Chapter 7 - The Final Act

The subplot's climax

 

On the way to Valerie’s house they had to cross the railroad tracks. Misha’s eye was caught by a beautiful sapphire blue stone lying between the boards. At once he reached for it, but it was stuck. He continued to try to pull it loose. “What is it?” asked Valerie.

            “Look at this stone. It’s perfect,” answered Misha.

            “Yes it is Misha, c’mon, let’s keep going.”

            However, Misha wasn’t listening. He was so engrossed in prying that stone loose that he failed to notice the oncoming train.

            Valerie heard it loud and clear. “Misha! Watch out!” But Misha remained transfixed and blissfully unaware of the impending danger. As the train approached and Misha failed to budge, Valerie decided to sacrifice it all for the one she loved. Seconds before the train would have hit Misha, Valerie took the leap of her life and pushed him out of the way.

            Misha landed on his face. “What the -?” he said before getting up and turning around to see a lifeless Valerie lying on the side of the tracks. “No! Valerie, no! You can’t be…”he cried before everything went blank.

            Valerie’s spirit looked at Misha’s form . He had his back to her. She floated towards his ear, wanting to tell him that it was ok, she’d made the transition and could now go on to eternity, but before she reached it the other Fox turned around, and Valerie’s jaw dropped. It was Mishiko.

            “How the he…” she started.

            “Welcome to the Other Side, little kit,” said Mishiko.

            “But you were Misha a minute ago…” said Valerie, floating back away from him.

            “I see it’s time I spill my little secret,” said Mishiko. “I’ve been dead since my car drove off the cliff. I don’t want to move on yet, so I’ve been occasionally possessing Misha’s body. He looked similar enough to me that most creatures wouldn’t know the difference, save the black tip of his tail, you’ll recall. It’s really very kind of him to let me take this body for a spin every once in a while. So now you see, mademoiselle, your true love and your archenemy are the same creature.”

            “Woah, this is pretty trippy,” said Valerie. “I didn’t want it to end this way, but I’d rather be gone myself than to live on without him. At least I can watch over him now. But it’s not right for you to keep stealing Misha’s body when he still needs it. Our time is past and we must move on, but he still has things to do.”

            “I can’t go yet, there’s still money to be made,” said Mishiko.

            “Can’t you see that money isn’t the answer to everything?” barked Valerie. “Now leave this innocent Fox alone!” She became a small ball of light and hurled herself at Misha/Mishiko, knocking the latter out of the body, which fell to the ground. “We are both leaving this plane right now, like we should have already done,” said Valerie. “Now hold on.”

            The two of them faded away from earth and through the tunnel before arriving before the gates of Heaven. Valerie was granted immediate access, but the angel stopped Mishiko. “Son, you don’t deserve to be here,” the angel said to him.

            Mishiko bowed his head in sorrow.

            “But then again, neither does anyone else. We will grant you access on one condition.”

            “What would that be?” asked Mishiko, looking upwards.

            “Accept that Jesus paid for your pass. That‘s all you have to do. Sure, you had mixed up priorities and an inability to care for others, but you went a long way, and that has to count for something. Jesus offers you a way into here by having died on the cross for your sins. Accept it and it‘s yours.”

            “Wow,” breathed Mishiko. “I accept it.”

            At that instant a beautiful light encircled Mishiko. When it faded, he was in a spotless white robe. “God’s love has washed you clean of your sins. Welcome home,” said the angel.

            Meanwhile, back on Earth, Misha reclaimed his body for good from Mishiko. He awoke - as himself - not having any conscious awareness of the fact that he had been possessed by another soul. He looked at Valerie’s corpse. “If it hadn’t been for that freakin’ stone she’d still be alive,” he sobbed. “How could I have been so petty?”

            A few days later Misha looked on as Valerie took her final repose in the cedar casket. She looked so peaceful and at ease. Misha put his paw on hers and felt how it was cold as ice. “Dang, I wish it had been me; it should have been…” wept Misha as he watched her being lowered into the ground.

            Valerie’s spirit watched on as the living honored her life. She floated to Misha’s ear and whispered, “It’s ok, Misha. I’m very happy over here on the Other Side. There’s nothing to be sad about…”

            If only he could hear her. All he felt was a gentle wind blowing on his ear.

            After the service ended Misha went to the side of grave in the churchyard and knelt by the headstone. He pulled out the stone that had distracted him on the tracks and set it on the pile of dirt, never to touch it again.

            Every Sunday after church he would visit the grave and deposit a stone, as was the custom of many creatures to represent their visits. He was to continue this for the rest of his life.

 

Author's Note

does this make sense?