Life after Death: The Afterlife of Hezekiah Chamblee

Chapter Four: "How Did You Get Here?"

"How did you get here?" Chance and I asked each other in unison after several moments of awkward silence.

Chance chuckled nervously, raking his hands through his short hair which made him look more roguish than sheepish. "I guess this is a surprise for the both of us since I didn't expect to see you," he stated.

"And I didn't expect to see you here, either," I replied, my voice slightly harsh from him intruding in my new home. "And why are you swimming in my pool?"

"Oh, my pool needed a bit of cleaning and it's not slated to be finished until tomorrow or the day after. All the same, I needed to get in a quick swim. Of course, then came the news of your arrival and I assumed that one of the cherubims were giving you a tour of the various worlds and areas of the Nexus."

I nodded. "Well, it was Catia who gave me a quick run-down since I expected her to be busy with other affairs," I commented. "Now, how did you get here in the Nexus?"

Chance huffed a deep breath, his usual charismatic persona changing into one that was similar to my usual dour expression. "I guess I should give you my story," he commented, motioning me to join him at the veranda area as we soon sat down at the patio table. "You heard of my murder, right?"

I nodded. "Headmistress Berkmar announced that you were killed by some random gang activity that you got involved in," I commented. "Mom and Dad didn't allow me to go to the funeral since they thought it would distract me from my studies."

Chance snorted, rolling his ethereal blue eyes in disgust. "Of course they did tell you that," he replied ruefully. "But the truth is that it was my own abusive dad who pulled the trigger as instructed by your parents. He wasn't too pleased to hear of me being friends with you while ranting and raving on how I wasn't seen as a 'true Dalton man' alongside accusations of me being a sexual pervert. Just before he and my uncles decided that I wasn't fit to live, Dad wished of my death and told me that I was officially dead to the family. 'Your sisters and mother agree with me that the world would be a better place without people like you in it,' he had sneered. 'Next life, be reborn a real man...or never be born at all.' That's when he and my male relatives were ordered by your parents to have me executed."

I shook my head, already knowing how much Principal Harrison and my family didn't like me hanging around with anyone who wasn't deemed worthy of the Chamblee Diamond Standard, never mind that I wasn't allowed to make any friends at all. "Some family that you got," I replied. "I knew mine were...well, toxic and all that. But I never guessed that yours was worse."

"Yeah, well, now you know why I didn't want you to meet my parents who doted my older and younger sisters over me," Chance commented ruefully. "Anyway, how did you get to the Nexus?"

I took a deep breath, deciding to give him the abridged version of my untimely and unexpected murder. "Needless to say, I kind of was glad that I was being eliminated out of a family who never cared about me," I finished.  "At least they kept it honest from the start."

"Damn," Chance hissed. "And all because you were a resemblance of your mom's rapist?! That's just..."

"Yeah, I know," I finished. "But that's all water under the bridge at this point. All I can do now is just make the most of my time here in the Nexus and see what's waiting for me."

"At least you know that I'm here to provide support," Chance said, granting me a small smile. "And with us being neighbors and all, it'll be good to know that we'll be spending more time together."

"Well, how do you like those egg rolls?" I said. "Hello, neighbor."

"Right back at ya," Chance said.