“Jay”

A young boy named Jay sat in his grandmother’s closet. He happily sifting through books she had acquired through the years. Many of them she had read to him at one time or another. One, he did not recognize. In large letters scrolled across the front of the brown-bag covered book were the words Lord of Eternity.

He opened the book and leafed over to the title page.  “Huh!” he exclaimed, “what a coincidence.” The author’s name was simply, Unknown.

Hello, came a soft woman’s voice.

Stunned, Jay turned his head to view himself in the closet mirror imagining he was most certainly hearing things. “Wait… What the hell?” he retorted and closed the cover with haste. It wasn’t a voice he recognized.

He looked around but only washed out colorful polka-dot and stripped dresses hung from bent wire coat hangers. He was alone. The mirror leaning against the wall that was no bigger in diameter than a large box of cereal confirmed this. He wondered how in the world his grandmother, a rather large lady, had the ability to view herself in such a small mirror.

Jay continued to view himself. Brown hair, hazel eyes, boyish charm – same as always. He gazed back at the book sitting in his lap warily before opening it again.

“I’m confused. Books do not talk,” he said to the book. “But, since you want to talk. Lets talk.”

Don’t worry- I’m you- well I’m kinda everyone and everything around you right now. I can make just about anything happen.

Jay looked at the book quizzically his mouth perked back, and eyes squinted. He then looked into the mirror mouth still perked back and eyes still squinted. “So what about outside of this closet?”

Your existence is by chance – so, nothing.

“Why am I not scared? This isn’t at all normal,” the boy countered.

Since I don’t want you to freak out, lets just chill here for a few – I’ll teach you a little bit about life. Here, look behind some of the clothes hanging up there. Careful that you don’t trip on the shoes buddy.

Jay sat the book down, but left the pages open, and stood up to search through the clothes. Putting the backs of his hands together, as though about to do the breaststroke, his arm muscles came together and flexed causing the colorful clothes to slide away from one another, each side smashed together. A pink cushy leather chair sat behind the rack of clothes.

Jay grabbed the book from the floor and dove for the chair. He then opened the book.

Comfy?

“Very, thanks,” Jay responded.

So listen, I don’t think we have too long. What is it that you want to know?

Jay thought in the silence of the closet for a bit before speaking, “What is it like where you are, and by the way what’s your name?”

It’s alright here. I’m Lord nice to finally make your acquaintance. I don’t believe my existence to be by chance, so almost everything has meaning of some sort to someone. Think about all those clothes you just smashed apart.

“What about them?” Jay countered.

You didn’t take the time to put them back. That shows that you are less considerate of other people’s objects. For instance you don’t have to deal with the trial of having your clothes wrinkled from someone smashing them aside. Living here is kind of like walking on invisible glass. My only chore – just being.

“But at least you have meaning in your life… I mean, I don’t,” Jay said complacently.

I guess I see what you mean. You really don’t have anything to worry about. You’re still a kid. You taught me something Jay. After all, is a story still a story without a plot?

The closet walls fell away and Jay was left sitting in a field surrounded by a multitude of beautiful flowers. Their petals white, gold, red, purple and yellow. Small and delicate. A gentle breeze had them dancing in the soothing light of the glistening sun.

“Are you sure?” Jay asked.

Yeah – you’re free!

Jay arose from the chair and smiled down at the book before walking off into a world of unlimited possibilities.