Final Observations

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.


The prompts: This story must contain the phrase, "it felt like a dream."


Final Observations


People, shapes and clipboards floated in and out of my world. This strange phase of my existence found me in a landscape strewn with tubes, bedpans and trays of green Jell-O. I knew I was in a hospital. At least I knew it most of the time. There were too many white coats floating around for it to be anywhere else. It felt like a dream; one in which I alternated roles between being an active participant and a passive observer.

Sometimes there were angels. They would come and talk with me during those times when I found myself alone. I liked it when they came. I could feel their comforting warmth even before they showed up.

“Am I going to die?” I asked once.

“Not the way you think about dying.” That had come from Eli. I came to be able to easily recognize him. He liked to float in the corner up by the ceiling. Sometimes he was just a ball of light. Usually, he dressed like a cowboy.

One day, they brought a dog in to see me. At first I thought it was an angel. I tried to talk to it but all I got in return was a lick on my hand. I knew that he knew I was dying. It was his way of saying not to worry. Maybe dogs are just angels that don’t talk.

Sometimes I sleep. Funny, I can’t tell if I am asleep dreaming of being awake or if it’s the other way around.

Eli came by earlier. He told me the time was approaching. I knew what he meant. I held on for a few more hours. They needed to say good-bye. I knew that wasn’t necessary but hey, I only knew that because an angel told me so.

Word count 300