Where the Gone Things Go.

Where the Gone Things Go.
_____________________

"Uncle Jeremy?" (my nephew asks.)
"Yes Boy?"

"Where do The Gone Things Go?"
"The Gone Things?" (I ask bewildered.)

"Yeah. People. You know. Like when
they Die."

"I don't know boy. Maybe somewhere.
Maybe Nowhere. It just depends on what
you believe."

"What do you Believe?"

"Well. I don't believe anyone knows
for certain, but a lot of people believe
that good souls go to Heaven and Bad
Ones go to Hell. I tend to hope they're right."

"Bad people who listen to the Devil!"
(he says.)

Right Boy. Bad people who listen
to the Devil."

"Whats a Soul?" (he asks.)

"hmm. A Soul is You. The part of
you that thinks, and feels, and lives
inside of your body. It's believed
by some that when People die, their
Soul moves on."

"To Heaven or Hell?" (he asks.)

"Yeah Boy. To Heaven or Hell."

(My Nephew starts Crying.)

"Whats wrong Boy?" (I ask him.)

"I don't want you to be one of the
Gone Things! (he yells.)

"Well. I don't want to be one of the
Gone Things either; but it happens to
everyone eventually. We all go in our
own Time. Thats why it's important to
leave behind as many good things as you
can, so the people you love can keep a
part of you in their Soul."

"If you go I want you to GO to Heaven.
So don't listen to the devil Ok?" (he says.)

"O.K. Boy. I'll try not to. But I hear
he's pretty tricky."

"well, he dosen't trick me!, and I wont
let him trick You either."

"Thanks Boy. I appreciate that...
really. I'm sure we'll be fine then."

"Yeah."

"Uncle Jeremy?" (he says.)

"Yes?"

"Love you."

"Love you too Boy."
_________________________________________________________________________________

The Simplicity of my Conversation
with this beloved child opens up the
door to several complex questions that
I still ask myself daily. Torn between a
cynicism shaped by Worldly Horror, and my
Hope that there is something better further
down the Road for those "Gone Things"
who left good things behind.

J.Stephen.H.