Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2021 09:54:26 +0000 From: Wes Leigh Subject: The Gift of Stolen Time, Epilogue (Gay Adult/Youth) THE GIFT OF STOLEN TIME By Wes Leigh This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my readers. Any resemblance to real people or places is purely coincidental. This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright laws. The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a thoughtful donation. Epilogue Wrapped securely in Johan's arm, Lucas closed his eyes and allowed his memories to play his life over for him, one scene following another. Laughing and playing at his parent's home in Tempe. Summer heat covering him with sweat. Jumping through a sprinkler to cool off. Grade school classrooms and Christmas presents and sparklers at night in the backyard. His brother knocking against his glass as he drank and making him spit milk onto the floor, causing them both to screech with laughter. Looking up into the sun and seeing Johan standing there for the first time. Becoming friends and falling in love. Holding hands on his bed. Staring into each other's eyes and discovering a soul mate. Double dating at the homecoming prom with Johan. Paying more attention to each other than the girls they invited. Watching the girls stomp off in a huff. Starting college together. Renting their small place just off campus. Buying pictures for the walls to make it their own home. Wiping water out of his eyes while white water rafting. Feeling Johan's arms wrap around his waist while he cut up tomatoes for a salad. Shivering as Johan kissed his neck from behind. Standing in the midst of amazing white sand dunes in New Mexico under a full moon. Hearing the solemn words of the preacher as he stood next to his mother's grave. Finding comfort and strength in Johan's hand gripping his own. Sipping wine with Johan in a bathtub full of lavender-scented bubbles. Trying not to douse the candles on the side of the tub. Holding Johan in his arms. Hearing Johan promise, "We'll be together again. You'll see." Eating a meal with his dad while sitting on his dad's bed. Hearing his father's calm and encouraging words, spoken from the brink of heaven. Playing video games next to Miguel. Slapping high fives when they overcame foes. Looking to the passenger seat and seeing Miguel sleeping, trusting Lucas to keep him safe. Dining on Maria Moretti's wonderful Italian cooking. Averting his eyes with embarrassment when he saw Giovanni staring at Maria with undisguised love. Seeing Marcello and Enzo giggling and poking each other. Hugging Carlo and smiling with pride at his latest photography exhibition. Taking showers with Donovan and Connor. Joking and teasing one another as loving brothers do. Hugging Katherine McCoy and thinking how much she reminded Lucas of his own mother. Crying tears of joy as Brandon and Donny were joined in marriage. Scratching his neck to relieve an itch under the coarse woolen shirt he wore while waiting for Johan to join him. Walking down the dusty streets of St. Cloud together. Kicking rocks. Throwing their arms across each other's shoulders, delighted to be with the best friend he'd ever had. Sitting next to Johan talking about eternity. Whispering to Johan, "I will see you in the twinkle of an eye." The memories ended. Lucas opened his eyes and saw white light all around him. The light was peaceful, serene, unbroken. He began walking, aware of a sensation of rising up through the air, leaving the light behind and heading for a new place. Looking back, he saw all the scenes of his life at once, as though from high above, pictured in a single montage of images and sounds and emotions. Taking it all in at the same time, Lucas thought he would be overwhelmed, but instead, he was pleasantly surprised. His life had been good. He turned forward again and began walking once more. And as though passing through a door, from one room to another, he found himself on a mountain, looking down on a lush valley with a river running down the center. The colors were brilliant, so intense he thought he would have to look away, but he found his eyes were fully able to absorb the magnitude of the colors before him. Standing next to him was one who appeared to be a man, dressed in robes of white. He was smiling at Lucas. "I've been waiting for you," the man said. "Took you a bit longer than most, but you're finally here. Welcome home, son." Lucas didn't know how to reply, so he remained silent. The man chuckled. "That's what most people say when they arrive in this place." "What is this place?" Lucas asked. "I'm sure you know, Lucas." Lucas nodded and said, "It is appointed unto all men once to die ..." "... and then the Judgement," added the man, finishing the words. Lucas bowed his head. "The Judgement ... well, I expected that. I made a lot of mistakes--" "Paid for," the man said, interrupting. Lucas looked up, surprised. "I did many things I'm not proud--" "Also paid for," the man said, grinning this time. Lucas blinked a few times. "I'm sure I broke God's law--" The man laughed. "Paid in full." Lucas couldn't help himself. The man's jubilant humor was contagious, so Lucas began laughing too. The man approached Lucas and held out his hands. The robes slipped back slightly, revealing the man's wrists, which were penetrated by ugly wounds, deep holes that penetrated all the way through his wrists. The man reached out, still smiling, and placed his hands gently on Lucas' shoulders. Lucas looked down and his own clothes were now as white as the robes the man wore. "You are serious, aren't you?" Lucas asked, amazed. "You must realize I even tried to cheat time itself, stealing many years over the course of my life?" "And it didn't change a thing, in the end, did it?" the man asked. "You mean others have skipped around in time like me?" "No," the man said with a chuckle, "you were unique in that regard. You stole time, growing younger every now and then. And you may have thought you were cheating death, but even a time bandit's body and soul cannot escape the effect of aging. It caught up to you eventually, and in the fullness of time, you paid the ultimate price. But I have rescued you from time and brought you here, where time does not matter." "You still haven't told me where `here' is." The man smiled. "Eternity, of course. Now ... come ... I have planned a great reunion." Without warning, Lucas found himself walking through a forest, filled with amazing trees bearing a dozen varieties of fruit. He wove his way through the trees and headed for a clearing he saw just ahead. As he passed the last tree and entered the clearing, he gasped. Coming into the clearing from every direction were people he knew. Johan. His mother and father and brother. Miguel and Regina. Marcello and Lorenzo and Carlo. Maria and Giovanni. Donovan and Brandon and Connor and Katherine. And ... others, who he didn't recognize and could not name, but whose faces were bright with joy and celebration and whose clothes were gleaming white. They all entered the clearing at the same time and saw each other and ran to the middle where they hugged and spun each other in circles, laughing and shouting with elation. And standing in the midst of it all, embracing them and welcoming them and loving them, was the one who appeared to be a man, dressed in robes of white. The reunion had begun, the celebration of the ages.