Devil's Advocate

Making A New Friend

The next day is the same as every other day. I listen in to Celeste's conversations, maybe if I talk about her clients, she'll get more comfortable talking to me. I head over to the lounge and wait for Celeste to finish. After a few minutes Celeste walks in and sits in a chair facing me. "You sit in the spot directly facing me? Are you finally loosening up?" Celeste tries to hide her smile, "Well I assumed you would want to talk so this seemed like the better spot to sit.". I lean forward slightly, "Is Celeste secretly smart?" I say in a somewhat mocking tone. "So I hear a lot of people in your lines go on mission trips to poorer countries. I feel like there has to be some aspects they hate about it.". Celeste looks surprised that I'm in any way interested in what she deals with. "Oh, well, the people who go on these trips are really aware of what they are going to deal with and what they are giving up going on the trip plus, it's all for reasons that they believe in. But I don't doubt that they love returning home to the internet.". I try to look interested, "Ooo, I have another question. So obviously no one is perfect, what are some of the worst things people have done and still got in heaven?" "Well, we don't really focus on that as it's usually that they followed religious steps to make up for it or made up with the person they wronged. Most of the cases is when people did some dumb things when they were younger and made up later.". "How dumb is dumb?". "The majority is drunken assault of various kinds injuring and death in vehicle accidents" "So the fun stuff." I interrupted. Celeste smirked, "Yeah, I guess you could say that". That smirk, something about it, I might be rubbing off on here. Besides, no one is perfect. "Well this was fun, but I beset get going, see you around." I leave before Celeste could respond. I enjoy making Celeste think about the not so perfect things in her job. I'm sure that she is aware of them, but something about hearing an angle talk about the not so good things in "life" brings a smile to my face.A few days go by, same job, usual small talk, I'm drawing a blank on how to manipulate her to view things from a darker perspective. Maybe, just maybe, I have to lean into her interests more. I don't like this thought, but it should work. After the last of the souls are sent to their respective afterlife, I meet Celeste in the back. "So I have to ask, I've never been to heaven, what is it like up there?" Celeste once again was surprised by my interest, "Oh, like people, we all have a personalized heaven, I have a nice treehouse on a nice hilltop I get to view the night sky with my telescope, I have a room filled with star maps and constellations. There is also a vast library. Out the back is a trail leading out to a cabin in which I can spend time with my fathers and sometimes my friends will visit." I pause to think on how I can have her break some rule or do anything "bad" from this. "Well, those stars are fake as they are depicted by your heaven, how would you like to see the real thing?" Celeste was taken aback, "What? How would that even be possible?" I give a sly smile, "I do know a way that we could visit Earth, though we would have to abide by the rules of the living. Celeste's eyes start to shimmer at the thought of see real stars again. "Wait, but my wings and your horns and..." I interrupt her, "Actually, since the afterlife is basically time all at once, I just go to a time before there were large cities, calm, open beaches, I usually go there to fight wildlife or throw trees around, but as there is no light pollution, you can see the stars better than ever AND you get to see constellations that modern humanity never knew about." If it was possible to jump while sitting, Celeste would be doing just that. "Wait but aren't souls unable to return to Earth?", "You forget where we are," I stretch out my arms and spin slowly, "We are in purgatory, an area between the living and the afterlife, that rules only apply to those who are in Heaven or Hell. I can take you back." She was looking at me with excitement and intrigue. "Now, I've never done this with anyone else, so it us best that we hold each other's hands, so we don't get separated." She cautiously grabs my hand as we walk towards the door to the door of the living.