WordPress Daily Prompt: This is Your Life

If you could read a book containing all that has happened and will ever happen in your life, would you? If you choose to read it, you must read it cover to cover.

Nick Niemand was a law abiding citizen. Never wanted to cause trouble and lived his life quietly and calmly. He was not a sportsman, just enjoyed watching football on the television and now and again might place a bet on a horse, but within range of his income. On Friday evening he would go to the local pub and meet up with a few friends. He had not yet met the right woman, but was in no hurry. His work at the local museum looking after the archives fulfilled him completely. It was interesting and he would often read books over the ancient civilisations if there was a special exhibition where he worked.

There was perhaps just one pasttime that he really enjoyed. Nick had a computer and had discovered blogging. What is blogging? It basically depends on how you approach a blog. Some like to show everyone what they have, who they are and generally spread their own opinions. Some may just enjoy writing and hope one day to be discovered as the writer of the year. Others may like to show their photographs. There are various reasons for blogging. Nick just liked to right down his thoughts, his daily events. He just liked to organise his life on his blogging platform.

One day there was a loud knock on Nick’s front door. Not just a tap, but a determined rap. As Nick was not really expecting a visitor, he rarely had visitors, he wondered who it could be. The postman had already delivered a few bills and he only came in the morning. It was now afternoon, but Nick opened the door. There was a tall man standing there holding a book in his arm. Nick was quite taken aback by his appearance. He was wearing a long black Winter coat with the collar turned up, and a black hat with a large rim. The face of the visitor was somewhat hidden in the shadow of the hat and collar, but Nick was drawn to the eyes of the visitor, like two black pin pricks surrounded by a very white and pasty complexion.

“Mr. Niemand personally?” said the stranger

“Yes” said Nick “can I help you?”

“No, but I am sure I can help you. You are the Nick Niemand who writes daily Blogs on our web platform, WordPress?”

“Yes that is correct. You work for WordPress?”

“You could say that, yes. I am one of the owners.”

Nick Niemand was impressed. An owner of WordPress was standing at his doorstep and talking about his blog.

“Mr. Niemand I believe you partake regularly in our Daily Prompt. From our observations it seems you have a very high participation and a high rate of Likes on your contributions. I am here for a reason. You have now been nominated as Blogger of the Year.”

Nick was quite taken aback, but he was no stupid.

“I think you are talking to the wrong man. I have often been nominated by various bloggers for various awards on your site, but I have to renominate ten other bloggers and write a few facts about myself and post the special icon on my site. Then the ten bloggers also have to nominate. It is a snowball scheme. We are all nominating. Eventually there are thousands of us nominating and no-one gets the award. I have never taken part in this meaningless competition.”

“That is part of our public relations Mr. Niemand. I am here with our unique annual reward and prize. You have won a book. Not just a book, but in this book you can read what has happened in your life up to now and what will happen. The complete truth is in this book.”

“You are making a joke Mr…….. I do not believe you have mentioned your name.”

“Judge is my name, Mr. William Judge.”

“What is the trick Mr. Judge.”

“There will be more to come Mr. Niemand. There is no trick, but you have to read the book from cover to cover to obtain full value from the prize.”

Nick Niemand thought it over and decided “Yes”. He had never won anything, even his horses lost in the races. Now he had won a book, and a very stately large book it was. Bound in black leather with large red letters proclaiming “Nick Niemand, the Story of your Life”

“I must now go Mr. Niemand. I have a Daily Prompt to organise for tomorrow. Here is your book, may you find all you expect in the book, but do not forget you must read it from cover to cover. Only then will you discover the real truth about your Life and what it holds for you.”

It was then that Mr. Judge handed the book to Nick and disappeared. Not really disappeared, but it was a very misty Autumn day and a cloud of mist seemed to suddenly engulf Mr. Judge.

That evening Nick started reading the book, thinking not all at once, but when he had time. Mr. Judge could not know how he was reading the book, he had gone.

It soon happened that Nick got very much engulfed in the book. It was about his life and then came a chapter “The Future”. Time was passing. He had been reading for many hours, the clock struck twelve, midnight and Nick closed the book. He had finished reading. He made his way to his bedroom. He approached his cupboard and took out a leather case at the bottom of the cupboard, opened it and took its contents in his hand. It was a revolver fully loaded.

He released the catch, placed the gun to the side of his head and pulled the trigger.