This is an attempt to describe what I experienced during my recent life threatening event. Some may find it offensive. I assure you my objective is only to share a strange happenstance.

THE FINAL GAME

      I walk along a dimly lighted narrow passageway, after a short time I came to a large door. I opened it and found myself in what felt like a very large very cold room. This is when I noticed I was naked. Somehow my mind told this fact was only important because the cold was distracting.

      I noticed a bright light in the distance and felt myself compelled toward, as a moth to a flame. As I drew nearer, I discovered that the light revealed a beautiful table with two matching chairs, matching the table's beauty and elegance that is, for the two chairs were quite different from each other. The empty one was a simple chair with no padding made of the same wood and with the same fine polish as the table. The other chair was of the same fine wood and equally well polished, but it had silk padded seat and back, and also had arm rests which were padded in the same material. I know not how I knew that padding was silk, or that I even noticed these things, for the most arresting element in this scene was the tall tuxedoed gentleman sitting in that chair.

      Somehow, I knew the part I was to play in this strange scene. I sat my naked, but unembarrassed self, in the hard armless chair and faced my protagonist. The gentleman uttered not a word, but produced a deck of cards. After he shuffled and I cut, He dealt a game very strange to me, yet one I understood instantly. The stake I was putting up was my mortal life.

      The deal went like this: 5 cards were dealt to each of us, then 4 were placed face down on the table between us. As he turned each table card we each discarded 1 from our hands. In the end, each of us held a single card with 4 common on the table. My hand proved to be the best 5 cards, but by a slender margin. Faster than I can think I found myself in my hospital bed surrounded by strangers in pea-green clothes.

      Perhaps this was but a dream. To that, I neither know or care. Because to me it is all too real. I remain confused about it all, and my mind is all unsettled. For my curiosity has been aroused. What adventure awaits when I lose the game.

Respectfully submitted by Your Friendly Tomcat