The Seven Levels of Heaven

Chapter 1

            Everything changed on the day I died. It wasn't very eventful. Went to school, did all my classes like normal, then on the way home, boom. Some drunk driver hit me right in the drivers side of my car, breaking the windshield, the glass of which flew towards me and sliced my carotid artery, letting me and my best friend slowly bleed out while others tried to help. Fun times. I think I led a good life. I got straight a's, did all my homework, never had sex much less a boyfriend. That's why I ended up here, in heaven. Well, actually, I've met plenty of people here who belong in hell by whatever standards the bible made. But everyone gets sent here. Satan is the only one who ever got out, and turns out, he lives in the human world with the rest of you, just very, very well hidden. I've barely been here a week and I already want to leave. He lived here from the beginning of time up until about four months ago. This means there have been recent security breaches. Legend says once you leave, you forget everything that ever happened here. That's why I'm writing this, as a way for me to remember my experiences once I make my way out. Which I'm going to. I just need a good plan and a little help.

I should probably introduce myself before I get any further, for anyone in the future who may stumble upon this book and read it. My name is Jordan. I'm seventeen years old and I'm a senior at Fletcher high school in Mississippi. Well, I went there. I wonder how they're handling my death. I'm sure handling it fine. Anyways, my best friends name is Logan, he went to school there too. He was in the car with me that day, and he got killed along with me. Now we are chilling here in heaven trying to find the best way out.

I guess you might want to know what heaven is like. There are eight levels, each to represent one the seven heavenly virtues plus limbo, which is kind of the tutorial. The seven virtues are chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. Funny how we can all describe the sins better. Logan and I are on limbo right now. Its where all the newcomers live, and the people who aren't brave enough to try and got out. Its some pretty chill living here, there's nice flat screen tvs, all the gaming systems you could imagine, all the books ever written plus some from all the dead authors. There's only one catch. The longer you stay here, the less people remember you down on Earth. We are powered by our memories. The more people believe in us and preserve the things we've done, the better we can survive. When people start to forget us, our forms get fuzzy, and we are forced to move deeper if we want to stay "alive." This tilts the system in the favor of the older folks who knew more people, or those who got more done in their lives. You'd never forget Michael Jackson or Prince, that's why this level is a good place for them to stay. They can take it easy and keep doing what they love. For the younger folks like me and Logan, life is a little harder. Some people are ok with fading away. Me, definitely not. Right now we are doing ok, since we only died last week. The further down into heaven we go, the harder it gets to survive, the harder it gets to resist temptation. Each level has a shorter requirement for the preservation of your memory. The faster you get started on your journey out, the higher chance you have of escaping, but the less time you get to prepare. Logan and I figure that we have at least until our youngest relatives die to leave this place. That gives us plenty of time to prepare right? Wrong. Time passes faster up here. Each day here is a whole year back on Earth. By now, some of our classmates have probably forgotten us or moved on to do great things with their lives. We're stuck here. We don't even get to know what's going on back home. We just have to hope we get back in time to see our loved ones again. If we even get to do that.