep dominating his head.  It would include a chance perhaps to stop at the donut shop along the way.  His former high school buddy worked there.  They shared the reality of disappointment from faded fame.  Mel had been the full back, Charlie the quarterback.  And yet oddly, like Mel his star had never truly shined.  Instead he too and fallen into a crevice of mundane and pointless living, doing his best to call serving donuts an existence.29

“Hey Lacey where’s Charlie?” Mel asks later as he stands before the donut shop counter looking for his buddy.30

Lacey comes over and pulls a white envelope from her apron pocket.  “He quit.  Said to give you this when you came in.”31

Mel takes it and sees his name on it in Charlie’s handwriting.  “Ah thanks,” he says before turning to leave.32

“Hi Mel,” the letter begins.  “Sorry I didn’t have a chance to call you.  Things just changed so quickly and I wasn’t allowed to say anything before I left.  But he let me leave you note.  Come to the pharmacy on Edward’s street and ask for Meredith.  She’ll explain everything.  I hope to toss you a pass again!”33

Mel folds up the letter and puts it back into the envelope.  That was sure strange.  It sounded really weird.  It wasn’t like Charlie to indulge in daydreaming.  There would be time later to sort through this maze of questions, but at the moment he would go home and sleep.  Afterwards he would worry about letters and pharmacies.34

Opening the door to the pharmacy, Mel steps inside and immediately spies a lady behind the counter wearing a nameplate with the name Meredith.  He walks up to her and starts to say something.  She puts her finger up to her pursed lips.  Then she motions for him to follow her.35

She leads him through a curtain, which leads to the supply room and points to an old wooden chair in front of a cardboard table.  “Have a seat.  You must be Mel.  Charlie told me to expect you.”36

“He did?”37

“Yes.  And I assume you are here for the same remedy?”38

“I have no idea.  He just left me this note asking me to come and see you.”39

“Very good.  Then he obeyed the rules.  Let me explain as best I can.  I offer a very special form of cure and remedy.  It isn’t the type that you can find anywhere else.  I can’t give you the specifics since that would violate the pact I have with the rest of my sisterhood.  But we love to help restore people’s dreams.  In our case it is sort of a price we are required to pay in order to enjoy the privileges of our power that have been granted to us by — I can’t tell you who they are I’m afraid, just that they are not residents of this planet.  Essentially they thrive on watching humans live out their fantasies.  We get the opportunity to make that take place.  Only we are selective about whom we help.  And we function mainly off of word of mouth referrals.  No advertising.  So the question is whether you would want to have you former glory days restored?”40

“This is some kind of joke right?”41

“No.  I’m very serious.  All you have to do is step through that mirror underneath the blanket over in the corner and you will be seventeen again.  And have a chance to be a football star again.  Only this time you won’t have to fear it ending.”42

“And what do you personally get out of this?”43

“Beyond the small rewards from our masters we also get your time.  It might hard to believe, but once you pass into that dimension you stop aging.  And the time no longer matters.  So we collect that life you would have lived by a means you would never understand.  Then we make it for sale and use by those who can’t or won’t pass through the mirror.  Our goal is to help, but a little profit never hurts.  Besides it is another facet of curiosity for our alien masters.  They love manipulating things like time.”44

“This all sounds way too nuts for me.”45

“I realize Mel that it is strange, very strange indeed.  But then do you always know everything about life?  Or can you accept there are things beyond your understanding?”46

“I guess so.  Do I ever get to come back?  I mean what happens with my family?”47

“You will have one chance to change your mind.  An opportunity to play will come and at the moment just before you can achieve some personal glory you must willing give it up.  Forever.  Then you will come back through the mirror.  If you take the moment you will be there permanently and never to return.  Then we simply arrange in a case of person such as yourself how has family to make it look like you died on this side so nobody has a reason to expect to see you again.  That wasn’t a problem with Charlie. With him we just were able to let him disappear.  And of course before you go we will need a referral.  But we won’t arrange to contact them unless you make the choice to stay. So would you like to know the joy of your youth one more time?  It is just a few steps away,” she says, handing him a paper and pen to scribble a name of a referral.48

Mel thinks for a moment and then writes the name of a person on the paper and gives it to Meredith.  Then he gets up and can’t believe he is doing this.  He steps towards the mirror as Meredith points with her finger and causes the blanket to lift off the mirror.  With one hard swallow, he steps through it.49

The next thing he knows he is back in a football uniform and standing by the side of the football field.  A whistle blows and he instinctively runs onto the field and into the offensive huddle where his pal is the quarterback.  “Hey buddy, glad you could make it,” Charlie says with a smile.  “Okay guys, this is going to be give it to the fullback.  You better make way for him on the line side with some great blocking.  On three.  Break.”50

Mel takes his position in the backfield and then when the ball his hiked he races forward. Charlie gives him the ball and there is a huge hole in the left side of the line.  He dashes for the opening and manages to break free of a couple of defenders.  In front lay only eighty yards to the goal post.  Inside he feels alive again as all the memories of that sense of incredible power returns and euphoria of thinking you are immortal swells in his spirit.  Rushing down the field he looks back and has managed to outdistance the only two defenders that could catch him.  Before long he will reach the end zone.  It is a glorious feeling that he hadn’t known in ages.51

As the excitement and ecstasy flood his veins the images of his family haunt him.  He’s found his missing passion, but his heart still belongs to them.  In front lay glory, but also sadness.  Then he sees the mirror appear on the end zone and knows he must choose.  Mel must either run through it or make a touchdown.  Ducking and gritting his teeth, he keeps running and running, tightly holding onto the ball.  Seconds later he reaches the goal line and makes his choice.52

The next morning Mel is sitting at his security guard desk sipping his coffee.  In front of him the usual crowd of suits pass by barely managing to say hello.  Yet today he doesn’t seem to mind as much.  Being on top is sometimes the type of choice you can’t always talk about.53