A Chance for Redemption
I’d passed many trials; the memories though, almost too painful to bear.
Now, the final trial. I’m in a stark white room. No furniture, no windows. Two white doors materialise, each sporting a silver handle.
“Choose,” said the voice, the one that had been with me throughout the trials.
“Where do they go?”
“One will return you to the beginning, a chance to do it all again, correct your mistakes, a chance for redemption. The other will take you to a place of eternal judgement. Choose.”
I take a deep breath, cross to a door, turn the handle and push…
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHi Carrie, you are nearer to the truth than you can imagine. How many times do we still make the same mistakes? Nice story for all to ponder on.
Thanks Eric. I felt the need to try a bit of speculative fiction for this prompt, so it’s nice to hear that it has you pondering. It’s not a genre I write very often.
I agree with Eric, Carrie, how often do we make the same mistakes? But we can’t change who we are. However, to get the chance to correct our mistakes, who wouldn’t want that? A thought provoking story, well done.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThanks Linda. Yes, it would be lovely if life could come with a rewind button, but it does make you wonder that if you are given the same options, would you make the same choices. Whatever my protagonist has done (she didn’t tell me), I do hope she picked the right door.
What a nice story, Carrie. I agree with Eric and Linda, we always do the same mistakes all over again because we are just human and born unperfect or imperfect. We cannot change who we are but we can decide what we want to be and we can correct all our mistakes from the past. I hope your protagonist will choose the right door.
Thanks Lotchie. I often wonder if we’d make the exact same mistakes if we had the chance for a do-over. If presented with the same options, would we make the same choices. What the ‘voice’ didn’t say was whether or not the protagonist would retain the knowledge of their previous life. If they did, they would know when to make an alternative choice. If not, then it is very likely they’ll make… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThis is such an interesting idea, Carrie. Perhaps we learn lessons without remembering the details, and could therefore make better choices from instinct, if not from direct knowledge. Once, many decades ago, I received a slight electrical shock while standing at a kitchen sink. Even now sometimes, without directly remembering that incident, I experience fear while running water into the sink. It was a learned response, without the memory. It does kind… Read more »
Thanks Julie, you always feel like your work is done when the reader still thinks about it afterwards or can compare it to something that has occurred in their own lives
Hello Carrie,
This is an entertaining yet thiught-provoking story
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you Dipayan, I’m glad you enjoyed reading it
You’re welcome.
A good story, like this one, has the potential to stir up thoughts and reactions in the reader. I agree with other commentators, and you, that your story makes one wonder about life and death, difficulties and possibilities of making things right. My thought went to the movie Groundhog Day, where the protagonist finally got it right. And then I am wondering if we are in that situation of choice every day… Read more »
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you for your kind and thoughtful comments Christer. The story has continued to make me wonder too. If we can go back and make other choices, whether better or worse, what consequences could there be. If a person doesn’t give a completely honest review to a book or a piece of art, for instance, would that cause the author or artist to continue making the same mistakes in their work and… Read more »
Carrie, that is such a tough decision for your protagonist to make! Like Eric said, we so often make the same mistakes. I hope your protagonist chooses the correct door!
Thanks for commenting Marianna. I just hope I don’t have to make the decision at the end of my life.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleCarrie, absolutely! This makes me grateful for each opportunity I get daily to make the right choices now, and for chances to rectify mistakes now. Your story is really thought provoking.
Yes, hoping I haven’t done anything too awful in life and choose the eternal judgement door. After the year we’ve all been through, it might be a blessing ?
As everyone else has said, it does make you wonder! If we were to go back would we make different choices? And how would that affect who we grew to be? You could be a very different person indeed if you went back and chose differently! I wonder how many of us would take that risk?
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleIt really is quite a terrifying thought isn’t it. The more I think, the more I hope I’d luck out and choose the eternal judgement door. They didn’t say eternal torment, so maybe it won’t be too awful!