Page 21 of An Unexpected Ascension
It’s a bummer Sarah May already moved to her new home, otherwise I could have asked her to join me on a walk and there was no way I was going to ask John. If guns were allowed in Heaven, I could see him sitting on his front porch just waiting for someone to come onto his property. That man has zero tolerance for humankind.
I also haven’t seen Anthony in a while.
That thought lingers as I make my way out the door and head to the falls myself. I really hope he doesn’t become another Marty.
Soon enough, the sweet smell of flowers envelops me, and I finally feel a sense of relief. This time, I don’t even bother removing my clothes, I just dive straight into the pool that holds me like a comforting hug.
Submerged, my mind reels, replaying the last few years of my life on Earth. As I do, a strange, muted feeling surges inside of me, similar to the one Will described when speaking about his wife.
My mother.
I was so blindsided by the fact that I was dead that I forgot to ask about my own mother! It’s been years now since she’s died and knowing her, she’s here. She has to be.
I just have no idea how to go about finding her. Now that my memories are starting to piece back together, I can picture her more clearly again.
“Gyllian Sanderson,” I bark her name in a firm tone.
To my dismay, nothing happens. The breeze remains subtle, barely bothering the blades of grass near the edge of the pool.
There’s a sudden void hollowing inside my chest at the realization that I failed to do the one thing any daughter should: find their mother. It slowly starts to overshadow the beauty of the warm, silky water. I emerge, breaking the surface and make my way to the shoreline. Reminiscing seems like something you do while overlooking Heaven’s landscapes. So, I pull myself up onto the rocks and climb the side of the cliff.
Halfway through my ascension, I notice a hollowed-out cave behind the rapid waters. Curiosity gets the best of me, and I find myself shifting toward the opening. I didn’t notice this last time we were here.
I look around Galsip Falls to see if anyone else is around and like last time, it’s empty, allowing me to succumb to temptation. I maneuver myself onto the ledge, then crawl onto the safety of the cave’s floor. Despite the crashing sounds of water, the cave is relatively quiet and the wall of water blocks most of the light.
It’s comfy in here, like a little nook carved out in Heaven just forme. Dark, cool, and there’s a looseness in the air that differs from the rest of the realm. A looseness like a stretched-out rubber band that’s softened over time.
Lowering myself to the ground, I study the way my heart beats, the way my chest retracts with quickened breaths, the thin film of perspiration to coat my skin... These are things I haven’t felt since I stepped foot in this world.
What was it that Will said about basic needs and feelings?
As I try to recall, a shift in light blinds me.
My mother’s image moves against the blanket of water falling at the cave’s mouth like a movie. Her pale face, sockets sunken with sickness, stares back at me. Her dark hair shimmers with grey streaks and those hazel eyes twinkle like she knows I’m watching.
“She’s lovely.”
The deep vibrations of the stranger’s voice elicit a startled gasp from me. My head whips back to find a man leaning against the far wall of the cave, half hidden behind shadows. He steps a bit closer, nudging his head at me to return my gaze forward.
She clasps my hands in hers, whispering her promise for eternal love, even though this is the last time I will ever see her on Earth. I watch her with tears streaming down my face as my younger self slips into her bed beside her. She holds me, even as she dies, she holds me and gives me one last comfort to take into a new day.
With my ear to her chest, I listen to the last tick of her heartbeat, I listen to her leave me as the cancer eats away at her bones, poisoning her until there’s nothing left.
“She was.”
Footsteps sound behind me, creeping forward until I can feel the heat of his body hovering near.
“What are you doing here?” he asks.
“I-I was just climbing to the top when I found it. The cave just sort of called to me.”
He joins me on the ground, but I don’t dare tear my eyes away from my memories that I’ve now finally figured out how to play.
Alone. I was so terribly alone after her death. Her coffin now lowering into the ground.
“Why am I sad? How can I feel all of this right now?”
“The wonders of this cave.”
