The Red Door

Introduction.

This continues and closes the story "The Dreich" which you can read here.

The song is "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones inspired by a comment from Kendall Defoe on The Dreich. His Vocal profile is here.

The Red Door

This was the only way out, the red door opened into a glowing blackness, which would probably be a glimpse of heaven had I been a Goth, although a Goth would probably want these halls of damnation rather than pearly gates.

I walked through and the door slammed shut, it was fiery red on the front but on the back was a darker shade of black.

If this was the way into hell I wasn't very impressed/. It was warmer than The Dreich so my clothes and hair started to dry, which I began to appreciate.

This place was like a deserted nightclub, there were no tables and just a throbbing, rhythmic, almost hypnotic sound and vibration which was coming from the walls and the floor.

Then a black shape walked out of the wall,

"Come, It is Your Time"

"My Time? What the hell do you mean? Am I dead?"

"Careful with your words, do not denigrate your new place, it will not go well for you if you do"

"Where are you taking me?"

"To the place"

"You are not very helpful, the place could be anything, it could be a dungeon, are you intending to mutilate and torture me? My mind is working overtime here"

"That is a very tempting thought, and given your attitude, it may well come to pass"

"What if I just stop here, or turn round and go and break down the door?"

"And go back into The Dreich? And then what? You couldn't get out the first time you tried, and this place is even more secure than The Dreich"

"Why is it called the Dreich?"

"We had this guy who wouldn't shut up, went on and on and on, and drove us all crazy. He bamboozled us with his wordsmithery and his non-stop talking. In the end, we gave up and sent him back. He kept calling it "So bloody Dreich" and the name stuck. He was a Scot, I think his name was Paul Stewart."

"So I can get out and get back to my family, there is a way"

"I never said that"

"You did. You said you sent that guy back because he wouldn't shut up, so if I don't shut up you might send me back too"

"Not again, no. We will make an example of you. He taught us a lesson, that will not happen again"

"But it will do if I keep on at you. Anyway, do I get to meet the big guy Lucifer or Beelzebub?"

"Errr.."

"What do you mean Errrr ?"

"There is no devil or Lucifer. The golden door comes here as well, people do get a shock, but this is the afterlife, you just get a room and that's your eternity. You don't need food or drink, just a place to sleep"

"But surely there is more"

"There isn't, this is it"

"But don't people get bored, they must get bored with nothing to do"

"Most people spend their lives being told what to do, and eventually they have done all they want and then they come here for permanent rest. Just think you will never have to get up again for anything will you"

"That's not me, I am going to make noise and clamour and get everyone here to do things"

"Cheese and Rice, you're another like Stewart, I'm sending you back"

And there I was on the green. There was no Dreich. Had I imagined it? Others had seen it I think, but I couldn't really broach it with anyone, they would think I was puddled.

Everyone leaves this plane eventually but I hope The Dreich was just something my fevered mind drew up, because if it wasn't the the afterlife is somewhere I do not want to visit.