Page 24 of My Karmic Destiny

“Your guides,” Megan corrects. “We can stay for another few minutes if you like. Or we can take you to the afterlife now.”

The woman glances back to the room that’s erupting with emotion. She tries to comfort a few of them, but her hand just passes through their bodies.

With a slight frown, she shakes her head. “No. We can go now. I’ve said my goodbyes when I was alive. I can get on with my next adventure.”

I’ll give it to Betsy. Nothing’s going to hold her down.

Megan takes both Betsy’s and my astral hands and flies out of the house, plunging us into the dark night of the cosmos.

Betsy hoots, having a grand time with our spacewalk. I’m a bit more apprehensive, which is ironic as fuck. I’m supposed to be the reaper here. The one returning to Earth in a few minutes, and I’m the one who’s nervous. Perhaps it’s only worry for what awaits us when we pass beyond the veil.

We arrive at a swirling portal, and Megan gives her a farewell blessing. “Good fortune to you and your next lives. It’s been a pleasure escorting you.”

Betsy gives us both a big hug. “Thank you, darlings. I appreciate the help.” She glances at the portal and hesitates before entering. “So the whole reincarnation thing is real?”

“From what I understand, it can be,” Megan answers with a tiny shrug. “Depends on where you’re at. But that isn’t for me to say.”

“So you haven’t been through the portal?” Betsy appraises the doorway with a cautious eye.

“Not yet.” Megan looks a bit longingly at the cosmic exit. “Or if I have, I don’t remember much from when I was on the other side when I was between lives. Our memories are fuzzy at best when it comes to other lives we may have had.”

“Hmm. Sounds like an interesting mystery. But I won’t find out lurking out here. Good fortune to you too, then.” Betsy waves and slips through the gateway.

Megan clasps my astral hand in hers, and we soar through space and dimensions, returning to the physical realms.

We land back in our bodies. Megan does it gracefully, likely having done so a million times. I’m not so lucky and knock myself to the floor from a reclining chair I used while we went on our reaper trip.

And that’s what it feels like. Atrip. Psychedelic, but at least it wasn’t a bad trip. I don’t like those. Not that I intended to even take the acid someone spiked my drink with years ago.

FYI, Halloween can be a rough night to unwittingly go on a trip. I probably had an out-of-body experience that night now that I think about it.

“You okay?” Megan helps me to my feet.

I brush off non-existent dust from my pants. “Yep. I just have to get used to the landings.”

“You’ll find it’s easy after a few times.” She stares me in the eyes with the concern and assessment of a seasoned professional. “How are you feeling? Any other lingering sensations?”

I figure this is a standard check-in for new reapers. “I’m fine. And I’m glad she was so cool and ready to go.”

“They aren’t all like that.” Megan’s voice sours and she turns away.

“I read the stories,” I acknowledge, remembering mynot-so-lightreading Death insisted upon. “It just makes my adjustment to this new job easier to swallow.”

“We should get some lunch,” she suggests, a smile returning to her pretty face. “It will help settle your stomach from the travel.”

Now that she mentions it, my belly is queasy, like I hit some heavy aircraft turbulence. “Good idea.”

“I know a great place!” she says excitedly.

She grabs my hand just as my other snatches my purse, and we pop into a busy market. A blistering sun blazes at its zenith overhead.

Glancing around and putting my psychic feelers out, I sense we aren’t in the States anymore. Also, from the few words I pick out, it doesn’t sound like English. “Where are we?”

“Mexico.” She drags me down a narrow city street and into a quaint, simply decorated restaurant.

An older woman waves us over to an empty table. “Hola, mija!”

In fluent Spanish, Megan easily asks for her usual order and one for me. I only know enough words to get by.

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