The Glass Top Coffin (standard:drama, 1764 words) [1/12] show all parts
Author: Stephen-Carver Byrd	Updated: Jan 07 2003	Views/Reads: 3778/2412	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Fatherless and underprivileged his entire life, a young boy befriends an old country grocer who carefully guides him down a long road of fate.

~~~~~~~~synopsis~~~~~~~~ 

Combine ten-year old, Jordan Taylor‘s amazing gift of creative writing
and a vivid insight into his own future and you'll find a boy with a 
very special destiny. Fatherless and underprivileged his entire life, 
Jordan befriends an old country grocer who carefully steers him down a 
long road of fate, a fate that will ultimately affect an entire 
community and thousands of lives with it. 

The following chapters (approximately 4 pages per chapter - 40 pages for
the entire story) will be published in this order as the site allows. 

THE GLASS TOP COFFIN CHAPTER LIST: 

1.  Prologue And Part 1 Of “The Glass Top Coffin” 

2.  On Becoming - A Young Writer's Inspiration 

3.  Death Lies Dark And Deep 

5.  Old Black Men And Bottle Dreaming 

6.  The Antics Of Wally Perkins 

7.  Pennies From Heaven 

8.  Funeral For A Friend 

9.  The Christmas Miracle Of Falls Hills 

10. Jordan vs. “The Ducks” 

11. The Orate 

12. The Final Rendezvous 

“All that destruction, it's a sight your mind never let's you forget.”
---Mr. Wendil Moore 

The Glass Top Coffin 

By: Stephen Bryan - HurricaneWarning 

****** prologue ****** 

June 14th 1963 

In their battered, ‘53 Chevy, ten-year old Jordan Taylor and his mother,
Madelyn, arrived almost ten minutes late for their ritual Sunday 
morning church service. Walking into the small, Falls Hills Baptist 
church, they were met by an overwhelming crowd of gossiping adults and 
squirming children. Thankfully, services had not yet begun. Jordan and 
his mother stood anxiously in the isle, looking desperately for a spot 
to sit. 

“Over here,” hissed an old woman in a red feathered hat. Madelyn turned
to her right and saw an old lady waving and making a small space for 
the young mother. After being seated, a serious look crossed Madelyn's 
face as she watched her son standing all alone in the isle with a 
confused, embarrassed look. Jordan felt hundreds of eyes zooming in his 
direction, many with snickering lips. The boy quickly decided he would 
stand at the back of the church if that were his only option. 

An inaudible, dim voice, abruptly spoke out: “Hey Jordi boy, right over
here.” Jordan quickly turned to his left to see who was calling. Wally 
Perkins was smiling at the young boy, hallmarking his large, yellow 
teeth and pointing to a tiny spot that he had wiggled out on the end of 
the pew. Jordan looked toward his mother then silently urged, “No Mom, 
please, not there, anywhere but there.” However, Madelyn gave him a 
stern glare and nodded firmly across the isle toward Mr. Perkins. 
Jordan walked slowly in that direction, head down in defeat, then 
squeezed himself into the tiny cubbyhole beside Mr. Perkins. Wally 
slammed a huge arm around the boy almost knocking the air out of his 
lungs. It was the first time Jordan had ever seen Mr. Perkins out of 
those filthy green overalls, but that scent, the stench of dirt, 


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