Black Ice

Chapter One

"The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death." 

~Osho

*****

The only time I've ever been to the hospital was when I was eight, and I fell off my horse. I broke my ankle, but my trainer had to take me to the hospital because my adoptive father was on a business trip, and my adoptive mother was at an 'important meeting' that she couldn't miss. 

I saw the receipt from the local salon in her purse later. 

I remember the room where I waited for the doctor. It was big and white and shiny and scary - or maybe that was just my little, eight-year-old mind playing tricks on me. 

My eyes flutter open, and the first thing I notice is how white and shiny the room I am in is. I think, hospital. 

"No, child." 

I nearly leap out of my skin. A woman is standing behind me, watching me with a deep sadness in her eyes. She is very beautiful, with curled blonde hair and cocoa eyes. She wears a floor-length white toga, which I'm guessing isn't a standard nurse outfit. 

"I...where...who...?" 

"Hush." She sits down next to me on the floor. "Your mind is clearer than most, but it is still cluttered with useless questions. Cleanse it. What do you wish to ask?"

I take a deep breath. Something in her voice soothes me. "What happened to me?"

She smiles sadly. "You were hit by a car." 

"Am I in the hospital?"

"No, my child. You're dead." 

I stare at her. "Excuse me?" 

She nods gravely. "Dead. Deceased. Passed on." 

I leap to my feet. "That's...that's not possible. I'm...I'm here. With you. I'm not dead! Where is my mother?" 

She stands and regards me as if I were a preschooler. "I know this is hard for you to comprehend, but your soul has reached the beyond. You broke your neck instantly when that car collided with you. You did not survive."

I can't breathe. This is a joke. This is just a joke. "What...I..." 

"Take a deep breath." 

I heave harder. 

"Take a deep breath."

I inhale. 

She nods. "Try to stay calm. It will make this easier." 

I swallow. "So...what is this? Heaven? The afterlife?" I've never been religious. 

The woman shakes her head. "Neither and both. It is...whatever you see it as. Death is as you perceive it, nothing more or less. For a non-religious person to reach an afterlife of any sort is rare."

"Who are you? An angel?" 

"An attendant."

"And why did I reach the afterlife?" 

She gives a light laugh. "Oh, no, child. You're not even halfway there. This is only a brief stop, to give me time to explain things." 

I fall to the floor in shock. This isn't a joke. I died. "God...I'm dead. I'm actually dead. I'm never going to...see my brother...or talk to June...oh, my god, I'm actually dead!" I begin to cry. 

The woman sits down beside me and places a hand on my shoulder. It's warm and calming, and slowly my tears stop. 

"I'm sorry for not believing you." My voice is hallow. "What do I have to do now?" 

Her lips quirk up slightly in the ghost of a grin. "You are a sweet child. Polite, with a good heart. Your destiny on earth has not yet been fulfilled. You have been granted a second chance." 

I blink away the remainder of my tears. "Excuse me?"

"We're giving you an extension. Thirty days back on earth to get your life in order. Make amends. Say good-bye." 

I stare at her. "You can do that? Reverse death?"

"For a short while, and only for those of the purest hearts. Make the most of your time, Alysson." 

"But..." I stand up again. "Why can't I just go back to life for good? Why do I have to come back here after thirty days?" 

Her expression darkens. "Even if it seems wrong, deities cannot reverse death entirely. Merely delay it." 

It's an impossible situation. My eyes burn again with unshed tears. "So I'm fourteen years old, an I have one month to live?"

She nods gravely. "And you must remember not to tell anyone of your situation. In their eyes, you will have made a miraculous recovery. Your sudden and unexpected relapse and death at the end of your month must be a surprise for them, no matter how much you wish to tell them the truth. Understood?" 

I'm finding it hard to breathe again. How can I do this? 

"If you need me," She tells me, but her voice is getting fainter now and she begins to literally fade into the white walls of the room, "Call for Maya. I will come." 

"Wait!" I yell. I have so many questions. 

But she is already gone. 

*****

AN: A bit short, I know, but stick with me! 

Btw, Maya said 'Halfway There'. Anybody get that inside joke? (hehe)

Once again, please comment below. Tell me what you would do if put in the position that Alysson is in now. 

Hugsnkisses, 

HopelessByComparison