Sleeper's Awake-- a Fable - Thomas Sabel

The oak pew's hard bottom and straight back didn't keep Dick Harbor from comfortably settling into it. The muted anger he felt against the hymn the congregation finished singing couldn't keep him from his habit. He was upset because the hymn was unfamiliar. The first verse had been enough for him:
Rise my soul to watch and pray;
From your sleep awaken;
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o'ertaken.
Satan's prey Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.
While the rest of the congregation dutifully sang on, he rehearsed what he was going to say against this hymn at the next church council meeting.
When the hymn was over, he continued to do as he did every Sunday when the pastor entered the pulpit. The trick of gaining comfort in the pew is one he learned by osmosis from his father. A skill gained when a boy sitting next to the older man and feeling the his body shift downward as the sermon began, bones settling into a rest position. Like riding a bicycle, this talent is hard to loose once it becomes habitual. In sixty-plus years of faithful attendance every Sunday (plus Wednesday evenings during Lent and Advent), the art of settling in for his sermon nap was perfected to where now he could doze off before the pastor's first sentence had ended. However, the current pastor, Crickle, was more of a challenge than others. Not that Crickle was louder, just more animated. Dick's favorites were those with a near monotone drone.
No need to listen carefully, he said to himself as way of excuse. No need to listen- I've heard it all before, ever since I was a boy. And gentle sleep came upon him as he began to doze through his 3,728th sermon.
Dick felt wonderfully refreshed since his nap had not been cut short by the organist's blasts. A trifle more stiff than usual, but refreshed. With his eyes closed, he relished the moment until he realized he heard none of the usual sounds. The joy of the nap was shattered when he understood he was completely alone in the church. He sat upright out of his comfortable position and looked to where his wife should have been. Using the pew in front of him for support, he quickly pulled himself to his feet and looked around, searching.
"Where is everybody?" His voice, empty and hollow, resounded throughout the sanctuary. "What kind of joke is this? Did Mildred put you up to this? Or that pastor- that Crickle?" He expected the answer of some hopeful giggling like that coming out of closets at a surprise birthday party. But nothing came back to answer his questions, not even the clock- the one donated by his father- gave its familiar tick-tock. So Dick Harbor plopped back down into the pew feeling very alone.
"They're gone." Dick's heart's heart grew hopeful. He wasn't alone after all. A voice came from the seat next to him, where Mildred usually sat. Looking for the source of the voice, he was surprised to find a little girl sitting next to him, all dressed up in her Sunday best. She must be new, he thought, for he had never seen her before.
"Everybody?" he asked.

"Uh-huh," she said, twisting her brown curls in her fingers and looking up at him with deep beguiling eyes. He felt that she was trying to flirt with him.
"What about your Mommy and Daddy?"
"Don't have any."
Poor little girl. "What happened to them?"
"Never had any."
"You must mean they passed away when you were still a baby."
"Nope. Never had any."
She snuggled next to him closely and took his hand in hers. He let her examine his hand, pleased she noticed the large ring inset with a cross of diamonds. She started to take it off his finger, but it wouldn't come because the finger had grown fat beyond the ring's original size. Since they were alone in the building, he saw no harm in letting her hold it. He struggled and twisted it off, then playfully slipped it on her finger. Being duly impressed, she sighed and ogled over it as he knew she would.
"This is pretty," she said looking first at the ring on her outstretched hand and then up at him. When their eyes met, a deep chill brought shivers because her eyes suddenly seemed far too old and un-girl like. He broke the spell by turning his attention to the ring on her finger.
"Watch this," she said. She brought her hands together as if in prayer and then pulled them apart. The ring vanished.
"Can you do magic?” he said, “That’s a good trick."
"Some call it magic."
"Where did my ring go?"
"Gone."
"Oh- a good magician never tells the secret. Maybe I should use the magic word, "please," to get it back- please!" he exaggerated the last word.
"No."
"Little lady, I don't know who you are, or who your parents are, but the time for games is over. I want you to give it back to me right now!"
"No. Because you won't need it anymore. Come on, it's time to go." Taking him by the hand, she pulled him out of the pew into the aisle. The strength of her grip ached his hand. A premonition sparked through his heart, edging it in fear. He jerked loose his hand and plopped back into the pew.
"Now see here, little girl, I'm not going to go anywhere. I'm going to wait right here until everybody comes back. And just who are you anyway, to be telling me what to do?"
"I thought you knew. To some, I'm an angel of light. To others, a lion roaring out of sight." The shock of ancient Sunday School lessons came to mind.
"This isn't right! It's not fair! My grandfather founded this church. I've been an elder many times over. I've never missed a Sunday- you go and check the records. I've sung in the choir. I led the building campaign to build a new church..."
"Do stop talking about yourself," snarled the little girl. Then she was gone. One more formidable stood in her place. "All of this jabber of "I... I... I." It's so damnably tiresome. My patience is gone, and we need to get going."
"Where are you taking me?" his voice wavered in fear of the truth.
"Do you remember that hymn you didn't like that said, "Rise, my soul, to watch and pray; From your sleep awaken?"
Dick nodded.
"Guess what? Yours didn't."