BOOK OF STORIES

CHAPTER ONE

A young black women stands in front of me with a smirk on her face. She wears a white gown with black sandals. Her hair is untamed, but appears glossy and radiant. The smell of coconut oil emits off  of her, as she stands with her fist crossed across her body to each shoulder. Her eyes are closed but she's smiles. Her lips begin to part revealing a empty mouth, and without moving them a inhuman voice escapes her.

"Hold fast to dreams young man for-"

"No!!" i hastily interrupt her.

The women's mouth closes and the smirk that was once on her face turns into a frown.

"No?" She mimics the tone of my voice but in a childish way.

"No!!" I repeat.

"Then you.. Really need to get the hell up. This is class not your dorm room." My eyes open and i see in my vision an old white bald guy and all of his glorified wrinkles. 

"Well hello sleeping beauty welcome back to my class." my professor says to me in a sarcastic tone. Damn not again, I've been falling asleep in this class everyday these past two weeks. I don't know why I keep having that same dream? What does it mean?

"Sorry it won't happen again. I promise." I say as Mr. Pierce walks to the front of the room.

"Sure it won't, now let's get back to today's lesson." he walks up to the smart board, taps the screen and writes in huge black letters. IS DEATH REALLY THE END OF LIFE? Soft but fast inaudible voices are heard as the people in class gives their opinion to each other. A huge smirk creeps across Mr. Pierce face while he walks to the edge of his desk and takes a seat.

"Yes i know this is easiest question i will ever give you in this class. So enjoy this moment. But since this question is so easy, I'm only going to let one person answer it. That person issss-" His bony index finger points my direction. A rush of adrenaline washes over me as the whole class turns to look my way.

"Me?" I say subtly.

"Yes you."

"Ummmm."

"Yes?"

"I don't know... no life doesn't exist after death?"

" Are you a hundred percent sure about that?"

"Yes i am." barely escapes from my lips.

"OK if your are  then speak with more confidence young man, and prove it to me." The whole class suddenly begins to fill up with different sounds. I hear gasp , groans, and of little bit of laughter.

"I don't think i can, you know do that without dying."

"Alright since you only want to cover the surface of my question and not be detailed with your answer. Let's go with what you just said." he stands bringing his arms behind his back. And slowly starts to pace in front of his desk.

"Ok." I respond back.

"What is your goal in life? Better yet no, what is something you would like to experience before you Quote, unquote die."

"I don't know... everything." I respond with a chuckle. The whole class joins in with me, laughing their hearts out to my mediocre joke.

"Mister Murphy please take my class serious and answer my question. What is something you would like to experience before you die?" he says as he stops and makes eye contact with me. I avert my eyes down noticing the tree rings on wooden table . Do i even know the answer to that question? I think i do? I'm just kind of afraid to answer it.

"Do you know the answer to the question mister Murphy?"

"Yeah... i think so."

"Then what is it?"

"Satisfaction." Mr. Pierce begins to pace again.

"Ok explain to me the reason behind your answer."

"Well i like to see my life as an adventure. The things i go through will shape me into the person i am and will become."

"What does this have to do with satisfaction mister Murphy?"

"Well on my journey through life i would like to have an epic adventure. I don't really know the specifics of how it would go, but i know i want it to contain heartache, failure, love ,success, and inspiration. So by the time i'm on my deathbed i can say i lived a satisfying life."

"Hmmm so what are the steps your going to take to have this epic adventure."

"I... I... I don't know that's what i struggle figuring out. We dream to be something in life but it only can go your way if you... work hard to do it.  It's just like the old saying Rome wasn't built in a day. The people there worked their asses off to accomplish a dream they had and look where it got them." Mr. Pierce stops in the middle of his desk and makes eye contact with me once again.

"Wow, ok Mr. Murphy i like that way of thinking. I have one more question for you then. If you accomplish or fail in this adventure of yours and you died how can you keep what you did alive?" A big grin spreads across his face.

"I can't because my heart stop beating, my lungs stop collecting air, i don't know ,i can't talk to anyone anymore. There is no way i can physically try to keep what i have done alive."

"Physically yes, but what you just shared with us will live forever. We may not say what you just said word from word to each person we meet. Hell we might not ever speak about this day. But what you just said will be with us, and that will influence our actions we make on a daily basis.  You got to see your actions influences someone else's action and so on and so on. Therefore really  you and everyone that has ever lived in this world will never die. Because through there adventure they help form another's." The whole room goes silent as they look for me to retort. But i don't, i remain silent not really knowing what to say.

"This reminds me of something that was said to me in a dream once. By this weird women wearing a white gown, with black sandals. She said to me "Hold fast to your dreams young man for if dreams die life is like a broken winged bird that cannot fly. For if you abide by these words your blood will be deeply rooted in life and your legacy will always thrive." So mister Murphy after you have had your epic adventure that contains heartache, failure, love ,success,and inspiration and your heart stops beating. Is death actually going to be the end of your life? Will you be satisfied with the adventure you have placed for not only yourself ,but others?"