Evan’s Life had been nothing but bad luck from the beginning.

It started small - his birth had torn tissue leaving his mother with little to no control of her bladder.

His childhood was filled with small issues, broken cribs, pipe breaks, sparking appliances. It capped off with the sudden death of the trusty family pet - from there things got worse. Diseases spread to everyone around him, even with vaccinations and treatment they often lasted months or left permanent effects.

There was no such thing as a best-case scenario, the worst was the only option.

His school life was miserable, other students were perceptive enough to realize he was some source of bad voodoo. They avoided him at all costs and his nicknames ranged from ‘black cat’ all the way to ‘demon spawnn’.

When he finally reached the age to begin driving he gave it his all. His skill had few flaws but his luck was abysmal - go to the store for 15 minutes and come back to a tree nearly cutting the car in half. After seven cheap used cars, he finally gave up and either ran, rode a bike until it was stolen or broken, or rode public transit.

The one good note of all this was how Evan learned to defend himself - physically and emotionally. Accidents happened constantly that left him with bruises, scrapes or worse; he had likely broken every bone in his body by the age of 12. He also learned how to survive the emotional battlefield of loneliness; he was not completely immune but he had confidence in who he was and in his desire to live a full and happy life.

He didn’t have any great plans for the future, nor did he intend to ‘solve’ the problem of his bad luck.

That is until he turned 21.

As if a switch had been flipped things finally got serious.

It started close to home - in his home. While he was away at work thieves broke into his home and in a scuffle killed his father.

Evan had tried to remain strong after that, at least for his mothers' sake. They had been a calm couple, reserved in their love but resolute. The type who would live together for 1000 years if they could.

The doctors said it was due to stress and emotional damage but Evan began to blame himself when his mother contracted cancer. In a short two months, she passed from his world and into one he hoped he could not negatively influence.

For the next two years he attempted to get his life back on track, but with no family willing to talk to him or take him in things were difficult.

That is not to say he was homeless, his parent's life insurance made sure he would be covered for many years even with reckless spending. But Evan wanted none of it.

And so his travels began.

He visited every mystic, every wise woman, every doctor, even a wizard or two to try to cure his epidemic of bad luck.

Many sold him useless bones or oils, odd trinkets, and tools, but nothing had even the smallest effect. He practiced different forms of religion and sought exorcists to cleanse himself. He tried all sorts of diets and exotic herbs to no avail.

As his thirties came and went his bad luck continued to swell. It reached the point that it began to affect the economy of whatever country he was in. This meant to some degree he was capable of influencing world politics just by visiting a country.

Next came natural disasters.

Realization came at 42 that if things continued at this pace he might very well end the world.

For this reason, he soon found himself standing outside a shady research center contemplating life. Largely his own. Much of him had resolved that his own death would save many more, but the spark that had kept him burning on his quest for the last twenty years was strongly opposed; surely he didn’t try so hard just to quit? Surely there was some cosmic reasoning he had such horrible luck? Some light at the end of the tunnel?

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

That last question, in particular, got him thinking - perhaps death was just the next part of his quest? After death, he would find answers to his life and the meaning for it?

Never one to hesitate, Evans feet began moving as he found that one thought to justify his own death to the spark inside himself.

Three weeks and one VERY generous donation to a charity later, he found himself in a green one-piece smock on a very uncomfortable gurney.

Fast forward a few hours and a mask breathed sweet release into his lungs.

As his eyes closed for the last time, hoping never to see the destruction his mere presence could bring, his last thoughts turned to his parents. Would they be happy to see him? Would they resent him for all the years of pan he brought?

Was he worth it….?

…

The light faded slowly and the scalpel descended.

~

The afterlife was weird concluded Evan.

All around him balls of black light swirled somehow still giving off light. They were far enough away not to confuse his eyes and moved and a calm pace leaving behind a small train the lent them the look of a teardrop.

Moving closer to one of the fist-sized drops, Even finally noticed that within each was a small video of sorts. The one he had first approached showed a replay of a young boy crying over a ball of golden hair. The memory of his family dog passing when he was 6.

Closing his eyes to the sight he moved to the next, it similarly showed a village overtaking a village during his journey.

As he looked he realized that all the lumps were sources of pain in his life, moments when his bad luck struck.

“A unique life you have lived…filled with grief and loss, yet a burning conviction surmounting all.”

The sagely voice filled the space, it was a pleasant sound that demanded respect with a quiet tone and was filled with ageless knowledge. It was undoubtedly the voice of God.

“Why?”

Given what God knew the one word was enough to relay the full weight of his question.

“There is balance in all things I create, your justice will come in what is to follow”

From Evan’s body, a light began to emit, growing brighter and quickly overpowering the light of the orbs. It continued to grow and soon Evan was blinded. The white light slowly took on a reddish hue and a soft wind began to tousle his hair.

As the light level became more bearable Evan opened his eyes. His mouth soon followed suit.

He found himself in a clearing among long golden wheat stalks, though slightly different.

Reddish-Gold light reflected off the kernels that seemed to have been replaced by pearlescent jewels. Soft rainbows casually thrown around created a scene of pure happiness.

Slowly Evan sat down and just…watched.

In the gentle swaying, he found peace, in the colors he found emotion, in the wind he found hope. All the things he needed were present for him here and he was loath to leave or move.

So he sat, for hours.

The action that finally broke him from his reverie was a small gasp and the sound of a dropped basket.

His reaction was noticeably slow as if forced. When his eyes finally tore themselves away from the paradise in front they saw another kind of beauty. A human beauty, in the form of a tan farmer girl with one hand covering her mouth gawking at him.

Their eyes met for a comfortable many seconds and the girl seemed to recover her confidence.

“Who are you?”