Choices (Sequel to I'm Falling For You)

Two Choices

I stared at her in disbelief. “H-How can y-you be m-me?” I stuttered.

She grinned. “Evie, I'm not you you. I'm...oh, it would be hard to explain this. I'm you if you decided to go on from the living world.”

I was still gaping at her. She chuckled, and gestured to the empty chair. “Have a seat,” she said. I nodded a little bit, and sat down shakily. “Um...what do you mean, 'if I decided to go on from the living world'?”

“Well, to put it simply, I'm you if you said, 'nope, I don't wanna stay back here after I just got hit by a car'.”

I was bewildered for a second. “So...you're me if I choose to die?”

“More or less.”

“But...what'll happen if I leave?”

“That's a good question. You see, right now, you're in the place where you need to choose whether you pass on or stay. I'm what would happen if you chose to pass on.”

“Then where is the other person that represents a choice??”

She frowned a little bit. “Well, she's not here right now. She's my flip-side. You can talk to her if you want when I'm finished.”

“Okay...”

Evelyn rested her elbows on the table and propped up her head in her hands. “Evie, I need to say this right now: once you choose, then that's it. If you decide to die, then not even God could bring you back. You'd be gone. If you want to keep fighting and live, then you'd have to wait your turn for Death to say, 'okay, Evelyn's on the list today, time to go pick her up'.” She noticed me with a deer-in-the-headlights expression, and asked, “are you following this?”

I nodded. “Can, um, can I talk to the other person?”

Evelyn smiled. “Of course.” For a second, she disappeared, and was replaced by an adult version of me.

“Hello Evie,” she said. “I'm glad you wanted to talk to me.”

Again, I just gaped at this other me.

“I would love to tell you what could happen if you chose to stay alive; but I can't. It would influence your decision, which is something I can't do,” she continued.

“Well, what can you do?”

She frowned. “That sounds like I can't do anything!” she said, trying to sound hurt.

I chuckled a little bit. “Sorry,” I apologized, “I'm just curious.”

“Well then, let me show you something.”

The white room disappeared and was replaced by a familiar sight. I saw one of my memories. But, it was more like an out-of-body experience than actually reliving it.

“That's...that's me, on vacation with my family.”

I was swimming in the ocean, treading water by a floating platform. Suddenly, two guys climbed onto the platform.

“There's Dan! And that's Phil!” I shouted, pointing at them.

“Yes,” Evelyn said, “that's where your life was forever changed. You probably would've still been in America with your parents had it not been for them.”

I nodded, and looked at the memory again.

“Alright,” Dan said, “it's not a fight to the death, so don't strangle me.”

“I'll try not to,” Phil replied.

I watched, trying not to laugh, as they pushed each other off the platform. When they each had a victory, I shouted, “my bet's on the winner!”

They looked at me. “What kind of a bet is that?” Dan half-shouted, half-asked.

“A bet that never loses!”

The three of us laughed, and then the image dissolved. We were back in the white room. I was still a bit confused. “Why did you show me that?” I asked.

“Because they love you. You're the missing piece of the puzzle they've been looking for. If anyone saw the three of you together as you normally act, they'd think you're siblings.”

“And...and I have the choice to just leave them?”

“Yes; but it's up to you to decide if you do or not.”

“But what if I don't want to pass on or stay?”

“You can't.”

“I'm doing it right now.”

“Because you're on Death's doorstep. You've been given the opportunity to choose. Not many have that privilege.”

“...can I have some time to myself to think about it?” I asked.

Evelyn nodded. “Just don't take too long.”

I smiled a little bit, and she disappeared.