It all ends next Tuesday.
After thirty years it’s coming to a close.
They said I needed to have everything in order, be prepared, it will happen over night.
Thirty years of wealth and health ends on my fiftieth birthday.
On my twentieth birthday my aged neighbour gave me a book, an old book, “The Book of Distant Magic”
Use it wisely she said and it can change your life.
Chapter Five was – Health and Wealth.
I was transformed from the moment I read the by-line to the chapter, “Touch this page and your life will change forever.”
When you are twenty you are invulnerable. So I did.
I found myself in a place where before me stood three women. Radiant in white, if know auras these women had the ultimate auras.
They offered me thirty years of health and wealth in exchange for my body on my fiftieth birthday.
To me at that time fifty was old, every one I knew who was fifty was old, wrinkled and pretty much decrepit. What did I have to lose I asked myself?
I took the offer and enjoyed thirty years of wealth and health.
I made it to the top in my profession, I accumulated massive wealth, I travelled the world, met some interesting people and a lot of not interesting ones as well, at one stage I even had my name among the top most eligible bachelors in the world.
My health was never in question, not even a cold or the flu. It was a dreamtime and one I am sorry to say now I took for granted.
On my forty-ninth birthday I had received a note to say I had a date with the three women in twelve months.
I was puzzled at first, as I had forgotten the contract from thirty years before. I had taken it for granted that my life was one of success and enjoyment.
Now seven days from the day I was beginning to reflect on my life.
Yes I had achieved success, yes I was wealthy but I thought would I be remembered for anything other than a man who once was rich and played the world and lived it up day in and day out.
On my thirtieth birthday I had married and in the following years my wife Marcy and I produced three beautiful children.
My work and my lifestyle whilst providing well for them did take me away a lot and I now realise I had been away for much of the formative years of my children.
There were days when I felt I knew them and that that was all.
In this next week I had to re-establish some form of contact with my children, I wasn’t even sure where they were. My wife and I had separated some fifteen years ago; I didn’t even know what had happened to her.
I now realise that I was so wrapped up in my own life, my own needs that the ones who should have been most important were forgotten and in some cases lost from me.
To make it worse the thought of my life ending after Tuesday did fill me with dread. Thirty years ago it seemed an eternity away. Suddenly it was a week away and my doom was staring me in the face.
By Monday I had tracked my children down, made provision for them and their respective families, I had achieved at least something worthwhile in my life, that my success would mean they would be looked after at least.
As the week had progressed I had begun to notice changes in myself. Spots had begun to appear on my skin, I felt suddenly tired by the time the sun was setting, the thought of partying all night which previously had been a way of life was no longer a consideration.
I rejected all suggestions from friends to hold a party to celebrate the day, preferring to be by myself and see what happened as I could sense something was occurring.
I awoke this morning to a brilliant white light.
Written for: http://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2014/10/09/taleweavers-prompt-29-grimoire/
Morpethroad 
Whoa, spots at fifty? Leave it to me to just see that LOL Well you make deals like that, you pay for it, in many more ways then you think. The moral is, if you see 3 ladies in white and they want to play “Lets Make A Deal!” …..run!!! 😉
Thank you Jackie I shall bear that advice in mind next time it occurs.
LOL!
It’s funny how as we age, the age for being old goes up because I certainly don’t think of 50 as being decrepit! For some reason my daughter doesn’t have that. To her you are pretty much a boy or girl until you have grandchildren, 80 is her idea of old (maybe she lived a really long time in her last life because she still refers to 30 and 40 years old as girls and boys not men and women). This story is extremely realistic for being supernatural you have a way of writing that makes the impossible seem possible, you create magic Michael XD
Thank you Yves this was an excellent prompt.
I couldn’t agree more…This story is extremely realistic for being supernatural you have a way of writing that makes the impossible seem possible, you create magic Michael
Thank you Lyn, you are very kind.
Incredible piece, Michael! I was sure 50’s would be the end of my road–my grandparents died in their 50’s, my parents. I prepared mentally. Seems like 50’s is when things turned around. I woke up at and I was still alive, maybe a few spots,Lol, but not feeling like I was going anywhere. Guess I’m still not quite finished. Thanks for a great read 🙂
Yeah … 50 doesn’t seem so old now that it’s just a few years down the road … my kiddo thinks I’m ancient though. Ah, perspective …..
What a great read — !
Thanks Jen, I can remember as a child thinking that in the year 2000 I’d be 47 and how old would that be if it ever arrived.
Our definitions of “old” change every year, right? 😉
For me they certainly do/am/are….lol……you’ll be pleased to know I am no longer old, I’ve gone past that age and now I am reliving my youth…
Pretty cool! 😀
I remember when my parents bought the house that they live in.
I was – almost 7.
The couple from across the street were in their 50s.
I thought – how old!
Now – I find myself just over 6 years from being “old.” LOL
Well youngen it comes to us all. Thankfully most days you don’t feel it.
We are as “old” as we feel in spirit, mind – as for body – it may indeed have other ideas. 😉
Great response to the prompt Michael. You always tell a fascinating tale- sheer magic in reading 🙂