A Perfect World

Chapter 12

“So I’m dead?” I say, finally giving Lewis my full attention since I at least know where I am now.

“Maybe. You could be if you wanted to, but I can send you back.”

“There’s a catch, isn’t there?” 

“Clever Fox,” He says, admiring how quickly I figured that out, “The other ones weren’t nearly that fast, even after a few hints.”

“The other ones?”

“One looked just like you, and the other two were a bit taller, black hair and green eyes.”

I’m torn between panic that I might die and being happy that my siblings are all alive.

“What’s the catch, Lewis?”

“Nothing that will affect you now, I won’t come to collect until later.”

The room suddenly changes. No fade between places, no strange smoke, just all at once, the room was covered in neutral-colored wallpaper, and the bed suddenly has a girl with long blonde hair tied in braids on one side lying unconscious in it, a boy with sand-colored hair and kind blue eyes sitting on one side of her, holding her hand gently in his, and a blonde girl with waist-length hair and royal purple eyes on her other side, both with worried looks on their faces. Another boy, this one with dark hair stands by the blonde boy, and two black-haired, green-eyed boys stand by the conscious girl. A black-haired girl with cloudy, gray eyes sits in a chair in the corner, a rosy-redhead resting her head on the black-haired girl’s shoulder, her eyes closed. As soon as I fully realize what’s happening my hand shoots up to my mouth, the other crossed over the middle of my torso, as if to hunt for a wound, something to prove my suspicions.

“That’s me, in the bed,” I observe softly, “Claire, Jack, Matt, Ty, Meg, Jaydia, and Dan.” My voice cracks as I say the last name. Dan. I can see how worried about me he is, and I want to be able to hug him, make him know I’m okay. Suddenly the heart monitor flatlines, and two doctors rush into the room, desperately trying to revive me.

“So what’s it gonna be? Do you want to move on or go back?”

I know what I want to say, “No. If it’s my time I’ll go.” but I can’t say it, even though it’s on the tip of my tongue, and instead I say, “Take me back.” With tears in my eyes. He steps toward my body, resting on hand on my left shoulder, next to Claire, and extends his hand towards my soul and consciousness. I step towards him hesitantly and take his hand, instantly collapsing to my knees from a suffocating pain through my entire body. After a few seconds it fades, and I wake up on the bed I had seen only a few seconds ago. At first, I don’t move, lying motionless on the bed and listening to my friends’ hushed voices.

“What if she doesn’t wake up? We can’t leave her like this.” Claire says in a concerned tone. There’s a short pause before she speaks again, “I know you think she will-” She cuts off, “Fine. You’ve told me you know she’ll wake up but in the event, she doesn’t, what are we going to do?”

“I’m fine, Claire,” I say, pulling myself into a sitting position and dropping my head forward, but keeping my eyes closed. I couldn’t take their bickering much longer, despite the fact that I’d only heard a few seconds of it. I could only imagine how the others felt, dealing with their fighting for who knows how long. After a second of silence, I open my eyes to see them all staring, wide-eyed at me, understandably.

“How long has it been since I flatlined?” I ask, remembering Lewis and our deal.

“About a week,” Emma replies, concern reflecting in her eyes. I hadn’t realized Emma and Emory were here, but I’m glad they are.