A Bargain for Redemption

Lyle lived in a quiet fishing village surrounded by beautiful waterways. He had the largest, most opulent home in the village. The grounds were perfectly manicured by migrants hustling from the border to work for pennies. Known for his shrewdness in business and his silver tongue, he had built a prosperous life for himself but also made many enemies and committed countless sins in his relentless pursuit of wealth and power.

As Lyle aged, fearing for his soul, Europa, his guardian angel, began to infuse images of eternal damnation into his dreams. Every night, he saw himself trapped in a fiery abyss, tormented by demons, and forsaken by all he had once known. These nightmares grew vivid and frequent.

Lyle's mornings began with a familiar ritual: awakening from unsettling nightmares that he attributed to work-related stress. He shrugged them off with a dismissive laugh, proclaiming, "Ha! Since I don’t believe in God, demons don’t exist, nor is there a hell. When you die, your energy simply returns to the universe." This declaration, delivered with a touch of sarcasm, reflected his conviction in a purely materialistic view of existence, where spirituality held no sway over his pragmatic worldview.

One stormy night, lying in his over-sized bed, as thunder rumbled and lightning split the sky, he was startled out of his slumber. To his astonishment, the room filled with radiant light. A blue hue emanated from a beautiful angel’s wings. Falling to his knees, averting his eyes from the celestial light, he trembled violently in fear. Asking, “Are you taking me to Hell?”

A serene voice reverberated around him. "Lyle," it said, "I am Europa, your guardian angel. Your sins are numerous, but God is merciful. I have shown you visions of your damnation in your dreams. Yet, you have ignored the warnings. Redemption is possible, but the path will be neither easy nor swift.

Overwhelmed by her celestial beauty and aware of her divine presence, he gazed up at the angel's face, fear and trepidation gripping his heart. With tears streaming down his cheeks, Lyle prostrated himself on the ground. "I will do what must be done," he cried.

Europa smiled gently and placed a comforting hand on Lyle's shoulder. "Remember, redemption is not a single act but a continuous journey. Let us discover what lies ahead for you."

Lyle turned to Europa with a question in his eyes. "Where are we headed?"

She responded with a serene shrug and a gentle smile. "We trust in God and follow the path laid before us. When the time is right, I will reveal the lessons meant for you. Pay close attention to what you witness and experience."

The room plunged into utter darkness, a suffocating void that seized Lyle with panic. "I cannot see anything. What is this?" he shouted, his voice quivering in the oppressive blackness.

Gradually, the darkness relented, retreating like a malevolent spirit. Lyle blinked, finding himself on a desolate gray cobblestone path, his senses overwhelmed by a foreboding atmosphere. The landscape stretched out barren and empty, devoid of life or color.

As Lyle tentatively scanned his surroundings, he spotted Europa standing not far off, near a figure seated on a cold, black stone bench. Her voice rang out, cutting through the eerie silence, "Come on, Lyle, let us begin."

His confusion mounting, he began moving down the path, putting one foot in front of the other walking toward Europa.

As he neared her, Europa's expression darkened, her gaze falling upon the bench where a wretched man sat. With a pointed finger, she pronounced, "This soul squandered his talents and gifts, heedless of aiding others. His pursuits were solely driven by greed and self-interest, heedless of the harm inflicted. Countless sufferings and even deaths of souls are the dire consequences."

Looking down at the old retch, a smallish man, his girth oozing over the bench, peering through his half-open lifeless eyes. His clothes barely clung to a frame, akin to that of an emaciated prisoner. He grunted at Lyle with a sneer that seemed to mirror a demon's, "Do you not recognize me?"

The being moved slowly, almost unable to stand, and finally looked up into Lyle’s eyes. Lyle recoiled in disbelief and horror as he stared back at himself. It was his own face, worn and weathered, staring back at him from the depths of despair.

"Oh God!" Lyle screamed, his voice echoing through the stale air. "You are me!"

Grimacing as he sank back into bench, the little man bowed his head, releasing a raspy, unsettling laugh.

Lyle’s mind swam with fear and panic, struggling to grasp the significance of it all, when suddenly Europa’s voice pierced through his thoughts.

She fixed her gaze on Lyle, her voice cutting through the air with chilling clarity. "Now you will witness the consequences of neglecting others' well-being. Failure in life exacts its toll in suffering."

The wretched figure hunched over the weathered bench, dropping his head in anticipation of the familiar ordeal ahead. This trial had become a recurring test, etched into the fabric of his existence. Turning towards Lyle, the soul spoke with solemnity, "Learn from the consequences of our mistakes before it's too late."

Europa, her staff aglow with a soft luminescence, raised it towards the heavens in a silent prayer. Europa spoke, “Lyle we are shadows, enabling us to observe the suffering that you will have to endure, if changes are not made within you.” The landscape before them began to shift and transform.

A lush green forest with a massive mansion in the background appeared. Between the forest and mansion spanned a large river. Closing in on the mansion, looking through a large window, Lyle could see himself sitting at a large mahogany desk. Around him sat ten men and women discussing something.

Europa again raised her beautiful white staff etched with celestial figures and whispered one word. Lyle and Europa were transported into the room, where the discussion continued. Lyle watched the events unfold.

A tall man who seemed to be the group’s voice of authority said, “Sir, the rainy season will be upon us in six months; we need a new dam. Without one, the village may be destroyed. We can only get to the mainland by paddling boats across the river. We need a bridge in case of flooding. It is the only way to ensure all villagers get out safely in an emergency.”

With disdain and malice, Lyle replied, “You villagers need to care for yourselves. It is not my responsibility to build a bridge or dam. I have the skills and financial resources to do both, but what is in it for me?” NOTHING! Leave my property now!”

With their heads down and a defeated look of despair, the villagers filed out and returned to the village.

The landscape went black. Lyle found himself, with Europa, back on the path beside the bench. His likeness was bent over, in tears, revealing his inner turmoil. He knew what was to follow, and the blame lay squarely on his shoulders. Sobbing in anguish, he cried out, “I squandered my talents and resources, failing to aid my fellow man. Europa lead us to the tragedy that awaits.”

Lyle looked to Europa, pleading, “Please, I am afraid of what will become of me. I do not want to see more. Look at this broken mess that is me, has it not suffered enough.?

With sadness in her eyes, Europa again waved her staff. Lyle watched in shock as the landscape changed before him, replaced by a scene of impending disaster in the village.

The rain had been relentless for five days, and the situation had grown dire. Lyle saw himself standing next to the village elder in agony, knowing what was to come. The village leader urgently addressed the assembled villagers. “This has been day five of steady rains,” the leader exclaimed, his voice strained with concern. “We need to check the old dam to be sure it will hold.” He motioned to the boats nearby. “Just in case, have all the boats available, loaded, and ready to paddle to the mainland.”

With a firm grip on Lyle’s chronoself’s collar, the leader forcefully dragged him toward the dam. The rain and high winds drowned their voices as they approached the dam. The leader leaned down close to Lyle’s ear, shouting to be heard over the elements.

“As you can see,” he yelled, pointing at the dam, “the dam is already overflowing. Do you see those cracks in the wall?” He emphasized the urgency of the situation. “We have only a few hours before the dam breaks and destroys the village. We need to get the people out of here. We lack sufficient boats to get everyone out. Had you built the bridge, all would be safe if the dam broke.”

As if on cue, just before they turned to return to the village, a deafening explosion erupted from the dam. The structure began to crumble. Panic set in; both men sprinted back to the village as fast as their legs would carry them. The leader rushed to a large bell and began ringing it vigorously, creating a loud and urgent warning that echoed throughout the village.

The emergency warning bell called everyone in the village to action. People hurriedly gathered their belongings and rushed to the boats, ready to paddle to the safety of the mainland.

Standing watching with Europa, Lyle shook in fear for the villagers. Everything went blank before his eyes. When the dark veil was lifted, Lyle saw that the landscape had changed.

He saw himself standing next to the river outside the village. The village was in chaos. Women were screaming, dragging their children in a panic, as they ran to the waiting boats.

Turning toward the dam, the little man watched as a vast, angry wall of water raced toward him. His face revealed his understanding that neither he nor the villagers could make it to the boats.

Lyle saw himself shouting, “Paddle faster,” to those who had made it to the boats, “The water is coming.” The roar of the oncoming water made it impossible for him to be heard. The waves overcame the villagers, and the boats were swamped by the rushing waters. All was lost.

In horror, Lyle saw his likeness fall to his knees, accepting his fate, waiting for the wave to crush him again. He screamed in agony. All the pain, fear, and anguish suffered by the villagers now poured into him. The waves fell upon him with great force, dragging him along the flooded ground. There was nothing but water to inhale.

Standing near Europa, watching this horror unfold, Lyle suddenly felt he was drowning. Falling to the ground, gasping for air as what his chronoself was experiencing. He turned to his left, watching his body and those of the villagers being washed away. He felt all the fear, anguish, and suffering that consumed the villagers.

The landscape returned to the gray, depressing, oppressive environment. Lyle looked down and saw himself again sitting on the stone bench, curled in a ball, soaked to the bone, shivering; screaming in anguish.

Lyle looked at Europa with sadness and fear in his eyes. What is this? The little man mumbled through clenched teeth, “If only I had built a bridge and a new dam. These souls would not have perished. I failed. How many times must I suffer for my sin? I know this is only one event in my life that I have been responsible for the pain and agony of others to satisfy my greed.”

The little man slowly stood up, pain evident on his face. With desperation in his eyes, he grabbed Lyle’s shoulders, looked straight into Lyle’s eyes, struggling to speak, and said, “This is the path you will be condemned to endure, if you do not embrace God and his ways.”

The landscape and images fade. Lyle finds himself standing in his opulent bedroom, staring at Europa, morbid fear etched on his face. He said, “I am going to be sick.” He staggered to the edge of his bed, staring blankly into nothingness, trying to comprehend what has transpired.

Looking at Lyle, with sadness in here eyes, Europa said, “Lyle, you have been given a gift. Not many have had the opportunity to see. I have shown you what might be, not what will be.”

Bowing his head, he fell to his knees, hands folded together pleading, “What can I do to avoid the path shown to me? I will give away all my money, attend church daily, and work to help others. I am begging you to save me from this path. If I do all of this, can I avoid the path shown to me? Tell me what I must do.”

Europa smiled a celestial smile, lifted her beautiful white wings, and as she faded, said, “It is your path to travel. Choose it well. Do not make a bargain you will not keep.”

The following day, Lyle awoke with a renewed sense of purpose. He called a meeting with the village elders and his construction team. Lyle had resolved to build a bridge for the village and to have the dam inspected. He instructed the team that if repairs were required, he would pay. Inspired by Europa’s visit, Lyle gave away much of his wealth to the poor and spent his days helping the less fortunate, tending to the sick, and providing shelter for the homeless.

Just before bed, Lyle would pray, asking God for guidance and forgiveness. He prayed, “Lord, I do not know whether I can do enough penance, here on Earth, to make amends for my sins. I accept any consequences. You are the truth and the.”