Page 59 of The Accidental Ghost

That light that had appeared above Kat’s bed appeared once more, beautiful for Bruce, full of hope and endless joy, and she didn’t think about anything else, not Michael, not the people around the bed, nothing but ushering Bruce into the light.

Bruce’s spirit lifted from his body, strong and sure, their hands entwined, and Ralph rose with him.

Upon entering the light, Bruce turned to her and smiled, tears in his eyes. “It’s…I…”

She understood. Words became moot when confronted with paradise.

Bruce looked down at the people around his bed as his life slipped away and his spirit fully entered the light with tears in his eyes. “I loved them all so much. I was so lucky they were in our lives. It brought us so much joy to share our love. Magda couldn’t have…children…and it pained her so, but they made us a family. Because of them, we were a family. ”

Ralph’s heart clenched as her eyes filled with tears, too. Pulling him into a hug, she pressed her cheek to his. “Magda’s here, Bruce. She’s waiting to take you the rest of the way. Are you ready?”

“Bruce,” a soft voice filled with tenderness called. “Welcome home, honey. Welcome home.”

A slight woman in a pretty short-sleeve sundress came out of the light, her arms open wide, her smile beaming. She wore her hair in a cute bob of silver-gray pin curls, tucked back behind her ears.

Magda ran to Bruce, throwing her arms around his neck as they clung to one another.

“Magda,” he whispered, pointing down as he gazed at her with more love in his eyes than Ralph had ever seen. “Did you see, Mags? They’re all there. All the kids…”

Magda’s smile grew as she nodded, cuddling against him as though they’d never parted. “Because of you, my teddy bear. Because they loved you so much. Because you cared. And now you’re here with me, and we’re together again. Are you ready to go home, sweetheart?”

Bruce pulled her closer, inhaling the scent of her hair, closing his eyes and breathing as though for the first time since Magda had died.

“Ready,” he whispered on a happy sigh.

Ralph put her arms around them both. “Then come with me,” she whispered in their ears, walking them through the magnificence of the light.

As they stepped deeper inside the glow, they both faced her and waved. “Thank you, Raphaela,” Bruce called out before the glow swallowed them up…and they were gone.

She swiped at her eyes, tears of happiness falling down her cheeks, her limbs tired, her soul spent.

“Aw, wasn’t that fucking sweet?” Michael mocked before latching onto her and throwing her over his shoulder. “Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to Hell we go!”

Chapter

Eighteen

“Put me down, Michael!” she screeched with all the energy she had left in her body. She banged against his back, unable to squirm free.

“The fuck I will, Ms. Tucci! You said you’d help me, but you lied just like everyone else did all my damn life. I figure you owe me, and I’m gonna collect!”

Collect what? She could barely think straight, let alone figure out what he wanted to collect. She hit him in the back with her fists, kicking her legs, trying to get him to release her as he plodded along the exterior edge of the light, still bright and swirling with color.

This was how you got to Hell? By way of the light? What kind of twisted logic was that?

With the last burst of energy she had left in her, Ralph twisted in his grip, pushing off his lower back and grabbing a handful of skin at his waist, squeezing until she heard his scream.

“Ow!” he yelped, tripping on his feet and dropping her to the ground.

As Ralph scrambled to get up, she tripped, too, sliding and stumbling.

Man, the light’s floor was slippery! Whoever mopped it was doing their job. Two thumbs up.

She’d only gotten a few feet before Michael was grabbing at her ankles, dragging her toward him, clawing her calves, digging into the skin.

“Get back here!”

She kicked at his hands, the effort nearly making her pass out. But Michael hauled her back anyway, pulling her across the slick surface until he was on top of her once more.

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