Short Stories

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Behold,
I tell you,
a mystery.
[1 Corinthians 15:51]
**************************
(There's a Big Table,
with neatly arranged
T-Shirts, up and down
in neat, solid rows.
One Big Angel is in
charge; he shouts,
'NEXT!'. Two people
step up; one of them
pokes the other in
the arm, and whispers
loudly, to the other.)
____________________
"I'll bet ya,
ANYTHING,
they're OVERPRICED,
Denise!"

[ANGELIC SIGH.]
"They're free;
but only one-limited-
per-customer."

(Frown!)
"Is THAT the only
COLOR? D'ya
HAVE ANYTHING,
IN RED?"

[ANGEL.]
"No."

(Frown!)
"Or,
with a
KITTEN,
on IT?"

[ANGEL.]
"Uh, uh."

(Frown!)
"How 'BOUT....
a WHALE?"

[ANGELIC SHAKE
OF THE HEAD.
HALO SPARKLES,
A LITTLE,
IN THE LIGHT.]

(Frown.)
(Whine.)
"Why NOT?"

[ANGEL.]
"Cuz."

(Frown!)
"What's it
say, ON THE BACK?"

[ANGEL TURNS
T-SHIRT AROUND:
BACK AND FORTH.]

(Frown!)
(Loud whine.)
"But.....then,
we're all gonna,
look THE SAME!"

[ANGEL]
"Uh, uh.
This is where your
name goes......
[POINT.]
"And, here's
your date of birth,
and,
the Other Date."

(Frown!)
(Louder whine.)
"Then....EVERYBODY'S
gonna know,
when I was BORN!"

[CALM ANGELIC NOD.]

(Frown.)
(Turn to friend.)
"What d'ya
think, DENISE?"

(Joyful smile!)
"I LOVE IT!
I LOVE IT!"

(Frown.)
(Shrug.)
"Yeah....I guess."
(Mumble.)
So....where do
we ORDER?"

[ANGEL SHAKE OF THE
HEAD. HALO DOESN'T
MOVE.]
"There's no order;
I got one, here,
READY,
for ya."

(Frown!)
"How d'ya know
my SIZE?"

[ANGELIC SHRUG.
PERFECT-LOOKING
WINGS DON'T MOVE,
AT ALL.]
"I dunno;
it just FITS you,
that's all."

(Frown!)
"Uh, UH!
I always get a BIGGER
SIZE! I KNOW,
it's gonna SHRINK,
in the WASH!"

[ANGELIC SHAKE OF
THE HEAD. HALO
REMAINS PERFECTLY
STILL.]
"These don't shrink;
here: take yours.
I got Choir, in an
hour."

(Frown!)
(Fold arms,
stubbornly.)
"No! I want a BIGGER ONE!
I KNOW THAT'S NOT A COTTON BLEND!
THAT LOOKS A 100 PERCENT
COTTON, DENISE!
YA KNOW IT'S GONNA
SHRINK!"

(Joyful smile!)
"Julie! Take YOURS!
You've.. EARNED IT!
It's your REWARD!"

(Frown.)
(Shrug, dramatically.)
"THIS?
This is,
MY REWARD?
A PRE-SHRUNK,
T-SHIRT?"

(Joyful smile!)
"Yes, JULIE!
YES! It's what,
we were all
WAITING FOR!"

(Frown!)
(Point, dramatically,
to T-Shirt.)
"THIS?
THIS,
is what we were
all......
WAITING FOR?"

(Joyful nod!)
(Joyful hug!)
"Yes, Julie!
Yes!
Yes!"

(Frown.)
(Mumble.)

[BIG ANGEL HOLDS
OUT T-SHIRT,
PATIENTLY.]
"Here: take it;
before the Lord
changes His mind."

(Frown!)
(Hands on hips.)
"What's THAT mean?"

[SUDDEN RUMBLE
FROM THE THRONE ROOM.]

(Innocent look,
up at the Sky.)
(Squint.)
(Squirm.)
(Frown.)
"Okay.....OKAY.
Alright...ALRIGHT."
(Mumble.)
(Murmur.)
"It STILL looks...
too SMALL."
(Mumble.)
"I'll bet ya,
ANYTHING,
Denise!
It's gonna SHRINK."

(Joyful laugh!)
(Joyful smile!)
(Hug!)

(Frown!)

[ANGELS SIGHS,
AND OPENS T-SHIRT,
FOR ALL TO SEE.]

Across the front,
in Big Letters,
on a white cloud,
on a light blue
background,
underneath
the picture
of a rainbow,
reads:

I WAS IN THE RAPTURE
[NAME]
[BIRTHDATE - RAPTURE DATE]

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Behold,
I tell you
a mystery;
We shall not
all sleep,
but we shall
all be changed -
in a moment,
in the twinkling
of an eye,
at the
last trumpet.
[1 Corinthians 15:51-52]

_____________________
To Denise.

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