Love ever after

　                 

     I couldn't remember when... hell, I can't even remember how, I got here... let alone where here was. All I know is... it's as if I have been asleep, not restless or dreaming, not anything at all, but simply asleep. And now... just this moment... I awoke.

     It was dark and I was filled with an odd sense of confusion and panic... trying desperately to see anything, to figure out where the hell I was.

     It took a few minutes for my eyes to become accustom to the dim light. Everything had a bluish tone to it, almost as if lit by a black light. It permeated every corner, every square inch equally, top to bottom allowing me to see at last.

     I was standing at the bottom of a set of stairs in an empty house.

     "Hello," I shouted.

     Nothing.

     I turned a full circle, taking in all that surrounded me. To my shock, as I came back to my beginning a man was standing there.

I stepped back startled.

     He was huge, standing nearly seven foot tall, appearing to be solid and vapor at the same time, making his face featureless. Behind him the air became a thick mist that began to swirl. At it's center, a light appeared in the disturbance, expanding rapidly to fill the whole of the wall behind him.

     It felt as if the very air in the room was being pulled into that blinding light.

     I was too terrified to speak or to move, completely frozen in place with fear.

     He turned, moving to stand half in, half out of the light.

     Slowly, his huge hand rose, waving me closer, summoning me to follow.

     "No... don't do it... don't go near him... you'll never be seen again. Get away," a woman shouted, suddenly standing between me and the being that beckoned me closer.

     His huge, featureless head slowly swung to her and back again to me. Then a small black hole appeared where his mouth should have been, growing larger and larger until the most harrowing sound I had ever heard pierced my very soul, filling the room.

     He turned, stepping deeper into the light as his howl reached an unbearable pitch and then he and the light disappeared.

     "What the hell was that?" I asked, shaking to the very core of me.

     "No one... He shows up every once in awhile... its nothing," she said matter-of-factly.

     "Didn't look or sound like nothing to me," I returned.

     "Trust me, it was nothing," she said flatly.

     At that moment, from the top of the stairs the sound of something thumping along the floor was heading our way.

     I turned.

     Charging down the stairs excitedly, literally bouncing off the walls, something that moved so fast it appeared to be a ball of light, coming to rest at the woman's feet.

     "That's Bob," she said pointing to what now looked like a dog. "Oh, by the way, my name is Letty."

     She was pretty, surprisingly shapely and dressed in blue jeans and a blue floral top, her hair pulled back in a tail.

     She held out her hand, appearing to be a year or two younger than me.

     I took it, tentatively. I was stunned as, at the moment our hands touched, they dissolved, becoming one. Almost transparent in appearance, they glowed lightly with tiny fingers of energy, like miniature lightening, passing between us.

     I yanked my hand away as quickly as humanly possible, as did she.

"Mat... Matthew Sullivan," I stammered rubbing my hand repeatedly.

     "Pleased to meet you again Mat," she said with a coy kind of a smile.

     "You're a ghost." I said swallowing hard, checking my hand for damage.

     "I am? Now that's rich," she scoffed. "Come on Bob... we know when we've been insulted."

     The dog obeyed her command and they both walked off... straight through the wall.

     "Oh my God. I must be having a nervous breakdown or something," I said to myself, patting my body repeatedly. "I have to get out of here."

      "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Letty said, sticking her upper torso through the wall.

      Bob did the same, running out of the wall to stand in front of me and barked.

      I screamed in terror and ran for the door... she was a ghost.

      What I hadn't expected, as I hurriedly reached for the knob, was for my hand to pass completely through to the other side.

     "What's happening to me? It must be a dream, a terrible, terrible dream. I have to wake up," I said out loud and suddenly found myself walking straight through the door to the outside.

     It was dark and I found myself standing on a large front porch. Ahead, down the path about forty feet was the front gate. All I had to do was make it to that gate and the driveway beyond and I would wake up... I was certain of it.

     I started to run, run as if my very life depended on it, straight for that gate.

     "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Letty called from somewhere behind me.

      Bob ran like an animal possessed, determined to catch me and I wasn't about to let that happen.

     I could hear the jangle of the dog's collar close behind. He was gaining on me, about to catch me and I was inches away from the gate. I dove for the opposite side, hoping desperately I would wake up in bed.

I landed with a hard thud... my eyes closed tightly. As I began to look up, Bob... the dog ran across my back. Standing in front of me was Letty and I was laying at the bottom of the stairs once more.

     "How did you do that?" I asked, getting to my feet.

     "Not me," she said, folding her arms.

     "You sure of that?"

     "Want to try it again?" she asked smugly.

     I looked at her, then the door... and ran... ran like the wind.

     "Go get him Bob," I heard her say, followed quickly by the sound of the dogs feet scrambling on the wood floors.

      I ran for the gate, the dog close behind me, its jangling collar reverberating in my head.

     This time I ran, full force, my arms pumping hard, racing to cross the line before the dog.

     Again, at the instant I passed the gate I was back at the bottom of the stairs, still running, the dog reappearing by my side.

     "What the hell is going on? Am I dreaming?" I asked confused.

     "No... you're not dreaming... you're a ghost. Just like me," Letty pronounced.

     "Beg your pardon?"

     "A ghost... dead as a door nail... not part of the outside world anymore," she said with a flip of her hand.

     "You're mistaken, I can't be... It's impossible," I insisted, my head suddenly filling with panic.

     "Sorry," she said sympathetically, sensing my discomfort.

     "I can't be," I stammered, trying to wrap my head around her words.

     "I know its hard, but it gets better as time goes by," she offered.

     My head was spinning. I had to sit down... I all but fell backwards in an attempt to sit on the lower steps of the stairs.

    "How can I be...? I feel fine. Nothing's broken, nothing's missing, nothing's... nothing, nothing," I stammered repeatedly, patting myself for good measure.

     "Sorry but its true," she said sitting next to me.

     "I just can't believe it. I don't feel any different at all. I can feel my heart beat, I can hear my voice... I can hear you. I can think. I felt afraid, when that guy wanted to take me... I just can't be... I can't," I insisted stubbornly.

     "I know. You can feel your heart because you always have... there's nothing there but your head says it should still be beating so you think it is... I felt the same way in the beginning but after a while it'll go away. The truth of it is we're dead. We're trapped in this house and there's no getting around it... Bob and I have tried. Believe-you-me," she said patting my knee, standing.

     Her touch felt real, solid in every respect.

     "I don't... Jesus Christ... how long? You have any idea?"

     "Dead? You or me?" she asked pointing at herself, shifting her weight to her left.

     "Let's start with me, I'm the new guy," I quipped, frustrated.

     "As best I can tell, about four months... I can never keep it straight... how does it go? April, June, and November...?" she said walking a slow circle in front of me, trying to work it out.

     Bob sat at my feet, staring up at me, wagging what appeared to be his tail as it washed back and forth between vapor and solid.

     "Four months? I've been dead for four months? Where the hell have I been? Why am I here? Why didn't I go to heaven or...? Or...? Why here?" I pressed standing as well.

     "I don't know. What do I look like, ghost information central?" She returned annoyed.

     "How did I get here... in this house? Why can't we leave? Did you know me... before? Why can't I remember anything? Who was I and while we're at it... who are you?" I asked in rapid secession, becoming more agitated with each new question that popped into my head.

     "Calm down... we have all the time in the world. Just relax. Damn, you act like you're the only one that's dead. I've been here forever and its just my luck to be stuck with a chatty Cathy," she scolded.

     "Sorry, I've never been dead before... at least I don't think so," I apologized.

     "Look... I'll tell you what I know and its not much. You fought to stay alive and the longer you fight like that, the less you remember... kind of a trade off... you know? At least for a while."

     "I don't remember anything at all," I answered, frustrated.

     "You will. You just have to give it a little time. See that spot on the floor?"

     "Sure. What is it?"

     "Blood... your blood. Somehow, you're tied to this house, as am I, because you died here. I had never laid eyes on you before the night you died," she explained and we sat down again.

     "Do you know why I was here?"

     "No, not really. You showed up with your friends and a bunch of funny gadgets, then..." she stopped short, standing.

     "Go on," I insisted impatiently.

     "You hungry?" She asked.

     "We're dead... do we still get hungry?" I asked confused.

     "I do. You can still hear your heart beat, well, I can still hear my stomach growl. Come on... my treat... Bob, lets eat," She said waving for me to follow.

     Bob charged ahead, passing through door and wall alike as we made our way to the kitchen.

     "What are you in the mood for?" She asked placing a hand on the double hung door.

     "Answers," I quipped.

     "We can talk while we eat. Now... I usually have dinner at this time of day... good for you?"

     "What time of day is it?" I asked, looking for anything that would give me a clue.

     "We have a little time before the sun comes up... so dinner?"

     "Yeah, I guess so. Whatever you think," I said.

     "Good... now let's decide. Home made or eat out?" She continued.

     "What the hell are you talking about?"

     "I've been here for a while so if you don't mind... humor me. Eat in or take out?"

     "Out is fine," I said, folding my arms in frustration, sure my selection would end this farce.

     "You going to wear that?" She asked pointing at me.

     Until this moment I hadn't really paid any attention to what I was wearing at all. Looking down, I had on a dull red shirt and a pair of blue jeans. To my shock I had no feet. My jeans simply faded away to nothing about mid-calf. I was held above the ground by God only knew what, or how.

      "I have no feet," I gushed with panic.

      "Relax. No one does. It's okay... I promise," She assured.

      "But I have no feet," I insisted.

      "Yeah, yeah. Look, here... everything is the way you think of it. Let me show you," and with that she lifted her hands, shoulder high and then dropped them to her side. At the instant of their passing, her t-shirt and jeans transformed into a sleek, black dinner dress, around her neck a string of pearls and matching ear rings.

     "See? Now you try," she said.

     "That was incredible. How did you do that?"

     "It's easy. Just think about what you want to wear... the clothes you like and then they will appear," she said, brushing my shoulders as if I had dandruff.

       I strained... trying to concentrate as my red shirt slowly began to change color. To my surprise it became black. To my discomfort... it became the same black dress Letty was wearing.

     "What the hell?" I shouted and it changed back.

     "We'll work on it," she smirked patting my arm.

At the instant she touched the door a soft, bluish white light oozed from the crack around the opening as if the room on the other side was  filling with light.

     "Come on," she said with a smile, walking through the door.

For a moment, I was blinded by a torrent of white light. As I blinked, trying to focus, a rush of noise filled the room.

    We were suddenly standing on our side of the front gate, bathed in a warm afternoon's light. Cars drove by at the end of the driveway, their radio's playing. A slight breeze filled the trees and people walked down the street.

     To my amazement the gate was straight, newly painted, almost new in appearance. The stone wall that held it was clean, weed and crack free, square cornered, perfect in every detail... a stone craftsmen's showcase.

     Without a second thought, Letty pushed the gate, crossing over onto the driveway. Young, Italian cypress trees lined the asphalt, giving it a stately look, like soldiers at attention, happy at our arrival.

I hesitated, tentatively slipping a foot to the opposite side and waited... half expecting to be standing at the bottom of the stairs once more.

     Nothing.

     "Come on... its okay. I have someone you should meet," she said holding out her hand to me as Bob rushed past me.

     I crossed the gate and held what I thought was my breath.

     "See? I told you... It's fine," she said taking my hand.

     I glanced back to the house as we walked down the driveway, confused.

     I was certain, that while inside it was in ruins and night time. Now outside, the house, painted a bright yellow, with white trim and a black roof, was in perfect shape and of all things, awash in daylight.

     "Letty," I began.

     "It's about 4:30 in the afternoon... Friday... June 14th... 1963. I have never seen the sky so blue... its beautiful... isn't it?"

     "Yes," I had to agree, the sky was so blue it was breath taking. The air was sweet, clean, clear. The surrounding mountains that frame our valley were covered in a hint of snow at the top. A thick, lush carpet of grass covered everything else, becoming a darker emerald in the folds of the undulating hills that lay at their feet. The sun, warm, pleasant. Music drifted to us from somewhere in the distance.

     She smiled, squeezing my hand, feeling as solid as any hand I had in memory.

      "How is this possible? We didn't travel through time or something did we?" I asked, feeling stupid for asking the question.

     "Don't be silly. No one can travel through time," Letty explained happily.

     "Is this heaven?" I asked, uncertain if I were asleep dreaming this madness or neck deep into it.

     "It is to me," she said, beaming.

     "No, I meant..."

     "I know what you meant. I don't think we're anywhere near heaven or hell for that matter... just... I don't know... maybe somewhere in between. The natural laws of the universe don't apply here... we're in limbo. Things are... correct that... can be... the way we think of them and all of this is the way I prefer to think about it, don't you?" she explained, leading me toward an open air cafe.

     Set in the middle of a row of glass, storefront shops, a low, broad, colorful restaurant.

     Red canvas awnings with yellow tasseled trim covered the front of the building, echoed by umbrella covered tables. Embroidered in white around each the word Turk. Twelve iron tables, each covered with a red table cloth, dotted with white napkins, brilliant silverware and lit with the soft glow of candles populated its sidewalk.

     With most already taken by other diners we took one closer to the street. No sooner had we sat down than a young man appeared beside our table.

     "The usual Letty?" he asked, holding both his hands behind his back, bowing slightly.

     "Yes, please Jeffrey," she said, folding her napkin on her lap.

     "Very nice, and for your friend?" he asked, leaning over to hand me a napkin.

     "I'll have what she's having," I returned, certain... hoping I would wake up at any moment.

     "Two it is," he said, turning to leave.

     "Jeffrey," Letty said, reaching out to touch his arm. "Is he here?"

     "Not yet, but I'll let him know you want to see him when he arrives," he responded with a nod.

     "Thank you," she said before sipping at a glass of wine.

     To my surprise, two glasses, one with water, one with white wine now sat in front of each of us.

     "Where did this come from?" I asked uneasily.

     "Jeffrey is very good," she said lightly sipping her wine.

     Tentatively, I followed her lead, sipping at my glass as well.

    "Damn, that's good," I said, surprised at the quality and the flavor.

     "Wait until dinner arrives," she whispered excitedly, leaning forward.

     "Who were you expecting?" I asked, finishing my wine, setting my empty glass disappointingly on the table.

     "Benson," she said flatly.

     "And he is... ?" I asked.

     "Everything... everything you see, touch, smell, hear... this entire plain of existence," she gushed, waving a hand in a grand expression.

     "God? God's name is Benson?" I asked disappointed this weird but lovely dream was all about to go to hell.

     "No, not God... its just Benson," she shrugged.

     "You said he was responsible for everything... sounds like God to me," I returned sharply, looking away in disappointment.

     "The president doesn't handle the business of every state, right? Each one has a governor that handles the day to day but are ultimately responsible to the president. Think of Benson as one of God's governors and this is... one of his many, many states," she said happily raising her glass.

     To my surprise, my wine glass was filled once more.

     "To Benson then," I said, clicking glasses.

     Dinner was incredible. I had never eaten a steak that tender, that flavorful, that wonderful or a potato that sent pleasure coursing through... I caught myself... my God... I'm dead... coursing through what? What just happened? Was all of this just in my head? Was I dreaming or...?

     "Mr. Sullivan, how nice to finally meet you," a man, a truly huge man said, extending his hand.

     Towering over our table, he appeared to be close to eight feet tall. He was impeccably dressed, in a well fitting suit with a royal blue tie and had the broadest shoulders I had ever seen on a man.

     "Mat Sullivan, this is Benson," Letty said standing.

     "You're big," I said without thinking, standing as well, leaning backward in an effort to look up at him.

     "So I'm told," he laughed. "Please, sit down," he said gesturing to the table.

     At the instant he touched his chair, it shifted, reshaping itself, suddenly becoming large enough to accommodate him.

I felt like a child sitting at my father's table. He towered over us, even while sitting.

     "Letty says all of this is due to you," I said... again without thinking.

     "She is far too generous," he answered, taking Letty's hand, kissing it. "Bob as always, a pleasure. Mrs. Carom says you've been chasing her cat... again."

     Bob sat up, waving his front paws for balance and whined.

     "Apology accepted. Please stay out of her yard in the future," he admonished lightly, pointing a large finger in the dogs direction.

     Letty suddenly shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, her face sheepish.

     "She also tells me you have a few questions," Benson said warmly, swinging his attention in my direction. He laid his huge elbows on the table, clasping his hands together, leaning forward.

     "You said it was nice to finally meet me. That means you had some level of expectation... why is that?" I asked.

     "A very good question... very perceptive," he said, smiling.

     "And?" I asked impatiently.

     "I was expecting you... to be honest I expect almost everyone eventually," he explained, indifferent.

     "Is this heaven?" I pressed.

     "Oh no... no... of coarse not. Heaven is much nicer than this," Benson quipped with a shrug, waving his hand dismissively.

     "How much nicer?" Letty asked leaning closer in anticipation of the answer.

     "Much, much nicer. Here is good mind you but heaven... there is no comparison on any other plain of existence," Benson said lifting his face skyward, spreading his hands.

     "Why am I here?"

     "You know that you're dead... right?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows with a concern expression.

     "So everyone keeps telling me."

     "Well, the reason you're here is, you, like almost everyone else here, have unfinished business."

     "What unfinished business?"

     "Wish I knew... not in my bailiwick but when the time comes you'll know. Anything else?" he said looking to his wrist watch.

     "How would we know?" Letty asked, now interested in the conversation.

     "Eventually your memory will return and when it does you'll know why you're here and what you should do about it," Benson explained.

     "Letty says this is June 14th, 1963... why is that?"

     "It's Friday... Fridays are always a good day, right?" Benson said, leaning back leisurely in his chair with a smile.

     "And 1963?" I pressed.

     "Ahh, well, that's a different story... it's my personal favorite. The music was good, the air was clean, things were simpler. The world hadn't had the chance to go to hell in a hand basket yet... know what I mean?" he asked, leaning closer once more. It was as if he were suddenly filled with some personal torment of his own. Then, as quickly as it had come his expression brightened, his huge smile returning.

I did... I did know what he meant.

     "Where are we... right now, where is this place?"

     "Is it important? On this plain of existence everyone, including the two of you, have the opportunity to resolve your last problem. However long it takes... think of it as a second chance before..." he cut himself off, looking away.

     "Before?" I asked, concerned with where the answer would take us.

     "Before the rest of you comes together," he said matter-of-factly, staring me straight in the face.

     "Who comes together?" Letty asked, suddenly concerned.

     "Do you believe in multiple universes Mr. Sullivan?"

     "Never really thought about it."

     "You should, both of you. You should think about it," he said standing.

     "Why? What does it mean?" I pushed, standing as well.

     "Let's say there were a trillion / trillion multi-verses... then everyone... and not just the ones on this planet but everyone, everywhere... would have the chance to live every possible level of life available. Understand?"

     "No, not really," I confessed.

     "If... in each of those realities you had made different decisions... became a different person. Then the souls of all the other "you's" would come together at the end... a construction of the total you with no excuses about life handing you a bowl of s**t... you had a chance to do it all... out there on one of those other worlds," he explained. His eyes searched my face for some level of understanding.

     "Yeah, I get it," Letty said, breaking my chain of thought.

     "Good. Then I will wish you both a good night," he said extending his hand.

     Letty and I shook it in turn.

     "Oh, yes. While I'm thinking about it Mr. Sullivan, be careful of what crosses your mind while you're with us. Understand?" he said solemnly while still holding my hand.

     "Sure," I lied. I didn't have a clue as to what he was eluding.

     He smiled wryly, releasing his grip on me.

     "Letty, look after him," he instructed firmly before disappearing between the buildings somewhere down the sidewalk.

     "Did that help?" she asked.

     "Not as much as I wanted," I answered truthfully.

     "We'll work on it," she said patting my hand lightly.

 

Reviews

[Briana O'Connor]

This has to be one of the most amazing things I have ever read. I was captivated from the very start. With this extraordinary chapter 3 I am now intrigued to read this book from start to finish. This after life chapter was so detailed, so thrilling. I just can't say enough. Beautiful write!

[Len Jeffrey]

A very interesting and thought-provoking story. The only very minor correction that I have to mention is the word 'asleep'. Twice you wrote it as two words. [it's as if I have been a sleep] and [a sleep.]

[Tegon Maus]

Thanks for the read Len... fixed it !

[TL Boehm]

A very interesting write so far. Solid dialogue and the bits of humor mixed in - at first I thought this was going to be a horror story but it sounds like perhaps not. That dog, very funny.

[R Smith]

Fantastic this is very much my kind of story, got to get to the start and take it all in Thank you Tegon :)

[Mayank]

To be honest, I read half of the story and found it completely amazing... I am adding this in my library and I will start from chapter 1 as soon as I can.

[Avanthika]

hmmm sounds interesting, i wonder wat unfinished jobs might have brought Mr.Sullivan here

[Arrinae]

Wow, this was interesting! I should have started with the first chapter rather than the third. I read it faster than I thought I would have. I really enjoyed this thanks for the share. I'm going to read it from the beginning now.