Judgement Day

Sitting in the waiting room was nothing like I expected. Then again, I’m not sure what I had imagined. I had never experienced anything like this before.

The room was bright, and the seating was comfortable, but it was stark. No pictures, no reading material, not even a clock. The sign over the entry door was marked “Waiting Room.” There was no reception area. The only other door was at the far end of the room. That door had a sign saying, “No Entry.” 

There was one more sign over the large mirror, and it directed those that were waiting to be quiet. Specifically, it said, “No Talking.” Not that there was anyone to talk to; I was alone. I mean seriously, did they need a sign for that? This wasn’t a library. Geez.

Someone will come soon, I surmised. In the meantime, there was nothing to do but wait. 

So twiddled my thumbs and I waited. And waited. 

Thirty minutes went by and still no one came. Under normal circumstances, I was not a patient person. That much I remembered. But here, I wanted to follow all the rules - I thought things would go better for me if I did. I instinctively felt this wasn’t the kind of place in which I should throw my weight around. So, I sat. And waited. 

I have this innate ability to accurately judge time, down to within a couple of minutes, so I knew how long I had been sitting there even without a clock. After about an hour, I began to pace.    I didn’t have my Apple watch to count my steps, so I counted. And walked. In circles. One circle…two circles…three…

One hundred, one hundred one, one hundred two…After a while, my frustration grew with each passing circle.  When I reached five hundred circles, I was ready to explode at whoever was first to walk through the door. But I remembered where I was and stewed internally, trying to hold my emotions in check, at least outwardly. The old me wouldn’t work here.

Finally, after my one thousandth circle, I could not endure any more.  The dam burst.  Maybe they didn’t know I was here, I rationalized, although I knew that couldn’t possibly be true. They had to know. How else could I have gotten here?

I went to the “No Entry” door and knocked. No answer. I knocked again-louder. I began banging and yelling. I tried opening the door, but it was locked. I was losing my mind. I even tried to force the door open, but it was immovable.

I tried to leave the same way I came in. By the door with the “Waiting Room” sign. I can’t explain it, but that door only functioned one way. You could enter, but not exit that way. Why that was, I have no idea. As I said, I had never experienced anything like this before. The only functioning door was the “No Entry” one, and apparently, I had to wait for someone to open the door from the other side.

“Where is everyone?” I screamed. “I don’t belong here. This is a mistake. Come and face me, you cowards.”

I broke down, intermittently pleading, screaming, and crying.

***

Behind the mirror, Uriel and Seraphiel, were watching. They had been there from the beginning, observing. 

“Should we let her in yet?” Uriel asked. “What do you think?”

“I think we should give her a little more time,” Seraphiel answered. “She’s almost ready. Then we will know for sure.”

“This always breaks them-a little time in the waiting room all alone. It doesn’t take much before the truth comes out, does it, Seraph?”

“Not normally, no. But I don’t think all is lost with this one yet. The next few hours will tell.”

***

No one is coming, I realized. At least not on my timetable. I willed myself to calm down.

The waiting room wasn’t too bad, at least I’m comfortable. So, I made myself sit quietly again. And reflect on how I got here. 

It started with the accident. Oh, deep down, I know the accident was my fault. Partially, at least, and maybe entirely. Well, that only matters if you can prove it. In court, I blamed the other guy. I had more to lose. And I had the better lawyer. 

It broke him – financially and, I suppose, in other ways, too. I can’t be held responsible for that. He had next to nothing, so there wasn’t much he could lose.

I started with nothing, too, and built an empire. I had further to fall. People relied on me. Plus, they would have come after me for a lot more than he had to pay. It was better he lost and I won. They went after him.

The accident was only the start of things. I was set to do the Cosmo interview, but they cancelled when they saw my scars from the accident. Nothing a little plastic surgery couldn’t fix. I told them that, but they didn’t want to risk it-at least not for the cover. Well, in six months I was as good as new and Cosmo was beating down my door again. I got a lot of satisfaction out of turning them down. Especially when the Vogue spread came out a few months later. Ha!

My life, I had everything. Two houses and a condo by the beach. Always in the best neighborhoods. My fans adored me. I had friends, too. If I was to be honest, most of my friends were sycophants, but a posse of beautiful people brought the paparazzi. Which was good for my image. As long as they didn’t get in my way. 

Real friends? I used to have a few, I think. Before I re-invented myself.  I hadn’t seen any of them in years. We just didn’t travel in the same circles once I became famous. 

So how did I end up here? In the waiting room?

I just couldn’t take getting older. Five pounds here, five pounds there. Nose job. Boob job. Ozempic. Liposuction. Facelift. It was an endless stream of pills, surgeries, doctors. The price to pay for looking beautiful, I thought. Was it too much? No one dared tell me. Until my body gave out.

When you get to the end of the road, none of that other stuff matters. I wish I had understood that before it was too late. I would have done things differently. Lived my life differently.

“I’m ready now,” I said quietly. “If you can hear me, I am ready.”

***

“Doctor, she’s coming out of it. It’s been several days. I wasn’t sure she would make it.”

“Yup, every once in a while we see the miracle of modern medicine. It was touch and go for a bit, but her vitals are getting stronger. I think you can tell her manager that she’s turned the corner. We’ll let him know when she is conscious.” 

***

“Why her, Seraphiel? Why give her a second chance?”

“Because she was ready, truly ready. It was in her heart - I believe she really understood. About what life means, what a gift it is. That’s rare. We can keep an eye on her, but I think she will treasure the extra time she just received. It will be worth it. You will see.”