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The day was September 12, nothing really special was going on. Jeff Tamber was out somewhere he wasn't suppose to. He was driving down Mercy Avenue looking for someone he knew that he could buy an 8-ball from. It need been a really stressful week. His boss ragged on him again about the update of the Pillenger file. It was going to be late again and Cole Taylor would put it all on him even though it had been all Cole's fault. If he had been at his desk working instead of screwing his secretary in the ladies room, the report could have been done. Jeff should tell the CEO everything, including why his wife disappeared from the Christmas party last year. He thought about ratting Cole out, but with his luck, the boss wouldn't believe it and give Cole a promotion and me a pink slip.

Redemption III.

It was late in the fall when  Thomas Harris sat on a bench and stared out at the evening sky. The stars were just starting to show themselves in the random pattern over the orange and reds of the descending sun. This was Thomas favorite time of year. It was cool but not cold. You could wear a lite jacket, but it was to warm for a heavy coat. The trees had that beautiful array of colors going from green to brown and all the shades in between. The time of year was perfect, He felt good. For some reason his ALS hadn't been bothering him much. Thomas had hoped that the diagnosis was wrong but the pain and the second doctor had put his hopes to rest. He really had ALS and his wife and children would have to be told. Dr. Regis, his neurologist told him the disease was in its second stage. He would have severe pain in his arms and legs leading into spasms and convulsions.  All this would be starting in the near future. He had given him the name of a specialist who he had been in contact with to take over his care. Dr, Regis said he was sorry, but there was no cure. He had maybe a year and he should get his affairs in order before it was to late. That had been the day that Thomas opened his eyes and finally looked around him. He had a wife who was so distant that he wasn't sorry if she would care at all. He had three children who he had tried his best to ignore for most of their lives. In reality he had no one that cared and he only had himself to blame.
For years Mary had begged him to slow down. To stop working so hard and enjoy his family. But Thomas would have no part of it. There was always a new company to start or to destroy or some lease he had to take. To him, money meant more then the love of his family, so he kept on working until his family left. His name was now on five buildings and there was two hospital with his picture in the lobby. But in the end what really mattered? None of these hospital could help him. It didn't matter how many buildings bore his name. Ne was alone now and it was all his own fault.
As Thomas got up off the bench, he dropped his medical reports in the trash can next to the bench. To say he was depressed was an understatement. He was sad and sorry. He thought back to the days when him and Mary were dating and the first few years of married life. He had that old Chevy that smoked like hell if its oil was low. He didn't have much. White Castle was the only place he could afford to take her to. It wasn't much but it was good memories. Watching fireworks from a blanket in the park and using tin foil for Christmas decorating in their first apartment. He didn't have money for a gift back then but that never held him back from making Christmas special. Those carriage rides through the park and bottle of wine they shared while watching the skaters on Messingers Pond.
As he thought back, he wondered how he managed to chase away the ones he love the most. And what was he to do now without them?
As the tears rolled down Thomas's face he walked deeper into the dark part of the park. He knew this was a dangerous place to be, but who cared? Maybe death was the best thing he could do for his family. Mary and the kids were still the principal holders on his life insurance. Maybe his death could bring them the peace he had always wanted them to have.
As Thomas walked down the lane in the dark park, he heard something behind him. It sounded like foot steps. As he turned around to look, something slammed into his head and he was out.
"Thomas?"
"Thomas, wake up"
Grogging Thomas opened his eyes. He was in Messinger park laying in a pile of leaves. Moaning he sat up rubbing a lump on his head.
"What happened?" He asked looking around. There standing beside him was a young girl with amazing red hair. It was shades of copper with streaks of auburn and golden highlights. She looked to be in her teens with a beautiful smile on her face. At Thom sat up, she lent him a hand to keep him from falling back.
"What happened."
"My name is Clare. " She said with a smile. "You were mugged. Bashed in the head. He took you wallet and all your money."
Did you see where he went?"
"It doesn't matter." She said. "You have more important things to worry about."
"Like what?" Thom asked.
"Life and death. She stood up and let her gown shine out. Thom was dazzled by the light reflected off her dress. Speechless. Thom looked up at her. He could almost see wings on her back and a halo floating above her hard.
"Am I dead?" Thom asked.
"Yes and no." She said in her sweet voice. "You said this would be better for your wife and kids. Did you mean it?"
"Yes." He said looking away. "I'm sick. Very sick and I've been a ass for years. I don't have a wife and kids anymore. What I have is a big house and alimony and child support. I don't even get visits with my children. I gave that all up. I made such a mess on my life ts not worth living. Death is all I have to look forward to."
"Yes." He said. "No one cares about me. All they care about is the check in the mail ever month."
Looking down into Thom's sad eyes, Clare could feel the sadness rolling out from him. She had this one chance to save him before Scratch got here and to him his way. But she would have make him lose all the self doubt and depression.
"Have you really looked at your life? Clare asked. "Have ever looked at what your family really means?"
"No." Thom said. "I haven't done a thing to help make this a better world. All I've done is destroy people's lives and steal away what some of them worked their whole lives to make. My life is useless and I mean nothing."
With a smile, Clare reached down and helped Thom up on his feet. Now she knew what had to be done. She had to show Thom what the world would without him.
"Come with me." She said as she took his hand. "The world is made up of many different possibility. and you my friend have caused many changes. Come with my and I will show you how much you mean to the world."
With a wave of her arm, a great cloud of smoke appeared around them. It had a sweet shell like  freshly bloomed  flowers. As they walked, Clare to them to their first destination.
Stepping out of the cloud they emerged at the building where Thom and Mary had first lived after they got married. It  was there old apartment down on Benard St. But it was different. It dark and dirty with garbage piled everywhere. With her finger to her lips to keep him silent, Clare lead him in through the busted and graffiti covered door.l From the entrance, she lead him up to the second floor and into their old apartment.
All the furniture had been smashed and it smelled like a urinal in there. Thom held his nose as the moved from room to room. The place was full of junkies fight each other over wine and scraps of food. In the living room, two junkies were shooting up. And in the made bedroom, the was a woman laid out on a dirty mattress. Her eyes were closed and her pants were half way down exposing bottom half for everyone to use and see.
"This place is disgusting." Thom said turning away. "Why am I here? This place means nothing to me."
"Look." Clare said pointing to the girl on the bed. "Do you recognize her?"
Thom looked closer. There was something about her that looked familiar. As he got closer, he looked at her face". Surprised he jumped back. It was Mary Andrews his wife.
"Its Mary!" He said. "What happened? why is she here?"
"She's here because she never met you." Clare said. "This is her life now though I doubt she'll be her much longer. She'll be dead in a few weeks."
"Can't you help her?" He pleaded. "Can't you do something?"
"Me?" Clare looked at him with a shocked look on her face. "You did this not me. I can't fix it."
As they stood there watching, an old junkie came in the door. He dropping his pants and crawled over to where she was laying. Thom tried to jump on him and drag him away, But his hand went right through them. Mary was raped right there while they were watching. Covering his eyes, Thom run out of the room.
"Do you still think you didn't mean anything?"
"Its not my fault if she couldn't make her life worth some." Thom said with red eyes. "She's one person."
"One person who once meant a lot to you. Can you leave her for this to happen? If you can, your not the man I thought you were."
"What about my kids?" Thom asked. "I'll bet their lives are much better."
"Kids?" Clare started do at him. "What kids? You don't have kids remember. You were never born so there are no kids. And that's a shame. Your kids were going to have suck a great future. You son Micheal was going to be the president of your firm and he was going to clean Trigon Bay and save and the whole shrimp industry by himself. He was going to do so much good in his fathers name. Yes, in your name. You got him started in the Environmental changes, but none of that matters now."
"What about my daughter Julie?"
"Well she would have gave you five Grand children. Three boys and two girls. One would have even bore your name."
"Then I did make a difference?" He said with a smile. "I really did matter."
"Yes you did." Clare said sadly. "But all that's changed since you were never born."
"No!" Thomas said with pleading eye. "I want to be born. I want Mary to have a better life then that. Please tell me I can fix this. Tell me its not to late."
As the sun shined down behind Clare, she reached down and took his hand to lift him up to face her.
"I can give you a choice." Clare said. "I can live things the way they are without you, Or you can join your family and live out your last year. There will be a lot of pain, but you will have a family that loves you. You must choose."
"I want to live." Thomas said with his eyes filled with tears. "I want to see my daughter walk down her wedding aisle and I want to be there to give them all what they deserve. I want to live.
"Your wish is granted."

"Dad?" A voice slipped into his unconscious mind. It was a familiar voice. A voice he loved since the day he was born.
"Please wake up Dad."
Thomas slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see his wife and the kids standing around him. He smiled to them weakly
"Dad?"
"I'm here Chris." Thomas said. He reached out and took his hand. With a tearful smile Chris buried his face in his father's shoulder and cried.
"I'm here. No more work," He said as he stroked the boys blond hair.  "I'm not going anywhere ever again."