89. The Real World? (1)

Joe sat at the bar with a drink in his hand. It was not the drink that he usually had but the one of his previous best friend, Alan, that had died right outside of this very restaurant almost a year ago. It was not quite a year but it was his birthday so it was close enough for him to come and honor his friend. The steak and potato ordered just like Alan always ate come out. The man behind the bar looked at him with a strange look.

"Is something wrong?"

"No sir, sorry about that. It is just there was a guy that used to come in once a week and order the same thing as you down to the cook on the steak and the drink that you ordered."

"Was there something special about him?" Joe knew that he was talking about Alan but he wanted to find out a little more.

"Well yes and no. He was an amazing guy that was so excited that he had just finished his series of books and after his celebration that night he died in a truck accident pushing someone out of the way in front of this very building."

"That is horrible."

"But on the bright side I see that his books got published by his friend and that almost all the profits go to charities and scholarships for military kids. I think that he would be looking down and smiling at his friend right now if he knew about it."

A tear rolled down Joe's cheek. "Yeah Alan was a great man. I miss him every day."

"You knew him?"

"I am sorry for the minor deception. I am the friend that got him published and the rest of them will be on the way soon. I just wanted to see what you had to say about him."

"I have the two that are out now and the third one is preordered. I can't wait for them. The world that he created is so real. Is there a reason that you chose now to come and remember him?"

"It was his birthday. And his books and donations have reached over a million dollars in a year. So, here I am."

A man walked up and sat beside him. "I am sorry to interrupt but did you say that you were Alan's friend. You wouldn't be Joe by any chance would you?"

Joe looked the man over. "Yeah, that would be me."

"Sorry, I sat with Alan a few times when he was getting close to the end and he talked about the books and that world with such passion that I got caught up myself. I used to ask him how he kept it all straight by himself and he would always say 'well, my buddy Joe reads everything and makes sure that I did not make any big mistakes. Without him I doubt I would have finished the first one.' It is a pleasure to meet you."

"That boy gave me way to much credit. He was amazing at what he did and I was honored to get to read it before it came out. I am so excited that his passion was enjoyed by so many people and I have started to do a lot of good with it. He has already built a hospital house for wounded soldier's families to stay in. And several kids are going to full rides to Ivy league schools on that money."

"So, you didn't keep any of it?"

"Only operating fees for the book and lawyers and things like that."

"A lot of people would have taken a big chunk of that money for running the program, why not you?"

"Hell, I am to old to start being greedy now. I have been through two wars and five wives. Anything that I make goes to them and I will not let Alan and all his work pay for their stuff. And I have already prevented any of them from getting any of it."

The two men sat at the bar until it was close to closing and they both enjoyed a few of the drinks that Alan was always so fond of. The bartender came over. "It is about that time guys."

Joe pulled out a some cash and tossed it down and the man did the same and the bartender did not know who to take the money from. The two of them looked at the pile and then looked at the young man and walked away. About that time a man burst through the door of the place waving a gun around.

"This is a robbery, so every one take it nice and slow and no one gets hurt."

The man Joe had spent the evening with was a little tipsy and in the middle of a step and could not stop his momentum and to make matters worse he stepped on a wet spot on the floor and started sliding. The man with the gun saw the movement and immediately over reacted and pointed the gun at the man.

Joe had survived two wars and knew that this man was about to pull the trigger and on an instinct that brought him through both of those wars he dove at the man and covered him with his body as he drove him to the ground. Joe felt the same burn as the wound he got a long time ago and knew that he had been hit again and this time it was a lot worse than the first time.

The burning in his back told him that his lungs and more than likely his heart had been hit by the round and his experience told him that he did not have a lot longer to live. He did not have a lot of strength left but he pulled the pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and the zippo out of his pocket. He lit it up even though it was illegal, what were they going to do to him. He put the lighter into the hand of the man that he had spent the evening with.

Joe could barely breath but he still managed to get out a few words. "Alan and I both had one. Keep ahold of this one for me." With that the cigarette fell out of his mouth and his now empty hand fell to the floor beside him.

The man looked at Joe with a bittersweet look on his face. He looked at the lighter and knew that he had been given a great honor but at the cost of a man's life. Well it was time to go. He looked up and the man that had pulled the trigger was gripping his chest in pain as his heart stopped beating after eth shock of shooting a man. He had never intended to pull the trigger, he did not even realize that the gun was loaded.

The man held onto Joe until the paramedics arrived and took the body from him. He then looked at the man that had died of a heart attack and put a little spin on his soul to give him an advantage in the next life. He was going die tonight of a heart attack no matter where he was so he used the man to his advantage.

Joe felt his body come back awake but when he tired to open his eyes they would not open. He just laid back in what felt like the softest bed ever and waited to see what was going to happen. Given some of the things he did in his life he was not real sure if or where he was going to end up in the afterlife. He was not real sure about the afterlife to begin with so this was a surprise.

Joe heard footsteps and as soon as he did he tried to open his eyes and they popped right open. He saw the man that he had spent the evening with looking at him. "So, which god are you?"

"Well I am not sure that I should be classified as a god. That was a brave thing you did for me."

"You mean I passed your test. Did you even know Alan?"

"Absolutely! The reason that I wanted to get to know you is that I remembered you from his memories. You see I was serious about how passionate he was about his world and it really did cause a feeling in me. So, I made it."

"You made it?" Joe was not sure what the man was talking about.

"I created the world that you and Alan developed. I put him through a test just like you and like you he passed. So, I did what most powerful beings do when they are impressed with someone and I made him his own world."

"That is amazing. Even for someone that does not claim to be a deity that is awesome. How did it go?"

"He has spent his time flourishing. He is actually a noble now. I gave him a system and it controls his levels and the like. Although he has reached a level where he and the system no longer interact. I think he is to the point that he no longer even acknowledges the system."

"Okay so does this mean that you are going to give me the option to go there as well and if so the answer is yes."

"I am going to give you the option. Of course you are going to have to create the body and everything that you want since this body cannot go to the next world. You are going to create a character and that will become the real you."

"How do you do your rolls?"