TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE
\		It was a typical Christmas, arm tied off with a hose, needle in vein, memories forgotten.  “Beautiful night, Eh Fred?”  Of course Fred didn’t answer, Fred never talked much anymore.  But of course being dead always kinda did that to people.  But Liam didn’t mind much, he had his heroin plenty needles and a companion, even if he was dead.  Sometimes the dead talked to Liam, that was the way of the wanderer.  And then some even considered Liam dead, by human standards.  But none of that considered to Liam, nothing mattered to Liam at all, not since that needle pierced his skin and forced him to forget.  Occasionally someone would float into his life, or a better phrase would be stumble.  They wouldn’t last long, they never did.  It was the way of Liam, usually the people who stumbled into his life were the long gone and forgotten.  A term Liam had coined long ago himself.  You see these people were on the verge of that threshold into the great beyond themselves.  It seemed that Liam attracted them like the dying.  these people enjoyed his company, for some reason he comforted them as they died.  And with each one a little piece of Liam died.  Thats what brings us to him on this holy of nights, the birth of Christ.  “Humf” thought Liam, “Only the dead rejoice in this day, for there atoned sins by this Christ.”  Sometimes the dying can feel that this last day is upon them, even without any visible signs, they know its going to be today.  Its a feeling in the pit of your stomach, and some say not even an unpleasant one, just a kind of hunger.  Burning you up, and wanting to get out.  Now perhaps its your soul fighting to fly away because it knows that its going to fall, or perhaps just your lunch, making a final showing.  Who knows, all Liam knew was that he hadn’t eaten today, so it couldn’t be from any normal occurins in his bowls.  Liam watched as the minutes ticked by, and could feel nothing.  No heroin high, no peace no nothing.  Empty and cold.  Perhaps he should take some more.  Liam knew that tonight would be a good night to die, along next to Fred, the last of the long gone and forgotten to stumble upon him.  Or so he thought.  Finding that his heroin was gone Liam was perplexed, knowing where he had left it, not knowing it could walk.  “You shouldn’t do drugs mister”    “What the fuck?, aw not a long gone, not tonight”   “A what mister?”  The little girl spoke as she stepped from the shadows holding the lost needles.   “Hey my drugs!”     “Shouldn’t do drugs mister, my mommy always told me that, shouldn’t do drugs.”    “My mom is dead kid”    “So is mine mister”   “Thats sad, we should shoot up together, make the world fade away” Liam was getting desperate now, being sober to long was making the memories swarm closure to his eyes.   “Don’t do drugs mister”   “Please kid, I need them” The horrible memories of all those people dying in his arms, madly fluttered around the brim of his consesnious.   “You don’t need them anymore, Liam”   “Dammit yes I do!”  “Wait how did you know my name?” Images of faces with long forgotten names began to flash vividly behind his eyes, going off like gunpowder.  The fear began to take control of his soul.   “Its all right Liam, your protected from your fate, you life is forgiven.”     “What the fuck are you talking about kid?” The madness behind his eyes was starting to show through all to clear.   “Please kid your starting to scare me, just give me back the drugs and go away please, let me die in peace.”   “Your going to die Liam, but not because of something bad you did, for all the good you have done”   “Oh fuck me, fuck me.” “What the hell are you talking about?”    “You know Jesus Christ right Liam?” One step closure to him.   “Yah yah so what?” One step closure.   “What did he do for the world Liam?” One more.   “He died for our fucking sins is what he did.” One more.   “Well Liam, Consider yourself a modern day Jesus.” One more.   “What the fuck?” One last step.   “But instead of dying for the sins of the human race, you lived and was tormented by there sins everyday, you felt the sickness of the race as a whole rape every orifice in your body.  Over and over again, you suffered for there sins.  But you helped these people, even thought you suffered.  A modern day messiah.”   “Oh God” And with that last step the little girl placed her hand on Liam’s chest, and the body of Liam was no more, it simply evaporated into thin air.  And Liams soul flew to the heavens, the sun of god, Jesus Christ.   “Indeed, oh god indeed.”  And it was just another typical christmas.
		Legal Mumbo Jumbo: This is a legally, sensically binding agreement between you, presumably a citizen of the planet Earth, and the Nowness. You agree not to do things The Nowness does not want you to do, unless specified otherwise, or in another language, such as French, but certainly not German, in which case all bets are off and you are free to move about the cabin, except when the captain switches on the No Smoking sign, at which point you must cartwheel back to your seat and resume not stealing my views, unless otherwise requested and permision granted.                                                      © 2001 The Nowness                                                                                               All rights rabidly served.