Page 74 of Widow

Chapter 18

Camellia

"Camellia. It's time for you to wake up." The voice was chipper and sounded an awful lot like Whoopi Goldberg.

My eyes popped open, and I stared up at a stark white ceiling. There was nothing in the room with me except the bed I lay on. I looked down at my body; a soft cotton gown was on it.

"What the fuck?" I sat up and swung my legs off the bed.

"Language, child." The voice was coming from the ceiling. I searched it for speakers and couldn't even find an air vent.

Realization suddenly smacked me in the face, and I sat down on the bed. I was dead. At least I thought I was. If not, then this was some crazy dream I was having. Maybe a break with reality. Psychiatry had not been my best rotation.

"It's time for you to face judgment."

Judgment? I thought I was in the clear in that regard. I was a doctor. I saved lives.

My attention was drawn to a plain white door. It seemed to pulsate with energy. I raised my eyebrows and looked at the ceiling like it would tell me I was supposed to walk through that door.

I turned the handle and stepped out into a long white hallway. There were so many doors that I couldn't even keep track as I walked down the hall. All the doors I tried were locked.

Not a sound could be heard except the swishing of my dress and the soft thumps of my bare feet on the marble floor.

As I continued walking, the end of the hall came closer, and a bright white light pulsated. The hallway ended and I was faced with a choice. Go into the light or... well, I guess there wasn't a choice.

I stepped into it, and then I was in a large room that reminded me of Grand Central Station. It was quiet, with people filling the chairs. A ticket dispenser was standing just outside of the wall I had walked through.

I took a number and took a seat in an empty chair. It was peaceful in the room, and my heart and soul were full. It was an odd sensation knowing I was dead, yet not feeling sad about it.

In fact, no one in the room seemed all too sad. Maybe everyone was just in shock.

A commotion drew my attention up to the ceiling, where large windows showed a bright blue expanse. A pair of white wings passed overhead. Then another and another.

Most of the room was staring or had risen to their feet. I gripped the arms of my chair. Angels were real. Never in a million years did I think I'd be in heaven with angels flying around in the sky. Would I get wings? I assumed I had passed judgment.

One of the angels took a nosedive right into the glass window and came crashing through. People screamed and moved out of the way of the falling glass, which disappeared before it hit anyone.

The fiasco was on the other side of the room, so I just watched, wide-eyed, as a dark-haired man in a suit was chased by a man with long blond hair and a sword at his hip.

Whoever they were, this was some prime entertainment, and I giggled.

"Camellia! Camellia Hayes!" The man being chased looked down as he circled the room.

My breath left me, and I stood. How had he known my name?

"Lucifer! Stop this madness!" the blond Adonis bellowed.

The room erupted in gasps, and a few people screamed. I sat back down and let my hair fall over my face. Lucifer was looking for me. This was all a mistake. I wasn't supposed to be in Heaven; I was supposed to be in Hell.

My number flashed in the air overhead. The two angels were still chasing each other like a dog chases a cat. I stood quickly and walked with my head down to the door I had seen everyone going to.

Twenty feet to go. Ten. Lucifer landed in between me and the door.

Shit. Fuck. Bloody hell.

If I wasn't going to hell before, I certainly was after the string of curses I muttered in my head.

I backed up several steps as the blond angel landed next to Lucifer. He looked more annoyed than pissed. He didn't try to restrain Lucifer, or even try to stop him as he walked towards me.

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