To those who have not read Concertina, this is a spoiler.

To those who have read Concertina, what follows are basic clues within the story.

The story takes place in Bakersfield, California. Why? Because I live there. No, the story is not about me. It is about my observations of troubled veterans. I am a Vietnam veteran and have had my bout with the devil. No, do not try and arm wrestle him or try to outthink him. He is more than a millennia ahead of us. Accept the gift the Divine has placed in your lap. Write ugly but write the truth.

Here we go.

Who is the protagonist? Like many veterans, Lee Morason is a troubled Vietnam veteran who has aged much beyond his draft age. In returning home without physical wounding, he denies he is mentally and spiritually wounded. He has become an alcoholic.

Lee's wife, Dawn, possess a similar mindset. She needs a hero, wants a hero and she got one. (Apologies to Bonnie Tyler)

Even with the GI bill assisting the couple to play house with new appliances included in their no down loan, their manufactured home soon became an entrapment.

They tried to stake their claim but soon drifted apart with subdued hostility. Neither one considered the Divine is working within each to guide them to true blessed companionship.

Are they evil? No, they are agnostic, heading to separate crossroads. Still, both are tormented, not understanding how or why.

The story takes place in approximately twenty-four hours. It begins with Lee and Dawn waking after Lee has a terrible nightmare where he is overcome by the Viet Cong and two American soldiers are killed. Dismissive, Dawn is annoyed with Lee's increasing nightmares and suggests he sleep in the guest room.

Lee realizes he must speak with someone and leaves for work early to meet with Brother Archer, a Free Will Methodist pastor. Lee works as a common laborer at the B.N. Hell oil field products company. B.N. Hell is a play on words.

Seventy miles away Brother Archer and his wife have also been awakened. They do not know why. They are Saints.

As Lee drives to meet Brother Archer he senses an evil force around him. It is a demonic force.

The meeting with Brother Archer is self-explanatory. As Lee leaves the meeting, he begins to hear demonic voices taunting him. Those voices taunt him throughout the rest of the story until he cries for help.

While at work he collapses from heat exhaustion and an overpowering demonic apparition. He is taken home where Dawn and he have a heated argument. Lee reveals he has a child and is going to Vietnam to locate her. Dawn takes Lee to the hospital.

For the rest of the story, it appears Lee left the hospital and flew to Vietnam. He did not. He is heavily sedated in a hospital bed. The reader now experiences Lee's psychological and spiritual internal battle.

The first angel appears as a French stewardess. On her chest is a silver brooch with wings. The second angel is Mr. Tran who plays Beethoven's Moonlight sonata on a piano. The first angel comments on the beauty of the composition. The second angel observes Lee's uneasiness and suggests he go to the Bunker. The Bunker is a place deeper in Lee's unconscious mind and soul.

The third angel appears as a security guard at the entrance to the Bunker. As Lee attempts to enter the Bunker he is jostled to the ground by an apparition of drunk veterans. The angel helps Lee to his feet and brushes rust and mud off him then vanishes.

Everyone in the Bunker is an apparition except for Zip who is a demon and La Chien who is a devil. Everything that takes place within the Bunker are apparitions and comments deep within Lee's psyche he must address.

When Lee escapes the evil power of La Chien he ends up drowning in the Saigon River. Ultimately Lee is saved when he dies unto himself. He surfaces from the dark depths of the river into a bright environment called the Great Dome Room. No, it is not heaven.

There in the Great Dome Room he is greeted by a person called the Advocate. The Advocate provides Lee with a tray of fruit consisting of nine fruits. The first letter of each fruit coincides with the first letter of each fruit of the Holy Spirit as indicated in the Bible. [Galatians 5:22-23] [KJV]

Example: Temperance/Tangerine, Meekness/Mango, etc.

There is more regarding the Great Dome Room, which reveals Lee's healing. And, just like the beginning of the story, he wakes. Except this time, he finds himself in a hospital bed with Dawn holding his hand.

Now that you can see beyond the surface of Concertina's tapestry, give it another read. You might find something of value in the prose.

Thank you for exploring the epilogue.
The End.