The Northern Lights

Chapter 26. Here.

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Inside a flipped vehicle, a man with countless injuries begins to wheeze. A lung has collapsed, fingers have been snapped into all different directions, blood oozes from his temple and spills from his mouth. One would rather die than see themselves in this condition.

See you soon, he whispers in his head, before breathing his last breaths, each one becoming shorter, each one causing another dagger to be squeezed into his chest. For what feels like eons, Eden's world becomes an infinite tunnel of nothing, an absence of everything. A shadow. Every tunnel sheds light, every shadow is a product of it. Since his heart had stopped beating, only four seconds have passed.

Finally, something other than nothingness is experienced. Eden's mind feels conscious again, though he cannot see a thing, his mind echoes out into the expansion of darkness. He calls out without a voice, 'hello?'

An instantaneous response comes bouncing back at him. Eden senses it's presence, wonders if it is familiar friend, 'hello,' it says in an indescribable yet understandable language. The entity is tranquil, unflustered.

Still, Eden cannot see a thing, his eyes no longer exist, 'where- where am I?'

A burst of light comes flashing into the new plain of existence. A body(?) begins to form, Eden's consciousness is placed into the perspective of the new, yet lifelong familiar pair of eyes. As his limbs begin to re-establish themselves into this new reality, Eden's eyes are met with the world around him. His senses are restored. Soft, graceful wind caresses along his arm hair, and the ground beneath him begins to take shape. He twirls around, mountains begin to form, the night sky begins to breathe with his son's favourite colours. A colossal river begins to flow in front of his feet.

The calming voice returns, 'I think you know where you are.'

Eden recognizes everything around him; the layout of the stars, the lights above him, the river, and most notably, the mountain. This is the paradise he had dreamt of for years. It never occurred to him that it was more than just a figure of his imagination, that it was a glimpse of the afterlife. It takes him a few seconds to recollect the moments before he was teleported to this eutopia, 'my- my family'

No matter what direction he faces, the voice is clear, 'Arlo and Azra will be okay. Your time was cut short, I'm sorry,'

Eden senses a smile. Although it booms all around him, the voice somehow makes Eden feel safe, 'it's okay,' Eden can't help but admire the beauty of the sky, the refreshing of each breath, 'I just, want to see them again,' despite the aurora being just above his head, he chooses to stare at the sparkling grass, a sense of guilt slithers into him, 'will they be okay without me?'

'I can't tell you with certainty. I'm sorry.'

Eden nods in reply, even though he doesn't know if whatever speaks to him can see him. He takes a seat, spreads his hands along the wet grass. Eden loves the sensation of the heavenly elixir between his fingers, Azra will love this place, he thinks to himself, knowing that his thoughts are heard.

'You miss them. That is normal. I can help you visit them,' Mount Arlo offers this, with full knowledge that with each visit, he grows weaker and weaker. Every interaction with the real world is a step closer to the spirit's inescapable passing.

A query flies into Eden's head, 'are you the mountain? Or the lights?'

'Neither. I don't know exactly what I am, but in a way, I am the mountain,' it pauses, as if needing to catch its breath, 'the aurora is bonded to your family Eden, sadly, it doesn't talk much, but they are willing to help you too.'

'Oh-' Eden puts his chin up, realizes that thousands of mountains stalk him from the horizon, one of them glow, 'thank you,' he smiles to the mountain, before looking up into the sky. The lights dance faster than he thought was possible, 'thank you!' Eden looks left, then right, again and again and again, each time noticing a new feature. His neck doesn't hurt. His mind is far from being clouded with guilt.

Mount Arlo smiles to himself, observing his new friend. A visitor has arrived at Eden's 'garden,' from her resting paradise light years away from Norway, Arlo decides not to inform him, watches instead.

As his eyes investigate every possible detail of this new realm, a feathery voice calls out from behind him, 'Eden?'

Eden turns around, an unfamiliar figure in a wavy dress stands behind him. It is hard to tell what colour her short hair is in the dark, black? Brown? Her eyes are young, they sparkle like diamonds.

Eden realizes whose soul stands in front of him, 'Grand-mère ...' tears of joy and pain sparkle as they roll down his cheeks. He lifts himself up from the ground. The mountain and the lights become ecstatic, Arlo wishes he could dance like the lights. They flicker and wave among the stars.

Clea's dress floats behind her as she sprints to her grandchild, hugging him as tightly as she was. Eden whispers over her shoulder, 'I'm sorry... they didn-'

'it's okay- I'm here now.' she pauses, watches the violet and lime rays reflect off the river, 'you're here now.'