Her

6

We walk across the sandy beach for what feels like forever. "What does she mean 'Decide my fate'?This doesn't make sense!"  I felt my heart sink and a deep longing to be home. "Here we are." Annebeth said proudly as she waved her hand in front of a stone structure. It too had no windows and looked as if it were made out of steel. "Where exactly is 'here'?" I asked. She sighed as if it were obvious. "To the Grand Council. Now all you have to remember is not to speak unless spoken to, and don't mention appearances. And absolutely no, disobeying any order given. Do you understand?" Annebeth didn't give me time to respond knowing what my answer would be. "What. Is. Happening?" She softly nudges me toward the steel door. I look back and see she isn't following me. "Aren't you coming with me?" She shook her head and put a finger to her lips. I resumed walking towards the door.

The door creaks open and I enter a dark humid room. I shut the door expecting some light to come on. When it doesn't I call out, "Hello?" Then I remembered Annebeth's instructions. "Don't speak unless spoken to..." A deep voice booms out of the darkness. "WHO IS COMING INTO OUR FORTRESS?" "Umm.. it's Lydia.. I was told to come here, orders from Annebeth.. I'm not sure why but I-" "SILENCE! WE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR LIFE STORY!" I suddenly found it very hard to breath. "NOW, YOU SAID ANNEBETH SENT YOU HMM? WELL THEN, THAT MUST MEAN YOU ARE UNDECIDED-" "What is undecided!" I asked out. The pure blackness was hurting my eyes. I wasn't sure what direction to talk to. "DO NOT INTERRUPT!" "Sorry.." I mumbled. "LISTEN TO ME STUPID GIRL! WHAT YOU DO FROM NOW ON WILL DETERMINE EVERYTHING. NOW, I MUST ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS. ONE! BLACK OR WHITE?" "Black I guess.." I shifted my weight to keep from falling down. "HOW MANY PEOPLE COUNT ON YOU?" "Count on me for what?" I asked. "LIVING." The voice replied. I thought about Her and Nicole and all of my friends. They would do just fine without me. "Nobody I guess.." I felt very uncomfortable. "NOW, YOU WILL HAVE ONE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK THREE QUESTIONS. ASK NOW, OR WAIT AND ASK YOUR GUARDIAN." "Guardian?" "ANNEBETH IS YOU PRESUMED GUARDIAN. TWO QUESTIONS LEFT." Panic rises in me. "Wait, what! Not that wasn't one of my questions!" "TWO QUESTIONS LEFT!" I calmed my mind and tried to focus on my main two questions. I couldn't focus on just two.. "TIME'S UP!" "Wait what!? No!" "GET OUT." "But-" "GET OUT!" I turn around and try to find the door. It opens by itself and I am blinded by the light. I try to breath as I stumble out onto the beach. I collapse in the sand and lay there. I feel sand being kicked in my face. "What! What are you doing!?" Annebeth is standing above me shoving sand in my face. "Get up. It's time to start." I wipe the sand from my face. "Start what!?" "You may ask me any questions you want. But make sure you can handle the answers." I take a deep breath in, and slowly breath out. "Alright. Where am I?" "You are in between. "In between what?" Annebeth sighs deeply and looks around. "The world is based on beliefs. Christians believe in Heaven and Hell. Buddhists and Hindu's believe in reincarnation. Agnostics make things complicated. They don't have a specific region where they belong. We are in the space inbetween all of these regions. The newly deceased come here before going to their final resting place." "So does that mean.. Does that mean that I'm dead?" Annebeth sighs. She takes my hand and takes me to the water. "Look inside." I leaned over and peered inside. It was me. I was in the hospital with tubes and wires hooked up to a heart monitor and a IV. I fell back into the sand. "That's me!? What happened!?" I am filled with more questions than ever. "You were hit by a car. You are suffering from a brain injury. You are in a coma. You are here to decide if you will return to your original form or go to another region." Wait What!? "So people decide when we die?" "People have all the power here. Guardian's like I, just help you decide what path to choose." "Okay.. So this ocean.. You can watch anyone at anytime." "Yes. I have been assigned to you since you were born." That's not creepy. Annebeth motions back to the ocean. "You can access this ocean at anytime on your own. You just have to touch the water and think of that person, or say their name. But you cannot be transported down unless accompanied by me." "I can go down there?" "Yes. Accompanied by me." Whoa. My mind is spinning trying to absorb all of this information. "Now. It's about to turn dark. Let's go back to your residence and I will answer your questions tomorrow." She hold out her hand and lifts me up off the sand. "Let's go."