"Nothing Ever Happens" Workshop

The story opens with a young man named Elijah awakening in a fantastical, dream-like world. It seems that he has died in a car accident while talking to his fiancée, Clare. After a moment, he sees a young girl teasing him while offering an apple. She then flies off a cliff that seems to just materialize, and for a moment Elijah follows her, but then he falls, catching himself on the cliff for a few moments. Then he drops, falling down and down until he reaches a dark swamp, where he sees an old warrior standing next to a burned out fire. A change seems to occur in Elijah then, and he starts to accept that he is dead. Once this happens, he becomes happy again and becomes one with creation, possibly becoming a creator himself.

            When I read the story, I got the sense of an Eastern interpretation of the afterlife. I’ve taken some classes on Eastern religions, and the end reminded me of descriptions of Nirvana, especially when I read the line, “ . . . exploding into infinity; becoming stream, stone, tree, grass, cliff, all life connected.” Also, the title “Nothing Ever Happens” seems evocative of Nirvana, as it is supposed to be the state of nothingness. Couple these two things with the cherry blossoms in the beginning, a tree native to the East, and Elijah’s experience definitely seems to have Eastern influences.

            Yet you also incorporate religious imagery from the West. Elijah is the name of an Old Testament prophet, who is recognized in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Also, the girl offers Elijah an apple, which is the fruit of temptation in the Adam and Eve story. Further, Elijah calls out to God multiple times, though he receives no answer. I find these opposing images of Eastern and Western religions very intriguing. Is there a way you could push this opposition further?

            Overall, I enjoyed the story and found it an interesting description of the afterlife.