Unlikely Meetings

CHAPTER 24 - OLD AND NEW FRIENDS

"Never thought I'd see you this early." Max's eyes had to adjust to the blinding light before a serine scene of a lake side surrounded him. Snow capped mountains in the distance, a soft breeze tickled his skin as the long grass tickled the exposed portions of his legs. The air was fresh, crisp and relaxing as he looked over to the source of the voice. "Kinda shitty it is so soon. Didn't want my best friend losing his best years, especially just when he got a girlfriend."

The calico relaxed back in a low beach chair with a beer held in hand, his hearty laugh nearly brought the man to his knees as years of memories flooded back. He was drowning as he looked at his brother in arms, his best friend he had visited not even a few months ago when his mandatory vacation started. When he visited his family and saw his grave in Tucson. "No...no no no. This isn't right...You–"

"Yeah I know, passed on a while back. Honestly the part that hurt the most was seeing not only my family broken over me passing but was seeing how it affected you and Noah. I'm real sorry about that brother." An ice cold bottle was pulled from a cooler and tossed to his still reeling friend that caught it out of reflex. "Take a seat, we need to chat."

His feet dragged through the sand before collapsing into the chair next to the calico. He never once stopped staring, eyes firmly locked on the man that, by all accounts, shouldn't be talking to him right now. "Am I–"

"Mmm, not yet. I mean you're close but not far enough to swim across the lake yet." Taking a drink from the bottle in his hand he reclines a little further into that comfortable chair. "That's where your choice comes in."

"Choice? I'm still floored that I'm talking to you. How can I make a decision right now?"

With a dismissive shrug he slipped the empty bottle in the sand and looked his best friend in the eye. "Because you're a tough bastard and god dammit you're gonna make a tough choice. It's not like you're a stranger to those."

"But...why you? Why not my grandpa or my sister? Why are you the one meeting me?"

"Because I asked to be?" The calico just sat there confused as he looked at the man, unflinching in his resolve. "Seriously man, it's not that hard to figure out. Everyone on the brink gets to ask three questions before choosing to stay or go. I'm here to answer. Just know that I'm not omnipotent so 'I don't know' is a valid answer." He gave a wink before leaning back in his chair waiting for Max to ask.

"Did it hurt?"

"Nah, happened so quickly I didn't feel a thing, I did watch you after though and damn...no wonder you were pulled back." Max nodded as his mind swarmed with more questions before another just slipped out.

"Is Noah alright? The last thing I remember was I crawled into his truck."

Daniel chuckled as he popped open another beer from the cooler and relaxed in the low squatted beach chair. "Yeah he's alright, doing a lot better than you actually."

One more. He had one more question. Did he ask about the afterlife? Why was he drinking if this wasn't real? Do people age or just turn into soul orbs? What about people from the other side that are pulled over the CMEs? Do they go to the same afterlife? None of those questions came though because there was one that stuck out the most. "What about Eli? Is she Okay?"

That gave Daniel a warm smile, finally hearing the question he knew was coming. "She's fine. Had a close call with one of those dickheads crones but she's sleeping in the waiting room of the hospital you're in right now." He stood from his seat letting the bottle drop from his hand into the lake sand. "With that you've chosen."

"Wait what? What did I choose?"

before walking into the smooth water and causing no ripples, as if he was sliding into glass before turning back to his human best friend. "The correct choice dumbass. See you in a while man. And keep it longer this time, yeah?"