ordered to be doctored – the kind of information that sends corporate officers to prison for decades.
"Thank you, God," I sighed while looking up at the sky. Although Heather, Adolf, and his lover were screaming at each other, I only heard the cheery clinking of wedding bells and champagne glasses.
"She's got a gun!"
This revelation startled me, and I looked out at the angry trio. I saw the gun. Thankfully, it wasn't Heather holding it, although she certainly was within her rights to shoot her cheating husband. Actually, it was Adolf's lover who held the gun and she was pointing it at Heather.
"No!" I screamed, which distracted the pistol-wielding woman. She pulled the trigger at the same moment she turned to face me – to where the sound of my yell came from. The shot caught Adolf in the middle of his forehead.
"Aaarrrrgghhh!" I screamed through a blast of pain. The sensation of my skull splitting in two vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. "What the hell was th…" I stopped talking and tried to look around, but all I could see was black and diffused reds. "Shit," I exclaimed, "I've been shot!"
"You most certainly have," an ominous voice hissed. "How's it feel?"
"Horrible! I've got a splitting headache and I can't see. Can you help me?"
"Um, I suppose I could, but that's really not my thing," he cackled. "By the way, welcome to Hell."
"Wh-what?" I sputtered. Suddenly, a ghastly figure attached to the voice strode into sight. I instinctively slammed my eyes shut and prayed to wake up from this nightmare. I screamed in terror when I again opened my eyes. The demon's face was inches from mine. The monster had crept forward, waiting for me to open my eyes again before saying another word.
"Boo?" the beast asked and then roared with demonic laughter, as the voices of millions of tormented souls screeched and howled their approval.
"No, this – this can't be! I don't belong here! There must be some kind of mistake."
The demon shook his head and clicked his tongue disapprovingly as he studied his blood-stained fingernails. "Oh, I assure you, there was no mistake."
"But, but I was alive."
"Yes? What's your point?"
"I did nothing wrong, certainly nothing to deserve being sent here."
"Oh really? You don't say? Well, according to the list I have in my hand," the demon growled while unraveling a piece of parchment. "It says here that you were a wife-beating and mentally-abusive husband …"
Relieved, I sighed, chuckled and said, "You can stop right there. I knew this was a mistake. I've never been married."
"Hmm, is that so? Well, it also states you murdered a man and his daughter several years ago during a hit-and-run accident. You were driving drunk. Lucky for you, eh, that the cops never caught you," the beast snarled.
Again, I protested, but each of my arguments went unanswered. Instead, the demon continued to rattle off charge after charge against me.
"Please, I beg you, stop reading those horrible things. I swear, I did none of it."
"Look, I hate to admit this," the demon said, leaning in closer, "but God is never, and I do mean never, wrong."
"Then this is His first time," I fumed. "I demand to be let go and returned to my life. I have a future with Heather …"
"You have no future!" the demon bellowed. He slapped the parchment with his hand in exasperation, and then asked, "Did you not wish to be Heather's husband?"
I stared blankly, unable to rationalize a connection between my desire for Heather and the fact that I was standing at the gates of Hell, being read my supposed crimes against God and humanity.
"Well, sport, simply put, God granted you your wish."
I still didn't get it.
"Welcome to Hell, Adolf."
"Huh?" I continued to struggle with my belief that God was wrong. "Adolf? My name is Michael Gabriel Pennymore. I-I was named after two of God's archangels."
"Well, isn't this a small world!" the beast chuckled. "My boss, Lucifer, was one of God's original archangels. What a coincidence!" Again, the minions roared with rageful, mocking laughter.
"I don't belong here. I'm not Adolf!" I screamed – a feat that momentarily silenced the crowd.
The demon glared at me, but didn't lash out again. Instead, the beast sighed and said, "I'm not going to waste any more time on you. Simply put, you wished to be Heather's husband. At the exact moment the bullet left the gun of Adolf's lover, God granted you your wish. You switched bodies with Adolf. You became Adolf. Congratulations, you can now enjoy eternity as Heather's husband." The demon turned to the monster nearest him and said, "Beelzebub, get this guy checked in and hurry him to the psycho ward. He's about to crack."
The demon then turned back toward me and dropped a newspaper at my feet. Numbly, I bent down and picked it up. The headline screamed, "Adolf Scharnhorst Shot Dead by Jilted Lover."
"That's not true," I mumbled. "I saw the whole thing. I was there. She accidentally shot him after I …"
"Oh, do shut up and read on, would you?"
I begrudgingly did. The article described the bizarre events surrounding the shooting, including the fact that not only was Heather's husband dead, but her lover, Henry Philkowitz, the CEO of HammerLink Fencing Company, was arrested for cooking the company's books. The article concluded with a paragraph detailing how Heather's close friend, Michael Gabriel Pennymore, was there to comfort and console her.
Then, a lone article fluttered down from above and landed in my hand. It was a wedding announcement, that of Heather Scharnhorst to Michael Gabriel Pennymore. I gasped and looked at the demon for an explanation.
"You and Adolf switched bodies," he said with a shrug. "Look how happy they are in the photograph. No doubt, Michael Gabriel Pennymore will be a good husband to Heather. Kind of ironic, don't you think? He gets a gentler second chance with his wife, which is what he wished at the fountain this morning … the very same fountain where you wished to be Heather's husband."
To Beelzebub, I heard the demon whisper, "Get ready."
The demon turned back to me and said, "God was generous. He granted both of you your wishes. Isn't that swell of Him? Welcome to your new home, Adolf."
Something hollered, "Look out, boys, he's gonna blow!"
And I did, screaming for all eternity.
The End
# # #
Return to Table of Contents
Author's Note
Happy Halloween! Thank you for purchasing this copy of "Heart's Lust." Be careful what you wish for, right?
Return to Table of Contents
* * * * *
Introducing Simmering Consequences, a novel by LC Cooper
Short Description:
Can we truly repair mistakes? What happens when the relationship between best friends detonates? Some embrace the electric excitement of change, while others retreat inward and dream of reliving the glory days.
Rebecca Parkins travels a slippery slope as she winds her way through Ryan and Kimberley Meyers' marriage. She'll do anything to keep the friendship alive.
Long Description:
Rebecca Parkins, Kimberley Meyers, and her husband, Ryan, grew strong bonds together as childhood friends. On the block, Rebecca was known as "Miss Fix-it" for her caring heart and uncanny ability to repair everything from scratches on knees to car engines.
Distractions and stresses grow to overwhelm Rebecca's capabilities. Before long, her nickname twists into "Miss Fit." Can Rebecca get one last chance to make things right? Can she ever live down her past and repair the friendship?
Well-intentioned, Rebecca may have finally pushed too hard. Can friendships flourish after surviving a torrent of mistakes and misperceptions? Deceit, though never meant, unravels even the best relationships.
Crossroads, obstacles, and forks in the road present Rebecca with opportunities, but some see the same choices as threats. Which will she embrace? Which will she avoid at all costs?
Return to Table of Contents
* * * * *
&
nbsp; About the Author, LC Cooper
Please visit my author page to learn more about me.
To contact me, please send an email to:
[email protected] Where to find LC Cooper online
Webpage: https://lccooperauthor.weebly.com/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lccooperauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cooper0712/
Twitter: LC_Cooper
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/lc-cooper/24/7b1/8a5
Wattpad: LC_Cooper
Blog: https://www.lccooper.blogspot.com
Here is the list of my titles, published at many fine retailers:
Novels:
Christmess
Diary of a Reluctant Vampire
Legacy
Man Cave
My Slice of Heaven
Simmering Consequences
The Voices of Cellar's Bridge
Short Stories:
"Barefoot Homecoming"
"Dan's Accidental Convertible"
"Halloween's Perfect Storm"
"Heart's Lust"
"Of Yellow Snow and Christmas Balls"
"One Lousy Wish"
"There Was a Knock at the Door"
Return to Table of Contents
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends