"Soda!" I screamed as I felt my father's hand grab my arm and pull me to the ground. Soda tackled my dad and I got back up.
"Run!"
"I can't leave you!" I protested.
"Ella run!" Sodas voice was deep and full of determination. I ran as fast as I could, barefoot all the way home to Curtis house.
"Darry! Dally!" I screamed repeatedly all the way there. "Someone help me!" I kept screaming. I saw the boys run out of the house before I reached it. "Soda-" was all I said and pointed to the end of the street. Dallas, Darry, Two-bit, and Steve took off. Johnny and Ponyboy however caught me as I crumbled to the ground.
"Oh my God Ella, you're bleeding." Pony grabbed my waist. The adrenaline had masked the pain from the wound on my side. The blood pouring out where my father had drunkenly stabbed me. "Ella, stay with me." I heard Ponyboy say over and over.
"Alex." I whispered, and then was out.
I woke up what felt like only moments later. My vision was blurry and I saw a silhouette approach me. I couldn't quite make out the shape, but I knew it was a woman. "Ella." She spoke softly. My eyes cleared up and there she was, my sister.
"I'm I dead?" I asked without much emotion in my voice.
"No." She said wish a smile. "You're so beautiful Ella."
"How are you here?" I was confused. If I wasn't dead, how was I seeing my dead sister?
"Well, you aren't necessarily dead, but you aren't alive either." She explained.
"Why?" I asked.
"When you were stabbed you-"
"No!" I interrupted. "Why did you leave?" I could feel the tears forming in my eyes. "Why did you get in that car Alex?"
"Ella. I'm dead, there's nothing you can do about that. But you can do something about this." She said and all of the sudden we were back in the Curtis yard. Standing over my body as I laid lifeless in Ponyboy's arms. Johnny kneeled closely.
"Ella, please." Ponyboy cries out. Johnny ran to find help. Soon all of the boys returned, even a bruised Sodapop. Soda grabbed my body immediately and Darry ran to call help.
"No no no, Ella. Ella wake up." He rubbed my face with his hand and pleaded for me to wake up.
"What do I do?" I asked Alex but keeping my eyes on my body.
"You decide."
"I don't know how."
Alex grabbed my hand. "Let me show you." She walked me into a bright beaming light and we entered another universe.
"So it's real." I stated while staring at the beautiful gates of heaven. "All if it? God, Jesus, all of it?" I questioned happily.
"Of course it is, you've always been a Christian, Ella." Alex said while admiring the beautiful land we had entered.
"Yeah I know, but I'm seeing it. For real." I looked around at the unexplainable beauty.
"Let's go!" I said running toward the gates.
"Ella." She stopped me. "We can, that's is one of your options, but you must see what will happen if we do first."
"What?" But before she could explain we were back on earth.
"The Curtis house?" I asked confused.
"This is one year from now, you must see where the lives of the people you leave behind are." Alex explained while we walked through the door.
I looked around and saw Darry in the kitchen, like usual, Ponyboy was drinking a beer, which was strange. Two-bit was sitting next to Johnny on the couch, watching Mickey, that was normal. Steve was playing solitaire. Dallas and Sodapop however, were no where to be seen.
"Where's Soda?" I asked Alex.
"He is in jail. He and some of the other boys became as wild as Dallas when you died. Two-bit was released a month ago. Ponyboy had to drop out to help pay for bills since Soda went off the deep end." She informed me.
I looked at how sad all of them were. Going through the motions.
"Where's Dallas?" I questioned glancing from the boys to my sister.
"Dead." Was all she said. Her voice set shivers down my spine.
"You and Johnny were the only people Dallas ever really cared for. When you died, he ran off and got shot. He was killed almost instantly." She looked back at me.
"These boys need you. Heaven and I will be there when your time is up, but that isn't now." Alex grabbed my arm and we were suddenly in the hospital. Soda sitting beside me holding my hand.
"Close your eyes Ella, and when you open them, you're going to be in your body again."
"Wait! Please, I miss you so much." I cried as I kept my eyes wide open.
"I love you Ella. Now close your eyes." I cried but listened and closed my eyes. I could still feel her hands gently on my shoulders.
"I'll see you soon Ella." She whispered and when I opened my eyes, she was gone. And I was in the hospital bed laying next to Soda.
