In a space somewhere between this world and the next one, Detective Keith Mulch has come face to face with the man he killed and wished ever so desperately that he hadn't. Circumstances being what they were determined the life ending action before it occurred. Such an action was the subject for many a nightmare but with things being what they were and are, one does not blame the other for that action which had been taken.
Time in death too, is not exactly what it is in life and what is only days for one is months, many months for the other and speaking of death ... this coming together is somewhat surprising when, if it were thought through, shouldn't be all so surprising at all. In the moment of realization ...
'Colin? ...'
'... Detective? ...'
The two waste no time with taking the opportunity to embrace one another and this is of great relief to Mulch ...
'You know better than that, call me Keith ...'
'... of course ... Keith ...'
The smiles of joy and relief don't last as long as either man would like.
'What is this? Where am I? Am I dead?'
'You'd think I'd be an expert in all things of this kind by now, right? ... but to honest, I'm not all so sure. Some things do come to me, always have, and this tells me you are not dead and I'm thankful for that because we need you to be alive ...'
'Yeah ... there is much of that I'd like to know about. First things first, if I'm not dead, what is all this?'
'You got the message I left with Nadia? ...'
'I did ...'
'Right, this all right here is a test for me, I think, but with you, what do you last remember?'
'I went into a store to talk with its owner, a man named Jack Kent, he had been robbed and threatened a number of times in the recent past and I was to talk to him about what can be done about it, but something took me. I lost control of myself. Soon after which I began floating out of my body and ended up here. Ah, holy hell, I remember now, I drew my gun on that fellow ... oh, no, I think I killed him ...'
'Alright Keith, relax for a moment, we'll deal with that in a second.'
'Yeah, yeah, ok, we do have a fair bit to get through ...'
'Craig Hawkins got to me; he took control of me leaving you no choice but to take me out ... which was the right call by the way.'
It is clear to both men how much distress this has caused Mulch.
'You know I ...'
'I do know. It's perfectly fine but listen. I thought I had locked Hawkins away in the afterlife but no, he had already partially left me, more so he divided himself so he could also take control of you, and he has. He pushed you out which is why you are here ... therefore you are not dead ...'
'Alright so, what do we do about it?'
'There is something coming Keith, I'm sure you have more than felt it. Craig Hawkins is only a part of it, as if he has been drafted into it to be some sort of lead for it ...'
'Yeah, Ok, again, what do we do about it?'
'You have to go back ... I haven't cracked it properly yet, but I'll contact you when you do go back ...'
'And how do I do that?'
'You wake up Keith, that's how ...'
'What?'
'Wake up ...' Colin tells Mulch. But then a moment or so later he hears another voice speak the exact same words ... '...wake up.'
Mulch wakes in a bed, cuffed to a handrail. A young woman stands over him telling him to wake up. He knows this lady, he has met her before. She is the youngest daughter of a man named Christian and has herself an ability akin to, though not as strong as, what it is Colin has or had.
