Risen

Meeting Jesus.

"Next Heaven nominee, please."

I stepped forward and released a breath. "Uh, Hi Jesus..."

"Hello, my child. I have a few questions to ask you. Please answer them honestly. I'll know if you don't."

"Alright."

Jesus was not white. He was not black . His hair was self flowing and his beard was trimmed and nicely laid on his face. His clothes were pure milk white and his posture was perfect as he sat inside of the booth looking structure. He spoke with such grace as well.

"Have you ever sinned?"

"Yes."

"Are you familiar with a religion?"

"I don't understand what you mean by that..." My cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

"Were you a regular attendant to a church?" He moved on and ignored the lack of comprehension that I had broadcasted .

"Not really."

"Have you ever been baptized?"

"As a baby."

"Have you participated in premarital sex?"

I got hot in the face and let a breath out. "No."

He looked up at me with a raised brow.

My eyes widened, "is that it?"

He nodded and looked back down at whatever he was marking on. He began to scribble frantically.

"I - I - I have not seen this before."

"Not to be rude, Mr. Jesus, sir, but I thought you knew everything..."

"It's one of those things that mortals bestow on me because my father knows everything."

"I'm sorry."

"No need."

I let a moment of silence pass between us. "Have i been accepted to see God?"

"I couldn't tell you. You're results came inconclusive. This has never happened before. You were as honest as you could be; I can tell because your traits did not show as one of a person to decieve."

"Oh no! I might go to Haties!"

"Never fear, child. We will figure this out together. Now let's just see what happened to you for you to be here." He smiled and twirled his wrist in a circle before a portal appeared. 

"Look deep into the portal, Flower, We will all see."

I looked deep into the swirling clouds in front of me. Suddenly my eyes were glued; i couldn't look away. My brain stopped it's train of thought immediately. My body became stiff and immobile . I was sucked into the flashback.

"Flower, let's go. Just get in. Stop being such a prude."

I shook my head and took a few steps back. "It's not safe. Its's not safe! Every single one of you have been drinking, and I dont have a license."

"Haven't you ever heard 'once I drink three it can't be me' saying? I only had two. Key word, two." Joel slurred. 

"You still had your dusty lips on liquor. I'm not getting in."

Joel looked at me with squinted eyes and a mouth that was pressed together tightly in a line. One of his friends, Austin, stuck his head out of the car's passenger side window. "Hurry up, we don't have all night. Curfew is in 20 minutes!"

I wasn't budging. I took my phone out and dialed our mom's number. My phone was snatched out of my hand as i tried to press it against my ear. 

Joel shouted, "Flower, just get in the damned car! You're wasting time! We'll be fine!" He grabbed my shoulder roughly and slung me towards the car. 

"Give me my phone!"

"Get in, NOW." He opened the back door and gave me a hard shove. I fell over inside of the car and not even a full second later did the door slam on my feet. I heard him lock the doors and start the engine. 

"Joel, my phone." I barked at him.

He threw it in behind him. I caught it before it hit my face. I looked out of the window quickly. We were about to get on the highway! I slid my phone open and tried to text mom. I looked up every other letter I texted. 

I looked at Joel and his head was bobbing. Austin was sleeping. I screamed at Joel for him to wake up. His head fell to his chest. The car swerved out of control. I screamed as I dropped my phone trying to get to the wheel. My shoe was suck in the side back door of the car from when Joel pushed me in and slammed the door uncaringly righ

I looked out of the window as I tried to take my shoe off . Panic filled my ears, the passing cars seemed so loud, horns were sounding, I couldnt breathe because I was no nervous and scared, headlights flashed from every direction i could see, but right as I got it off, the world went black.

The breath came rushing back into me in heaps. I was hyperventilating as i stood watching the portal tell my fate. I looked back over to Jesus with widened eyes.

"Jesus, what happened?"

"You were in a three way collision with two semi-trucks. Would you like to see yourself now?"

I gulped and nodded. Jesus pointed his finger and "wrapped" the first portal around his finger and closed it into his palm where it disappeared. He then blasted another in the same way he brought out the first. I stared into portal and was sucked in once again.

I looked around and saw that it was mid-day. I was in a cemetary, but i wasn't alone. There seemed to be a gathering of some sort. Everyone was lined up walking by a casket. This must be a funeral. I thought back to why I was here. This is my funeral. I took steps forward slowly until i found myself in a sprint going towards my body.

When i stood before myself, I saw Joel and Austin. Joel had completely lost his sane. Austin was holding him and rubbing his back. I looked inside. I laid there so peacefully in my favorite white dress. My hands were crossed over my chest with my hands touching my shoulders, but where my arms intersected, there was my phone. 

Joel let a wail out loudly. I looked over to him and his face was beet red. He looked like he hadn't taken a breath in a while. My heart broke in that instant and I couldn't stop myself from embracing my brother. I didn't float through him, but I had the feeling that he couldn't feel my compassion for him. I let go and backed away.

I did a 180 and saw my mother kissed my cheek and turned to Joel. Her eyes were in the state of evil . I saw her turn red. She charged at Joel and started hitting him and screaming this was all his fault.

My father eventually pulled her off, but she continued screaming. My father had to yell at my mother in Hindu for her to calm down. 

In that moment, the air came sucking back into me. I looked at Jesus and almost cried. "I can't believe it. Im really dead."

"That you are, child. That you are." Jesus wrapped that portal around his finger and sighed."Please step forward and follow the trail to see God."

"I thought I was paradox."

"Your story has touched me. I think you deserve the chance."

I smiled at him and praised his name with many thanks. He only nodded and then asked Leo if he wanted to see his cause. He declined. Jesus shrugged and signaled us to go on.