The End

It is unusual to start a story at the end.This book begins with the end of Eddie’s life. But then again, every ending is another beginning.Eddie died at Ruby Pier, an amusement park near the oceanfront.This is where he spent most of his life, so perhaps it was fitting that this is where he died.Eddie was old, his head covered with white hair.He walked with a limp because he wounded his knee when he fought in a war. He used a cane to walk.

Eddie was responsible for the maintenance of the rides on Ruby Pier. Every day, he would check all of the rides and look, even listen, to see if anything was out of place.Twelve minutes before Eddie died, a young girl approached him. She came to Ruby Pier often, but Eddie never saw her with an adult.She asked Eddie if he could make an animal for her. Eddie was known for making animals out of pipe cleaners.It took a while since his aged hands shook, but in the end, the pipe cleaner resembled a rabbit. The young girl excitedly took it and thanked Eddie before going back to the rides.

Eddie saw that people were gathering near a ride called Freddy’s Free Fall. This ride would slowly climb to the top and suddenly drop down. It was exciting and thrilling, but this day, instead of delighted screams, Eddie heard terrified ones. A cart, holding four adults was stuck at an angle; the only thing stopping them from falling to their deaths were the safety bars.After the passengers were successfully rescued, Eddie got to work.

His many years of experience in maintenance meant he quickly knew the issue: a cable of the cart was slowly breaking apart. It was going to break and the cart would crash to the ground below. Eddie shouted for the crowd to get back.As the crowd cleared, Eddie saw the young girl with the pipe cleaner rabbit just below. She was crying and looking for her mom. Then, Eddie heard the cable snap – the cable car was falling! It was going to crush the little girl.

Eddie sprang into motion. When he put his weight on his bad knee, the pain was almost unbearable. Nevertheless, he made his way to the girl. He felt two small hands in his own. There was a flash of light. Then, there was nothing.

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The Arrival

Eddie found himself inside a giant teacup, a popular carnival ride.As he looked around, he realized that he was still at Ruby Pier, but Ruby Pier from 75 years before; the same he had visited when he was a child. You see, Eddie lived near Ruby Pier. Eddie grew up near Ruby Pier. He did not know that he would spend almost his entire life there; even die at this amusement park.Everything was still new and fresh.Before he came out from the teacup, Eddie looked for his cane.Without it, he couldn’t stand up or walk.

But there was no cane in sight, so as he stood up, he prepared himself for the familiar pain. It didn’t come though; in fact, he felt wonderful! Eddie couldn’t believe it. It was so long since he didn’t feel any pain whenever he walked.He tested out his body: he stretched, he bent over and touched his feet. He could even run.He felt like a little boy again.As Eddie got used to his pain-free body, he passed by Ruby Pier’s theater. He remembered this theater from his childhood.This theater was a freak show.Eddie remembered that he would feel sorry for the freaks here.It must have been terrible to see people staring and laughing at you.

Eddie entered the theater. No one was there except for a man sitting at the center of the stage.The man was unremarkable.In fact, if Eddie saw him on the street, he would’ve forgotten the man’s face immediately. But there was one feature that made the man different.The man had blue skin.The Blue Man said that he had been waiting for Eddie.

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The First Person Eddie Meets in Heaven

Together, they went outside the theater and looked at Ruby Pier.The Blue Man explained that there was a reason why Eddie’s body felt young, because he and Eddie met when Eddie was just a kid. Even though he had a thousand questions, Eddie couldn’t speak. When he attempted to say a word, no sound came out.Still, Eddie felt like the Blue Man was reading his mind.

This was Heaven, the Blue Man said.Eddie was horrified by this statement.He unwillingly spent his whole life at Ruby Pier.Even in death, would he still be stuck here?This was not Heaven, he thought. This was far from it.Eddie tried to speak again but he could not.The Blue Man reassured him that his voice would come back, that everyone after arriving in Heaven could not speak so that they would first listen.The Blue Man explained.

When you enter Heaven, you meet five people.These people were put in your life on Earth for a reason. Once you reach Heaven you understand the reason. People always imagine Heaven as a place where everything is beautiful and peaceful, but you can’t have that until you realize what happened to your life on Earth.The Blue Man was the first person that Eddie would meet in Heaven. When Eddie asked how he died, the Blue Man just smiled at him.

However, the Blue Man did tell Eddie the story of why his skin was blue. Years ago, medicine was not very advanced. A chemist told the Blue Man to drink silver nitrate for his nerves, as he was very nervous by nature.The Blue Man kept drinking the silver nitrate even though it didn’t appear to help.  It was the only solution he had to his nerves. Later on, silver nitrate was known to be poisonous, one of the side effects was turning the skin blue.

Since he was considered a freak, the Blue Man felt lonely.No one would go near him and no one would hire him.Eventually, the Blue Man joined Ruby Pier’s freak show.He made friends here. If he wore a long-sleeved shirt and covered his head, the Blue Man would be like a normal guy. No one would be scared by his blue skin.The Blue Man found freedom in Ruby Pier. No, this wasn’t Eddie’s Heaven: it was his.There are always two sides to a story. As a kid, Eddie often played with a ball.

Once, when he was young, the ball rolled into the street and Eddie ran straight for it, without looking to see if it was safe.There was a car driving straight at him, but luckily, the driver avoided hitting young Eddie. While Eddie was initially scared, he quickly forgot about this encounter.Here’s the other side of the story:  the driver of the car narrowly avoided hitting a child who had rushed into the street.The driver, a man who had always had a faint heart, suddenly had a burst of adrenaline from the near miss. It was too much stress, and the driver had a heart attack, with no one there to help him. He died inside of the car.

The Blue Man was the driver and the child in the middle of the road was Eddie. This is how the Blue Man died.Eddie felt guilty, but the Blue Man wasn’t angry at him. The Blue Man only smiled.He said that Eddie needed to learn something from him.The first lesson was: All lives on Earth are connected.Everything happens for a reason. The Blue Man died so that Eddie could live.If there is life on Earth, there is also death.Everything has to be balanced.With that, the Blue Man started to leave. Eddie asked if he had managed to save the young girl’s life. The Blue Man gave no answer.

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