Wednesday, January 29, 1992

Armageddon of Banality

Frank was born and raised in line. After his parents passed on, he talked to the girl before him in line. They traded significantly irrelevant information: name, age, number in line. He then asked the question he desperately wanted an answer to. He unzipped his pants and asked her what the fleshy appendage was. She answered with her lips and the line moved. Having received an answer he asked another.

“Why are we in line, girl?” She confessed that her father might have once knew but he was now gone, neglecting to leave her with that knowledge. The line extended to the ends of the earth - origin and end as if one in the same. East and West, left and right were untenable categories.

“Let’s go this way, girl”, he said pointed in one direction.

“No, let’s go this way”, she pointed in the other. The question of direction consumed them, for neither knew where the End was. Others in line started to debate as well; the End is there, here, up over where? Unquestionably puzzled by the futility of the chatter, they stepped out of line, walked in a random direction, and in search of futile answers to a question already forgotten.

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“A line to Armageddon?”

“Yes, you have stepped out of line and Armageddon will elude you.” They looked out over at the window past the drab curtains and saw the meadow.

“But if Armageddon is the End, who processes these applications?”

“The Fire.”

The Officer continued, “The Fire purifies; vessel to Eternity.”