Bright Light

“Welcome back to the land of the living! Now that you’re awake, sit up and put your seat belt on lad. There’s still a long road ahead.”

“Wha…Dad? Is that you? Where are we?”

“Heh! That must have been some nap! Give yourself a minute to come around.”

“Is this…this is my car. Why are you driving? I never let anyone drive…my car…”

“Don’t I know it! Yep…she's a little beaut. They don’t make them like this anymore…a VW Golf is a perfect first car, especially an old one like this. She’ll serve you well and keep you safe. You’ll learn a lot from your short time behind this fraying leather wheel, I can promise you that Ryan.”

“I still don’t understand…I don’t remember…why am I here? I feel foggy. My head is killing me...”

“That’ll clear up. Take your time. Then we can have a proper chat.”

“Wait…you’re not my dad…I thought…you look just like him…except for that scar…Dad never had a scar on his head. WHO ARE YOU? AM I..did you drug me or something? Stop the car, let me out. I want out. NOW!”

“Oh, you wouldn’t want that mate, trust me. Have you looked outside? It’s safer in your seat. You should really put that belt on.”

“…what…what is this? Where is everything? It’s all just…white light? There’s no road, why is there no road? No sky, no land. What the hell is going on!?”

“Yep, there’s nothing you want out there my friend. If you leave the car you’ll quickly get lost. Just ask your Uncle Brian. He couldn’t keep his cool when this happened to him, poor sod. Leapt right out apparently, didn’t even wait to stop.”

“Crazy Uncle Brian? He lost his marbles from a head injury. How do you know about him? Please…can you tell me what's happening here? I just need to know where I am, I promise I won’t tell anyone if you just let me go, you can even keep the car.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll explain mate, I promise. All will become clear. Just take a deep breath, try to stay calm and lets talk. And for the love of God, put your belt on.”

*****

“Good. Now don’t you feel better? Strapped in, fully awake and cruising with an old timer like me behind the wheel. Easier as a passenger. Reminds you of being a kid I'll bet. As long as you can let go of that stress induced by having someone else in control. I remember feeling all kinds of anxiety for years after I started driving. Takes that long to build up some experience, for things to become truly second nature. You’ll get there.”

“Sure, it’s just peachy over here. Now, who are you and where have you taken me?”

“Is that all you’re going to say? Why am I here, where are we going, who the hell are you, bla bla bla? Where did your sense of adventure go lad? Clearly something a little supernatural is going on. Have you not thought perhaps that this could be the start of something exciting?”

“Maybe once I would have reacted that way. Before I grew up and knew better. Before I understood that I wasn’t the main character in some story, that bad things could happen to me just as easily as someone else. Yeah, this is weird. Weird is usually dangerous. I’d rather be home and safe.”

“Ah yep. The anxious years. I guess its to be expected. At your age you’re feeling that desperation to make your mark on the world. To be someone, to establish a legacy. But you don’t even know where to begin or what you want. Instead you just bumble into whatever crosses your path in an attempt to smother the unknown and claw at some security. FYI, grasping for safety at the nearest rail and never letting go, usually ends badly. How is Lacey anyway? She’s a firecracker ain’t she? Haha!”

“What do you know about her? YOU LEAVE HER ALONE!”

“Alright, alright calm down. She’s fine, she's not here. Just know, the girls you date when you’re young, they’ll rarely be the ones you settle down with. You might think you have it all figured out already but you’ll find out soon enough that you don’t really have a clue. You’ll need to understand yourself before you can genuinely be a partner to someone else. So will she. That’ll come with time too. My advice? Enjoy yourself, have fun with the red head, in every way...if you know what I mean…but then don’t dwell too much on the pain when its time to move on. The same goes for the rest of life, everyone says it, but its true! Enjoy it while you are young. You might gain wisdom and security with age, but you’ll never have the energy and drive that you have right now. Get out there and use it, instead of being afraid of what's dangerous and what's not. Plenty of time for caution later, when you have more to lose.”

“Did you kidnap me and drive me into this…world of light…to dispense sage wisdom? Is that really why I’m here?”

“Heh! You catch on quick, Ryan. It's certainly my goal in being here. Why you’re here, well that’s on you.”

“I didn’t come here myself! Last thing I remember I was on my way to a party. I was driving alone…”

“Yep. Sounds right. At least you didn’t drag anyone else in here with you. That’s a blessing. I’ll tell you Ryan, no one grows up without regrets. You’ll have memories of times you wronged people, purposefully and by accident. Be comforted by the fact this isn’t one of those times.”

“Are you a fortune cookie? Are you seriously not going to tell me anything and just spout cliche advice with every breath?”

“Well, I don’t have much time. I have to share what I know and you aren’t the best at listening yet. I figure, get as much out as possible before its too late, maybe some of it will stick.”

“Not much time? Why? Are we even moving?”

“You don’t see it? Ah, you’re staring at me. I see. Don’t you know men talk best side by side? You should be staring forward pretending we aren’t sharing while actually speaking from the heart. Come on, be a man and act like I’m not here while we talk. Then you might actually notice what's coming”

“Huh…darkness. Is that a hole up ahead…in the light?”

“Yep, that’s your stop my friend. So, I’d say we only have a few minutes left.”

“Until what…”

“Geez, you never let up do you? Until the end of the road I guess? God, you’re dumber than I remember”

“Remember…?”

“Alright here it comes. I’m gonna info dump you before you leave, as specifically as I am able without ruining your life. If you remember even one thing, we can call this a victory. Stop worrying about college, it doesn’t mean shit. You’ll graduate but you’ll never use your degree for anything useful, it’ll just be a line on your resume. Instead, find what makes you happiest and try your own hand at those things. You already know what they are, you just need to admit them to yourself and not be shamed into thinking none of them are valid career paths. Lacey is not forever, but there is a woman out there who is. Don’t settle. She will arrive when the time is right and you will know. I promise you will not end up alone if you are willing to put the work in. You are going to fail at many, many things. That’s okay, you won’t give up, its not in you. You’ll just start again wiser. Remember that strength. This anxiety in you, let go of it as soon as possible. It only does you harm. Look around you, anything and everything could be amazing if you would just shed your fear of it. Driving in a field of light? Incredible! This is a big one...NEVER lend your friend Darren money. Moisturise your feet and face please, even if you don’t think you need it. Listen to the song and wear sunscreen. The booze is all well and good when you’re young and partying, but give it up as early as you can. It will only hold you back when you could be using your time more constructively. Avoid dairy, that’s why your stomach hurts. Oh! Buy shares in Apple! Ermm…what else…go to France when you are asked. You’ll love it and it’ll pay off. Don’t hesitate. You don't always need the latest gadget, it's all a marketing ploy. Finally and most importantly, keep breathing and answer the man when he calls your name.”

“Okay…that was a lot…what man? I am breathing! Are you gonna drive straight into that!? Can’t you steer? As far as I know, light is better than dark right?”

“Not always lad. Back you go. Everything will turn out okay, I promise you. Trust me. Now breathe.”

*****

“Keep breathing, we’ve got you. Can you hear me? What’s your name son?”

“…”

“You’ve been in a car accident. You're in an ambulance and we’re taking you to St. Mary’s. You’re doing great, just stay awake now. Can you tell me your name?”

“…Ryan”

“Excellent, you’re alright Ryan. Got a bit of a bump to the head, you will probably have an epic scar, but we are going to take care of you. Just keep breathing steady into the mask, that’s it.”

“…lights…bright…”

“Ah sorry, let me tone those down a bit. It’s dark out, we needed to get a look at you. Not much further now.”

“Everything…be…okay”

“That’s right son, just keep breathing into the mask”

“Wasn’t a…question.”