Escaping Death

Escaping Death Part 2

     I am on a bus. At least, that's what it appears to be. I'm on a bus, and I am dead. There are other passengers on the bus as well. Presumably, they are dead too. Strangely, the other occupants are glowing ever so slightly. Some giving off a calming bluish white color, others an unsettling orange. Looking down, my ethereal body glows with the bluish white light.
     "You're lucky" says the man sitting next to me, "you have something wonderful to look forward to at the end of this ride. The others," he grimly states, while pointing to the people glowing with the ominous orange light. "They have something quite a bit less wonderful awaiting them." Seeing my puzzlement, he simply says, "those are the souls of the corrupt."
     The expression I gave must have satisfied him, he turned and went back to whatever he was doing prior to my arrival. I look out the window and surprisingly, we are driving through my hometown. Though, things look slightly different; there are more houses and businesses than I remember. Also, I don't recognize some of the cars on the road. Just as I start to ponder those implications, a deep and overwhelming sense of melancholy rolls over me, drowning all other thoughts but one, I miss being alive.
     Slowly, our ghostly ride comes to a stop outside of a diner, a diner I don't recognize. Curious, I look towards the front of the bus only to find that a woman is standing up and staring right at me. She motions for me to come forward with a small, sad smile on her face.
     Hesitantly, I make my way towards her, unsure of what's going to happen. The woman is small in stature, pretty, and has a friendly manner about her. Gently, she puts her hand on my cheek and gives me another sad smile.
     "Time works differently here" she explains. "While it's been only moments for you, years have gone by in the living world."
     Unsure of how to respond to this revelation, I look down and take a deep breath.
     "I tell you this" she continues, "because you worked diligently to make something of your life. You took advantage of opportunities given, you improved the lives of others, but most importantly, you were kind, and you tried your best to do right in all things. The world was a better place with you in it." She gives me a slight push while speaking the last, knocking me off balance a little, and I clumsily exit the bus.
     Korie is standing a few feet away from me in line at the little diner. Slack-jawed, I look back.
     "You've earned this small privilege," she says. "Go and say goodbye to her, tell her everything you were unable to say before the end."
     "I assume she'll remember nothing of this?" I ask, suspecting I already knew the answer.
     She shakes her head, "I'm sorry, but this is how it must be. Though, she will feel a sense of closure and peace when you leave. It is a small and subtle thing, but it will help her move forward."
     I smile weakly, "that's something I suppose." Shaking slightly, I start walking towards my fiancé. Ex fiancé? Oh god, what do I say? She could have an entirely new life by now. The last thing she probably wants is to have that wound torn open again. I hesitate for a split second, wondering what I should say, when she turns around. All apprehension vanishes as her eyes meet mine, a look of shock and confusion plain on her face. I rush the last couple of feet and pull her to me, enfolding her slight frame in my arms. Her skin is soft and warm against my own. The smell of her bringing back all the fond and forgotten memories of a time passed. For the first time since just before my death, something deep within me stirs.