Life After Life
I was in the passengers seat reading my book when it happened. My mother had been lecturing me about how it would be best if I went to college when I graduated and I was tuning her out. I didn't know what I wanted, but it wasn't that. In the backseat my father and my sister were talking politics. They seemed to agree on everything. It made me sick. Suddenly everyone fell silent.
"Adrian, aren't you going to answer mom?" Crystal, my sister asked this in her sharp clear voice. I looked up from my book. My mother was glaring at me. I looked forward to see another car headed straight for us.
"Um... Mom..." Before I figured out exactly what to say my mother looked forward and turned the car sharply to the right. It spun right over the edge of the mountain we'd been driving up. Briefly I felt the worst pain I'd ever known, then I was floating above the car. My mother was beside me crying.
"Why don't you ever listen to me?" She sobbed and my father eyed her uncomfortably. I have no idea what he was thinking.
"Look, I'm sorry," I looked at my mother. "I think you should have kept your eyes on the road though."
"Adrian, how can you say that to her!" Crystal, who'd been looking around us with interest focused her eyes on me. "Why are you always making trouble for Mom?"
The high pitched voice which spoke next was not familiar to any of us.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but it's very important I speak with you about the future. You each have paths to walk, and I'm here to help you along to your destinations." She had our attention, although none of us were sure where she was. We looked all around, glancing uncertainly at each other and shrugging as she continued.
"Ryan," that's my dad's name, so I knew she was speaking to him, "many years ago you promised your soul to the devil and so you will go to hell as promised."
"What?" My mother stared at him it shock. I was pretty surprised myself, but Crystal's reaction was the most startling.
"Dad? Is that true? Is it?" She looked into his eyes. "How could you? I'm never talking to you again. She turned away and tried to run off, but it was like a barrier trapped her in. She stopped short, but continued to face away from him. My father's shoulders sagged.
"It's a promise I made long ago," he said softly, "I'm sorry."
"Sophie," that is my mother, "you will go to heaven. Crystal, you will go to the Hall of Angels for training. Adrian..." she fell silent. My mother fell into another bout of tears. I sure hoped I wouldn't be going to the Hall of Angels. Actually none of the destinations listed sounded right to me. "You will begin in the Isle of Mists, territory of the Triple Goddess. Good luck."
"Adrian, aren't you going to answer mom?" Crystal, my sister asked this in her sharp clear voice. I looked up from my book. My mother was glaring at me. I looked forward to see another car headed straight for us.
"Um... Mom..." Before I figured out exactly what to say my mother looked forward and turned the car sharply to the right. It spun right over the edge of the mountain we'd been driving up. Briefly I felt the worst pain I'd ever known, then I was floating above the car. My mother was beside me crying.
"Why don't you ever listen to me?" She sobbed and my father eyed her uncomfortably. I have no idea what he was thinking.
"Look, I'm sorry," I looked at my mother. "I think you should have kept your eyes on the road though."
"Adrian, how can you say that to her!" Crystal, who'd been looking around us with interest focused her eyes on me. "Why are you always making trouble for Mom?"
The high pitched voice which spoke next was not familiar to any of us.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but it's very important I speak with you about the future. You each have paths to walk, and I'm here to help you along to your destinations." She had our attention, although none of us were sure where she was. We looked all around, glancing uncertainly at each other and shrugging as she continued.
"Ryan," that's my dad's name, so I knew she was speaking to him, "many years ago you promised your soul to the devil and so you will go to hell as promised."
"What?" My mother stared at him it shock. I was pretty surprised myself, but Crystal's reaction was the most startling.
"Dad? Is that true? Is it?" She looked into his eyes. "How could you? I'm never talking to you again. She turned away and tried to run off, but it was like a barrier trapped her in. She stopped short, but continued to face away from him. My father's shoulders sagged.
"It's a promise I made long ago," he said softly, "I'm sorry."
"Sophie," that is my mother, "you will go to heaven. Crystal, you will go to the Hall of Angels for training. Adrian..." she fell silent. My mother fell into another bout of tears. I sure hoped I wouldn't be going to the Hall of Angels. Actually none of the destinations listed sounded right to me. "You will begin in the Isle of Mists, territory of the Triple Goddess. Good luck."