Found People

By Mark Lively

This book is based on a dream that I had many years ago of what heaven and hell were like. In my dream I sought out friends and acquaintances to see what heaven was like for them. While all the real people have been edited out most of the locations remain.

The various locations and events I dreamed of in heaven have been woven around the story of Manny who sets out to explore heaven. On his way he meets Hector who is looking for his lost cousin Mira. Manny takes up Hector's quest to find the lost young woman.

Manny's journey through the afterlife takes him to the heights of heaven and the depths of hell. Along the ay he meets a variety from different times and places. People who help him on his journey as he helps them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Lively
• Release date: Nov 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301294886

Mark Lively

Mark Lively went to school as a mechanical engineer and now works as a computer programmer in central Pennsylvania. He has a wife and step son. His hobbies include roasting his own coffee, brewing his own beer and in general doing thing the hard way.

Book preview

Found People

Copyright 2012 by Mark Lively

Smashwords Edition

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Chapter 1

Manny woke up and lay in bed for a bit. He had forgotten how soft and comfortable his bed was. It seemed to him that he had been running from place to place for years and this was the first time in a long time that he was home. He stretched and then swung his legs onto the floor. He was alert and awake and his knee wasn’t hurting. This was going to be a good day.

He stood up and looked at walls. A subtle geometric pattern covered the walls. It started dark by the head of his bed and was almost entirely white by the foot. The carpet felt warm and soft under his bare feet as he padded to the kitchen. Without thinking much about it, he filled the coffeemaker with water and then measured coffee into the basket. The coffee had a rich, warm smell even before being brewed. This really was going to be a great day.

Manny walked off to the bathroom while the coffee was brewing. He stepped into the shower and turned on the water. It was instantly warm and the hot water beat down onto his flesh. It was almost painful, but it felt so invigorating. He turned and faced away from the showerhead. The hot water drummed into his normally sore back. His back had been hurting for so long it was odd to think of it not hurting. What had promised to be a good day might very well turn out to be the best day he had ever had.

He finished his shower and grabbed the towel, which was delightfully warm and soft. As he toweled off, a smile crossed his face. He went back to the kitchen, opened up a cabinet and took out the only coffee mug. It was black ceramic, heavy and real. It was a serious mug for serious coffee. He filled it up and took a long sip of the coffee, savoring the warmth, and the layers of flavor, a slight nuttiness, and an almost fruit taste. He felt the coffee warm him up as it went down. He checked the refrigerator. He grabbed a couple of eggs, some shredded cheese, and the bacon. Soon, the bacon was sizzling in a pan while a pat of butter was melting in another frying pan. Manny whisked the eggs briefly as the butter started to pop. Into the pan went the eggs. Manny grabbed the pan’s handle and gently tilted it in a slow circle. He then did a quick shake to break the egg loose from the bottom and in went the cheese, a little salt and pepper.

Manny looked back in the cabinet. He took down the only fork, plate, and glass.

Manny went back to the skillet with the omelet and gave it a couple of deft flicks of the wrist had the omelet folded over in thirds. With a quick thrust of his elbow and another wrist flick the omelet was flipped and back on the burner. He quickly filled the glass with orange juice and then put the omelet and bacon onto his plate and went over to the table.

He was about halfway through eating his breakfast when he saw a note on the table. It was a folded rectangle of paper with his name written on it. Manny lifted it and read the contents of the note inside. Yesterday was the last day of the rest of your life.

Odd. he thought. Manny refolded the note and looked back at his breakfast. He took another bite of eggs, savoring the texture and flavor. They were light and fluffy. The cheese provided a tasty tanginess and counterpoint to the subtlety of the eggs. He took another sip of his coffee and felt warm and happy. Then he remembered. Yesterday, he had been so tired and in a strange place. He hadn’t been away from home traveling for work. He hadn’t been tired from work. He had been sick. Had he been in the hospital? Not a hospital, a similar sounding word, a hospice? He couldn’t remember clearly.

Manny took a long, slow drink of coffee. He stood up and walked to the window and turned back and looked at apartment. This wasn’t any home of his that he remembered. This wasn’t how he lived. He had a small bungalow. This was an apartment in some city. Turning to look out the window, he saw the city below and around him. He must be near the top of a very tall building. Everything below seemed so far away. Looking straight out, there were a series of massive towers arranged in circle. Looking to the left, he saw three towers taller and more massive than anything he had ever seen before. After the third tower, there was water. It looked like an ocean and it went on as far as the eye could see. There were three more towers coming out the water. Continuing to the right there were five more towers. Including the one he was in that made twelve in all. Beneath the towers there were more buildings arranged around central roads getting smaller towards the center. In the very middle it looked like a park with a giant tree.

Manny looked up and saw what he had been assuming was the sun. It was a large ball of light that seemed to radiate peace and warmth and happiness. It reminded him of a time he had gone skinny dipping as a child. When he got out of the water he was cold and shivering but then looked up at the sun and basked in the rays and was no longer cold. Whatever this light was, Manny was saw it and felt it just like that warm sun on his cold wet skin, but it was so much more. It was a warmth that promised he would never be cold again. It promised joy and happiness and release. He felt his feet start to lift off the ground as the light was pulling him in. He shook his head and said not yet. There is more to see here.

Sitting back at the table, he looked around the apartment for things that he had missed. The one of everything should have been a dead giveaway. Who only had one coffee cup, one glass, one fork and one plate? There didn’t even seem to be a spoon around. The beautiful glass table had only one chair.

Manny smiled and decided to take a walk around. He picked up his dishes and carried them to the sink and quickly hand washed them and placed them in a drying rack that he hadn’t remembered seeing when he made breakfast. It must be part of it he decided. Things are there only when you need them.

He went to the bedroom to look for clothes to wear. In the closet there was a large assortment of pants, shirts and a beige kilt. Manny took a look at the kilt and smiled. He thought that he had always wanted to try one but didn’t have the courage. It’s a new world, a new me, why not try a kilt? He grabbed a black t-shirt to go with it. It took him a couple of tries to get the kilt right. It wasn’t a traditional kilt. There were a couple of pockets and the front snapped closed. He completed the outfit with a pair of sturdy boots and a ball cap. On the cap was a logo like a clock face with 12 rectangles arranged in a circle. All of the little rectangles were