Blurred Lines

Chapter One: Welcome To Your Afterlife

The car sped down the highway as Bon Jovi blared from the speakers. Surroundings passed by out my window in a blur; a tree here and there, a few scraggly bushes and businesses struggling to keep afloat. Other cars zoomed along with us, some passing, others falling behind, and a few in other lands keeping pace with ours.

I laughed with my dad, and Mom looked at us in the rearview mirror and smiled. Life is perfect, my family is perfect, nothing could go wrong.

Dad and I sang together, "Baby, baby, baby. There's no use in trying to save me. There's devils in heaven, there's angels in he-"

Suddenly, the Prius in front of us jerked to the right. Mom's hands on the wheel tightened, her knuckles turning white. A spec of lint on her wedding ring caught my eye in the split second it took the rolling semi to collide with us.

A terrible scream ripped from my throat as the top of the car was crushed down on top of me. Glass shattered, Mom and Dad disappeared from my sight, and I caught a glimpse of that same Prius flying at us out my window through the chaos and confusion.

There was a sound like somebody stepping on a soda can, and I felt my right shoulder disconnect. There was a terrible crunching feeling in my spine and my vision blared white, spotted with burning red pain as I let loose another scream that cut off abruptly as my vision went black and I lost consciousness.

For a minute, it felt like I was floating. Everything was bright white and I couldn't feel my body.

A black pinprick grew in the distance. Voices called out to me, sirens wailed, and crunching metallic noises reached my ears. Yet everything was muffled and far away, like I was slipping, slipping, slipping...

A jolt ran through my consciousness. My eyes barely fluttered open and I saw a man with a graying goatee and concerned hazel eyes staring down at me. His eyes twinkled as he reached out and brushed the tips of his fingers at my cheeks. I felt something wet on my forehead and the man disappeared.

Red suddenly obscured my vision and I blinked. I saw the men running around in a panic as Mom was lifted onto a stretcher, an oxygen mask clamped over her mouth and nose. Dad was on his feet, but only barely. Spots danced across my vision as I felt myself being lifted, and pain pierced my back, flowing throughout my entire body.

There came another jolt and people shouting orders as I slipped, slipped, slipped away.

A dream? No, then I wouldn't be able to think as clearly.

Then what was it?

I jerked awake when the floating sensation stopped. I seemed to be laying on some sort of table and above me was a smiling blonde lady in an old-fashioned red and white nurses' outfit.

Wait... Where am I? I'm supposed to be in the car singing with Mom and Dad! I felt panicked and tried to sit up, but the lady reached out and pinned my shoulders down with surprising force.

"Hey! Nice to see you're up. Welcome to your afterlife! Now I need you to sign these papers here, here, and here, and then you'll get judged down the hall to your left and be good to go!" she said, releasing me. I took a moment to process this. Welcome to your afterlife? Was this some sort of a joke?

"W-What?" I stuttered. My ears rang faintly as I stared at her unfaltering expression.

She handed me a pen a some papers. "Now I understand that you're probably wondering 'Why do I need to sign something? I'm dead!' I know I was when I first died!" she chirped cheerily.

"I-I'm dead?"

"Well of course you are sweety! Why else would you be in purgatory?" she asked, then laughed lightly like it was no big deal. "Now, don't be too intimidated by the judges. I know they seem scary in their big black cloaks and all..."