Page 17 of An Unexpected Ascension
My heart gallops uselessly inside my chest as we tread just a foot away from one another. There’s a heaviness in the air around us, thickening with each passing second. As if these thoughts inside my head – possibly his too – seem to cause the subtle changes around us.
The birds cease their singing as the twinkle in Will’s eyes catches mine. With one swipe of my tongue along my bottom lip, the sun’s rays dim, casting us in an ever-growing darkness. Even the water starts to cool rapidly with every inch of distance we close between us.
It isn’t until the thunder thrashes above us, vibrating the bones in my chest, do we both realize that we’re not alone, that we will never be alone.
“Come on.” Will slips under the surface one last time before combing a hand through his hair.
“Where are we going? I don’t want to leave yet.” The thought of going back to my concrete cell stirs a small panic inside of me.
“Oh, we’re not. There’s more I want to show you.”
No sooner does Will swim away that the world rights itself again. Birds resume their blessed chorus, the sun begins to brighten, and even the water finds its way back to the perfect temperature.
Heaven’s warning that the Gods are always watching.
Will pulls himself up onto the rocky surface near where the waterfall meets the pool, crashing loudly and spraying like a sprinkler. As he stands, he lends a hand for me to take. The warning strikes large in my head, the threat of more penance looming with just one mistaken touch, but it’s innocent, isn’t it?
“It’s okay. I’m just helping you to your feet.” He flashes that heartwarming smile again, encouraging me to trust him, so I do.
A suppressed squeal flies from my lips as I’m yanked into his chest before I can slip and fall backwards. I linger maybe a bit too long, the birds falling silent once more.
I clear my throat. “So what were you going to show me?”
Will leads me from one rock to another, helping me along the way. From what I’ve gathered, there isn’t pain in Heaven, but our human instincts are to always preserve ourselves, to keep ourselves from harm’s way. So, even if I were to tumble down a bed of rocks and it wouldn’t hurt a bit, I still actively avoid it.
“I was married before...” He starts.
“Before you died?”
I don’t miss the slight cringe at the crass word, but he nods.
“And now? How does that work?”
“I’ve seen it here and there. Couples reuniting with years of life between them. Someone like my age together with someone far older. Then there are people like me.”
“How do you mean?”
“Well, my wife was still young when I died. Only in her forties. Ifshe lives a long, healthy life – something I want for her desperately – I can only assume she’ll find another partner to get her through.”
“What if she does move on? Then what? Do you all live happily ever after in Heaven, the three of you?” I smirk, but he only rubs the scruff on his chin.
“I think it depends. Our emotions here in the afterlife, they’re muted. My happiness, my fear, my love. It’s all mild versions of what we had on Earth. I think it’s to better regulate the peace. How do you keep everyone content when we’re all so different? You don’t, you keep everyone at peace to avoid chaos.”
“That’s… bleak. I thought everything here would have been the same, if not better than life on Earth. I thought we would love deeper, laugh harder, and live freer.”
“Well, think about it. When one feels deeply, they may love and be happy, but when they are angry or scornful, those emotions would also be heightened. We’ve seen what happens on Earth. War, hate crimes, genocides. How do you avoid it all?” he explains. “So, I will find Melinda when her time comes and when I do – whether it’s with a new partner or not – I will be grateful either way.”
He reaches the grassy land at the bottom of the waterfall, grabbing a ledge of the cliff to haul himself up. His foot catches another piece of jagged rock, and he starts to climb.
“Come on! It’s not like you’ll die if you fall.” He chuckles, teasingly.
I shrug, following behind him.
“Does it bother you that you feel so little?”
“No, in this case, I think I’m okay with it. On Earth, my heart would have broken if I saw her with another man, but here – feeling what I feel – I know I’ll be okay.”
Will pulls himself up onto the flat surface at the top. Crawling to his knees, he extends his hand for me to grab as I take my final steps before joining him.
