There Is A Reason I Loved Him

Prologue

Effie's POV

"Please stop, please...I loved you!" I cried out to the man holding a knife above me. I was supposed to marry him in only a weeks time. It looked like there will be a funeral instead of a wedding.

I felt the knife dig into me, into my chest, and then I couldn't feel anything. Everything was gone, there was no pain, there wasn't any sound, there wasn't any light. Suddenly the strangest sensation overtook my body. I could see, I could look down towards my hands and squeeze them open and shut. I felt strange; like my body was there, but I was not attached to it.

"Where am I?" I heard myself ask, and once again I felt as if I was watching this from a distance, not from inside my body. I seemed to be in a forest, surrounded by trees and moss. I couldn't see anybody at first, but then a man came into view.

He seemed to be studying me. I could feel my body tense up, almost instinctively, under his scrutinizing gaze. "Effie Palamara. Born: February 14, 1882. Died: January 16, 1896." He was speaking not really to me, but to himself, about me. I rudely interrupted him.

"Wait, I'm dead?" I thought it was happening, but I felt so alive, so real, how could I possibly have been dead.

"Hmm, well that does seem to be the question, doesn't it?" The strange man replied curiously.

"Could you please explain to me what is happening. I don't understand." I was silently praying that this was all just a horrid dream and when I awoke my life would still be the same, and I would still be in love, preparing for a wedding. I knew it was real, I knew it, but I didn't want to believe it. I was waiting for an explanation from this strange man, who still hadn't offered me his name, something else was lingering on my mind though.

'Am I out of love? I don't know. It sure doesn't feel like it, everything inside of me is aching to see him again, everything inside of me still wants to love him, but my head is telling me not too. My head is telling me how much he hurt me, he killed me. But, for some reason, I can't seem to hold it against him, I'm still hopelessly in love with him.'

"You are here to pass judgement, and to choose a duty for this world." He began to explain to me, and he must have seen the confusion floating through my eyes because he clarified, "You were murdered by your betrothed. I suppose you could call this the doorway to heaven. Our judge will decide if your soul will be one that is split, you become an angel, a citizen, or a worker." I was beginning to understand, but still quite confused.

"What does all of that mean?" I questioned him. He seemed to be annoyed with all of my questions, but he answered anyway.

"We are running out of souls for the growing population, therefore we must create more. We split certain souls into 100 new ones. As an angel you would become a guardian, accepting prayers and such from the living. Many people become angels after they have been workers. As a citizen you would go live in a city here and continue on as you would have alive, except here you age down, once you reach your birth your are reborn into another body. As a worker you would work closely with St. Nicholas and the angels to change lives; make them better." He explained each option to me fully. I began thinking each option over, I didn't think I would want to be split into 100 new souls, that would be confusing, nor did I want to grow younger until I basically died again.

"Do I have to choose the option?” I asked the man, who still hadn’t told me what to call him. I was  hoping I could choose, I knew the option I would like to have.

“Yes, do you know your choice? If so, we can get this done immediately. It has been a slow day.” He looked into me, his eyes searching for something, although I do not know what.

“A worker. I would like to be a worker.” I decided, announcing my choice with confidence.

“You are a charm speaker, have a beautiful soul, young… Excellent choice Effie.” He winked at me and motioned for me to follow him. I scrambled to rise and quickly chase after him.

“We will need to train you, introduce you to Nicholas, write a contract, introduce you to the terms and conditions; oh there is so much to be done.” He rambled on about every task we must complete… I still remember that day as if it were yesterday.

I have just re-entered the heavenly realm after completing another assignment, and I’m waiting for Nicholas to arrive to assign me another one.

“Nicholas!” I exclaim and quickly greet him with a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“Effie, how are you? Are you ready for another assignment?” He asks me excitedly. Nicholas and I are what I would consider best friends, and the angels have begun to make fun of us, even creating “ship” names or whatever. Those angels spend way too much time on the Internet. Despite what they say, Nicholas and I are only great friends, it would be a bit weird to be anything more, he is 700 years older than me.

“I’m wonderful today, and I’ve heard this one will be my greatest challenge, so I’m a bit nervous, but absolutely ready." I respond with false confidence.

“Okay, here it is.” He hands me the paper with a name and picture on it. The name is different, but I can definitely tell by the picture, this is him. So many emotions dance across my face; confusion, fear, anger, stress, love, desire, longing. Nicholas definitely notices.

“I’m sorry, but it was what the fates had planned for you.” He whispers seriously before hugging me and sending me off to the stylist to decide my look for this assignment. This is the first time I have actually feared for my non-life before re-entering the earthly realm, and I can’t help but think it is a bad sign.