Bar

“I mean, d’you know what imitation really is? At the end of the universe, there’s a place called Bar-”

“What bar?” said Gabriel suspiciously.

“Not a bar. The planet Bar is what I’m talking about. And every millennium-”

“An actual planet called Bar?”

Damon sighed and took a moment. “Yeah,” he finally answered.

“I reckon it’s full of drunks and karaoke, then.”

“Alright. And every millennium a child is born and, that same day, takes his last breath-”

“That’s terrible!”

“But there are second chances, sometimes even third or fourth,  and that baby actually survives. The child  gets to become reincarnated with the soul of a 1,000 year old -”

“Hold on. How is that possible?”

“It makes no difference!”

“It could be the soul of an evil person sent to end that planet – Bar,”  said the angel.

Damon rested his chin on the back of his hand, staring directly into Gabriel’s eyes. “Sure,” he replied. “Anyway, this soul-”

“This is a completely different planet from Earth we’re talking about. It’d have to be a soul from here because that’s where the Source puts all the souls. Wouldn’t Bar just be an imitation of Earth with recycled souls? And when that child grows up, the memories could still be there and mimic the original person -” He paused for a moment. “What happens then?”

“The vessel will then imitate that person’s personality. For pure or evil intentions.”

“-while singing karaoke-”

“And when the next millennium occurs it repeats the process all over again,” said Damon quickly.

Gabriel looked around the bar and noticed the next karaoke would start in ten minutes. There was a moment of silence between the frenemies as they looked over the list of songs.

“Seems that life everywhere is a recycle of the past and imitating one another,” mused Gabriel.

“Look,” said Damon without delay, “the point is that when the child grows up, they are incarnated and can mimic the soul if they so choose. But they do have free will to either be good or evil. Then-”

Gabriel took that moment to raise a finger and Damon knew he was going to make a denial as to how the Source could ever think this is a good idea. So, he took his chance and finished his thought hastily.

“-which will mean you won’t have to hear anyone singing Free Bird ever again.”

Gabriel stopped in his tracks, jaw nearly hitting the floor.

“It will be quite amazing. You’ll love it. Really, you will,” said Damon.

“Damon-”

“You won’t have a choice of that song on Bar. No one does, really. It won’t exist there.”

“Listen-”

“The Source has a strange sense of humor or justice – I’m not sure which.”

“Wait a moment-”

“And there won’t be any vodka either.”

Gabriel gasped rather audibly and lowered his gaze. “I don’t think we can do karaoke tonight, Damon.”

The End.

By Susan Reed

 

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This short story was written in response to today’s Daily Prompt: The Sincerest Form of Flattery

My favorite book is “Good Omens” and the authors of that book – Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. ❤ So, they were the best choice for my inspiration in writing today’s prompt piece.

Hope you enjoyed it!