Chapter 2

Harold looked around, trying to figure out where he was. Thankfully, Thor was with him. The sky was a strange color, more green than blue. Everything seemed more alive than where he’d just come from. Wait! He’d been in Gladstone, Colorado, and someone had needed his help.

It all came rushing back to him; Minuette, the river, going under. Then he was here. So where was here? Was he dead? If so, was this Heaven? Because it sure didn’t look like what the preachers told them Heaven was like. Where were the pearly gates, the streets of gold, the mansions for everyone? How come there weren’t any angels flying around singing praises? All he could see was this field, and in the distance, a river and a bridge that looked a lot like the one back on his property.

He patted Thor on the neck. “Well, partner, reckon we should go check out that bridge. What do you think?”

The big horse tossed his head up and down, pawing at the ground with one hoof, like he was eager to get going. With a tap of his heels, the two of them started moving toward the bridge. The closer they got, the more familiar the bridge looked. It was almost a carbon copy of the one back home. Only, instead of woods on the other side, there was just a mist.

As Harold drew closer, he saw a man clothed in white standing in the middle of the trail, right in front of the bridge. His face was careworn and wrinkled, and yet there seemed to be a measure of joy and purpose upon his countenance. He held up his hand, either to signal Harold to stop, or in greeting. Thor slowed and walked to a standstill in front of the man.

“I bring you greetings, Harold Gladstone. Greetings and a choice.”

Harold swung out of the saddle and walked Thor closer to the man. “Who are you, and how do you know my name?”

“My name is unimportant. I know who you are, because I was sent here to make you an offer.”

“An offer from who?”

The man smiled. “Where are you, Harold? Who do you think would make you an offer in this place?”

Harold looked around. “I’m not exactly sure where I am. I suspect I’m dead, and if so, then according to the Good Book, this must be Heaven; though I must say, it isn’t much like I imagined it would be.”

The man shook his head. “This is not Heaven; you are, however, dead. This place is special. It is a place of purpose in-between your world and the next. You are here because the Creator has an offer to make to you, and your noble partner there.” The man indicated Thor.

“What sort of offer would the Creator have to make me?”

“A choice. You can mount Thor there, and ride across this bridge, and you will be in Glory, where you will experience everything you imagined that place to be. Or ... you may take another path, one of purpose, with a special group of people. Guardians and Guides, you might call them.”

“Guardians and Guides for whom?”

“Look through the bridge, Harold.”

Harold looked through the bridge, and the mists on the other side swirled into a tunnel; and on the other side, he saw a lovely young woman standing in a simple wedding gown, next to an equally handsome young man. They both looked somewhat familiar. Then his breath was sucked out of his lungs at the older woman standing beside them. It was his wife; an older version of her, but she was unmistakable.

The man in white came to stand beside him. “The young woman is the little girl you gave up your life to save. The young man is the boy who chased her.”

“Is that my wife? Why are you showing me all this?”

The man placed his hand on Harold’s arm. “That is your wife. You wish to know why I am showing you this?”

The man waved at the mist, and it swirled and showed various scenes. Some made sense to Harold, others didn’t. “What you are seeing are the places on earth that have a Guardian. Your community doesn’t yet. Your sacrifice caught the attention of the Creator, and He wants to offer you the job.

“You would watch over the people of that community, and when needed, would step through the veil, and assist and protect them from the tricks of the evil one. Also, on occasion, the evil one will try to stop a love story that the Creator has set in motion. In those cases, you would be allowed to guide those below to the path best taken. You can’t force them along the path, but you can counsel and guide them.”

“Will I be able to see my wife?”

“You can watch, but unless her life is at risk, the Creator will not allow you to interact with her. She needs to focus on living, not on what she lost when you sacrificed yourself for another.”

Harold thought about that and realized that the man was right. If he showed himself to her, she wouldn’t move on, and he wished more than anything for her to be happy.

Did he want this opportunity? He loved his community and the people there that he knew. The land was rough and they would need a Guardian; but did he want to be the one?

“How long would I be a Guardian, and what would I be expected to do?”

The man smiled again and pointed to a table with food and two chairs that had appeared beside the trail. “Those are good questions. Let us sit and break bread together, and I will attempt to answer all your questions.”

They sat and ate. The food tasted better than anything Harold had ever eaten. He’d thought he’d tasted before, but now the flavors seemed to be alive on his tongue. There was no describing the freshness everything seemed to have. Just like the colors were brighter. He had never seen a green this green, and the yellow of the corn must be what yellow was supposed to look like. The man smiled as he watched Harold enjoy the food. “We don’t really need to eat, but it is enjoyable just the same. To answer your first question, Guardians serve the Creator and the community until time on earth ends. I have watched over my people since I left them, thousands of years before your country was even known. I will keep watching them until time ends; you would do the same. You would watch them until there is no more community, or till the end of time.”

“Will I be alone that long?”

The man shook his head. “No, of course not. There is a large and growing group of Guardians. Once you accept, you may interact with them when you are not needed. What you will find, though, is most of us spend our time watching our communities.”